The word “integrity” can be used in a number of different ways. Speaking with integrity means telling the truth. Acting with integrity is about walking the talk, practicing what we preach. Physicians must tell the truth to their patients, and try to role model healthy lifestyles to their patients to whom they educate about the need to have a healthy lifestyle. Teachers must be honest with their students, hold them accountable while being accountable to them. Researchers must not fabricate or alter experimental results, or report findings and conclusions that are not based on evidence. A lack of integrity leads to a lack of trust. Integrity is one of our core RISE values. May we always strive to speak and act with integrity!
- Steve Spann
February is Black History Month. This month, we are proud to acknowledge and celebrate Black Americans’ heritage, culture and contributions. At Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, we celebrate “medicine with a mission” with the help of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA). The SNMA is committed to supporting current and future underrepresented medical students, addressing health disparities in underserved communities, and increasing the number of clinically compassionate, integrity centered and socially conscious physicians.
Congratulations to our first-year medical students, Kaylah Perez and Rolando Alvarado, on being awarded first place in their categories for their research presentations at the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) Southwest Regional Conference in Fort Worth, TX. Also, congratulations to Kaylah, who was elected as the Chief Information Officer for the LMSA SW Regional Board.
Congratulations to the 2023 Student Scholarly Project Presentation Day winners! Our second-year medical students presented their projects on a variety of relevant topics.
Let us applaud our winners:
Natarajan Venkatayan, M.D., clinical associate professor, joined the Department of Clinical Sciences. Dr. Venkatayan is the program director for the UH-HCA West Family Medicine Residency Program.
Tameka Clemons, Ph.D., assistant clinical professor, joined the Department of Biomedical Sciences on February 1, 2023. Dr. Clemons will teach biochemistry.
Please welcome our newest faculty members.
In addition to Black History Month, February is also American Heart Month. American Heart Month is a national awareness campaign that encourages us to focus on our heart health. President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed the first American Heart Month in February 1964. To celebrate, we are sharing some tips to improve your heart health from Dr. Kenya Steele, a family physician and the assistant dean of Diversity and Outreach.
To read more: The Importance of Heart Health
We continue to grow our dynamic team of consummate professionals. Let us welcome the newest members to join our college:
• With two Cougar Conversations under our belt, these monthly events are a resounding success. Aimed at building community by forging stronger relationships: students, faculty and staff can foster connections while sharing experiences on different topics at 10 separate tables. Thank you to all who participated in these events.
Our medical students participated in MLK Day of Service at Blodgett Urban Garden. This community garden harvest fresh fruits and vegetables to serve the Third Ward community and is dedicated to sustainable gardening, healthy eating and community education.
Mayor Sylvester Turner, Rebecca Negri, outreach & marketing manager and other community members joined the meet and greet event to support the African American Male Wellness Agency. Aligned with our mission , this agency’s goal is to increase the life expectancy of African American men in physical and mental health, financial literacy, fatherhood and research.
The institutional self-study is central to the accreditation process. In the self-study, a medical school brings together representatives of the administration, faculty, student body and other constituencies to (1) collect and review data about the medical school and its educational programs, (2) identify institutional strengths and issues requiring action, and (3) define strategies to ensure that the strengths are maintained and any problems are addressed.
Liaison Committee on Medical Education. (2022, April). Guide to the - LCME. Standards, Publications, & Notification Forms. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from LCME.org - 2023-24 Self Study Guide
UH Health Family Care Center celebrated its first anniversary with an open house on Wednesday, February 22, from 11 a.m – 1 p.m.
With a goal to reach 63,000 households in the Third Ward, the new spring marketing campaign is aimed at encouraging community members to spring clean their health routines and allow the Family Care Center to be their health care home.
Do you have something you’d like to share college wide? Email uhcomcom@central.uh.edu with details for consideration in next month’s edition of The Pulse.
