March has been a busy and exciting month around our College of Medicine, and we have a number of accomplishments and successes to celebrate!
I am very proud of all of the accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff! Please join me in congratulating all of these and celebrating our accomplishments and success!”
- Steve Spann
“I witnessed and experienced a fair amount of trauma in my own life and the lives of those around me, particularly in marginalized communities. As much of a psychological cliché as it sounds, I wanted to make sense of that chaos and ensure that during those difficult times. I was not a negative factor in the situation, but rather a positive light and influence to those around me. We have nothing if we don’t have our health, and a foundational medical knowledge that I’ve received from my mentors combined with training myself in empathetic care has allowed me a level of confidence in situations where it feels like the light is so far away at the end of the tunnel.”
"I love all sports and have done an Ironman Triathlon in the past. I'm a huge medical history nerd and love a good book recommendation. Currently, I’m reading "Go Set a Watchman," Harper Lee's sequel to "To Kill a Mockingbird." I will be an ER doctor at St. John General Hospital in Detroit for residency. I recently took an advanced elective with a strong focus on street medicine and have begun to really enjoy volunteering with Healthcare for the Homeless. Eventually, I plan to do some sort of fellowship in austere medicine, which includes medicine in remote conditions, potentially without modern technology, and in conditions of duress."
Fourth-year medical students celebrated their own version of March Madness – Match Day. These aspiring physicians are taking the next step in their medical journeys after discovering where they’ll spend their residencies. Read more about the Match Day event!
Sarah Flores MS1 and Nancy Chukwuneke MS1, Student Wellness Committee Reps from Class of 2027, planned and hosted the Speed Friending event at the College this last month. A night filled with music, pizza, refreshments and games were a welcome reprieve for the busy students as they looked to learn more about their classmates. The version of bingo that they played had various prompts, which allowed students to connect socially, giving each other compliments, and get to know each other. Pictured at the event are Angelique Basquine MS2 and Ashlynn McCall MS2. The event promoted mental health and social wellness energy.
The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) at the College had the opportunity to attend the LMSA Southwest Regional Conference at McGovern Medical School. Members had the opportunity to make connections between future and present Latino and non-Latino doctors and health care professionals. Activities included guest speakers, hands-on workshops, and the research symposium that many of our members participated in. We had two poster winners: Kaylah Perez MS2, who won in the category of best translational poster, and Iliana Oberkircher MS3, who won in the categories of best basic science and best overall research poster.
Students are invited to attend a workshop series hosted by the College of Medicine in collaboration with medical student leaders. This series is designed to provide guidance on the medical applicaiton process. Part I will be held on Saturday, April 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and will feature sessions on the Medical School Application Process, Available Resources for Applicants, Personal Statements, and a Medical Student Panel. Part II will be held on Saturday, April 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and will feature sessions on Finding your Mission Match, Interviews: Styles, Prep and Etiquette, Mock Interviews and a Medical Student Panel.
Interested parties can register online! << Click the image to view the flyer as a PDF.
Jasna Marjanovic, Ph.D. joined as a clinical professor of pharmacology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences.
Maryam Vasefi, Ph.D. joined as a clinical associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences.
We continue to grow our dynamic team of consummate professionals. Let us welcome the newest members to join our college:
Mirla Lopez Saldierna, program director of Household Centered Care Program/Heathy Connections, was invited to join the steering committee of the Hispanic/Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence. In this role, she will provide guidance and support for planning and developing national programs. This mission is to enhance and sustain behavioral health equity by advocating for community-driven, culturally sensitive, and person-centered approaches to prevention, intervention, multiple pathways of recovery, and recovery support for diverse Hispanic and Latino communities
Tra’Von Manning MS2, Carolina Venturi MS3, and Hannah Adams MS3 recently volunteered with Brian Reed, M.D. , and Natarajan Venkatayan, M.D. , at the Día de la Mujer Health Expo. At the health expo, faculty and students provided clinical breast examinations and cervical cancer screening to medically underserved Latina women in Harris County.
The Household Centered Care/Healthy Connections program received a generous donation of $10,000 from H-E-B. Community health workers will distribute $30 gift cards to program participants with food insecurity; the cards will supplement referrals to food access programs. The donation will also be used to provide nutritious meals for community members who participate in health education workshops and events in the community.
David Buck, M.D., M.P.H. , and Ben King, M.P.H. , initiated the inaugural “Vulnerable Populations” clinical elective last month. The elective is structured to encompass both real-world clinical experiences and a comprehensive speaker series featuring a diverse array of experts, including esteemed academics, influential community leaders and professionals specializing in homeless health. Among the speakers featured were Leonard Kincaid, the inaugural CEO and founder of the Houston Recovery Center, and Ti Hoang, D.O., a street medicine fellow in Fort Worth, Texas, both of whom shared invaluable insights from the frontlines of health care provision to underserved populations. The collaboration of expertise and experience undoubtedly contributed to a robust and enlightening educational experience for all participants involved in the elective, and we are thrilled to offer it once again in July!
Tameka A. Clemons, Ph.D. , was elected vice-chair of the International Association of Medical Sciences Educations (IAMSE) Café.
Maureen Grissom, Ph.D. was given the prestigious 2023-2024 University of Houston Teaching Excellence award (Category 4: Instructional/Clinical). Grissom will receive her award at a ceremony in April.
Wendy Fitzgerald, was instrumental in earning the College of Medicine Provisional Accreditation by the ACCME and helping our CME program to take a leap forward.
Healthy Start’s Maternal Health Resource Fair was held on Saturday, March 9 at Riverside Church. The event had fresh food, diapers/wipes, and access to a host of local resources. UH Health Family Care Center was honored to support participants in their maternal wellness journey.
Earlier this month, UH Health Family Care Center providers and staff went to Sunrise Lofts for a lunch & learn with the residents. Sunrise Lofts provides housing for young adults who age out of foster care, and helps supply services where they develop the capacity to lead independent, productive and fulfilling lives. During their lunch, the residents learned more about the services and resources offered by the clinic.
At the University of Houston, we care about you. In addition to you practicing self-care, we believe in the strength of a community that cares for our fellow Coogs. We have a number of resources to support your mental health and overall wellness. Learn more about our available resources here .
Need Support Now?
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call CAPS crisis support 24/7 at 713-743-5454 , or for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call or text 988 , or chat online at 988 Lifeline Chat and Text.
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.
