2025 JAN. EDITION
The Fertitta College of Medicine has selected four Values that guide our behaviors: Respect, Integrity, Servant Leadership, and Equity. Our Executive Leadership team spent some time recently discussing one of these Values, Integrity. The College defines this as follows, “As demonstrated by being mindful and reflective about our behavior, honest and authentic in our relationships, and evidence-based in our decisions; willing to hold oneself and others accountable to always strive for excellence.”
Many of our senior leaders have spent a good deal of time this year developing and deepening relationships with health systems, outpatient clinics, and community organizations. I have found in these interactions that being “honest and authentic in our relationships” has been a true reflection of our College’s approach. We have been warmly welcomed everywhere we have gone, and other organizations truly want to support our students and the Mission of our College of Medicine. In discussing new clinical placements for students, we have sought three things, 1) Access, particularly unopposed by other medical schools, 2) Quality, so no experience is inferior to another, and 3) Stability, so we can develop long-term programs.
As a result of this relationship-building, I am pleased to relay that we now have agreements in place to begin sending students to two new locations for clerkship rotations. Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance in the Rio Grande Valley and Texas Children’s Hospital in Austin will both start welcoming students for their required clerkships later this spring. We have great ambitions for the Fertitta College of Medicine, and I am confident that following our Values gives us a boost towards continued success.
- Jon McCullers
The Professional Development Lunch & Learn Series was launched this year to provide an opportunity for College of Medicine employees to participate in a training session that will help them improve their professional skills. Guest speakers will share their insights on how to develop leadership skills. Training will also be provided on ways to address mental health, among other topics.
In the first Professional Lunch and Learn Event that was held, Randy Webb spoke to both faculty and staff about “Coaching for Leaders”. In addition to being an executive coach himself, with over 28 years of business experience, including being the youngest corporate officer at the Dial Corporation and Vice President of Field Sales at Dial and President and CEO of Mars’ food division, Mr. Webb serves as an Executive Professor and Executive Director for the Stephan Stagner Sales Excellence Institute at the C.T. Bauer College of Business.
We look forward to host our next Professional Development Lunch and Learn on Thursday, February 27th from 12 PM – 1 PM, where we will be joined by UH Associate Dean Dr. Sara Jahansouz Wray, who will be speaking on “Recovering from Perfection: Using Principles of Emotional Intelligence to Cope with Life’s Greatest Wins and Losses.”
This month, a new class of MS2s completed their Student Scholarly Project (SSP), a research component of the physicians, patients and populations course. This is an in-depth, mentored learning experience that allows students to apply their coursework in biostatistics, evidence-based medicine, public health and bioinformatics. This year, Shielene Vargas, Saba Siddiqi, Celine Nguyen, Ben King, Ph.D., M.P.H., Lauren Gilbert, Ph.D., M.P.H., Jannette Diep and Bich-May Nguyen, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, received first place for their research on CEAL Survey Examining Vietnamese American’s Level of Trust in Sources of Information and Willingness to Participate in COVID-19 Clinical Trials.
Ahsan Omer, MS2, presented his research at the Annual Pain Medicine Meeting hosted by The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA).
The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Houston-Galveston hosted its first-ever Winter Symposium. The day brought together passionate change-makers, thought leaders, and their dedicated Fellows to explore innovative solutions to health disparities in our communities. MS3s Ashlynn McCall, Jessica Medrano, and MS2s Mathew Mendoza, Alejandra Duque, Cassie Leissner and Jasmin Ali were all in attendance and either presented or helped question the fellows.
The Texas Pediatric Society awarded MS3s Ashlynn McCall, Megan Vu, Nyeomi McGaskey, along with faculty and staff Mohamed Zebda, D.O., M.P.H., Lola Adepoju, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Mary Tipton, a $5,000 grant by the Texas Pediatric Society to fund their KIDSAFE program at Blackshear Elementary.
Several College of Medicine students have once again volunteered their time to treat runners at the annual Chevron Houston Marathon. Way to represent the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine!
The College of Medicine’s own Sidnee Wilson, MS3, joined fellow medical students along with the city’s medical and academic communities, at the Houston Medical Forum’s 32 Annual Scholarship Gala. Wilson received a scholarship on this storied night dedicated to advancing medical education and community health.
Tameka Clemons, Ph.D., was selected as a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Science and Diversity Leadership Award Grant Reviewer.
Woods Nash, M.P.H., Ph.D., sees poetry as a way to refresh our thinking about health care and our own relationships to it. “Like taking meds,” he says, “engaging with poetry isn’t always easy, but the goal is to renew and to restore.” “Massage” is Nash’s 13th poem in JAMA since 2013.
We continue to grow our dynamic team of consummate professionals. Let us welcome the newest members to join our college:
Several students volunteered with Brian Reed, M.D., at the Dia de La Mujer Latina Health Fiesta. Along with students from Baylor, over 100 women were able to receive clinical breast examinations and/or pap smears.
Congratulations to Arelí Mbaye in her new role as the Executive Director to the Office of the Dean. In this role, she will provide high-level administrative support to the Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the College of Medicine, facilitate effective business operations, communication strategies, and the execution of special programs and projects.
Congratulations to Aaron Lara on earning his master’s degree from the University of Houston College of Education this past December. If you see Aaron, be sure to congratulate him on his amazing accomplishment.
Congratulations to Sophia Eloufir on earning her master’s degree from the University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business. Give Sophia a big congratulations on her momentous achievement next time you see her.
On Saturday, December 14th, the UH Health Family Care Center hosted its second annual Jolly Holiday Party. Clinic patients and their families were invited for a morning of fun, music and treats and were able to take pictures with Santa, Shasta and Sasha. Children received gifts and books that were generously donated by our UH community and clinic partners. Thank you to all who made this event possible!
The Family Care Center attended the Birthing a Brighter Future 5K, hosted by the Harris County Maternal Health Program and Fit Houston. Around 100 Harris County residents came out to MacGregor Park to bring awareness to maternal health rights and issues; the clinic had representatives at the 5K to bring awareness to our women’s health and pediatric services.
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.
