2025 MAR. EDITION
Match Day 2025 was an amazing success for the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine’s second graduating class! I am so proud of our students for matching into a number of very competitive specialties and at very prestigious programs. Around two-thirds of our (soon-to-be) physicians matched into specialties that deliver primary care, and about two-thirds will be staying in Texas for their residency training. Even better, about one-third overall will be staying close to the Medical School in the Houston area and the Texas Medical Center. For me personally, participating in the student match was a first – Match Day for me in my previous roles had been from the perspective of the residency programs I helped manage and seeing who we were going to be training for the next several years. But this was much more fun! I loved seeing the excitement and joy and the payoff for all the hard work that our students, faculty and staff have put in the last four years.
- Jon McCullers
Do you need to make a Facilities, Finance, or Marketing request? You can submit your request through our new ticketing system, Zendesk. You can click this link to learn more about the system and to submit a project request.
The College of Medicine is proud to announce that we have recently begun providing healthier and vegetarian-friendly alternatives in Avenue C. Previously, weekly fresh food orders provided there consisted of grilled chicken Caesar wraps, southwest chicken wraps, and chicken Caesar salads. New items that are served include bistro boxes, veggie & hummus snack cups, and fresh fruit.
Students, staff, and faculty frequently request UHPD officers for direction on what they should do if confronted with an active shooter event. The Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) course, designed and built on the Avoid, Deny Defend (ADD) strategy developed by ALERRT, provides strategies, guidance, and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event. Topics include the history and prevalence of active shooter events, civilian response options, medical issues, and considerations for conducting drills. Please RSVP to secure a seat by filling out the registration form no later than Friday, April 4.
“Match Day is a defining moment for our students and a proud milestone for the College,” said Dr. Jonathan McCullers, dean of the Fertitta College of Medicine. “It represents the culmination of years of dedication and resilience, and as these future physicians take their next steps, they carry with them our mission – to improve health care and health outcomes in communities. Their success is our success, and we celebrate their achievement with immense pride.”
Shielene Vargas, MS2, was selected as a general scholar for the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) 2025 Scholars Program. Congratulations on such an impressive accomplishment!
Diego Alvarez, M.D., Ph.D., was absolutely thrilled to share the incredible achievements of our Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) at the recent Regional Meeting in Aurora, Colorado. This meeting was of paramount importance, marking a significant milestone in consolidating our school chapter's presence and impact on the region. The relevance of Latino medical students is gaining well-deserved recognition, highlighting the crucial role of cultural presence in the health care system to improve population outcomes. The often underrecognized Latino culture as a determinant of health underscores the need for more Latino doctors to address these critical health determinants and our students took it out of the park!
Thomas Hunt, M.D., D.Sc., is the associate dean of medical education and clinical professor in the department of clinical sciences at the Fertitta College of Medicine.
Mario Kapusta, M.D., is an adjunct clinical faculty member in the department of health systems and population health sciences.
We continue to grow our dynamic team of consummate professionals. Let us welcome the newest members to join our college:
This spring, Healthy Connections has partnered with Common Market to receive 70 boxes of farm-fresh food every two weeks, helping to address food insecurity among program participants, UH Health Family Care Center patients, College of Medicine students and staff. With community health workers (CHWs) providing food boxes directly to participants’ homes, this collaboration ensures fresh, nutritious vegetables reach individuals facing barriers to access.
Claudine D. Johnson, M.D., in collaboration with the Humana Institute and Baylor College of Medicine Office of Community Engagement, hosted local elementary school students for their “Doctor for a Day” event. Steven Butler, Ph.D., LP, CHSE, CHSOS, clinical sciences staff, and several medical students provided health and science education to these 4th and 5th graders at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine.
National Walking day is celebrated on the first Wednesday of April and is a day dedicated to encouraging people to get up, get moving, and make walking a part of their daily routine. Walking is a simple yet powerful way to boost both physical and mental well-being, and what better way to celebrate than by stepping outside with colleagues?
The UH Family Care Center has grown exponentially since its doors opened in 2022. The clinic has served almost 3,000 patients visits since 2022, with this last year seeing an amazing 103% increase. True to the mission of the College, 55% of these visits are related to Primary Care.
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.
