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PA white coat ceremony marks entry into the profession
By Kate Hunger
The Department of Physician Assistant Studies held its annual white coat ceremony on May 16, with 48 students receiving their short white coats.
The Frank M. Tejeda Ceremony for the Class of 2021 represented a milestone for students, who also received their pins from the president of the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA) and recited the PA professional oath.
SHP commencement includes first SLP class
For the first time ever, the School of Health Professions commencement was held at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.
About 150 students from Emergency Health Sciences, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Care and Speech-Language Pathology participated in the May 18 ceremony, said David Henzi, Ed.D., Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Occupational Therapy and Physician Assistant Studies graduations were held in December.
Deputy medical director and EHS professor receives award
When C.J. Winckler was growing up, first in South Dakota and then Southeast Texas, he had no plans for a career in medicine, but after four years of college, he knew he wasn’t suited for an office job.
“I graduated UT undergrad in psychology on Sunday and started paramedic school on Monday,” he said.
Interprofessional project to study teen vaping intervention
After her teenage son was caught vaping twice last school year, Physician Assistant Studies Assistant Professor/Clinical Tammy Harris, MPAS, PA-C, spent a lot of time thinking about ways to address the increasing use of e-cigarettes among youth.
“They are so influenced by their peers,” she said.
Meet the new library liaison for the School of Health Professions
The School of Health Professions has a new library liaison: Rebecca Ajtai, MLIS.
Ajtai, an experienced and enthusiastic medical librarian who has always loved science, joined the Library Liaison Services team in March. The primary point of contact for the School of Health Professions, Ajtai most recently spent seven years as a research librarian at the Texas Heart Institute Library in Houston. She also has worked at Rice University’s Bioscience Research Collaborative.
Students and faculty inducted to Alpha ETA Society
The School of Health Professions Alpha ETA Society inducted new student and faculty members in April.
To be eligible for membership in the society, undergraduates must earn at least a 3.5 GPA and show a capacity of leadership and achievement to be eligible for membership, while graduate students must have a 3.8 GPA and demonstrate the same leadership and achievement qualities.
Pilot project to study the impact of a holistic intervention on cancer survivors
A new pilot study involving the Department of Physical Therapy in collaboration with the Institute for Health Promotion Research will gauge the impact of a holistic intervention program on the overall wellbeing of cancer survivors.
“We are finding out that if physical therapists just take care of the physical aspects of health by itself, we are pretty much just scraping the surface,” said co-principal investigator Alexis Ortiz, PT, Ph.D., SCS, CSCS, FACSM, professor and chair of the physical therapy department.
Annual Allied Health Games included official Fiesta event
This year’s annual Allied Health Games activities lineup included something different: an official Fiesta event.
The opportunity to participate in the Chromosome 18 Starfish Dash 5K during the games on April 27 made the annual competition among teams of School of Health Professions students particularly exciting because it also helped raise awareness of chromosome 18 abnormalities, said organizer and second-year MOT student Tori Villarreal.
PT students hold health fair at senior center
Melinda Fountain was one of 35 third-year physical therapy students who ran a health fair for seniors last month. Her team ran the nutrition booth for the event that drew about 75 attendees.
“We educated the participants on proper nutrition—specifically protein, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables—and we questioned them about what they typically eat,” she said.
Fountain’s team took their job pretty seriously.
“We dressed up as fruits and vegetables,” she said. “I was a carrot.”
Students recognized for leadership, research and more
When Carolyn Perez first began the Speech-Language Pathology master’s program, she had not yet felt the pull of research. But after observing the research passion of her mentor, Rocío Norman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor, and working on a research project involving traumatic brain injury, Perez was hooked.
“Research is where it’s at,” she said of the potential of research to make a difference.
Students celebrate OT Month and attend AOTA conference
Occupational therapy students tried something new this year to mark Occupational Therapy Month: a social media takeover to help educate others about their future profession during the month of April.
The takeover of the School’s Instagram and the Facebook page of the School’s Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) was designed to share information and raise awareness about occupational therapy, said students Victoria Alejandro and Allanah Gallagher, who are president and vice president of the School’s SOTA chapter, respectively.
Students travel to Mexico to learn about occupational therapy
Kate Hunger
Seven occupational therapy students traveled in March to Mérida in Yucatán, Mexico, to expand their understanding of the practice of the profession.
The trip was hosted by the founders of the only bachelor’s and master’s degree occupational therapy program in Yucatan, the Instituto Interamericano de la Salud (INTSA), said Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR., Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy.
Students visit India over spring break
When a group of UT Health San Antonio students traveled to India in March, they engaged in academic and clinical experiences during their time at the Manipal College of Health Professions—but the learning didn’t stop there.
New SHP faculty members complete teaching excellence course
Megan Lynn Llamas, MA, BSRC, RRT, Respiratory Care assistant professor, has already put into practice strategies she learned during the recently offered Teaching Excellence Short Course for new faculty.
After taking the course, she asked students how they optimally learn and adjusted her teaching approach based on their responses.
OT student selected as a Presidential Ambassador Scholar
First-year occupational therapy doctoral student Janna Roberts is the 2019 Presidential Ambassador Scholar for the School of Health Professions.
Roberts is one of five Presidential Ambassador Scholars to receive the award, which recognizes a future leader in each of UT Health San Antonio’s schools. In addition to receiving a $5,000 scholarship, students also may be called on to represent their schools during visits by distinguished guests or at presidential events. The Scholars received their awards at a ceremony on April 1.
Attention Prospective PA Students: Open House Set for April 12
Prospective students interested in learning more about the Physician Assistant Studies master’s program at UT Health San Antonio are invited to register for a free and informative PA Open House scheduled for April 12.
OT professor receives Presidential Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching
By the time Occupational Therapy Assistant Professor Ricky Joseph, Ph.D., M.A.-H.R.M., OTR, Occupational Therapy Assistant Professor joined the School of Health Professions faculty in 2013, he had retired from the U.S. Army—twice.
Respiratory Care students participate in asthma module for medical students
A group of second-year respiratory care students recently participated in a respiratory health module on asthma for Long School of Medicine students.
Held Feb. 22, the session emphasized the need for and importance of protocols, said Kristina Ramirez, MPH, RRT, CHES, Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education. The program also offered respiratory care students the opportunity to observe how medical students were taught about an asthma case.
Respiratory care and nursing students participate in simulation program
First-year respiratory care student, Raven Hargrove recently got a sense of what it will be like to work on a team caring for pediatric patients with tracheostomies.
OT faculty member elected to chair AESIS
Bridgette Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR, Occupational Therapy Associate Professor and Department Chair was elected this winter as chair of the Academic Education Special Interest Section (AESIS) for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
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