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By Kate Hunger When Madison Ashley is a practicing physician assistant someday, she likely won't be regularly placing IVs or urinary catheters. But the second-year Physician Assistant Studies student said learning clinical skills in class alongside nursing students this summer will serve her well professionally. "Knowing exactly what everyone's role is," will help, she said, adding that…
In honor or National Allied Health Professions Week, we would like to recognize all of our outstanding students for pursuing their dreams of making lives better through their chosen allied health career. Here are a few of our students and why they chose their field of study:, Binni Khatri, Program: Physical Therapy "I chose to pursue physical therapy because it empowers progressive self-sufficiency in individuals that are limited by pain, movement and other ailments. As a physical therapist, I will have the chance to be a patient advocate, encourage lifestyle changes, and serve the community.", Evelyn Rivera, Program: Clinical Laboratory Sciences "I chose to pursue the CLS profession because although they are not often personally involved with patients, laboratory technologists play a crucial role process of providing personalized care by generating vitally important data for identifying and treating many health conditions.", Karina Alexis Garcia, Program: Clinical Laboratory Sciences "While I was doing my research on applying to medical school, I came upon some information regarding the Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS) program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The fact that in the CLS program, one learns to integrate science and health care made me realize that in order for me to become the best physician…, Ken Queliza, Program: Physical Therapy "I chose to pursue physical therapy because of my interest in the human body’s potential. The idea that movement dysfunction can be improved upon with exercise still fascinates me. I was also attracted to the evidence-based rationale with which physical therapists plan their patients’ treatments on. I see myself working in an outpatient rehabilitative setting, making a…, Monique Lecky, Program: Occupational Therapy "I chose to purse a degree in Occupational Therapy because helping others learn to help themselves is a rewarding and fulfilling experience. As an Occupational therapist, I am not only an integral part of a patient’s rehabilitative process, but I also get to use my creativity to customize interventions to fit the individual needs of each patient. Through my…, Rebecca Smith, Program: Physical Therapy "Ever since I was young, I knew that I wanted a career within the health professions. It wasn’t until I started working with children with special needs at the Arc of San Antonio, that I decided I wanted to pursue physical therapy. I have always enjoyed helping others and giving back to the community and this career will allow me to continue to do that and so much more.", Tammi L. Sligh, Program: Physician Assistant Studies "Coming from a small town in Mississippi, and being the first person in my family to graduate high school, I was afraid to dream too big. I settled on a BS degree in Cytotechnology (also an Allied Health program) and worked in this field for many years. I went on to earn a Master of Science in Forensic Science. I worked as a Forensic Scientist for 15 years,…, Christopher Pursch, Program: Physical Therapy "Physical Therapy allows me the opportunity to help people on multiple levels. The ability to functionally move is one of the most empowering aspects of being human, helping restore this ability is incredible.", Hannah Morton, Program: Occupational Therapy "I always knew I wanted an active job in the health field and I felt that occupational therapy best fit my personality as well as my interests. I love that it mixes the science of the human body with a bit of creativity to help others achieve their goals! I hope work as a pediatric therapist, maybe even in a NICU or hospital setting.", Heather Dowling, Program: Respiratory Care "After earning a BS in Biology from UTSA, I wanted to continue my education in the medical field here in San Antonio. The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Respiratory Care program stood out to me because the professors and admissions team were very welcoming and willing to help. In the future, I would like to work as a respiratory therapist on a…, Emilie Janskey, Program: Occupational Therapy "I shadowed in many other areas of the health field during my undergrad. Although they were all great professions, occupational therapy was the profession that fit my personality best. I became intrigued with the creativity, various techniques, and devices occupational therapists used in treating their patients and the positive role they play in their patient’s lives…
By Kate Hunger The first class of Doctor of Occupational Therapy students visited the San Antonio Museum of Art this month to apply some of what they have been learning in the classroom. The entire class of 42 first-year OTD students visited SAMA on June 13, said Bridgette Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR associate professor and department chair who is teaching the course on the theoretical foundation…
By Kate Hunger After working in higher education for several years, Victoria Garza felt something was missing. She came to an article about speech-language pathology in a newsletter from her alma mater that spoke to her. “I felt like I had missed my calling,” she recalled. So Garza, whose bachelor’s degree is in English, researched speech-language pathology as a second career option and…
By Kate Hunger The Physician Assistant Studies program received its 10-year continued accreditation in April. The Accreditation Review Commission on the Education of the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) is the independent accrediting agency that evaluates PA programs within the territorial United States to make sure they meet standards for PA education as defined by the agency. The program had its…
By Kate Hunger The School of Health Professions’ Medical Laboratory Sciences team won first place in an academic competition this spring. The team competed against teams from across the state at the Student Bowl during the Texas Association for Clinical Laboratory Science annual meeting held March 23-24 in El Paso. Team member Amanda Graham wasn’t sure what to expect when she signed up to…
By Kate Hunger Rocío Norman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, assistant professor received a $10,000, one-year seed grant from the School of Health Professions to study language performance in adults with mild traumatic brain injury. Norman will partner with Reeves Rehabilitation Center at University Hospital and Veterans Community Organizations in the San Antonio area. Norman received the grant in March and…
By Kate Hunger Many students spend Spring Break far away from the classroom, but a group of students from UT Health San Antonio used their time off to travel across the world to learn about health care in different countries. Second-year occupational therapy master's student Sarah Purcell was one of 17 students from the School of Health Professions and the School of Nursing who visited Coventry…
By Kate Hunger Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR, occupational therapy associate professor, and chair was appointed in November to the five-member leadership council of the American Occupational Therapy Association's Scholarship of Teaching and Learning initiative. In her new role, Dr. Yoder said she plans to serve as a research mentor and is interested in the "exploration of signature…
By Kate Hunger The Respiratory Care master's program has received continuing accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. The CoARC voted at its November meeting to confer accreditation for the program for 10 years, with the next and on-site program review set for 2027. The program received the longest period for accreditation, with no demerits of findings to…