Across the institution’s health professional schools, a network of programs and people aims to ensure that students get the most from their education
Francisco G. Cigarroa, MD, senior executive vice president for health affairs and health system at UT Health San Antonio, has often expressed his belief that education is the greatest health initiative of all time.
This consequential statement is at the heart of the institution’s commitment to help shape the next generation of scientists and healthcare providers with great care, intention and purpose.
From opportunities for high school students to get a jump-start on becoming health professionals, to peer mentorships and career development initiatives, the university’s health professional schools provide programs to help students connect with others and get the resources and information they need to thrive during their educational journey.
Read on to learn how these programs undergird the student experience to build personal resilience and professional confidence — and encourage faculty to broaden their mentorship skills as well.
Peer mentoring program offers comfort, community for incoming graduate students
Ishita Tarnekar was a bit scared and overwhelmed as an international student starting her doctoral program at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2024.
But not for long.
Thanks to the school’s Transition Peer Mentor Program for masters and doctoral students, she got her footing with guidance from her mentor, also an international student, on a variety of topics — from filling out documents to building her network and finding funded faculty looking for students to join their research lab.
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Public Health Student Association nurtures connection across disciplines
As a member of the first Masters of Public Health (MPH) cohort at the recently named Kate Marmion School of Public Health, Luis Gutierrez wanted to be part of an organization that provides students a supportive, inclusive environment that encourages learning, professional development and networking opportunities in the field of public health.
This made Gutierrez the perfect candidate to helm the school’s Public Health Student Association. He also had a lot of previous experience holding executive roles as an undergraduate student at The University of Texas at San Antonio’s College of Science — from vice president and speaker of the house to treasurer and student leader.
With the support of the School of Public Health, Gutierrez hit the ground running.
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Hispanic Center of Excellence helps dental students achieve and succeed
The Hispanic Center of Excellence at the School of Dentistry is helping recruit dental students from underserved communities in South Texas and retain them with programs to bolster their educational success.
“As the only dental school located in South Texas, we help provide oral healthcare to the region through student clinical rotations and by training the professionals who will return and provide care to their communities,” said Juanita Lozano-Pineda, DDS, MPH, associate professor and the center’s director.
“That is where our focus has been through this center of excellence. We want to help recruit and retain these individuals through guidance and participation in programs we have in the School of Dentistry.”
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Medical sciences bachelor’s program prepares students for graduate programs
Students seeking health professional careers can get a jumpstart on their academic pursuits through the School of Health Professions’ Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences (BSMS) program, part of the school’s Department of Health Sciences.
The bachelor’s program provides a rigorous science curriculum, clinical practicums and personalized support to help students prepare their applications to graduate medical, dental, physician assistant and other health science professional degree programs.
“We designed the curriculum to be very intensive and focused on medical sciences,” said Ahmad Galaleldeen, PhD, professor and program director of the Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences Program.
“We provide classes such as anatomy and physiology with a medical twist. We also added courses like clinical chemistry, patient assessment and a practicum in which students shadow physicians, physician assistants or providers in whichever profession and specialty they are interested in. We partner with providers here at UT Health San Antonio, at University Hospital and on the private side. Our students graduate from the program ready to submit their applications.”
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School of Nursing’s Student Success Center supports the ‘whole person’
The School of Nursing offers a holistic approach to helping students succeed, with academic assistance, psychosocial support and professional and student leadership development opportunities — all through the school’s Student Success Center.
This centralized hub gives students easy access to a wealth of resources — from peer mentoring, tutoring and academic workshops, to student wellness, nursing scholarships, student organizations, career readiness and more.
Since the center opened in 2014, the school has experienced an increase in student retention, student engagement and pass rates for the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX, which reached 98% the year after the center was opened, said Vanessa Bográn Meling, EdD, MBA, associate dean of Admissions, Student Success and Engagement, and assistant research professor in the School of Nursing.
“We’re educating not just students’ minds, but the whole person, ensuring they have the support, confidence and skills to thrive,” Meling said.
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Research Mentoring Academy provides faculty mentors opportunities to hone their skills
Anibal Diogenes, DDS, PhD, knows a thing or two about good mentorship.
After all, he has mentored dozens of students at the university and received the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) Mentor of the Year award in 2022.
“I’m a product of [strong mentorship] because I was trained here,” said Diogenes, professor and chair of the Department of Endodontics. “I know how important it is for somebody’s future.”
After being recognized as GSBS Mentor of the Year, Diogenes received automatic membership into the Research Mentoring Academy — an independent organization that supports junior and senior faculty researchers in order to facilitate and reinforce the importance of strong mentoring relationships. The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences launched the academy in 2018 to provide faculty members from across the university’s health professional schools an opportunity to hone their mentorship skills to give research trainees the best possible learning experience.
Recently, Diogenes took the helm as chair of the academy, now 11 faculty research members strong, and is looking to expand its reach by inviting faculty researchers from across UT San Antonio to join and continue to build on the university’s robust culture of mentorship.
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