Hispanic Center of Excellence

The Hispanic Center of Excellence's main objective is to increase its recruitment, training, and retention of junior and minority faculty through formal and informal faculty development activities, mentoring, and financial assistance. An ultimate goal of the HCOE is to increase promotion and tenure among Hispanic faculty.

Advisory and Mentorship Board

Tasnee Chonmaitree, M.D.
Chair of The Advisory and Mentorship Board
Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Pathology
Distinguished Teaching Professor, The UT system
Co-Director, Translational Research Scholars Program
Associate Director, Research Education, Training, and Career Development Key Resource,
Institute for Translational Sciences

M.D. Fellows

Liliana Andrade, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Internal Medicine
Division of Geriatrics

Ana Rodriguez, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

UTMB has a longstanding commitment to provide minority and underrepresented medical students academic enrichment experiences prior to entering medical school with additional clinical exposure to bolster their academic performance. Medical students are introduced to culturally-rich community-based service learning programs and research. HCOE supports the following:

Prematriculation Reinforcement and Enrichment Program (PREP)
Is an intensive and aggressive six-week program designed for all incoming medical students.

Travel Stipends
Are available to students that present their research project at national conferences. Topics must be on Hispanic health. Stipends are also available to all students that conduct their preceptorship or clerkship off campus in a predominantly Spanish-speaking patient population clinic.

Library Resource Center
This innovative library includes materials for Spanish language acquisition, medical Spanish, and Hispanic health.

Student Organizations
Frontera de Salud: www.utmb.edu/frontera
Latin Medical Student Association (LMSA)
"Que Quiere Decir"(QQD)
St. Vincent's Clinic

The Hispanic Center of Excellence is housed in the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions.

Medical Careers Diversity Program

A Pre-Medical Experience for Rising Juniors and Seniors

The Medical Careers Diversity Program (MCDP) is a five-week summer program which provides an intensive academically-enriched medical experience for undergraduate Hispanic students. Rising Juniors with a minimum of 3.0 GPA and Seniors with a minimum of 3.2 GPA interested in a career in medicine are eligible to apply. MCDP provides the below activities in addition to year-round mentoring and counseling from HCOE faculty, and peer and MCDP faculty shared academic support through virtual network, Ning. A stipend is provided.

Now Accepting MCDP 2013 Summer Applications

Application forms are available for those wanting to join the Medical Careers Diversity Program this coming summer. MCDP 2013 summer program will run from May 19 to June 22.

Open for submissions until places are filled:

» MCDP 2013 Summer Application Form

Academic and Enrichment Program

A Science Enrichment Experience for Rising Sophomores

The Academic and Enrichment Program (AEP) is a four to five week summer program that provides basic science course reviews and additional academic enrichment activities that enhance the student's competitiveness for a career in the health field. The HCOE has partnered with three major academic institutions to provide the AEP program. The AEP application form is available below as a downloadable PDF. For additional information please contact the directors below:

» AEP Application

Please contact an AEP Director for Summer 2013 information

Academic Institution Directors

The University of Texas at Brownsville
Gustavo Stern, M.D.
Office of Premedical Education Programs
Set-B 2.306 Department of Biology
80 Fort Brown, Brownsville, TX 78520
956.882.5059

The University of Texas - Pan American
Scott J. Gunn, Ph.D.
Department of Biology
1201 W. University Dr.
Edinburg, TX 78539-2999
956.665.3540

The University of Texas at El Paso
Mary Wells, M.A.
Medical Professions Institute
500 W. University Ave.
El Paso, TX 79968
915.747.6230

Past Events

New Medical Careers Diversity Program celebrates graduates
The newly-funded UTMB Hispanic Center of Excellence completed its first undergraduate summer enrichment program, also known as the Medical Careers Diversity Program, on June 24 by honoring 50 college students from all over Texas who participated in the program.

» Read the complete article.

Educating and Graduating Culturally Competent Bilingual Physicians

UTMB School of Medicine introduces medical students to culturally tailored clinical experiences, medical knowledge in the Spanish language, and clinical experiences abroad and in the US. The Bilingual Health Track (BHT) is a one of a kind scholarly concentration that emphasizes and addresses cultural competency in Hispanic health during the student's academic years.

Pre-requisite course
A mandatory pre-clinical course is required before obtaining credit for the BHT electives and selective.

» POM HABLE Application Form 2012 - Deadline to submit applications July 13, 2012

Electives
Students are required to complete five credits through an experience abroad in Latin America or Spain and it is recommended between year one and two or the student can conduct their summer experience within the US. During academic years three and four, students may opt to conduct their clinical electives in the specialty of their choice in a predominantly Spanish-speaking patient population clinic.

Selective
In year four, the student must complete a selective. For BHT the student must submit a written report on Hispanic health with an emphasis on cultural competency based on a past clinical encounter. The course below has BSHS credit.

» Cultural Competency in Hispanic Health, Course number: MEHU 4411

Eligibility
All students enrolled in the School of Medicine are eligible.

Curriculum
The curriculum is integrated across the four years of medical school.

Students graduate:

• Proficient in medical Spanish terminology.
• Proficient in history-taking and physical exams in Spanish.
• Culturally competent in Hispanic health.

Once the student completes the BHT he/she will receive a certificate of completion and verbal recognition at the time of graduation and it will be reflected in the Dean's Letter.

Contact: Norma Alicia Perez, M.D., Dr.P.H.

Primary Care Plus Scholar Program

The Primary Care Plus Curriculum is a new educational program at UTMB focused on integrating training in primary care and public health. The electives and enrichment activities are open to all medical and PA students, but a select group of students will be designated Scholars and will receive additional training and benefits.

Primary Care Plus Scholars will receive special training in integrating public health and primary care, will participate in special mentoring activities, will assume leadership roles on community based service projects, and will be eligible to apply for research and travel funds for primary care or public health rotations and projects. Participants may list Primary Care Plus Scholar as a selective program on their curriculum vitae.

Please forward the flyer to any students who may be interested in applying to be chosen for the Primary Care Plus Scholars Program.

Application period will be March 1-15, 2013; Students will be notified if they have been accepted by March 22.

» UTMB Primary Care Plus Flyer

More information and application will be available at http://pmch.utmb.edu/primarycareplus