Student Scholar AlumniJohn P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine

Christian Alch was born in Dallas, Texas, and attended LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, graduating in 2013 in the Honors College with summa cum laude graduation distinction. While at LSU, Christian developed a passion for medicine through a trip to Costa Rica with the Student Christian Medical Association, where he had the opportunity to work alongside local physicians in community clinics over a spring break. He also devoted his time to basic sciences research in the laboratory of Dr. Patrick DiMario, where he specialized in molecular genetics. He began his studies at UTMB in the fall of 2014 after taking time off to do mission work and teach English in Prague, Czech Republic. It was in Europe that Christian began a relationship with his future wife, Carli MacMillan, to whom he proposed the summer following his first year.

Now at UTMB, Christian serves as a bible study leader among his classmates through Coastal Community Church, a non-denominational church located on the Island. He also takes time out of his week to volunteer at the Luke’s Society, a free clinic providing basic health needs and food to the underserved community of Galveston. Additionally, Christian has a passion for Global Health, having spent six weeks following his first year at UTMB in Nairobi, Kenya where he worked in the Internal Medicine department and performed research alongside Dr. Jacqueline Njoroge. Christian’s research has been presented at four conferences across the country, including major global health conferences in Houston, Texas and San Francisco, California. He now performs research alongside Dr. George Kramer in the anesthesiology department, seeking to develop an evidence-based protocol for sepsis care within the UTMB Emergency Department.

Christian is excited to work alongside such an esteemed group of students and educators as an Osler Student Scholar, and thanks the McGovern Academy for such a wonderful opportunity to make an impact on the campus of UTMB.

Rosemary was born and raised in Plano, Texas. She went on to pursue her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a concentration in neurosciences magna cum laude after three years from the Honors College. Throughout her three years in San Antonio, Rosemary split her time between studying, coordinating the university student ambassador program, being a College of Sciences senator in the Student Government Association, and completing her undergraduate neuroscience thesis to graduate with highest honors. She became extensively involved on campus upon entering medical school. Currently, Rosemary is the Treasurer of the American Medical Student Association, the Social Chair for the American Medical Women's Association, an inaugural member of the national medical sorority Kappa Chi Delta, and Chief Reviewer in the Scribes Council 2018. She also spends time volunteering with Galveston's local Resource and Crisis Center as a medical accompaniment advocate for survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence.

Rosemary aspires to match into neurosurgery. Her lifelong aspiration is to establish NGO's in resource-poor countries that offer psychological, social, and medical care to men, women, and children who are survivors of human trafficking and sexual assault. She is extremely humbled and honored to have been chosen as a John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine Student Scholar.

David Caltrider was born in Dallas, Texas, but grew up in a small, rural town called Argyle. From there he went on to get his Associate's Degree from North Central Texas College. He decided from his experiences at community college, that medicine was a passion that he would regret not pursuing. He went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from Texas Woman’s University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration and a minor in Chemistry. During his time at TWU, he assisted in the operations of the organic chemistry laboratories and reinvigorated the research in green chemistry.

David is part of the School of Medicine Class of 2018 at UTMB. He has made it his goal from the beginning of his medical school education to be involved in his passions. David has been elected as a curriculum representative for three years and finds joy in serving the student body and serving as one of their voices to the school. Apart from his work on the curriculum committee and other subcommittees, David has been involved in the Rene Laennec Osler Student Society. Last year he was elected to be the Volunteer Opportunities Coordinator for the society. With gracious help and support from the other members of the society, he has been able to put together fun volunteer experiences that have, even if only in a small way, helped the community. Such events as a children’s day at the Moody Children’s Museum and a walk for an MS team that raised money for the local chapter of the MS society.

During his third year, David hopes to keep his compassion, humility, and zeal for medicine strong by learning from the Osler Scholars and faculty, as well as putting to use what he has learned from the Physician Healer Track.

Oluwafunmilayo (Funmi) Babalola was born in Ibadan, Nigeria but moved to the Dallas metroplex at the age of six. She is the fourth of six children. Before coming to UTMB, Funmi began her university education at age 15 through the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS) located at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. While at TAMS, Funmi received the Gold Cord Award which is the pinnacle award for leadership and participation in community service. She realized her passion for medicine the summer before her final year at TAMS, when she worked in a neurology lab at UT Southwestern and shadowed the Principal Investigator in the lab.

After graduating from TAMS, she attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with highest honors and a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition. While at UT, Funmi was a resident assistant in Jester West for two years, an ambassador for the School of Human Ecology, an officer for Texas Nutrition, and performed several nutrition related research programs. She also served as a Sunday School Teacher at the Good Korean Church in Austin and volunteered at Stonebriar Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to be a friendly, familiar face to the elderly who had few and infrequent visitors. Funmi had the opportunity to deliver Sunday church messages to them.

Now at UTMB, Funmi has served as the First Year Representative for the Family Medicine Interest Group, a First Year Coordinator for Blackwell Osler Society, a team leader in the Interprofessional Pediatric Advocacy Program, and the publicist for the Honor Pledge Committee. She can be found volunteering at St. Vincent's Hope Clinic or Luke's Society. She also regularly volunteers at the Galveston Urban Ministries (GUM) youth program where she is building relationships as a mentor and minister to the youth. Volunteering at GUM, St. Vincent's, and Luke's has opened up Funmi's eyes and heart to the life and health challenges of the indigent.

Funmi hopes to apply the knowledge gained from her past experiences to her practice and exhibit compassion as she interacts with people from different backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. She hopes to continue to participate in scientific research as she goes to Nairobi this summer, and to encourage professionalism through her role in the Honor Pledge Committee. Funmi's goal is to pursue a career in primary care and preventative medicine and incorporate nutrition and integrative medicine into her practice. She is excited to be a member of the McGovern Academy and to learn from so many distinguished faculty and students.

Eduardo Rodriguez is a member of UTMB's School of Medicine Class of 2018. He was born in McAllen, Texas, but was raised in the neighboring city of Reynosa, Mexico. At the start of his high school education he came back to Texas to further his education. During his high school education he volunteered at the pediatric wing of the Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in the city of Edinburg. He started his college education at the age of 16 thanks to a dual enrollment program called Dual Enrollment Medical Sciences Academy which allowed him to attend half a day to high school and the rest of the day to the local college South Texas College. He graduated with an associate's degree in Biology two weeks before his high school graduation. He then attended the University of Texas Pan American in the city of Edinburg where he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Chemistry and a minor in Biology. During his college career, he volunteered at his university's student clinic. He was also involved in research at the university's chemistry department synthesizing compounds for a possible use as tumor suppressing agents and worked as a science tutor at the university's learning assistance center.

At UTMB, Eduardo serves as the President of the UTMB Student Chapter of the American Medical Association and Texas Medical Association. In this capacity, he helped organize multiple projects including First Tuesdays at the Capitol where around 60 students traveled to the Texas capitol at Austin to speak to their representatives about supporting an increase in graduate medical education funding to increase residency spots and medical student spots in the state of Texas. Eduardo is also a member of the Galveston County Medical Society, the Vice-President of the Latino Medical Student Association, and a representative for the Honor Education Council. His passion for community service and medicine has led him to volunteer at St. Vincent's House Free Clinic where he works along with other health professionals to bring care to the underserved. Eduardo is currently involved in research at UTMB's Microbiology and Immunology department studying the pathobiology of Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) co-infection.

Eduardo's goal is to embody the principles of Oslerian Medicine through his practice of medicine. Emphasizing compassion and the pursuit of evidence based medicine with the guidance and support of the outstanding members of the McGovern Academy.

Dr. Mileski is Professor in the Department of Surgery and holder of the Chela and Jimmy Storm Distinguished Professorship in Surgical Research. He also serves as Chief of Trauma Services. Dr. Mileski is a skilled and caring surgeon and an exceptional teacher. He has distinguished himself nationally and internationally as an investigator in the area of trauma and critical care. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and has received significant funding from the NIH and fro private industry. Dr. Mileski has presented his work at professional meetings of national and international scope. He serves on the editorial board for Shock, Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation, and Surgical Infection Forum. Dr. Mileski earned his MD degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey in 1983.

Dr. Richard W. Goodgame is currently a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency. He teaches advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy (ERCP and EUS) in the UTMB Gastroenterology Fellowship Program. He earned his BA (History-English-Religion) degree from Vanderbilt University in 1971 and MD degree in 1975 from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his Internal Medicine internship and residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and was a senior resident in Internal Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He completed his Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Prior to UTMB, Dr. Goodgame served as Chief of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston, Texas, and Program Director of the Gastroenterology/Hepatology Fellowship Program at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

In a former life he spent two years in the Caribbean (St. Lucia) performing chemotherapy trials on schistosomiasis with the Rockefeller Foundation and spent 10 years in the Department of Internal Medicine at Makerere University School of Medicine and Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. His research interests focused on gastrointestinal and hepatic infections, and AIDS related infections. He authored 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Journal of Infectious Disease, and the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

While at Baylor he taught first and second year medical students Introduction to Clinical Medicine, Parasitology, Clinical Nutrition, and a semester long elective entitled God and Medicine. Most of his teaching time was in graduate medical education as attending on the General Internal Medicine inpatient service, the Gastroenterology and Hepatology consultation service, and the GI fellowship program.

Dr. Goodgame is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology/Hepatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterology Association and member of the American College of Gastroenterology, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Michael Boyars is a Professor at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He is currently the senior associate program director for the internal medicine residency program and the director of inpatient services for internal medicine. He is also the medical director for St. Vincent's nurse-managed health clinic and medical director for the UTMB community health outpatient care management program.

He received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine in 1972. He completed his internship and residency at Georgetown Medical Division District of Columbia General Hospital 1972-75. He also completed a fellowship in pulmonary medicine at Georgetown 1975-77. Dr. Boyars is board certified in internal medicine. After completing his training, he was appointed as an instructor in medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine from 1977-81. He was appointed director of the chest clinic, the pulmonary function laboratory and director of bronchoscopy services at the D.C. General Hospital from 1977-82. In 1980, he was appointed assistant director of the Georgetown pulmonary division.

Dr. Boyars arrived at UTMB in 1982 and was appointed as an assistant professor of medicine, and the medical director of the medical intensive care unit from 1982-85. He has held numerous appointments throughout the university in the pulmonary division as director of clinical pulmonary procedures and bronchoscopy service and co-director of the fellowship program.

Angie Hamouie is a member of UTMB's class of 2016. She was inspired to pursue medicine during her undergraduate years at the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied biology and Arabic. She comes from a multicultural background and understands the value of examining the similarities and differences among global cultures. This passion led her to work with fellow Osler Scholar, Petra Kelsey, to create a lecture on Avicenna and Albucasis, the 11th century Muslim physicians whose contributions to medicine are still present today. This lecture was presented at the 2014 National Student Research Forum, where it was awarded Best Oral Presentation in the Medical Humanities.

Angie believes that healthcare is an intrinsic human right, not a privilege, and vows to spend her career making healthcare equally accessible across socioeconomic levels. Currently, Angie regularly volunteers at St. Vincent's Student-run Free Clinic and has recently participated in research to improve patient access to healthcare. As a leader in the Forssmann Society, Angie set up a round-table discussion led by fellow Osler Scholar, Rachel Pearson, on the ethics of healthcare in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Angie believes that physicians should use their knowledge, skills, and social position to give back to a society that afforded them the opportunity to attend medical school. She is passionate about physician advocacy and plans to use her experience as a physician to promote equal access to affordable and quality healthcare.

Candace Bailey was born in Galveston, Texas to Dr. Rahn (UTMB Class of 1990) and Theresa Bailey. Although she grew up mostly in the Houston area, she moved around the country several times as her family followed Dr. Bailey's medical career opportunities. Candace attended the University of Southern California as a Trustee and Merit Research Scholar. She enjoyed competing for the Varsity Track & Field team, earning team and conference awards for her athletic and academic achievement. Candace's life-long involvement in sports and experience through injuries helped fuel her passion for human anatomy and learning the ways in which the complex musculoskeletal system works in unison to create mobility. After 5 years she graduated Cum Laude with a BS in Biomedical Engineering and an MS in Engineering Management.

At UTMB Candace continues her involvement in extra-curricular activities, such as playing intramural sports and volunteering with the Name That Book Club, which aims to promote the love of reading in local elementary school children. She currently serves as the Secretary for the Student Surgical Society, Academic Chair for the Student National Medical Association, as well as the newly elected AAMC Organization of Students Representative for her medical school class. In addition, Candace is a part of the Translational Research Track, where she works closely with MD and PhD students to promote a collaboration among biomedical and clinical scientists.

Candace's goal is to pursue a career in surgery and biomedical research in order to improve patient outcomes. She is very excited about this opportunity to learn more about Sir William Osler and to interact with such an accomplished group of faculty and students.

Taylor Baumann is a member of UTMB's School of Medicine Class of 2017. Prior to enrollment in UTMB, Taylor attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Certification in Business Administration, and a minor in Biology. At Creighton, Taylor was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, the highest honor a Jesuit University may bestow upon a student through recognition of an individual's adherence to the Jesuit ideals of scholarship, service, and leadership. During his undergraduate career, Taylor served as a Co-chairman for Creighton Cleanup, helping to create the single largest student-led service day in history of the University, while also founding "The Pursuit of Knowledge," an organization encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration among students on issues of morality and academia.

At UTMB, Taylor serves as the President of the UTMB Student Chapter of the American Medical Association and Texas Medical Association. In this capacity, he helped to organize multiple projects, including A Day of Active Play at Galveston's Grandkids Festival, an Anti-Tobacco Campaign in local schools in Galveston, and the AMA Region 3 Conference, in which UTMB hosted students from 16 medical schools to discuss current developments in national healthcare policy. Taylor's passion for serving the underserved led him to volunteer frequently at St. Vincent's Hope Clinic where he found an interest in exploring ways to intervene in an individual's health before they develop illness. The past summer, Taylor spent 6 weeks in Cusco, Peru, working with UTMB to study Parasitology's effect on the population's prevalence of malnutrition and to explore novel treatments for parasitic infections.

Mary Elizabeth Gomez was born and raised in Galveston, TX. She went to Dartmouth College before transferring to Rice University. She graduated from Rice with a degree in Biological Sciences. Prior to beginning medical school at UTMB, Mary Elizabeth was an EMT for Rice EMS and Mission of Hope in Haiti. She also worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Shriners Hospital for Children. Her past research includes ecological studies on plant fitness at Rice and Alzheimer's research at Baylor College of Medicine. She is currently studying long term Quality of Life for pediatric burn survivors.

As a medical student at UTMB, Mary Elizabeth is a Co-Director for the National Student Research Forum, and a member of the Asclepios Osler society, American Medical Women's Association, and the Latin Medical Student Association. Through UTMB's Global Health program, she served patients in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic during summer 2014. Mary Elizabeth enjoys opportunities to help others abroad, while experiencing new cultures. In the DR, she volunteered in emergency departments while researching the etiology of presenting illnesses to the ER, the impact of a new residency program, and the status of prehospital care.

Mary Elizabeth hopes to embody Oslerian principles through her practice of medicine. She looks forward to providing patient-centered care through her compassion for others, continuing to do research, working with children, and always remaining a prankster at heart. Mary Elizabeth appreciates the opportunity to be part of the McGovern Academy and is excited to serve others while learning from such a wonderful community.

Nicholas Burns graduated as a President's Scholar from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a B.A. in French, earning magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors. During his time at SMU, Nick completed undergraduate thesis work in the field of molecular parasitology under the direction of Dr. Larry Ruben, and spent several months in France while studying and working. He also blended passions for science, art, and service by co-founding the Dedman College Ambassadors student organization at SMU.

As a student at UTMB, Nick looks to bring similar passion to his activities. He served as the 2012-2013 President of the UTMB student chapters of the American and Texas Medical Associations, promoting service and political advocacy. Nick and a classmate, Jordan Brewer, successfully started a spin-off TEDMED conference at UTMB in Spring 2013. Nick also volunteers at St. Vincent's Student Clinic and with other community projects, such as the Galveston Mardi Gras Ball for Special Needs Individuals. He spent the summer of 2013 abroad in Rukungiri, Uganda, with the Global Health Track.

Dr. Susan McCammon graduated from Columbia University in 1988 with a B.A. in Music History. She then went on to complete an M.F.A. in Historical Musicology at Princeton University. After several years of teaching and researching the role of the surgically altered voice, Dr. McCammon matriculated at the University of Alabama School of Medicine where she received her M.D., magna cum laude, and continued into her chosen field of head and neck surgery, with an internship in General Surgery and a residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. In 2005, Dr. McCammon completed her advanced fellowship training in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In March 2006, Dr. McCammon joined the UTMB full-time faculty, where she serves as the Co-Director of the Center for Cancers of the Head and Neck.

Tracy Cable graduated magna cum laude from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, with a B.S. in biology with minors in chemistry and communication disorders. As an undergraduate student, Tracy developed a love for serving her community. She was the service vice president of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, organizing events ranging from welcoming soldiers home to teaching budget classes at a homeless shelter. Through her service with APO, she earned the Distinguished Service Key and the US President’s Gold Service Award. While still an undergraduate student, Tracy worked as a medical scribe at emergency rooms in the Fort Worth area.

As a student at UTMB, Tracy continued to show a dedication to her local community. Since her start in medical school, she volunteered for and helped administrate two free clinics on Galveston Island. She was a director at St. Vincent’s Student Clinic, a medical care facility that is run by medical students to serve indigent Galveston residents, and an associate board member of The Luke Society, a street-side clinic that serves the homeless of Galveston Island. In response to their patients’ inability to access dental care, Tracy and fellow student Tyler Bliss, obtained a UTMB President’s Cabinet Grant to open a free dental clinic at St. Vincent’s. The dental clinic is an asset to the Galveston community for many years to come. She has volunteered with multiple varied service projects, but most recently, Tracy and fellow Osler Scholar, Brian Dillon, organized a TDAP vaccine drive in coordination with The Luke Society and the Family Medicine Interest Group. In preparation for a career working in the global community, she spent the summer of 2013 abroad in Fort Portal, Uganda, with the Global Health Track. She also traveled to Peru in 2015 to take a Field Epidemiology course.

Petra Kelsey spent her high school years in rural Mozambique, which fueled an inclination for travel, as well as a deep love for working with underserved populations. After moving to Austin, she attended the University of Texas, majoring in Business and Germanic Studies. She spent a year in Switzerland learning German and then hosted a German radio show "Es klingt wie Deutsch" in Austin. After graduation, Petra worked at a bank on the West Coast, until the financial meltdown in 2008 inspired her to reevaluate her plans for the future. It was during that period that Petra discovered a deep-seated passion for medicine. With this new career goal in mind, she began her prerequisite course work, volunteered at Hospice Austin and The Volunteer Clinic. She spent the summer before she entered UTMB in Soroti, Uganda, collecting photographs and patient stories for International Midwife Assistance. Several of these photographs appeared in Texas Medicine Magazine.

Petra is currently the president of the Students for Integrative Medicine (SIM). She also teaches a free yoga and meditation class at the UTMB field house, which helps her to share her passion for holistic and integrative medicine with others. In addition, she loves spending time with patients at St. Vincent's Clinic, listening to their stories and learning from the faculty.

Her goal is to learn how to provide patient-centered care to those who need it most, while simultaneously integrating the humanistic principles exemplified by Sir William Osler. She hopes to do so through a career in rural family medicine with an integrative/holistic approach.

Rachel Pearson is an MD/PhD student at UTMB's Institute for the Medical Humanities. She holds a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in the interdisciplinary Plan 2 Honors program. Her undergraduate thesis work was in creative writing, and her short stories and poetry have appeared in the Windward Review, the Mid-American Review, and elsewhere.

Rachel's interest in storytelling led her to medicine. She is constantly amazed by the stories that patients bring, and by the skilled caregivers who create a space for patients to tell their stories. Her research at the Institute will focus on narrative medicine, with special attention to physician-poets and to the elaboration of a theory of consciousness that poses the mind as an instrument of storytelling. She loves working with patients at St. Vincent's clinic, and hopes to do indigent care for the rest of her life. Rachel is thrilled to be becoming a physician, especially with the thoughtful guidance and community of the McGovern Academy.

Agnes Annetie' Usoro was born in Nigeria, but raised in the US. She claims cultural ties to both her native and naturalized countries. Agnes completed her undergraduate studies at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. She then worked for three years as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at both Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, TX and Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.

As a medical student at UTMB, Agnes participates in a variety of extracurricular activities: a reviewer on the 2016 Scribes Council, treasurer of the Pan-African Student Society at UTMB, and general member of the UTMB Diversity Council, Emergency Medicine Interest Group, and Student National Medical Association. She also volunteers at St. Vincent's student clinic, as well as the Galveston Hospice Care Team.

In addition to extracurricular activities, Agnes is in the UTMB Global Health Program. She spent the summer of 2013 in Quito, Ecuador with the Child Family Health International (CFHI) program. While abroad, she participated in clinical rotations at two clinics – Centro de Salud Carcelen Alto, Centro de Salud Carcelen Bajo, and one hospital – Maternidad Isidro Ayora. In addition to clinical experience with women's health, she conducted observational research on the reproductive behaviors of women in Quito.

Agnes desires to pursue a medical career in critical care medicine and hopes to be involved in international mission organizations, such as Doctors Without Borders. Outside of medicine, Agnes enjoys to travel and dance. Agnes is very appreciative of the John P. McGovern Academy for the opportunity to serve as an Osler Student Scholar.

A specialist in disorders of blood clotting and transfusion medicine, Dr. Alperin has been recognized as an exceptional teacher and clinician.

His many teaching awards include the Golden Apple Award presented by the Junior Medical School Class of 1988, the First Place Teaching Award presented by the Alumni Association of the Department of Internal Medicine in 1994 and the Alumni Appreciation Award for Excellence in Teaching from the UTMB School of Medicine Alumni Association in 1998. Earlier this year he received recognition for Commitment to Continuing Education from the School for Specialists in Blood Banking and the Blood Bank Staff.

Dr. Alperin is a member of the faculty in the Division of Hematology and Oncology within the Department of Internal Medicine and is the associate director of the UTMB Blood Banks within the Department of Pathology. He was appointed a professor in Internal Medicine and in Human Biological Chemistry & Genetics in 1983 and in Pathology in 1993.

Dr. Judith Aronson is an emeritus Scholar in the John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine, has been on the UTMB faculty since 1994 and teaches pathology in small-group laboratory sessions. The director of the university's autopsy service, she also participates in elective courses for third- and fourth-year medical students as well as an autopsy exercise course for fourth-year students. She is a member of the Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, and an associate professor of experimental pathology in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UTMB. Aronson has received several teaching awards at UTMB, including the Experimental Pathology Graduate Student Organization Award for Teaching and Mentoring, and the UTMB School of Medicine Class of 1947 Excellence in Education Award.

Aronson earned her M.D. in 1985 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and spent the next three years in residency training at the University of Washington's affiliated hospitals in Seattle. She spent part of 1988 studying in her hometown of Washington, D.C., at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases. She also served that year as a physician and pathologist at Curran Lutheran Hospital in the West African country of Liberia. Aronson came to UTMB in 1989 as a McLaughlin Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pathology and became an assistant professor in the department in 1991. She returned to her alma mater a year later to work in the departments of Microbiology and Immunology, and Pathology. Aronson came back to UTMB as an assistant professor in 1994.

Dr. Patricia Beach is Director of the Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Chair of the School of Medicine Curriculum Committee and Chair of the Course Committee for the Year 4 Ambulatory Community Selective. She graduated from medical school at the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. She has received several teaching awards including the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Resident Education, the Department of Pediatrics Outstanding Junior Faculty Award for Education, and the Pediatric Educator Award for Excellence in Medical Student Education.

Dr. Beach has been a member of the UTMB Community on an intermittent basis since starting her residency in Pediatrics in 1979. She spent seven of the intervening years practicing pediatrics in rural North Carolina and in the Upper Midwest. Her commitment to excellence in pediatric education is reflected in the various roles she has served with the National Board of Medical Examiners, and in collaborating with other pediatric educators in the creation of a web-based resource, Guidelines for Pediatric Education, which are widely utilized by residency programs.

Dr. Robert Beach an emeritus Scholar in the John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine and a Professor emeritus in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension. He has been the recipient of the Golden Apple award, the James W. Powers award, and the outstanding teacher award in Internal Medicine and Family Medicine Residency programs on numerous occasions. He has been named to Outstanding Physicians in U.S. and Who's Who in Medical Education. In addition, he continues to conduct research and serves on committees devoted to improving patient care at UTMB.

He has been the recipient of the Golden Apple award, the James W. Powers award, and the outstanding teacher award in Internal Medicine and Family Medicine Residency programs on numerous occasions. He has been named to Outstanding Physicians in U.S. and Who's Who in Medical Education. In addition, he continues to conduct research and serves on committees devoted to improving patient care at UTMB.

Osler Project: In order to provide individualized instruction and modeling of Oslerian Medicine, Dr. Beach has developed the Osler student rotations that include preceptorships, electives, and Basic Science/Humanities selectives. During these 4 week rotations, students are assigned periods with each Osler scholar on a weekly basis. The academy and students meet each week to have a scholarly discussion or presentation regarding patient care, the scientific basis of clinical medicine, or topics in medical ethics/professionalism relevant to activities of that week.

Dr. Breitkopf received his MD degree from the State University of New York-Downstate College of Medicine and completed residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Vermont. In 1997, he joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, serving as associate professor.

Dr. Breitkopf is the holder of the Faculty Distinguished Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology at UTMB and serves as the residency program director. His clinical and research interests include gynecologic sonography, minimally invasive surgery and medical education. He has directed postgraduate courses for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and currently serves as ACOG's representative to the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Dr. Breitkopf is an inaurural inductee into the UTMB Academy of Master Teachers.

Dr. Gei joined the UTMB faculty in 2001 as an assistant professor in the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He lectures to third-year medical students and family practice residents and supervises the endocrinology course for second-year medical students. Dr. Gei also mentors second-year medical students and teaches nursing students in the midwifery program. He has received such honors as the Leonard A. Charpentier, M.D., Professorship Award for Excellence in Resident Education and the Outstanding Medical Student Teaching Award. He has also earned a National Faculty Award from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Gei received his M.D. from the University of Costa Rica Medical School in 1988 and joined the university's three-year obstetrics and gynecology residency program in 1989. Prior to his residency, the Italian-born Gei worked in Costa Rica as an intern at the National Children's and Mexico hospitals in San Jose, and during his social service year, as the supervisory physician of the Ambulatory Medical Attention Unit, Primary Care Health Center of Limon, as well as in the Pediatrics and Emergency departments at Tony Facio Hospital in Limon. In 1992, Gei became the attending physician in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Max Peralta Hospital in Cartago and at a San Jose gynecology clinic. One year later, Gei arrived in Houston where he repeated his residency training at Baylor College of Medicine. He came to UTMB in 1998 as a fellow in maternal-fetal medicine and later joined the faculty.

Dr. Gugliuzza is an emeritus Scholar in the John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine and attended medical school at the University of Illinois and achieved her residency training in General Surgery at Tulane University. She then completed fellowship training in Renal Transplantation at Tulane and Pancreatic Transplantation at the University of Minnesota. She now specializes in Pancreatic and Renal Transplant Surgery here at UTMB.

Her current research projects include effects of new immunosuppressive agents and computer use in the academic surgical setting.

Dr. Holden graduated from UTMB's School of Medicine in 1985 and joined the internal medicine faculty three years later, becoming actively involved as a clinician instructor. The Houston native has contributed to the education of many students and residents in Internal Medicine and has directed four courses at UTMB, including Practice of Medicine 2, Great Syndromes, and Renal, Fluids, and Electrolytes.

He organized the implementation of the Osler Student Societies at UTMB in 2006. Dr. Holden has been recognized for his clinical skills, bedside teaching, and curriculum development, and waws a founding member of the University of Texas Academy of Health Science Education. He serves as the Vice Chair for Undergraduate and Continuing Education for the Department of Internal Medicine.

When selected for the McGovern Academy, Dr. Holden indicated that, "Being appointed as an Osler Scholar is an incredible honor for me, especially considering the excellence of the scholars and the number of outstanding faculty we have at UTMB. As physicians, we all identify with the history of Osler as a role model for high-quality and compassionate care. I am very excited about the opportunity to participate in the academy, to further my own learning, and to enhance the education of others.

Dr. Frederick S. Huang, assistant professor and director of the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Pediatrics , joined the UTMB faculty in 2001. He is a principal investigator with the Children's Oncology Group, which provides the latest treatments for childhood cancer. He is also a member of UTMB's Child Health Research Center and is conducting research on mucositis, a gastrointestinal injury resulting from the toxicity of chemotherapy cancer treatments. Dr. Huang teaches numerous courses in the university's schools of Medicine, Allied Health Sciences and Graduate Biomedical Sciences and has been recognized as an outstanding instructor, having received the Class of 1947 Excellence in Education Award and the Department of Pediatrics' Golden Rattle Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching.

Dr. Huang earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in 1994 and completed his residency in pediatrics at Baylor's affiliated hospitals three years later. He conducted his fellowship training in pediatric hematology/oncology at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dr. Karnath received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston in 1994. He was an intern and resident here at UTMB from 1994-1997. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Texas A&M in Kingsville, TX. Dr. Karnath is Board Certified in Internal Medicine; his special interest is in education.

Since 1998, Dr. Karnath has been involved in numerous education roles such as the UTMB Scholars in Education Diplomat, which is an institutionally sponsored educational program by the Office of Educational Development (OED). He has served as the assistant course director in the Practice of Medicine Course (POM) Year 1 and Year 2, now serving as the course director. He serves as a senior elective course director for the Internal Medicine Electives program. Dr. Karnath, along with another physician, participated in the development of a cardiovascular physical diagnosis self-teaching system (STS) and implemented a computer-based physical diagnosis course in cardiopulmonary medicine.

Dr. Karnath has attained many awards and honors. To name a few, he was given an award in February 2006 & 2007 for "Most Dedicated Faculty" by St. Vincent's Clinic. He was nominated for the "2006 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Humanism in Medicine Award". In April 2005 he won third place for the "Department of Internal Medicine Excellence in Teaching" award, however in April 2006 he won first place. In December 2005 he won the "John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award". Along with all of this, he still finds time to see his patients in the Harborside Medical Clinic.

Dr. Thompson earned her M.D. from UTMB in 1971 and completed the university's family medicine residency program in 1974. That same year, she became a diplomat of the American Board of Family Practice, receiving additional qualifications in geriatric medicine in 1987.

Thompson, who grew up in Amarillo, became interim medical director of UTMB hospital clinics and assistat dean for faculty practice in 2009. She is the Sealy Hutchings and Lucille Wright Hutchings Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Thompson also serves on the board of directors of UTMB HealthCare Systems, Inc., a nonprofit organization that acts as an HMO for special needs populations. She has been acknowledge by her colleagues for making her patients feel like participants in their care and for championing patient access to health care.

Rosalyn Adigun is third year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch. A first generation American, Rosalyn completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Houston with a Pharm.D. (Pharmacy). Shortly thereafter, she was commissioned as an officer in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and stationed with the United States Food and Drug Administration, until the fall of 2009. During her tenure with the USPHS, she was deployed on various missions including the Surgeon Generals Rapid Deployment Force during the Hurricane Gustav and Ike relief efforts and was awarded a unit citation for her service.

A student in the UTMB Global Health program, Rosalyn spent the summer of 2009 conducting clinical research in Neurology at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana, West Africa. Rosalyn is involved with numerous organizations on and off campus and her interests in public health and care of the underserved are a few of the reasons she chose UTMB for her medical education. She desires to pursue a career in critical care medicine and hopes to be involved in medical missions locally and abroad.

John Arvesen is a fourth year medical student at UTMB with an interest in orthopedic surgery. A 2009 magna cum laude graduate of Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences, he also was a member of two Big Twelve Championship tennis teams at Baylor. With a family legacy of medical practitioners dating back to the early 1800's, John developed an interest in medicine at an early age. During college, John was able to travel to Brazil and participate in Amazon Outreach, a medical mission trip to local villages along the Amazon River. As a Baylor senior, John was selected to spend a semester studying abroad in Baylor's pre-med program in Maastricht, The Netherlands where classes would travel to important historical medical sites including visits to King's College (London), the Louis Pasteur Institute (Paris), and meeting Gunter von Hagens, the founder of Body Worlds, in Guben, Poland.

Throughout medical school, John has been actively involved in leadership with the Christian Medical Association and Baptist Student Ministries and served with students both in Galveston at St. Vincent's Clinic and in Laredo, TX. He also is part of the global health track, spending two months in Kenya. While in Kenya, John worked at the House of Hope Orphanage where he and a team of students now continue to promote and develop a local clinic. Outside of medicine, John enjoys most sports, guitar, reading, and painting.

Varun Chowdhary is part of UTMB's School of Medicine Class of 2012. Before coming to UTMB, he attended Texas A&M University for his bachelor's in Biochemistry and Physics. At UTMB, he has participated in several community service events. He founded his main project, the Fit-n-Fun group, during his second year. It identifies overweight children and encourages them and their families to participate in physical activity and healthy living lectures at a local gymnasium. Its participation has grown considerably over the past year, and is now a successful community program.

In the future, Varun would like to participate in community projects both locally and internationally. He is very interested in academia and research, and hopes to eventually become faculty at a medical school.

David Darrow is a third year medical student at UTMB. He earned a Bachelors of Science in Physics and a Bachelors of Science in Pure Mathematics from Texas A&M University in 2008. He attended medical school directly after college and was quickly exposed to patients through the St. Vincent's Free Student Clinic. He became interested in and was spurred on by the prevalence of debilitating disease states that were a product of preventable illness. He started a community garden in downtown Galveston in 2010, which incited him to create a nonprofit organization called the Green House Foundation with the goal of supporting gardening as a vehicle for change in communities and in health.

David joined Frontera de Salud as a Galveston-based Director in 2010 and has used that connection to expand his gardening initiative to the Galveston Independent School District through the installation of an on-campus garden at Austin Middle School. With the support of the John P. McGovern Foundation, he has been able to co-found the UTMB Botanical Medicine Garden, bringing together a historical perspective on modern medicine and pharmaceuticals. David has also been an officer of the UTMB Student Sailing club for two years and helped to develop and implement the Coastal Community Care Project in summer of 2010. In 2011, David became a director at St Vincent's student-run clinic, as well as an executive board member for the St. Vincent's Clinic. At the end of his third year, David will begin a one year masters in public health with the UTMB PMCH department.

John Dryden is a member of the School of Medicine Class of 2013 at The University of Texas Medical Branch. Originally from Wichita Falls, he attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he played trombone in the Longhorn Band and UT Trombone Choir. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a History degree in the Plan I program, he worked as the writing intern for the Texas Historical Foundation before deciding to attend medical school at UTMB.

During his time at UTMB, John has been involved as a mentor in the Forssmann Osler Society and as president of the Bow Tie Social Club, the McGovern Academy's history of medicine organization. Additionally, he has served as an active member of Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity, which hosts several community events, including the annual Teen, Kids, and Youth Camp. His travels to various clinics and hospitals in South America while in medical school have shown him the importance of cultural education and community organization--lessons he strives to apply as a director of St. Vincent's Free Student Clinic and as Vice President of the William Temple Episcopal Center, an affiliated student and community center.

Christina Gomez-Mira graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Spanish Literature. She went on to spend two years as a Peace Corps community health volunteer in a rural village in Burkina Faso, West Africa. She later worked for a non-profit in Austin, Texas aiding newly arrived refugees in the resettlement process. Her interest in photography was born when she began photographing Somali Bantu refugees and their experiences on arriving in the U.S. Christina worked with a wildlife photographer in Panama on a story for National Geographic and on a project documenting the gentrification of the Historic District of Panama City. It was while photographing medical relief efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit that she felt she was on the wrong side of the camera and an interest in working in health care was re-inspired.

She worked with People's Community Clinic in Austin, a clinic for uninsured, as a health educator and manager of their satellite clinics for homeless youth before starting medical school at UTMB. She is now a 2nd year student interested in preventative and integrative medicine, addressing health inequities and fusing her passions for visual arts and health.

Phillip Hoverstadt is a 4th year MD/MPH student. After graduating from Nolan Catholic High School in Ft. Worth, Texas, Phillip attended the University of Texas in Austin where he received a BS in Biochemistry, graduating Magna Cum Laude. While enrolled at UT Austin, Phillip found his 'home away from home' at the University Catholic Center, where, in the company of phenomenal friends and mentors, increasingly valued the importance of service-centered activities, and the dignity of the human person. After a humanitarian trip to Arteaga, Mexico, an experience that enkindled his interests in international aid and culture, he studied in Guadalajara, Mexico as an exchange student where he studied medicine at a local medical school in addition to rotating in a hospital catering to the underserved. Upon returning to the U.S., he enrolled in an accelerated French course, and then, studied French humanities and culture in Strasbourg, France for five months the following year.

During his first year as a medical student Phillip became heavily involved in a number of service organizations including St. Vincent's Student Clinic, Frontera de Salud, the Ashbel Smith Society, and Catholic Medical Professionals, all of which, in subsequent years, he directed alongside his inspiring peers. During his first three years of medical school, Phillip returned to Mexico on four separate occasions, and completed a two-month research elective in Sao Paulo, Brazil in addition to volunteering at a family medicine clinic located in the heart of Sao Paulo's 'favelas' or slums.

In 2011, Phillip pursued a Master of Public Health (MPH) at UTMB, where he focused on public policy and health care transformation in the state of Texas. While completing his MPH, Phillip, with the assistance of David Darrow, a good friend and fellow Osler scholar, founded an organization known as Student's Together for Service, with the intent of protecting and promoting student service activities on campus and Galveston Island. That same year, under the auspices of Dr. Lee Grumbles and Sue Minello, he developed a hospice care training program for students.

Phillip is immensely grateful for the education received while at UTMB, and continually humbled by the abundant expertise and compassion present amongst the UTMB community. Upon finishing his studies, in the Spring semester, Phillip will work in a developing emergency department in rural Uganda, where he intends on utilizing his training in public health to provide improved access-to-care for the surrounding communities. He will later return to Europe to spend time in prayer with his beloved friends at Fraternité de Tibériade.

Janese Laster is a third year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She is originally from Birmingham, Alabama and graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia with a degree in Psychology Pre-Medicine. Before matriculation into medical school, she worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator with various trials in pain management, orthopedics, etc.

She has been the class of 2012 Student Curriculum Representative for the past three years; was accepted as a John P. McGovern Osler Student Scholar in 2009; inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society in 2011; a 52nd Annual National Student Research Forum Co-director. She has an interest in preventative medicine and indigent care. She hopes to apply for Residency in the specialty of Internal Medicine and to continue to embody compassion and humanistic values that have been fostered while at UTMB.

Kelly Ochoa is a 3rd year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. She graduated from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in 2008 earning a B.A. in Spanish and B.S. in Biology.

Ochoa has been an active member of the UTMB and Galveston communities since starting medical school. She is a co-founder of the "Books to Bedside" volunteer project, which is dedicated to collecting donated books and distributing them to patients and their families during hospital stays. The "Books to Bedside" project will become the first patient library at UTMB and will open in Fall 2011. She is also an active member of the Forssmann Society and participates in volunteer activities such as vaccination campaigns, organizing the annual UTMB Halloween Carnival and Osler Student Societies Gala, and working with underserved medical communities both in Texas and abroad. Ochoa plans to pursue a residency in psychiatry with emphasis on cross-cultural studies.

Gregory Valentine aspires to work in academic medicine with an emphasis on primarycare, specifically pediatrics and international medicine. He has been awarded the American Medical Association's Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award, was named an "Unsung Hero" by the Galveston Daily News in 2009, and is a current member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He has volunteered in Romanian orphanages in the summers since 2006 through Broken Heart Foundation where he serves as a mentor to the orphans. While in Romania in 2009, he helped create the first written educational materials covering wound care basics in both the Romanian and English languages for a wound care organization that reaches over 500 patients a month. In addition, as a first year medical student he founded Hands and Feet Medical Missions which provides free healthcare to residents on the Texas/Mexico border as well as people in Peru. This organization now has expanded to other medical schools throughout Texas, and it has had over 2000 patient encounters since it first began.

Recently, Gregory Valentine created a program entitled "Sir William Osler's Name That Book" to promote self-directed learning through a reading competition for third and fourth graders in the Galveston school district. This program brought together all eight Osler societies as well as community members to serve as mentors for the students in the Galveston schools. Gregory has a passion to continually instill the ideals of Sir William Osler in his every day life as well as advance patient education practices and health policy both domestically and internationally through public service endeavors.

Sean Paschall is a member of the 2014 class at the University of Texas Medical Branch in the combined M.D./M.P.H. program. After graduating high school in Denver, CO Sean attended Rice University and received a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering in 2009 as a magna cum laude graduate. During his time at Rice he was involved with many community and health projects such as YMCA's outdoor lab camp and Engineers Without Borders in addition to serving as a volunteer emergency medical technician.

While at UTMB Sean has been involved in school and community based events focused on student education and preventative healthcare.  Sean served as a co-director of Student Liaisons to guide incoming medical students, director of Student Ambassadors for interviewing medical school applicants, as well as a director of Sir William Osler's Name That Book. Sean and fellow Osler Student Scholar Greg Valentine started this program in 2010 to instill a passion for self-directed learning and reading in third and fourth graders through mentorship from medical students. The program brought together several community members and four Galveston elementary schools in addition to a great number of UTMB members to mentor the kids and make reading enjoyable for them. The program is now in its fourth year and is a part of five elementary schools.

In 2012 Sean was inducted into UTMB's chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha in addition to the Gold Humanism Honor Society and received the American Medical Associations Physicians of Tomorrow Award.  Sean plans pursue a career in anesthesiology and pain management with a focus on interventional approaches and prevention efforts.  He has a great passion for creative thinking and engineering design and enjoys long boarding and golf in his spare time.

Roxanne Radi is a member of UTMB's class of 2014. Before coming to UTMB, she attended the Johns Hopkins University where she earned degrees in Public Health and Latin American Studies. Since beginning medical school, she has become a regular volunteer at St. Vincent's Free clinic. She also volunteered in the Newborn Nursery and NICU as a first year student while helping the Sailing Club at UTMB as an instructor teaching other students how to sail. As a first year student, Roxanne served as a mentor in the Name That Book program, and this year she is excitedly planning the upcoming year's events as a program co-director.

Roxanne is interested in preventive medicine and spent 7 weeks in northern China at a family medicine residency program studying sustainability in foreign medical education. She is currently UTMB's representative delegate to the Medical Student Section of the American Medical Association and is working on improving UTMB's representation in the Texas caucus and encouraging resolution writing from UTMB students.

Dr. Patricia Ann Rogers is a Professor of Pediatrics at UTMB. She is a member of the Academy of Master Teachers as well as has the title of Distinguished Teaching Professor as a member of the University Of Texas Academy Of Health Science Education. Her passion, needless to say is teaching learners who include medical students and residents. Although she has received numerous teaching awards her pride and joy are the two she received for Excellence in Clinical Teaching by the John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine. In 2014 she received her second Golden Rattle Award once again for excellence in clinical teaching. She has been featured yearly in the Texas Monthly Magazine as a Super Doctor.

Dr. Rogers graduated from Vanderbilt University, attended Medical School at the University of Tennessee, and subsequently ended up in the Galveston where she did her residency in Pediatrics. She stayed on as Chief-Resident and went to Plano, Texas for thirteen years where she was in private practice. Since her return to UTMB in 1998 she has served on numerous committees, sees her private patients and precepts residents. She is active in the community and has held a position as a board of directors member with the Galveston County Health District. She is active in a medical ministry at her church, Live Oak in Galveston, Texas.

Jaipreet Suri is a member of UTMB's School of Medicine Class of 2014. Before coming to UTMB, Jaipreet graduated Cum Lade from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology, Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance, and a minor in Psychology. While at SMU, Jaipreet received SMU’s most highly prized recognition bestowed upon students, faculty, staff, and administrators - The ‘M’ Award. Throughout his undergraduate career, Jaipreet tutored and mentored high school students from low income and disadvantaged families in math and science and was involved in several community and leadership projects.

At UTMB, Jaipreet has served in various capacities, including the Vice-President of the UTMB American Medical Association and Texas Medical Association (AMA/TMA) chapters and Co-Director of the Asclepios Osler Student Society. Jaipreet exemplifies extraordinary integrity, servant-leadership, and compassion, which mirrors his life-long dedication of serving others. Since his second year of medical school, Jaipreet has been organizing an Anti-Tobacco campaign each year in Galveston, Texas. Student leaders from UTMB go to schools (grades 2-8) around Galveston and educate children about the negative effects of tobacco in an attempt to deter them from taking up smoking and/or using tobacco products. Last year, Jaipreet expanded the program to Houston, Texas and more than 1,200 students participated in the program.

Jaipreet has a strong passion for research. He has been involved in multiple research projects since his first year of medical school and has presented his original research at several national meetings. Jaipreet continues to volunteer at his church, St. Vincent’s Student Clinic, Habitat for Humanity, Galveston Island Tree Conservancy, and other volunteer projects on the island.

Alyssa Shell is a MD/PhD student in Population Health Sciences, a program that allows her to combine her love of one-on-one patient care and her commitment to strengthening communities. Her interest in medicine began as an undergraduate at Harvard University during a summer research experience in Santiago, Chile. There, she first encountered the concepts of patient-centered care and cultural sensitivity, those key elements that allow medicine to blend humanism and science. Since that summer, her life has naturally led towards a career in medicine. In 2005, she graduated with an A.B. in Social Studies and a Certificate in Health Policy after completing her senior thesis on the experiences of type 2 diabetes among Mexican American women in southwest New Mexico. During her time between college and medical school, Alyssa traveled extensively in South America through farm-based work-trade opportunities and then returned to the States to apprentice with a medicinal herbalist in Silver City, New Mexico. She continues to draw heavily on these experiences for inspiration as she works towards a future in rural family medicine research and practice.

As a medical student, Alyssa served as president of UTMB's student interest group for Integrative Medicine (SIAM), as the Humanistic Medicine officer for the UTMB AMSA chapter and is a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She also founded and directed an afterschool bicycle mechanics program, Bridging Responsibility and Independence Through Exercise, that donates bicycles to local middle school students and pairs them with a mentor to practice bicycle mechanics and safe cycling. As a graduate student, Alyssa is reengaging with her interest in culture and medicine as she develops her dissertation proposal on the effects of ethnically dense residential living for mental health and well-being. Though fully engaged in her graduate work, Alyssa is excited to retain her connection to patient care as a student director at St. Vincent's student-run free clinic for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Casey Sharpe studied biology and literature at the University of Texas at Austin. In 2008, he accepted an invitation to tour New Zealand as a sponsored folk singer, which would set the stage for a lengthy postponement of medical school. Upon returning to Texas, Casey was recruited by a non-profit organization to procure transplantable tissues and organs from cadavers. During this time, he performed dissections for more than a hundred tissue donations around the state, while also working as a trauma and resuscitation technician at Dell Children's emergency department. In 2010, he organized and participated in a mission trip to a Zambian orphanage, where hundreds of HIV-positive children lived without adequate food or healthcare. Just before arriving in Galveston for medical school, Casey lived and worked for several months on rural farms in North Carolina and Guatemala.

Casey is interested in many areas of medicine, and as such, is drawn towards the broad scope of practice enjoyed by rural family physicians. After his first year of medical school, he spent a month in the desert towns of West Texas, delivering babies and making house calls with the local family doctor. While in West Texas, Casey was selected as a writer for Medscape's blog, The Differential, and also had some of his articles published by WebMD.

Robert Reyes is a second year medical student at UTMB. Robert is originally from Mount Pleasant, Texas, and graduated from Columbia University in New York, New York, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. In addition to volunteering at St. Vincent's Clinic, Robert has travelled to Brownsville, Texas, with the UTMB chapter of Frontera de Salud to provide primary care and health screenings for the underserved. In April 2011 along with students from other Frontera de Salud chapters, he travelled to the State Capitol in Austin and met with legislators to advocate for continued funding of University of Texas Outreach (UTCO), a program aimed at preventing and controlling the diabetes epidemic in Texas. Robert currently serves as a student director of Frontera de Salud's Brownsville Project

In addition to his service activities, Robert enjoys medical research and was the recipient of the 2011 First Place Poster Award among UTMB medical students whose summer research projects were funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Robert intends to uphold the principles of Oslerian Medicine as he completes his medical education and pursues a career in academic medicine.

Jacqueline Posada graduated from The George Washington University in Washington, DC with a B.S. in Biology. After college she remained in the Washington, DC, area to work at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases through the Post-Baccalaureate Intramural Research Award Fellowship. She worked with Dr. Susan Moir in the Lab of Immunoregulation-HIV Immunopathogenesis researching how b cells and facets of humoral immunity become dysregulated during immune activation caused by HIV infection. During her work from 2009-2011 she also participated in studies about the H1N1 pandemic virus and the generation of memory b cells after vaccination with a novel antigen.

As a medical student at UTMB, Jacqueline participates in a variety of extracurricular activities: a chief reviewer on the 2015 Scribes Council; student representative for the Truman Blocker, Jr. Osler Society; and president of the medical Spanish club Que Quiere Decir. She also volunteers at St. Vincent's student clinic. Jacqueline is interested in public health and expanding access to health care in the United States, and she will most likely pursue a residency in Internal Medicine.

Michelle Parmley is a member of UTMB's School of Medicine class of 2015. Before coming to UTMB, Michelle graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, earning a Bachelor's of Science in Aquatic Biology with a minor in Chemistry. While at Texas State University, Michelle was involved in numerous research projects focusing on animal behavior and fisheries conservation.

Michelle's desire to practice medicine stems from an inherent connection she has always felt to life in all its forms. She strongly believes that there can be a therapeutic relationship between animals and humans. In college, she volunteered for AWARE, a program that provides horseback riding therapy for the mentally disabled. She also worked with Mision De Candelilla travelling to rural villages in Northern Mexico to provide medical care.

After graduating from college, Michelle took time to explore her varied fields of interest. Initially she worked as a technician examining water quality of the Brazos River. She also worked as an animal trainer at SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas. It was working as medical assistant for a rural family practice clinic in Buda, Texas that reaffirmed her desire to pursue a career in medicine.

Michelle came to UTMB to be part of the Global Health Program. In 2012, Michelle was awarded a Fogarty Research Fellowship to travel to Croatia to study Hantavirus, a virus spread by rodents. Michelle continues to be involved the Global Health Program as a small group facilitator and provides guidance for other students wishing to go abroad. Michelle's primary professional interest is in studying human/environment interactions and the effects they have on one another. Her background in ecology has made her especially interested in diseases spread by animal vectors. She is currently Vice President of the Pathology Association of Students and hopes to pursue a residency in pathology. Michelle respects the legacy of Sir William Osler as inquisitive researcher, dedicated teacher, and compassionate clinician and is honored to have been selected as an Osler Student Scholar.

Brittany Graham is a member of UTMB's School of Medicine Class of 2015. Before coming to UTMB, Brittany began her university education at the age of 16 through the Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities at Lamar University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. While at Lamar, Brittany received multiple awards including the most prestigious award given to a Lamar student who displays strong moral character, high academic achievements, community involvement, and leadership qualities: the Mirabeau Presidential Scholar Award. In addition, her and her twin were awarded the Young Jefferson Award, a prestigious award honoring community and public service in America. Throughout her undergraduate career, Brittany lead a multitude of volunteer activities at nursing homes, the Humane Society of Southeast Texas, Best Buddies, and more, while simultaneously volunteering at local hospitals. During her University education Brittany was also able to become more culturally competent, learning cultural dances from India and performing to raise awareness of the Indian culture, and learning Spanish so that she would be able to better serve her spanish speaking patients.

At UTMB, Brittany has served as a leader in various organizations, including as a Laennec Osler Society student leader, president of the Student Surgical Society, Co-director of Frontera de Salud GYN Night at St. Vincent's, and a representative for the Women's Surgical Society. Her activities reflect her lifetime commitment of service to others. Brittany is working with LMSA to develop a volunteer project with UTMB students and Shriners hospital to serve the patients and families being cared for. The project will eventually encompass multiple student organizations at UTMB and begin a tradition to last for years to come. In addition to a lifetime commitment to service, Brittany also strives to expand her knowledge and contribute to academics by participating in research. She participated in research in Peru during the summer between her first and second year of medical school and has more plans for research with faculty at UTMB during the spring.

Brittany has a sincere compassion for people and feels that being in medical school is a privilege and a blessing. She aspires to pursue a career in surgery. But, most of all, she hopes to remain humble and thankful so that she may positively impact people throughout the rest of her career.

Brian Dillon is a member of the UTMB School of Medicine Class of 2015. Upon graduating from Farmersville High School, he attended Texas Tech University where he studied Spanish, Philosophy, Chemistry, and Microbiology. During his undergraduate career he participated in asthma and allergy research to investigate the role of early exposure to soy protein in the prevention of development of soy allergy later in life. He was extensively involved as an officer in the Catholic Student Association, where he cultivated a passion for social justice and humanistic compassion for all people. In 2010, he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

For one year prior to his entrance to medical school, Brian worked in the laboratory of Dr. Robin Stephens at UTMB researching malaria immunology in light of developing an effective vaccine. During this time, he became involved with Catholic Medical Professionals and the medical missions organization Hands and Feet. Upon entrance to medical school in 2011, he became a leader in both organizations as well as assisted in the start up of the Dame Cicely Suanders Society, a student hospice training program. With Hands and Feet he helped lead and organize multiple medical mission trips to the Texas-Mexico border as well as two, week-long missions to Lima, Peru. After completing the first year of medical school, Brian was awarded the UTMB Fogarty Research Fellowship to investigate cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Lima, Peru during the summer of 2012.

Despite his many commitments, however, Brian appreciates his free time. He enjoys playing drums at local venues with the UTMB faculty-student jazz band, "Global Arrested Development", as well as off-road cycling and disc golf. Brian is very grateful for the opportunities he has had at UTMB where he has been supported by such a wonderful community.