V O L U M E
Our Health YOUR FUTURE
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DEAN’S MESSAGE Brigham C. Willis, MD, MEd, FAAP
The 2022-2023 academic year for The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine was a celebration of many firsts. It’s a true testament to the time and support that faculty, staff, community members and donors have dedicated to help lay the foundation of a new school. The school has established strong clinical system partnerships to support its educational and research endeavors. With UT Health East Texas serving as our primary affiliate, our partnerships with Family Circle of Care and CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances enhance the school’s mission to build collaboration among our other regional hospitals. As part of an R2 Carnegie-classified research institution, we aim to foster research success in both our clinical and basic sciences. Over the calendar year, The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center was awarded $45.28 million to support 38 grants, fueling our continued efforts to recruit top-notch faculty and advance research. In June, we welcomed our first class with a vibrant welcome week that included an academic house sorting ceremony, comprehensive orientation sessions and various activities to help them integrate into our school community. We ended the week on a high with our inaugural white coat ceremony. This momentous occasion marked the entry of 40 students (95% of which represent East Texas and its neighboring counties) into the medical profession and symbolized a historic moment for East Texas. As we head into the Fall, students have accomplished much in their first three months. To name a few, students completed the EMS training course component. They are now participating in EMS ride-alongs. The medical students are diving deep into the curriculum and spending time in the SMILE Center. They have also just finished their first round of exams.
OUR GRADUATE RESIDENCY TRAINING PROGRAMS We finished a strong recruitment season, celebrating 73 new residents and fellows to East Texas starting July 1. Since 1988, we have graduated 407 residents. As of July, we have 180 residents and fellows training throughout UT Health East Texas’ hospitals and clinics. With 10 residency programs and five fellowship programs, our plans to distribute residents across the region expanded with the addition of the Hospice and Palliative Care, Gastroenterology, and Cardiovascular Disease fellowships; and our Transitional Year residency program. This past June, we celebrated our Internal Medicine residents as they graduated their first class of 20.
Graduate
MEDICAL EDUCATION
HIGHLIGHTS
73 407 180 05 NEW RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS
RESIDENTS TRAINED SINCE 1988
PHYSICIANS IN TRAINING
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS
WHITE COAT
Ceremony
For me, the white coat ceremony symbolizes not just the first steps in becoming a physician but also in giving me a chance to give back to the community.” – J U S T I N C R OW E
ON JULY 1, 2023, the school held its inaugural white coat ceremony for the Class of 2027. This day signified the students’ entry into the medical profession and symbolized a historic moment for our school. Forty students were cloaked with white coats and recited the Physician’s Oath. Students like Justin Crowe (a native of Jacksonville, Texas, and a former undergraduate of UT Tyler) celebrated the next step of their journey.
The ceremony concluded with the recitation of the Physician’s Oath: a solemn pledge that embodies the ethical principles and responsibilities of a physician. Dr. Beverly Waddleton, a former family practice physician at UT Health East Texas, led the students in the pledge. Dr. Julie Philley delivered the keynote speech — highlighting the role and responsibility of a physician, as well as the commitment of serving East Texas. Each student is sorted by academic house and led by faculty and staff co-leads. There are four academic houses within the School of Medicine: Reverentia, Beneficentia, Constantia and Civitas. They represent the school’s values of respect, service, perseverance and community, respectively.
Office of Faculty Affairs
& PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Faculty Spotlight
The School of Medicine has actively recruited academic, research and clinical faculty over the past academic year to grow the organization. Sixty faculty members were recruited since Sept. 1, 2022, to support the development of the new School of Medicine and its expansion of graduate medical education programs (residencies and fellowships). Extensive
Dr. Jamie Librizzi
Dr. Jennifer Honda
Dr. Cheryl McCullumsmith
work has been conducted to develop new departments and an organizational structure that aligns with the mission and goals of the School of Medicine, as well as meeting accreditation requirements. There are currently a total of 13 planned academic departments within the School of Medicine.
A professional in the field of pediatrics joined the school in August as the department chair for pediatrics. Board certified in pediatric hospital medicine and general pediatrics, Dr. Librizzi joins the School of Medicine from Arizona where she previously served as an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics for the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
A highly acclaimed researcher and an expert in the field of nontuberculous mycobacteria infections joined the school in April. Dr. Honda serves as the inaugural director for the Center for Mycobacterial Treatment and Discovery. Her groundbreaking work is supported by prestigious organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Upon arrival, Dr. Honda was granted a STARs Award from The University of Texas System to acquire state-of-the-art lab equipment to support her growing research. It will also help attract and nurture talented researchers who can tackle the pressing challenges associated with this global infectious lung disease.
A professional in the field of psychiatry and neuroscience has been appointed as distinguished university professor and founding chair for the Robert M. Rogers Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. Dr. McCullumsmith is board certified in psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine. She is committed to holistic medical treatments and evidence-based behavioral health interventions. She is an active member of various prestigious healthcare organizations and has received awards recognizing her accomplishments in the field. Dr. McCullumsmith graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a PhD in neuroscience and a medical degree with research honors from the University of Michigan.
RESEARCH LU RECEIVES FIRST UT TYLER R35 GRANT Dr. Maolin Lu, assistant professor of cellular and molecular biology at The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine, was awarded an R35 MIRA grant for $1.8 million by the National Institutes of Health. This is the first R35 grant that UT Tyler has received. The R35 MIRA grant, or the “Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award,” is given to promising young investigators to provide them with a stable funding environment for ambitious, innovative research. The MIRA Award is intended to support research in an investigator’s laboratory that falls within the mission of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The goal is to support basic research that lays the groundwork for disease prevention and treatment.
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SIMULATION IN MEDICINE AND IMMERSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE CENTER The UT Tyler School of Medicine SMILE Center officially opened in spring 2023 under the direction of Wesley Lockhart. It exists to provide immersive education that prepares compassionate healthcare professionals to deliver exceptional patientcentered care. The center serves to host simulation sessions for Undergraduate Medical Education, Graduate Medical Education, faculty and affiliated healthcare professions. Our advanced simulation technologies and interdisciplinary approach can help make significant strides in advancing healthcare in rural East Texas. The simulation side of the SMILE Center has spent the past year equipping the center with state-of-the-art high-fidelity mannequins, low-fidelity and mid-fidelity mannequins, and task trainers.
EAP
SIGNING DAY
The Pathways program encompasses a one-year to two-year curriculum for junior and senior years. Program activities include professional development, speakers and panel discussions, standardized test prep (including MCAT), volunteering and physician shadowing. Participants undergo the same rigorous admissions process and interviews as other prospective students. Their selection is based on a holistic evaluation of their qualifications.
“With a strong emphasis on community engagement and preventive care, the Early Assurance Program (EAP) will encourage and support greater numbers of students interested in medicine,” said Dr. Gisele Armond Abron, associate dean of admissions. “This initiative is not only shaping the future of healthcare but also ensuring that our region welcomes more dedicated and competent physicians.”
Community
O UTR E AC H SERVICE DAY
During Welcome Week, the first class of students (along with faculty and staff) engaged in a community service day. They volunteered at various local organizations, including People Attempting to Help (PATH) where they painted a house to provide a fresh start for someone in need. At Keep Tyler Beautiful, they dedicated their efforts to cleaning up the rose garden, restoring its beauty for the community to enjoy. They assisted the Hand Up Network by working in their retail store. They also joined forces with the East Texas Food Bank, helping to distribute food to those facing food insecurity.
Student Spotlight
“From witnessing firsthand the struggles faced by friends and family in East Texas both as patients and healthcare providers, I was inspired to become a doctor to help break down the barriers to access high-quality, affordable healthcare and positively address the growing physician shortage.”
Shrina Patel
First-year medical student Shrina Patel is grateful to have the opportunity to give back to her community: a core School of Medicine value that personally resonates with Shrina. “I love the way our East Texas community supports the medical students. I am excited to give back and help transform healthcare in East Texas.” Already in her first month, Shrina and her classmates are working on their EMT certification. In her first year, she is most looking forward to expanding her clinical skills.
“As a physician, not only will I be able to walk alongside and address the needs of patients as they face various illnesses, but I will also be able to join a robust community of providers working to improve healthcare delivery throughout East Texas.” First-year medical student Macy Reed has always known she wanted a career centered around serving others. It wasn’t until her time in undergraduate that she realized a career in medicine was the right path. “During college, I shadowed a physician whose passion for caring for the community reaffirmed my decision to pursue medicine.”
Macy Reed
In her first year, Macy is enjoying the unique curriculum that combines innovative learning experiences with servant-minded values. In addition to being a part of the inaugural class, Macy will represent UT Tyler on The UT System Student Advisory Council for the 2023-2024 academic year.
“I have always been captivated by the intricacies of the human body and the different processes that sustain life.” After witnessing a family member suffer a grave injury, Josue Gaona remembers being profoundly impacted by the team of doctors who provided transformative and compassionate care. “This experience taught me that being a doctor was not just a career choice but an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives during their most vulnerable moments.”
Josue Gaona
A lifelong resident of Tyler, Josue is looking forward to building relationships with his classmates and fostering a collaborative and supportive learning environment. When he isn’t in scrubs, Josue spends time in the lab at UT Tyler’s Fisch College of Pharmacy conducting research. His research focuses on cognitive, therapeutic benefits in neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
IN THE NEWS May 11, 2023
June 20, 2023
Critical Pediatric Needs Projected in East Texas
UT Tyler School of Medicine Receives $500,000 from Byers Foundation
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August 15, 2023
August 16, 2023
UT Tyler School of Medicine Welcomes Incoming Sports Medicine Fellowship Class
UT Tyler School of Medicine Launches Early Assurance Program
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