Education

COMMITTED TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Educating and training our students is Job # 1 at UTHSC. Our record number of degrees awarded and outstanding first-attempt board pass rates last academic year reflect our continued success at this mission. Our College of Pharmacy consistently ranks in the top 20 in the nation among 140 colleges of pharmacy, according to U.S. News & World Report. The College of Nursing’s DNP programs remain highly ranked among colleges of nursing across the country. UTHSC is increasing attention to the mind, body, and spirit of its students and working to address student debt and improve students’ overall knowledge of the social determinants of health.

HIGHLIGHTS

• UTHSC held tuition steady for the academic year. Additionally, the ’20-’21 academic year will again have no tuition increase across the board in any of the six colleges, and a decrease in tuition in certain large and smaller programs. In an effort to attract a wider crosssection of students and help reduce student debt, out-of-state tuition in the College of Medicine will drop by 10.6 percent, or more than $7,000. Annual tuition in several programs in the College of Health Professions will also see decreases, ranging from 28.3 percent to 54.1 percent. • The UTHSC Nurse Anesthesia Concentration Class of 2019 achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the National Certification Exam. This places the UTHSC Nurse Anesthesia Concentration above the national average for first-time pass rates. • The UTHSC College of Medicine continues to expand its

Culinary Medicine elective program for medical students. Dr. Susan Warner teaches Culinary Medicine to medical students using the Health Meets Food™ curriculum developed by the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University. The goal of the program is to raise nutrition and culinary skills for medical students’ own health and well-being and to equip them to communicate nutrition principles to their patients in terms of real and healthful food. Now, the curriculum is offered as part of the Healthy Living wellness program and to cohorts of faculty and staff of the University at no charge, thanks to a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health,

Project Diabetes. • Two departments in the College of Health Professions have merged for a better structural alignment within the college. The Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and the Department of Health Informatics and Information Management are now known as the Department of Diagnostic and Health Sciences. “This will provide us with the opportunity to reallocate our resources in a way to make us more efficient and flexible and thus more competitive in a modern, technologically enhanced teaching and learning environment,” Dean

Stephen Alway said. • The College of Pharmacy expanded its Nashville footprint by moving to a new, larger facility in southeast Nashville at 301 South Perimeter Park Drive. The college’s move to the approximately 11,000-square-foot building is designed to accommodate the growing demand of the Nashville campus. The building has state-of-the-art features, including a simulated pharmacy. • The College of Dentistry is increasing the number of registered dental hygienists and dental assistants it certifies through its Expanded Functions for the Dental Auxiliary continuing education course. The program teaches hygienists to perform some restorative and prosthetic functions, including placement of fillings, temporaries for crowns, and making impressions for various fixed and removable dental procedures. The goal is to increase availability and accessibility of dental care in the community and across the state. • The CARE Team assists students in accessing resources that help them succeed academically, personally, and socially. The university also opened a new Mind Body Wellness Center for students, faculty, and staff. The Mind Body Wellness Center offer yoga, pilates, and meditation to encourage mental clarity and reduce stress and anxiety.