University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Overview

UTHealth is an academic health center that educates more than 5,000 professionals annually and delivers health care to patients with diverse cultures, beliefs, and nationalities. UTHealth is committed to creating an environment that values inclusion, collaboration, partnerships, and teamwork to accomplish its mission.

The UTHealth SHPEP is grounded in collaborative relationships between the UTHealth McGovern Medical School, School of Dentistry, and Cizik School of Nursing, which are the three health professions of interest for our program.  The curriculum focuses on Basic Sciences, Academic Enrichment,and Professional Development.

The Basic Sciences core curriculum is structured around courses relevant to health professionals, including Anatomy and Physiology, Statistics, Organic Chemistry, and an appropriate entry-level course for students interested in nursing.

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Clinical Skill Laboratories: Scholars work together and experience all professions. This involves working at the medical school with human patient simulators. At the School of Dentistry, laboratory experiences give the scholars hands-on experiences in dental procedures with suturing, cavity preparations, and filling with composite materials, and digital dentistry experiences. The Cizik School of Nursing will engage the scholars in health care management, such as nutrition, taking blood pressure, and learning how to draw blood.

Career Development Workshops: An essential part of the program is to work with scholars to prepare them for the admissions process. Admissions officers at each school will discuss the application process, interviewing skills, writing the personal statement, financial information, and the importance of community service, shadowing, and research experiences.

The central theme of wellness and nutrition is interwoven throughout the curriculum and student experiences. This theme also allows the program to highlight the interprofessional collaboration between healthcare providers needed to address this multi-faceted healthcare challenge.

Students will have the opportunity to explore their wellness. Multiple activities are scheduled throughout the program to engage the scholars in wellness activities.

Additional Developmental Workshops include:

• Weekly town hall meetings
• Professional Attire and Professionalism
• Introduction to Interprofessional Collaborative Core Competencies
• “Careers in Health Professions” where faculty members from the disciplines of Dentistry, Nursing, and Medicine will present and meet with scholars
• Student Alumni & Professional Student Panels
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Training (HIPAA Training)
• Professionalism Workshops
• Wellness Seminars
• Recruiters from local health professions schools

Clinical Experience: All scholars will experience limited clinical exposure through a diverse range of settings, including shadowing individual healthcare providers, small-group clinical rotations, simulation experiences in clinical skills labs, and seminars with expert clinicians.

Health Profession Tracks Offered:

• Medical
• Dental
• Nursing

Finances

Stipend: Student stipends of $1000.00 will be distributed in three installments: two installments during the program and one final installment at the end of the program.

Meals: Students will receive a meal subsidy during the first two weeks while programming is held virtually. On campus, students will be provided at least three meals per day, Monday-Friday, and at least two meals per day, Saturday-Sunday. Students may also have the opportunity to purchase Tetra cards (Rice U. meal cards) during the check-in process, to be used on the Rice campus only (eateries & the “convenience stores only.”)

Living

Housing: Students will reside in Rice University dormitories, which are on the campus of Rice University and approximately three blocks from the McGovern Medical School.

Social Activities: SHPEP-sponsored events include a welcome dinner at check-in, a scholar talent show/dance party, and a graduation ceremony with a reception. Scholar-organized events have included movie nights in the dorms and cookouts on the Rice University campus. As a large, metropolitan city, Houston also offers multiple venues for activities accessible by walking or using the metro rail system, such as The Museum of Fine Arts Houston (free on Thursday evening), the Miller Outdoor Theatre (free), and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Also accessible by walking is Rice Village, which has numerous shops and restaurants.