Contact: Rosanne Fohn, (210) 567-3079

Karina Rangel, Abril Santos and Denise Marquez from Laredo examine SimMan, a simulated patient in the UT Health Science Center’s Clinical Skills Center.
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SAN ANTONIO (June 19, 2009) — Twenty-eight Laredo area high school students spent a week in San Antonio learning about the health professions at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Summer Biomedical Workshop.

The workshop, held June 15-19, was sponsored jointly by the Mid Rio Grande Border AHEC, based in Laredo; the South Central AHEC, based in San Antonio; and the UT Health Science Center.

“All of the high school students are from the Laredo area and have an interest in pursuing some kind of health profession, ranging from medicine to dental hygiene to forensic science,” said Amanda Lopez, health careers program coordinator with the South Central Area Health Education Center (AHEC).

Students learned about crime scene investigation, microbiology, medical imaging, anatomy, forensic toxicology, cancer research and treatment, and biomedical engineering.

“The students benefited greatly in learning about career choices. They also understand the type of academic preparation required for professional health care careers,” said Eloisa Volpe, health careers coordinator for the Mid Rio Grande Border AHEC. “This camp assisted students in connecting the concepts with the curriculum they will experience in high school next academic year.”

(Click on images for larger view.) Laredo students attending the UT Health Science Center Summer Biomedical Workshop learned about crime scene investigation, microbiology, medical imaging, anatomy, forensic toxicology, cancer research and treatment, and biomedical engineering.

Students share their favorite activities
Denise Marquez from J.B. Alexander High School, said, “The part I enjoyed the most was the hands-on activities in physical therapy, occupational therapy and emergency medicine. I’ve never practiced putting an IV in a false arm! I was nervous, but the instructors were very kind and understanding and fun. They made the experience less stressful. This experience allowed me to realize that I seek a future in the medical field without a doubt.”

Diego Montemayor from St. Augustine High School added, “What I liked the most is when we were hands-on with the human brain and also when we touched the plastinated organs. I also learned that there is a wide range of professions in the health care field and that now I have more options when I go to medical school. Right now I’m thinking I want to be a plastic surgeon.”

“I really liked the Cancer Therapy Research Center because it shows that people are really trying to find a cure for cancer and how they try to help patients enjoy their therapy,” Karina Rangel from Martin High School said.

Area Health Education Centers part of HSC's Center for South Texas Programs
The Mid Rio Grande Border AHEC and South Texas AHEC are two of five regional health education centers that are part of the university’s Center for South Texas Programs.

The Mid Rio Grande Border AHEC provides health career activities for students interested in entering the health professions, community-based clinical training for Health Science Center students, continuing education for Laredo area health professionals and health literacy programs for residents, all in a six-county region including Dimmitt, Duval, La Salle, Jim Hogg, Webb and Zapata counties.

The majority of the activities were held on the UT Health Science Center campus. Also included in the workshop were a tour of sister institution UT San Antonio with a presentation of its biomedical engineering program, and a visit to a local pharmacy.

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the leading research institution in South Texas and one of the major health sciences universities in the world. With an operating budget of $668 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $16.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $36 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 26,400 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and other health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing, dentistry and many other fields. For more information, visit www.uthscsa.edu.