Thursday, October 24, 2024
Check out the 2023-24 Student Impact Report, available online now!
Andrea Tompkins, a 2022 graduate of The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s Medical Science program, was excited when she received her first medical school interview invitation. But she was also nervous because she didn’t know what to expect at the interview and how she could prepare.
Would her personal statement impress them? Would her resume and application effectively tell her story?
Unable to afford the cost of private interview preparation companies, she began researching alternatives.
That’s when she discovered UNTHSC’s Career Readiness Center, the hub of a lifetime of support service for UNTHSC students and graduates. Director Cassie Ardry worked with Tompkins to help her unique personality and her “why” shine through in her materials and to equip her with the interview tools and tactics she’d need.
The Career Readiness Center is part of the Division of Student Affairs, which exists to support HSC students in every way possible. This involves cultivating a vibrant campus community, a meaningful HSC student experience and providing tailored support services for lifelong success.
In a word, it’s about Impact.
That’s why the Student Affairs Impact Report is published every other year — to measure and report on that impact and to help ensure that the division is constantly improving.
The 2023-24 edition of the report has now been published, and it’s jam-packed with powerful testimonies and eye-opening statistics that speak to HSC’s success in supporting its students through the broad array of services provided by Student Affairs. For example, CRC provided 475 individual career advising appointments during the school year — including Andrea Tomkins.
“The HSC Career Readiness Center team [was] the final resource I needed to break through one of the most challenging aspects of becoming a doctor — getting into medical school,” says Tompkins, who was successfully admitted to Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. “Their office was crucial in equipping me with the tools, resources and skills I utilized even after my application.”
Elizabeth Thai, 2024 OMS IV TCOM, says she appreciated the CRC team’s “ability to help me identify and fortify areas in my interviewing technique that needed improvement, while ensuring that my responses remained authentic and true to my personality.”
Ardry says that CRC’s approach incorporates the HSC value Show Your Fire by helping each student emphasize their individuality and sense of purpose on job or medical school applications and during interviews.
The Office of Disability Access ensures all students have equal access to the curriculum at HSC by removing barriers for students with disabilities. Approximately 7% of the student population receives disability accommodations.
“Everyone in ODA has made having a disability while enrolled in a rigorous program so much easier,” said one student. “I have nothing but positive thoughts for the treatment by each member who has been involved with assisting me to attend school comfortably.”
ODA Director Brandie Wiley connects the school’s value Better Together to her work fostering an inclusive environment for those with disabilities. “Removing barriers to equity and inclusion is what we do every day,” Wiley said.
Striving to make our diverse campus Better Together is the International Student Office, which provides immigration and advising services. ISO helps about 150 foreign nationals representing 31 countries maintain compliance with their individual visa requirements.
A Class of 2028 Biomedical Science Ph.D. student from Nepal recalls ISO assisting them through the transition, saying “I had great help from the international office as I needed to transfer my SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) from my previous Designated School Official. It was really easy to reach out to the office.”
The Center for Academic Performance helps students meet their personal and academic goals by providing academic counseling, writing support, peer tutoring, and a variety of workshops. They supported students with 876 academic counseling appointments and 2,032 hours of tutoring in the 2023-24 school year.
“CAP helps students to meet expectations and achieve goals while still holding us accountable,” said a College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences student. “I’m so grateful we have access to a program like CAP!”
HSC also recognizes that students can’t be successful in their studies if their basic needs aren’t met. That’s why the Student Assistance Resource Center addresses issues like food insecurity, lack of professional attire, mental health concerns, fitness, and wellness needs. In line with HSC’s value We Care, the SARC Food Pantry distributed a total of 2,346 pounds of food to students in the 2023-24 school year.
“Being an international student, these resources have helped tremendously in these two years as a student,” said one student. “I came to the USA without any knowledge of where to shop for groceries and without a car.”
Wellbeing is another area of need for students, which is why the Be|Well program seeks to improve the overall wellbeing of HSC students by incorporating curricular and co-curricular activities centered around wellbeing, emotional intelligence, and resiliency into the student experience. Be|Well is part of the Office of Care and Civility.
“The variety of activities and resources available truly impressed me,” said one Be|Well activity participant. “I appreciated the opportunity to interact with different booths and learn about the various campus and community resources available to support me.”
Another student expressed appreciation that Be|Well discusses a broad array of factors related to wellbeing in their programming, reflecting the HSC value Be Curious. Beyond addressing students’ own wellbeing, it also helps prepare them to become better medical professionals by equipping them to understand components related to their patients’ wellbeing.
“For TCOM students, we need more discussion about how culture, identity and social factors need to be better understood in order to help patients and work effectively with colleagues,” they said.
In addition to basic needs, community and culture are other essential factors in a positive student experience at HSC. That fits the mission of the Center for Student Life which helps build community and develops experiences that encourage and support student success.
Last school year there were 1,650 students involved in Registered Student Organizations,
which are facilitated by CSL. The students appreciate the chance to plan activities,
events and other engaging ways they can be Better Together, aligning with this school
value.
“They’ve done a spectacular job of creating a culture on campus for students to feel welcomed, included and represented,” said Abigail Hoffpauir, OMS-2 TCOM. “They are also super helpful to students trying to create their own space.”
Whether it’s Testing and Evaluation Services developing students’ Courageous Integrity in test-taking preparation, or the Office of Care and Civility showing We Care by connecting students to resources for personal stressors, the unifying mission across the Division of Student Affairs is to make the HSC experience as fulfilling and successful as possible for every student.
“They support the students and put their best efforts toward us,” says Pranavi R. Chamarti, OMS-2 TCOM. “No matter who I go to, I know they’ll always provide [the students] with the resources we need.”
Get the full picture about how these services are having an impact by checking out the 2023-24 Student Impact Report, available online now!
2023-24 Numbers for the Division of Student Affairs
- 2,344 students enrolled at HSC
- 79 career development workshops, presentations and events
- 475 individual career advising appointments
- 13,127 jobs posted on HSC Connect
- 100% increased self-confidence for a job interview after mock interviews
- 209 Care Team cases addressing a variety of student needs
- Approximately 7% of the student population receives disability accommodations.
- 1,650 students involved in a Registered Student Organization
- 1,577 assessments administered by Testing and Evaluation Services
- 99% of students said they felt prepared to take an exam after TES training for Examplify
- 2,346 pounds of food distributed to students from the food pantry
- 109 International students plus 37 international faculty, staff, and scholars, representing 31 countries
- 876 academic counseling appointments
- 2,032 hours of tutoring provided
- 190 participants in Fall 2023 Be|Well Week
From HSC Newsroom - On Campus by Reggie Johnson