mega doctor news
Written by Yahaira Hernandez
Texas A&M University McAllen Higher Education Center (HECM) students recently had the opportunity to take classes designed to give them experience working with local healthcare organizations and communities to address public health challenges. I did.
Students are attending a junior-level course called Project Management in Public Health, which is part of the Bachelor of Public Health Science degree offered through the Texas A&M University School of Public Health.
“This course incorporates service and community-based learning, allowing students to integrate course objectives with real-world applications. I am tasked with developing, implementing, and managing sanitation projects,” said supervising assistant professor Dr. Cristal Flores Chavez. “This discipline-based, mutually beneficial learning approach allows students to gain first-hand experience addressing identified issues in their communities while supporting underserved communities.”
Students will work with the Texas A&M Colonia Program and the House of Love and Justice, an organization dedicated to transforming colonias along the U.S.-Mexico border, to address public health issues within Texas colonias. I had the opportunity to implement a community-based project. Rio Grande Valley.
Flores Chavez was awarded $5,000 from the Texas A&M Health Transformation Education Grant for the summer 2024 semester to use toward fall courses. She split that amount and gave two student teams a budget of $2,500 each to fund their projects.
A group of students decided to host an event called “Colorful Connections” in early November. This was a free mental health awareness event held at a public park in Edinburg, Texas. The goal was to provide families in nearby Colonia with mental health information and resources and an opportunity to bond through arts and crafts activities. Several local organizations provided educational materials to participants, including Texas A&M University Colonious Program, House of Love and Justice, Texas A&M University Health Services, Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District, and South Texas Behavioral Health Solutions. Selina Mendoza ’27, one of Flores Chavez’s students, assisted her team in planning and implementing mental health events.
“We developed the concept for the event after learning what kind of activities the community wanted,” Mendoza said. “We chose to focus on mental health because mental health is an important component of general health, but often overlooked, especially in low-income households that may lack resources. Improving mental health is essential to ending the cycle of poverty and leading happier, more fulfilling lives.In addition, improving mental health in some communities, especially disadvantaged groups, is essential. It is essential to combat the associated stigma.”
A week later, a second group of students led a women’s health fair in San Juan, Texas, providing women and their families with access to free health exams and educational presentations. Students also participated in a health-themed Loteria (Bingo) game developed by Dennis Martinez, a doctoral student in the School of Public Health. Participating organizations include Texas A&M University Colonias Program, House of Love and Justice, Nuestra Clinica del Valle, Healthy Futures of Texas, Hidalgo County Health and Human Services, Access Esperanza Clinic, South Texas Health Systems Behavioral, and Mujeres Unidas/Women Together It will be. Tabil Rodriguez ’27 assisted the team in organizing the Women’s Health Fair. “Our goal is to facilitate conversations between women and their health care providers to provide answers to questions they may not know they should ask or to provide health screenings to identify and address health concerns. It was about helping people do what they asked for,” Rodriguez said.
This course is rigorous as it requires a significant amount of time and effort to complete the project. This provides students with a unique opportunity to work with local health authorities and practice important communication skills with stakeholders.
Emily Gonzalez ’27 of the Colorful Connections team reflected on a tough but rewarding experience. “Planning the project and coordinating everything on the day of the event was a little stressful. It wasn’t always easy to get everything we needed, but it was great to see the joy and smiles on the faces of the families at the event. It was well worth the little effort,” Gonzalez said. “I enjoy collaborating with my team and believe that all of our ideas, motivations and skills are essential to achieving the project goals.”
Mendoza added, “This project involved collaboration, diverse perspectives, and the need to overcome challenges such as coordinating schedules and ensuring the project was culturally sensitive and accessible. Just like in the real world, our team effectively balances tasks, leverages each member’s strengths, and fosters a collaborative environment to achieve common goals. I learned.”
Flores Chavez is dedicated to developing a strong public health workforce who can skillfully address health challenges and create lasting, sustainable change in South Texas. “The overall goal of this course is for students to gain the skills necessary for future career opportunities. The skills learned through this course are essential for anyone who wants to work in a community-based organization.” Flores・Mr. Chavez said.
