Education Commons^™

Development Of An Experiential Learning Lab Activity On Skeletal Muscle Physiology In Undergraduate Md Pre-Clerkship Curriculum, Meyer B. Maddox, Angela Martinez, Daniel Salinas, Kelsey Potter-Baker, Amin Shah

Research Symposium

Background: Experiential learning is an important part of the medical education curriculum. Due to the clinical relevance of skeletal muscle strength in evaluating patients’ complaints of muscle weakness or imbalance, skeletal muscle physiology is an important concept with extensive potential for experiential learning opportunities. Our goal was to establish an experiential learning skeletal muscle physiology lab activity that would improve undergraduate MD pre-clerkship students’ skill to collect muscle force measurements using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) and understanding of core physiological concepts.

Methods: As part of the Musculoskeletal and Dermatology (MSKD) Module in the undergraduate MD pre-clerkship curriculum, we developed a …

Assessing The Reliability, Internal Consistency, And Sensitivity Of A Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire For Four-Year-Old Pre-K Children, Lin Wang, Karla Cortez, Brenda Rodriguez, Joseph Reyes, Moises Cisneros, Elizabeth Alanis, Zasha Romero, Lisa Michelle Belzer Salinas, Juan López Alvarenga, Roberto Treviño-Peña

Research Symposium

Introduction: Assessing nutrition knowledge in four-year-olds, a developmental stage marked by limited attention spans and varying comprehension abilities, is challenging with traditional methods. A reliable test is pivotal for establishing a foundation for future health interventions. We evaluated a 13-question nutrition and healthy habits test in Pre-K4 children to assess reliability and sensitivity to detect differences.

Methods: Calculations included Cronbach's alpha, kappa coefficient, McNemar analysis by item, and Bland-Altman plots for test-retest differences. Mixed model regression assessed the questionnaire's sensitivity by sex and association with age. Item response theory (IRT) models were employed, generating latent abilities for students and individual …

Healthy Media - Enhancing Healthy Living Education In Prek Students With Edtech Media, Emilio Puente Barrios

Research Symposium

Background: Young children today learn in diverse environments, including home, school, and through digital media platforms such as apps, videos, games, and songs. With the increase in screen time due to Covid-19 restrictions, digital media has become a valuable resource for remote learning, offering fun and educational interactions. However, the impact of incorporating educational technology or EdTech digital media applications into health education curricula on the performance of PK 4 students in understanding and adopting healthy living concepts remains understudied. By exploring the effectiveness of design elements and strategic approaches this research aims to evaluate newer technology-driven media in enhancing …

Reimagining Associate Degree Nursing Education: An Insider’S View, Ntiense E. Otu

Theses and Dissertations

The demographics of nursing students in the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program are diverse, hence the need for nurse educators to prepare and handle the challenges faculty face in the ADN program. Although many pieces of literature have addressed different modalities of instructional delivery and teaching methods in nursing education, transition experience of nurse educators, and teaching preparation and readiness, these are not evident in the ADN programs in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). The teaching preparation of nurse educators and their utilization of instructional methods in the ADN program in the RGV is limited in the literature. This study …

Steps On Establishing A Faculty Development Curriculum For Health Science Educators In A New Medical School, Beatriz Tapia, Karina Madrigal, Robert Nelson

Research Colloquium

Purpose: New Medical Schools need health science educators, to teach throughout the medical education continuum from basic science to clinical years. The need to establish a defined faculty development curriculum for health science educators will aid in standardizing best teaching practices and build a potential master teacher to move the curriculum toward active learning and innovation. The UTRGV SoM is a distributed campus, to achieve increase outreach we will offer synchronous and asynchronous online faculty development during the pandemic. This poster will share our progress to date.

Methods: A pilot, faculty development program, was established from faculty needs assessment data, …

Establishing A Mentoring Program For Health Science Educators In A New Medical School, Karina Madrigal, Beatriz Tapia, Robert Nelson

Research Colloquium

Purpose: New Medical Schools need mentoring programs to enhance the personal and professional development of mentees and mentors. The need to establish a mentoring support mechanism is critical. This poster will share our progress to date.

Methods: A pilot mentoring program was established for junior faculty. These faculty members were paired with an associate professor or professor to serve as mentors for career development and engage in a focused scholarly project over a nine-month period.

Typically, the junior faculty is within the first three years of appointment and hold the rank of assistant professor. Each mentee will have 10% protected …

Impact Of Academic Golden Weekend Initiative On Academic Success For An Internal Medicine Clerkship, Elif S. Duran, Maria A. Alvarenga, Stephanie Onyechi, Jose E. Campo Maldonado

Research Colloquium

Background: COVID-19 precautions led to a change in the number of protected weekends for the UTRGV Internal Medicine Clerkship, going from 2 protected weekends to none. The aim of Academic Golden Weekends during a fully inpatient clerkship has been to maximize the student experience by providing enough time to balance all the necessary components of the student experience. Starting April 26, 2021, all cohorts completing their Internal Medicine Clerkship as third-year medical students had 3 protected weekends.

Methods: Two surveys were created to compare the pre-intervention and post-intervention cohorts. The surveys focused on student satisfaction regarding the time they had …

Specific Educational Needs Detection In Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) In Superior Middle Level Students Students, Rebeca Thelma Martínez Villarreal, Brenda Elizabeth Salas Herrera, Alan Fernando García Martínez, Claudia Cecilia Salazar Garza, José Guadalupe Sánchez Hernández, Irma Cecilia Rico Ramírez

Research Symposium

Purpose: Detection ASD and intervention in superior middle level students at Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), Mexico.

Description: Upon admission to superior middle level at UANL, modified Gilliam Asperger's disorder scale (GADS) was applied to parents in a Program to identify behavioral characteristics associated to ASD.

Parents of students with positive GADS were informed and students were scheduled for standard psychological testing in order to evaluate cognitive process, study habits, social anxiety and self-esteem, prior to an intervention.

From 2014 to 2020, 178 013 GADS were applied; there were 332 (0.19%) students with definite or suggestive pattern of ASD. …

Psychoactive Substances Consumers Among High School Students: Detection And Intervention, Rebeca Thelma Martínez Villarreal, Alan Fernando García Martínez, Irma Cecilia Rico Ramírez, Brenda Elizabeth Salas Herrera, Claudia Cecilia Salazar Garza

Research Symposium

Purpose: Identify and treat psychoactive substances consumers (PSC) among high school students at Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL); México.

Description: A two-phase program (detection and intervention) was designed. Phase one included urine drug testing (UDT) either from direct aleatory sampling or referrals from within university departments under informed consent.

Phase two for positive PSC, included an interview for psychological needs identification and cognitive behavioral intervention planning.

Between 2017 and 2019, 490 UDT were performed. Results showed 235 PSC (47.9%), 86.4% were males (203) and 13.6% females (32).

Most detected substance was cannabis: 218 students (92.7%); less frequent substances detected …

Understanding The Resources, Barriers, Facilitators And Interests About Aging And Dementia Research Of Community Members From The Rio Grande Valley, Karla Daniela Lopez Lorenzo, Rosa V. Pirela Mavarez, Gabriela Osuna, Kendra Stine, Nahalie Chacon De Alvarez, Noe Garza, Gladys E. Maestre

Research Symposium

Background: One of ten people aged 65 develops Alzheimer’s Disease and it is one of the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is mostly constituted by Hispanic/Latinos (93%), a population that has a 1.5X increased risk of AD onset. Nevertheless, there are not enough resources to support people living with dementia and their care partners. This study will leverage research efforts deployed by the RGV Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research to understand the social representations about the resources, barriers, facilitators, and interests of the RGV community about dementia and Alzheimer’s …

Qi In Resident Leadership Workshop, Heidi Y. Pareja, Chelsea H. Chang, Daniel Aragon, Deepu George

Research Symposium

Background: Many residency programs provide some type of leadership training for chief residents. As these emerging leaders transition into their role, it is imperative to provide them with skills and knowledge to help them develop their leadership style. UTRGV’s department of Graduate Medical Education (GME) organized their first “Resident Leader Workshop” for all rising Chiefs and GME Resident Leadership Council (RLC) members. Using a pre and post survey, participants provided feedback on the effectiveness of knowledge and skills presented during the workshop.

Methods: All residency and fellowship rising Chiefs and GME RLC members were invited. The workshop took place …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Resilience In Medical School Students: A Scope Of Medical Literature, Andrea Soto Abarca, Yvette Cortino, Juan Carlos Lopez Alvarenga, Maya Guevara

Research Symposium

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) represent types of childhood trauma that are associated with long-term negative effects on health and wellbeing. An elevated number of ACEs can lead to depression, suicidality, alcoholism, and substance use. Factors that can protect a person from increased health risks include resilience, which is broadly defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity. Few studies have analyzed the exposure of ACEs in medical students, however, there is extensive literature on how low levels of resilience are linked to higher rates of depression, fatigue, and burnout among medical students. Little is known about the …

Effects Of A Mindfulness Intervention To Improve Teachers’ Well-Being, Andrea P. Almaguer-Botero, Eva L. Miller, Roy K. Chen, Ralph Carlson

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Teacher attrition has increased by 50% over the past 15 years. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a mindfulness-based intervention would be effective for reducing stress and increasing mindfulness, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and well-being among teachers at Title I (low-income) schools. The researchers evaluated the effects of a mindfulness intervention created specifically for teachers using a four-way ANOVA (2 × 3 × 2 × 5) with two between subjects’ factors, groups and levels, and two within subjects/repeated measures factors, pretest-posttest and scales. While the study did not show significant effects for mindfulness, stress, self-efficacy, and well-being, teachers …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Resilience In Medical School Students: A Scope Of Medical Literature, Andrea Soto Abarca, Yvette Cortino, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Maya Guevara

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) represent certain types of childhood trauma that are associated with long-term negative effects on health and wellbeing. The elevated number of ACEs can lead to depression, suicidality, alcoholism, and substance use. Factors that can protect a person from increased health risks include resilience, which is broadly defined as the ability to overcome challenges or bounce back from adversity. Few studies have analyzed the exposure of ACEs in medical students, however, there has been extensive literature on how low levels of resilience are linked to higher rates of depression, fatigue, and burnout among medical students. …

Covid-19 Student Mental Health Check Ii, Dianna Blankenship, Irma S. Jones

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

The year 2020 will forever be known as the year of the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected the entire population in one way or another. What began in January 2020 still has the world population firmly in its grip a year later. The students’ responses, in their own words, to changes in living, daily `routines, and health fears can be seen in the following paper. In this article, the responses of students in several undergraduate classes at a Hispanic serving institution in south Texas were collected and synthesized. The 155 responses were divided into seven frequently observed and repeated themes: …

Predicting Usmle Step 2 Scores Using Results From The Nbme Shelf Exams, Jose Chavez, Michael Machiorlatti, Jose Campo Maldonado, Lori Berry

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Background

In February of 2020 the sponsors of the USMLE examinations, which includes the NBME and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) decided to change the scoring system of the USMLE Step 1 from a three-digit numeric score to a Pass/Fail outcome¹. The basis of this change was made to “address concerns about Step 1 scores impacting student well-being and medical education”². Historically, the three-digit numeric score from Step 1 has been one of the top determining factors for admission into residency³. This change will cause a shift in the priority of objective …

Development Of Learners Engaging With Hispanic Communities To Address Covid-19 Inequities- Si Se Puede!, Giuiseppe A. Fonseca

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the health disparities that exist in marginalized communities across the country. Communities of color across the entire country have higher mortality and morbidity rates (Jordan 2020) due to COVID-19. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is a four-county region that consists of a population of over 90% Hispanic. Furthermore, the RGV harbors some of the highest rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease nationwide. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine (UTRGVSOM) working alongside the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Nurturing Experiences for Tomorrow’s Community Leaders (NEXT) developed …

Covid-19 Student Mental Health Check, Dianna Blankenship, Irma S. Jones

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced many changes in the lives of our students and families. In this article, the responses of students in criminal justice classes at a Hispanic serving institution in south Texas were collected and synthesized. The 252 responses were divided into seven frequently observed and repeated themes: jobs and job related, school and courses, graduation, routine, family, positivity, and groceries/shopping. Findings for this time period matched what much of what the national and international news and reports have all reported. It indicates that, as teaching professionals, we must be mindful to provide the added support to assist …

Assessing The Use Of Student-Developed Clerkship Guides For Improving Clerkship Expectations And Experiences: An App-Based Approach., Jose Chavez, Lauren Muenchow, Matthew Hidalgo, Jiyun Lim, Jose Campo Maldonado, Lori Berry, Michael Machiorlatti

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Background: The transition for medical students from pre-clinical education to the clinical learning environment introduces different expectations, methods of evaluation, and new working conditions. A mobile-friendly web application with clerkship specific information was developed to assess whether clinical preparedness increased among third-year medical students at transitioning to their clinical curriculum.

Objectives: To determine whether medical students’ clinical preparedness increased as they transitioned into clinical rotations by using a mobile-friendly web application that contained information and advice shared by senior medical students that had already completely their rotations.

Methods: Third-year medical students at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School …

Neurology Problem Based Learning With Limited Neurologist Resources Is Feasible, Irma Duncan, Xiaoqian Fang, Norma Loprez, Michael Dobbs

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Objective: To determine if a single neurologist can lead neurology PBL for an entire medical school class and assess the effect of a neurologist assisting in facilitating during neurology module problem-based learning on student perception of knowledge gained.

Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) groups are widely becoming integrated into medical school curriculum. During each module, clinicians from the specialty area of study help conduct PBL and facilitate students through cases. For example, during the neurology module, neurologist facilitate cases pertaining to their study. At the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), there is a shortage of neurologists and it is …

Evaluating Practicum Student's' Therapeutic Effectiveness Using Solution Focused Brief Therapy With Mexican American Clients: A Single Case Design, Krystle L. Ortega

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a practicum counseling experience on client therapeutic outcomes using Solution Focused Brief Therapy with Mexican American clients. We implemented a small series (N = 3) single-case research design to assess the effectiveness of SFBT for increasing hope and decreasing clinical symptoms. Clients’ clinical areas of functioning and clinically significant change will be evaluated using the Outcome Questionnaire -45.2 whereas hope will be assessed using The Trait Hope Scale. The results of this study will ultimately help researchers in counseling education, counselors, supervisors, and students by providing an outcome …

Hispanic Bilingual Learners' Perceptions And Educational Experiences Of Spanish-Speaking In South Texas, Isela B. Stephens

Theses and Dissertations

The present study focuses on a subset of data obtained from a larger interdisciplinary project, Proyecto Posible, which investigates how sociocultural and instructional factors predict positive outcomes among Spanish- and English-speaking Hispanic bilingual learners. As one part of Proyecto Posible, interviewers asked learners to speak in their language of preference about their experiences in school and feelings developed during interactions with others, as bilinguals. This study examines the qualitative component on bilingual learners’ perceptions of their own language proficiency in English and Spanish, perceptions of language use across a broad range of contexts including school, home, and community, …

The Indelible Power Of The Intraverbal: Expanding The Intraverbal Repertoire And Utilizing Conditioned Praise Words To Decrease Problem Behaviors Of Typically Developing Students In Schools, Jose A. Zamudio

Theses and Dissertations

This study tested a disciplinary strategy that aimed at teaching students positive behaviors to decrease (or eliminate) problem behavior at school. In this study, data of five disruptive students from a middle school in South Texas were analyzed to evaluate the outcomes of the disciplinary strategy implemented by a disciplinary program facilitator at the campus. Students were conditioned to be more receptive to particular praise words related to positive thinking, and ten teachers at the campus were trained to deliver the conditioned praise words when the students expressed positive behaviors that corresponded with the conditioned praise words. Positive thinking celerated …

An Exploratory Investigation Of Tele-Counseling: Looking At The Power Of Therapeutic Alliance In Improving Wellness, Jorge Rostro

Theses and Dissertations

The present study explored the power of one tele-counseling session to elicit change within post wellness ratings scores and the relationship between clients’ perceptions of relationship, goals and topics, approach and method, and overall session with clients’ wellness ratings. Results indicated that the mean for post-session wellness was significantly greater than pre-test wellness ratings. The standardized effect size, d, was .43, indicative of a moderate effect size. No difference was found between client’s perceptions of predictor variables with post-wellness rating scores. This study adds support for the use of tele-counseling services as one session might have the power to elicit …

A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Bullying In The Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Vanessa Cristina Cantu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this paper was to describe the study concerning special education students in middle school who were bullied. Many students in the special education program are being bullied, whether it is due to their disabilities or other factors (Mishna, 2003; Rose, Espelage, & Monda-Amaya, 2009; Coloroso, 2008; Christensen, Fraynt, Neece, & Baker, 2012). While several quantitative studies have been conducted addressing this worldwide phenomenon, few qualitative studies have been performed. A phenomenological approach allowed the participants to share their own experiences with bullying. Twenty-five students from several middle schools (6th, 7th, 8th grades) in a city in the …

Theory Of Mind And Inhibitory Processing Among Bilingual Mexican American Young Children, Sarah E. Stegall

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Bilingual children have been found to demonstrate advantages on tasks dependent in part or in whole on inhibitory processing compared to their language dominant and/or monolingual peers. This study examines relations among performance on theory of mind (ToM), inhibitory processing (FF), and performance on an ambiguous-figures (AF) tasks among monolingual and bilingual children. Participants included 135 Hispanic children ages 4.5 to 8 from predominately low-income families. Results revealed a relationship between FF and AF performance with ToM performance and found no differences in performance between monolingual, language-dominant, and balanced-bilingual children.

Evaluation Of An Educational Breastfeeding Program For A Non-Profit Agency In South Texas, Marcela Urbina Zavala

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Breastfeeding has been recognized as the most cost effective practice to promote healthier babies among populations (Dennis, 2002). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of an educational breastfeeding and a prenatal + breastfeeding program for individuals attending group classes and to compare the differences between Spanish only and English only versions of the curriculum. Two research questions were stated to know if there were significant differences between pre and post-tests scores and if there were any significant differences in the impact of the intervention between English only and Spanish only versions of the classes. The present …

Predicting College Student Classroom Performance With A Simple Metacomprehension Scale, Amber Lee Klein

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study investigated the relationship between college student metacomprehension and the error of predicted classroom performance. College student metacomprehension was evaluated using the Metacomprehension Scale (MCS) designed by Moore, Zabrucky, and Commander (1997a). Prior to an examination administered by a course instructor, covering course content, students predicted the percentage score he/she expected to achieve. The predicted score was subtracted from the obtained score generating an error score. It was hypothesized that error of predicted classroom performance is a function of student metacomprehension, as measured by the MCS. Results indicate the MCS was not a reliable indicator of student predicted …

Communication And Collaboration Among Providers, John Lowdermilk, Cheryl Fielding, Leila Flores-Torres, Alonso Andrew, Lisa Becerra

Human Development and School Services Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current study examined the perceived communication and collaboration patterns among staff at an autism treatment center in Texas. Specifically, we believe that communication technologies provide a pivotal role in effective collaboration among direct service providers. Through the study's participant's open-ended responses, researchers identified and described potential issues of concern around communication and collaboration patterns. Implications and recommendations for practice are included.