A Blessing in Disguise

The students will join the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine's Class of 2013.
When dozens of medical students at the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in Puerto Rico learned their school could no longer provide them with a medical education, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine admissions officials stepped in to help.
“We are pleased to welcome these students to join the class, and potentially also become future doctors for El Paso and our region,” said Manuel Schydlower, M.D., associate dean for admissions at the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.
In response to a request from the Association of American Medical Colleges, Carlos Encarnacion, of San Antonio; Gemmie Devera, of Chula Vista, Calif.; Ariana Nieto Meraz, of Mansfield; and Emmanuel Rodriguez, of Caguas, Puerto Rico, were accepted into the Class of 2013.
Encarnacion said he was shocked when he learned the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine lost its accreditation.
“No one saw it coming, not even the faculty,” Encarnacion said. “I went home that day and started contacting medical schools. I didn’t want to lose a year.”
Meraz, who is originally from Juarez, Mexico, said although she is saddened by the closing of her former school, she is grateful to have the chance to continue her training on the Texas/Mexico border.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to be here and for the school opening its doors to me,” Meraz said. “I am also excited to come home.”
Related Stories
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Rural Adolescents
Leigh Ann Reel, Au.D., Ph.D., CCC-A, discussed the causes and prevention strategies for noise-induced hearing loss, particularly for adolescents in rural areas.
Willed Body Memorial Service Honors Those Who Donated
On Memorial Day each May, a service is conducted at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Institute of Anatomical Sciences to pay respect to the Willed Body Program donors and their families.
Molecular Pathology Preceptorship: Unmatched Value and Experience
Ericka Hendrix, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM, Program Director and Associate Professor in the Master of Science in Molecular Pathology program in the School of Health Professions spoke about the program’s preceptorship.
Recent Stories
Logsdon Receives Grant to Study Vascular Side of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Supported by a three-year, $578,211 grant from the National Institutes of Health-National Institute on Aging, Aric F. Logsdon, Ph.D., will study how brain endothelial cells, or blood vessels within the brain, handle the stressors of neuroinflammation.
Historic collaboration brings shipping container-based health care clinic to Jeff Davis County
Texas A&M Health and TTUHSC joined with the student-led organization, Texas A&M BUILD—along with local leadership and other collaborators—to unveil a new, innovative medical care facility for a Trans-Pecos region rural community: a 40-foot, retro-fitted shipping container.
Improving Health Care Access, Education Through Research
The service area for TTUHSC, a recognized leader in academic health and biomedical research training, encompasses 121 Texas counties.