Jewel Ng: Finding Her Passion for Medicine and Providing Care for All



Jewel Ng has always had an interest in studying medicine. However, when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, Ng started to look at a career in medicine differently. “I think seeing how her oncologist handled things, and just like the general process of dealing with something as difficult as that,” Ng said. That’s why Ng has a goal of not only treating people, but for truly taking care of them. Today, she is pursuing medicine as a second-year student at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and served as a Robert A. Winn clinical investigator intern at UT Health San Antonio’s Institute for Health Promotion Research. “It's completely different to actually and be part of that experience of having to drive them to, like chemotherapy, having ...

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Diego Cano: From Uniform to White Coat, a Life Pledged to Serving Others



“You just keep pushing. You just keep pushing.” That’s something Diego Cano has told himself throughout his life. When he failed a health certification test on the first try. When he struggled to balance work, study, and military service. When he wasn’t sure what direction to pursue. Today, Cano has pushed through many hardships and is following his passion of helping others as a rising second-year medical student at the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso and as a Robert A. Winn clinical investigator intern at UT Health San Antonio’s Institute for Health Promotion Research. While he is accomplishing a lot of great things, rarely did it come easily. Cano’s Early Life and Finding a Passion Cano grew up in ...

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William Manriquez: Working Toward Caring for the Community’s Health



Community can play a large role shaping who a person can become. For William Manriquez, who was born and raised in the bustling and vibrant borough of Manhattan in New York, he was deeply inspired by his community. In Manhattan, there is far more than just the fast-paced hum of people from backgrounds from around the world. You’ll find people walking their dogs, bicycling through Central Park, shopping in the corner bodegas, and sharing conversations with neighbors. “I was fortunate enough to grow up in a neighborhood where there was a sense of community,” Manriquez said. Now, as a second-year medical student at the CUNY School of Medicine at The City College of New York, Manriquez hopes he can one day provide well-rounded health care and infection prevention and control ...

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How to See If Health Information on Social Media Is Credible


Scrolling social media

Whether you’re looking for a recipe, catching up with the latest trends, or staying up with the news, social media plays a large role in people’s daily lives. In fact, people spend an average of 2 hours and 21 minutes a day on social media. While many people rely heavily on social media to get information, facts, and news, the quality of information can also be questionable. With this in mind, the Public Health Communication Collaborative (PHCC) created a guide on Evaluating Credibility on Social Media. Let’s dive deeper into this tool and find out how it can help your community! Check Credibility of Health Information on Social Media with SIFT When considering health information on social media, PHCC encourages people to review the information using the acronym ...

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CDC Project Firstline Micro-Learn: Measles



Infection control training and action is crucial for healthcare workers. With this in mind, check out the Infection Control Micro-Learns from the Project Firstline program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Micro-learns are a series of guided infection control discussions that can be easily incorporated into team meetings or huddles led by an experienced team member with infection control expertise. Each micro-learn focuses on a single infection control topic and connects these concepts to immediate, practical value. Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases and can lead to severe illness and even death. Let’s explore the Infection Control Micro-Learns on Measles. check out the micro-learn! What Does Measles Look Like? Measles ...

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‘Eye on the Future’ Video Contest to Inspire Teens to Explore Science



The National Eye Institute (NEI) is framing the way for future success in a career in health and science for teens by holding its annual Eye on the Future campaign. Just like 2023 and 2024, the Eye on the Future campaign kicks off with a $2,000 teen video contest. “We created the [contest] because we want to hear from the next generation of scientists (that’s you!) about why science is so important,” according to the NEI website. “And we want to encourage high school students from all backgrounds to learn more about science.” The contest is open until April 20, 2025. How to Enter the Eye on the Future Teen Video Contest Interested students in grades 9-12 can enter NEI’s Eye on the Future contest by submitting a 30-second-to-3-minute video showcasing one of three ...

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Get Down to the Nuts and Bolts of Clinical and Population Research Studies


Busy latin female worker working on laptop thinking analyzing online data.

There is a lot that goes into starting a clinical or population research study.   In fact, many of these studies can take years to get off the ground. Not to mention recruiting, which is a task in and of itself.   Given the difficulties surrounding the rigorous process ahead of those embarking upon these studies, the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School is providing research study teams with a roadmap for research success.   The Nuts and Bolts of Executing a Clinical or Population Research Study is a virtual series that helps lay the groundwork and give researchers the tools to make a positive impact in healthcare.  Update: After a successful program, the virtual program is offering more opportunities to make an impact. Check out these upcoming ...

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3 Resources to Share During National Kidney Month


Kidney

1 in 7 American adults are impacted by kidney disease. The month of March is recognized as National Kidney Month and serves as a way to not only bring awareness to health issues like kidney disease and encouraging others to take charge of their health. “Kidney disease is known as a silent killer due to the fact that as many as 9 in 10 people living with the condition are unaware that they have it and do not have symptoms until the later stages,” according to the American Kidney Fund. Let’s dig deeper into this topic and how you can spread awareness during National Kidney Month! 1. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK) During National Kidney Month, the NIDDK has provided several resources, including a list of healthy lifestyle habits to ...

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Expanding the Oncology Workforce


advancing the science of cancer in latinos proceedings oncology workforce

This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings." Inclusion in Action: Breaking Open the Leaky Pipeline to Create Pathways & Design Spaces that Improve Representation Dr. Idalid “Ivy” Franco is works in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School. The effect of oppression on workforce incorporation Dr. Franco’s presentation began by looking at the context and long-standing hurdles to recruitment, retention, and professional success of a workforce that resembles the US population. This historical context started with American slavery, followed by years of segregation, laying a foundation of decades of judgement and mistreatment. This lies ...

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