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Nancy Aldape Garcia Received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy |
"One of my favorite things about the BMED program was how friendly and accessible the professors were. They continuously checked on the students and encouraged them to further their education. The program coordinators provided guidance, support, and networking opportunities for students. They definitely went out of their way to help their students succeed. The courses I took through the BMED program helped me tremendously as I transitioned to graduate school. The BMED coursework included biochemistry, genetics, neuroscience, immunology, cell and molecular biology, which were all topics covered during my first year of pharmacy school. The BMED courses served as an introduction and overall helped me develop a strong foundation. Additionally, the BMED program instilled in me an interest in research and public health. These are areas that I hope to further explore as I move forward in my career." |
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Aaron Carrillo Currently pursuing a Medical degree at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine |
"The aspect of the BMED program I liked the most was its structure. All courses are designed to be fast paced and exciting. Each module is interesting and filled with important skills we will use in our career. There is a major focus on Team-Based Learning and the application of knowledge to real world scenarios, which fully engages students. Additionally, the rigor of the program contributes to learning material long after you have taken a course. This comes in handy while studying for the Medical College Admission Test or other entrance exams. These attributes line up with the goal of the Department of Biomedical Sciences to prepare students for the next step in their academic/professional career. "I owe much of my student and personal development to the BMED program and its faculty. Firstly, I have had the honor of mentoring under multiple BMED faculty and taking classes with some of the smartest individuals I have met. Course sizes are relatively small and filled with driven students, career-oriented students. Academic research is incorporated into the curriculum, an experience that improves critical thinking and presentation skills. |
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Additionally, the Department of Biomedical Sciences sponsors free professional diagnostic exams and practice exam packages, a resource critical in succeeding on standardized entrance exams. The BMED program gave me these tools I needed to succeed in my undergraduate career and get accepted into medical school. I appreciate all that the BMED department has done to help students like me reach their career goals." |
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Natalia Davila Currently pursuing a Medical degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine |
"I started college as a Biology major because of my true passion for the sciences. However, with the large classes it was hard for me to incorporate myself into UTRGV and find mentors or friendships. As a first-generation college student and first in the family to pursue a career in STEM and as a doctor, I entered college with countless doubts and uncertainties of the steps I should take towards my goal. When I decided to switch to BMED, because of the attractive curriculum, my whole experience of college changed. The BMED program has allowed for my academic success by providing me with opportunities such as research, professional development events, accessible professors, mentorship, shadowing/volunteering which have all allowed me to achieve my goal of pursuing a career as a medical doctor. Yet, my favorite part has been becoming part of the BMED family. As a BMED student the faculty have made me feel genuinely cared for and have believed in my success since day one, even at times where I struggled to believe in it myself. Many faculties served as role models for me and played an essential role in my undergraduate success, such as; Dr. Upal Roy who believed in my potential to be a student researcher and provided me with countless project to develop my research skills, |
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Dr. Sue Anne Chew who has always pushed me since the first BFRI class to the many professional opportunities outside of UTRGV and become a competitive applicant, Dr. Hugo Rodriguez who provided me every opportunity needed for medical school, clarified any doubt I had and was of support when I doubted myself, Dr. Maria Castaneda who has always motivated me, supported, cared for me and became an inspiration as a Latina Medical Doctor, and many more faculty. Further, through BMED I also gained an incomparable student support system. Through my first introductory classes I met one of my best friends that have stuck with me and supported me throughout my career. Being part of the BMED scholars also allowed me to form close relationships with my peers in which we have all helped build each other up. I owe my undergraduate success to the BMED faculty and my peers who have been a support system and been a motivation to me. They are the ones who have given me the tools and confidence to pursue the career of my dreams." |
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Miriam de Leon Received a Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley |
"What I loved most about the BMED program is the confidence, excitement, and passion one can appreciate both visually and emotionally from all of the faculty members. It is amazing how they devote the same love and support to each individual student no matter the career path each chooses. I have yet to hear about any other program that has the same goals and structure as BMED since I graduated in 2016. BMED created the foundation for my Masters education. It seemed confusing and overwhelming at first, but little did I know their educational approach and learning techniques would pay off significantly. I felt confident and ready to tackle the fast-paced and rigorous training of PA school. BMED's emphasis on professional development and the skills acquired during my time in the program is what has shaped me to be the individual I am today." |
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May-Hui Ding Currently pursuing a Medical degree at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine |
"Due to the small size of the BMED program, I was able to gain a personable experience that was both an invaluable launching pad to achieving my academic and career goals as well as a memorable college experience. I am thankful that BMED provided me activities including clinical shadowing, volunteering, and lab research, which not only helped me in exploring what I wanted to do in the future but also were activities that made me a desirable candidate in gaining admission to graduate and professional schools. In addition, the small, close-knit atmosphere of BMED gave me plenty of opportunity to get to know both my classmates and faculty alike on a deep level, making BMED feel like a family." |
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Hector Filizola Currently pursuing a Medical degree at UT Southwestern Medical School |
"I view the Biomedical Sciences (BMED) program at UTRGV as a family that supported me and provided me with the tools, I needed to achieve my professional goals. I am a rising 4th-year medical student that is succeeding at UT Southwestern medical center, and I would not have been here without the support of BMED. The education was incredibly relevant to preparing me to succeed in medical school. The faculty works closely with students to works with their needs and interests to put them in the best position to succeed moving forward. Surrounding myself and working alongside a group of motivated individuals with similar interests and ambitions helped me through adversity and made my time here enjoyable. Looking back, I would not have had it any other way." |
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Dr. Rolando Hernandez Trapero Received a PhD. in Biomedical Informatics from the University of Utah |
"I liked that the program gave me a solid foundation for further studies and exposure to both research and health professions. Both of these things helped me narrow down my interests and choose the current career path I am on. Also, the BMED faculty taught me in an engaging way and helped us understand challenging concepts. Lastly, BMED professors and staff were eager to help any students who sought more experience and helped us think about our future careers. Exposure to the research setting and profession through BMED helped me realize the real-world application of what I was taught in the classroom. It also showed me what kind of research I was best suited for and what I was most interested in." |
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Emily Jordan Currently a UTRGV BS in Biomedical Science (BMED) student |
"Something that I really appreciated about the BMED program is honestly the smaller cohort size. Also, the specialization of the program means that you’re surrounded by peers who share your goals and work ethic. Since BMED has more stringent acceptance parameters we have smaller classes. This means that I really got the chance to get to know my professors and peers. When I came to UTRGV I knew that the BMED program would be the best choice to help me achieve my future goals. As someone who would colloquially be considered a “premed” BMED offered not only courses that are helping me prepare for medical school but also associated extracurriculars and programs to help with the process of getting into medical school. The courses present and test content in valuable ways like case studies or team problem solving exercises. There are practice graduate exams built in to help gauge and prepare me for my MCAT. Associated clubs like Tutor for All (T4A), Live to Serve (L2S), and Biomedical Student Association (BSA) also helped me acquire the service recommendations and soft skills required for graduate school." |
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David Moreno Currently a UTRGV BS in Biomedical Science (BMED) student |
"I have really liked how personal the BMED program has been. I have gotten to know my professors at a much more personal level than I would have ever thought possible before I was a BMED student. In comparison to my time as a Biology major, I went from becoming just another student in a class to being known as me by my professor and peers. This allowed me to develop meaningful relationships with my professors and friends that helped me get into the internships I have and develop into the person I am today. The BMED program has, and will continue to help me as I move toward my career goal by not only helping me be a competitive applicant, but explore different avenues of possibilities I had not considered previously. For instance, the program greatly encourages students to partake in research, something I did not really consider before, and clinical experiences, and by doing so we enhance our CV’s and gain experience that can maybe show us what career we want to pursue!" |
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Samaris Ortega Currently pursuing a Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies degree at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley |
"One of the main things that I like about the BMED program is how students are treated as individuals rather than just a number. Other majors know the number of students they have, but do not often know them on a personal level. In BMED, the faculty and staff are interested in knowing who you are; they want to know your name, your academic goals, and your career goals. It is clear that they really care about their students and want them to succeed. The BMED program has helped me get into a Physician Assistant program because of all the support, resources, and opportunities that they offer. I was able to get shadowing opportunities, standardized exam practice, and great letters of recommendation from faculty and staff that knew me personally. Additionally, I was able to learn a lot about the human body in the BMED program, so I will enter PA school confident that I have a strong foundation in human health." |
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Roman Sanchez Martinez Currently pursuing a MS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology degree at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley |
"Aside for the challenging and fruitful environment, the BMED program gave me confidence in pursuing the career of my dreams. The faculty and staff made sure you felt comfortable and were there every step of the way in all aspects of the program. Throughout my entire BMED journey I was never left alone and that is something I appreciate till this day. The small classes allowed us to have better interactive lectures which made it easier for learning and exploring new topics in medicine. Overall, I am extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to be part of such a remarkable program that has helped me become the student, professional, and person I am today! Currently I am pursuing a Masters in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UTRGV with the hopes of later applying for an MD/PhD program to become the physician-researcher I’ve always dreamt of becoming. The BMED program has provided me with extensive knowledge that I apply in my current field and knowing that what I learned in textbooks and materials seen in BMED courses has continue to help me in my graduate school is valuable. Through experiential learning opportunities within the BMED program I learned a lot of skills that are so useful and that have gotten me one step closer to my future career. Learning how to study was always very hard for me but the professor made sure to guide you on how to apply what you learned in class to exams or other important tasks, and that is something that helped me build confidence in my studies."
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Dr. Ramiro Tovar Received a Medical degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine |
"My name is Ramiro Tovar III, I graduated as part of the first BMED cohort and eventually became part of the first class of the UTRGV School of Medicine from which I graduated in 2020 with my medical degree. I am currently a resident doctor at the DHR family medicine program. Classes were organized based on the UTSAHSC medical school model which made the transition to medical school much more tolerable. Expectations placed upon us were high. It was not enough to merely scrape by, but we were pushed to reach the limits of our own potential which is crucial for anyone who seeks to thrive in a competitive environment like the medical field. Something I truly enjoyed and valued about the BMED program was how focused on applicable medical aspects our classes were. We had experience in basic sciences but were cognizant of how useful it was to us in our future careers for real life applications. The professors were experts in their fields and made sure we learned the basic material we had to cover but went even further to make sure we developed crucial critical thinking and reasoning skills." |
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Daniela Vidal Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis degree at Washington University in St. Louis |
"What I liked the most about the BMED Program was the support and close relationships I developed with my professors and peers. Joining a small and unique program such as BMED where your professors become your mentors is an extremely helpful experience as an undergraduate student. Additionally, in the BMED program there are a wide range of opportunities that are available to students inside and outside the classroom. Whether you are looking to get exposure to basic science research projects, shadowing opportunities in the medical field, or participate in community service activities, as long as you ask advice from your professors, they will help you get whatever experience you are trying to obtain. Lastly, the BMED curriculum is designed to give the student exposure to diverse fields in science and medicine, which to me helped me get a clearer picture about what it is that I would like to pursue after graduating. I say that I would not be where I am today without the support and guidance I received from my mentors while I was a BMED student." |
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Paola Vidal Currently pursuing a Master ‘sin Public Health degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center Brownsville |
"The sense of community was one of the things that I liked the most about the BMED program. I was able to find very good mentors and counselors that helped and guided me through my undergraduate career. This program provided me with the information and tools that I will be using in my future career, but most importantly, it facilitated opportunities such as research experience, internships, volunteer opportunities and professional exam practices that would have been difficult to find by myself." |
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B2BMED C2 Trainee: Celeste Martinez Research Project: Sex Differences in Plasma Levels of Endocannabinoids and Related Lipids Before and After mTBI Testimony “This summer I had the opportunity to do research at Indiana University under the guidance of Dr. Heather Bradshaw and laboratory members. My project focused on examining potential lipid biomarkers present in the blood of rats with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) using lipidomic mass spectrometry to determine if there is an overlap with the lipids regulated in the CNS. Each day brought forth new challenges, which greatly helped me expand my analytical and problem-solving skills. Additionally, I enjoyed asking questions about the research to my mentor or lab members because it often sparked engaging discussions that provided more valuable insight about my project. Networking and meeting new people with similar goals and passions inspired me, helped create a sense of community, and presented the chance to make new friends. I am very thankful for this summer internship since it deepened my passion for research and provided the opportunity to develop new laboratory techniques and a new research perspective.” |
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B2BMED C1 Trainee: Natasha Garcia-Rodriguez Research Project: The Combination of Temozolomide and Minocycline for the Treatment of Glioblastoma “This past summer I was able to intern in Dr. Chew lab. I have learned so much this summer and I am so thankful to Marco Arriaga and Dr. Chew for allowing me to learn so much from them. I was able to contribute to a manuscript specifically working on the introduction about alginate scaffold for the delivery of drugs in the treatment of glioblastoma. I was able to contribute to a few projects, specifically a combination study which used a chemotherapy drug, temozolomide, and an antibiotic, minocycline to treat glioblastoma. In addition, I was also able to learn more about the conjugation of micro particles with antibodies to better treat gliomas. I am truly grateful for all I have learned, so many valuable skills that will benefit me in my future endeavors as a scientist and researcher.” |
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B2BMED C1 Trainee: Karina Cantu |
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B2BMED C1 Trainee: Megan Zamora |
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B2BMED C1 Trainee: Viviana Villalobos |
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B2BMED C1 Trainee: Daniela Aileen |
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B2BMED C1 Trainee: Elias Martinez |
B2BMED Cohort 1 scholar Karina Cantu
• For receiving a $5000 research stipend to conduct research in the data science field with Purdue University through the all-new National Data Mine Network program funded by the National Science Foundation.
B2BMED Cohort 1 scholar Natasha Garcia-Rodriguez
• Who received 2022 Marion B. Sewer Distinguished Scholarship for Undergraduates ($2,000) from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB).
• For her Presentation Award ($350) for her poster presentation titled "Effects of Salvia Hispanica on Bone Metabolic Pathways in Mouse Osteoblastic Cells – a miRNA Analysis" at the 2021 Great Minds in STEM (GMiS) annual conference. -October 25, 2021
2023 Engaged Scholar Symposium (ES2) Awards
Distinguished Scholars Award
Category: Life & Health Science Oral Presentations
Student: Megan Zamora
Title: Acute Salivary Hormonal Responses to Resistance Training Exercises with and Without Blood Flow Restriction
Distinguished Sustainability Scholar
Category: Health Sciences
Student: Rama Shaath
Title: Influence of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy on Corticospinal Tract and White Matter Integrity in Subjects with Chronic Stroke Rising
Rising Scholars Award
Category: Life & Health Science Poster Presentations
Student: Rama Shaath
Title: Influence of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy on Corticospinal Tract and White Matter Integrity in Subjects with Chronic Stroke
Congratulations to B2BMED Cohort 1 scholar Viviana Villalobos on placing 1st at the UT MD Anderson Summer Undergraduate Research Program Poster Competition for her presentation titled "Substance P Receptor Antagonism Enhances Chemotherapeutic Responses in Triple Negative Breast Cancer".
Congratulations to B2BMED Cohort 3 scholar, Manuel Duarte, on placing 2nd in the Undergraduate Poster Presentation Competition for his presentation titled "An Evaluation of the Combination of Metformin and Y15 for the Treatment of Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer" at the UTRGV College of Health Professions Health Forward Conference.
Congratulations to B2BMED scholars:
- Natasha Garcia-Rodriguez (Cohort 1)
- Viviana Villalobos (Cohort 1)
On receiving the SACNAS travel award to the 2022 NDiSTEM Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico!
Congratulations to B2BMED scholars:
- Natasha Garcia-Rodriguez
- Viviana Villalobos
- Megan Zamora
- Larissa Barroso (Cohort 2)
- Angelica Reyes (Cohort 2)
- Stella Rios (Cohort 2)
- Rama Shaath (Cohort 2)
On receiving the Engaged Scholar Award for their continued research!
Congratulations to Biomedical Student, Melanie Mendoza!
Ms. Mendoza completed GET PHIT’s online Summer 2022 Bootcamp and was awarded a “Certificate of Excellence” for her final project work by the UT Health Houston GET PHIT faculty.
Ms. Mendoza’s project was in collaboration with Ms. Andrea Salcedo, a student from the University of Texas El Paso. Using a Texas Department of State Health Services data set, Melanie and Andrea explored whether uninsured hospitalized Hispanic female patients with a primary diagnosis of diabetes experienced a longer hospital length of stay relative to their insured counterparts. The project was ranked first based on the outstanding quality of the presenters’ knowledge, research question, methods and approach, results and discussion, and presentation.
The 8-week GET PHIT Online Bootcamp consists of:
- 4 weeks of lectures and assessment/activity materials on public health informatics, data standards and analytics, epidemiology, public health surveillance, bias and equity in data use, among other topics
- 4 weeks of working on a group research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor
We are very proud of Melanie’s achievement, and we feel certain you are as well.
Congratulations to BMED student Karina Cantu
Congratulations to BMED student Karina Cantu for receiving a $5000 research stipend to conduct research in the data science field with Purdue University through the all-new National Data Mine Network program funded by the National Science Foundation.Congratulations to BMED student Viviana Villalobos
PUZZLE SOLVED UTRGV BMED student’s journey traverses winding path from soccer to medical school
“The reason I got into medicine was because I feel that it is a profession I can wake up to every day and know that I'm going to effect change, every single day.”
-Eloy Lozoya,
UTRGV Class of 2022
Eloy Lozoya, from Brownsville, will graduate on Friday with a bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences. He is part of the Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP), a partnership between nine UT System medical schools to provide a seamless transition from undergraduate to medical school. He will be attending the UT Health McGovern School of Medicine in Houston this fall.
May 11, 2022 - By Victoria Brito Morales - BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – Sometimes, the pieces just fall into place.
For Brownsville native Eloy Lozoya, simple curiosity led him to a place he never imagined. Now, the 22-year-old is about to graduate from UTRGV with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences.
Commencement is Friday and he already has big plans for the fall. Lozoya is part of the Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP), a partnership between the nine UT System medical schools to provide a seamless transition from undergraduate to medical school. He will be attending the UT Health McGovern School of Medicine in Houston this fall. Read the full article here.
