Attention, news editors:
On Saturday, Nov. 10, school buses and parent cars will descend on UT Health San Antonio’s campus for Science Expo 2018, the largest annual health and science careers pipeline program in Bexar County. The highly popular event is already at full capacity, with 1,500 high school and college students scheduled to attend, but news coverage opportunities abound.
“Significantly, Science Expo involves all five schools of UT Health San Antonio, bringing our area’s young people in contact with the many different careers available to them in medicine, nursing, dentistry, biomedical science, and health professions such as respiratory therapy or emergency health sciences,” said Irene Chapa, Ph.D., director of recruitment and science outreach at the university.
Dozens of UT Health San Antonio faculty volunteer for the event out of love of education and desire to see young people reach their potential in becoming health care providers and scientists. Science Expo features hands-on activities such as practicing the art of suturing. For the young people who attend, everything about the event engenders an excitement about what their future careers might be.
This year, in a sign of the times, the event will include an interactive educational program titled “Don’t Sugarcoat Diabetes.”
“Diabetes prevalence is increasing, and many public health initiatives are aimed at stemming the tide,” Dr. Chapa said. “This special session will introduce diabetes by using various anatomical models, interactive simulations and informative presentations.”
By emphasizing preventive lifestyles that include increased activity, healthy diet and weight reduction, the presentation will teach students how to reduce their risk for diabetes, Dr. Chapa said. These same young people will find themselves, as they advance into health science careers, in a strategic position to be change agents for healthy lifestyles in society.
Students will complete an evaluation survey about their knowledge and confidence about diabetes before and after the presentation, Dr. Chapa said.
WHAT: Science Expo 2018 (the event is at capacity; this is a coverage opportunity only)
WHEN: Media interviews are available between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10.
WHERE: UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229
IF YOU COVER THIS: Please contact Will Sansom, mobile phone 210-464-2992, when you are leaving your newsroom to drive to UT Health San Antonio.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, now called UT Health San Antonio®, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities. With missions of teaching, research, healing and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced 35,850 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.