President’s Perspective

This cover of TMC Pulse features a 1912 classroom session on the campus of The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The story and timeline highlight UTMB’s rich history of medical education and their role as the first state medical school in Texas. Since 1892, they have graduated more than 14,000 physicians. Many of their graduates work within the Texas Medical Center today.

We often speak to the value of patient care and clinical research, but are always equally mindful of our outstanding academic institutions. For a campus of this size, we are fortunate to have, in total, three medical schools, nine academic and research institutions, six nursing programs, three universities, two pharmacy schools and a dental school.

All of our academic institutions are exceptional in their own right. And together they have truly set the bar for medical education. They help draw in the talent and future leaders of medicine, and it is exciting to imagine what today’s medical students will go on to achieve in the future.
Beyond the medical schools, our partner universities are encouraging students to explore business and innovation as possible paths for influencing the future of patient care.

One of the most exciting developments to come out of the new Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute really speaks to the value of education and providing support for a new generation of health care innovators and problem-solvers. The TMC|X Accelerator program pairs experienced mentors with young startup companies to offer the guidance and resources needed to carry ideas through to market and ultimately improve the future of patient care.

The University of St. Thomas, our newest member institution, is undertaking another exciting development. They have partnered with the Houston Methodist Research Institute to offer a master’s program in clinical translation management, to help turn basic discoveries into drugs, medical devices or processes that will benefit patients. This program gives students the tools to think critically about the process by which an idea becomes a commercial product and empowers them to be active participants in managing that process.

Education is central to the work being done every day across the Texas Medical Center, and will serve as the cornerstone of our future.