News – Master of Science in Anesthesia Program

MSA Halloween Party 2024

Rishi — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 02:05:59 +0000

On Tuesday, October 22nd, the UTHealth Houston MSA program hosted its first Halloween party! Students and staff gathered to enjoy various Halloween activities, including games, karaoke, photo booths, pizza, and sweet treats. The event offered students a chance to bond and show off their creative costumes, and some staff members also joined in the fun by dressing up.

The Halloween party took around four weeks to plan. Throughout the process, plenty of spooky decorations were ordered, and contributions from the MSA staff helped provide food and desserts for everyone. Once the decorations arrived, planning ramped up as Peighton and Stephanie decorated and prepared the room, hauled in a 70kg mannequin as a prop, and prepared syringes filled with flavored water labeled as propofol, rocuronium, fentanyl, and lidocaine — a major hit at the event! Students also enjoyed games with prizes, a photo booth with fun props, and a karaoke station where they sang their favorite songs for hours.

With so many students in costumes, a Halloween costume contest was a must. Nathan Mathiyakom took first place, Mandy Cao won second, and Rachael Lilly came in third, each receiving a prize.

This Halloween celebration highlighted the value of bringing students together for some well-deserved fun. It allowed them to relax, express themselves, and make stronger connections. The day was filled with laughter, dancing, and singing, and we’re already looking forward to more MSA events!

– Peighton

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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Rishi — Sat, 12 Oct 2024 00:14:48 +0000

Today marked a significant milestone as we celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new Master of Science in Anesthesia program. This event represents the culmination of years of hard work and dedication from faculty, administrators, and the healthcare community, united in the mission to train the next generation of anesthesia professionals.

The program, housed at UTHealth Houston, will provide future certified anesthesiologist assistants with cutting-edge training in a state-of-the-art facility, ensuring they are well-equipped to meet the complex demands of modern perioperative care. We’re excited to welcome our inaugural cohort and begin this new chapter in advancing anesthesia education.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible!

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White Coat Ceremony 2024

Rishi — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 23:02:29 +0000

Today, we proudly celebrated the inaugural White Coat Ceremony for our first cohort of Master of Science in Anesthesia students. This ceremony marks the beginning of their journey into the field of anesthesia care, symbolizing their commitment to patient safety, professionalism, and excellence. It truly is a rite of passage!

The white coat represents trust, responsibility, and a dedication to lifelong learning. As these students don their coats, they take on the critical role of becoming certified anesthesiologist assistants, ready to face the challenges ahead with compassion and skill.

We congratulate our students on reaching this milestone and look forward to their future contributions to anesthesia care. Here are some pictures from the event!

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Simulation Training For Instructors

Rishi — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 00:00:49 +0000

Over two days, the simulation team (Jeron Estwick CAA, Epstein Jacob CAA, Michael LaForce CAA, Hantz Leger CAA, and Program Director Charlie Phung) engaged in an intensive learning process to familiarize themselves with the technology at their disposal. They began by working closely with the HPS system expert from Elevate Health, John Hardcastle. John provided in-depth training on how to utilize and implement the mannequin program effectively. With his help, the team was able to familiarize themselves with the anatomy and physiology of the mannequin. This session was crucial for understanding the nuances of the technology and its practical applications.

Following this, Director of Simulation, Dr. Naveen Vanga took the stage to delve into the intricacies of simulation concepts. This part of the training focused on the theoretical underpinnings and practical aspects of simulations, ensuring the team understood how to create, manage, and interpret various simulation scenarios.

Finally, the Simulation Specialist, Stephanie Giang gave a comprehensive overview of the facility’s operations. This segment was dedicated to explaining the day-to-day functions and workflows within the place, providing the team with the operational knowledge needed to navigate and utilize the environment efficiently.

Together, these sessions equipped the team with a robust understanding of both the technology and the operational landscape, setting them up for success in their endeavors.

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Bootcamp Has Started!

Rishi — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 22:48:51 +0000

We want to warmly welcome our inaugural UTHealth MSA class, whose official first day of class was August 26th. Our MSA students are off to a running start with classes taught by UTHealth faculty and a state-of-the-art simulation lab. We are grateful to have a superb group of instructors teaching and leading by example for our MSA students. Their “bootcamp” will be a month-long dive into the practice of anesthesia, preparing them to begin their clinical learning.

We look forward to seeing our students in the ORs soon and are excited to watch them progress through the UTHealth MSA Program.

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Moving Into Our Program Space!

Rishi — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 21:41:30 +0000

Last month was a busy month for our UT MSA Program. Aside from classes starting for our students, we also moved into our program space! This move was no small undertaking and required considerable effort from all our team members. After countless hours moving boxes, assembling chairs and desks, organizing supplies, breaking down boxes, and a few fights with an uncooperative cabinet (Charlie), we got the program space in working order with no injuries and minimal tears. Thank you to everyone who helped with this move!

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Welcome To Our Simulation Specialist!

ttran60 — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 13:16:43 +0000

We would like to warmly welcome Stephanie Giang to the MSA team. We are excited about this new title created for the MSA Program. Stephanie Giang joined us in this position on July 8th. Stephanie’s past experience includes working as an Anesthesia Technician at UTMB for several years, and she has also worked as an EPIC Support Specialist.

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Welcome To Our Didactic Director!

ttran60 — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 14:21:44 +0000

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Shane Cunha to the MSA team. Dr. Cunha earned his doctorate from Northwestern and has been a lecturer and course director at the McGovern Medical School for over ten years. His impressive expertise spans cardiac physiology, pharmacology, ethics, and endocrinology. Additionally, he has experience teaching cell physiology, the skeletal system, and the muscular system to undergraduate nursing students.

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Welcome to Our Assistant Program Directors!

ttran60 — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 19:31:29 +0000

The Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine would like to announce the appointments of Chaveli Licata CAA and Emily Mathuria CAA as Assistant Program Directors for the UTHealth Master of Science in Anesthesia Program. Preparations are underway to welcome the inaugural class in August of 2024.

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Welcome To Our Program Coordinator!

ttran60 — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 16:15:36 +0000

The UTHealth Master of Science in Anesthesia Program would like to enthusiastically welcome Valerie Aragon as the Program Coordinator. Valerie is a highly motivated administrative professional with over 15 years of experience in client service, office operations, and leadership.

Valerie has served in administrative roles since 2006. Her pathway in education began at the Houston Independent School District where she served as a program coordinator for elementary and junior high school children for several years.

Valerie joined the UTHealth family in 2017 serving as Administrative Support for the Auxiliary Department. In 2023, Valerie then transitioned to the UTHealth Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine where she served as an administrative assistant for faculty, CAAs, and CRNAs.

The MSA Team is excited to welcome such a talented individual to the team and look forward to serving the community with her.

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