UT Tyler Launches Pathways Explorer to Cultivate Interest in Health Care Professions

May 1, 2024 | Elizabeth Wingfield

The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine launched the Pathways Explorer mobile unit to develop interest in the medical professions within the East Texas community.

The mobile unit, which was retrofitted from a school bus, targets kindergarten to college undergraduate students. The unit can be reserved by schools, home school co-ops and community organizations.

“Our mission is to ignite curiosity and passion for the medical field within our community, starting from the earliest educational stages,” said Dr. Brigham C. Willis, School of Medicine founding dean. “This initiative will help us train the next generation of health care professionals and contribute to the health and well-being of our community.”

The Pathways Explorer is outfitted with a touchscreen TV, six iPad stations and a space to conduct medical simulations.

“We can use the mobile unit to offer a variety of activities—everything from show and tell for kindergarteners to basic medical simulations for high school students,” said Dr. Gisele Abron, School of Medicine associate dean of admissions. “Through collaborating with the Simulation in Medicine and Immersive Learning Experience Center, these simulations will feature a robotic mannequin that can experience human conditions such as a heart attack, stroke or seizure and emits realistic sounds like a heartbeat or breathing. We can even create customized packages upon request.”

The objective is to pave a pathway to medicine—and that begins with making students aware of the exciting possibilities within the field, she added.

To reserve the Pathways Explorer, email Chase Ragland, james.ragland@uttyler.edu.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.