University of North Texas Health Science Center

University of North Texas
Health Science Center (UNTHSC)
Type Public
Established 1970
Endowment $110.7 million[1]
President Michael R. Williams, D.O., M.D., M.B.A. [2]
Academic staff
 416 faculty, 855 adjunct[3][4]
Administrative staff
 1,654[5]
Students 2,243[5][6]
Location Fort Worth, Texas, USA
32°44′55″N 97°22′10″W / 32.7486°N 97.3694°W / 32.7486; -97.3694Coordinates: 32°44′55″N 97°22′10″W / 32.7486°N 97.3694°W / 32.7486; -97.3694
Campus Urban, 33 acres
Website unthsc.edu

The University of North Texas Health Science Center, commonly known as the UNT Health Science Center and abbreviated UNTHSC, is a graduate-level institution of the University of North Texas System, located on a 33-acre campus in the Cultural District of Fort Worth, Texas.[7] UNT Health Sciences Center opened in 1970 and consists of 2,243 graduate students.

The UNT Health Science Center comprises the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM), the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Public Health, the School of Health Professions, the UNT System College of Pharmacy, plus other centers and institutes.

UNT Health at UNTHSC is the TCOM faculty practice program providing direct patient care. UNT Health handles over 600,000 patient visits annually. The group's 230 physicians practice in 40 medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties, including allergy/immunology, family practice, cardiology, neurology, obstetrics & gynecology, oncology, orthopedics, psychiatry, sports medicine and neurosurgery.[5][8]

Center for BioHealth at UNTHSC

Research centers and institutes at UNTSHC include the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CRI), the Center for Commercialization of Fluorescence Technologies (CCFT), the Focused on Resources for her Health Education and Research (FOR HER), the Institute for Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Research (IAADR), the Institute for Cancer Research (ICR), the Institute of Applied Genetics (IAG), the North Texas Eye Research Institute (NTERI), the Osteopathic Research Center (ORC), the Texas Prevention Institute (TPI), the Center For Community Health (CCH), the Primary Care Research Center (PCRC), and The Texas Center for Health Disparities (TCHD).[9]

The UNT Center for Human Identification, which is housed at UNTHSC, analyzes DNA samples from both unidentified remains as well as reference samples submitted by family members of missing persons to law enforcement agencies nationwide. It also conducts all DNA analysis for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Center is the only academic center in the U.S. with access to the FBI’s next-generation CODIS 6.0 DNA Software.[10][11] UNTHSC also manages the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) for the U.S. Department of Justice.[12][13][14]

UNTHSC serves as home to several National Institutes of Health-funded research programs and currently leads all Texas health science centers in research growth.[7] The Health Science Center also houses laboratories for TECH Fort Worth, a non-profit business incubator for biotechnology.[15]

Community and school outreach programs include Fort Worth’s annual Hispanic Wellness Fair and the annual Cowtown Marathon, which were founded by UNTHSC. The UNTHSC Pediatric Mobile Clinic provides high-quality healthcare to children in underserved areas of Fort Worth at no cost.[16] The Health Science Center participates in 10 state and federally funded programs that bring students and teachers onto campus each summer.[7]

Schools

Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

Founded in 1970, the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) is a state-supported osteopathic medical school that serves as the cornerstone of the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Originally established as a private, non-profit institution on the campus of Fort Worth Osteopathic Hospital, TCOM began receiving state funding in 1971 and officially became part of North Texas State University in 1975 when the Texas Legislature overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 216, which made TCOM a state medical school.[17][18] TCOM was the second university-affiliated osteopathic medical school to be established.[17] The college grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (D.O.).

TCOM currently has 685 D.O. students and over 300 full-time basic science and clinical faculty members. The full-time faculty is augmented by over 400 part-time faculty members.[19] TCOM is ranked as the number 48 medical school for primary care by U.S. News and World Report.[20] TCOM graduates the seventh most physicians in the United States that go on to practice primary care.[21] Approximately 55 percent of TCOM's graduates practice primary care medicine (family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology),[22] while the remainder are in specialties ranging from aerospace medicine to vascular medicine.[23]

Clinical rotation sites include John Peter Smith (JPS) Hospital in Fort Worth, Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, Plaza Medical Center in Fort Worth, Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Methodist Dallas Medical Center in Dallas, Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi, San Jacinto Methodist Hospital in Baytown, Conroe Regional Medical Center in Conroe, Bay Area Medical Center in Corpus Christi, and Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview.[24] Residency programs include dermatology, family practice, general surgery, internal medicine, neuromusculoskeletal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology. Fellowship programs include cardiology, gastroenterology, geriatrics-internal medicine, interventional cardiology, neuromusculoskeletal medicine, palliative medicine, and rheumatology.[25]

TCOM also offers dual degree programs (D.O./M.P.H., D.O./M.S., D.O./Ph.D.) with the School of Public Health and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences,[26][27] and an early admission program is available for qualified undergraduates from UNT and UT Dallas.[28]

As a state medical school, TCOM is required to enroll 90 percent Texas residents for each entering class. Applications for admission are processed through the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS).[29]

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences was established in 1993 when the Department of Biomedical Sciences at UNT was transferred to the Health Science Center.[30]

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical sciences as well as dual degrees (DO/MS and DO/PhD), with options to specialize in biochemistry and molecular biology, cancer biology, cardiovascular science, cell biology, integrative physiology, microbiology and immunology, neurobiology of aging, pharmacology and neuroscience, physical medicine, structural anatomy, visual sciences, and integrative biomedical science. Specialized master's programs are available in biotechnology, clinical research management, forensic genetics, lab animal science, and medical sciences.[31][32]

School of Public Health

The School of Public Health (SPH) was founded in 1999. Degree programs in SPH include Master of Health Administration (MHA), Master of Public Health (MPH), Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), and Ph.D. in public health sciences. Areas of concentration include biostatistics, community health, environmental & occupational health sciences, epidemiology, health management and policy, and maternal and child health.[33] Graduate certificate programs are available in Public Health and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).[34]

SPH also offers dual degree programs with TCOM, the UNT Anthropology Department and the University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing.[35]

School of Health Professions

The School of Health Professions at UNTHSC started with the Physician Assistant program in 1997, which became the first PA program in Texas granted authority to award the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree.[36] The MPAS program is currently ranked as the number 38 graduate-level physician assistant program by U.S. News and World Report.[37]

The School also offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.[36]

UNT System College of Pharmacy

In 2011 the Texas Legislature authorized the establishment of a college of pharmacy at UNTHSC.[38] The college matriculated its inaugural class of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students in 2013.[39][40][41]

New MD school

In 2015, UNTHSC and Texas Christian University, also in Fort Worth, announced the creation of a joint MD school, which will accept its first class of students in 2018.[42]

UNT Health

UNT Health is the physician entity of UNTHSC. It includes 170 physicians (99 DOs and 71 MDs) from nearly every medical specialty who practice in over 30 clinics across Tarrant County as well as area hospitals. UNT Health handles over half a million patient visits every year.[43] In June 2014 the UNT System Board of Regents and the Tarrant County Hospital District approved creation of a partnership where physicians from UNT Health and the JPS Health Network will be combined under a newly formed medical group.[44]

Library

The Gibson D. Lewis Health Science Library's collections, including more than 20,000 journal titles and 67,000 books, provide UNTHSC students and faculty with access to the latest basic science and clinical research. The Lewis Library provides access to virtually 100 percent of the world's current medical information, including a wide variety of research databases.[45]

Centers and institutes

UNT Center for Human Identification

The UNT Center for Human Identification is considered one of the country’s premier forensic DNA labs.[46][47] It consists of the Laboratory for Molecular Identification, the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, and the Forensic Services Unit.

Founded in 1986, The Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology provides anthropological analysis of human remains for law enforcement and medicolegal agencies as well as other publicly supported entities such as public defenders and district attorneys.

The Center for Human Identification was created in 2004, formally integrating the efforts of the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and the Laboratory for Molecular Identification. In addition to providing investigators with important information regarding cases, the anthropological data are used to refine molecular analyses within the CODIS system. This collaboration has created a unique resource for the identification of missing persons and unidentified remains, and is available to law enforcement agencies and medicolegal entities charged with the investigation of death across the nation. Additional support is also available to agencies through the Center's Forensic Services Unit.[48]

Notable alumni, faculty and staff

References

  1. ↑ As of June 30, 2011. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2011 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2010 to FY 2011" (PDF). National Association of College and University Business Officers. January 17, 2012. p. 22. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Michael Williams officially named President of UNT Health Science Center". July 12, 2013.
  3. ↑ "University of North Texas Health Science Center". US News & World Report. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Fact Sheets". UNTHSC. University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  5. 1 2 3 "A "by the numbers" snapshot of UNTHSC... (July 15, 2015)". July 15, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Record enrollment continues at UNTHSC". UNTHSC. University of Texas Health Science Center. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 "Our History". University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  8. ↑ "Fast Facts". UNTHSC. University of North Texas Physicians Group.
  9. ↑ "Research Centers and Institutes". UNTHSC. University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  10. ↑ "DNA Identification Facts". UNTHSC. University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  11. ↑ Texas researchers ID bones of boys killed at deadly reform school (Houston Chronicle, September 26, 2014)
  12. ↑ "UNT Health Science Center to manage NamUs". UNT Health Science Center.
  13. ↑ "About NamUs". National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
  14. ↑ Fort Worth-based NamUs matches names to the dead and missing (Dallas Morning News, 23 January 2015)
  15. ↑ TECH Fort Worth Acceleration Lab
  16. ↑ UNT Health Science Center Pediatric Mobile Clinic
  17. 1 2 Gevitz, Norman (2004). The DO's: osteopathic medicine in America. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-7833-0.
  18. ↑ Texas SB 216, 64th Regular Session
  19. ↑ "Fast Facts about TCOM". University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  20. ↑ "Best Medical Schools: Primary Care". U.S. News & World Report. 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  21. ↑ "Which schools turn out the most primary care residents?". US News & World Report. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  22. ↑ Student achievement, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
  23. ↑ About TCOM
  24. ↑ Office of Clinical Education at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
  25. ↑ "Our GME Programs". University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  26. ↑ "D.O./M.S., D.O./Ph.D. and Medical Scientist Training Programs". University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  27. ↑ "D.O./M.P.H. Training Program". University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  28. ↑ "Seven-Year BS/DO Program". University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  29. ↑ Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service
  30. ↑ "Our Mission". University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  31. ↑ "Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences". University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  32. ↑ "Master of Science Degree in Medical Sciences". University of North Texas Health Science Center.
  33. ↑ UNTHSC - School of Public Health
  34. ↑ School of Public Health offers graduate certificate programs
  35. ↑ School of Public Health - Academic Programs
  36. 1 2 School of Health Professions
  37. ↑ USNWR Physician Assistant, Ranked in 2011
  38. ↑ DFW's first pharmacy school to open in Fort Worth (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Aug. 18, 2011)
  39. ↑ UNT System College of Pharmacy
  40. ↑ UNT System Names Jacobson Founding Dean of College of Pharmacy
  41. ↑ White-coat ceremony marks beginning of the new UNT System College of Pharmacy in Fort Worth
  42. ↑ http://www.untsystem.edu/news/2015/July/15-07-06_TCU-and-UNT-Health-Science-Center-to-create-new-medical-school.htm
  43. ↑ UNT Health
  44. ↑ JPS, UNTHSC agree to create healthcare group
  45. ↑ Gibson D. Lewis Library
  46. ↑ The Lost and the Dead: How John Wayne Gacy Led a Family to its Missing Son (NBC News, July 18, 2014)
  47. ↑ More bodies found than expected at the Dozier School for Boys (Miami Herald, January 4, 2015)
  48. ↑ UNT Center for Human Identification
  49. ↑ Gov. Perry Names Zeitler President of Texas Medical Board
  50. ↑ Jim Walton Named President of Dallas County Medical Society

External links

Further reading

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