Meeting the Healthcare Needs of Texas

Transcript

Okay, now let’s meet student doctor, Kensley at our next stop. The brand new state-of-the-art, College of Osteopathic Medicine, only the third in the state of Texas. Kensley is a small town guy doing big things here at Sam Houston. Today, he’s gonna talk about how his passion for helping others brought him to Sam Houston, as well as this amazing new medical program and the healthcare opportunities it will provide for all Texans. Kensley, please take it away.

– Hey everyone. And thanks Alex. Welcome to the new Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine down in Conroe, Texas. My name is Kensley Grant, I’m a second year osteopathic medical student here at SHSU. And I’m proud to be part of our first year of student doctors. Over the past year, our faculty and staff and students have worked hard to create a learning environment that is truly diverse and collaborative. We’ve been able to join national organizations like the Student Osteopathic Medical Association, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. Our faculty have led us down a path to really look at medical policy. And they push us every day to advocate for changes. We’ve done this by speaking to our state representatives about creating initiatives and fostering changes in policies that we can control. We’ve worked together to create outreach partnerships, student organizations, interest groups, and we’ve developed a free clinic for the underserved at the Salvation Army. Like many others, I knew that I wanted to be a physician from a young age. I grew up in an extremely small town out in rural west Texas with a population of about 1000. I’ve seen firsthand members of my community miss their medications or miss doctor’s appointments because of lack of healthcare options. The nearest clinic is a 60 mile round trip drive. These types of access to healthcare limitations create incredible difficulties for people living in rural America. Sam Houston State’s mission, is to increase access to healthcare in Texas by promoting primary care, and teaching students not only how to treat patients, but also how to care for their communities. Our program is designed to immerse student doctors in hands-on practices. And our state-of-the-art facilities really make that possible. We have a mock hospital wing with an operating room and a full doctor’s office suite. Each of which allows faculty oversight and observation through specialized rooms. At SHSU, we believe that the measure of life is its service. And we try to put that saying into practice here every day. As a small town guy from rural West Texas, I know that this COM is gonna make a difference in the lives of Texans for years to come. We wanna thank you guys for stopping by, we appreciate you, back to you, Alex.

– Kensley, you’ve been busy. Thank you, your fellow students and faculty for your impressive work to provide greater access and quality healthcare for all. And for sharing your story and the amazing facility at the college of osteopathic medicine. We are all wishing you the very best in your future endeavors. Take care.