2022 Fall STAR Educator Recipient: Jessica F. Sandoval, MD
Jessica F. Sandoval, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry, Associate Program Director for Diversity & Inclusion in the Psychiatry Residency Program
Nomination Submission:
Dr. Jessica Sandoval developed and implemented a new Social Determinants of Health curriculum for medical students rotating on the psychiatry clerkship. The curriculum consists of an online learning module that followed a patient’s experience with the mental healthcare system over time highlighting local data related to social determinants of health and ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic health care disparities. The curriculum also includes a facilitated a group discussion introducing students to the Cultural Formulation Interview using case examples. She is actively involved in medical student mentorship including through her role as a Veritas faculty mentor. She consistently supports medical students interested in applying to psychiatry, particularly those with a special interest in child and adolescent psychiatry. She has presented to the Psychiatry Student Interest Group and various other medical student groups on topics of Cultural Psychiatry. Dr. Sandoval also serves as Associate Program Director for Diversity & Inclusion in the Psychiatry Residency Program. She is the co-director of the psychiatry residency Mental Health Policy and Advocacy in Action selective didactic series which is a workshop-based course that explores the role of public policy on clinical practice and patients’ health, identifies ways to get involved as physician advocates, and develops skills to effectively advocate for issues related to psychiatry.
Dr. Sandoval lead our departmental efforts in standing up a brand new Psychiatry Resident Elective titled: Mental Health & Advocacy in Action: A Workshop Didactic Elective for Psychiatry Residents. While health advocacy is essential to the professional identity of Psychiatrists, unfortunately, formal education in health policy and advocacy is not typical of post-graduate Psychiatry education. This new offering trained 12 Residents in fundamentals of health policy and production of advocacy product (e.g. op-ed writing). This course was recognized for innovation by the The University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine Academy of Health Science Education conferring the Dr. Judith Drew Innovations in Health Science Education Award (2nd Runner Up) AND the poster of the year award from the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training.