One Semester Practicum

Development and Evaluation of Digital Health Tools for Patient Priorities Care (CLOSED)

Project Sponsor(s): Aanand Naik, MD, Professor of Medicine and Public Health, UTHealth Houston

Project Title: Development and Evaluation of Digital Health Tools for Patient Priorities Care

Institution and Location: UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging

Project Description: Patient Priorities Care (PPC) is a novel approach to caring for older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Heralded in 2018 as a “revolutionary change in health care delivery” by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2018), Patient Priorities Care has become a standard of age-friendly care over the last severalyears in geriatric care settings. Our current research spans multiple projects that are developing and evaluating digital health tools to help patients identify, understand, and communicate their health priorities to healthcare providers. We are seeking two undergraduate researchers through Rice University's Health, Humanism and Society Scholars (HHASS) Program to assist with studies where we aim to improve the usability and cultural relevance of 3 digital health tools we have developed.

Expected Tasks:

Recruit participants for clinical research studies
Communicate with primary care stakeholders and research participants
Coordinate research encounters and data collection interviews
Perform qualitative coding and analysis of research transcripts
Participate in weekly team meetings with project investigators
Conduct literature reviews and manuscript preparation
Contribute to the development and refinement of digital health tools

Project timeframe (1 or 2 semesters ): 1 semester.

A list of specific skills or training the student(s) should have before beginning the project. Students with the following interests/experience might consider this project:

Computer science (especially those interested in human-computer interaction,
AI applications in healthcare, or user experience design)
Cyberpsychology (focusing on how digital technologies impact human behavior and decision-making)
Psychology or social science majors (sociology)
Communication (health communication)
Philosophy (applied)

American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Students in this practicum will spend about 4-5 hours per week shadowing practitioners and students at the American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (https://acaomhealthcare.com/). You will observe patients being treated and be paired with a mentor who can explain the treatments and answer questions you have about holistic medicine. Students must formulate their own research question to pursue, under the guidance of Dr. Bailar, and will read relevant literature and possibly interview experts to complete a project. Students will be required to complete some HIPAA online training (approximately 6 hours) before the semester begins.

Día de la Mujer Latina

Día de la Mujer Latina
Students in this practicum will conduct research into healthcare disparities in Houston’s Latina population and work with the organization’s director and other staff members to develop strategies to improve access to healthcare, disseminate information about screenings and vaccinations, dispel misinformation, and inform healthcare professionals about the specific needs and concerns of this population. Much of the work will be focused on Community Healthcare Workers (front line public health worker who has in-depth understanding of the community being served), and there may be options for students to receive state certification as a CHW. Please note that this option requires set hours on-site determined by the director and a high level of Spanish communication skills.

Radiation Effects and Events

Selected students will work with Dr. Armin Weinberg (https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/armin-weinberg), faculty at Semey Medical University in Kazakhstan, librarians at the Texas Medical Center Library’s archives, and other individuals who have studied the health, social, political, and personal effects of radiation exposure from nuclear bombs (including their extensive testing in Kazakhstan), nuclear accidents, and nuclear waste. Depending on the status with Russia and Ukraine, students may talk with researchers there as well to learn about different approaches to medical treatment and obstacles to effective care. Students will assist with research into international medical partnerships; conduct interviews for the archive on radiation effects and events; work with authors on editing essays for journal publications; and/or other research-related tasks. Students will have the opportunity to talk and work with a range of experts from the U.S., Kazakhstan, Japan, and elsewhere. Students must have prior research experience in any discipline, strong organizational and time-management skills, and professional communication proficiency. This practicum may be taken for one or two semesters.

The Handbook of Texas Medicine

Students in this practicum will research, write, and publish at least one entry for an online encyclopedia, The Handbook of Texas Medicine. Students may select a topic that has been identified as a priority for the handbook or may suggest a new one. Topics include the histories of hospitals and clinics (including those with non-Western approaches), health organizations, medical journals, remedies, and individual healthcare professionals. Of particular interest are histories of organizations providing healthcare to vulnerable populations. Students work closely with Dr. Bailar and the Handbook of Texas’ Managing Editor. Students may also meet with the head of the Texas Medical Center Library’s archives to learn archival research skills and explore relevant collections. Students will meet as needed with other community members who can contribute insights to their topics. Students must have strong writing and time management skills. This is designed as a one-semester practicum, but students may take it a second semester to complete another entry.

Institute for Spirituality and Health

This research practicum focuses on how religion and spirituality connect to medical education. Students will survey published literature on religion and spirituality in medical education, refine and collect survey data, and interview educators and administrators in US medical schools. Your work will help identify what spirituality and health learning content US medical schools are currently teaching and what relevant topics might be missing in medical education.

Staff from the Institute for Spirituality and Health will meet with you regularly online to guide and assist you in your research process. At the end of the semester, you will be invited to a luncheon at the Institute, where you will share your discoveries and recommendations with the Institute's leaders and faculty.

Your findings will support the Rabbi Samuel E. Karff Center for Healthcare Professionals, which is developing a flexible curriculum in spirituality and health that medical students will be able to access for training in cultural humility and competence, the impacts of faith on human health, skills for providing spiritual support to patients, maintaining self-care, and navigating medical ethics in today's changing healthcare environment.

"Speaking with One Voice” An organization’s contribution to eliminating health disparities

By addressing health disparities through collaboration across various sectors, including community advocates, researchers, and policymakers, the Intercultural Cancer Council played a crucial role in shaping positive change. Students would capture oral histories from those who were involved and assist in expanding archived material at the Texas Medical Center Library. The project would deepen their understanding of the intersection between healthcare policy, social justice, and community advocacy.

Students would review the historical context of the Council and the roles of individuals within it, prepare informed interview questions, and create a structured interview guide that gives an overview of the role each individual played, their experiences with specific initiatives, challenges faced, and key moments they remember. Students will also ready the oral histories for inclusion in digital archives.

American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Students in this practicum will spend about 4-5 hours per week shadowing practitioners and students at the American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (https://acaomhealthcare.com/). You will observe patients being treated and be paired with a mentor who can explain the treatments and answer questions you have about holistic medicine. Students must formulate their own research question to pursue, under the guidance of Dr. Bailar, and will read relevant literature and possibly interview experts to complete a project. Students will be required to complete some HIPAA online training (approximately 6 hours) before the semester begins.

To apply, please submit a paragraph indicating your interest in learning about acupuncture, a broad research topic you would like to pursue, and blocks of time you would be available between 9am and 3pm Monday through Thursday. No prior familiarity with acupuncture is necessary, and you will refine your research topic over the first few weeks of the semester.

Día de la Mujer Latina

Día de la Mujer Latina
Students in this practicum will conduct research into healthcare disparities in Houston’s Latina population and work with the organization’s director and other staff members to develop strategies to improve access to healthcare, disseminate information about screenings and vaccinations, dispel misinformation, and inform healthcare professionals about the specific needs and concerns of this population. Much of the work will be focused on Community Healthcare Workers (front line public health worker who has in-depth understanding of the community being served), and there may be options for students to receive state certification as a CHW. Please note that this option requires set hours on-site determined by the director and a high level of Spanish communication skills.

To apply, please submit a paragraph indicating your interest in the practicum, your availability M-F between 9 and 5pm, and your level of Spanish proficiency. The organization’s director and staff will select students after reviewing their credentials and an informal online interview.

Radiation Effects and Events

Selected students will work with Dr. Armin Weinberg (https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/armin-weinberg), faculty at Semey Medical University in Kazakhstan, librarians at the Texas Medical Center Library’s archives, and other individuals who have studied the health, social, political, and personal effects of radiation exposure from nuclear bombs (including their extensive testing in Kazakhstan), nuclear accidents, and nuclear waste. Depending on the status with Russia and Ukraine, students may talk with researchers there as well to learn about different approaches to medical treatment and obstacles to effective care. Students will assist with research into international medical partnerships; conduct interviews for the archive on radiation effects and events; work with authors on editing essays for journal publications; and/or other research-related tasks. Students will have the opportunity to talk and work with a range of experts from the U.S., Kazakhstan, Japan, and elsewhere. Students must have prior research experience in any discipline, strong organizational and time-management skills, and professional communication proficiency. This practicum may be taken for one or two semesters.

To apply, please submit a statement of prior research experience in any area, a paragraph indicating your interest in radiation effects and/or public health, and a resume.

The Handbook of Texas Medicine

Students in this practicum will research, write, and publish at least one entry for an online encyclopedia, The Handbook of Texas Medicine. Students may select a topic that has been identified as a priority for the handbook or may suggest a new one. Topics include the histories of hospitals and clinics (including those with non-Western approaches), health organizations, medical journals, remedies, and individual healthcare professionals. Of particular interest are histories of organizations providing healthcare to vulnerable populations. Students work closely with Dr. Bailar and the Handbook of Texas’ Managing Editor. Students may also meet with the head of the Texas Medical Center Library’s archives to learn archival research skills and explore relevant collections. Students will meet as needed with other community members who can contribute insights to their topics. Students must have strong writing and time management skills. This is designed as a one-semester practicum, but students may take it a second semester to complete another entry.

To apply, please submit a paragraph indicating your interest in medical history and writing, and a second one indicating a rough idea of what aspect of Texas medicine you would be interested in researching (in the past, students have expressed interest in “biographies of Black nurses,” “reproductive legislation,” “heart transplants,” etc.).

Houston Methodist Living Donation Digital Storytelling Project

The Living Donation Story telling Project, an online digital library, includes over 200 culturally diverse stories from people sharing their living kidney donation and living donor transplant experiences. Students may conduct ethical reviews to ensure collected stories follow guidelines to project patients' confidentiality, edit collected stories for online storytelling libraries and YouTube uploads, create promotional blogs and videos, assist in the management of our digital storytelling websites and social media accounts, develop strategies to grow and improve recruitment of storytellers, help build patient educational opportunities, assist with publishing the lessons learned about digital story telling for health education and promotion.

To apply, please submit a resume and 1-2 paragraphs of interest in this project highlighting experience or interest in digital marketing, running social media campaigns, website management, video editing and/or applying health promotion strategies to raise awareness. Students will need to pass badging requirements for Houston Methodist Hospital.

Institute for Spirituality and Health

This research practicum focuses on how religion and spirituality connect to medical education. Students will survey published literature on religion and spirituality in medical education, refine and collect survey data, and interview educators and administrators in US medical schools. Your work will help identify what spirituality and health learning content US medical schools are currently teaching and what relevant topics might be missing in medical education.

Staff from the Institute for Spirituality and Health will meet with you regularly online to guide and assist you in your research process. At the end of the semester, you will be invited to a luncheon at the Institute, where you will share your discoveries and recommendations with the Institute's leaders and faculty.

Your findings will support the Rabbi Samuel E. Karff Center for Healthcare Professionals, which is developing a flexible curriculum in spirituality and health that medical students will be able to access for training in cultural humility and competence, the impacts of faith on human health, skills for providing spiritual support to patients, maintaining self-care, and navigating medical ethics in today's changing healthcare environment.

Organ Chips & the Politics of Biomedical Innovation

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine

Novel biomedical technologies have transformed how we understand the human condition, health, and disease. In the decades since the invention of recombinant DNA technology in the mid 1970s, the early development of tissue engineering in the 1980s, and the mapping of the human genome in the 1990s—just to name a few—investment in biotechnology and biocapital has boomed, and these advancements have profoundly shaped what we imagine biomedicine can and should achieve. This project examines a set of novel technologies called organ chips, and the sociopolitical context that shapes their emergence. Drawing on interviews with organ chip researchers and funders, ethnographic observations of laboratories, scientific conferences, and educational settings, and document analysis of scientific publications and policy and regulatory documents, this project documents how organ chips, as technological artifacts, emerge as productive and valuable tools, and trace how they are imagined and brought into fruition by a diverse set of actors across government, industry, and academic sectors. Our analysis examines the social shaping of these technologies, including how they conceptualize categories of human difference and the downstream consequences of this. Students interested in science and technology studies, emerging technologies, and social and ethical implications of technology may be particularly interested in this project.

Qualifications

Detail-oriented, self-motivated, efficient, and strong organizational skills. - Demonstrate a high degree of flexibility in accepting work assignments with the ability to effectively prioritize tasks, understand processes, and resolve issues. - Interest in social medicine, health equity, and reproductive justice, and health policy - Some background in sociology, anthropology, or other social sciences strongly preferred, as well as qualitative research experience and/or coursework.

Responsibilities

Help with data collection and management. - Assist with participant recruitment. - Assist with cleaning transcripts and qualitative coding of data. - Conduct literature searches and summarize information. - Build reports based on findings for research team and collaborators. - Assist with preparation of papers and presentations for dissemination of findings. - Attend project team meetings.

To apply, please submit: 1. A one - two page cover letter that includes a statement of your interest in medical humanities generally, your interest in this project specifically, any previous research experience, and any other experience or coursework that prepares you for this project; 2. Resume or CV; 3. Unofficial transcript.

Entanglements of Endometriosis

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine

This research study is a sociological analysis of endometriosis, a disease of the female reproductive system in which endometrial-like tissue grows outside the uterus on fallopian tubes, ovaries, and other local regions, leading to immense pain, cysts, and potentially infertility. Students interested in the social determinants of health, social medicine, health disparities, women’s health research, and reproductive justice may be interested in this project. This study asks two questions: 1) How do people living with endometriosis navigate living with this condition? 2) How do biomedical researchers and clinicians create knowledge about endometriosis? The National Institutes of Health estimates that one in ten females has endometriosis, and that 30-50% of people with endometriosis are infertile. Diagnosis of this condition typically takes years; many learn of this diagnosis while trying to achieve pregnancy or upon a ruptured cyst. In the US, endometriosis diagnoses in Black and Latine populations is even longer delayed, reflective of longstanding health inequities and racism in medicine particularly around reproductive health. Despite an increase in awareness about endometriosis over the past decade, little is known about its causes or effective ways to diagnose and treat it. Drawing on in-depth interviews with people living with endometriosis, clinicians, and biomedical researchers, this project weaves together an analysis of the production of biomedical knowledge ("expert knowledge") about endometriosis alongside the experiences of people living with this illness ("lay knowledge").

Qualifications

Detail-oriented, self-motivated, efficient, and strong organizational skills. - Demonstrate a high degree of flexibility in accepting work assignments with the ability to effectively prioritize tasks, understand processes, and resolve issues. - Interest in social medicine, health equity, and reproductive justice, and health policy - Some background in sociology, anthropology, or other social sciences strongly preferred, as well as qualitative research experience and/or coursework.

Responsibilities

Help with data collection and management. - Assist with participant recruitment. - Assist with cleaning transcripts and qualitative coding of data. - Conduct literature searches and summarize information. - Build reports based on findings for research team and collaborators. - Assist with preparation of papers and presentations for dissemination of findings. - Attend project team meetings.

To apply, please submit: 1. A one - two page cover letter that includes a statement of your interest in medical humanities generally, your interest in this project specifically, any previous research experience, and any other experience or coursework that prepares you for this project; 2. Resume or CV; 3. Unofficial transcript.

One Semester Practicum

MDHM 430 HEALTH, HUMANISM AND SOCIETY SCHOLARS MEDICAL HUMANITIES PRACTICUM (ONE SEMESTER)

How to enroll in the practicum

“Fall 2025 projects forthcoming”

MDHM 430 Practicum Options, Spring 2025