CAST schools are committed to providing all students with real-world, hands-on experiences and an internship during their high school years. Dr. Ydania Pezzat, Partnership Coordinator for the high school, visited with the intern team to learn more about their experiences at the SAVE Clinic.
CAST Med Students Receive Real-World, Hands-On Experiences
Dr. Lyssa Ochoa, board-certified vascular surgeon and founder of the San Antonio Vascular and Endovascular Clinic, known as the SAVE Clinic, provided internships to 3 CAST Med Sophomores.
CAST Med student interns included Destiny Valadez, Rodrigo Lerma and Letza Martinez. Students were provided with the opportunity to interact with patients, experience the front desk, work along side medical assistants and watch procedures to gain a full, well-rounded experience of what it’s like to be in a vascular surgery clinic.
“I didn’t think that as a freshman I could intern with like an actual real clinic but here I am.” – Destiny Valadez, CAST Med Student
“This internship is a very amazing opportunity mainly because we actually get to see it and to see the impact that she (Dr. Ochoa) is making on people.” – Letza Martinez, CAST Med Student
“I try to make sure that they get the experience of what it’s like to be a part of the entire organization, whether it’s front desk, M.A.’s (medical assistant’s work), shadowing our ultrasound techs, shadowing me and my clinic and watching procedures. I want to make sure they get a full well-rounded experience of what it’s like to be in a vascular surgery clinic.” – Dr. Lyssa Ochoa
See video to see what they learned, why they chose CAST Med and advice for incoming students.
About the SAVE Clinic and Dr. Lyssa Ochoa
Dr. Lyssa Ochoa is a board-certified vascular surgeon and founder of the San Antonio Vascular and Endovascular Clinic (The SAVE Clinic) in South San Antonio. The mission of The SAVE Clinic is to reduce the number of diabetes-related amputations in San Antonio. Dr. Ochoa was born and raised along the Texas-Mexico border and attended medical school, general surgery residency, and vascular surgery residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Dr. Ochoa is a board member of the CAST Network and CAST Med High School Advisory Board.
About CAST Med
Students enrolled in CAST Med will follow one of three pathways:
- Biomedical Research
- Medical Professionals
- Public Health Professionals
CAST Med was created to add to the pipeline of much-needed doctors and researchers in the San Antonio area. CAST Med builds on San Antonio’s unique strengths and current educational gaps with an emphasis on medicine and biomedical research. UT Health, with its research expertise and growing focus on population health and health disparities, is a key partner helping design a path for students wishing to improve the health of our community. CAST Med will incorporate a three-way educational partnership between UT Health, the University of Texas at San Antonio and San Antonio ISD.
