Professors who make you look forward to practicing medicine

There is a lot to learn and medical school professors are an important part of the equation in the learning process. A good professor presents the material clearly ... but a great one inspires you with their passion for their work. Today we had Dr. Sargent talk about pediatric mental health. I'll say right off, that while this field is interesting, it isn't my passion currently; but that's not important. What's important is that this professor like several other key professors here at BCM have more than semantic information to provide. Specifically Dr. Sargent has a vision for dramatically improving life for many children in our community, which, of course, means that he has a vision for a better future for our community. Here are some specific things that he mentioned:

* Multiystemic therapy uses dollars that are already being spent to keep juveniles in detention and incarceration to provide treatment for kids with various mental. Here is one of several links that can be readily found on this topic: http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/model/programs/MST.html

Key reference: Family preservation using multisystemic therapy: An effective alternative to incarcerating serious juvenile offenders.

Henggeler, Scott W.; Melton, Gary B.; Smith, Linda A.

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1992 Dec Vol 60(6) 953-961

* Systems of Hope. This is the organization that Dr. Sargent is involved with. Here is
http://www.systemsofhope.org/

Here is a little bit about the organization that Dr. Sargent is involved with:

Systems of Hope meet the needs of Harris County children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families by creating a collaborative network of community-based services and supports using the systems of care framework. A plan of care is created for each family focusing on their strengths. Systems of Care is more than a program — it is a philosophy of how care should be delivered. It is an approach to services that recognizes the importance of family, school and community, and seeks to promote the full potential of every child and youth by addressing their physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural and social needs.