Cardinal Care

In this period of adjustment and uncertainty, the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs wants to assure you that we are here to assist and support you. We have provided a comprehensive list of resources and information for you below:

The Office of Admissions and Student Affairs

What's New?

New information and updates will be added weekly. The updates will also be disbursed into the categories below every week. If you have any information or ideas you would like to see on this page, please send them to Student Affairs at SOMOSA@uiwtx.edu.

New Updates

Available Services and Resources

In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

COVID-19 Symptom Tracker from Apple

UIW Health Services

UIW Health Services is now seeing students and employees via Zoom Telemedicine. The patient must physically be in Texas during the scheduled telemedicine visit. To schedule an appointment, call (210) 829-6017 or (210) 829-3175.

Local Options Recommended by UIW

  • CHRISTUS Promptu Immediate Care (Urgent Care)
    11823 Culebra Rd, Ste. 105, San Antonio, TX 78253 christushealth.org
  • CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital - Alamo Heights
    403 Treeline Dr., San Antonio, TX 78209 christushealth.org
  • CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital - Medical Center
    2827 Babcock Rd., San Antonio, TX 78229 christushealth.org
  • Wellfleet Nurseline
    1-800-634-7629 (24/7 access to a Registered Nurse)
  • MD Live
    1-877-953-4955 (Telehealth available 24/7)

All Other Insurances:

Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Tricare, Humana, UHS, etc. are subject to the copay/deductible agreed upon in their insurance plan. Self-pay options are available.

Counseling Services

If you need counseling services, please call Health Services at (210) 832-5656 to set up an appointment. At this time, counseling services is providing the option for both phone and Zoom tele-therapy.

UIW Financial Aid

Along with our partners at iGrad/Enrich the Office of Financial Assistance has put together a collection of comprehensive resources with information and tips to help our UIW community stay financially well during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit iGrad’s COVID-19 Resource Hub.

If you need Financial Assistance contact Celia Velez at cavelez1@uiwtx.edu.

All Town Hall recordings and notes are now located on eMedley.

Academic Success

Career Counseling for the Quarantined

  • If you would like to schedule a tele-meeting with Career Counselor, Martin Timoney, click here to make an appointment.
  • Career Counseling for the Quarantined is a video resource for UIWSOM learners that will provide information on subjects such as writing personal statements, developing a CV, and researching residency programs. New videos will be added on a weekly basis.

The Big Interview Medical

  • All OMS III's were given access to Big Interview Medical, to learn and practice your interview skills whether applying for a residency or a fellowship.
  • For more information on how to gain access, contact Martin Timoney at timoney@uiwtx.edu

As a result of the City of San Antonio’s Mayoral Declaration on March 23, 2020 regarding the “Stay Home, Work Safe Order”, we will be closing the Cardinals’ Cupboard Food Pantry effective immediately. However, there are still some resources that are available during this time:

SA Food Bank

  • Address: 5200 Enrique M Barrera Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78227
  • Phone: (210) 337-3663
  • COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Hotline (210) 431-8326

Salvation Army

Vincent De Paul Society of San Antonio

Catholic Charities of San Antonio

Northeast Independent School District

Apply for Food Stamps and/or Cash Assistance

Internet Connectivity Tips

(Gathered from The Word Today)

Many of us are stressing our home networks like never before. If you find yourself having connectivity challenges, consider some of the following tips:

  • If connected via WiFi, carefully review the placement of your wireless router and laptop
    • The farther away you are the more chance for signal disruption and interference
    • Ensure your wireless router is in the open and not in a cabinet to allow for best signal propagation
  • If possible, select the 5Ghz WiFi network instead of the 2.4Ghz WiFi network
    • 5Ghz is more capable and has less interference. Nearly all modern routers provide this capability.
    • Please refer to the manual or service provider information for details on specifics.
  • If enabled, consider shutting off extra WiFi networks such as “guest” or “open”.
    • Sometimes these networks are added or turned on by default.
  • Depending on the age of your wireless router, consider upgrading your hardware.
    • You should look for “802.11ac” capable wireless routers. This is the latest signaling technology.
    • New routers are more powerful, have better range, and offer other benefits.
  • If the placement of your router and computer allows, consider a wired connection.
    • Wired connections are not susceptible to signal loss or interference resulting in the best connection.
  • Check for competing internet consumption.
    • Streaming video services such as Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and others can consume large amounts of bandwidth.
    • Online gaming and gaming consoles should be considered. They may be consuming bandwidth if on but not used.
  • Consider ad-blocker extensions for your internet browser.
    • Web-based Ads, pop up videos, and other nuisances can unnecessarily consume bandwidth.
    • Each browser can add these extensions at no cost.

Contact the UIW help desk at (210) 829-2721 for assistance if needed.

Fitness

General

Yoga

Dance

Outdoors

Gyms

Mental Health

UIWSOM Guidance on Learners Volunteering During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  1. UIWSOM students may individually or collectively identify volunteer opportunities with service organizations.
  2. Learners are advised to limit in person volunteering to activities that do not involve direct clinical services or patient care to reduce their risk of exposure to COVID-19 and the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
  3. Activities that can support the healthcare system that do not involve direct clinical service may include:
    • Working at a call center
    • Engaging in supply collection telephone campaigns
    • Working remotely on a research or scholarly activity projects.
  4. Learners are also reminded that service activities are external to their curricular requirements and should not distract from their primary medical school activities and responsibilities.
  5. Any activities must be consistent with recommendations by the CDC, UIW policies, as well as local, state, and federal laws.
  6. Any learners participating in any SOM based/sponsored activities that might lead to their exposure to COVID-19 should be wearing, and only wearing N-95 masks. Surgical masks are not protective in these environments.
  7. Learners are asked to notify Student Affairs ( SOMOSA@uiwtx.edu) of service involvement to track participation of the UIWSOM community.

TOUCH Eligible Opportunities During COVID-19

If you are interested in contributing to the community through community service, there are several virtual opportunities to volunteer. Please keep in mind that current policies prohibit in-person activities, including volunteering.

Points of Light

  • They offer creative, impactful and inspiring ways for people to engage in their communities and take action to help solve problems. Click here to read about some of their virtual volunteer opportunities.

7 Cups

  • Emotional support listening service made up of compassionate, caring individuals. Requires some training provided by 7 Cups.

Be My Eyes

  • Free app that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers and company representatives for visual assistance through a live video call. *Requires use of app on a supported device.

Tutor Doctor

  • Provide tutoring to elementary, middle school, high school, homeschool, university, adults and special/exceptional needs learners. Requires an application and background check due to working with minors. Many youth programs and educational resources will require a background check. Please consider these options and allow time for the background check to clear.

Volunteer Match

  • Although many of their opportunities are local and in-person, they also have remote opportunities available.

Hang Tough Foundation

  • Hang Tough Foundation is an organization that serves a population of immunocompromised kiddos, and they're moving all their tutoring services online. They need digital tutors! They serve a couple hundred families, so if you are feeling restless then consider this an awesome 1 hour distraction where you can help kids learn and give back to the community. If you do sign up please consider 'volunteering' as any money this organization saves right now is going towards getting these families cleaning supplies and at home resources for their kids.

Other Opportunities and Resources

  • Resource guide for the homeless
  • Students Assist America
  • San Antonio Food Bank
  • Write an article for BCMS San Antonio Medicine (contact Dr. Ratner, ratner@uiwtx.edu, for more information)
    • C-19 experience in Bexar County
    • Track national/international articles about experiences of physicians treating C-19
    • Interview San Antonio patient who survived C-19 on ventilator for 9 days (with Patient Institute)
    • Other topic of interest to physicians and medical students in Bexar County
    • Patient Institute Projects (contact Dr. Ratner for more information)
    • Conditions and Diseases of Healthcare Systems exacerbated by C-19
    • Jacob’s story (Leukoencephalopathy/C-19)

Safe Socializing

Use Zoom as a social platform to connect with classmates

Watch Netflix with friends!

  • Netflix Party synchronizes video playback and adds group chat to your favorite Netflix shows.

Discord

Podcasts

Entertainment

Scribd

  • Offering ebooks, audiobooks, magazine articles and more for free for 30 days

Showtime

  • Offering a free 30-day trial to new customers

STAY AT HOME FEST

  • Calendar with live music and other artist events

Metropolitan Opera- Nightly Opera Streams

  • Nightly streams of opera and other cultural events

Watch Archbishop Gustavo fly over San Antonio for Mission Hope (UIWSOM is shown at 11 minutes!)

Spiritual Wellness Resources

Virtual Spiritual Programming

Catholic
Jewish
Muslim
Christian

Weekly Reflection from Fr. Tom

If you or any of your friends or loved ones are experiencing unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic:

  • If you are unemployed or have reduced hours, call (210) 224-HELP (4357).
  • The 10-day waiting period for unemployment benefits has been waived.
  • You do not need to be actively seeking employment to receive benefits.
  • Self-employed people do not qualify for unemployment. Other options are being researched.
  • Go to the Texas Workforce Commission website and create an individual account to apply for unemployment benefits.

Parent Support Group

Join the Facebook group: UIWSOM Parent Support to connect with other UIWSOM parents!

COVID-19 Information for Kids

Learning and Development

Free Kids Entertainment

Tips from our faculty for those learners that are having to homeschool their children due to shelter in place (list compiled by SGA Vice President, Andrew Tobias):
  • Set a schedule to include a 1-hour block of time to review the lessons with the child (If time permits and assignments are up, try to take a look at the days’ assignment before your 1 hour session so you can focus on assignments that will need the most attention).
  • Reserve about 30 minutes for lunch (sometime between 11 a.m.-1 p.m.) depending on meetings and a couple of 15 minute check-in breaks throughout the day.
  • Try to set clear guidelines for finishing and submitting assignments (incentives help).
  • Discuss with the child when it’s appropriate to ask for help (ie. not during a meeting/exam, etc.).
  • Set realistic expectations for yourself and your child/ren:
    • For example, I cannot take on the role of full-time teacher and still do my full-time job (or my studies, if I were a student), so there has to be compromise. For my second grader, I am happy if he does a few of the recommended academic activities each day (an hour of reading, 20 minutes of writing a journal entry, and few math worksheets). The rest of the day can be playing, building with legos, taking a short bike ride, and some educational games on the iPad.
  • Set aside short periods of time during the day (even 10-15 minute blocks) when you put aside work and be truly present for your child/ren. Otherwise they will bother you for attention, you won’t get work/studying done, and everyone will become frustrated. Also, feed your kids lunch (and snacks) at the times they are used to eating, and before they get hungry and cranky.
  • If there is flexibility in the work that needs to be done, set everyone up to succeed: study or do work that requires solid concentration during nap time, after the kids go to bed, etc. If the work or class must be done at a certain time, that’s when a movie or favorite TV show can be useful. I finally gave in and let my kids get Disney+ which I’ve been offering strategically…
  • I agree with incentives: so far, it’s worked well for me to tell my kids “if you take a nap/read for 45 min/etc, then when I finish with my meeting we will go outside and play in the driveway/do something fun together that is a surprise/etc”
  • The biggest goals are:
    • keep kids fed and rested on a close-to-normal schedule
    • schedule dedicated time to give them undivided attention
    • they work when you work (and if they get something/anything accomplished for school, it’s a win)
    • maximize your work/study when kids are sleeping or having screen time
    • all exercise together
    • Oh, and read them Robbins at bedtime (has great pictures, fun for all ages, etc)