Mackenzie Cole

Staff Reports

Ochoa elected to chair position

Dr. Pamella Ochoa, associate dean of experiential education at The University of Texas at Tyler Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy, has been elected the Experiential Education Section chair for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

Experiential education is the part of the curriculum that occurs outside of the classroom, where students apply what they’ve learned and work alongside a practicing pharmacist in a clinical setting.

Ochoa received a majority vote from the 4,921 members of the AACP, which include deans, associate deans, professors and preceptors from pharmacy schools across the nation.

“We are all very proud of her,” said Dr. Amy Schwartz, dean of Fisch College of Pharmacy. “The honor is well deserved and demonstrates confidence in her leadership from peers from across the country.”

As chair, Ochoa will work with the other AACP chairs as well as 10 experiential education committees, comprising over 1,347 members. She will assume her position as chair in July 2024.

“I am grateful for the outpouring of support from AACP members throughout the U.S. and the Fisch College of Pharmacy,” Ochoa said. “Taking on this role holds great significance for me, and the excitement from my colleagues makes it all the more meaningful.”

This position will give her the opportunity to represent the Fisch College of Pharmacy and learn the best practices for experiential education from colleges of pharmacy throughout the nation, she added.

Ochoa received a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry with a double-major in genetics from Texas A&M University. She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, followed by a pharmacy residency at the UT Tyler Health Science Center.

In addition to her other roles, she serves as the chair of the AACP Experiential Education Section Resolutions Committee and a facilitator for the AACP Leadership Development SIG Leadership Circles Program.

New faces join UT Health East Texas

UT Health East Texas is expanding orthopedic services in Tyler with the addition of Mackenzie Cole, PA-C. Cole is a certified physician assistant at UT Health East Texas Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute in Tyler. She sees patients of all ages with acute and chronic conditions.

“My approach to medical care is patient-centered and collaborative,” she said. “I like to be able to take the time to get to know my patients and strive to always be an easily accessible and reliable medical resource for them.”

Cole said she has always had a passion for helping others.

“A close family member of mine was very sick for a big part of my childhood and through this experience, I saw the ins and outs of the healthcare field,” she said. “My love for healthcare, coupled with my passion for helping others, made becoming a medical provider the perfect fit.”

Being an athlete all her life and even played Division I volleyball in college, Cole said that being around orthopedics and sports medicine through sports made that an easy transition when choosing her medical specialty.

Cole is welcoming patients at 700 Olympic Plaza, Ste. 600 in Tyler. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 903-596-3844.

UT Health East Texas is also expanding gastroenterology services in Tyler with the addition of Dawn O’Neal, PA-C.

She works in partnership with patients to diagnose and treat their illness while getting to know their unique circumstances. This will allow her to provide compassionate care and to respect her patient’s individual needs.

O’Neal uses her medical knowledge of being in gastroenterology for more than 20 years and her personal experiences to help educate patients on their conditions and procedures, both basic and advanced. She works closely with UT Health’s gastroenterologists to provide continuity of care and continuously grow her knowledge base.

She is welcoming patients at 700 Olympic Plaza Circle, Ste. 410, in Tyler. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 903-531-8950.