James Garcia

Guided by personal experiences and reflection, I found my calling in medicine—ultimately gravitating toward ophthalmology after witnessing the profound impact a caring specialist had on a loved one’s life With a strong sense of responsibility to better the lives of others, I am deeply committed to advancing health literacy, embracing challenging tasks, learning from and collaborating with my peers and mentors, and developing a solid foundation for patient-centered care, ensuring I serve communities with empathy, intentionality, and integrity.

The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine - MD, Class of 2026                                                             Aug 2022 - Present

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA)                                                                         San Antonio, TX

Texas A&M University                                                                                                                                                Jan 2019 — Dec. 2020

Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry                                                                                                                          College Station, TX

McLennan Community College                                                                                                                                  Aug 2017 — Dec 2018

Independent Research in Epidemiology                                                                                                                                     Waco, TX

University of Texas at Arlington                                                                                                                               Aug 2014 — May 2016

Focus on Mathematics and Engineering                                                                                                                              Arlington, TX

Lions Clubs International  - Branch Club                                                                                                                                          Pending

American Academy of Ophthalmology Minority Mentorship Program                                                                        Feb 2023 - Present

Alexander P. Sudarshan, M.D. | Comprehensive

LSOM Ophthalmology Mentorship Program                                                                                                       Nov 2023 – Nov 2024

Saxon Hancock, M.D. | PGY4

LSOM Ophthalmology Mentorship Program                                                                                                       Nov 2022 – Nov 2023

Ludmila Chandler, M.D. | PGY-1

American Medical Association Interim Conference MS Travel Assistance Scholarship                                                          Nov 2023

The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine | UTHSCSA

American Academy of Ophthalmology National Conference MS Travel Assistance Scholarship                                             Oct 2023

The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine | UTHSCSA

Latino Medical Student Association National Conference MS Travel Assistance Scholarship                                                   Aug 2023

The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine | UTHSCSA

American Medical Association Annual Conference MS Travel Assistance Scholarship                                                             Jul 2023

The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine | UTHSCSA

MS2 Representative for The Class of 2027 White Coat Ceremony                                                                                           Jul 2023

The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine | UTHSCSA

Alumni Merit Scholarshi                                                                                                                                                         Apr 2023

The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine | UTHSCSA

Distinguished University Scholars Award - Full Tuition Scholarship                                                                                        Apr 2022

The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine | UTHSCSA

Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society                                                                                                                                             Oct 2018

McLennan Community College

Innovative Award                                                                                                                                                                             Mar 2016

Beta Theta Pi | The University of Texas at Arlington

Recognition of Excellence as a Peer Academic Leader                                                                                                            Sep 2015

Department of Mathematics | The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington Undergraduate Research-Based Achievement                                                                                                        Aug 2015

Emerging Scholars Program | The University of Texas at Arlington

Philanthropy Award                                                                                                                                                                Mar 2015

Beta Theta Pi | The University of Texas at Arlington

Committed Committee Award                                                                                                                                                 Mar 2015

Beta Theta Pi | The University of Texas at Arlington

Outstanding Freshman Merit-Based Scholarship                                                                                                                   Aug 2014

The University of Texas at Arlington

Kiwanis Club Scholarship                                                                                                                                                               Aug 2014

City of Hewitt Local Kiwanis Club

Department of Public Safety Scholarship                                                                                                                               Aug 2014

Texas Department of Public Safety

Expanding Sustainable Community Engagement - Project Blink                                                                                               Apr 2024

Community Service Learning | Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics | UTHSCSA

Vibrant Works: Providing Resources to Blind and Visually Impaired Community Members                                                       Apr 2024

Community Service Learning | Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics | UTHSCSA

Promoting Healthy Eating and Activity through Recreation and Teaching                                                                                  Sep 2023

Community Service Learning | Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics | UTHSCSA

Project Blink – Eye and Visual Health IIMS Community Engagement Small Project Grants Program                                    May 2023

Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science | UTHSCSA

Project Blink - Empowering the Community through Ocular Health Literacy                                                                              Apr 2023

Community Service Learning | Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics | UTHSCSA

Compassion For All - Addressing Social Isolation in Our Communities                                                                                        Apr 2023

Community Service Learning | Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics | UTHSCSA

Epidemiological Observation of Ceratocystis fagacearum                                                                                                      Dec 2017

Highlander Undergraduate Research Institute | McLennan Community College

• Garcia J, Madaik H, Lind T, Nguyen L. Updates on Pediatric Glaucoma: Medical and Surgical Interventions. Curr Ophthalmol Rep. 2024;12(4):49–54. doi:10.1007/s40135-024-00324-3
• Tuttle JJ, Moshirfar M, Garcia J, Altaf AW, Omidvarnia S, Hoopes PC. Learning the Randleman Criteria in Refractive Surgery: Utilizing ChatGPT-3.5 Versus Internet Search Engine. Cureus. 2024;16(7):e64768. doi:10.7759/cureus.64768
• Encouraging Wayfinding Research in Healthcare Facilities – Resolution 061. American Medical Association Medical Student Section; 2023:2-142. https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/a23-mss-refcomm-report.pdf
• Wang N, Garcia J, Clark J, et al. Complete Genome Sequence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Siphophage Silvanus. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2022;11(3):e0121021. doi:10.1128/mra.01210-21
• Garcia J, Yao G, Vizoso-Pinto MG, et al. Complete Genome Sequence of Burkholderia cenocepacia Phage Mica. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2021;10(6). doi:10.1128/MRA.01407-20

• Garcia J, Garcia A, Reed A, et al. Mock & Talk: The impact of outreach programs on underrepresented medical school applicants’ preparedness and confidence. Poster presented at: 2023 Latino Medical Student Association National Conference; September 15, 2023; Atlanta, GA
• Garcia J, Freyaldenhoven K, Lewis K, et al. Eyeing excellence: An ophthalmology proficiency workshop for medical students. Poster presented at: 2023 AMA Interim Poster Showcase; November 10, 2023; Fort Washington, MD.
• Reed A, Mehmken C, Xie C, et al…Garcia J. Project Blink: Bridging the health literacy gap in underserved areas. Poster presented at: American Medical Association Interim 2023 Poster Showcase; November 10, 2023; Fort Washington, MD.
• Terrazas A, Langston W, Maach A, et al…Garcia J. Project Blink: Community health literacy education. Poster presented at: American Medical Association Interim 2023 Poster Showcase; November 10, 2023; Fort Washington, MD.
• Merritt K, Danley D, Garcia J. Community education: The impact of systemic diseases on eye health and preventative measures. Poster presented at: American Medical Association Interim 2023 Poster Showcase; November 10, 2023; Fort Washington, MD.
• Nayak S, Smith M, Simmang M, et al…Garcia J. Addressing social isolation in the geriatric population of San Antonio. Poster presented at: 2023 AMA Interim Poster Showcase; November 10, 2023; Fort Washington, MD.
• Barber E, Siby N, Thompson A, et al…Garcia J. Educating medical students on geriatric health through partnerships with local senior living facilities. Poster presented at: 2023 AMA Interim Poster Showcase; November 10, 2023; Fort Washington, MD.
• Garcia A, Garcia J, Reed A, et al. Mock & Talk: Preparing underrepresented students for medical school success. Poster presented at: 2023 AMA Interim Poster Showcase; November 10, 2023; Fort Washington, MD.
• Garcia J, Mehmken C, Merritt K, et al. Strengths and weaknesses in health education—A Project Blink initiative. Poster presented at: 2023 Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science Community Engagement Symposium; December 2, 2023; San Antonio, TX.
• Mehmken C, Reed A, Maach A, et al…Garcia J. Enhancing health literacy for better eye health in San Antonio, Texas. Poster presented at: 2023 Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science Community Engagement Symposium; December 2, 2023; San Antonio, TX.
• Merritt K, Danley D, Garcia J. Community education: The impact of systemic diseases on eye health and preventative measures. Poster presented at: 2023 Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science Community Engagement Symposium; December 2, 2023; San Antonio, TX.
• Reed A, Mehmken C, Xie C, et al…Garcia J. Addressing social determinants of health disparities in San Antonio, Texas. Poster presented at: 2023 Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science Community Engagement Symposium; December 2, 2023; San Antonio, TX.
• Garcia J, Mehmken C, Reed A, et al. Enhancing health literacy for better eye health in San Antonio, Texas—A Project Blink initiative. Poster presented at: 26th Annual Medicine Research Day; December 5, 2023; San Antonio, TX.
• Reed A, Mehmken C, Montoya RH, et al…Garcia J. Identifying our strengths and areas for improvement in health education—A Project Blink initiative. Poster presented at: 26th Annual Medicine Research Day; December 5, 2023; San Antonio, TX.
• Mehmken C, Reed A, Montoya RH, et al…Garcia J. Addressing social determinants of health disparities in San Antonio, Texas—A Project Blink initiative. Poster presented at: 26th Annual Medicine Research Day; December 5, 2023; San Antonio, TX.
• Maach A, Mehmken C, Reed A, et al…Garcia J. Project Blink: Community service learning (CSL). Poster presented at: 2024 Annual Community Service Learning Conference; February 3, 2024; San Antonio, TX.
• Clarke K, Lee T, Hoverson J, Garcia J, et al. Project HEART: Promoting health eating and activity through recreation and teaching. Poster presented at: 2024 Annual Community Service Learning Conference; February 3, 2024; San Antonio, TX.
• Mathews J, Delgado CA, Dipko JK, et al…Garcia J. Stop the Bleed training efficacy in middle school leadership officer training corps. Poster presented at: 2024 Annual Community Service Learning Conference; February 3, 2024; San Antonio, TX.
• Tuttle JJ, Garcia J, Altaf AW, et al. ChatGPT-3.5 vs. search engine: An evaluation of medical student self-directed learning. Poster presented at: 2024 Innovations in Health Science Education Conference; February 22, 2024; Austin, TX.
• Langston W, Terrazas T, Reed A, et al…Garcia J. Project Blink – Empowering better visual health in San Antonio, Texas through education and community. Poster presented at: 2024 Latino Medical Student Association Southwest Regional Conference; March 9, 2024; Houston, TX.
• Terrazas T, Langston W, Reed A, et al…Garcia J. Project Blink: Promoting ocular health equity in San Antonio. Poster presented at: 2024 Latino Medical Student Association Southwest Regional Conference; March 9, 2024; Houston, TX.
• Wang A, Freyaldenhoven K, Garcia J, et al. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) cranial neuropathy in review: Case series insights. Poster presented at: 2024 Long School of Medicine Research Symposium; March 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX.
• Wright W, Freyaldenhoven K, Johnson N, et al…Garcia J. Empowering minds: Assessing knowledge of the field of neurology and ophthalmology in high school students after Brain Day event. Poster presented at: 2024 Long School of Medicine Research Symposium; March 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX.
• Burton A, Smith M, Nayak S, et al…Garcia J. Approach to reduce social isolation and health risks for elderly San Antonio residents. Poster presented at: 2024 Long School of Medicine Research Symposium; March 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX.
• Smith M, Burton A, Kittleman C, et al…Garcia J. Holistic learning: Geriatric healthcare education for medical students through local senior living partnerships. Poster presented at: 2024 Long School of Medicine Research Symposium; March 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX.
• Huang M, Hymes A, Chidurala S, et al…Garcia J. Project HEART: Promoting healthy eating and activity through recreation and teaching – Year 2. Poster presented at: 2024 Long School of Medicine Research Symposium; March 28, 2024; San Antonio, TX.
• Reed A, Garcia J, Janda B, et al. Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Hispanic populations: A comparative study between border and non-border regions in Texas. Poster presented at: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; May 6, 2024; Seattle, WA.
• Freyaldenhoven K, Garcia J, Lewis K, et al. Eyeing excellence: An ophthalmology proficiency workshop for medical students. Poster presented at: 2024 ARVO Conference; May 7, 2024; Seattle, WA.
• Garcia J, Montoya RH, Reed A, et al. The effect of diabetic retinopathy-specific educational services on community health literacy. Poster presented at: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; May 9, 2024; Seattle, WA.
• Mehmken C, Maach A, Montoya RH, et al…Garcia J. Examining the role of race, ethnicity, and age in ocular health education. Poster presented at: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; May 9, 2024; Seattle, WA.
• Tolbert J, Safadi K, Reed A, et al…Garcia J. The impact of insurance and geographic location on ocular health knowledge and literacy. Poster presented at: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; May 9, 2024; Seattle, WA.
• Xie C, Freyaldenhoven K, Garcia J, Tolbert J, Means G, Nguyen L. Program Evaluation of Student Run Ophthalmology Workshops. Poster presented at: Global Ophthalmology Summit; August 10, 2024. Portland, OR.
• Johnson I, Johnson N, Mallinson M, et al…Garcia J. Seeing clearly: Empowering aging communities through targeted eye health education. Poster presented at: 2024 AMA Interim Conference; November 9, 2024; Orlando, FL.
• Mallinson M, Johnson N, Guido J, et al…Garcia J. Ocular health literacy insights from community outreach events in San Antonio and El Paso. Poster presented at: 2024 AMA Interim Conference; November 9, 2024; Orlando, FL.
• Nguyen E, Johnson N, Mallinson M, et al…Garcia J. Project Blink: Identifying common threads in health literacy discussions. Poster presented at: 2024 Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science Conference; December 7, 2024; San Antonio, TX.
• Johnson N, Mallinson M, Nguyen E, et al…Garcia J. Taking a closer look: Assessing community interests and eye health literacy at Big Mama’s Safe House. Poster will be presented at: 2025 Community Engaged Learning Conference; February 1, 2025; San Antonio, TX.
• Reed A, Tolbert J, Garcia J, et al. Social determinants of health and geographic disparities in diabetic retinopathy prevention and management. Poster will be presented at: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; May 5, 2025; Salt Lake City, UT.
• Mallinson M, Johnson N, Mora A, et al…Garcia J. Health disparities in focus: Linking zip codes and eye health literacy in San Antonio. Poster will be presented at: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; May 5, 2025; Salt Lake City, UT.
• Molina M, Johnson N, Mallinson M, et al…Garcia J. Vision matters: Empowering communities through small group presentations on shingles and eye risks. Poster will be presented at: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; May 5, 2025; Salt Lake City, UT.
• Mora A, Mallinson M, Johnson N, et al…Garcia J. Health literacy and education: Empowering patients for better macular degeneration understanding and prevention. Poster will be presented at: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; May 5, 2025; Salt Lake City, UT.
• Nguyen E, Johnson N, Mallinson M, et al…Garcia J. Regional variations in discussions on eye health across three Texas counties: Insights and implications. Poster will be presented at: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; May 5, 2025; Salt Lake City, UT.

Community Health Literacy - Project Blink

Addressing Social Isolation - Compassion For All

Mobile Eye Screening Unit

Refugee Clinic 

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Bakery Associate                                                                                                                                                  Dec 2021 – Apr 2022

HEB                                                                                                                                                                                                   Waco, TX

Ophthalmic Technician – Workup, Imaging (Fundus/OCT), Scribe                                                                           Mar 2021 – Sep 2021

The Retina Center                                                                                                                                                                            Bryan, TX

Biology Teaching Assistant                                                                                                                                          Jan 2018 – Dec 2018

McLennan Community College                                                                                                                                                        Waco, TX

Waiter                                                                                                                                                                           Apr 2017 – Aug 2017

Ridgewood Country Club                                                                                                                                                                 Waco, TX

Farm Hand                                                                                                                                                                    May 2016 – Jan 2017

Family Farm                                                                                                                                                                                 Portland, IN

Honors Mathematics Teaching Assistant (Pre-Calculus through Calculus II)                                                         Aug 2015 – May 2016

The University of Texas at Arlington | Emerging Scholars Program                                                                                      Arlington, TX

General Studies Private Tutoring (Biology, General Chemistry, Mathematics)                                                      Aug 2014 – May 2015

Independent at The University of Texas at Arlington                                                                                                             Arlington, TX