New Admits Experience the CBHP Life at Discover Canfield BHP

Written by Jennifer Cho and Justin Zhang

Discover Canfield BHP Blog Image

Each year in March, the Canfield Business Honors Program hosts Discover Canfield BHP, an all-day event dedicated to helping admitted students get a feel for their experience as a Longhorn and CBHPeer. This year, the special event was held virtually and included a welcome by Interim Dean Lillian Mills and Canfield BHP Faculty Director Dr. Andres Almazan, student and parent panels, mock lectures, a keynote speech by Mr. Phil Canfield, and opportunities for the admitted students to chat with current students.

The welcome address highlighted the strong drive and high caliber of Canfield BHP students as well as the abundance of opportunities, resources, and experiences available to current and future students. Most importantly, the large showing of volunteers for the event was a strong testament to the spirit, passion, and involvement of Canfield BHP culture.

During the keynote address, Mr. Canfield also spoke about the high quality of education offered by the program both inside and outside of the classroom. He strongly believes that education is the single most important investment that society can make in its members and that the Canfield Business Honors Program, as the No. 1 undergraduate business program in the nation, is the whole package: a degree, a community, and a plethora of opportunities. His generous donation of $20 million in 2018 is a strong testament to this belief, and he hopes to provide every student that comes through the program a scholarship in the future with his and others’ contributions. Continue reading

Halloween Throwback: Canfield BHP Seniors + Their Costumes

Choosing costumes, decorating pumpkins, and enjoying a spooky 31st with friends brings joy to students throughout the university, but, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Halloween might look a bit different this year. With socially-distanced Halloween festivities approaching, now is a great time to look back on some of the fun Canfield BHP seniors have had over the years. 

Carlyn and Josh as Drake and Josh

Carlyn Crow, a Canfield BHP, Plan II senior, and Josh Jones, a Canfield BHP, Computational Engineering senior, showed out on October 31st as the iconic duo of Drake and Josh. As one of the last classes to have 90s babies, it only makes sense that this Canfield BHPair chose to dress as the main characters of a beloved Nickelodeon sitcom released in the early 2000s. 

Bernardo and Lindsey as Bunnies

No Halloween is complete without a couple of animal costumes and the Canfield BHP community certainly did not disappoint. Canfield BHP, Finance senior Bernardo Barron, and Canfield BHP, Accounting senior Lindsey Hoyer hopped into Halloween last year in full bunny suits. 

Continue reading

Event Recap: Leadership Kickoff 2019 by Madison Mohns

Summer camp dreams don’t die out when you head off to college. This past weekend, 140 CBHP freshmen headed out to Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas for Leadership Kickoff. Freshmen were able to bond as a class all throughout the weekend; sharing meals together, laughing together, singing their lungs out to karaoke together, and even tight roping 50 feet in the air together.

Besides bonding, Leadership Kickoff is really a chance for the new class to gain some leadership skills. Freshmen engage in challenges which are intended to place them in some unexpected situations; testing their communication and getting them used to working on teams.

Henry Bradley (Class of ‘23) reflects on the weekend: “I learned that while I am a strong leader, I can also strive to be a good teammate.” Collaborative learning is a large part of the Canfield Business Honors curriculum and the class of 2023 is already getting a headstart to mastering this skill. Continue reading

Class of 2023 Discovers Possibilities with Canfield BHP

Written by Megan Tran-Olmsted, as told by Annie Wang and Tatum Lee

Discover Canfield BHP is a one-day event for students admitted into the Class of 2023. The event helps students get a sense of what the program is all about, learn about life at UT, and meet current Canfield BHP students. This year, the event featured student panels, mock classes, exciting speakers, and of course, time for newly admitted students to begin bonding with peers. Discover Canfield BHP is a great opportunity for the incoming students to connect with their future peers and dive into the community of the program from the very beginning!

One of the major talks during the day was given by the current faculty director, Dr. Andres Almazan. Dr. Almazan has had an extensive career at McCombs and joined Canfield BHP as director last year. In his address, Dr. Almazan welcomed the students and their parents. He emphasized that current students are not only driven to get good grades but are also extremely passionate about what they do, including taking time out of their day to volunteer and enjoy the overall Canfield BHP experience. In fact, he noted that the involvement of student volunteers at Discover was a testament to their passion for the program and the type of leaders that come out of Canfield BHP. Continue reading

BHP Alums Find Success as Plastic Surgeons

Each year, a few BHP grads go on to medical school, but it certainly isn’t the usual path for most BHP grads. Even fewer choose to go into plastic surgery like Sergio Alvarez, BHP ’03, and Sean Paul, BHP ’05. Alvarez owns a practice in Miami and is recognized as the top plastic surgeon in the area. Paul recently moved back to Austin to open a practice, which has  multiple offices across the city.

BHP: What led you to choose medicine and plastic surgery as your specialty?

Sergio Alvarez operates his own practice, Alvarez Plastic Surgery, in Miami.

Sergio Alvarez operates his own practice, Alvarez Plastic Surgery, in Miami.

Alvarez: After seeing my first open heart surgery at the age of 10, I knew then that there was nothing else I wanted to do than to be a surgeon.  Plastic surgery got my attention during medical school due to the fact that it was not only the most competitive specialty to get into and the surgeons training me were revered as “the best”, but it was the ability to work on every part of the body and really focus on the “art form” that captured me. It was the finesse that it required that captivated me.

Paul: My father was my inspiration. He was a family medicine physician in south Texas and had an amazing relationship with his patients. My love for surgery developed during my gross anatomy classes in medical school, but mostly from caring for wounded soldiers returning to Brooke Army Medical Center, for whom I assisted in caring for severe facial and ocular burns. Thus began my love for ophthalmology and facial plastic surgery, and a career in oculofacial plastic surgery began.

BHP: How has your background in business been helpful to you in your practice?

Alvarez: There is no question that the business education I received through the Business Honors Program has been invaluable. I think the biggest challenges physicians face today are the intricacies of opening up a practice. That was something that didn’t scare me at all. I came to Miami which is THE most competitive market for aesthetic plastic surgery with all the business tools I needed to succeed.  I plan to set up an office in Austin soon!

Sean Paul operates his own practice, Austin Oculofacial Plastics.

Sean Paul operates his own practice, Austin Oculofacial Plastics.

Paul: As a BHP alum, I completed internships and worked in operations in my family business prior to attending medical school. After ten years of medical school, a post-graduate residency, and a fellowship, I was faced with a life decision when choosing my career path after training. My background in business and my entrepreneurial spirit gave me a unique insight into the changing landscape of medicine and helped me choose to start my own practice. More specifically, my insight into the patient and business aspects of reconstructive and elective plastic surgery has helped me build a practice to help fill a need in the growing Central Texas and Austin communities. I now own and operate my own practice, Austin Oculofacial Plastics, based in Austin. I have offices in south Austin, north Austin, Westlake, Lakeway, New Braunfels, and Fredericksburg.

BHP: What is most challenging and most rewarding about your career as a plastic surgeon?

Alvarez: I think the most rewarding aspect of my career are the people I get to meet and treat from all over the world. Being in such an international city gives me the opportunity to learn about different cultures and different definitions of beauty. I think one of the biggest challenges we face are the misconceptions people see on TV and marketing gimmicks that are all over social media and the internet. A large portion of what we do as a collective group is educate our patients about how to go beyond the marketing and choose tried and true methods as well as choose qualified practitioners that are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Paul: The most challenging part of my career is continually striving to focus on excellent patient care. With the commercialization of plastic surgery, I strive to maintain a down-to-earth relationship with patients and make a point to call them at night after surgery. As I have gotten busier, I remain committed to that tenet of care for my patients.  I genuinely find it rewarding when patients simply say ‘thank you’.  As medicine and plastic surgery continues to change, you frequently hear stories of patients feeling like they are just a number on a spreadsheet. I personally have found complete comfort in feeling fully invested in my practice. My patients’ kind words and feedback are the best possible reward. I truly love what I do and it is my pleasure to care for each and every one of my patients.

BHP: What advice do you have for current BHP students who may be interested in pursuing an MD?

Alvarez: The best advice I can give BHP students interested in medicine is to stay dedicated to the long path it takes to become a physician because the rewards are well worth the wait. As they see their colleagues start entering the corporate world and get high salary positions, they should realize there is little to substitute the feeling one gets from changing peoples’ lives on a daily basis.

Paul: Explore the medical and surgical field early on and be certain that it is the career path you want more than anything else in the world. You will be faced with personal and professional decisions and be pulled in multiple directions in your career as a physician. No matter what else is going on in your day or in the world, when you are in the operating room with that patient, you owe them your 100% undivided attention.  Talk with physicians in your community about shadowing opportunities and be proactive in your career research. Study hard, enjoy your life as a BHP student, soak up the amazing city of Austin (so happy I am back), and understand that if you choose the field of medicine – you will be one of the few professionals given the privilege of caring for others for a living. I could not imagine doing anything else.