Emma Brilleslyper, a dual-degree student at , has been selected as the 2026 Excellence in Public Health Award winner by the Physician Professional Advisory Committee.
Brilleslyper is set to graduate in May from UNT Health Fort Worth's (TCOM) with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree and from the with a Master of Public Health.
鈥淚 was really excited because it鈥檚 something that you are nominated for by other people, and that means somebody else looks at what we have been doing and sees that it鈥檚 useful, important and worth recognition,鈥� Brilleslyper said.
The award recognizes medical students鈥� contributions to public health.
Brilleslyper, who will graduate from TCOM in 2026, plans to pursue obstetrics and gynecology and will complete her residency in Columbus, Ohio, at . This past year, she focused on women鈥檚 health, specifically medical mission trips that TCOM students conduct annually in West Texas counties along the U.S. border. She aimed to gather information to help current and future students in the .
Her yearlong project, part of her public health internship, was titled 鈥淪exually Transmitted Infections and Contraception: Examination of Needs and Knowledge in Rural Texas.鈥�
鈥淚 created a survey that we used during the medical mission trips last spring and summer to ask about attitudes and knowledge related to contraception and sexually transmitted infection prevention,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are all health deserts, so we were trying to figure out how to provide women鈥檚 health services, what people knew and what their attitudes were.鈥�
Brilleslyper anticipated that the patient population and responses would differ from those in urban settings. Some of the towns where surveys were conducted 鈥� Sanderson, Van Horn, Terlingua and Marathon 鈥� are isolated communities in the Big Bend region of Texas. One goal of the project was to help future students navigate sometimes uncomfortable conversations with patients about these topics.
鈥淎sking about sexual health and contraception can be very sensitive for patients, and it is important that medical students learn how to talk to their patients about all aspects of their health,鈥� Brilleslyper said. 鈥淚t shouldn鈥檛 be just OB-GYNs asking these questions. I want to provide information to our ROME students so they are prepared to have these conversations. They may be the only physician that patient sees, and if they don鈥檛 ask, who will?鈥�
Her findings showed a significant need for improved literacy and education on these topics.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a unique patient population, and as far as we know, nobody has ever asked this of them,鈥� Brilleslyper said. 鈥淭here is a lot of confusion about contraception, and there is a general desire for more resources.鈥�
Brilleslyper has already developed resources for future students participating in medical mission trips. She created a prenatal care handbook for both students and patients that explains what prenatal care is and where to access it across the counties served.
鈥淲hoever is out there, we put their contact information on a list that can be accessed, and medical students can share that information as well,鈥� Brilleslyper said.
The benefits of her work are twofold: supporting local communities and preparing future TCOM students.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be happier for her,鈥� said , DO, DipABLM, TCOM鈥檚 director of rural medical education. 鈥淓mma dedicated herself to this work with incredible care and commitment, and I鈥檓 elated that she鈥檚 receiving such well-deserved national recognition. Her work is already helping guide our planning for community education and additional services for these trips. It has also helped learners become more comfortable discussing sexual health with patients.鈥�
Brilleslyper鈥檚 interest in public health developed while studying abroad in 2017, where she observed different health care systems and ways to improve them.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I pursued the MPH,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t gives you a broader perspective on everything that impacts a patient鈥檚 life. You can鈥檛 treat anything in isolation, and you also can鈥檛 treat a person separately from their support system. As DO students, we learn to treat the body as a unit, but we also learn to understand patients鈥� perspectives, communicate effectively and respect what matters to them. That leads to better outcomes and stronger relationships.鈥�
鈥淧hysicians have an opportunity to be part of the community in a way that not many other professions do.鈥�
She is also keeping her career options open. After seeing her mother survive ovarian cancer 鈥� diagnosed incidentally during surgery for another condition 鈥� Brilleslyper is considering pursuing a gynecologic oncology fellowship. She hopes to contribute to the development of improved screening methods for ovarian and other cancers affecting women.
If her yearlong project is any indication, Brilleslyper is poised to make a significant impact in medicine and public health.
鈥淵our leadership and hard work demonstrate your passion and dedication to public health within the medical profession,鈥� said CAPT Michael Bartholomew, MD, FAAP, physician chief professional officer, in a congratulatory letter. 鈥淵our accomplishments clearly support health promotion and disease prevention, the cornerstones of the U.S. Public Health Service鈥檚 priorities and goals to protect, promote and advance the health and safety of our nation.鈥�
From - Student News: by Steven Bartolotta