By Heriberto Perez–Zuñiga
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – OCT. 4, 2024 – The UTRGV School of Medicine recently celebrated the graduation of physician residents from its Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery and Psychiatry programs, marking a significant milestone for the graduates and the school's Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs.
Dr. Brandon R. Cantazaro, division chief of Internal Medicine at the UTRGV School of Medicine, said this year's graduates will play a significant role in shaping the future of healthcare in South Texas.
“As a physician, I truly believe that we have the greatest job in the world,” he said. “Every day that you put on a white coat is a blessing and an honor. This celebration is not just about completing a program, but about joining a family dedicated to serving our communities.”
DEFINING VALLEY HEALTHCARE
Dr. Martha Solis, a recent UTRGV School of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program graduate, chose to remain in the Rio Grande Valley and join the UTRGV School of Medicine faculty after her training, driven by a profound commitment to the community.
Having grown up in Northern Mexico, Solis said, she is deeply connected to the bilingual and bicultural fabric of the Valley. This connection, along with her firsthand understanding of the unique challenges faced by the Valley population, solidified her decision to contribute to the region's healthcare.
"I wanted to contribute to the making of new doctors in the Valley," she said. "Our population here is very underserved, and we must train physicians who understand this and are committed to staying and providing care.”
Dr. Everardo Cobos, chair of Medicine and Oncology at the UTRGV School of Medicine, said the Valley's unique healthcare needs require doctors who understand the medical challenges and the accompanying cultural and social dynamics that shape the community.
"The Valley is a region where we see high rates of Alzheimer's, diabetes and certain types of cancers. Training doctors who are aware of the unique needs of our community is vital," he said. "We need physicians who will remain here to ensure people have access to the care they need."
Dr. Henry Reinhart, program director for the UTRGV General Surgery Residency Program at Valley Baptist Medical Center and assistant professor of surgery at the UTRGV School of Medicine, said the journey to graduation is not easy, but it is filled with growth.
"These residents came to us with great potential, but potential is just the foundation," he said. "Over the years, we've witnessed them evolve – not only in their technical abilities but also as leaders, mentors and compassionate caregivers. Their patients will remember their expertise, but the human connections they've made will leave a lasting impact."
RGV IMPACT
The UTRGV School of Medicine's GME program, which has been continuously accredited since 2014 by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), plays a crucial role in addressing the area’s healthcare needs.
UTRGV oversees and sponsors seven residency programs in the Valley, with some 136 doctors currently in training across several local hospitals.
The UTRGV GME efforts most recently welcomed its first collaboration with HCA Healthcare, launching the first Internal Medicine Residency Program at Rio Grande Regional and Valley Regional Medical Center, with 13 new resident physicians per year.
Dr. Michael Hocker, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine and senior vice president of UT Health RGV, said the impact of the GME programs on the Valley has been significant.
"Our GME programs are vital to transforming healthcare in the Valley and beyond. We are producing highly skilled and compassionate physician leaders committed to staying in the region and serving the people who need it most," he said. "This is more than just a training program. It's a mission-driven effort to improve health outcomes in South Texas."
Dr. Fatimah Bello, program director for the UTRGV Internal Medicine Residency Program at Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco and assistant professor of Internal Medicine at the UTRGV School of Medicine, said the mission of the GME programs is to develop excellent physicians dedicated to addressing the specific healthcare needs of the Valley.
"The creation of the GME residency programs was driven by a vision of excellence and innovation aimed at transforming the care of underserved patients," she said. "We are committed to providing exceptional, evidence-based care to a region that includes one of the poorest counties in the United States."
Since 2016, the UTRGV GME program have trained more than 408 residents, with a significant percentage remaining in the Valley to practice.
Fifty-six percent of UTRGV School of Medicine residents stay in Texas to practice, with 59% of those remaining in the Valley.
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.
