September 2023

Here's a recap of all the School of Medicine events that recently took place!

School of Medicine

UT Health RGV

News and Events

UTRGV School of Medicine unveils new

‘Transforming Care Together’ organizational structure

The UTRGV School of Medicine recently unveiled a new organizational structure that will unite the school’s mission with the long-term goal of becoming a larger, more efficient sustainable healthcare system.

The initiative, being called “Transforming Care Together,” will see the School of Medicine transition into an Integrated Service Unit (ISU) model. Overall, the school will consolidate 14 departments into 7 new ISUs, which will strengthen the alignment between UT Health RGV and the School of Medicine to accelerate the future ability to:

Strategically recruit,
Grow research from bench to bedside,
Expand its class size,
Build clinical specialty areas, and
Drive informed resource decisions to achieve its mission.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently approved changes to the UTRGV School of Medicine’s department structure.

UTRGV School of Medicine awarded $200,000 for pancreatic cancer research

The UTRGV School of Medicine's South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research (ST-CECR) has been granted $200,000 by the prestigious Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).

The funding will help advance pancreatic cancer-related research and studies in South Texas.

UTRGV Now: UTRGV welcomes 24 new Luminary Scholars - four Vaqueros MD

Twenty-four students will soon join the exclusive group known as the UTRGV Luminary Scholars.

Last year, 24 students also made up the first cohort of scholars for UTRGV’s prestigious scholarship program. The program was made possible thanks to the historic $40 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, meant to enhance the University’s mission of improving student success and expanding educational opportunities.

Congratulations to our four UTRGV School of Medicine Vaqueros MD students who were recognized as Luminary Scholars!

These scholars have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and service. We are excited to see them continue their education and pursue their dreams of becoming doctors. We are proud to have them represent our University, School, and community!

LCME Full Accreditation Celebration

UTRGV School of Medicine employees joined at the UTRGV Rio Bank on Wednesday, Aug. 16, to celebrate the School's recent LCME Full Accreditation. UTRGV President Guy Bailey and Dean Hocker shared praise and acknowledgment for the hard work put into reaching full accreditation.

Thank you to all School of Medicine faculty and staff who contributed to reaching this significant milestone!

Celebrating Excellence:

Inaugural UTRGV School of Medicine Faculty Awards

The UTRGV School of Medicine is pleased to recognize the nominees and awardees of its Inaugural Faculty Awards. These faculty members were selected by their peers for their contributions in various facets within the School of Medicine's academic community.

These awards aim to recognize, celebrate, and honor the accomplishments of the faculty at the School of Medicine and promote a culture of recognizing excellence for those who excel in Teaching, Research, Clinical Care and Innovation, and Service.

Congratulations to our recognized faculty!

White Coat Ceremony 2023 - Highlights

See More Here.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) Activity:

Border Health in the Rio Grande Valley

UTRGV School of Medicine students embarked on an extraordinary journey during Operation Border Health Preparedness. This interprofessional learning and service activity, conducted as part of their foundations to medicine module, saw them collaborate with numerous health professionals to provide essential medical, dental, vision, and social services to over 3,000 patients at the site.

The primary objective of this activity was to reinforce interprofessional teamwork within the context of disaster preparedness, ultimately contributing significantly to the advancement of Border Health in the Rio Grande Valley.

Thank you to the dedicated volunteers who played a pivotal role in facilitating this large-scale Interprofessional Education (IPE) activity.

MS4 recognized by Texas State Representative

MS4, César Sevilla Jr., was honored with a Resolution from Texas State Representative Bobby Guerra for being the recipient of the U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award.

César was selected for this prestigious award for his forward-thinking approach as a medical student who works to educate his community through health education.

Congratulations, César, for this accomplishment!

2023 JGIM Editorial Fellow

Dr. Fatimah Bello was recently named one of the prestigious Journal of General Internal Medicine Editorial Fellows by the Society of General Internal Medicine.

She was selected because of her commitment to research and dedication to clinical medicine, focusing on underserved populations.

The Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM) editorial fellowship is designed to gain a deeper understanding and experience in the peer review, editorial, and academic writing process.

Participants in this two-year editorial fellowship will develop skills in editing and reviewing manuscripts and will have opportunities for professional networking that could enhance their academic careers.

Congratulations, Dr. Bello, for being one of the 2023-2025 editorial fellows!

Fatimah Bello, MD, MPH

Asst. Prof of Medicine

Cameron County OBHP 2023

Cameron County recognized UTRGV School of Medicine faculty and students for their support during Operation Border Health Preparedness (OBHP).

This year OBHP participants were able to provide free services to approximately 1,500 residents of Cameron County.

Each year during OBHP, participants look forward to providing much-needed healthcare services to the most vulnerable while exercising response plans.

We look forward to continuing support during this Operation in the coming years. Congratulations to all UTRGV SOM OBHP participants!

Student Spotlight

Meet UTRGV MS3, Taha Al Hassan

The UTRGV School of Medicine is a practicing academic medical institution. What aspect of Academic Medicine impacts you the most?

With the numerous opportunities available at the UTRGV School of Medicine, I have had genuinely insightful moments through clinical medicine, research, and community outreach. I am very thankful that I have been able to observe several clinical settings before my clerkship years and take an active role in research. Also, a special shoutout to our Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program, which gave me an avenue to integrate oral cancer screenings, oral health education, and oral hygiene/prevention to populations that needed it.

Learn More About Al Hassan Here.

Faculty Focus

Academic Medical Minute

Joanne E. Curran, PhD

Professor, South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute

Lacks Valley Stores Ltd Endowed Professorship

When did you join the UTRGV School of Medicine?

I joined the UTRGV School of Medicine when it officially began in September 2015.

This transition was through the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC) UME/GME expansion in Harlingen, which I joined in February 2015.

What brought you here?

I am an inaugural faculty member of the South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute. We were recruited from San Antonio as a group hired to bring an established research group to UTRGV and the School of Medicine and be able to “hit the ground running!”

What do you enjoy about working in Academic Medicine?

I have served in various committee roles across the years, allowing me to meet and interview potential medical students, see their excitement when they enter the curriculum, certify them for promotion and graduation, and finally participate in commencement. It has been gratifying to see students you interacted with early on in the interview process come through the School of Medicine and graduate as physicians and be eternally grateful for the opportunities they received. I have also had the chance to teach in the MS1 curriculum several times. My greatest passion, though, is research, and being able to mentor students through summer research opportunities brings me the greatest joy. Nothing is more rewarding than when a student understands the interconnection between science and medicine and the need for both in their medical careers.

Why is academic medicine important to our community?

Academic medicine is vital to our community for several reasons. Firstly, having a medical school in the RGV allows students from the region to complete a medical degree and residency program without leaving the area. This is highly likely to result in more physicians staying here in the RGV to practice, which is essential given the shortage of physicians. Secondly, we live in a medically underserved community without access to healthcare for many reasons (unaffordable, limited mobility, cultural barriers, specialties unavailable here, etc.). Having a School of Medicine in the community, the development of community clinics, the Unimovil, the student-run clinic, and the introduction of new specialty clinics have all provided access to those most in need, and cultural barriers are now being overcome. Finally, our community is also disproportionately affected by diseases with much higher rates than many other regions of the country. The interconnection of research and medicine in this academic environment will help to address these significant disparities.

What does your role entail at the UTRGV School of Medicine?

My role in the School of Medicine is predominantly research, with some service and teaching. I teach in the Department of Human Genetics Ph.D. Program, which has just completed its first year. We are now interviewing candidates for the new class and putting together the curriculum for our second-year students.

Most of my effort is devoted to research, my passion. My research focuses on identifying and characterizing biomarkers and genes for disease conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and related complications in extensive pedigree-based studies of Hispanic individuals. The ultimate goal is identifying the biological pathways involved in disease development and progression to develop potential therapeutics.

How do you spend your free time?

I most love to travel, and now that restrictions have eased, I can do that again. I like to spend time with my friends, but I also like some downtime where I can read, listen to music, and do puzzles, all in the company of my fur babies! I also spend a lot of time in my pool and at the beach in the summer.

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