Contents
Catalog Links

M.D. Program Curriculum

Overview

The degree of Doctor of Medicine is awarded by the Board of Regents upon a student’s successful completion of the graduation requirements, recommendation of the Faculty Council to the Dean of the SOM, and certification by the Dean of the SOM to the President. Degrees will be conferred once a year on Commencement Day in the spring. Students completing requirements for a degree earlier in the year will be conferred the degree on the following Commencement Day, but may request the Registrar to provide a Certification of Completion on the date of graduation.

Objectives

The UTRGV School of Medicine is committed to providing a forward-thinking medical education experience that shapes physicians who are dedicated to practicing evidence-based, patient-centered medicine in any setting, including in under-served communities. The curriculum provides a unique educational experience that integrates the foundational sciences, clinical medicine, and professional identity formation throughout the four- year program by incorporating and promoting:

  • Principles of patient-centered care through evidence-based practice
  • Research to promote health outcomes
  • Community and population-based health care
  • Patient advocacy and cultural sensitivity
  • Inter-professional collaboration and communication
  • Ethical and professional behavior
  • Life-long learning

The school’s distinctive geographic location at the border of the U.S. and Mexico offers a rich bicultural experience that affords students the opportunity to experience and to learn about border medicine and the interplay between the cross-cultural, sociopolitical, economic, and environmental determinants of health.

Curriculum Integration

Woven throughout this four-year integrated curriculum are:

  • Interprofessional Education: Students are given the opportunity to experience interprofessional education and team-based care by working and learning alongside an array of disciplines that include nursing, pharmacy, physician assistants, public health, social work, behavioral health and occupational therapy.
  • Serving the Underserved: Students are given the opportunity to work in underserved communities, the Colonias, and the student-run free clinic to learn about healthcare disparities and population health.
  • Social Justice

Full-time Enrollment Requirement

All students enrolled in the M.D. Program are full-time students. UTRGV SOM does not have a part-time M.D. Program.