News Release | Success
The UTRGV School of Medicine (SOM) was notified Thursday that it has completed the final stage of accreditation required by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The School of Medicine will now be able to increase the number of students it is able to admit each year, which means developing and training more future doctors and addressing the shortage of medical care throughout the region. Photo by David Pike
Friday, June 16, 2023
Announcements
By News and Internal Communications
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – The UTRGV School of Medicine (SOM) was notified Thursday that it has completed the final stage of accreditation required by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
UTRGV President Guy Bailey said this significant milestone, while expected, is also important for the Rio Grande Valley because, moving forward, the School of Medicine will be allowed to increase the number of students it is able to admit each year. And being able to develop and train more future doctors will allow the School of Medicine to continue to address the shortage of medical care throughout the region.
The UTRGV School of Medicine averages between 6,000 and 7,000 applicants from prospective students each year, and in May graduated its fourth class. It will welcome its eighth class of students this summer.
“This is all part of the expected evolution of our School of Medicine, and the Rio Grande Valley community should be proud of what we’ve already accomplished and what we will accomplish in the future,” Bailey said.
“When the dream of a School of Medicine was created in 2014, we were charged with helping to improve the health and well-being of the Valley. This latest accreditation milestone will only help us to enhance our medical care.”
“I would like to thank School of Medicine Dean Michael Hocker for his continued leadership and for helping guide the School of Medicine to this latest milestone,” Bailey added.
The LCME accredits medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in the United States and Canada. While the LCME granted the UTRGV School of Medicine initial accreditation when the school first opened in 2015, Thursday’s announcement capped a seven-year review process that affirms the highest standards in the training of future M.D. physicians.
Hocker, who also serves as Senior Vice President for UT Health Rio Grande Valley, said accreditation is a key moment to celebrate everyone's hard work in the achievement.
"We are committed to serving the Rio Grande Valley through innovative medical education programs, advanced research and high-quality clinical services," he said, "and this latest milestone allows us to continue on that path.
"I would like to thank the LCME and everyone who helped our School of Medicine through this accreditation process. This was a team effort, and I couldn’t be more excited about the outcome. This is incredible news for the entire Rio Grande 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.