By Saira Cabrera

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – MAY 4, 2024 – Dressed elegantly in their black and green regalia, the fifth group of medical graduates from the UTRGV School of Medicine, Class of 2024, officially transitioned from medical students to doctors. 

The annual commencement, held at the UTRGV Performing Arts Complex on the Edinburg Campus, celebrated the academic and professional journey of  52 medical students, triumphantly joining the more than 200 School of Medicine graduates who are now participating in medical residencies across the Rio Grande Valley, Texas and around the United States. Many are now practicing physicians.

A TESTAMENT

In his remarks to the Class of 2024, Dr. Michael B. Hocker, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine and senior vice president for UT Health RGV, said he is proud of the perseverance, commitment and hard work they displayed during their four years at the School of Medicine.   

"Class of '24, you are a testament to UTRGV's promise to train diverse and talented physician-scientists for the benefit of the Valley and beyond, a testament that what starts in academic medicine changes the future of medicine," he said. "Congratulations to you and your friends, your families, and all the champions who have helped you in your medical journey."  

‘GROW WHEREVER PLANTED’

Valley native and fourth-year graduating medical student Ruayda Bouls stood proudly in her medical regalia, smiling, and confident that the preparation she received at UTRGV will allow her to serve the community in which she grew up. 

"UTRGV has given me many mentors, research opportunities and clinical experiences, so I feel ready and excited for this next residency chapter," the Harlingen native said. "I am confident the UTRGV School of Medicine has prepared me to grow wherever I am planted. These next few years are a bit uncertain, yet exciting. Overall, I hope to one day practice in the Valley, to treat the same community I grew up in." 

Her words reflect the students' deep connection with the local community, a connection nurtured and celebrated at the UTRGV School of Medicine. The keynote speaker, Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, celebrated that sentiment. 

"Students, I encourage you to come back, to remember your whole community, the one that shaped you. Like me, you may fall in love with it and find it your life's work," she said.

Ramirez is a professor and chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences, and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

She is also founder of Salud America!, a network of more than 500,000 Latino participants. 

"Looking back over the years, I still love coming to work every day. I still love the ways we are reaching the underserved, saving lives and changing communities," she said. "That is the journey you all get to be on; that is the fight you all get to join. You have life-saving knowledge, and the skills to make a difference."

A RESILIENT GROUP

The medical graduates now head to their respective medical residency programs, as they enter a new chapter in their healthcare careers. 

"I'm grateful to have had my classmates to lean on over the past four years. We overcame major challenges and life-changing obstacles," said Breanna Jones.

In reciting the Hippocratic Oath – an oath of ethics historically taken by physicians – she noted the determination of her classmates.

"I've never encountered a more resilient group,” she said. “I am so proud of how far we've come and the places we will go!"

Dr. Leonel Vela, UTRGV senior associate dean for Educational Resources, division chief, and professor in the School of Medicine, commended the students as he led a round of applause for the Class of 2024. 

"We are immensely proud of all you have accomplished," he said. "The entire School of Medicine community applauds you as you pursue your journey toward practicing the art and science of medicine as compassionate physicians. Congratulations, Class of 2024."