Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Health, Happenings, Community
By Karen Villarreal
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – MARCH 17, 2026 – Four years after its founding as the only school of podiatric medicine in Texas, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's School of Podiatric Medicine (SOPM) will participate for the first time in Match Day activities happening concurrently across the country.
In the United States, Match Day is an annual rite of passage for graduating medical students held on the third Friday of March. On Friday, March 20, 18 members of SOPM’s inaugural graduating SOPM class will learn if they have matched a residency program through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
Like other hopeful medical students, SOPM students interviewed with residency programs and are now anxiously waiting to find out where the matching algorithm will pair them for their next three years of education.
Dr. Javier La Fontaine, dean of the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine, said Match Day is an exciting milestone for the students and their families.
“We’ve been waiting for this day since we first sat this class,” La Fontaine said. “I’m so proud of the example this first class set for following cohorts. After their training in residency, they will be able to start serving their community in a professional capacity.”
To learn more about the UTRGV School of Podiatric Medicine, visit www.utrgv.edu/school-of-podiatric-medicine.
ABOUT UTRGV
Celebrating its 10th anniversary during the 2025-2026 academic year, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is on a mission to transform the Rio Grande Valley, the Americas, and the world. As one of the country’s largest Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Seal of Excelencia certified, UTRGV has earned national recognition for its academic excellence, social mobility, and student success since opening in Fall 2015. Ranked among the Best Colleges for your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars in 2025 by Washington Monthly (7 nationally; 1 in Texas), UTRGV continues to break enrollment records, launch new academic and athletics programs and progress toward achieving R1 research status. Additionally, UTRGV holds the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, awarded in 2020 and 2025, reflecting its commitment to strengthening community ties and addressing local challenges.
The only university in Texas with schools of Medicine and Podiatric Medicine, UTRGV’s regional footprint spans South Texas – with locations, teaching sites, and centers established in Edinburg, Brownsville, Rio Grande City, McAllen, Weslaco, Harlingen, Laredo, Port Isabel and South Padre Island.