Curriculum

The three-year UTRGV Internal Medicine Residency Program at Valley Baptist Medical Center is designed to provide residents with comprehensive training in both inpatient and outpatient Internal Medicine. Residents care for a diverse patient population drawn from Harlingen, the Rio Grande Valley, and surrounding South Texas communities. Training emphasizes clinical excellence, evidence-based medicine, patient-centered care, scholarly activity, quality improvement, leadership development, and preparation for both independent practice and fellowship training.

Residents gain experience caring for a wide variety of medical conditions, including diseases commonly encountered in primary care, hospital medicine, critical care, and subspecialty medicine, as well as conditions unique to the U.S.–Mexico border region.

Residents provide inpatient care at Valley Baptist Medical Center and receive longitudinal ambulatory training through continuity clinic experiences that include the Harlingen VA Clinic–Treasure Hills, providing exposure to Veteran healthcare and continuity-based outpatient medicine.

Curriculum Highlights

• Longitudinal continuity clinic experience at the Harlingen VA Clinic–Treasure Hills.
• Dedicated Pharmacy elective emphasizing interprofessional collaboration.
• Expanded research opportunities through UTRGV's specialized research centers.
• Longitudinal Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum.
• Exposure to Artificial Intelligence, healthcare technology, patient safety, and quality improvement.
• Direct mentorship by subspecialty faculty without competition from Internal Medicine fellows.
• Strong preparation for careers in primary care, hospital medicine, academic medicine, and subspecialty fellowship training.

Educational Conferences

The residency program provides a structured didactic curriculum that combines clinical teaching, board preparation, procedural education, quality improvement, and evidence-based medicine. 

Morning Educational Sessions (8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.)

• Morning Report
• Case-Based Discussions
• Grand Rounds
• Journal Club
• Guest Faculty Lectures
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Workshops
• PEAC Modules
• Clinical Pathologic Conferences

Noon Conference Series (12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.)

• Morbidity and Mortality Conference
• Board Review
• Subspecialty Lecture Series
• Evidence-Based Medicine
• Electrocardiography Interpretation
• Radiology Review
• Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
• Research and Scholarly Activity Workshops
• Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Medicine

All educational conferences are available virtually for residents rotating at off-site training locations.

Block Schedule

The program utilizes a progressive educational model that provides increasing responsibility in patient care, leadership, teaching, and systems-based practice throughout residency training. 

PGY-1 Year

Residents complete training in:

• Internal Medicine Wards
• Critical Care Medicine
• Ambulatory Medicine
• Emergency Medicine
• Continuity Clinic
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound
• Quality Improvement and Patient Safety 

PGY-2 Year

Residents expand their experience through:

• Internal Medicine Wards
• Night Float
• Ambulatory Care
• Oncology
• Men’s and Women’s Health
• Allied Specialties
• Elective Rotations
• Continuity Clinic
• Quality Improvement

Elective opportunities allow residents to pursue subspecialty interests while receiving direct mentorship from faculty experts. 

PGY-3 Year

Senior residents further develop leadership and supervisory skills through:

• Internal Medicine Wards
• Critical Care Medicine
• Night Float
• Ambulatory Care
• Electives
• Geriatrics and Rehabilitation Medicine
• Palliative Care
• Research
• Continuity Clinic

Senior residents also play key roles in teaching medical students, mentoring junior residents, leading multidisciplinary rounds, and participating in institutional quality improvement initiatives. 

Elective Rotations

Elective experiences allow residents to individualize their education and explore career interests while preparing for future fellowship training, hospital medicine, primary care, academic medicine, or healthcare leadership.

Current elective opportunities include:

Medical Subspecialties

• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Infectious Diseases
• Nephrology
• Rheumatology
• Geriatric Medicine
• Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
• Oncology
• Palliative Care

Additional Clinical Experiences

• Men’s and Women’s Health
• Neurology
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology
• Orthopedics
• Psychiatry
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Emergency Medicine
• Wound Care
• Dermatology
• Pharmacy Rotation
• Physician Liaison Rotation
• Research and Scholarly Activity

Research and Scholarly Activity

Scholarly activity is a cornerstone of residency education. All residents participate in research, quality improvement, patient safety initiatives, and scholarly dissemination.

Residents are assigned research experiences based on individual interests and career goals. Research mentorship is coordinated through UTRGV faculty investigators and specialized research centers, allowing residents to connect with established research programs and scholarly mentors. 

Specialized Research Opportunities:

1. Maternal Health Research Center
   Faculty Director: Candace Robledo, PhD, MPH
2. South Texas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
   Faculty Directors: Gladys E. Maestre, MD, PhD and Silvia Mejía-Arango, PhD
3. South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research
   Faculty Director: Subhash C. Chauhan, PhD

These research centers provide residents with opportunities to participate in clinical, translational, population health, and educational research while facilitating conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

Outpatient Medicine

Approximately 45 percent of residency training occurs in ambulatory settings.

Residents participate in weekly continuity clinics throughout all three years of training and gain experience in:

• General Internal Medicine
• Veterans Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Geriatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Oncology
• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Men’s and Women’s Health

VA Continuity Clinic

The program's ambulatory curriculum includes training at the Harlingen VA Clinic–Treasure Hills.

Clinic Preceptor: Manoj Gogia, MD and Sergio Saenz, MD
Education Officer: Sunand M. Kallumadanda, MD 

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

The UTRGV Internal Medicine Residency Program features a longitudinal resident-led Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum built on a Resident Champion model. Resident POCUS Champions receive advanced training and serve as peer educators, delivering monthly didactic sessions and leading small-group, hands-on ultrasound workshops throughout the academic year.

This near-peer teaching model promotes mastery of bedside ultrasound skills while fostering resident leadership, teaching experience, and procedural competence. Residents receive instruction in diagnostic and procedural ultrasound applications relevant to Internal Medicine, hospital medicine, and critical care practice.

Beginning in 2026, the program serves as a leader in a multi-site POCUS educational collaboration across residency programs throughout the Rio Grande Valley, creating expanded opportunities for inter-institutional learning, faculty collaboration, hands-on training, and shared educational resources. Through this initiative, residents participate in a growing regional community dedicated to advancing ultrasound education and improving patient care through bedside diagnostic excellence.

Curriculum Highlight

• Longitudinal resident-led, faculty-supervised POCUS curriculum utilizing a Resident Champion model.
• Monthly resident-delivered ultrasound lectures and case-based teaching sessions.
• Small-group, hands-on ultrasound workshops emphasizing image acquisition and procedural skills.
• Leadership and medical education opportunities for resident POCUS Champions.
• Regional multi-site POCUS collaboration launched in 2026 across Rio Grande Valley residency programs.
• Integration of diagnostic and procedural ultrasound training throughout all three years of residency. 

Fellowship Preparation

Graduates of the UTRGV Internal Medicine Residency Program are well positioned for careers in:

• Primary Care
• Hospital Medicine
• Academic Medicine
• Healthcare Leadership
• Subspecialty Fellowship Training

Residents benefit from direct mentorship by board-certified subspecialists, individualized career guidance, scholarly support, and exposure to a broad range of clinical experiences. Many residents successfully pursue competitive fellowship opportunities following graduation.