Internal Medicine Residency at Knapp Medical Center
Welcome Letter from the Program Director
Welcome to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Knapp Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program! We are glad you are considering our program and excited to share with you the excitement and energy of our residents and faculty in building the physician infrastructure to serve the tremendous medical needs of the Rio Grande Valley.
The Rio Grande Valley is a socio-cultural area with a rich and diverse cultural history in the southernmost tip of South Texas. The region is home to an estimated 1.5 million individuals and has been identified as one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. Due to its unique proximal location to Mexico, there is a variety of clinical cases that our residents get to manage first-hand that are not commonly seen in other parts of the country. There are many varied entertainment, dining, and professional sports options available and South Padre Island is only an hour away.
Our residents and faculty are the heart and soul of our program. Our inaugural class of residents commenced their residency at the height of the COVID pandemic in South Texas. And together with the current first years, they have continued to assist in combating the pandemic while also excelling in their different professional journeys. They make us proud in many ways. Our passionate and dedicated faculty- including 2 of us that are UTRGV Internal Medicine residency graduates, have joined the program to promote the mission of excellence in serving the Valley. We are grateful for the support of the medical community of Knapp Medical Center for their unwavering support of the program.
Lastly, we are proud of all our residents and their ongoing accomplishments. We strongly encourage participation in scholarly activities and engagement in clinical research. We also promote residents’ overall total wellbeing and wellness. The curriculum is being constantly updated to reflect the needs of our learners.
As a graduate of one of the UTRGV Internal Medicine programs, it gives me immense joy and fulfillment to serve in this capacity to train future Physicians in a sister program. Our hope is that we have sparked your interest and good fortune will allow us to tell our story to you. We wish you the best as you begin your medical career and hope you do consider joining our family!
Fatimah Oluwakemi Bello, MD, MPH
Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Assistant Professor of Medicine
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine