News

South Texas Health System officially launched its STHS GME Consortium in 2022 to help recruit, educate and retain the Rio Grande Valley’s next generation of physicians to help combat the critical physician shortages across the region’s medically underserved communities.

On July 1, South Texas Health System will begin to reap the fruits of its labor as 30 new physicians begin their residency training at the system’s acute care facilities as part of the STHS GME Consortium’s first-ever cohort of family medicine and internal medicine residents.

“This marks a significant milestone in our institution’s commitment to excellence in medical education and community healthcare,” said Dr. Youssef Majed, Designated Institutional Official and Chief Academic Officer, STHS GME Consortium. “The first cohort of family medicine and internal medicine residents is comprised of a diverse group of talented and dedicated individuals who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievements and a passion for medicine.”

The 10 new resident physicians enrolled in the STHS GME Consortium’s Family Medicine Residency Program and the 20 new physicians in training as part of the consortium’s Internal Medicine Residency Program officially arrived in the Rio Grande Valley to take part in a two-week orientation program that began on Monday, June 17, to help them get better acquainted with their program leaders, South Texas Health System’s participating facilities and each other.

“We are thrilled to welcome our first cohort of residents to the Family and Internal Medicine programs,” said Majed. “These programs have been meticulously designed to provide rigorous training and firsthand experience, ensuring our residents are well-equipped to meet the healthcare needs of our community and beyond.”

For the next three years, the physicians in training taking part in the family medicine and internal medicine residency programs through the STHS GME Consortium will rotate through various specialties, gaining exposure to diverse patient populations and medical conditions, all in partnership with Texas A&M University and ASAS Health.

Participating internal medicine residents will conduct rotations at South Texas Health System’s largest acute care facility, South Texas Health System McAllen, South Texas Health System Edinburg, South Texas Health System Children’s and South Texas Health System Heart for their rotations. Each facility will present residents with the opportunity to train in a safe, clinical learning environment committed to delivering high-quality and compassionate healthcare.

Each resident will be paired with exceptional faculty members who will provide guidance and support throughout their training, with residents set to participate in community health initiatives aimed at enhancing their understanding of public health and social determinants of health, especially in the medically underserved communities of the Rio Grande Valley.

Additionally, all residents will have access to innovative research facilities and opportunities to contribute to medical advancements.

“South Texas Health System is privileged to be taking an active role in the training of the next generation of physicians, who we hope will choose to stay and serve the people of Rio Grande Valley’s medically underserved communities after graduation from the program,” said Emma Montes-Ewing, Chief Executive Officer, STHS McAllen. “Along with providing much-needed healthcare to local residents, these talented residents will be part of the innovation and transformation of healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.”

“As a leadership team, we’re committed to fully supporting our STHS GME Consortium program leaders and faculty members as they embark on this exciting new chapter in the development of more close-to-home GME training residency programs and fellowships for residents from around the world who want to make a difference in our medically underserved communities,” added Lance Ames, Chief Executive Officer, STHS Edinburg & STHS Children’s. “The future looks bright for the Rio Grande Valley!” 

New Residents at STHS

The STHS GME Consortium’s new residents include:

Family Medicine

• Anila Khan, MD, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Pakistan
• Annette Ketalu, MD, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea
• Bianca Nicole Nunez, MD, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine, Mexico
• Heidy Bosch Sanz, MD, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas de la Habana, Cuba
• Jorge Salazar, MD, Universidad de Montemorelos, Mexico
• Miguel Angel Hernandez Moreno, MD, Escuela de Medicina “Dr. Ignacio Chavez”, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Mexico
• Omar Jared Ruiloba, MD, Universidad de Montemorelos, Mexico
• Rosa Kenia Grijalba Rodriguez, MD, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Camagüey, Cuba
• Saadan Niazi, MD, Saint James School of Medicine, Anguilla
• Sarah Monzer Yazji, MD, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Internal Medicine

• Adlan M Ibrahim, MD, Medical University of the Americas – Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Bassent E. Abdelbary, MD, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt
• Chanpreet Singh, MD, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Science & Research, India
• David Savage-Lobeck, MD, Saint James School of Medicine, Anguilla
• Ebtisam M Tumi, MD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli, Libya
• Farah Al-Ghzawi, MD, Faculty of Medicine, Hashemite University, Jordan
• Hassan Mourad, MD, Centro de Estudios Universitarios Xochicalco, Mexico
• Katy Garcia, MD, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, United States
• Khaled Z. Zahrawi, MD, Faculty of Medicine, Misr University for Science and Technology, Egypt
• Mhd Wisam Alnablsi, MD, Tishreen University, Syria
• Mohamed Mohanna, MD, Faculty of Medical Science, Lebanese University, Lebanon
• Mukarram Farooq, MD, Allama Iqbal Medical College, affiliated with Jinnah Hospital, Pakistan
• Nezar Alsharif, MD, Syrian Private University, Syria
• Olympia Barri, MD, College of Medicine, University of the City of Manila, Philippines
• Quoc Bui, MD, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Vietnam
• Stephany Valko, MD, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Catolica del Ecuador, Ecuador
• Tamim Razqpour, MD, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Sint Maarten
• Thwe Thwe Tun, MD, University of Medicine, Mandalay, Myanmar
• Wassem Abu Obeida, MD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jordan, Jordan
• Yahya Hussin, MD, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands

South Texas Health System is proud to welcome the 30 physicians in training taking part in the STHS GME Consortium’s first-ever family medicine and internal medicine residency programs to their new home for the next three years with the hope they will opt to stay in the region indefinitely.