Laredo Medical Center Graduates First Class of Resident Physicians, Welcomes New Cohort and Continues to Receive Community Support

1/27/2022

In 2021, Laredo Medical Center and its academic partner, the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), achieved two major milestones as the first resident physicians of the LMC Family Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency Programs graduated, the fourth cohort was welcomed - and now in 2022 - generous donors continue to offer financial support for expansion efforts.

A total of 16 graduating resident physicians, including seven in the Family Medicine program and nine in the Internal Medicine program, participated in the first-ever commencement ceremony for the city’s only Graduation Medical Education program at Laredo Medical Center.

Jorge Leal, FACHE, CEO of Laredo Medical Center, expressed his enthusiasm and pride for this monumental achievement.

“We cannot overemphasize the residents’ sincere desire to improve themselves to better serve and care for their patients. As resident physicians, they not only offered quality and compassionate healthcare, but they provided humanistic care to the community, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Leal.

As the hospital bid farewell to the first graduating class, it welcomed the fourth cohort—consisting of 10 Family Medicine Residents and eight Internal Medicine Residents during the annual White Coat Ceremony. As part of the traditional ceremony, each resident was introduced and received their white lab coat to signal their start in the three-year-long residency program. The resident physicians began their residency on Monday, July 1.

Launched in July 2018, the Laredo Medical Center Residency programs are the city’s only Graduate Medical Education programs that came to fruition after several years of collaboration with the Texas Institute for Graduate Medical Education and the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM). The new residents join the current 30 residents for the 2021-2022 year with a total of 48 residents being enrolled.

“Laredo Medical Center is excited to welcome and bring a fourth cohort of residents onboard,” said Jorge Leal, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer. “Our goal is to recruit the very best resident physicians from each program and support those who choose to stay in Laredo to build their private practice and serve our community.”

Leal added that the fourth cohort of residents includes three Laredoans.

“We are pleased that LMC’s Residency Programs are opening a much-needed opportunity for Laredoans to stay closer to home to fulfill their dreams in the medical profession,” Leal said.

The residency programs are accredited by the American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

During the ceremony, a group of seven medical students from their School of Osteopathic Medicine were introduced. These individuals are third-year medical students who will be performing their clinical rotations for the next two years at LMC with the potential to later join as residents themselves.

The residency programs have started the new year on the right foot, thanks to the generosity of two local philanthropists who are supporting the expansion of medical education in the community.

Laredo Medical Center and the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine are proud to announce that their partnership has achieved a generous donation of $100,000 from Mr. David Killam as a continuation of the support shown by his late mother, Mrs. Sue Killam.

Additionally, the Matias De Llano Charitable Trust, administered by International Bank of Commerce, has graciously donated $85,000 as a continuation of their support for the residency programs, presented by Eliza Gonzalez and Anna Mercado, representing the Trust and IBC.

Accepting both donations on January 11 were the leaders of the Laredo Medical Center Family Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency Programs, including LMC CEO Jorge Leal, Dr. Michael Mohr, Dr. Melissa Martin, Dr. Hector Santos, and Dr. Maria Garcia. Also present to show gratitude for the continued generosity were several resident physicians, some of whom are originally from Laredo and others who plan to practice in Laredo after completion of their residency training.

“We sincerely thank our educational and training partners, as well as our donors for their generosity. Together, we have made our residency programs a reality to produce the next generation of physicians,” said Leal.

For more information about LMC’s residency programs, visit www.tigmer.com/lmc-main or call (956) 796-3223.

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