DHR Health

Internal Medicine Residency Program

Welcome Statement

Greetings from Southern Texas!

It is with great pleasure that I extend an invitation for you to learn more about our Internal Medicine residency program at DHR Health. The resident physicians at our program have the opportunity to learn from our dedicated faculty across multiple disciplines, and they benefit from instruction with an emphasis on cost effective, evidence based medicine within the context of cultural consideration. Our housestaff enjoy working in a hospital that is well-known within the community for its involvement. Perhaps the most outstanding attribute is the opportunity to work in a traditionally underserved population that is now also experiencing tremendous growth. While RGV could seem geographically isolated at first, our community is rich in tradition, with Texan and Mexican influences, and our residents enjoy diverse and family-friendly options for activities, recreation and dining. Please feel free to share your interests with us during your interview.

We enthusiastically welcome our new colleagues to join us in our profession and hope that many residents will chose to continue their careers here in the Rio Grande Valley. Residents bring enthusiasm and up-to-date perspectives on the challenges of medicine and often remind our faculty of why we chose to practice the art of medicine… however long ago that may have been.

Our goal is to train thoughtful, compassionate, well-prepared internists who are ready to make a difference.

Welcome to our program. I encourage you to explore with us how our program can support you in developing into the physician you’ve worked so hard to become.

Sincerely,

Michelle Cordoba Kissee, MD

Our Program

Mission and Program Aims

Our residents will be held to high standards which will align with our Sponsoring Institution's (DHR Health) mission to improve the well-being of those we serve with a commitment to excellence: every patient, every encounter, every time. DHR's vision is to create a world-class health system to advance medicine and increase access for the communities we serve by empowering caregivers to heal through compassion, knowledge, innovation, integrated care and excellence. DHR CARES defines our values which include Compassion, Accountability, Responsibility, Excellence through Knowledge, Safety and Social Conscience. The DHR Health Internal Medicine Program is dedicated to training inclusive, comprehensive internists characterized as clinicians, scholars, educators, and future leaders. Our supportive and socioeconomically diverse environment fosters academic and personal growth, as well as compassionate, high quality, patient-centered care. We are committed to serving our community, especially the underserved, by delivering excellent care always, without exception. Our mission is to provide residents with a well-rounded education and clinical experience in an educational environment beyond just the practice of medicine, such as quality improvement, patient experience, informatics, education, leadership, and advocacy. We pride ourselves on our excellent, world-class patient care as well as our family-oriented residency program.

Program Aims

Aim 1: To offer an innovative training program that cultivates residents, by means of progressive responsibility under supervision leading to graduated autonomy and mentorship, to become leaders with the capacity to pursue careers in clinical medicine, education, research, and/or administration and achieve certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).

Aim 2: To train our residents to become a consultant to all populations of patients and generalist physicians – in rural, under-represented and other special environments – for difficult or undifferentiated patient problems, or in areas in which the internist has unique expertise.

Aim 3: To create an educational environment that fosters scholarly activities with an emphasis on quality improvement, research, and community health to not only benefit the program but also the community and hospital system.

Aim 4: To promote a nurturing and collaborative atmosphere that encourages resident well-being, personal growth, and camaraderie.

Aim 5: To recruit and develop exemplary faculty and residents who have a passion for teaching, service and commitment to continuous improvement.

Aim 6: To promote the health and well-being of our multicultural and socioeconomically diverse community, with an emphasis on the underserved.

Application and Interview Process

The Internal Medicine Residency Program at DHR Health (1404800010) accepts applications through the internet-based ERAS program. The same application process applies to all Residency Programs.

Documentation submitted through ERAS must include:

Completed Application Form
Recent Photograph
CV and Personal Statement
Dean's Letter
Transcript
Three Letters of Recommendation
Results of USMLE/COMLEX examinations, Steps 1 and 2

Criteria for all medical school graduates:

Passing of USMLE/COMLEX examinations on the ﬁrst attempt.
Graduation from medical school within the last 5 years.
Graduates of medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada must hold a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
Meet requirements for J-1 Visa sponsorship (if applicable)

Contact Us

Klarissa Farias

Program Coordinator

1000 E Dove Ave. Ste. 201

McAllen, TX 78504

(956) 362-2430

[email protected]

Faculty

Carlos Cardenas, MD – Program Director / Chairman of the Board - DHR Health
Michelle Cordoba Kissee, MD - Associate Program Director Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Subspecialty Education Coordinator = SEC / Obesity Medicine Clinical Experience Faculty
Celia Pantoja Rojas, MD - Associate Program Director / Outpatient & Inpatient Medicine
Jose Bejarano, MD - Core Internist Faculty / Hospital Medicine (Inpatient APD)
Sung Lim, MD - Core Internist Faculty = CIF
Gauri Kanhere, MD - Core Internist Faculty = CIF
Rajeev Mathavan, MD - Core Internist Faculty = CIF
Juan Salazar, MD - Core Internist Faculty = CIF
Carlos A. Paris, MD - Core Internist Faculty = CIF
Oscar Mendez, MD - Core Internist Faculty = CIF
Arturo Martinez, MD - Core Internist Faculty = CIF

Our Curriculum

Learn more regarding our Internal Medicine Residency Program below.

Learn More

Benefits and Stipend

Learn More

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

DHR Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion. We know that diverse and inclusive teams have a positive impact, by generating varied perspectives and in turn better ideas to solve complex problems. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills and views, by ensuring fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all residents, faculty, and staff. We strive to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups, due to race, ethnicity, language, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status, physical or mental disability, and others.

We appreciate the unique abilities and perspectives of our diverse workforce and community. By creating an environment where faculty, physicians, residents, fellows, and staff can be their true selves at work without fear of judgment, we aim to foster creativity, raise productivity, and improve organizational performance. We believe that all our faculty, physicians, residents/fellows, and staff play the critical role in the overall success of the organization and the vision we have for our community. We create a sense of belonging at the workplace, where employees are appreciated for their unique contributions, recognized for their accomplishments, supported in their career goals, and have a sense of connection to how they are positively impacting their community.

Through community partnerships, we generate transformation within our institution as a means of advocating for better care for our patients, creating a more diverse physician workforce, and serving our community. We strive to promote social justice by advocating for equitable health care, without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, social status, or ability to pay. We are committed to an organizational culture that will connect our residents and fellows to the organization; encourage collaboration, flexibility and fairness; and leverage diversity throughout the organization, so that all residents and fellows will be able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

DHR Health recruits resident/fellow applicants underrepresented in medicine (UIM) for advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The DHR Health GME Diversity Committee is included in all planning phases of faculty and resident/fellow recruitment, selection, and retention and includes hospital leaders, GME representatives, and residents/fellows.

DHR Health Internal Medicine

Residents & Alumni

PGY-1 PGY-2 PGY-3 Alumni

PGY-1 PGY-2 PGY-3 Alumni

Resident Life

Our Commitment to Wellness

Counseling services provided to residents and faculty are available Monday-Friday from 8am - 8pm and on weekends from 9am - 6pm. Call 956-362-2732 to set up an appointment.

Resources:

GME Resident and Fellow Confidential Reporting Portal

Our Community

The Rio Grande Valley is a region in deep South Texas, beautifully rich in culture.

Housing Options

The Village at Renaissance Appartments

Our Program

Mission and Program Aims

Program Aims

Application and Interview Process

Contact Us

Klarissa Farias

Faculty

Our Curriculum

Benefits and Stipend

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Residents & Alumni

Andrea Morales Acosta, MD

Asma Tarjmani, MD

Edgar S. Rubio, MD

Fernando Pena, MD

Genesis Camacho Leon, MD

Hugo Cruz, MD

Keila Carrera Mejias, MD

Laura Castro, MD

Marcos Collazo Acevedo, MD

Prince Shah-Riar, MD

Vasanthika Imandi, MD

Yasitha Kakarlapudi, MD

Aminadab Godina Flores, MD

Andrea Garcia Bautista, MD

Carolina Velez J., MD

Charu Hasini Vasa, MD

Jathniel Panneflek, MD

Laura Reyes Uribe, MD

Mahmoud Barbarawi, MD

Majdi Salahie, MD

Prakriti Arya, MD

Rafael Cardenas Castillo, MD

Rishika Trivedi, MD

Sergio Hernandez Llamas, MD

Percy Thomas, MD

Rama Bakie, MD

Jonathan Gyebi, MD

Kalyana Mondreti, MD

Naresh Purohit, MD

Vianis C. Bravo, MD

Resident Life

Our Commitment to Wellness

Our Community