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 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.
Faculty
- Carlos Cardenas, MD – Program Director / Chairman of the Board
- Sung Lim, MD - Associate Program Director / Inpatient Medicine
- Juan Salazar, MD - Associate Program Director / Outpatient Medicine / Clinic Director
- Jose Bejarano, MD - Core Internist Faculty / Hospital Medicine
- Andrew Dentino, MD - Core Internist Faculty / Geriatric Medicine Clinical Experience Faculty
- Michelle Cordoba Kissee - Core Internist Faculty / Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Subspecialty Education Coordinator / Obesity Medicine Clinical Experience Faculty
- Praveen Vijhani, MD - Core Internist Faculty / Critical Care Medicine Education Coordinator / Pulmonary Disease Education Coordinator
Our Curriculum
Learn more regarding our Internal Medicine Residency Program below.
Benefits and Stipend
Vacation and Sick Leave – ALL Residents receive fifteen (15) days of paid vacation and twelve (12) days of sick leave per year. Vacation and sick days do not carry over from year to year.
All residents are eligible for up to twelve (12) weeks of leave for birth or adoption of a child, personal illness, or that of a qualified family member. In accordance with the ACGME Institutional Requirements (IV.H.1.a) the first 6 weeks of the first approved leave will be paid at 100% of their salary and will ensure the continuation of health and disability insurance benefits for residents/fellows and their eligible dependents during any approved medical, parental or caregiver leave(s) of absence. Residents will be provided with a minimum of one week of paid time off reserved for use outside of the first six weeks of the first approved medical, parental, or caregiver leave(s) of absence taken.
Orientation Stipends: Incoming residents will receive $150 per day for estimated 10 days before July 1st for orientation.
Educational / Travel Allowance: In addition to basic salary, each resident is entitled to reimbursement for items that support and advance their education and training, including travel when presenting at a conference or meeting. All reimbursements must be approved by the Program Director and DIO.
PGY1 residents receive a $1,000 allowance for approved expenses.
PGY2 to PGY6 residents receive a $2,000 allowance per year for approved expenses.
Examples of Approved Items
- Medical Textbooks (paper or electronic)
- Journal Subscriptions (paper or electronic)
- Conference Registration
- Question Banks
- Medical apps (individual use only)
- Medical Society Memberships outside of House Staff Benefits
- Board Prep Materials
- Travel Expenses
Examples of NON-Approved Items
- Reimbursement of full licensure
- Step 3 exam fees
- Device or Equipment
- Operating Systems
USMLE Step 3: Each resident is eligible for reimbursement for their USLME Step 3 exam if taken and passed in their PGY-1 year or first year of residency at Company.
Texas Physician-in-Training Permit (PIT): Incoming residents will be reimbursed for their PIT License application fee.
Lab Coats and Scrubs: Residents/Fellows are issued two lab coats and two sets of scrubs during their first year of training unless otherwise specified by the training program. One additional lab coat and one set of scrubs will be given to each resident at the beginning of the second year unless otherwise specified by the training program.
Professional Membership Dues: Membership Dues for all residents in the Texas Medical Association and Hidalgo/Cameron County Medical Society are provided. Additional membership may be specified by your training program.
Certification: Residents will receive reimbursement for required certifications, such as BLS, ACS, and ATLS.
Additional Resident Benefits Include:
Medical Insurance and Prescription Drug Coverage: Company offers each resident medical insurance coverage. Residents have the option to add their spouse and/or children. Residents will be responsible for deductibles and co-pays.
Dental and Vision Insurance: Dental and vision insurance is available for both residents and their families. This is an optional coverage and each resident is responsible for the cost.
Health Care and Dependent Care FSA: Residents may enroll in the flexible spending accounts (FSAs). FSAs allow you to set money aside from your earnings before taxes are withheld to put into an account used to pay out-of-pocket health care expenses with the Health Care Reimbursement Account (HCRA) or qualifying dependent daycare expenses.
Basic Group Term Life (GTL): Residents are provided Basic GTL in the amount of 1x their salary at no cost and without Evidence of Insurability (EOI). Additional Voluntary GTL insurance is available with or without Basic GTL.
Disability Insurance: Residents are offered long-term disability insurance at no cost. Short-term disability can be purchased as an optional insurance.
Professional Liability Insurance: Residents are covered under the Company professional liability policy at no cost.
Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment: Basic accidental death and dismemberment insurance (AD&D) is part of the Company’s benefit package at no cost. Residents may choose to enroll themselves and eligible dependents in optional Voluntary AD&D Insurance.
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.
