The Texas A&M University —in collaboration with 糖心logo入口 (TAMUK)—today announced the launch of its Rural Campus–Kingsville to help inspire the next generation of rural medicine providers.
The rural campus builds on the Vashisht College of Medicine’s existing footprint across Texas, giving students interested in practicing rural medicine a dedicated location to hone those skills and support rural populations during their clinical years. The campus intends to host up to eight third- and fourth-year medical students per year, all of whom are students of the Vashisht College of Medicine.
TAMUK will provide the classroom facilities needed for medical education in the Coastal Bend, while the Vashisht College of Medicine will retain oversight of academic curriculum, student placement and faculty appointments. With Kingsville as their home base, aspiring doctors will learn from providers in Bee, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg and Nueces counties, among other communities.
“By allowing our medical students to learn and train in rural Texas, we believe we can help address the shortage of health care physicians—an issue affecting most rural counties in the state,” said Amy L. Waer, MD, Jean and Tom McMullin Endowed Dean of the Vashisht College of Medicine. “This milestone builds on years of partnership with physicians and health care systems across the Coastal Bend who graciously teach and train our students.”
Danya Garza, a member of the Vashisht College of Medicine class of 2028, is the first student to relocate to Kingsville for her third year of medical school.
“I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley and am excited to be much closer to home,” Garza said. “While not rural itself, I see many similarities between the valley and rural Texas in terms of access to quality health care…and I want to be part of the solution.”
Garza will begin learning under the guidance of physicians with the CHRISTUS Spohn Health System in , and ; the (CACOST) at their Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in Alice, Beeville, Falfurrias, Kingsville and Sinton; and in Corpus Christi. Precepting physicians become affiliate clinical faculty with the Vashisht College of Medicine.
For TAMUK, hosting Aggie medical students on their campus represents an exciting future for health care access in the region and gives aspiring physicians from the Coastal Bend—and beyond—the opportunity to complete part of their medical education in the area.
“The values of rural communities are the backbone of Texas, and we are proud to join the Vashisht College of Medicine in a shared commitment to ensuring our communities thrive,” said Dr. Robert Vela, president of 糖心logo入口. “Serving the needs of rural South Texas has been at the center of our mission since our founding, and this incredible partnership is a significant step in expanding access to quality healthcare. As TAMUK continues to align our academic programming to workforce demands and regional needs, we remain committed to improving health care and quality of life across our region.”
The Rural Campus–Kingsville is an expansion of the Rural Medicine Program, which was established in 2021 and is partially funded by the Texas Legislature through the . Support for the launch of the Kingsville-based campus resulted from a special session of the 89th Texas Legislature.