Texas Tech Health El Paso and Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Celebrate First Graduating Residency Class

Texas Tech Health El Paso and The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus commemorated a major milestone as the first cohort of resident physicians completed their graduate medical education earlier this summer. These graduates are the first of a growing residency program that is working to address the region’s critical physician shortage 

"Residency is an incredibly challenging period, but it's a vital step in transforming medical school graduates into exceptional specialist physicians," said Richard Lange, M.D, M.B.A., president of Texas Tech Health El Paso. "We're immensely proud of this first class's perseverance and the world-class care they provided to patients across El Paso."

Eight internal medicine residents began their journey three years ago, in the spring of 2021, during the nationwide annual residency match process during their final year of medical school. In partnership with The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus, the university selected these eight for its inaugural residency programs in internal medicine. Psychiatry residents were also selected at that time. They will complete their four-year program next year.

With the graduation of the first residency class, Texas Tech Health El Paso and The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus will continue expanding residency programs to help address the dire shortage of physicians in West Texas. The internal medicine program now accepts 14 residents yearly, up from eight in 2021.

“Our goal with this program is to generate the next generation of healthcare providers and to give them the training they need to be successful in their medical careers,” said David Byrd, chief executive officer for The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus.  “As one of the nation’s newest teaching hospitals, we are excited to be expanding the medical resident program and working to fill a need for our community.  We are ecstatic to celebrate the graduation of our first cohort of medical residents and know they are all going to make a tremendous difference in patients’ lives.”