Ponce School of Medicine
Encyclopedia
Ponce School of Medicine (incorporated as the Ponce Medical School Foundation) is a private
medical school
located in the city of Ponce
in Puerto Rico
, U.S. The school is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education
(LCME), and classified as a United States Medical School. The school was inaugurated in 1977.
Ponce School of Medicine holds nationally accredited graduate programs in the disciplines of Medicine, Clinical Psychology, and Biomedical Sciences, and Public Health. Ponce School of Medicine is also distinguished by its strong support of graduate medical education through several consortia agreements in south eastern Puerto Rico.
The current dean of the medical school, Joxel Garcia
, is a former four-star
admiral
in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and Assistant Secretary for Health
(ASH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
. He was appointed as dean of the institution in 2009 .
in 1977.
In July 1980, the Council of Higher Education of Puerto Rico (CHE-PR) authorized the Foundation to operate the Ponce School of Medicine. In 1981, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited the school to grant the MD degree. The new administration, governed by a Board of Trustees, successfully handled the change and challenge and the new free-standing School of Medicine graduated its first class of 23 students.
In 1983, recognizing the need to establish a research program, the School applied for funds under the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program (MBRS) and the Research Center in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program. The award of both grants permitted the faculty to undertake expanded research activities.
A Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (PhD Program) was also initiated in 1988, and in 1992 the Council of Higher Education of Puerto Rico (CHE-PR) accredited the PhD Program and authorized PSM to award a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Biomedical Sciences to those students who completed program.
A new campus for Ponce School of Medicine was inaugurated in January 1995. The new facilities included a research building, a library, classrooms, a teaching laboratory, and the Gross Anatomy building.
During 1999-2000 academic year, PSM began its Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program (PsyD Program). Graduates from the program are awarded a doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree in Clinical Psychology as authorized by CHE-PR. In August 2002, PSM matriculated 30 students on a CHE-PR authorized Master Program in Public Health (MPH). The program has a length of two consecutive academic years organized in six trimesters.
In April 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that Ponce School of Medicine was awarded a $19 million grant to establish Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers (RECs) serving Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. This investment was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It is expected that this investment helps grow the emerging health information technology (health IT) industry which is expected to support tens of thousands of jobs ranging from nurses and pharmacy techs to IT technicians and trainers (REC Grant Information).
PSM commits to its mission and the accomplishment of its vision by striving to fulfill the following institutional goals:
To expand its academic and professional educational offerings to include other health related fields.
To enhance recognition of the institution’s commitment to excellence in basic and clinical research, scholarship and creative pursuits, supporting existing investigators and recruiting new highly qualified researchers.
To expand and improve its high quality medical, mental health, diagnostic and therapeutic services.
To continue to be an institution that prepares ethical professionals and scientists that contribute to society in general and Puerto Rico in particular.
Ponce School of Medicine is accredited, on probation, by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). It is also accredited by the Council on Higher Education of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (CHE-PR). In June 1999, PSM was awarded candidacy status by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Higher Education (CHE-MSA).
. The geographic proximity and large Hispanic populations in Florida
and Puerto Rico
drove a long-standing effort by the Ponce School of Medicine and the Moffitt Cancer Center to develop the education and research oriented "PSM-Moffitt Partnership". This partnership is based on a cooperative agreement between the Ponce School of Medicine, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and the National Cancer Institute
.
, the president and dean of the institution.
President Arturo Valldejuly, BS
Vice-President Lorenzo Dragoni, BSE
Secretary Efraín Vasallo, BSME
Sub-Secretary Vilma E. Colón Acosta, PhD
Treasurer Jorge Martin Jiménez, CPA
Trustee William Rosado, BS, PhD (HC)
Trustee Jeannette Vecchini Lugo, Esq.
Trustee César Hernández Colón, Esq.
Trustee Alberto Torruellas, Esq
Trustee Ramón Torres Morales, B.S.I.E., MS
Trustee Javier Cerra,MD
Trustee Luis Ghigliotti, MD
Trustee Jordi Bofill, BSCE
Ex-Officio Dr. Joxel Garcia, MD, MBA
Trustee Emeritus Charles Cuprill Oppenheimer
AMA Chapter
Student Council
Student Tutoring Program
Emergency Medicine Interest Group
Surgery Interest Group
Internal Medicine Interest Group
Neurology Interest Group
Pediatrics Interest Group
OB/GYN Interest Group
Mental Health Interest Group
Family Medicine Interest Group
Anesthesiology Interest Group
Ponce Medicine
Oncology interest Group
Radiology Interest Group
Ophthalmology interest Group
The following Practicum Sites are also available for the PsyD Program:
Juan Fernández, PhD Anatomy
José Torres Ruiz, PhD - Chair of the Biochemistry department at Ponce School of Medicine, and author of various books.
Marta Febo, MD Family & Community Medicine - founder of the Standardized Patients simulation center for medical students in Ponce.
Miguel Magraner, MD Internal Medicine (Acting) - Internal Medicine Residency Program Director at Damas Hospital in Ponce, PR.
Nilda Zapata, MD Microbiology - Medical Director at Damas Hospital in Ponce, PR.
Joaquín A. Laboy Torres, MD Obstetrics – Gynecology
Adalberto Mendoza, MD Pathology
Olga Rodríguez, MD Pediatrics
Jaime Matta, PhD Pharmacology - internationally renowned for cancer research studies.
Angel Isidro, MD Physiology
Luis Franco, MD Psychiatry
Aníbal Torres, MD Surgery
Interdepartments Programs
Rafael Iriarte, MD Bioethics & Preventative Medicine - former Alpha Omega Alpha Chancellor.
Ivonne Galarza, MD Introduction to Clinical Medicine
Roberto León, MD Pathophysiology
Inés Hernández, MD Problem – Based Learning
Others:
Manuel Martinez Maldonado, MD - former Ponce School of Medicine President & Dean, former University of Louisville Vice-President.
Gregory Quirk, PhD - world-renowned neuroscientist for developments in Extinction of Fear theory.
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
located in the city of Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, U.S. The school is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education
Liaison Committee on Medical Education
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education is an accrediting body for educational programs at schools of medicine in the United States and Canada. The LCME accredits only the schools that grant a doctor of medicine degree; osteopathic medical schools are accredited by the Commission on...
(LCME), and classified as a United States Medical School. The school was inaugurated in 1977.
Ponce School of Medicine holds nationally accredited graduate programs in the disciplines of Medicine, Clinical Psychology, and Biomedical Sciences, and Public Health. Ponce School of Medicine is also distinguished by its strong support of graduate medical education through several consortia agreements in south eastern Puerto Rico.
The current dean of the medical school, Joxel Garcia
Joxel García
Joxel García is a Puerto Rican physician and a former four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He served as the thirteenth Assistant Secretary for Health , U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from March 13, 2008 to January 20, 2009...
, is a former four-star
4 star rank
Four-star rank is a term used to describe a very senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO OF-9 code. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members...
admiral
Admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and Assistant Secretary for Health
United States Assistant Secretary for Health
The United States Assistant Secretary for Health serves as the Secretary of Health and Human Services's primary advisor on matters involving the nation's public health and, if serving as an active member in the regular corps, is the highest ranking uniformed officer in the Public Health Service...
(ASH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
. He was appointed as dean of the institution in 2009 .
History
In January 1980 a group of lay and professional leaders in southern Puerto Rico established the Ponce School of Medicine Foundation, a non-profit organization, for the purpose of providing continuity to the Medical Education Program (MD Program), originally developed by the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto RicoPontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico is a Roman Catholic university located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It provides courses in the areas of education, business administration, arts and human studies and science, leading to Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate Degrees. Its campus is also home...
in 1977.
In July 1980, the Council of Higher Education of Puerto Rico (CHE-PR) authorized the Foundation to operate the Ponce School of Medicine. In 1981, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited the school to grant the MD degree. The new administration, governed by a Board of Trustees, successfully handled the change and challenge and the new free-standing School of Medicine graduated its first class of 23 students.
In 1983, recognizing the need to establish a research program, the School applied for funds under the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program (MBRS) and the Research Center in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program. The award of both grants permitted the faculty to undertake expanded research activities.
A Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (PhD Program) was also initiated in 1988, and in 1992 the Council of Higher Education of Puerto Rico (CHE-PR) accredited the PhD Program and authorized PSM to award a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Biomedical Sciences to those students who completed program.
A new campus for Ponce School of Medicine was inaugurated in January 1995. The new facilities included a research building, a library, classrooms, a teaching laboratory, and the Gross Anatomy building.
During 1999-2000 academic year, PSM began its Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program (PsyD Program). Graduates from the program are awarded a doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree in Clinical Psychology as authorized by CHE-PR. In August 2002, PSM matriculated 30 students on a CHE-PR authorized Master Program in Public Health (MPH). The program has a length of two consecutive academic years organized in six trimesters.
In April 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that Ponce School of Medicine was awarded a $19 million grant to establish Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers (RECs) serving Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. This investment was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It is expected that this investment helps grow the emerging health information technology (health IT) industry which is expected to support tens of thousands of jobs ranging from nurses and pharmacy techs to IT technicians and trainers (REC Grant Information).
Mission
The mission of Ponce School of Medicine is to provide high quality education, research and health services in medicine, biological sciences, clinical psychology, public health, and other healthcare fields, to the population we serve, through an innovative health sciences curriculum, while preparing students to be ethical practitioners and scientists.Vision
The PSM vision is to achieve the highest level of recognition as a prestigious academic center and to become a health sciences university of the highest quality.PSM commits to its mission and the accomplishment of its vision by striving to fulfill the following institutional goals:
Goals
The continuous commitment to excellence in educational achievement by recruiting talented students and faculty, and providing the resources for the development of high quality academic programs.To expand its academic and professional educational offerings to include other health related fields.
To enhance recognition of the institution’s commitment to excellence in basic and clinical research, scholarship and creative pursuits, supporting existing investigators and recruiting new highly qualified researchers.
To expand and improve its high quality medical, mental health, diagnostic and therapeutic services.
To continue to be an institution that prepares ethical professionals and scientists that contribute to society in general and Puerto Rico in particular.
Licenses and Accreditations
- Liaison Committee on Medical EducationLiaison Committee on Medical EducationThe Liaison Committee on Medical Education is an accrediting body for educational programs at schools of medicine in the United States and Canada. The LCME accredits only the schools that grant a doctor of medicine degree; osteopathic medical schools are accredited by the Commission on...
(LCME) - Council on Higher Education of Puerto RicoCouncil on Higher Education of Puerto RicoThe Council on Higher Education of Puerto Rico is an agency of the government of Puerto Rico in charge of coordinating all efforts related to higher education in Puerto Rico...
(CHE-PR) - Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Board of Medical Examiners of Puerto Rico
- Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO)
- APA American Psychological Association
Research
In 2002, Ponce School of Medicine established an academic partnership with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research InstituteH. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute opened on October 26, 1986, on the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida. The current President/CEO is Dr. William S...
. The geographic proximity and large Hispanic populations in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
drove a long-standing effort by the Ponce School of Medicine and the Moffitt Cancer Center to develop the education and research oriented "PSM-Moffitt Partnership". This partnership is based on a cooperative agreement between the Ponce School of Medicine, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and the National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
.
Leadership and Governance
The Ponce School of Medicine is led by Dr.Joxel GarciaJoxel García
Joxel García is a Puerto Rican physician and a former four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He served as the thirteenth Assistant Secretary for Health , U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from March 13, 2008 to January 20, 2009...
, the president and dean of the institution.
Board of Trustees
Ponce Medical School Foundation, Inc. has been established as a non-profit corporation to operate the Ponce School of Medicine. The Board of Trustees of the Ponce Medical School Foundation, Inc., is the governing body of the PSM. The Board is authorized to exercise all necessary and incidental powers to carry on the purpose for which the Foundation was organized.President Arturo Valldejuly, BS
Vice-President Lorenzo Dragoni, BSE
Secretary Efraín Vasallo, BSME
Sub-Secretary Vilma E. Colón Acosta, PhD
Treasurer Jorge Martin Jiménez, CPA
Trustee William Rosado, BS, PhD (HC)
Trustee Jeannette Vecchini Lugo, Esq.
Trustee César Hernández Colón, Esq.
Trustee Alberto Torruellas, Esq
Trustee Ramón Torres Morales, B.S.I.E., MS
Trustee Javier Cerra,MD
Trustee Luis Ghigliotti, MD
Trustee Jordi Bofill, BSCE
Ex-Officio Dr. Joxel Garcia, MD, MBA
Trustee Emeritus Charles Cuprill Oppenheimer
Charles Cuprill Oppenheimer
Charles Cuprill Oppenheimer was a Rotary District Governor for Puerto Rico and a retired Major general in the Puerto Rico National Guard...
Student organizations
AMSA ChapterAMA Chapter
Student Council
Student Tutoring Program
Emergency Medicine Interest Group
Surgery Interest Group
Internal Medicine Interest Group
Neurology Interest Group
Pediatrics Interest Group
OB/GYN Interest Group
Mental Health Interest Group
Family Medicine Interest Group
Anesthesiology Interest Group
Ponce Medicine
Oncology interest Group
Radiology Interest Group
Ophthalmology interest Group
Affiliated Institutions
Ponce School of Medicine is affiliated with several hospitals and health care facilities. The Institution also owns the PSM Outpatient Clinics located in its main campus and administrates various mental health facilities in Mayagüez, Aguadilla and Ponce. The affiliation network provides over 2,000 beds and several ambulatory facilities available for clinical teaching and training. The affiliated institutions include the following, among others:- Andrés Grillasca Oncologic Hospital – Ponce
- Bella Vista Hospital – Yauco
- Cristo Redentor Hospital - Guayama
- Damas Hospital – Ponce
- Dr. Pila Family Center - Ponce
- Dr. Pila Hospital – Ponce
- Emeterio Betances University Hospital - Mayagüez
- First Hospital Panamericano – Ponce
- Professional Hospital GuaynaboProfessional HospitalProfessional Hospital is a private general hospital in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. It encompasses the Vascular Institute of Puerto Rico—site where the first vascular stent in Puerto Rico was placed. The institution has been treating vascular conditions in Puerto Rico since 1988...
- Guaynabo - La Concepción Hospital – San Germán
- Ponce Playa Diagnostic and Treatment Center – Ponce
- San Antonio Hospital – Mayagüez
- San Cristobal Hospital – Ponce
- Saint Luke’s Episcopal Hospital - Ponce
- Tripler Army Medical Center - Hawaii
- University of ArizonaUniversity of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
College of Medicine - Arizona - Veteran Affairs Medical Center – San Juan
The following Practicum Sites are also available for the PsyD Program:
- Counseling Center- Colegio Universitario del Este – Carolina
- PSM Centros de Salud Conductual – Aguadilla, Mayagüez
- Federal Correctional Facility – Guaynabo
- Head Start Program – Ponce, Coamo, Juana Díaz
- La Guadalupe Hospice - Ponce
- Nueva Esperanza Center – Ponce
- Sister Isolina Ferre Centers – Ponce
- Sports Medicine Clinic – Salinas
- PSM Outpatient Clinics - Ponce
- Interamerican University of Puerto RicoInteramerican University of Puerto RicoThe Inter American University of Puerto Rico —or Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico in Spanish, and often referred as "Inter"— is a private university system in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1912 in San German, Puerto Rico. The University has campuses in Aguadilla, Arecibo, Barranquitas,...
– San German Campus
Notable Ponce School of Medicine Alumni
- Joxel GarciaJoxel GarcíaJoxel García is a Puerto Rican physician and a former four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He served as the thirteenth Assistant Secretary for Health , U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from March 13, 2008 to January 20, 2009...
- Admiral Joxel Garcia, USPHS, MD, MBA. Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services (Rank above Surgeon General of the United States). Representative of the United States of America on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization. - Rivka Colen - Harvard Radiologist
- Zulmarie Roig - Harvard Neuroradiologist, Harvard Professor
- Dr. Carlos Lugo - Johns Hopkins Radiologist
- Dr. Bernardo Fernandez - Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Cleveland Clinic Florida
- Dr. Jose Ginel Rodriguez - President and Dean of Medicine Universidad Central del Caribe, UCC School of Medicine.
Notable Ponce School of Medicine Faculty
Department ChairmenJuan Fernández, PhD Anatomy
José Torres Ruiz, PhD - Chair of the Biochemistry department at Ponce School of Medicine, and author of various books.
Marta Febo, MD Family & Community Medicine - founder of the Standardized Patients simulation center for medical students in Ponce.
Miguel Magraner, MD Internal Medicine (Acting) - Internal Medicine Residency Program Director at Damas Hospital in Ponce, PR.
Nilda Zapata, MD Microbiology - Medical Director at Damas Hospital in Ponce, PR.
Joaquín A. Laboy Torres, MD Obstetrics – Gynecology
Adalberto Mendoza, MD Pathology
Olga Rodríguez, MD Pediatrics
Jaime Matta, PhD Pharmacology - internationally renowned for cancer research studies.
Angel Isidro, MD Physiology
Luis Franco, MD Psychiatry
Aníbal Torres, MD Surgery
Interdepartments Programs
Rafael Iriarte, MD Bioethics & Preventative Medicine - former Alpha Omega Alpha Chancellor.
Ivonne Galarza, MD Introduction to Clinical Medicine
Roberto León, MD Pathophysiology
Inés Hernández, MD Problem – Based Learning
Others:
Manuel Martinez Maldonado, MD - former Ponce School of Medicine President & Dean, former University of Louisville Vice-President.
Gregory Quirk, PhD - world-renowned neuroscientist for developments in Extinction of Fear theory.
External links
- Ponce Medicine Webmagazine - a magazine focused on promoting Philanthropy, Community Service, Research and News from Ponce,PR.
- Ponce Medicine Organization - a student-based organization
- Escuela de Medicina de Ponce - official site.
- psm.edu - official site.
- Alpha Omega Alpha Beta Chapter Puerto Rico