Pete Mendoza
Portrait of Maria de Jesus Munoz assistant dean of Clerkship and director of Clinical Skills.
A Valley native whose goal was to become a doctor to help people in need is living her dream after earning a doctorate in family medicine and sharing her knowledge with students.
In March 2023, the UTRGV School of Medicine appointed Maria de Jesus Munoz as the assistant dean of Clerkship, where she helps students with research and curriculum development.
Director of Clinical Skills Dr. Maria de Jesus Munoz spoke about the balance of her job and how she helps students from her position.
“My job as assistant dean of Clerkships, it’s a perfect balance for me because not only do I get to share my knowledge with medical students, but I get to develop a curriculum,” Munoz said.
She said as the director for Clinical Skills she teaches about the basics, how to communicate with patients and how to perform certain exams.
Muñoz said she wants to prepare her students for their future careers so they can use the skills she teaches them to be able to help communities.
She said her family had always stressed the importance of education, especially with the way she and her family grew up.
Munoz said she quickly realized the importance of an education and was later able to be the first in her family to go to medical school.
She said the kickstart for her passion started off when she was a nurse. She saw a woman not able to get the help she needed, which pushed her to further her career in medicine.
“I left the Valley to go to medical school and I decided to pursue a career in family medicine,” Munoz said. “And then, I went to complete my residency in San Antonio, and then I came back to the Valley.”
Munoz said she always had a desire to teach students since she was in San Antonio. She stated she wanted to give back to her community by sharing her knowledge.
“I hope that others will also be inspired and just realize that dreams do come true,” Munoz said. “You just have to be persistent and never give up.”
Munoz said she wishes the UTRGV School of Medicine had been around when she was a student as it opens doors for many people in the Valley. Regardless, she encourages students to follow their hearts.
This is Pete Mendoza for Vaquero Radio.
