The Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso was founded in 2008. Its foundational mission is to address physician shortages and health disparities in the US–Mexico border region. The school sits in El Paso, a majority-Hispanic city on the Rio Grande.
Clinical training runs through University Medical Center of El Paso, the region's only Level I trauma center and public academic medical center. The school emphasizes cultural competence, Spanish-language proficiency, and a deep understanding of border health issues throughout the curriculum.
What makes Paul L. Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC El Paso (MD) different
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, founded in 2008, has an explicit mission to serve the US–Mexico border region, one of the most underserved in the country. El Paso has a population that is ~80% Hispanic and the school provides extraordinary clinical exposure to a predominantly Spanish-speaking patient population.
The school's location creates unique training in binational health issues, including tuberculosis, Chagas disease, and healthcare access challenges for migrant and border communities.
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC El Paso (MD) course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD with strong community and border health integration throughout. Year 1–2: basic science curriculum with early clinical exposure and cultural competency training. Year 3–4: clinical rotations at University Medical Center of El Paso and affiliated community clinics serving a predominantly Hispanic, bilingual patient population.
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC El Paso (MD) research strengths
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC El Paso (MD) is strong in these research areas:
- Border health disparities
- Infectious disease at the US–Mexico border
- Diabetes and obesity in Hispanic populations
- Maternal health
- Community health
How the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC El Paso (MD) interview runs
Format: Traditional panel interviews with faculty and community physicians
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine interview days are held on the TTUHSC El Paso campus, typically involving two traditional 20–30 minute interviews with faculty physicians and community clinicians. The school has a strong focus on US–Mexico border health and Hispanic-serving medicine, and interviewers probe applicants' genuine connection to border communities, underserved populations, and binational health challenges.
The interview day includes a tour of the campus and affiliated University Medical Center of El Paso, an admissions presentation, and interaction with current students. Bilingual applicants (English/Spanish) are valued given the patient population.
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC El Paso (MD) intake
Approximately 130 students per year.
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine TTUHSC El Paso (MD) at a glance
Founded in 2008. Based in El Paso, TX.
Programmes offered:
- Border Medicine
- Primary Care
- Underserved Medicine
- Community Health
- Internal Medicine