Texas’ first school of podiatry, along with two other UTRGV postgraduate programs, could potentially open in Fall 2021 after being approved by the University of Texas System board of regents last Wednesday.
The other proposed programs are a doctorate in nursing practice and doctorate of philosophy in mathematics and statistics with interdisciplinary applications.
“Podiatry is very important in the [Rio Grande] Valley where we have a lot of diabetes and what we want to do is save feet and not amputate them, and so, podiatrists can really help there,” UTRGV President Guy Bailey said in an interview with The Rider last Friday. “It’s a great opportunity for our students, same thing with the Ph.D. in math and statistics. These will be in applied fields where you need people to do analytics and statistics, and we think it’s a great opportunity for our students, so we’re very pleased about those.”
All three programs would open in Fall 2021, Bailey said.
Podiatry School
The school of podiatry will be housed within the Division of Health Affairs, according to a UTRGV news release, and will prepare students for licensure, an entry into the profession of podiatric medicine. The campus that will house the programs is yet to be determined, according to Bailey.
It will be a four-year, full-time program that consists of various subjects including neuroanatomy, pharmacology and physiology, according to documents in the UT System board of regents’ agenda.
“The podiatry program enables you to function as a podiatrist, as a doctor of podiatry, and again, it’s huge for the Valley, for everywhere really, where you have issues of diabetes,” Bailey said.
The school will also collaborate with other existing UTRGV programs, such as the School of Medicine, South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, School of Nursing, Physician Assistant Studies program and Occupational Therapy program.
Nationwide employment of podiatrists is estimated to increase more than 10% by 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cited in the news release. The bureau also states the profession is aging, with the average member of the American Podiatric Medical Association being 53 years old.
Nursing Practice Doctorate
Under the program, there will be two tracks leading to the doctorate: a four-year post-baccalaureate consisting of 75 credit hours and a 2½-year post-master’s track consisting of 45 credit hours. Students in the program can become nurse practitioners.
“Increasingly now, nurses provide a significant part of health care,” Bailey said. “They’re crucial to health care and we’ll be able to train nurses to do that.”
Students who have earned a nursing degree and are registered nurses will be able to apply to the program, according to documents in the UT System board of regents’ agenda.
The coursework for the program will be online, which allows students to continue work in a clinical setting. End-of-semester workshops will also be available. The workshops will be face-to-face.
Nurse practitioners are the second-fastest growing occupation in the state, with a predicted 10-year growth rate of 47.7% by 2026, according to Texas Workforce Commission statistics cited in the agenda.
Math and Statistics Doctorate
Students with a bachelor’s degree admitted to the program will be required to complete 78 semester credit hours. Those entering with a master’s degree are only required to complete 60 semester credit hours.
Courses in the program will be in broad interdisciplinary areas designed to prepare students to solve complex problems in math, physics, engineering, biology, medicine and computer science, according to documents in the UT System board of regents’ agenda.
“There’s so many fields where now you need people who can do analytics and the doctorate in math and statistics prepares people for that, so it’s great for our students,” Bailey said.
By 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts an average of more than 2,000 postsecondary math educator jobs, a 16.4% increase, according to statistics cited in the agenda.
Bailey said the next step is to receive approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
“It’s a real big day for UTRGV and for all of our students in the Valley,” he said. “We’re really pleased for them and for ourselves. It’s a great day.”
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