Francisco Fernandez, MD — the founding dean and current vice president for medical affairs at Edinburg-based University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine — has stepped down from his position, according to MySanAntonio.com.
Dr. Fernandez became dean in 2014 and the medical school received its preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education last October. It's set to welcome its first class of 55 students this fall.
Dr. Fernandez will instead return to the school's Department of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosciences, where he became a professor in 2015. "I am going to follow my heart and step down to continue and focus my work on bringing health equity to the Rio GrandeValley," he said, according to the report. "This has been the most amazing journey, and I couldn't have imagined anything more fulfilling for me."
While the UT Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine searches for a replacement, Steve Lieberman, MD, senior dean for administration, will serve as interim dean.