Dr. Olga Rodríguez de Arzola is the Dean of the Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine (PHSU-SOM). She completed her medical education and pediatric specialty at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, initiated her professional career as general pediatrician at the town of Guayanilla, PR in 1986, her academic career as faculty of the Pediatric Residency Program of the Ponce University Hospital (PHU) in 1993 and faculty member of Ponce School of Medicine (PSM) in 1995. Her high-quality clinical services and strong organizational and administrative skills qualified her to be appointed Graduate Medical Education Director and Director of the Transitional Year (TY) Program of the PUH. As GME director she obtained the reaccreditations for the institution and the TY Residency Program, developed a new program in Emergency Medicine and initiated the request for a new Surgery program that was authorized July 2013. Within the PSM she was Chair of Pediatrics, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Dean of Health Sciences. As Associate Dean she developed PSM strategic plans and led the self-studies for the reaccreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. During April 2012, she completed a Fellowship in Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) and was designated Interim President and Dean of the PSM. As President and Dean, she implemented measures to stabilize the finances of the institution, streamline institutional processes, enhance the quality of the education offered, and set the foundation for a prosperous future for PSM. Major achievements included the establishment of a Master of Sciences in Medical Sciences program, the accreditation of the Public Health Program by the Council of Education for Public Health and a U54 grant for Cancer Research from the Cancer Research Institute in collaboration with the Moffit Cancer Center. Under the leadership of the Board of Directors and Dr. Rodríguez PSM underwent a change of ownership in which the name of the institution changed to Ponce Health Sciences University effective September 2014. Dr. Rodríguez was designated Dean of the PHSU-SOM, being in that position for ten consecutive years. Under her leadership the school enhanced the teaching and learning experiences of all students in the SOM through the installation of modern technological equipment, and the implementation of the flipped-classroom teaching and learning modalities. She has also achieved the progressive increase in class size from 70 in 2012 to 150 in 2020. As a result, a new clinical campus at Mayaguez in 2019 and the Metro Area in 2020 have been established. The newest campus, a four-years campus, was launched at St. Louis, Missouri, in August 2022. As president of the Regional Academic Medical Center of the Southwest she has enhanced the collaboration with affiliated clinical sites throughout Puerto Rico and has been able to increase available residency program positions for Puerto Rico medical students. Most recent achievements include new Urology and Dermatology residency programs beginning July 1, 2023.
Dr. Rodríguez de Arzola is also a board member of Intellectus Foundation, board member of the Puerto Rico Medicine Hall of Fame, and commissioner of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.