Biography
Dr. Vigil is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of General Pediatrics. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of New Mexico in 1995 and earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in 2003. She completed residency at the UNM SOM, after which she accepted a position as Chief Resident in the Pediatric Residency Program. Dr. Vigil has served as a Pediatrics Clerkship Director and Pediatrics Residency Program Director. She currently serves as Assistant Dean of Medical Students.
Personal Statement
I am a native New Mexican from Las Vegas, a small community in northern New Mexico. Although my initial plans after medical school and residency involved returning there to practice, I was drawn to the academic and collegial atmosphere at the University of New Mexico and accepted a position as the Chief Resident for the Pediatric Residency Program upon completing residency training. After finishing my Chief Resident year, I accepted a faculty appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Pediatrics and the Division of Pediatric Critical Care as a general pediatrician and hospitalist. My clinical duties included splitting time between the inpatient and clinic settings. In 2009, I transitioned my faculty affiliation to the Division of General Pediatrics and increased my presence in the General Pediatric Clinic and Pediatric Urgent Care Clinic. I staff the Pediatric Urgent Care Clinic two half-days per week, my private patient panel is currently at 99.9% capacity, and I work with eight Pediatric House Officers at Resident Continuity Clinic at Carrie Tingley Hospital one half-day per week. Recent Press Ganey Medical Practice Reports reveal positive comments from patient families, and I have received constructive and encouraging feedback from my nurse, medical assistant, and staff colleagues in the Pediatric Clinic. I have served the Department of Pediatrics in numerous capacities and in 2011, I was recognized as a leader in education by being appointed Director of the Pediatric Residency Program. In that role, I mentored and advised residents, assisted in establishing a comprehensive education curriculum, and facilitated the implementation of a robust Quality Improvement (QI) program. Furthermore, I shepherded the program as it developed its Individualized Learning Curriculum, which was mandated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Pediatric Residency Review Committees. In 2014, I was given the opportunity to further my work with medical students and was offered an advisement directorship in the Office of Medical Student Affairs. In that position, I worked with the Associate Dean of Medical Students to develop a four-year curriculum that integrated the AAMC’s Careers in Medicine program with school activities, lectures, and workshops into a strong, supportive career advisement program. In 2016, I was appointed Assistant Dean of Medical Students, and I continue to advise, mentor, and guide medical students as they move through medical school. I meet with almost every medical student to discuss specialty options, career opportunities in medicine, and I help prepare them for the rigors of residency training. I also work with them as they face life’s many challenges and adverse events - illness, death, and divorce - as well as life’s many victories and celebrations. While at UNM, I’ve attended to my assigned tasks with enthusiasm and met each new mission with vigor. I look forward to accepting new challenges as I continue to work at UNM.
Areas of Specialty
General Pediatrics Academic Medicine
Certifications
New Mexico Board of Medical Examiners - exp. July 1, 2022 New Mexico Board of Pharmacy - exp. May 31, 2023 Drug Enforcement Administration - exp. May 31, 2021 General Pediatrics Maintenance of Certification Cycle - January 24, 2018 - December 21, 2023 General Pediatrics Maintenance of Certification Exam - February 18, 2016 General Pediatrics Original Certification - October 24, 2006 Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative - exp. January 19, 2023 Pediatric Advanced Life Support - exp. June 19, 2021 UNM SOM Doctor of Medicine - May 2003
Achievements & Awards
Gold Humanism Honor Society - inducted April 2018
Gender
Female
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Courses Taught
Peer Observation in Support of Effective Teaching Career Advisement and Mentoring