DeTar’s Dr. Shae Castaneda Honored as Texas A&M University’s 2025 Distinguished Teacher
11/14/2025
DeTar Healthcare System is proud to announce that Julia Shae Krause-Castaneda, M.D., FAAFP, program director of the DeTar family medicine residency program, has been named the 2025 Distinguished Teacher by the Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine.
Each fall, the Vashisht College of Medicine recognizes outstanding faculty members who demonstrate exceptional dedication to educating the next generation of physicians through its Distinguished Teaching Awards. Since the program’s inception, these awards have celebrated faculty whose commitment, expertise and mentorship set the highest standards in medical education.
Castaneda was selected as the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award recipient for Medical Residency and Fellowship, recognizing her excellence in guiding residents and fellows through the critical years of advanced medical training. She will be formally honored at a ceremony in College Station on December 4, 2025.
For her, this award will be a full-circle moment. Castaneda completed her medical education journey in Texas A&M’s family medicine residency program in College Station, where she served as chief resident. Medicine is ever-changing, and Castaneda is working hard to ensure that tomorrow’s healthcare providers are soundly educated physicians who foster a passion for lifelong learning practiced in a compassionate, empathetic, evidence-based manner.
“Teaching residents and future physicians is one of the greatest privileges of my career,” Castaneda said. “To be recognized by Texas A&M for doing something I love so deeply is an incredible honor. I share this recognition with our entire residency team and with the DeTar community that supports our mission every day.”
Under Castaneda’s leadership, the DeTa's family medicine residency program has become a cornerstone of physician training in the Crossroads region, offering hands-on experience, mentorship, and a strong commitment to serving the healthcare needs of the community.
Beyond the walls of the hospital, Castaneda is on the Texas Academy of Family Physicians Council on Health of the Public and is involved with the Area Go Texan Committee in Victoria.
“Dr. Castaneda’s passion for education and patient care embodies the very best of DeTar Healthcare System,” Brett Maxfield, CEO of DeTar Healthcare System, said. “Her recognition as a Distinguished Teacher by Texas A&M is a reflection not only of her individual excellence but also of the strength and dedication of our entire medical education team. We are proud to have her leading and inspiring the next generation of physicians right here in Victoria.”
The DeTar Family Medicine Residency Program, in partnership with the Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine, continues to advance medical education in South Texas—training compassionate, skilled physicians committed to improving health outcomes across the region.
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