Biology Pre-Health Professions
Mission
The mission of Biology Pre-Health Professions (Bio-PHP) is to enhance pre-health student success by providing supplementary services and resources intended to maximize student personal and academic excellence. We strive to increase the number of UTRGV students that matriculate to health profession graduate schools each year.
Who We Are
Biology PHP specializes in health profession mentoring and training geared towards ensuring that our UTRGV Biology majors (undergraduate, graduate, and former students) are competitive candidates for health professions graduate schools. We also serve as the liaison for Texas medical and dental early acceptance programs.
What We Do
- Pre-health and Graduate School Mentoring - One-on-one mentoring sessions, that provide semester-by-semester personalized guidance. We work with students to help them create a plan to achieve their specific personal and academic goals.
- Degree Plans - Applicants with an undergraduate degree in a science discipline have higher admission rates to medical and other health-related professional schools. Biology and chemistry are among the possible majors for students interested in a career in healthcare. We offer semester-by-semester course recommendations based on the health profession school you are targeting.
- Application Guidance - The students work in one-on-one sessions with our staff, and through a document review process we ensure that our students submit outstanding applications and personal statements.
- Health School Seminars - Bio-PHP hosts admission officers from health profession graduate schools and coordinates their on-site visit and presentation.
- Study Resources - Located in our pre-health study room ESCNE 1.346. We have an extensive free library for our students with a collection of textbooks and resources on MCAT, DAT, GRE, career development, English literature, study techniques, scientific journals, and time management.
- On-line Resource Access - We have computers and study software so students can work on their application, course work, conduct zoom meetings, and access MCAT and DAT practice exams.
- MCAT and DAT Exam Prep - Working with Kaplan, we offer free Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and Dental Admission Test (DAT) exam preparation courses. Application required.
- Early Acceptance Programs - We coordinate the application process for UTRGV students interested in Texas early acceptance pre-dental and pre-medical programs. These programs are designed to help highly qualified, underrepresented, students who have overcome challenges and obstacles to gain early conditional admission into medical or dental.
- Joint Admission Medical Program
- Dental Early Acceptance Programs
- UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
- UT Health Houston School of Dentistry
- Medical Tuesdays with the UTRGV School of Medicine - Workshops offered throughout the regular semesters to familiarize students with the Texas medical school application process. Topics may include Resume Writing, Personal Brand, Interview Tips, Networking Strategies, Personal Statement, MCAT tips, and Medical Ethics.
Contact
Biology Majors in need of Pre-Health Mentorship can contact:
Robert K. Dearth, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Biology
Email: robert.dearth@utrgv.edu
Office: Edinburg Science Building (ESCNE), Room 2.360
Maria Teresa Mendez, M.S., Program Manager
Email: maria.mendez@utrgv.edu
Office: Edinburg Science Building (ESCNE), Room 1.352
Phone: (956) 665-5216