Five UTRGV JAMP scholars begin medical school, strengthening Texas' physician pipeline

By Karen Villarreal

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – AUG. 11, 2026 – Five graduates from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will begin medical school this fall after completing the Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP), a highly competitive, state-funded initiative that helps talented Texas students overcome financial and educational barriers on the path to becoming physicians.

Three of the five graduates – former intensive care unit nurse Claudia Hernandez, former UTRGV track and field student-athlete Tristan Solis and biomedical sciences graduate Jarrett Quezada – will join the UTRGV School of Medicine Class of 2030. Luis Aguillon will attend the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso, while Juan Carlos Mejia-Chevaili will enroll at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.

Together, they represent the latest UTRGV students to benefit from JAMP, a statewide initiative established by the Texas Legislature to help address Texas' physician shortage by supporting highly qualified, economically disadvantaged students pursuing careers in medicine. The program provides scholarships, faculty mentoring, physician shadowing, summer internships, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation and guaranteed admission to one of 14 participating Texas medical schools for students who successfully complete its rigorous requirements.

Their achievement comes as seven additional UTRGV undergraduates have been selected as the university's newest JAMP cohort, continuing a pipeline that prepares future physicians to serve communities across Texas.

Only about 100 students statewide are selected for JAMP each year. Since 2021, 22 UTRGV JAMP scholars have matriculated into the UTRGV School of Medicine, underscoring the university's growing role in developing Texas' future physician workforce.

"JAMP removes many of the barriers that can keep talented students from pursuing medicine," said Gabby Allen, program manager for the UTRGV Office for Pre-Professional Development, which administers the program at the university. "Through financial support, mentorship, hands-on experiences and MCAT preparation, students gain the tools and confidence they need to become competitive medical school applicants and future physicians. It's incredibly rewarding to watch them reach this milestone."

Tristan Solis, former UTRGV track and field student-athlete, earned his bachelor's degree in biology and will begin his journey into medicine this fall. "When I found out that I was going to the UTRGV School of Medicine, I almost cried because my dream is getting closer and closer," Solis said. (Courtesy Photo)

The milestone follows the UTRGV School of Medicine's annual White Coat Ceremony on July 25, where Hernandez, Solis and Quezada joined 53 classmates in receiving their first white coats. The Class of 2030 is also the most Rio Grande Valley-represented class in the school's history, with 34 of its 56 students (62%) calling the region home.

PREPARING TOMORROW'S PHYSICIANS

Behind the program's growing impact are students whose journeys to medicine have been shaped by mentorship, hands-on experience and a commitment to serving their communities.

For Solis, a Rio Grande City native, who earned his bachelor's degree in biology this spring, acceptance into medical school marked the realization of a lifelong goal.

"When I found out that I was going to the UTRGV School of Medicine, I almost cried because my dream is getting closer and closer," Solis said. "Obviously, it's just the beginning. But I'm in the program, and all I have to do is work hard — and hopefully become the first physician in my family."

Solis said JAMP helped him navigate a process that was unfamiliar to his family. Through the program, he completed summer internships at Baylor College of Medicine and McGovern Medical School, worked alongside physician mentors and received intensive MCAT preparation. Those experiences strengthened his confidence and allowed him to explore different medical specialties before beginning medical school.

Hernandez, a former intensive care unit nurse, also credits the program with helping her transition from years of bedside patient care to the next stage of her medical career as a physician-in-training.

Quezada, a biomedical sciences graduate from El Paso, also found the program's mentorship invaluable. Inspired by family members living with diabetes, he hopes to become an endocrinologist and eventually practice in the Rio Grande Valley.

Jarrett Quezada, a biomedical sciences graduate, hopes to become an endocrinologist and eventually practice in the Rio Grande Valley. He said he found the JAMP mentorship to be invaluable. (Courtesy Photo)

"They give you a template of what lies ahead of you," Quezada said. "It makes the experience of medical school a lot easier when you don't have that physician background in your family."

Like Solis, Quezada completed two JAMP internships, gaining clinical and research experience at the UTRGV School of Medicine and Texas Tech's Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. Aguillon, from Brownsville, and Mejia-Chevaili, from Mission, also will continue their medical education this fall, extending UTRGV's presence at medical schools across Texas as the newest group of JAMP scholars advances toward becoming physicians.

BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION

While five recent graduates prepare to begin medical school, seven current UTRGV undergraduates have been selected as the university's newest JAMP scholars, ensuring the physician pipeline continues to grow.

Administered through the UTRGV Office for Pre-Professional Development, JAMP is one of several initiatives that prepares students for careers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, law and other professional fields. By combining financial support, mentorship and experiential learning, the program helps students overcome barriers that often prevent aspiring physicians from pursuing medical school.

To learn more about pre-professional programs at UTRGV like JAMP, visit the Office for Pre-Professional Development at www.utrgv.edu/studentsuccess/for-students/pre-professional.