Building the Future: UT Health RGV launches Summer Teen Shadowing program to inspire future healthcare professionals

By Heriberto Perez–Zuñiga

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – AUGUST 20, 2026 – For 50 Rio Grande Valley high school students considering careers in healthcare, this summer offered a chance to see the profession from the inside. 

UT Health RGV launched its first Summer Teen Shadowing program, bringing students into the UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center across five two-week sessions. 

Students rotate through medical oncology, radiation oncology, sports medicine, gastroenterology, orthopedics, pharmacy, infusion services, diagnostic imaging and other departments, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the teamwork involved in caring for patients. 

Kimberly Elizondo, administrative director for oncology at the UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center and director of the Summer Teen Shadowing program, said the experience goes beyond career exploration. 

“It's also about building the future of the profession. The hope is that students find their passion for a career in healthcare here and eventually serve the Rio Grande Valley community as healthcare professionals,” Elizondo said. 

Elizondo hopes to expand the program across UT Health RGV locations in the coming years, bringing the experience to more students throughout the Rio Grande Valley. 

INSIDE EXPERIENCE 

For Leonardo Gonzalez, an incoming senior at UTRGV McAllen ISD Collegiate Academy and McAllen Memorial High School, the experience connected with an interest in medicine that began in childhood. 

His mother survived cancer when he was young. Though he remembers little of that time, her absence during treatment left a mark. Later, watching others his age face the disease deepened his interest in medicine. 

“When you look at the building from the outside, you don't realize everything that's happening inside,” Gonzalez said. “There are so many different specialties working together to help patients. Seeing how all those departments connect and communicate was probably the most interesting part for me.” 

Daniel Hernandez, manager of oncology pharmacy services at the UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center, said the program introduces students to healthcare careers they may not have considered. 

“A lot of kids may be familiar with pharmacists who work in a retail or hospital setting, but this is a different niche entirely,” said Hernandez, who has spent more than 35 years in pharmacy and 25 years in oncology. “It's a great opportunity to explore different fields within the healthcare profession.”

Gonzalez entered the program with oncology already on his radar. Two weeks later, that interest had grown stronger, in part through his time shadowing Dr. Terence Herman, medical oncologist and hematologist, at UT Health RGV. 

“Dr. Herman has really inspired me to pursue oncology in general,” he said. “He genuinely cares about what he does. You can tell he is serious because of the patients he deals with, but it's mainly just about caring for them and trying to get the best outcome.” 

FUTURES TAKING SHAPE 

For Faiza Islam, a student at the UTRGV Mathematics and Science Academy, the two weeks helped bring a potential career path into focus. 

“Everyone was so welcoming to show me what their job was like,” Islam said. “I shadowed medical assistants, nurses, physicians, radiology techs and ultrasound techs, and everyone was passionate about what they do.” 

One encounter stood out. 

While shadowing Dr. Everardo Cobos, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine and a hematologist/oncologist at UT Health RGV, Islam watched him carefully walk a patient through her diagnosis. 

“I could tell she felt seen,” Islam said. “As a patient, everyone should feel seen and informed on what's happening in their own body. I really liked that.” 

Islam also found herself drawn to the technology used in radiation oncology. Learning how radioactive isotopes can help physicians locate cancer throughout the body sparked an interest in the field. 

“I thought that was just so innovative,” she said. “It's more chemistry, and I like chemistry. I want to work particularly in that field.” 

Antonio Martinez, a medical dosimetrist in the Radiation Oncology department at UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center, said investing in these students could ultimately benefit future patients. 

“We won't be there for every single patient in the future, but if we can help these students, they'll be able to help those patients,” Martinez said. “The goal is to extend our reach through them.” 

Cobos said early exposure also helps students understand what pursuing a health profession requires. 

“The fact that they're here already demonstrates, at this level of their education, that they have what it takes to begin that journey,” Cobos said. “You have to have intellectual curiosity, the discipline to study and the ability to understand people. Those are the things that matter. Any of the health professions is fantastic because you're helping people.”