More About Us
Important information regarding our PA Department and COVID-19:
Our department will continue to be working off campus, with limited on-campus hours. We will still be available via email; all admissions and prerequisites questions can be directed to pad@utrgv.edu , questions about our PA Bridge Program can be directed to bridge@utrgv.edu , and questions about the PACT program can be directed to pact@utrgv.edu
Recent Update
The UTRGV PA program intends to implement the CASPer test as a requirement in our 2021 application cycle. Several other schools in the UT System already require CASPer as part of their admissions process. For example, UTMB and UTHSCSA PA programs both require the CASPer test. If you apply to these or other programs that require the CASPer test, you can add the UTRGV PA program for an additional $12 fee. However, the additional $12 fee payment can only be made once our program gains final approval to be added to the PA programs' distribution list on the CASPer test website. We will update you when we receive approval.
Your CASPer score will be made available only to the programs on your distribution list roughly 2-3 weeks after taking your test. You will find more information online at www.takecasper.com.
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Physician Assistant Program sponsored by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2023. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
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PANCE Exam Scores |
UTRGV Department of Physician Assistant Studies |
The Department of Physician Assistant Studies is located in Edinburg, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. We are located approximately 4 hours south of San Antonio. The campus is located just 20 minutes from the Texas-Mexican border. The local population is primarily Hispanic. The Department of Physician Assistant Studies serves primarily the four counties of the Rio Grande Valley: Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron. Both Hidalgo and Cameron counties are urban/metropolitan counties with large rural areas while Starr and Willacy counties are almost exclusively rural. All Rio Grande Valley counties are classified as medically underserved areas (MUAs). The Rio Grande Valley experiences a unique population dynamic in that it shares its culture and livelihood with the much larger metropolitan border cities of Mexico, specifically Reynosa and Matamoros, both in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
UTRGV Announces Physician Assistant Career Track Program (PACT)
PACT will provide South Texas high school students with a career path to becoming a future physician assistant while studying close to home.
View Photos from the PACT Press Conference
To learn more about PACT and eligibility requirements, click here.
This past weekend, the Department of Physician Assistants celebrated its 25th White Coat Ceremony, welcoming 100 students into its program.
Congratulations to each one of them on reaching this new milestone and receiving their very own White Coat!
Family and friends gathered for a White Coat Ceremony on Friday, Aug. 16, at the Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg to watch 100 new PA students receive their white coats, symbolizing the start of their careers. This event also commemorated UTRGV's Department of Physician Assistant Studies 25th anniversary.