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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 prerequisite 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
Updates:
- The UTRGV PA Program plans to utilize the CASPer Test as part of the required material for a complete application for the 2022-2023 application cycle. Please frequently visit our website for additional updates.
- The GRE Test is required.
Upcoming Event:
Virtual Information Session
Date: Saturday, June 18th, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
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remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.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.
For more information regarding the accreditation history, visit http://www.arc-pa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Accreditation-History-TX-Rio-Grande-Valley-145.pdf.
PANCE Exam Scores |
UTRGV Department of Physician Assistant Studies |
2022 UTRGV Physician Assistant Program ranked #2 "BEST WORKSHOPS"
2021 UTRGV Physician Assistant Program ranked #1

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.