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Department of Physician Assistant

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Department of Physician Assistant

The Department of Physician Assistant (DPA) is located in Edinburg, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley. We are located approximately four hours south of San Antonio and 20 minutes from the Texas-Mexico border. The local population is primarily Hispanic. The DPA primarily serves the four counties of the Rio Grande Valley: Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron. 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 as 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.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Physician Assistant (DPA) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is to provide an innovative advanced medical education to physician assistant students who will transform health care delivery to the multicultural population of South Texas. The DPA promotes the importance of lifelong learning and self-evaluation in its students.

The Department of Physician Assistant (DPA) prides itself in having received an award for excellence in diversity in 2005 from the Physician Assistant Education Association. This national award shines a spotlight on the many successes the DPA has had with the recruitment and retention of students with a minority/diversity background. The Physician Assistant Studies Program (PAD) consistently enrolls >50% diverse students in every class. The PAD is recognized nationally as a leader in physician assistant student Hispanic enrollment.

Accreditation Statement

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Department of 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remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.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 2033. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-university-

of-tx-rio-grande-valley/.

Academic Programs

Master's

Master's Degree

Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)

Master of Physician Assistant Studies

Program Modality: Campus

The Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies provides students with the advanced knowledge and skills to become a certified Physician Assistant in a variety of healthcare settings. The program equips students with the expertise to develop strong leadership, interpersonal, critical thinking, and clinical research competencies to address health concerns.  The Physician Assistant program provides students with the expertise and professionalism in healthcare to address medical, behavioral, and social concerns across many healthcare environments.

The program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).

Department of Physician Assistant