PACT - Physician Assistant Career Track Early Assurance Program
PACT - Physician Assistant Career Track
Early Assurance Program
Apply Now Print Page Future Physician Assistants of Tomorrow
The UTRGV Physician Assistant Career Track Early Assurance Program (PACT) is geared towards South Texas high school students interested in pursuing a future career as a physician assistant. South Texas graduates now have a convenient path to becoming future physician assistants through admission to the PACT program.
UTRGV PACT Early Assurance Program selects a limited number of high-achieving South Texas students who begin their undergraduate career at UTRGV while also receiving conditional admission to entering the UTRGV College of Health Profession’s Master in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) upon graduation.
Physician Assistants are licensed health professionals who examine, diagnose, and treat patients with physician supervision in doctor’s offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and more.
Ready to Apply?
The online application is now open.
Completed applications are due no later than March 4, 2022 . Apply Now
PACT Scholars
Jhoana R.
“Thousands of Valley students now have the opportunity to study at a great university with many distinguished programs. Having this opportunity so close to home gave me the courage to apply and commit to the PACT program.”
Megan S.
"Having the ability to have an early start to what I want to do with my life means everything to me because I want to be able to help people here in the Valley as I am aiming to become a physician assistant specialized in oncology.”
About Us
The UTRGV College of Health Professions is dedicated to cultivating future healthcare professionals across multiple fields. With 22 educational programs, our students experience innovative learning, training, and research opportunities that develop their scientific and intellectual abilities to improve health care for individuals, families, communities in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.
Our healthcare practitioners, educators, and researchers continually pave the way in reaching optimal health care prospects across the South Texas region and beyond.
Questions
For more information and/or questions about PACT, contact: PACT@utrgv.edu
Application Review & Decision Timeline
Below you will find a timeline of the review and decision process after you submit your completed application:
| Month | Details |
| October | October 1, 2022 application period opens |
| March | March 3, 2023, at 11:59 pm application period closes |
| March - May | Applications will be reviewed by a committee and top candidates will be selected for an interview |
| June | Applicants will be notified of admission decision |
| August | PACT 2023 cohort announced |
Eligibility Criteria
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PACT is designed for high-achieving high school seniors who meet the following criteria: |
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Webb, Zapata, Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron, Willacy, Kenedy, Brooks, Jim Hogg, Kleberg, San Patricio, Aransas, and Nueces.
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Enter UTRGV as incoming first-year students. |
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Are accepted and officially enrolled in PACT through the Honors College within any major. |
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Submit letters of recommendation from high school teachers, counselors, or administrators. |
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Complete interviews with UTRGV and College of Health Professions (COHP) faculty and staff. |
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Demonstrate maturity, motivation, and other attributes reflecting exceptional leadership, character, and achievement through recommendation letters from school counselors, a personal written statement, a video essay, and interviews. |
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Have scored at the 90th percentile or above in one sitting on the SAT* (math & critical reading) or the ACT.* |
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Rank in the top 5% of their high school graduating class and possess a minimum 3.7 GPA on a 4.0 scale and a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA in science courses. |
FAQs
A Physician Assistant, also known as PA, is a licensed medical professional who diagnoses illness, develops and manages treatment plans, prescribes medications, and often serves as a patient’s principal healthcare provider. With thousands of hours of medical training, PAs are versatile and collaborative and practice in every state and every medical setting and specialty, improving health care access and quality.
Physician Assistants can take medical histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illness, order and interpret tests, develop treatment plans, counsel on preventive care, prescribe medication, assist in surgery, perform procedures, make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes, conduct clinical research, and more.
Physician Assistant Career Track (PACT) is an Early Assurance Program (EAP) at UTRGV. The goal of the program is to increase the number of South Texas high-achieving students who enroll and complete their Master in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree at the UTRGV College of Health Professions (COHP). Candidates for the program will be selected through a competitive selection process that includes targeted recruitment of students.
Up to ten (10) applicants will be selected for admission to the program in spring 2022. Admitted students will begin their UTRGV undergraduate education in the Honors College in any major in fall 2022, and if the requirements for admission to the College of Health Professions Master in Physician Assistant Studies degree program are met, students will be guaranteed a seat in the UTRGV College of Health Professions MPAS entering class of 2026.
High school seniors and/or juniors (with advanced standing) in South Texas who are interested in applying to UTRGV and have an interest in an Early Assurance Program (EAP) pursuing a Master in Physician Assistant Studies after receiving their undergraduate degree.
Students accepted into the PACT program will automatically be enrolled in the UTRGV Honors College and can graduate with any major, so long as they remain an Honors College scholar through graduation, and UTRGV admission requirements to the College of Health Professions MPAS are met.
To be eligible for the PACT program, high school applicants must graduate from a South Texas high school or attend and graduate from an online high school, home school, or boarding school outside the South Texas Region; and reside in the South Texas Region (permanent/home address). The South Texas Region is defined as the following 13 counties: Webb, Zapata, Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron, Willacy, Kenedy, Brooks, Jim Hogg, Kleberg, San Patricio, Aransas, and Nueces.
For UTRGV College of Health Professions MPAS requirements visit the Admissions Requirements page.
PACT is designed for high-achieving high school seniors (or juniors with advanced standing) who:
- Attend and will graduate from a South Texas high school, or
- Attend and graduate from an online high school, homeschool, or boarding school outside the South Texas Region; and reside in the South Texas Region (permanent/home address).
- The South Texas Region is defined as the following thirteen (13) counties:
- Webb, Zapata, Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron, Willacy, Kenedy, Brooks, Jim Hogg, Kleberg, San Patricio, Aransas, and Nueces.
- Enter UTRGV as incoming first-year students.
- Are accepted and officially enrolled in the PACT program through the Honors College within any major.
- Submit letters of recommendation from high school teachers, counselors, or administrators.
- Complete interviews with UTRGV and COHP faculty and staff.
- Demonstrate maturity, motivation, and other attributes reflecting exceptional leadership, character, and achievement through recommendation letters from school counselors, a personal written statement, a video essay, and interviews.
- Have scored at the 90th percentile or above in one sitting on the SAT* (math & critical reading) or the ACT*.
*Test will be optional for 2022. UTRGV will reevaluate the requirement for the future.
Once you are accepted to UTRGV, you may begin preparing for your PACT application. Visit the PACT website for eligibility requirements, gather your required documents, and meet with your academic advisor.
The application period begins October 1, 2021, and will close on March 4, 2022 at 11:59 PM CST.
Once the application period is open, an “Apply Now” button will appear on the PACT webpage and open to an online application link.
Students with financial need to attend UTRGV should complete their FAFSA/TASFA. If financial need is verified, students may be eligible for grants and loans to cover tuition, fees, and other costs of attending UTRGV.
Starting Fall 2022, students with a family adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less may qualify for UTRGV Tuition Advantage and have tuition and mandatory fees fully covered.
Thinking ahead to UTRGV Graduate College, the estimated cost of attendance for fall 2022-summer 2022 rates webpage is available for your planning needs. The COHP provides scholarships based on available funds.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) ranks third among public universities in Texas that provides the best value for college students and has been ranked as the fourth-best university in Texas, according to Best Colleges in Texas (2018). UTRGV is the second largest Hispanic-serving institution in the nation and was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities for high school students in the Rio Grande Valley.
Location
The UTRGV Physician Assistant Department (PAD) is located in Edinburg, Texas, in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. It is located approximately 4 hours south of the city of San Antonio and is located only 20 minutes from the Texas-Mexican border. The PAD serves primarily the four counties of the Rio Grande Valley: Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron. 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 vibrant culture with the much larger metropolitan border cities of Mexico, specifically Reynosa and Matamoros, both in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
Creating the Future PA’s of Tomorrow
Our UTRGV Physician Assistant Department is recognized as the only physician assistant program in Texas that is not located nor affiliated with a medical center. However, this creates a unique, wonderful opportunity for PAD students to train in the most optimal, one-to-one environments. Although the PA program is not located at a medical center, PAD is affiliated with more than 200 clinical preceptors and/or training facilities, including all the major hospitals across all four Rio Grande Valley counties.
Honors & Awards
The Physician Assistant Department is nationally recognized as a leader in student enrollment for Hispanic physician assistants and has received the award for Excellence in Diversity from the Physician Assistant Education Association in Puerto Rico in 2005. This national award shined a spotlight on the many successes the PAD has had with the recruitment and retention of health professions students with a minority/diversity background. The Physician Assistant Studies Program consistently enrolls >50% diverse students in every class cohort.
With beautiful sunsets and subtropical coastal weather, the Rio Grande Valley offers a high quality of life for families and has consistently been ranked among the most secure and safest large metro areas to live in the country. The RGV is one of the most affordable areas in the nation to live in, with a large network of medical facilities, city parks, restaurants, rich bicultural traditions, and community events. South Texas is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States, with a current population of approximately 1.5 million, whose average age is below 30, with Hispanics comprising 85% of the population.
If you are not selected for an Early Assurance Program (Vaqueros MD or PACT), you are not automatically considered for Honors College (Basic Honors Curriculum). If you wish to be considered for Honors College, please submit a second or standard Honors College application in addition to your Vaqueros MD or PACT application. There is no deadline for application to the UTRGV Honors College; completed applications are reviewed periodically.