Students raising hands for oat during PA ceremony.

About

Goals

1. Recruit and admit diverse qualified graduate students committed to the PA profession.
Benchmark: 50% of the matriculating class will be of a diverse background and ethnicity.

Goal 1
Cohort Class	Goal Attainment
Class of 2017	Met: >50% (60% disadvantaged backgrounds; 88% diverse race/ethnicity)
Class of 2018	Met: >50% (53% disadvantaged backgrounds; 90% diverse race/ethnicity)
Class of 2019	Met: >50% (59% disadvantaged backgrounds; 86% diverse race/ethnicity)
Class of 2020	Met: >50% (78% diverse race/ethnicity)
Class of 2021	Met: >50% (57% disadvantaged backgrounds; 81% diverse race/ethnicity)
Class of 2022	Met: >50% (56% disadvantaged backgrounds; 85% diverse race/ethnicity)
Class of 2023	Met: >50% (54% disadvantaged backgrounds; 83% diverse race/ethnicity)
Class of 2024	Met: >50% (62% disadvantaged backgrounds; 73% diverse race/ethnicity)
Class of 2025	Met: >50% (73% disadvantaged backgrounds; 87% diverse race/ethnicity)
Class of 2026	Met: >50% (65% disadvantaged backgrounds; 83% diverse race/ethnicity)

*Diverse background is determined based on race/ethnicity (non-White/Caucasian) and/or disadvantaged backgrounds (economic and/or educational).

2. Provide student clinical education opportunities in diverse settings and medically underserved areas/populations.
Benchmark: 50% of clinical rotations will occur in diverse settings and medically underserved areas/populations as demonstrated by clinical rotation assignments.

Goal 2
Cohort Class	Goal Attainment
Class of 2017	Met: 99.7%
Class of 2018	Met: 97%
Class of 2019	Met: 96%
Class of 2020	Met: 90%
Class of 2021	Met: 96%
Class of 2022	Met: 92%
Class of 2023	Met: 85%
Class of 2024	Met: 67%
Class of 2025	In Progress

3. Number of graduates who ultimately passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE).
Benchmark: >85% of graduates ultimately pass the PANCE.

Goal 3
Cohort Class	Goal Attainment
Class of 2017	Met: 100%
Class of 2018	Met: 96%
Class of 2019	Met: 98%
Class of 2020	Met: 95%
Class of 2021	Met: 98%
Class of 2022	Met: 96%
Class of 2023	Met: 94%
Class of 2024	In Progress

Immunizations

Immunization forms are provided to students prior to matriculation and must be uploaded into the designated health and immunization record management system of the verification service through the online portal. Student compliance with the program’s immunization policy will be reported to the program by the designated health and immunization record management verification. Students will be expected to update their immunization records and demonstrate compliance as required, during their tenure in the program. Students who do not have an approved immunization record on file with the designated health and immunization record management system of the verification service will not be assigned any patient contact responsibilities. Student compliance with the program’s immunization policy will be documented by the program and becomes a part of their permanent record.”

Students are required to complete the mandatory immunization form and submit it to the designated health and immunization record management system of the verification service upon matriculation, in addition to the above-stated procedures.

These requirements are also reviewed (and updated, if applicable) annually for consistency with current scientific and clinical recommendations from federal (e.g. ACIP, CDC) and local health authorities as well as recommendations from a leading association of college health experts (e.g. AHCA).

In accordance with state-specific mandates and the most current CDC & Prevention recommendations for health professionals, the following immunizations are required for all students enrolled in health-related courses that will involve direct patient contact in medical settings who come in contact with human biological fluids or tissue.

Measles: Proof of two doses of measles vaccine administered on or after the first birthday and at least 30 days apart, or proof of immunity by quantitative titer.

Mumps: Proof of one dose of mumps vaccine administered on or after the first birthday, or proof of immunity by quantitative titer.

Rubella: Proof of one dose of rubella vaccine administered on or after the first birthday, or proof of immunity by quantitative titer.

Tetanus/diphtheria: Proof of one “booster” dose of tetanus/diphtheria vaccine (within 10 years). Td vaccine is an acceptable substitute if the Tdap vaccine is medically contraindicated. Pregnant HCWs need to get a dose of Tdap during each pregnancy.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV): Proof of serologic immunity to HBV by quantitative titer or certification of immunization with a complete series of Hepatitis B vaccines.

Meningococcus: Proof of one dose administered within the last five years if less than 22 years old.

Varicella: Two doses or proof of immunity by quantitative titer.

Although not required by the University at this time, the COVID vaccine may be required by the healthcare facility. Students who refuse the vaccine may be denied admittance to a facility, which can result in a delay in graduation. This is subject to change based on university policy.

Every student is required to receive an influenza vaccine each year in October or November. Any student who refuses the influenza vaccine may be required, by the healthcare facility, to always wear a mask or may be refused admittance by the facility.

In addition to these immunizations, students are required to have a tuberculosis screening performed every 12 months unless required at shorter intervals by clinical or hospital assignments.

It is the student’s responsibility (with department guidance) to ensure the immunizations and screenings are up to date, as well as to provide proper documentation. Failure of the student to maintain the required immunizations and screenings will impact their ability to progress in the program and delay graduation.

Students will assume the full cost of the immunizations and/or titer.

Program Competencies

UTRGV Physician Assistant graduates are required to demonstrate successful mastery of the following seven (7) program competencies before graduation and entry into clinical practice. These program competencies include the effective and appropriate application of medical knowledge, interpersonal, clinical and technical skills, professional behaviors, clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities required for PA practice within each of the following seven program competencies:

Successfully obtain a comprehensive patient medical history.
Perform a focused and comprehensive physical exam on patients across the lifespan (infant, child, adolescent, adult, and elderly).
Order and correctly interpret laboratory, radiologic and other diagnostic studies.
Demonstrate higher order critical thinking and medical decision-making skills to develop a comprehensive list of differential diagnoses.
Formulate a management/treatment plan that incorporates evidence-based medicine and current recommendation guidelines for acute, chronic, and preventive patient encounters.
Provide patient education on the following topics:
- Illness and disease
- Treatment options
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- Lifestyle risk factors

Demonstrate the following interpersonal skills and professional behaviors necessary for effective communication with peers, faculty, and patients: professional responsibility, competence, maturity, and integrity.

Building Blocks

The program competencies were developed following the Physician Assistant Education Association Core Competencies for New Physician Assistant Graduates (2018) (Core Competencies for New PA Graduates). Listed below are the building blocks utilized to guide students throughout the didactic and clinical phases of the curriculum to ensure successful mastery of the required program competencies.

Patient-Centered Practice Knowledge (PCPK)
Society and Population Health (SPH)
Health Literacy and Communication (HLC)
Interprofessional Collaborative Practice and Leadership (ICPL)
Professional and Legal Aspects of Health care (PLAHC)
Healthcare Finance and Systems (HCFS)

1.1 Recognize normal and abnormal health (Medical Knowledge)

1.2 Discern among acute, chronic, and emerging diseases (Medical Knowledge)

1.3 Elicit and understand the stories of individual patients and apply the context of their lives (including environmental influences, cultural norms, socioeconomic factors, and beliefs) when determining healthy versus ill (Medical Knowledge; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

1.4 Develop meaningful, therapeutic relationships with patients and their (Interpersonal Skills; Professional Behaviors)

1.5 Partner with patients to address issues of ongoing signs, symptoms, or health concerns that remain over time without clear diagnosis despite evaluation and treatment. (Medical Knowledge; Interpersonal Skills)

2.1 Recognize the cultural norms, needs, influences, and socioeconomic, environmental, and other population-level determinants affecting the health of the individual and community being served. (Medical Knowledge; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

2.2 Recognize the potential impacts of the community, biology, and genetics on patients and incorporate them into decisions of care. (Medical Knowledge; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

2.3 Demonstrate accountability and responsibility for removing barriers to (Professional Behaviors)

2.4 Understand the role of structural disparities in causing (Medical Knowledge; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

2.5 Engage members of the health care team in the surveillance of community resources to sustain and improve health. (Professional Behaviors)

2.6 Engage the health care team in determining the adequacy of resources. (Professional Behaviors)

2.7 Reflect on personal and professional limitations in providing (Professional Behaviors)

2.8 Exercise cultural (Interpersonal Skills)

2.9 Elicit and hear the story of the individual and apply the context of the individual’s life (including environmental influences, culture, and disease) when determining healthy versus ill patients. (Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

2.10 Understand and apply the fundamental principles of (Medical Knowledge)

2.11 Recognize the value of the work of monitoring and reporting for quality (Professional Behaviors)

2.12 Use appropriate literature to make evidence-based decisions on patient (Medical Knowledge; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

3.1 Establish meaningful, therapeutic relationships with patients and families that allow for a deeper connection and create space for exploration of the patients’ needs and goals to deliver culturally competent care. (Interpersonal Skills)

3.2 Interpret information so that patients can understand and make meaning out of the information conveyed to them. (Clinical and Technical Skills; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

3.3 Recognize the need for and governing mandates that ensure patients have access to interpreters and appropriate resources when barriers to communication arise. (Professional Behaviors)

3.4 Demonstrate insight and understanding about emotions and human responses to emotions that allow one to develop and manage interpersonal interactions. (Interpersonal Skills)

3.5 Communicate effectively with patients, families, and the (Interpersonal Skills)

3.6 Provide effective, equitable, understandable, and respectful quality care and services that are responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy, and other communication (Interpersonal Skills; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

3.7 Organize and communicate information with patients, families, community members, and health team members in a form that is understandable, avoiding discipline-specific terminology, when possible, and checking to ensure understanding. (Interpersonal Skills)

4.1 Articulate one’s role and responsibilities to patients, families, communities, and other professionals. (Interpersonal Skills)

4.2 Redirect the focus of the health care team to the needs of the (Interpersonal Skills)

4.3 Assure patients that they are being (Interpersonal Skills)

4.4 Ensure patients’ needs are the focus over self and (Interpersonal Skills)

4.5 Contribute to the creation, dissemination, application, and translation of new health care knowledge and practices. (Medical Knowledge; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

4.6 Recognize when referrals are needed and make them to the appropriate health care (Medical Knowledge; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

4.7 Coordinate (Medical Knowledge; Clinical and Technical Skills; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

4.8 Develop relationships and effectively communicate with physicians, other health professionals, and health care teams. (Interpersonal Skills; Professional Behaviors)

4.9 Use the full scope of knowledge, skills, and abilities of available health professionals to provide care that is safe, timely, efficient, effective, and (Medical Knowledge; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities; Clinical and Technical Skills)

4.10 Use unique and complementary abilities of all members of the team to optimize health and patient care. (Professional Behaviors)

4.11 Engage diverse professionals who complement one’s own professional expertise, as well as associated resources, to develop strategies to meet specific health and health care needs of patients and populations. (Professional Behaviors)

4.12 Describe how professionals in health and other fields can collaborate and integrate clinical care and public health interventions to optimize population health. (Professional Behaviors; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

5.1 Articulate standard of care (Medical Knowledge; Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities)

5.2 Admit mistakes and (Interpersonal Skills; Professional Behaviors)

5.3 Participate in difficult conversations with patients and (Interpersonal Skills)

5.4 Recognize one’s limits and establish healthy boundaries to support healthy partnerships. (Interpersonal Skills)

5.5 Demonstrate respect for the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of team-based care. (Interpersonal Skills)

5.6 Demonstrate responsiveness to patient needs that supersedes self-interest. (Interpersonal Skills)

5.7 Demonstrate accountability to patients, society, and the (Interpersonal Skills; Professional Behaviors)

5.8 Exhibit an understanding of the regulatory (Professional Behaviors)

6.1 Recognize that health care is a (Professional Behavior)

6.2 Articulate individual providers’ value-add to the health care team in terms of cost. (Professional Behaviors)

6.3 Appreciate the value of the collaborative physician/PA (Professional Behaviors)

Policies

*For more information on PA admission documents, please contact the PA office.

The Department of Physician Assistant does not offer waivers for any pre-requisite coursework. Additionally, the Department does not offer waivers, advanced placement, or proficiency exams for any coursework. All students must complete the entire professional curriculum while enrolled at UTRGV.

The Department of Physician Assistant does not admit students from other physician assistant programs. All currently or formerly enrolled physician assistant students at other physician assistant programs must participate in a competitive admissions process along with all other applicants.

Criminal record background checks (CBC) and drug screens are a standard part of the physician assistant profession. Successful completion of a criminal background check is required for admission to and continuation in the Program. Because many local hospitals affiliated with the university require a criminal background check and drug screen on all employees and anyone interacting with their patients, these are mandatory requirements of all students that must be updated annually. All students must comply with these requirements without regard to clinical assignments. Failure to successfully complete both the CBC and drug screen will affect your position in the program.

The DPA does not offer deceleration for academic, professionalism, or behavioral conduct issues. Students are expected to maintain the academic pace of their cohort. This does not allow students to drop classes or decelerate once matriculated. Dropping classes results in dismissal from the program. Students with an approved non-academic leave of absence may be required to meet the proficiencies for consideration of reinstatement and may join the next cohort, depending on the length of the leave.

The PAD curriculum has been designed to be a full-time program for students. It consists of a very demanding course load with a great deal of time spent in class and clinical experiences. There are also special seminars, guest lecturers, and community service-learning projects that may be scheduled on relatively short notice.

We encourage you to seek outside sources of support (scholarships, loans, grants, etc.) and to devote as much time as possible to your professional education. Employment while enrolled in the program is strongly discouraged. ^A3.15.e

Physician assistant students are not allowed/required to work for the DPA. ^A3.04 Students may not serve as an instructional faculty and will not be substituted for regular staff. Students are prohibited from substituting for clerical and/or clinical personnel during first year clinical experiences and clinical rotations. ^A3.05a-b

Technical Standards

Learn More

About

Department of Physician Assistant Menu

Goals

Immunizations

Program Competencies

Building Blocks

Policies

Technical Standards

College of Health Professions

Edinburg Office

Brownsville Office

Find us on Social Media

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About

Department of Physician Assistant Menu

Goals

Goal 1

Goal 2

Goal 3

Immunizations

Learn More

Program Competencies

Competencies

Building Blocks

1. Patient-centered practice knowledge

2. Society and population health

3. Health literacy and communication

4. Interprofessional collaborative practice and leadership

5. Professional and legal aspects of health care

6. Health care finance and systems

Policies

Advanced Placement/Waiver/Transfer Policy

Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen

Deceleration Policy

Student Employment

Supervised Clinical Practice Experience

Technical Standards

College of Health Professions

Edinburg Office

Brownsville Office

Find us on Social Media

LIKE. FOLLOW. SUBSCRIBE. ADD.