UTRGV JAMP Scholars Help Address Texas Physician Shortage

Five UTRGV graduates begin medical school as JAMP expands pathways into medicine and supports the future physician workforce in Texas

EDINBURG, TX, TX, UNITED STATES, August 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Five graduates of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are beginning medical school this fall after completing the Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP), strengthening UTRGV's role in developing the Texas physician workforce and expanding pathways into medicine for students from across the state.
Three of the five graduates, Claudia Hernandez, Tristan Solis and Jarrett Quezada, have joined the UTRGV School of Medicine Class of 2030. Luis Aguillon is attending the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso, while Juan Carlos Mejia-Chevaili is attending McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
JAMP is a statewide initiative established by the Texas Legislature to help address Texas' physician shortage by supporting highly qualified, economically disadvantaged students pursuing careers in medicine. The program provides scholarships, faculty mentoring, physician shadowing, summer medical school internships, Medical College Admission Test preparation and a pathway to admission at participating Texas medical schools for students who successfully complete program requirements.

At UTRGV, JAMP is administered through the Office for Pre-Professional Development and is part of a broader effort to prepare students for professional careers in medicine and other health fields.

"JAMP removes many of the barriers that can keep talented students from pursuing medicine," said Gabby Allen, program manager for the UTRGV Office for Pre-Professional Development.

Since 2021, 22 UTRGV JAMP scholars have matriculated into the UTRGV School of Medicine. Seven additional UTRGV undergraduates recently were selected as the university's newest JAMP scholars, extending the pipeline to another generation of future physicians.
The five graduates entering medical school this fall also reflect UTRGV's strong connection to South Texas communities.

Solis, a Rio Grande City native and former UTRGV track and field student athlete, earned his bachelor's degree in biology. Quezada, a biomedical sciences graduate from El Paso, hopes to become an endocrinologist and eventually practice in the Rio Grande Valley. Aguillon is from Brownsville, and Mejia-Chevaili is from Mission.

Hernandez, Solis and Quezada joined a UTRGV School of Medicine Class of 2030 that includes 56 students. Thirty-four students, or 62 percent of the class, are from the Rio Grande Valley, making it the most Rio Grande Valley represented class in the school's history.
The results illustrate how medical school pathway programs can expand access to medical education while helping Texas develop physicians with personal connections to the communities they may one day serve.

UTRGV's Office for Pre-Professional Development also supports students preparing for careers in dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, law and other professional fields through academic preparation, mentoring and experiential learning.
For complete profiles of the five scholars and additional details about JAMP at UTRGV, read the original UTRGV Newsroom story.

ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a comprehensive public research university serving the Rio Grande Valley and beyond through education, research, healthcare and community engagement. One of the nation's largest Hispanic Serving Institutions, UTRGV has earned national recognition for academic excellence, social mobility, affordability and student success. UTRGV is the only university in Texas with both a School of Medicine and a School of Podiatric Medicine, with locations, teaching sites and centers throughout South Texas.

Patrick Gonzales
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
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