2025-2026 UT Rio Grande Valley

[wysdoc]

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2025-2026 UT Rio Grande Valley Secondary Essays & video (question 1 has changed from last year)

Part 1 (two required essays)
1. Many applicants express a desire to serve underserved communities, but true commitment goes beyond good intentions. What is a specific healthcare challenge disproportionately affecting the Rio Grande Valley, or a similar underserved area? Why do current solutions remain insufficient in addressing this issue? Given the constraints of limited resources, what practical and innovative approach could you propose to address this challenge, and how might it be implemented effectively?. (1500 words or less)

2. Why are you interested in UTRGV SOM? (500 words or less max; bullet points are acceptable).

Optional Essay (truly optional)
1. Please describe any extenuating circumstances that may have affected your medical or non-medical service experiences, including any circumstances that impacted your engagement in activities, academics, and MCAT that would have helped to prepare you for medical school. (1500 words or less)

Part 2: REQUIRED [VIDEO Response] (In the past they have had you record your own video & upload the file)
Submit a 2-minute video that answers the questions below.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine prepares future physicians in accordance with the following values:
-patient advocacy
-community focus
-cultural awareness,
-collaborative leadership style
-lifelong problem solving
Select TWO (2) of these values and discuss what you have done in the past that resonates with them. How will you support and strengthen these two values when you practice medicine?

Good luck to all applying!

Interview Feedback:

University of Texas Rio Grand Valley School of Medicine - Admission, Tuition, Ranking & Overview | Student Doctor Network

Detail information of University of Texas Rio Grand Valley School of Medicine including admission, tuition, ranking, and overview.

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[premedmom2026]

@wysdoc son received secondary today. Submitted 5/15 8 AM

Part 1
1. Many applicants express a desire to serve underserved communities, but true commitment goes beyond good intentions. What is a specific healthcare challenge disproportionately affecting the Rio Grande Valley, or a similar underserved area? Why do current solutions remain insufficient in addressing this issue? Given the constraints of limited resources, what practical and innovative approach could you propose to address this challenge, and how might it be implemented effectively?. (1500 words or less)
2. Why are you interested in UTRGV SOM? (500 words or less max; bullet points are acceptable).

Optional Essays
1. Please describe any extenuating circumstances that may have affected your medical or non-medical service experiences, including any circumstances that impacted your engagement in activities, academics, and MCAT that would have helped to prepare you for medical school. (1500 words or less)

Part 2: REQUIRED [VIDEO Response]

Submit a 2-minute video that answers the questions below.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine prepares future physicians in accordance with the following values: patient advocacy, community focus, cultural awareness, collaborative leadership style, and lifelong problem solving. Select TWO (2) of these values and discuss what you have done in the past that resonates with them. How will you support and strengthen these two values when you practice medicine?

 

[fatcammal1]

1500 words? wow.

 

[wysdoc]

1500 words? wow.

"or less" 😉

 

[mynamejef]

I have a question about the optional essay if anyone is willing to share their opinion.

I don't have any major extenuating circumstances that impacted my hours or academics (no major systemic or financial challenges that others have faced that I think this essay is mostly for). However, I would consider myself to have a different experience as a premed student because 1. I came from a small town where the focus was to have kids graduate high school (huge drop out rate bc they would start families or have to work full time to provide for themselves or their family) rather than trying to make us attend college. We had a college and career center but it was tiny and horribly implemented. So I really had no guidance for college and didn't even know I wanted to attend college until like 1 month before I got in, which I think is different from many of the students that I talked to at my university who have known exactly how to do everything within both college and the premed track since 9th grade. I would say this affected my hours and ability to gain opportunities once in college because I had no idea how to navigate the premedical field I was interested in, affecting the amount of hours (clinical and nonclinical) I have. My undergraduate university also didn't have a pre-health advisor or real committee, and although my concentration was premed, there was no major service or program to help me navigate like I think other universities had. Therefore I didn't start volunteering until like my junior or senior year and even then it was only like 10 clinical hours and maybe 20 nonclinical. I had no idea how to go about my aspiring career in medicine and i felt like I didn't have access to resources the way other premed students had.

However I still have okay volunteering hours (400 or so) that I gained after graduating college and 1500+ clinical hours now and don't want it to come off like I'm complaining that other students had access to a better premed track than me when I was still able to obtain those hours (to an extent) in the end. Does anyone have any insight? Should I write about this in the optional or is it too woe is me and doesnt really matter?

 

[wysdoc]

I have a question about the optional essay if anyone is willing to share their opinion.

I don't have any major extenuating circumstances that impacted my hours or academics (no major systemic or financial challenges that others have faced that I think this essay is mostly for). However, I would consider myself to have a different experience as a premed student because 1. I came from a small town where the focus was to have kids graduate high school (huge drop out rate bc they would start families or have to work full time to provide for themselves or their family) rather than trying to make us attend college. We had a college and career center but it was tiny and horribly implemented. So I really had no guidance for college and didn't even know I wanted to attend college until like 1 month before I got in, which I think is different from many of the students that I talked to at my university who have known exactly how to do everything within both college and the premed track since 9th grade. I would say this affected my hours and ability to gain opportunities once in college because I had no idea how to navigate the premedical field I was interested in, affecting the amount of hours (clinical and nonclinical) I have. My undergraduate university also didn't have a pre-health advisor or real committee, and although my concentration was premed, there was no major service or program to help me navigate like I think other universities had. Therefore I didn't start volunteering until like my junior or senior year and even then it was only like 10 clinical hours and maybe 20 nonclinical. I had no idea how to go about my aspiring career in medicine and i felt like I didn't have access to resources the way other premed students had.

However I still have okay volunteering hours (400 or so) that I gained after graduating college and 1500+ clinical hours now and don't want it to come off like I'm complaining that other students had access to a better premed track than me when I was still able to obtain those hours (to an extent) in the end. Does anyone have any insight? Should I write about this in the optional or is it too woe is me and doesnt really matter?

If you decide to write this essay you would need to work on making it more compact and organized.What you have written above seems to be mostly complaining about how small your college was?
There are 3 essays in the TMDSAS primary application- if you used one of those to talk about your upbringing and barriers to education, it’s not necessary to write it again here.

 

[PagingDrDisco]

Regarding the part one Rio Grande Valley specific question. There is obviously going to be some research involved to put together a quality response. I want to include citations for any data that I include in my response to show that I have an accurate understanding of the issue I'm talking about but this will take up a significant portion of my word count. How do you suggest I work around this? I don't want to just leave out citations especially if its research from UTRGV databases because this would be considered plagarism. Thanks in advance! @wysdoc

 

[wysdoc]

Regarding the part one Rio Grande Valley specific question. There is obviously going to be some research involved to put together a quality response. I want to include citations for any data that I include in my response to show that I have an accurate understanding of the issue I'm talking about but this will take up a significant portion of my word count. How do you suggest I work around this? I don't want to just leave out citations especially if its research from UTRGV databases because this would be considered plagarism. Thanks in advance! @wysdoc

If you are citing studies I guess you should cite your source.
But you have plenty of space in that 1500 word limit

 

[cooggrad]

Is it invite-only secondaries, or is it automatic? Their website states they pre-screen, but I haven't seen anyone not get a secondary. Is screening just easier than UH & Dell?

 

[happyplace333]

ngl i submitted my secondary essays like 2 weeks ago but the video today. the app was marked completed w the secondary essays. do u think they looked at it without the video or would they now that all the parts are complete?

 

[wysdoc]

ngl i submitted my secondary essays like 2 weeks ago but the video today. the app was marked completed w the secondary essays. do u think they looked at it without the video or would they now that all the parts are complete?

They are busy with orientation week for their incoming MS1 students at the moment, so if you have turned everything in including your CASPer test, it's time for a lot of waiting. I will estimate their first interview invitations to go out late July to mid August.

 

[Minky Mushroom]

So for the optional essay is it worth explaining MCAT retakes? Not sure if I'm overthinking

 

[wysdoc]

So for the optional essay is it worth explaining MCAT retakes? Not sure if I'm overthinking

if you just re-took it to get a better score I don't think it's worth writing about.
If your test was cancelled beyond your control, maybe

 

[bojanglesss]

I got UTRGV secondary June 4th and thought I wouldn't want to apply anymore, but now after BBB I value the in-state tuition 😅 does it look really bad to submit a secondary like July 10th?

 

[wysdoc]

I got UTRGV secondary June 4th and thought I wouldn't want to apply anymore, but now after BBB I value the in-state tuition 😅 does it look really bad to submit a secondary like July 10th?

Not unless they gave you an earlier deadline
Did they list one this year?

 

[bojanglesss]

Not unless they gave you an earlier deadline
Did they list one this year?

Friday Nov 21st (and Nov 1st for early decision)

 

[aangela9]

Has anyone gotten interview invite from UTRGV? If not, when should they be expected?

 

[bojanglesss]

Why would it look bad if they listed that as their deadline

It's not like UH which gives you 2 weeks

wasn't sure if taking over a month to submit a secondary could show I wasn't interested or didn't prioritize them

 

[aangela9]

Has anyone gotten any invites from this school?

 

[coffmants]

Just a heads up if anybody else finds this thread and didn't know, they have an in person component to their interviews so only do a secondary and apply if you are willing to show up in person for an interview!

 

[ajaxmonkey]

I submitted a FAP fee waiver request on July 14th. I haven't heard anything back. Does anyone know how long it usually takes, or should I just go ahead and send a friendly follow-up?

 

[fakenewyorker]

I submitted a FAP fee waiver request on July 14th. I haven't heard anything back. Does anyone know how long it usually takes, or should I just go ahead and send a friendly follow-up?

I received a response the following day after requesting one. Might be best if you follow up

 

[ajaxmonkey]

I received a response the following day after requesting one. Might be best if you follow up

I just got a response today lol. I guess I just needed to post about it.

 

[utexasmedicineman]

IS Secondary received 7/24

 

[wysdoc]

this interview process seems backward. an in-person component before a remote component. i live on the other side of texas, maybe they are trying to filter us out for local candidates? wonder what the logic is here if any

That’s the way they decided to do it, so you have no choice.
I agree with you that the 2- step process is unusual and needlessly confusing.
One thing they do spell out very clearly though: if you don’t come to the in-person part, you will not get the 2 one on one zoom interviews and you will be rejected.

 

[hleehyan]

That’s the way they decided to do it, so you have no choice.
I agree with you that the 2- step process is unusual and needlessly confusing.
One thing they do spell out very clearly though: if you don’t come to the in-person part, you will not get the 2 one on one zoom interviews and you will be rejected.

well yeah obviously i agree you have no choice. i am just trying to understand why lol. i already submitted everything about a couple weeks so i'll see, but just wondering if this is an arbitrary filter or something. im assuming some percentage would not want to travel for a screening interview

 

[wysdoc]

@hleehyan I answer a whole lot of questions every day, and if I don't make my answers really definite, I get 5 more questions.

I don't know the school's motives for this 2 stage system, but the following are my opinions based on observing their process for 10 years.

Applicants who have never traveled to this region of Texas before may be surprised when they visit - surprised in a good way, or in an unfavorable way. A visit will give you some information, and a sense of whether you could spend your next 4 years there, or whether seeing the RGV helps you rule it out.
After the pandemic when all other schools went remote, UTRGV kept using the 2-phase system and at first they did have the 2 30-minute interviews first, and the visiting day later. Some of the candidates they really liked, and may have thought would choose their school, blew off the visit day and didn't complete the process. I conclude that reversing it so you visit first puts them in more control over the process again while giving them the chance to make a good impression on you.
They could do the visit and tour in the morning and the interviews in the afternoon and streamline it, sure would make it easier for you applicants.

 

[texasvandy]

Adding my $.02.

Three years ago, they did zoom interviews first and then invited people in person for final but by the time they were invited, many had received prematches from one or more schools and decided to decline in person interviews and no longer wanted to be considered.

They have changed that process since then to ensure only those truly interested in the school get interviews by making the in person part of the II first.

 

[ajaxmonkey]

Adding my $.02.

Three years ago, they did zoom interviews first and then invited people in person for final but by the time they were invited, many had received prematches from one or more schools and decided to decline in person interviews and no longer wanted to be considered.

They have changed that process since then to ensure only those truly interested in the school get interviews by making the in person part of the II first.

As they should! I wish more schools did this TBH. Just my 2 monopoly coins. I definitely understand finances and whatnot though. Those would be the only things I could see being an issue.

 

[hleehyan]

As they should! I wish more schools did this TBH. Just my 2 monopoly coins. I definitely understand finances and whatnot though. Those would be the only things I could see being an issue.

Finances are a huge reason for me. I have to travel, take time off from work, book a place to stay...if more schools did this, I wouldn't be able to afford interviewing, let alone the thousands in fees I've already paid. For a college student or recent grad its even harder

I'm grateful most schools still have virtual interviews

 

[ajaxmonkey]

Finances are a huge reason for me. I have to travel, take time off from work, book a place to stay...if more schools did this, I wouldn't be able to afford interviewing, let alone the thousands in fees I've already paid. For a college student or recent grad its even harder

I'm grateful most schools still have virtual interviews

I didn’t mean any harm by that comment. I’m definitely not rich enough or well off to do it either. It was more so the principle of people actually wanting to go to a school for their mission, etc. I’m in the same boat, and encourage you to talk with adcoms about these things. I know I will!