Health Professionals Advisory Committee

Below is a list of HPAC’s members and each member’s area of specialty in pre-health advising. You can learn more about each HPAC member by clicking on their name and visiting their website. Please direct general questions about HPAC to Dr. Chris Mares, the Chair of the committee.

Mr. Albert Alvarado, Lecturer of Mathematics (Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy)

Dr. Bryan Bayles, Assistant Professor of Community Health (JAMP Faculty Director)

Dr. David Brooks, Instructional Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Physiology, (Medicine & Nursing)

Dr. Kun Gou, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy)

Dr. Qi Han, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Medicine)

Dr. Humberto Lara Villegas, Instructional Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Physiology (Medicine)

Dr. Chris Mares, Associate Professor of Biology (Medicine & Dentistry) & Chair of HPAC

Dr. Brenda Rushing, Instructional Associate Professor (Physician Assistant and Medicine)

Dr. G. Robert Shelton, Instructional Associate Professor of Chemistry (Pharmacy)

Dr. Brock Symons, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology (Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy)

Ms. Marie Tipps, Lecturer of Biology (Veterinary Medicine)

One of the most important ways in which HPAC can help you is by giving you academic and professional advice.  In order for HPAC to do this efficiently, we ask that students adhere to the following procedure when seeking HPAC’s advising services.

1. 1. 1. Check that your current GPA meets the following criteria to be eligible for HPAC advising.
         • First-year students: No GPA requirement
         • Sophomore classification: at least a 2.5 GPA
         • Junior classification: at least a 2.75 GPA
         • Senior classification: at least a 3.0 GPA
      2. If your GPA meets the criteria above, email Dr. Chris Mares
         (camares@tamusa.edu) using your A&M—SA email account. Please structure this email as follows and do not include additional information.
         • Title your email “HPAC Advising Request (LastName)” where you substitute in your last name for the text “LastName” in the example
         • Include the following information in the body of your email
           • Your first and last name
           • Your student ID number
           • Your major
           • Your academic classification (first year, sophomore, junior, or senior)
           • Your area of interest (e.g., Pre-med, Pre-pharm, etc.)
           • Your preferred advisor (if you have one)
             ***Please note that it may not always be possible to assign preferred advisors***
      3. Be on the lookout for an email from Dr. Chris Mares containing your advisor assignment. Your advisor will be cc’d on this email.
      4. Work directly with your advisor to schedule advising sessions. It is fine for you to initiate contact with your new advisor.

HPAC provides mock interviews and letters of recommendation (LORs) to qualified pre-health students.  Because these services are time-consuming, to receive them, students must apply.  The basic structure of the HPAC application packet is described in Section II B of the HPAC Handbook.  Similarly, the criteria by which applications are assessed are described in Section IX B of the HPAC Handbook.  Please note, that the decision to apply to HPAC for a mock interview and/or LOR should be made in consultation with your HPAC Advisor.  Applications are time-consuming for students to produce and time-consuming for faculty to review.  Therefore, HPAC discourages the submission of applications by students who have not been encouraged to do so by their HPAC Advisor. 

Below, you will find links to the documents required to complete an HPAC application for a mock interview and/or LOR.  In addition, you will find a link to the rubric that HPAC uses to assess the applications it receives. 

• Guided Highlights Cover Form(.docx)
• HPAC Waiver(.docx)
• HPAC Rubric for Student Applications(.docx)

1. Make sure that your HPAC Advisor is supportive of your application.
2. Check the HPAC website or with Dr. Chris Mares (camares@tamusa.edu) as to the application deadline for the semester in which you would like to receive a mock interview and/or LOR.
3. Consult Section II B and Section IX B of the HPAC Handbook to ensure that you understand the various components of the packet and how it will be assessed. You are also strongly encouraged to consult the application rubric (linked above).
4. Complete each component of your application and compile them into a single PDF that contains the components in the following order (please consult with your HPAC advisor if you need help compiling your PDF).
   1. Guided highlights form
   2. Signed waiver (must contain an original signature)
   3. Curriculum vitae
   4. Transcripts
   5. Personal statement
5. Submit your PDF to Dr. Chris Mares (camares@tamusa.edu) as an email attachment. The priority deadline is February 12^th, 2024.

The Summer Research Program at Texas A&M University is a unique opportunity for undergraduates to perform biomedical research over a 10 week period with College of Medicine faculty.  Selected participants will be matched with biomedical researchers at College of Medicine campuses in either Bryan-College Station or Houston and they will assist with a research project in either basic or clinical science.  Participants will also be involved with weekly meetings that will cover ethical aspects of human and animal research, scientific investigation, and career development.  A $4,000 stipend will be paid to all participants and room and board will be provided for those conducting research at the College Station campus.

The application deadline is February 12^th, 2024.  Please submit the following material to chris.mares@tamusa.edu by the February 12th deadline:

A single pdf document containing the following information should be emailed to chris.mares@tamusa.edu:

1. Unofficial transcript
2. A one-page essay describing why you would like to gain undergraduate research experience
3. Please have two references email a reference form directly to chris.mares@tamusa.edu.

Selected participants will be notified in early March.

Reference Form (.docx)| A&M - College of Medicine Research

A&M—SA has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of Incarnate Word’s School of Physical Therapy. This MOU facilitates the matriculation of qualified A&M—SA students into UIW’s Physical Therapy program. The specific details of this MOU can be found by clicking on the hyperlink below.

MOU with UIW School of Physical Therapy

Finally, the Rural and Underserved Populations to Medicine is a pathway for students who are from medically underserved areas and are interested in pursuing primary care as a career to gain early admission to the Texas A&M College of Medicine. Please see this link for more information

Rural and Underserved Populations to Medicine