*~*~*~*Official TMDSAS Questions Thread 2015-2016*~*~*~*

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Marcion said:
I'm finally getting ready to submit... Am I too late in the game at this point?
Click to expand...

You are not late, at least I hope not... Just not in the earliest batch.
My MCAT percentiles just came out today, and my real scores won't come out until July 21st ;(
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GEToutLADYits6AM said:
Hey guys I need some advice. I am going to retake august 6 and I am applying to all the Texas schools(TMDSAS)
I have already applied, is it wise to indicate a future retake or try to see if I get any interviews and not let them know.
Stats/Extracurricular
3.5 gpa
37-47 overall on the mcat
Mcat
chem/phys. 62-77
verbal 17-32
biology 49-64
psychology 38-53

280 hours shadowing
1 year scribe (600 hours)
full time job during undergrad.



Trying to apply this cycle
Click to expand...
If I understand correctly you are talking about percentiles when you say 37-47. Honestly, if you have a strong feeling that you can do considerably better on your retake then I'd say indicate it on your tmdsas. Just make sure there will be an improvement.
 
Sasori said:
If I understand correctly you are talking about percentiles when you say 37-47. Honestly, if you have a strong feeling that you can do considerably better on your retake then I'd say indicate it on your tmdsas. Just make sure there will be an improvement.
Click to expand...
Yes, I am referring to the overall percentile school. I doubt any school would give me a interview with scores these low.
I am going to try to improve my verbal as much as I can within the next 30 days. I just hope being complete in september will still give me some chances to get some kind of interview.
 
Last edited:
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GEToutLADYits6AM said:
Hey guys I need some advice. I am going to retake august 6 and I am applying to all the Texas schools(TMDSAS)
I have already applied, is it wise to indicate a future retake or try to see if I get any interviews and not let them know.
Stats/Extracurricular
3.5 gpa
37-47 overall on the mcat
Mcat
chem/phys. 62-77
verbal 17-32
biology 49-64
psychology 38-53

280 hours shadowing
1 year scribe (600 hours)
full time job during undergrad.



Trying to apply this cycle
Click to expand...
In 2013 I was in the same dilemma as you - I had taken mid-June MCAT only to score a 26 on it. My friends pushed me to retake in August and despite my best judgment, I retook it, only to see it go up by 1 freaking point. I did not improve at all in VR as both scores were 6.

I then went on to finish undergrad in 2014 and then focused the summer after that on the MCAT. I studied from July - October and my MCAT was Nov 7th of last year. After months of dedicated, focused practice, I was able to increase my score from a 27 to a 32!!!!! All I really needed was practice at MY pace, not anyone else's. I learned that MCAT isn't a game (none of the standaridzed tests are...) and that your own personal timetable is what matters.

Looking at your percentiles, you can see you have your work cut out for you. And do NOT expect a significant improvement if you retake it next month. You will need strongest help in Verbal/CARS and you need to boost up your Chem/Phys and Bio.

I would still recommend you to go through TBR books and literally do EVERY SINGLE PASSAGE & QUESTION. Honestly, my PS score went from a dumb 9 to a 12 on retake and I believe it's solely because of the exhaustive prep I did with TBR.

With regards to bio, try to simplify concepts and topics as much as you possibly can. You need to keep in mind that so many bio majors take this test and that the AAMC knows this and they purposely create questions that are indrect, requiring two/three-step logic. I did practice from Kaplan books, Princeton Review Science Workbook, and other online resources such as MCAT Question of the Day (btw they have their QBank as well and I would highly recommend you check them out).

Verbal remains to be the most difficult section to improve on. And like you, my scores of 6 (twice) were a big obstacle for me to overcome. What I suggest is for you to start reading articles in Philosophy, Ethics, Culture, Economics, etc. and try to frame some of your own questions that the AAMC typically likes to asks and then go back in the passage and try to use the passage itself to answer the question you created. For example, AAMC loves to ask "if X were hypothetically true, how would the presence of X affect the author's argument in paragraph 2"? And they love strengthen/weaken questions. The more you are able to make questiosn like the AAMC, the more comfortable you will become with their style and methodology. But comprehension ability is a must!! So keep reading and keep doing questions. TPR Verbal workbook and Kaplan's VR Section Tests are very helpful too.

I know it seems like a lot of work but a lot of times many of us are reminded that the road to becoming a doctor is a long one. As they say, it really is a marathon. I watched my friends get interviews, get matched, and then go on to their white coat ceremonies while I was stuck studying for the damn MCAT. But I kept reminding myself that I too am capable of greatness and that if they did it, so can I. Self motivation is key for taking any exam!!

I wish you all the best with your MCAT and feel free to PM me if you would like to.

Best,
 
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texan2414 said:
In 2013 I was in the same dilemma as you - I had taken mid-June MCAT only to score a 26 on it. My friends pushed me to retake in August and despite my best judgment, I retook it, only to see it go up by 1 freaking point. I did not improve at all in VR as both scores were 6.

I then went on to finish undergrad in 2014 and then focused the summer after that on the MCAT. I studied from July - October and my MCAT was Nov 7th of last year. After months of dedicated, focused practice, I was able to increase my score from a 27 to a 32!!!!! All I really needed was practice at MY pace, not anyone else's. I learned that MCAT isn't a game (none of the standaridzed tests are...) and that your own personal timetable is what matters.

Looking at your percentiles, you can see you have your work cut out for you. And do NOT expect a significant improvement if you retake it next month. You will need strongest help in Verbal/CARS and you need to boost up your Chem/Phys and Bio.

I would still recommend you to go through TBR books and literally do EVERY SINGLE PASSAGE & QUESTION. Honestly, my PS score went from a dumb 9 to a 12 on retake and I believe it's solely because of the exhaustive prep I did with TBR.

With regards to bio, try to simplify concepts and topics as much as you possibly can. You need to keep in mind that so many bio majors take this test and that the AAMC knows this and they purposely create questions that are indrect, requiring two/three-step logic. I did practice from Kaplan books, Princeton Review Science Workbook, and other online resources such as MCAT Question of the Day (btw they have their QBank as well and I would highly recommend you check them out).

Verbal remains to be the most difficult section to improve on. And like you, my scores of 6 (twice) were a big obstacle for me to overcome. What I suggest is for you to start reading articles in Philosophy, Ethics, Culture, Economics, etc. and try to frame some of your own questions that the AAMC typically likes to asks and then go back in the passage and try to use the passage itself to answer the question you created. For example, AAMC loves to ask "if X were hypothetically true, how would the presence of X affect the author's argument in paragraph 2"? And they love strengthen/weaken questions. The more you are able to make questiosn like the AAMC, the more comfortable you will become with their style and methodology. But comprehension ability is a must!! So keep reading and keep doing questions. TPR Verbal workbook and Kaplan's VR Section Tests are very helpful too.

I know it seems like a lot of work but a lot of times many of us are reminded that the road to becoming a doctor is a long one. As they say, it really is a marathon. I watched my friends get interviews, get matched, and then go on to their white coat ceremonies while I was stuck studying for the damn MCAT. But I kept reminding myself that I too am capable of greatness and that if they did it, so can I. Self motivation is key for taking any exam!!

I wish you all the best with your MCAT and feel free to PM me if you would like to.

Best,
Click to expand...
I took it on Nov 7th too, we're MCAT buddies!
Definitely agree with you on the practice exams/problems/questions.
I'd skip the Kaplan books though, way too easy compared to the real MCAT.
 
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I was talking about Kaplan question banks and the exams.
 
whoareyou said:
During the year your MCAT was 27, did you apply?
Click to expand...
Yes, I did. I applied in 2013 for EY2014 cycle with a 26 and 27 / 4.0 GPA. My score of 27th was uploaded to TMDSAS on Oct 1st (from Aug 28th retake). This further delayed my application.
As you can imagine, none of the schools interviewed me, not even TCOM. It was the most demoralizing semester for me. Last January however, I made New Year resolve to not let my past dictate my future and was determined to be successful. In March, I attended the Lubbock's Reapplicant Seminar and met with the Director of Admissions and Assosciate Dean, both of which commented on my personal statement obviously stated that my MCAT score with a late application were the reason for my rejection. I was also able to meet with Dr. Rabek at UTMB as well as Dr. Diaz at Texas A&M for a file review, and besides stressing improvement on the MCAT, they gave me helpful tips on application, secondaries, etc. I also attended the annual UT Houston's Reapp seminar where I met with Dr. McNeese (one of the assistant deans of admissions) and we openly discussed about my application. I still remain in contact with her as she wanted to know updates from me as I geared up for a reapp this year.

Besides having a bad MCAT, I had also rushed my application which left an unprofessional impression when I met with the adcoms above. Even the description of activities is significant enough to leave a bad impression upon the adcoms. They really REALLY look at the overall quality of your application.
 
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texan2414 said:
In 2013 I was in the same dilemma as you - I had taken mid-June MCAT only to score a 26 on it. My friends pushed me to retake in August and despite my best judgment, I retook it, only to see it go up by 1 freaking point. I did not improve at all in VR as both scores were 6.

I then went on to finish undergrad in 2014 and then focused the summer after that on the MCAT. I studied from July - October and my MCAT was Nov 7th of last year. After months of dedicated, focused practice, I was able to increase my score from a 27 to a 32!!!!! All I really needed was practice at MY pace, not anyone else's. I learned that MCAT isn't a game (none of the standaridzed tests are...) and that your own personal timetable is what matters.

Looking at your percentiles, you can see you have your work cut out for you. And do NOT expect a significant improvement if you retake it next month. You will need strongest help in Verbal/CARS and you need to boost up your Chem/Phys and Bio.

I would still recommend you to go through TBR books and literally do EVERY SINGLE PASSAGE & QUESTION. Honestly, my PS score went from a dumb 9 to a 12 on retake and I believe it's solely because of the exhaustive prep I did with TBR.

With regards to bio, try to simplify concepts and topics as much as you possibly can. You need to keep in mind that so many bio majors take this test and that the AAMC knows this and they purposely create questions that are indrect, requiring two/three-step logic. I did practice from Kaplan books, Princeton Review Science Workbook, and other online resources such as MCAT Question of the Day (btw they have their QBank as well and I would highly recommend you check them out).

Verbal remains to be the most difficult section to improve on. And like you, my scores of 6 (twice) were a big obstacle for me to overcome. What I suggest is for you to start reading articles in Philosophy, Ethics, Culture, Economics, etc. and try to frame some of your own questions that the AAMC typically likes to asks and then go back in the passage and try to use the passage itself to answer the question you created. For example, AAMC loves to ask "if X were hypothetically true, how would the presence of X affect the author's argument in paragraph 2"? And they love strengthen/weaken questions. The more you are able to make questiosn like the AAMC, the more comfortable you will become with their style and methodology. But comprehension ability is a must!! So keep reading and keep doing questions. TPR Verbal workbook and Kaplan's VR Section Tests are very helpful too.

I know it seems like a lot of work but a lot of times many of us are reminded that the road to becoming a doctor is a long one. As they say, it really is a marathon. I watched my friends get interviews, get matched, and then go on to their white coat ceremonies while I was stuck studying for the damn MCAT. But I kept reminding myself that I too am capable of greatness and that if they did it, so can I. Self motivation is key for taking any exam!!

I wish you all the best with your MCAT and feel free to PM me if you would like to.

Best,
Click to expand...
I could really relate to this. I actually had a much more extreme situation with verbal, and not unlike you I had to retake and reapply. I was finally able to raise my score to a 31 with an 8 in verbal. I know that's still on the low side for verbal, but it is nonetheless a big improvement for me personally. I had a tough time contemplating the fact that despite putting in quite some effort to maintain above a 3.9 gpa, my chances of getting in any where were nullified solely because of one section on the mcat. It takes some time to improve but it's definitely doable. Good luck @GEToutLADYits6AM, and thank you for sharing your story @texan2414
 
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BowSeat said:
I have a question on when they mark my LOR as received versus when they process them. Currently they're processing on a two day delay. Their site says that the status page my take 5-10 days for any materials to appear as received. My question is, does my status for LOR have to appear as received before they start processing the LOR or will it show up ten days from now, July 18th, as "Received on 7/8" and they've already processed them on say July 11th.
Click to expand...
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think tmdsas LOR 'processing' is basically the process of going over the letters that they received and changing applicants' statuses to received. To answer your question, your letters would appear as received after they have been processed.
 
Buzzlightyear33 said:
I listed scribing so many times on tmdsas it's not funny. Yes you can list 1 activity under multiple categories.
Click to expand...

YUP!
I placed it under healthcare activity, employment and leadership because I am a trainer for my team. Additionally, I placed a few hours under "volunteering" because the OBGYN doctors were asking for help with the system so I put a couple of hours helping them.
 
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So I'm still waiting on a committee packet from my university, and one of my professors flaked out on his individual letter. Does anyone know if there is a specific requirement from any of the schools for 2 letters from professors? Do I need to find someone else, or will I be okay with a committee packet with only one letter from a professor? Thanks!
 
earsopen said:
So I'm still waiting on a committee packet from my university, and one of my professors flaked out on his individual letter. Does anyone know if there is a specific requirement from any of the schools for 2 letters from professors? Do I need to find someone else, or will I be okay with a committee packet with only one letter from a professor? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Based on my understanding, your committee letter is seen as just one and its left for your school to include any other letters or not. Schools will give their requirements for letters from professors if you are not submitting a committee packet.
 
Lanoserol said:
Based on my understanding, your committee letter is seen as just one and its left for your school to include any other letters or not. Schools will give their requirements for letters from professors if you are not submitting a committee packet.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I hope you're right. I was doing A&M's secondary and it seems like they require the two professors.
 
Marcion said:
I'm finally getting ready to submit... Am I too late in the game at this point?
Click to expand...
LOL this is a fine time to submit. I submitted last year on July 25th, TMDSAS sorted through my stuff on August 23rd. Despite being "late" I had 7 II, interviewed at 6 schools and got 3 acceptances (one was a prematch). This is still early in the game. Interviews will continue until February. Just relax and submit now.
 
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Anyone have any idea on the turn around time for requests to change letter of evaluation writers? I e-mailed [email protected] as their website says, but reading the forums they say to e-mail [email protected]. Anyone know if one or both are correct?
 
YogaBe@r said:
LOL this is a fine time to submit. I submitted last year on July 25th, TMDSAS sorted through my stuff on August 23rd. Despite being "late" I had 7 II, interviewed at 6 schools and got 3 acceptances (one was a prematch). This is still early in the game. Interviews will continue until February. Just relax and submit now.
Click to expand...

Just for reference, how were your stats? URM?
 
BowSeat said:
Anyone have any idea on the turn around time for requests to change letter of evaluation writers? I e-mailed [email protected] as their website says, but reading the forums they say to e-mail [email protected]. Anyone know if one or both are correct?
Click to expand...
Lanoserol said:
[email protected] is the email to direct your question to. Preferably, use the email function of your application.
Click to expand...

[email protected] is the email to direct your question to. Preferably, use the email function of your application.
 
How's it going for my fellow OOS'ers? All I've got are notices my application is complete and ready for review.
 
Buzzlightyear33 said:
How's it going for my fellow OOS'ers? All I've got are notices my application is complete and ready for review.
Click to expand...

Interviews at TCOM and A&M scheduled - silence on all other fronts.
 
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Has anybody received interviews without a completed application, more specifically missing LORs?
 
Cawolf said:
It is definitely dental seeing as they posted the same thing in the TMDSAS dental thread.
Click to expand...
You just saved me a full night's panic. Bless you haha
Edit: also, congrats on killing it in TX so far! :)
 
SXCoronado said:
Just wondering, I have some pre med friends who are nervous right now. When do med school invites begin to be sent out?
Click to expand...

Last week for some Texas schools.

A few sent out invites today as well.
 
Hello everyone!

I just finished my sophomore year (I'm graduating in 3 years instead of 4) and took the MCAT on July 17th. I'm expecting a decent to good score, I highly doubt I'll end up below 80th or above 95th percentile. I was originally planning on take the MCAT this summer and then apply next summer while using what would have been my senior year as a gap year. After taking the MCAT I realized I might as well apply now if I have a competitive score rather than do something mediocre during that gap year. I'm OOS and have my heart set on ending up somewhere in Texas for Medical School. I'm applying through AMCAS as well just to be safe as I want to make sure I can get an acceptance somewhere. 4.0 GPA from state school solid research, EC, letters. 50-60 hours shadowing. Virtually no patient exposure (my weak point).

What do you think my odds are if I end up submitting my TMDSAS application around August 20th after I get my scores back? What would the time frame be like from there? How long to process? How long before I get secondaries? How long until invites? How late do interviews go? When are first/final acceptances?

Thank you in advance for any advice you have :)
 
MD2025 said:
Hello everyone!

I just finished my sophomore year (I'm graduating in 3 years instead of 4) and took the MCAT on July 17th. I'm expecting a decent to good score, I highly doubt I'll end up below 80th or above 95th percentile. I was originally planning on take the MCAT this summer and then apply next summer while using what would have been my senior year as a gap year. After taking the MCAT I realized I might as well apply now if I have a competitive score rather than do something mediocre during that gap year. I'm OOS and have my heart set on ending up somewhere in Texas for Medical School. I'm applying through AMCAS as well just to be safe as I want to make sure I can get an acceptance somewhere. 4.0 GPA from state school solid research, EC, letters. 50-60 hours shadowing. Virtually no patient exposure (my weak point).

What do you think my odds are if I end up submitting my TMDSAS application around August 20th after I get my scores back? What would the time frame be like from there? How long to process? How long before I get secondaries? How long until invites? How late do interviews go? When are first/final acceptances?

Thank you in advance for any advice you have :)
Click to expand...
I'm also OOS so take this with a grain of salt, but if you submit TMDSAS on August 20th, and it takes you 2 weeks to be verified (I'd assume it would take longer than that though), a bunch of interviews would have happened already. It might have been fine if you were IS, but for OOS that's pushing it a bit.
That being said, it's "only" $140 which compared to AMCAS is pretty much nothing, so you might as well give it a try if you really want to.

And from my standpoint of having taken 2 gap years... I'd say one year is nice, two years is too many (unless you have something cool to do, like Teach for America or whatever interests you). I am very happy I won't be in school during interview season, that's something you should consider if you're like me and you hate missing classes.
 
idontknowwhatnametopick said:
I'm also OOS so take this with a grain of salt, but if you submit TMDSAS on August 20th, and it takes you 2 weeks to be verified (I'd assume it would take longer than that though), a bunch of interviews would have happened already. It might have been fine if you were IS, but for OOS that's pushing it a bit.
That being said, it's "only" $140 which compared to AMCAS is pretty much nothing, so you might as well give it a try if you really want to.
Click to expand...

Am I able to submit earlier and wait for the MCAT scores while it gets verified?
 
MD2025 said:
Am I able to submit earlier and wait for the MCAT scores while it gets verified?
Click to expand...
Yes you definitely can submit your primary without the MCAT. And you can submit secondaries without the MCAT as well I believe. At least I know you can for UT Southwestern. UT Austin will wait until they get your verified primary since they screen. Unsure about A&M and TCOM since I didn't apply there.
 
idontknowwhatnametopick said:
Yes you definitely can submit your primary without the MCAT. And you can submit secondaries without the MCAT as well I believe. At least I know you can for UT Southwestern. UT Austin will wait until they get your verified primary since they screen. Unsure about A&M and TCOM since I didn't apply there.
Click to expand...
You can do a&m and tcom ahead of time too.
 
Ooops. Didn't realize UTSW and A&M wouldn't send secondaries to me, I had to go to them. Does it look bad since I submitted my app on the 10th?
 
Do any texas schools give II's via phone? I missed a call from a texas area code today...
 
Marcion said:
Ooops. Didn't realize UTSW and A&M wouldn't send secondaries to me, I had to go to them. Does it look bad since I submitted my app on the 10th?
Click to expand...
UTSW actually sent me an email telling me about their secondary. They just don't send it right away. Just get it done ASAP, there's no point in second-guessing, what's done is done. And I think I've read somewhere that they sometimes send IIs without waiting for the secondary to be submitted.

No clue about A&M since I didn't apply there.
 
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