*~*~*~* Official TMDSAS Questions Thread 2022-2023 *~*~*~*

[wysdoc]

What is yalls thought process in ranking schools?

For me, Im having trouble knowing which factors about each med school matter/ factors that I will care about when im a student there. As of right now, the only thing that matters to me is the environment I live in but even that doesnt narrow the schools down fully for me.

For example, when I have visited the schools. They have all been impressive with their new buildings/new hospitals/ "amazing collaborative culture"/step 1 pass rate/ match rates/ etc so im curious to know what do yall value in a school that makes it stand out from another one

Any insight or advice would be much appreciated !

Have you checked out the "Help Me Decide Forum"? Help Me Decide: X vs Y Medical School
Look for or search for titles in the forum mentioning the names of schools you are considering.
You might see some pros and cons you had not considered.
It's nice to have more than one choice, congratulations!

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[duckdynasty1]

Have you checked out the "Help Me Decide Forum"? Help Me Decide: X vs Y Medical School
Look for or search for titles in the forum mentioning the names of schools you are considering.
You might see some pros and cons you had not considered.
It's nice to have more than one choice, congratulations!

Thank you!
No I havent, but I certantly will.
Also, for a school that is prematch heavy, should that be considered when I rank it?

 

[wysdoc]

Thank you!
No I havent, but I certantly will.
Also, for a school that is prematch heavy, should that be considered when I rank it?

No, rank them as you like them. Even if a school offers lots of prematches, I have seen especially this year that some students have collected 4 or more prematch offers. They can only match to one school! The Match algorithm will sort that out.

 

[hadv3r]

No, rank them as you like them. Even if a school offers lots of prematches, I have seen especially this year that some students have collected 4 or more prematch offers. They can only match to one school! The Match algorithm will sort that out.

This year it seems there are significantly more prematches on sdn than last year. I'm curious if there's just more students on sdn that are vocal or schools sent a little bit extra this year.

 

[randompremed457]

What is yalls thought process in ranking schools?

For me, Im having trouble knowing which factors about each med school matter/ factors that I will care about when im a student there. As of right now, the only thing that matters to me is the environment I live in but even that doesnt narrow the schools down fully for me.

For example, when I have visited the schools. They have all been impressive with their new buildings/new hospitals/ "amazing collaborative culture"/step 1 pass rate/ match rates/ etc so im curious to know what do yall value in a school that makes it stand out from another one

Any insight or advice would be much appreciated !

gut feeling is my strongest ranking metric rn. hasn’t let me down so far in life so I’m running with it.

Honestly, I think all of the Texas schools will get you where you need to go. So here are the secondary factors I’d consider:

P/F curriculum - very important to your overall stress levels during preclinical from what I understand. Also curbs competitive culture somewhat.

Cost - Since med school is expensive, a common piece of advice is go where you’ll have the least amount of debt. All of the Texas schools seem to be awesome so I think it holds especially true here.

Location - as busy as med school is, you want to be able to do the things you love. If Scuba diving is your thing, might be a little tough to do it in Tyler (this is an assumption, there very well may be indoor diving centers or something in Tyler)

Admins willingness to listen to student concerns - very important factor, if a school is open to change I think student happiness will prevail.

Student culture - I honestly think this one is hard to determine. This would change in between class years but if you get a chance to attend a tour, you can somewhat gauge what kind of personalities will be in your class. Would you be happy around those people for the next 4 years?

Reputation - if you think there’s a chance you want to go into a competitive specialty this may be an important factor. From med student threads and random internet knowledge (accuracy to be determined) this may play an important role in your residency application.

 

[astridase11]

Hi, I am applying this upcoming cycle and was wondering if anyone would be willing to share what they wrote about in their optional (unique circumstance or life experience) essay. I am struggling to write mine. Also, I am not URM. Thank you!

 

[wysdoc]

Hi, I am applying this upcoming cycle and was wondering if anyone would be willing to share what they wrote about in their optional (unique circumstance or life experience) essay. I am struggling to write mine. Also, I am not URM. Thank you!

What's cool about you? Have you done something (non-medical related) that was meaningful in your life? Tell about how it meant so much to you, & how it shaped you as a person. This is not a URM/Not URM essay.

 

[AstroSidekick]

What's cool about you? Have you done something (non-medical related) that was meaningful in your life? Tell about how it meant so much to you, & how it shaped you as a person. This is not a URM/Not URM essay.

I wrote about why I almost didn’t to go to college 😂

 

[randompremed457]

Hi, I am applying this upcoming cycle and was wondering if anyone would be willing to share what they wrote about in their optional (unique circumstance or life experience) essay. I am struggling to write mine. Also, I am not URM. Thank you!

this essay can literally be anything about you. Maybe you run a blog that discusses what plant food is most optimal for growth. Maybe you are incredibly passionate about underwater basketweaving. Maybe you’re super into collecting Pokémon cards.

there’s a lot of advice circulating the internet on med school applications. But after speaking to some people on adcoms and others who’ve gotten an above average number of interviews one rule generally holds true in my opinion:

be interesting by being yourself.

 

[deleted1132724]

this essay can literally be anything about you. Maybe you run a blog that discusses what plant food is most optimal for growth. Maybe you are incredibly passionate about underwater basketweaving. Maybe you’re super into collecting Pokémon cards.

there’s a lot of advice circulating the internet on med school applications. But after speaking to some people on adcoms and others who’ve gotten an above average number of interviews one rule generally holds true in my opinion:

be interesting by being yourself.

Agree with everything you said. My first application cycle I thought I had to make all my essays about something unique and why it would make me a great physician. The optional essay ended up sounding cheap and cringey (looking back).

This year on my optional essay I literally wrote about playing the guitar. I firmly believe It doesn’t have to be this incredibly profound excerpt about your life or about being from a certain group/culture of people.

Of course if you have a unique perspective because of these experiences you can write about them. But for most of us who have (relatively) similar upbringings, writing about something you’re excited about will always be much better than trying to force a narrative.

 

[astridase11]

this essay can literally be anything about you. Maybe you run a blog that discusses what plant food is most optimal for growth. Maybe you are incredibly passionate about underwater basketweaving. Maybe you’re super into collecting Pokémon cards.

there’s a lot of advice circulating the internet on med school applications. But after speaking to some people on adcoms and others who’ve gotten an above average number of interviews one rule generally holds true in my opinion:

be interesting by being yourself.

Agree with everything you said. My first application cycle I thought I had to make all my essays about something unique and why it would make me a great physician. The optional essay ended up sounding cheap and cringey (looking back).

This year on my optional essay I literally wrote about playing the guitar. I firmly believe It doesn’t have to be this incredibly profound excerpt about your life or about being from a certain group/culture of people.

Of course if you have a unique perspective because of these experiences you can write about them. But for most of us who have (relatively) similar upbringings, writing about something you’re excited about will always be much better than trying to force a narrative.

Thank you so much! Your responses have been very helpful!

I think I'm confused between the two essay prompts because I had thought about writing something like you had just suggested in the other essay. Do you have any advice for the personal characteristics essay? Thank you for your time!

 

[duckdynasty1]

Are there any UT austin applicants that have sent their transcript to TMDSAS already? I am really confused on how we do it and would love some help LOL

 

[wysdoc]

Are there any UT austin applicants that have sent their transcript to TMDSAS already? I am really confused on how we do it and would love some help LOL

Check out the instructions on the TMDSAS guide. They won’t ask for it until you get an admission offer somewhere.
If you haven’t graduated yet, you can message TMDSAS on your portal and ask them if they want it now, or at the end of spring term.

 

[duckdynasty1]

I got a request for my transcript, that’s why i ask but i’ll reach out to TMDSAS about it

 

[deleted1132724]

I prematched to a school in December but have not had my transcript requested by TMDSAS yet. Should I contact TMDSAS or does it normally take a while to receive this?

 

[wysdoc]

I prematched to a school in December but have not had my transcript requested by TMDSAS yet. Should I contact TMDSAS or does it normally take a while to receive this?

It will take a bit, and I think they are more occupied right now with getting ready for your ranking stuff in February.
Check your TMDSAS portal once a week, they will message you in there and probably also send an email.

 

[DuckQuack]

I prematched to a school in December but have not had my transcript requested by TMDSAS yet. Should I contact TMDSAS or does it normally take a while to receive this?

I received a prematch in December and got a transcript request from TMDSAS within days. I think this likely has to do with my school updating my status in the portal. If you see your prematch as something you can withdraw in the TMDSAS portal, I'd reach out to TMDSAS because that means they should already know you've prematched.

 

[wysdoc]

I received a prematch in December and got a transcript request from TMDSAS within days. I think this likely has to do with my school updating my status in the portal. If you see your prematch as something you can withdraw in the TMDSAS portal, I'd reach out to TMDSAS because that means they should already know you've prematched.

Yes, some schools are more efficient or organized about updating the portal than others!

 

[deleted1132724]

I received a prematch in December and got a transcript request from TMDSAS within days. I think this likely has to do with my school updating my status in the portal. If you see your prematch as something you can withdraw in the TMDSAS portal, I'd reach out to TMDSAS because that means they should already know you've prematched.

My prematch shows up in the TMDSAS withdrawal page so I will definitely reach out. Thanks for the response!

 

[marky23]

My prematch shows up in the TMDSAS withdrawal page so I will definitely reach out. Thanks for the response!

Check to see if it is in your spam folder. My Transcript request ended up being there.

 

[GreenNight]

Since TMDSAS schools can see what other schools each applicant has interviewed with, does the # of schools an applicant has interviewed at play any role in their evaluation as an applicant? For example, would an applicant with 2 TMDSAS interviews be viewed any less competitively than an applicant with 5 solely based on the # of schools each applicant will have to rank for match (outside of the probable difference that the applicant with 5 probably has a better application than the one with 2)?

 

[wysdoc]

Since TMDSAS schools can see what other schools each applicant has interviewed with, does the # of schools an applicant has interviewed at play any role in their evaluation as an applicant? For example, would an applicant with 2 TMDSAS interviews be viewed any less competitively than an applicant with 5 solely based on the # of schools each applicant will have to rank for match (outside of the probable difference that the applicant with 5 probably has a better application than the one with 2)?

Each school is going to make their rank list based on your app + your interview day impression.
They probably do take note that some applicants are sought-after by having several interviews, but it isn't the main thing they use to construct their class. Vote your true preference!

 

[Numpostrophe]

TMDSAS confirmed in an email that they received and "approved" my transcripts. Will I get a second notification that my course listings were verified or is that what the approval was?

 

[wysdoc]

TMDSAS confirmed in an email that they received and "approved" my transcripts. Will I get a second notification that my course listings were verified or is that what the approval was?

I think that’s the approval, the email would have asked for clarification or mentioned discrepancies otherwise.

 

[ssdesigorl74]

What is the pre match thing yall are talking about? I havent received an interview or any emails about it.

 

[wysdoc]

What is the pre match thing yall are talking about? I havent received an interview or any emails about it.

Are you a Texas resident applying on TMDSAS? Those are the ones entered in the match and prematch system.
OOS? Not your worry.

 

[ssdesigorl74]

Are you a Texas resident applying on TMDSAS? Those are the ones entered in the match and prematch system.
OOS? Not your worry.

Thank you so much! Yes im OOS so thats one less thing i have to worry about ‍

 

[wysdoc]

Ranking time is near! Deadline February 17 at 5 pm Central time zone.
Ranking of all the schools that interviewed you is for Texas residents only, on the TMDSAS application portal.
OOS applicants don't participate in the Match algorithm and their offers of admission could come at any time after October 15th 2022. Maximum number of OOS matriculants in any state-subsidized Texas school is 10% of the entering class.

Ranking all the schools that interviewed you this season is done on the TMDSAS portal in the "Pending Actions" Tab.
Favorite school #1 and others in decreasing order of preference.
You can mix and match pre-matched and non pre-matched schools in your ranking.

A few schools this year sent out rejections after an interview but before match day. Don't rank any schools that formally rejected you after your interview.

Take a screenshot of your final list for your records, as it will disappear from the portal "poof" after the deadline.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Here are two excellent posts by THES on Ranking, and on after-Match offers.
***Dates in these articles are from previous years**. This year's dates are February 17, 2023 for rank order submission and March 3, 2023 for Match Day.

How do I select Rank Preferences?

TMDSAS Match and Rolling Admissions

 

[deleted1143496]

anyone know if anyone negative happens if we don't update our fall 2022 grades? I can't seem to remove my previously planned coursework and I thought I might as well not update the courses if that's ok.

 

[wysdoc]

anyone know if anyone negative happens if we don't update our fall 2022 grades? I can't seem to remove my previously planned coursework and I thought I might as well not update the courses if that's ok.

Nothing will happen. But if you need to change some course titles because your schedule changed, and want to take the time, message TMDSAS on your portal and tell them what you would like to correct. They will "unlock" that school term so you can make changes.

 

[deleted1143496]

Nothing will happen. But if you need to change some course titles because your schedule changed, and want to take the time, message TMDSAS on your portal and tell them what you would like to correct. They will "unlock" that school term so you can make changes.

Gotcha. I’m betting the schools already made their ranking list so I’m just gonna leave it alone hahaha

 

[Hopeful Reapplicant :)]

Would it be a good time to submit a Letter of Intent at this point or after Match Day? The school says they do accept LOIs at any point after interviewing

 

[amateurbater]

Does TMDSAS communicate with AMCAS at all? Like if I got an acceptance on TMDSAS would AMCAS know about it and vice-versa?

 

[xakrinf]

Does TMDSAS communicate with AMCAS at all? Like if I got an acceptance on TMDSAS would AMCAS know about it and vice-versa?

I know that TMDSAS schools show up on the choose your medical school tool late in the cycle, so there’s definitely some communication, but not sure how much. Do you mean amcas as a service or schools that are on amcas?

 

[wysdoc]

Does TMDSAS communicate with AMCAS at all? Like if I got an acceptance on TMDSAS would AMCAS know about it and vice-versa?

like @xakrinf said, only if you were to put a TMDSAS school on your PTE list. The schools and app systems don’t otherwise talk about applicants behind the scenes.

 

[wysdoc]

Would it be a good time to submit a Letter of Intent at this point or after Match Day? The school says they do accept LOIs at any point after interviewing

It’s really late so I’m not sure they will read it before match day. Of course if you end up not matching you should write some type of letter to each school that waitlists you.

 

[puppyluvr52737]

Is accepting a scholarship at a school you prematched to binding? Like if you accept it, are you essentially letting the school know you are for sure going there?

 

[deleted1142345]

Is accepting a scholarship at a school you prematched to binding? Like if you accept it, are you essentially letting the school know you are for sure going there?

No

 

[puppyluvr52737]

No

Ok great, thanks

 

[ayo123]

So I got an interview from a school which I scheduled but then later cancelled (without completing the interview) and withdrew from the school but its still showing up on my ranking/match list. Should I just rank it last or leave it blank? Thanks!

 

[wysdoc]

So I got an interview from a school which I scheduled but then later cancelled (without completing the interview) and withdrew from the school but its still showing up on my ranking/match list. Should I just rank it last or leave it blank? Thanks!

You can either
1) contact the school to withdraw now, before match ranking deadline
2) don't rank them, because they won't be ranking you.

 

[amateurbater]

like @xakrinf said, only if you were to put a TMDSAS school on your PTE list. The schools and app systems don’t otherwise talk about applicants behind the scenes.

So, if I don't click "plan to enroll" does a TMDSAS acceptance appear on the AMCAS admissions report?

 

[wysdoc]

So, if I don't click "plan to enroll" does a TMDSAS acceptance appear on the AMCAS admissions report?

How about sending me a DM to discuss so I can understand your concern

 

[TxMed55]

Looking for Advice: for those that applied this cycle how did y’all go about writing the activity descriptions ? Keep it straight forward and simple?
I know AMCAS likes more story telling on activity description but since the character on TMDSAS is limited I was wondering how y’all did it ? Planning to apply in may.

 

[littlebluefish]

Random question that I have that I hope someone has an answer to! Do TMDSAS schools see where else you’ve been accepted to/your status at other TMDSAS schools?

 

[wysdoc]

Random question that I have that I hope someone has an answer to! Do TMDSAS schools see where else you’ve been accepted to/your status at other TMDSAS schools?

@littlebluefish At this stage they can see where you have interviewed at other TMDSAS schools.
When you make your rank list (by this Friday Feb 17 at 5pm) schools cannot see your rank list or where you placed them in it.
This all goes into the confidential Match Algorithm.

 

[littlebluefish]

@littlebluefish At this stage they can see where you have interviewed at other TMDSAS schools.
When you make your rank list (by this Friday Feb 17 at 5pm) schools cannot see your rank list or where you placed them in it.
This all goes into the confidential Match Algorithm.

I see, thanks!!

 

[ese2]

@littlebluefish At this stage they can see where you have interviewed at other TMDSAS schools.
When you make your rank list (by this Friday Feb 17 at 5pm) schools cannot see your rank list or where you placed them in it.
This all goes into the confidential Match Algorithm.

They can also see if another school has extended a prematch offer, according to this. They give an example of it

 

[littlebluefish]

They can also see if another school has extended a prematch offer, according to this. They give an example of it

Oh, that’s very interesting! Thanks for the link!

 

[prgmed]

Hi everyone, I've browsed around SDN threads but new to posting/interacting. Wanted to join in with a few questions revolving around later interview dates. I'm a first time applicant, IS, non-trad, have had only one II to a TMDSAS school in Jan (which I know is towards the end of the interview cycle). Does anyone here have experience with, know of anyone who was in the same situation, or know of any statistics regarding applicants that interview very late in the cycle (Jan/Feb) and then go on to matriculate? I imagine schools start ranking their interviewees early in the cycle, but how much will a late interview hurt for the match? I'm expecting the odds to be stacked against me even after looking at the non-prematch interviewee to matriculant ratio on match day because all my cards are with one school.

Some notes that may or may not be relevant:
- I love the school I interviewed with and can truly see myself there
- I sent an update letter prior to receiving my II, and have already sent a letter of intent to their admissions office
- I believe I made a positive impression with my interview day (would objectively give it a 7.5-8/10)