Applying in Texas? - FAQ about TMDSAS

baylormed said:

Q: I found the TMDSAS website, but it looks kind of funny, disorganized, and simplistic...am I at the right place or is this some forgotten website from the early 1990's?

A: You are in the right place. Don't be intimidated by the confusing organization and seemingly simplistic template, all the information you need is there. So long as you can find the right link to click on, of course.

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eternalrage said:

More so than any other state, Texans tend to apply only to their med schools. Probably because they like only filling out TMDSAS, perhaps they have no reason to go to OOS medical schools, or maybe they are just rolling the dice and hoping for high in-state percentages to play to their numbers.

This is not a wise decision. Even before the hybrid application system, it was still a bad idea.

Firstly, the number of Texas applicants will be increasing in coming years. This has partially to do with the fact that the nation's medical school applicant pool is increasing in general. But more importantly, until TMDSAS finalizes a set application method (hybrid or full rolling) and until said method is given several years to set in, there will be many highly qualified applicants who get screwed over each cycle and reapply the next. So it isn't just more applicants each year, but more qualified applicants experienced with the system.

Another factor to consider is that it is no longer enough to get your application materials in early and rack up interviews. Getting good numbers hasn't been a guarantee for years now, and this year's cycle has shown that you can have multiple interviews early and still have nothing post-match. Especially now, the current Texas application system is erratic and does not play to any known formula for application and acceptance. If you only apply Texas, you are really rolling the dice.

Yes it is another application, but the alternative would be ANOTHER CYCLE. It is not so much a question of "do I want to leave Texas for medical school" - we no longer have the luxury to be so picky. The question instead has become for many people this cycle: "Do I want to go to medical school?" And still many this cycle do not have that opportunity - instead having to reapply.

There are many good medical schools outside of Texas - get an MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements), look up stats, visit websites, ASK AROUND ON SDN. Then see for yourself if you earn an interview. Again, may cost more money and time, but it is a matter of "do I want to stay in Texas" or "do I want to go to medical school," I am sure most would pick the latter if the former was not an option. So at least give yourself the opportunity to have the choice, and apply OOS.

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eternalrage said:

TMDSAS:
Explain your motivation to seek a career in MEDICINE. Discuss your philosophy of the medical profession and indicate your goals relevant to the profession. (Limited to 62 lines and 80 characters per line = 4960 characters)

AMCAS:
Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school. The available space for your response is 5300 characters, or approximately one full page. You will receive an error message if you exceed the available space. For additional assistance, click "help" on the tool bar at the top of the screen.

The content of your essay may very well overlap, since the wording of the two prompts is general enough to allow this (but be careful, make sure your AMCAS essay fully answers the TMDSAS questions if you feel the content may overlap). If this is the case, and you need to shave off 340 characters, one way would be to tighten up the essay. By tightening up, I mean making your delivery of your points more efficient. This does not necessarily mean it will become shorter - that is just a common result of tightening up an essay, and you might as well try it. Some things for making your message more efficient: getting rid of unnecessary clauses, removing unnecessary adverbs and "ly"s, using active voice instead of passive voice. Even if this somehow makes your essay longer, oh well, least you have a better sounding one. But in most cases, it will shorten your essay.

If your essay is still too long, or if your content is not compatible between both prompts, I would re-evaluate which points in your essay you want to make and which ones may not be completely necessary to the big picture general message. You may want to make certain anecdotes more concise, perhaps leave out a point that can be inferred from your essay or from other parts of your application. You may want to remove a section that you might feel would be better expressed in an interview. Whatever the case, keep your overall message and delivery of that message in mind when you make major changes to your essay. Also keep track of your tone of voice when you make drastic changes. 

To reiterate, regardless of which situation applies to you, make sure you are answering the three questions set by the TMDSAS prompt - they are a little more specific than what AMCAS asks for. Again, this may alter your overall message & big picture ideas that you have in your essay, keep a close eye on them.

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future_dr_house said:

Left margin 1", right margin .88" in Courier New Size 10 font

This should mirror almost exactly the way TMDSAS will come up so you can gauge how long it will be (# of lines) without having to enter and reenter into the website. Also, the TMDSAS website is arcane, check any copying/pasting for word endings being chopped off.

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TMDSAS said:

(Optional Question) Briefly discuss any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application which have not previously been presented.
(Limited to 30 lines and 80 characters per line)

(Optional Question) Please describe any personal characteristics and/or important or challenging experiences you have had that will contribute to the diversity of or provide educational benefits to the student body.
(Limited to 30 lines and 80 characters per line)

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baylormed said:

Yes, because you've only taken them (or plan to take them) once. And also, I remember calling TMDSAS and asking if they courses were binding (in case you drop a class or change times, etc), and they are not binding, so don't worry about that either. Just make sure you inform TMDSAS if any changes do occur.

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jota_jota said:

Both Engineering and Computer Science classes are considered "Other Science" by TMDSAS. NOTE that this is different from AMCAS. If the Engineering Seminar were taught by an engineering department, it should be considered engineering, and therefore, "Other Science."

FWIW, Another question I asked about was Math classes (i.e. what do advanced math classes count as: "Other Science," or "Calculus and Statistics.") The answer I got from TMDSAS was that ALL Math classes are considered "Other science," except for Calculus and Statistics, which are considered "Calculus or Statistics."

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TMDSAS said:

List academic honors, awards and other recognitions received while in college and to the present. Indicate date received (month/year). (Limited to 6 lines and 78 characters per line)

List any leadership roles or positions of responsibility held while in college and to the present. Indicate length of position and dates (month/year). (Limited to 6 lines and 78 characters per line)

Have you participated in any significant research activities since beginning college?
If yes, list any research activities in which you participated since you began college. List the inclusive dates and the approximate hours per week you spent in each activity. (Limited to 6 lines and 78 characters per line)

Have you participated in any health-care related activities since beginning college?
If yes, list any health-care related community service or volunteer or employment experiences in which you have participated since you began college. List the inclusive dates and the approximate hours per week you spent in each activity. (Limited to 6 lines and 78 characters per line)

Have you participated in any non health-care related community service or volunteer activities since beginning college?
If yes, list any non health-care related community service or volunteer experiences in which you have participated since you began college. List the inclusive dates and the approximate number of hours per week or month you spent in each activity. (Limited to 6 lines of text only)

List extracurricular or significant leisure time activities participated in while in college and to the present. List the inclusive dates and the the approximate number of hours per week or month you spent in each activity. (Limited to 6 lines of text only)

List jobs held during college years. Specify type of work, where employed, inclusive dates and approximate number of hours per week.
Freshman: (Limited to 3 lines and 78 characters per line)

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future_dr_house said:

Generally, the committee letter is a compilation of rec letters you got from other profs and what the premed committee at your school thinks of you after a formal meeting (interrogation?). You should only have them send this 1 compilation letter and then maybe a doctor's LOR or work supervisor as an extra letter to TMDSAS.

If you don't have a committee letter (UT Austin doesn't have this) then you print out the TMDSAS letter form give it to 3 different people (usually 2 science and 1 nonscience, OR 1 science, 1 research lab PI, and 1 nonscience) and the teachers submit them to the Health profession's office which then sends the bundle to the schools you tell them.

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aggiesarah2007 said:

Oh my gosh I feel like an EXPERT in this field! I was studying abroad in Germany last summer and several of my interviews had to be rearranged. Only reschedule if there is something HUGE going on though. Med school interview> almost anything else

A&M - was more than happy to reschedule me. Even let me choose the week I wanted to have my interview
TCOM - they call and let you schedule the interview for whatever date you want.
UTMB - Were fine with rescheduling me. Gave me one date to choose from
UTH -ok they suck for rescheduling. They will automatically give you their last interview date, and then if you're lucky they will email you and tell you a couple dates where they have openings and that the first people to email back will get the spots. I ended up with an interview at a normal, even good time, but I sure went through a lot of stress for it. My prof even emailed them explaining how I was in Europe for a class and it would be detrimental for me to leave early. They didn't really care.

It seemed pretty easy to reschedule except for UTH. But that is my experience and I can't be held responsible for anything that happens for you 🙂

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aggiesarah2007 said:

Women’s Interview Attire

The first rule of deciding what to wear, is that if you have to ask if it is appropriate, it’s probably not. Honestly, no one wants to see any of your cracks. Sorry. But first I’ll start with the foundation of what you’ll wear, the suit.

Ladies have two options, skirt suit or pants suit. I don’t believe it makes a difference on which you choose, but some people believe if you are interviewing in a conservative atmosphere, you may want to go with a skit. Older members of admissions committees sometimes prefer to see women in suit skirts (or so I’m told), but I think if they are so conservative they only want women in skirts, they probably don’t think women should go into medicine. I believe it comes down to what are you more comfortable in. If you feel classy and fabulous in a skirt suit, do it. If you feel confident and chic in a pants suit, do it. Your interview depends a lot on how confident you are, so wear something that looks good and fits well. You don’t want to be tugging on any parts, or pulling anything up, so if it doesn’t fit quite right, get it tailored. Hemming and letting seams out isn’t really expensive so just get it done if you need to. If you can’t afford it pm me and I’ll help you out. Its that important to be comfortable and confident. Seriously.

Now if you do pick the skirt suit, be modest! When you sit down the skirt shouldn’t come more than 2 inches above the top of your knee. To do that, your skirt should probably hit the bottom of your knee when you are standing. This is really important. REALLY important. Your med school interview is not the time to show off how great your legs are. Wait until you’re in and then host a pool party or something. 🙂

Now suit color. I would stick to black, brown, navy, gray, and those sort of dark colors. If you like color, pick a nice colored shirt. You can do pin stripes but they should be really thin. You don’t want to look like you are in the mob. Lots of people say don’t wear black because you look like you’re going to a funeral. I wore black, but I spiced it up with a muted red blouse. Tons of people will wear black suits and some adcoms will comment on how everyone is wearing black, but honestly, sticking out because you have a crazy colored suit is NOT how you want to be remembered.

Blouse time. Personally, I wouldn’t wear a white shirt. Guys can do this because they can have a tie to spice things up. Girls though should wear a muted color that enhances their skin tone. Don’t wear bright colors, I’d even be careful with pastels. As I said before I wore a muted red blouse, and almost every interviewer commented on it. The red worked with my skin (I’m a very pink person) and it stood out against the black suit, but it was not overwhelming because hey, it was mostly covered by my jacket. And that’s exactly why I believe you can get away with a fun color, the majority of it is covered. Also, because we are women, we can get away with wearing a blouse with no collar, but this is really not my favorite. A nice collared blouse looks best under a suit I believe. Also, since you’re wearing a jacket, you can have a short sleeve or ¾ length sleeve. Men though should stick to long sleeve because a men’s suit should have just a tiny peek of the shirt through the arm of the suit. But men’s wear is a whole different thing. And much easier. Finally, no one should be able to see your cleavage. No one. It looks unprofessional. Seriously. Like I said before, no crack of any kind.

Pantyhose: USE THEM! I don’t care how hot it is or how itchy they are, find a non-itchy kind, and wear them. Skirt or pant. Seriously. It looks terribly unprofessional if you’re wearing a suit with no panty hose. If you have pants you can wear knee-highs, but whatever you do wear some sort of stocking. I do not care how nice your legs are, wear them. Especially interviewing in Texas. I am not particularly conservative, but I’ve been to enough conferences to know what looks professional and what does not, and you need pantyhose for a professional outfit. Pack some clear nail polish too incase you get a run.

Shoes: Close toed, closed back pump or flat. No sling backs, no open toes. Professional is the word of the day. I think a slight heel is best, I had about ½ inch heel because I’m tall, but up to 1 ½ inches is acceptable, even 2 inches is fine. No hooker heels though. 3 inches is too much. You can ONLY get away with this maybe perhaps you could still look bad, if you have long pants that hand down and cover almost all of the heel. I do understand some women are not as tall as I, and I understand the desire to wear tall heels, but be careful. And don’t forget, when you interview you’ll be touring which equates to a ton of walking. So make sure they are comfy shoes. Bring bandaids, moleskin, anything to help them be more comfortable. Also, there are some really cool blister block bandaids that are amazing if you have had your heels rubbed away. Flats work too as long as they look nice.

Jewelry and Hair: If you play with your hair, wear it back. If you don’t, and you like wearing it down, you can do so. Fidgeting with your hair is a sure way to look nervous, even if you’re not. I really think at least half back hair looks the most professional though. Also, being from Texas, I know its usually “the bigger the hair, the close to God” but I wouldn’t do this at your interview. Prep your hair for the weather conditions (i.e. its super humid in August in Houston and Galveston), but don’t overdo the products. If your hair is curly, like mine, pull it half back. If you have great curls, you want to show them off, without letting them get in your face, or frizzing out. Jewelry should be modest. One earring, each ear. No visible body piercing. One ring each hand max. And I don’t think it should matter if you wear an engagement ring, but it apparently gives interviewers free reign to pry into your love life so wear it if you want, but know they may ask. Your necklace should match your earrings and should also be modest. I prefer pearls, but diamond/CZ studs with a modest necklace is great too. Or some variation of modestly with your favorite gem.

Other Accessories: Most people say you don’t need to bring a portfolio, but I did because it made me comfortable. I could review things I brought and I put my super important interview materials there for quick reference. All the Texas schools give you some sort of folder so its really not a necessity and doesn’t matter either way. Bringing one does give you one more thing to lose though. And you can bring a professional bag/purse. I brought a red purse that matched my blouse, which was great because it was just enough spice to make me memorable. I got many compliments on my purse also. If you don’t use your purse to pull out the color in your blouse, have it match your shoes, the way you’ve learned for ages.

I hope this helps. Other general interview stuff is makeup should look natural, don’t chew gum, have some small mints for after lunch, and just be you! You’ve got the smarts to get the interview, now wow them with your incredible personality and drive to serve others. Don’t let your attire detract from the awesomeness that is you. 🙂


Also, if you disagree, that is ok too. This is my honest opinion though. I have no real fashion credentials, except I am in an organization that requires business casual attire twice a month, and I've been to several conferences where professional attire was required, and I've seen enough to know what looks bad. 😀

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TMDSAS Website said:

Important dates to remember:

November 15-December 31: Pre-match offer period.

January 1-January 15: Applicants holding offers from more than one TMDSAS school must choose one offer to hold and decline all others.

February 1: Deadline to submit TMDSAS Match preferences. All applicants must submit a match preference even if they are holding a valid offer from their highest ranked school.

February 15: Final Match results will be announced.

Applicants may hold offers from one of the TMDSAS medical schools and other non-TMDSAS schools such as Baylor College of Medicine. By May 15 of the matriculation year (April 15 for schools whose first day of class is on or before July 30), each applicant who has received an offer of acceptance from more than one school must choose the specific school at which the applicant prefers to enroll and withdraw his or her application from all other schools from which acceptance offers have been received.

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future_dr_house said:

UT-Southwestern
The day after the match an email was sent out to students on the waitlist. The email included statistics about the match and entering class. It also informed people of their expectations for the waitlist to move. As of now, they have made around 265 offers whereas last year they made more than 400. As Baylor starts handing out acceptances, the number of offers will surely go up, making waitlists for all the schools have activity.

UT-San Antonio
Approximately a week after the match, snail mail letters were sent out only to applicants on the waitlist. Applicants who did not receive one of these can check with the school to confirm that they are not on the waitlist or if there was an error. San Antonio seems to be more selective about who they put on their waitlist, so the odds are slightly better if you are on their list versus the other schools.

Texas Tech
TTUHSC let everyone know approximately two weeks after the match about the waitlist via their admissions part of the website which can be found here: http://www.ttuhsc.edu/som/admissions/ In order to find out if you have been selected for the alternate list, you'll need your Secondary Application login credentials. Applicants are no longer ranked when placed on the alternate list, so where one sits on the list is simply alphabetical, by last name. Selection from the list includes many aspects of review including a final input by the Dean of the School of Medicine. Applicants can be selected from the alternate list up until August.

UTMB-Galveston
UTMB sent snail mail letters approximately a week after the match to students on the waitlist. The alternate pool consisted of approximately 200 applicants for entering year 2007. It is a pool and not a list. The entering class has 225 positions, and if the total falls below this number the vacancies are filled from the pool. Withdrawals occur gradually beginning in May, and may continue through the date of matriculation. Applicants holding more than one acceptance must make a decision about which school they will attend by June 15.

Texas A&M
TAMU’s alternate list came out in an email twelve days after the match. A letter was then sent to everyone on the list with a form inside and self-addressed envelope allowing the student to accept or reject the place on the alternate list. There is no mention of a ranked listing or pool, but a call to the admissions office let me know that it is more of a pool of applicants and no information will be given out about higher priority pools.

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Dr.Watson said:

MD/PhD applications are a MESS. After it's all over with, I still don't know how it works, and there is no consistency between schools from what I can tell. For questions about the application process, always call/email the administrative assistant for the specific MD/PhD program. No one in the MD admissions office or even TMDSAS knows what's going on.

Here's what I know for UTSW and UT-Houston, the only two MD/PhD schools I applied to (and I may still be confused, so do correct it if you know better).

UTSW MSTP
Website: http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept21912/files/171203.html
To Apply
Your primary (and only) application is AMCAS. Then, all you need to do is mail in LORs to the MSTP office.
Interviews
Starting towards the end of August, they begin to invite applicants to interview. This year MD/PhD interviews started the last week of September and continued through the middle of January, every other week. 6-10 people are invited for each session, grand total around 70-80.
First Interview: You have to fund your own travel to UTSW and it takes place over Friday and Saturday. Friday - you go on rounds with M3s and M4s in the morning, join the current MSTP M1s and M2 for a student run journal club with lunch, afternoon you have 3 interviews with MSTP committee members, and that night you are taken out to dinner with current students. Saturday: business casual and you join the MD-only applicants for their interview day. During their interviews, you meet with the MSTP director for a Q&A. Otherwise, you do all the other MD activities.
Response: 2-4 weeks post-interview, the director will give you a phone call if you're invited back to Second Interview, held in February.
Second Interview: 40-50 people are invited back for Second Interview. UTSW foots the bill entirely for this trip. Thurs-Saturday, mostly wining and dining with 2 more interviews with committee members and ample opportunity to meet students. See www.mdphds.org for more details about interview days. It'll take paragraphs to describe the weekend fully.
Response: As soon as 3 days post-interview, accepted applicants are called by the director. I think up to 30 are eventually accepted for about 12-15 positions.

Now, as far as applying MSTP and MD only, things get more complicated and I get more confused. If you want to be considered for UTSW MD-only, I believe it's entirely separate. You have to fill out the TMDSAS application, the UTSW secondary, and send the MD office your letters. Now, if all goes well with the MSTP, you don't hear a thing about the MD side of the application - no separate interview, no match, etc. This is where my expertise ends and I start postulating. If you get rejected by the MSTP pre-interview or post-first interview (if you have an early enough interview), then I believe you can request your application be reviewed by the MD committee, then go the normal application route. If you get rejected later, I think you're SOL (do correct if that's wrong).

UT Houston MD/PhD
Website: http://www.uth.tmc.edu/gsbs/programs/mdphd/index.html
To Apply
Your primary application is AMCAS. Your secondary application is TMDSAS. You need to send 1 LOR research specific to TMDSAS, in addition to the LOR requested by TMDSAS.
Interviews
I think the MD and MD/PhD program run their interviews separately. I was invited to interview MD-only in August, but the MD/PhD interviews don't start until October. Some MD/PhD applicants (Houston ones) went ahead and attended this MD-only interview. I contacted both offices about MD/PhD interviews and, eventually many emails later, was able to reschedule my interview so that both were on the same weekend. I think about 8-12 people are invited to each interview session. I have no idea how many interview sessions they hold. Thursday is the MD/PhD interview day. My memory is hazy, but there is a morning introduction and Q&A with students and faculty. In the morning, you interview with 2-3 MSTP committee members including one of the directors. For lunch, you're taken to a nice penthouse restaurant in TMC and talk with students and faculty. In the afternoon, you have a few more interviews. That evening, you're treated to dinner out in Houston with current students. On Friday, you participate fully in the MD-only interview day (if you haven't already done so at an earlier date).
Reponse: You can be accepted to the MD-only program starting Nov 15 with pre-match offers via email. MD/PhD acceptances begin in December, also via email. They have 4-5 positions each year. I don't know how many they accept to fill those positions. Since you do the MD and MD/PhD interviews and applications in parallel, you're already in consideration for both programs.



Ok, that's what I know. There are definitely gaps and maybe errors in what I wrote. Please correct if you can. UTMB and A&M have their own procedures that I don't know about. Oh and of note, if you apply MD/PhD to only a few programs, the schools you applied MD-only to will get your full application and not an MD-only version of your application. All TMDSAS schools will know that you applied to MD/PhD programs and see your research essays (and ask annoying questions in the interviews about it).

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