*~*~*~*Official TMDSAS Questions Thread 2011-2012*~*~*~*

[BuffNerd]

UTSW, TTU, and TAMU secondaries done, now on to TCOM!

Nice! I'm done with mine too but I just need to finish proofreading and submit!

If it doesn't cut it off, then I wouldn't worry about it. Save it and see what happens. If it shows up like it should, you're good to go.

Thanks! I'll see if that works..

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[Fox800]

Nice! I'm done with mine too but I just need to finish proofreading and submit!



Thanks! I'll see if that works..

Apparently they do count spaces. And when I went to submit it, it told me that it was too long because it was over 3,700 characters, not 3,500. Go figure.

 

[MilkIsGood]

just wondering, can you start the secondaries without submitting the primary yet? (im just waiting on people to revise my statement. otherwise, id be ready to submit)

 

[MilkIsGood]

on utsw secondary where you have to check if you want to serve in a undeserved area, research, teaching, or primary care. if we want to do private practice, do we just leave that stuff blank? i havent created a login to see myself

 

[Fox800]

just wondering, can you start the secondaries without submitting the primary yet? (im just waiting on people to revise my statement. otherwise, id be ready to submit)

Yes you can.

 

[Fox800]

on utsw secondary where you have to check if you want to serve in a undeserved area, research, teaching, or primary care. if we want to do private practice, do we just leave that stuff blank? i havent created a login to see myself

Depends, are you interested in FP, peds, IM, or OB/GYN? Those are considered primary care areas.

 

[hownowmauvecow]

I would recommend checking something for UTSW even if you are relatively sure you would not be interested in it, otherwise they may not be as inclined to invite you since you have not shown an interest in any one of their 'missions'. Also, if you want to work on the secondaries before submitting the primaries I would recommend typing them up in a word document first (the old prompts should be under the 2010-2011 threads). This will enable you to work on these questions early AND will make it easier for others to proof read what you write.

 

[MilkIsGood]

my chronology of activities looks pretty messed up with. should i mess around with it or just leave it (high school graduation appears after some activities i did that summer. school semesters seem out of order and confusing with my activities)

 

[Cinematographer]

If your application was processed and sent to that one school, you are a reapplicant. It doesn't matter if you withdrew from the school later on.

I know this. What I am asking is if the schools that didn't receive my application last time will consider me a reapplicant.

Anyone?

 

[DoItToIt]

Hey everyone- first time poster in this specific thread. Question about "Planned Activities"- are we to list ANY ec/employment/leadership role/ etc here if we continue it at all through this next application year? I would have to list quite a number of things I will continue doing (like leisure activites/jobs/etc) all over again if so. I know it stresses to list things in multiple places if relevant, but just wanting to make sure I'm doing this correctly. Any advice is appreciated!

Also finished with SW's secondary, and hoping (!) to have the last 3 and everything complete (minus proofreading and reviewing) by Friday.

 

[ilostmytail]

hope i don't sound dumb since i'm a reapplicant, but under the essay portion, when i copy and past my ps, it doesn't retain the tab or lines i left for each new paragraph. Should i separate the paragraph by putting a space between them on the actual tmdsas box or just leave it the way it is? thanks!!

 

[hownowmauvecow]

I know this. What I am asking is if the schools that didn't receive my application last time will consider me a reapplicant.

Anyone?

Yes because you have submitted the TMDSAS before even if it was just to one school and this is what makes you a reapplicant not the specific schools you sent it to.

 

[hownowmauvecow]

hope i don't sound dumb since i'm a reapplicant, but under the essay portion, when i copy and past my ps, it doesn't retain the tab or lines i left for each new paragraph. Should i separate the paragraph by putting a space between them on the actual tmdsas box or just leave it the way it is? thanks!!

You have to separate it by spaces tab does not work. But be careful it doesn't cause you to go over your character count!

 

[ilostmytail]

You have to separate it by spaces tab does not work. But be careful it doesn't cause you to go over your character count!

thanks! i left 50 characters just for emergency use! now i have 24 characters left 🙂

 

[therunner12]

My primary app was transmitted without receiving my LORs or transcripts. Is this normal? I received an email saying that my grades that were entered into my app were compared against my transcript.

 

[gamerstud77]

my chronology of activities looks pretty messed up with. should i mess around with it or just leave it (high school graduation appears after some activities i did that summer. school semesters seem out of order and confusing with my activities)

I called and asked about this. I assume it is only messed up when you print up the PDF page format, correct? They told me that the file the committee gets will look most like how you entered it into TMDSAS from your computer. "The PDF page should only be used for your reference as this is not the format the committee will see it in."

Hope this helps.

 

[noshie]

My primary app was transmitted without receiving my LORs or transcripts. Is this normal? I received an email saying that my grades that were entered into my app were compared against my transcript.

Yes, they will transmit your app without LORs, then when they get those, they will send them separately. As for your transcripts, they may have them and might not have it updated yet. They won't send your app out without that.

I called and asked about this. I assume it is only messed up when you print up the PDF page format, correct? They told me that the file the committee gets will look most like how you entered it into TMDSAS from your computer. "The PDF page should only be used for your reference as this is not the format the committee will see it in."

Hope this helps.

You're right, the PDF is completely inaccurate. What you see page by page on the application you fill out is what the adcoms get.

 

[MilkIsGood]

I called and asked about this. I assume it is only messed up when you print up the PDF page format, correct? They told me that the file the committee gets will look most like how you entered it into TMDSAS from your computer. "The PDF page should only be used for your reference as this is not the format the committee will see it in."

Hope this helps.

yea it's messed up on the pdf. that's good to know. i guess i still need to edit the descriptions though since they get put off?

 

[therunner12]

yea it's messed up on the pdf. that's good to know. i guess i still need to edit the descriptions though since they get put off?

I didn't edit them. I hope that doesn't screw me over.

 

[citrusguy2010]

random question: hypothetically, if my hometown on TMDSAS does not match my hometown on AMCAS will it matter?

i guess i'm wondering if AMCAS and TMDSAS talk to each other if there are discrepancies between the two applications and have harmful ramifications for the applicant?

 

[addo]

random question: hypothetically, if my hometown on TMDSAS does not match my hometown on AMCAS will it matter?

i guess i'm wondering if AMCAS and TMDSAS talk to each other if there are discrepancies between the two applications and have harmful ramifications for the applicant?

I believe amcas and tmdsas have no communications between each other. However, hypothetically of course, you want to put your real hometown, because ramifications for lying are equally as bad on both apps.

 

[citrusguy2010]

I believe amcas and tmdsas have no communications between each other. However, hypothetically of course, you want to put your real hometown, because ramifications for lying are equally as bad on both apps.

thanks for replying. i'm just not sure which should be considered my hometown because i've moved around so much as a kid...is it where i'm currently at in the state i'm claiming residency as? b/c i'm currently in NY but if i put like LA as my hometown b/c I spent some years of my life there will that affect me?

i'm just wondering if that hometown question has an implications on residency claims is all; not trying to lie, just afraid of some unintentional consequences for having differing answers.

 

[Nandi]

I was also wondering this too because TMDSAS ask for your AAMC id and I wasnt sure if it was just for your MCAT scores or they would be looking at your AMCAS application. May be a silly question but I would like to know what exactly they are looking at.

 

[therunner12]

Well, at least half of my transcripts are being mailed today and my app was sent to the med schools yesterday haha. I guess they made a mistake.

 

[addo]

thanks for replying. i'm just not sure which should be considered my hometown because i've moved around so much as a kid...is it where i'm currently at in the state i'm claiming residency as? b/c i'm currently in NY but if i put like LA as my hometown b/c I spent some years of my life there will that affect me?

i'm just wondering if that hometown question has an implications on residency claims is all; not trying to lie, just afraid of some unintentional consequences for having differing answers.

I would look into the guidelines for claiming residency in California. Like for example, this link

http://www.grossmont.edu/admissions/residency.asp

 

[citrusguy2010]

I would look into the guidelines for claiming residency in California. Like for example, this link

http://www.grossmont.edu/admissions/residency.asp

oh i'm not trying to claim CA residency; i'm actually trying to claim NY residency for my amcas application and am applying to tmdsas because i have a public health focus and i see that a few of those schools look more favorably on grad students in texas. i'm just wondering if tmdsas makes any "state residency" assumptions based off the hometown thing...

 

[ilostmytail]

oh i'm not trying to claim CA residency; i'm actually trying to claim NY residency for my amcas application and am applying to tmdsas because i have a public health focus and i see that a few of those schools look more favorably on grad students in texas. i'm just wondering if tmdsas makes any "state residency" assumptions based off the hometown thing...

I don't think so b/c they ask if you graduated from a texas high school, if you've lived in tx 36 months prior to graduating high school, and if you've lived in tx for the last 12 months. I think they base it from those questions. I put my home town as china last year and i was still considered a tx resident.

 

[citrusguy2010]

i read somewhere that we have to wait until our spring grades are out before we can submit to tmdsas? is that correct?

also, is it still worth it to apply to tmdsas b/c i'm reading that people are already working on secondaries and i haven't even finished submitting all my stuff yet for my primaries...

 

[FutureMD23]

i read somewhere that we have to wait until our spring grades are out before we can submit to tmdsas? is that correct?

also, is it still worth it to apply to tmdsas b/c i'm reading that people are already working on secondaries and i haven't even finished submitting all my stuff yet for my primaries...

Yes that is correct about waiting for spring grades to come in. It is definitely still worth it to submit TMDSAS especially if you're a TX resident. Just because some people (on sdn) have submitted already does not mean that many overall have and this is still considered very early!

 

[MilkIsGood]

my school is so slow in sending out my transcripts. so sloowwww

 

[MilkIsGood]

should i submit my app even though my transcripts aren't in yet. Will i be pushed to the back of the line in terms of verification if my primary is in but not transcripts

 

[citrusguy2010]

Yes that is correct about waiting for spring grades to come in. It is definitely still worth it to submit TMDSAS especially if you're a TX resident. Just because some people (on sdn) have submitted already does not mean that many overall have and this is still considered very early!

lol what if you're not a TX resident?

 

[FutureMD23]

Still submit it. I was just stressing TX resident because TMDSAS is great for TX residents. But, like I said, still submit it because this is still very early!

 

[DrTroll]

Did anyone mailed in payment before submitting the application? Is it a good idea?

 

[addo]

Did anyone mailed in payment before submitting the application? Is it a good idea?

no... im pretty sure you have to submit before you mail in your payment.

 

[tbone1234]

Hi guys,

I'm a reapplicant. I was wondering if I could use the same secondary replies as I did the first time around. I know for PS, I need to write a new one. But would secondaries still be okay, since they don't really refer to the reapplication process?

Thanks!

 

[BuffNerd]

Hi guys,

I'm a reapplicant. I was wondering if I could use the same secondary replies as I did the first time around. I know for PS, I need to write a new one. But would secondaries still be okay, since they don't really refer to the reapplication process?

Thanks!

I think that it's up to you, but if I were in this situation, I would at least re-proofread the essays and update them with anything significant/pertinent that has happened in the last year. I wouldn't think that you'd need to totally scrap them...

 

[FutureMD23]

Once the primary has been submitted, do we wait until the payment has been received before submitting any secondaries?

 

[ninefivethree]

Once the primary has been submitted, do we wait until the payment has been received before submitting any secondaries?

You can start sending secondaries immediately

 

[Fox800]

All done, just waiting on my 4/29 MCAT score to come out so I can submit my TCOM secondary. Hurry up, AMCAS!

Got my first confirmation e-mail from TTU Paul Foster SOM in El Paso today.

 

[cher25]

Hi guys,

I'm a reapplicant. I was wondering if I could use the same secondary replies as I did the first time around. I know for PS, I need to write a new one. But would secondaries still be okay, since they don't really refer to the reapplication process?

Thanks!

If you interviewed last cycle, change the secondary responses. I remember one school particularly (A&M) said that they compare the new app to the old for applicants who previously interviewed. If you didn't interview, as another poster stated, it's up to you... do re-read and make sure there's no room for improvement.

 

[ilostmytail]

does our optional essays (unique exp and personal characteristics) eventually have to tie back to why we want to pursue medicine? someone on the thread mentioned that we can elaborate on an activity we didn't write in depth in our ps, but does it have to relate to medicine?

 

[NickNaylor]

does our optional essays (unique exp and personal characteristics) eventually have to tie back to why we want to pursue medicine? someone on the thread mentioned that we can elaborate on an activity we didn't write in depth in our ps, but does it have to relate to medicine?

Well, you're applying to medical school, so...

I guess you don't necessarily have to talk about medical school explicitly, but I wouldn't stray too far from the topic. Your application should speak to why you want to become a physician and how you've come to that decision. I don't know how you can do that without at least tangentially discussing medicine.

 

[b-real]

Well, you're applying to medical school, so...

I guess you don't necessarily have to talk about medical school explicitly, but I wouldn't stray too far from the topic. Your application should speak to why you want to become a physician and how you've come to that decision. I don't know how you can do that without at least tangentially discussing medicine.

I don't think that's necessarily true. If you're a concert pianist who has played Carnegie Hall and choose to write about that unique experience, it has to tie into your decision to go into medicine? Not everything has to dove-tail into you choosing the sacred, selfless field of medicine.

 

[boko]

For those of you who have used TMDSAS do you know if this application service also has a financial assistance program that students can use to cut the cost of apply?? Basically, is there a FAP for TMDSAS like with AMCAS?

 

[CougarMD]

For those of you who have used TMDSAS do you know if this application service also has a financial assistance program that students can use to cut the cost of apply?? Basically, is there a FAP for TMDSAS like with AMCAS?

Merging related threads

 

[PianoMajor]

i don't think that's necessarily true. If you're a concert pianist who has played carnegie hall and choose to write about that unique experience, it has to tie into your decision to go into medicine? Not everything has to dove-tail into you choosing the sacred, selfless field of medicine.

lol yeah

 

[Morzh]

I don't think that's necessarily true. If you're a concert pianist who has played Carnegie Hall and choose to write about that unique experience, it has to tie into your decision to go into medicine? Not everything has to dove-tail into you choosing the sacred, selfless field of medicine.

I understand what you are trying to say. However, the TMDSAS application instructions specifically tell you to "Explain your motivation to seek a career in MEDICINE. Be sure to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician." (Emphasis on 'medicine' is theirs not mine)

For those of you who have used TMDSAS do you know if this application service also has a financial assistance program that students can use to cut the cost of apply?? Basically, is there a FAP for TMDSAS like with AMCAS?

There is no FAP for TMDSAS, everyone pays the full fees. But it is cheap for everyone--under $200 for both OOS and IS applicants to apply to every single medical school.

 

[boko]

I understand what you are trying to say. However, the TMDSAS application instructions specifically tell you to "Explain your motivation to seek a career in MEDICINE. Be sure to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician." (Emphasis on 'medicine' is theirs not mine)



There is no FAP for TMDSAS, everyone pays the full fees. But it is cheap for everyone--under $200 for both OOS and IS applicants to apply to every single medical school.

cool thanks! and yea thats really cheap!

 

[b-real]

I understand what you are trying to say. However, the TMDSAS application instructions specifically tell you to "Explain your motivation to seek a career in MEDICINE. Be sure to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician." (Emphasis on 'medicine' is theirs not mine)



There is no FAP for TMDSAS, everyone pays the full fees. But it is cheap for everyone--under $200 for both OOS and IS applicants to apply to every single medical school.

I understand what you're trying to say (emphasis mine), but the poster was asking about the optional essays about unique and special characteristics, not the main personal statement.