*~*~*~*Official TMDSAS Questions Thread 2020-2021*~*~*~*

[wysdoc]

How long does TMDSAS verification take since we're not submitting our transcripts with our apps right now?

TMDSAS has never waited for transcripts to verify your apps. They used to collect transcripts at the same time as all your other stuff, but didn’t actually go through your app comparing it to the transcript line by line until months later.
For their workflow, it makes sense to ask for it later when most of y’all have submitted your primaries.
You’re adults, what you enter on the app should be accurate because it’s in your interest for it to be accurate.
You should get an official transcript mailed or sent to yourself, though, so you can have it at hand to enter each and every course, exactly as it appears in the transcript.

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[BlueScar]

Oh, dear.
Please y'all, print-preview before hitting that submit button.
It's sometimes easier to proofread on paper than on the screen.
Don't be in a rush because they are not going to transmit your app to med schools until June 7 this year anyhow.

@BlueScar try messaging TMDSAS via the app tomorrow and throw yourself on their mercy, saying that you made corrections but didn't save each page. They might help you out since you haven't transmitted your app yet.
The rest of y'all, Proofread and save each page after you make changes, print-preview, submit only when you are sure!

I was told they won't "unsubmit" unfortunately. This is exactly what they messaged: "We will not unsubmit to make corrections. If you have changes you would like to be made, you can create an addendum to take with them to interviews, but it will not be attached to your application. "

 

[Derz]

How necessary is it to amend the truncated descriptions at the end in the chronology section? I'm assuming we don't have to come up with an enticing 30 character description right? lol

 

[wysdoc]

How necessary is it to amend the truncated descriptions at the end in the chronology section? I'm assuming we don't have to come up with an enticing 30 character description right? lol

You don’t need to amend them. When the school opens your app to read it, they will see everything you wrote.
The handbook just warned you it would look truncated because a lot of people get scared that their description disappeared

 

[uniquepremedusername]

Here is what TMDSAS staff said in answer to that question:

" I would actually say that you can enter each instance of that activity - there's no limit. Entering them as a lump activity might inflate your hours since there is a length of time where you weren't engaged in that activity (along with any changes you've faced in that role such as new position, duties, etc.)."

Hello, hope you are doing well. I volunteered at an event (community fundraiser) twice a year for 4 years in a row. Should I list each fundraiser separately (event # 1 in Jan and event # 2 in Aug) or accumulate the years (volunteered twice in 2015, 2016, etc.)? TIA!

Edit: another question! For research descriptions, do I outline my research or reflect on the experience? Or do a combination of the two?

 

[wysdoc]

Hello, hope you are doing well. I volunteered at an event (community fundraiser) twice a year for 4 years in a row. Should I list each fundraiser separately (event # 1 in Jan and event # 2 in Aug) or accumulate the years (volunteered twice in 2015, 2016, etc.)? TIA!

Edit: another question! For research descriptions, do I outline my research or reflect on the experience? Or do a combination of the two?

1. Enter the events separately by year. TMDSAS says there is not a limit to the number of things you can enter in each category. So, while you don't want to just enter stuff to "pad the resume" you might have to do it this way to avoid an inflated hours count, and also to see your dates lined up nicely on the "Chronology of Activities" the app creates for you. You can enter the same description for each time, or on subsequent ones you can shorten it to "twice yearly fundraising event for the benefit of XYZ".
2. There is not a lot of space to reflect here as you will see, but if there is a publication affiliated with your research answer "yes" and a drop-down will give you more characters to use. You could use research as one of your 3 most significant activities if you have more to say.

 

[wysdoc]

How long does TMDSAS verification take since we're not submitting our transcripts with our apps right now?

During the first busy rush of submitted applications, it takes up to 3-4 weeks for verification. Follow @TMDSASSupport on Twitter and they will post each day "we are now processing applications submitted on June 5" etc. Don't call them to see if they processed your app yet, if they are on the phone they can't process your app!

 

[astix3]

Hey y'all! I am getting ready to submit my TMDSAS application and downloaded it so I could read over everything. I noticed that within each activity category, the activities are not listed in chronological order... for example in the employment section, my current job as a teacher is listed before a job I had as a sophomore in college. I know there's the chronology of activities at the end, but was just wondering if anyone else ran into this?

 

[wysdoc]

Hey y'all! I am getting ready to submit my TMDSAS application and downloaded it so I could read over everything. I noticed that within each activity category, the activities are not listed in chronological order... for example in the employment section, my current job as a teacher is listed before a job I had as a sophomore in college. I know there's the chronology of activities at the end, but was just wondering if anyone else ran into this?

it doesn't matter. Just proofread to be sure your dates and hours are correct.

 

[captainduckworth]

Anyone running into an issue with the 'Sibling' section of the application? It won't let me save the data, and I keep getting this error:

Am I missing something? Thanks in advance.

 

[Derz]

Anyone running into an issue with the 'Sibling' section of the application? It won't let me save the data, and I keep getting this error:
View attachment 307305

Am I missing something? Thanks in advance.

I got stuck on this too. Just click add sibling at the bottom.

 

[captainduckworth]

I got stuck on this too. Just click add sibling at the bottom.

I must've been having a brain fart this morning, haha! Thanks a lot!

 

[acr12345]

Is the extra 500 characters for the research activities that lead to presentations/publications/posters to describe the project or space to reflect on it?

 

[texaswannabedoc]

Hi I am retaking my MCAT june 19th and have already submitted primaries. Should I send in my first score now or send in my old and new score together when it gets released july 7th? Thank you!

 

[wysdoc]

Hi I am retaking my MCAT june 19th and have already submitted primaries. Should I send in my first score now or send in my old and new score together when it gets released july 7th? Thank you!

@ardy98 there was a place on the TMDSAS to say whether you will be retaking the MCAT. Did you check it?
Schools might start reading your app without a score (or they might not), but they won't invite for interviews without a score.
Did you release your MCAT score to TMDSAS yet? That's a step that you have to do. If you want to wait for the new score to release it you can. MCAT will release all your scores not just the new one.

 

[wysdoc]

Is the extra 500 characters for the research activities that lead to presentations/publications/posters to describe the project or space to reflect on it?

You can use it as you wish, maybe describe the research in general or use a few adjectives to indicate how it went for you. Most of those research paper titles are so long you'll use a lot of characters!

 

[texaswannabedoc]

Thanks for the help. Yes I put both my previous test date and my upcoming one. I have not released my MCAT scores yet as I am not sure whether it would be more beneficial to wait to release my scores until my new one comes in.

 

[Brownkid95]

Has anyone been verified yet? I submitted on May 4th and yet to hear of anything.

 

[Hzreio]

Has anyone been verified yet? I submitted on May 4th and yet to hear of anything.

Same. I'm still processing.

 

[Hzreio]

So I asked for a letter writer to update the date on an old letter, but unfortunately he hasn't submitted anything for the last 3 weeks and is unresponsive to my emails. I have another letter that I can submit so how long should I wait before just calling it quits and just submit this other letter instead?

 

[jb2000]

Is the word on sending in transcripts to not send it in unless requested? Or can we just send whatever we have so whenever they start looking at that stuff they'll have it ready?

 

[wysdoc]

Is the word on sending in transcripts to not send it in unless requested? Or can we just send whatever we have so whenever they start looking at that stuff they'll have it ready?

Don’t send it until they request it. When the workflow slows down from all the application verification and processing, they will email you and ask for the transcript. Don’t worry your app will be sent to the schools !

On the other hand, if you are also going to do an AMCAS application, AMCAS wants the transcript up front, so for AMCAS you can send it as soon as:
1. you have opened up your AMCAS app to work on it, and
2. your Spring 2020 grades are on the transcript.

 

[deleted1020355]

I submitted my application today with a 506. This is obviously low and I am retaking in June. I indicated this pending retake along with my old score. Willl medical schools "wait" for the retake score or will they just go off my old one to extend secondaries/interviews?

 

[wysdoc]

I submitted my application today with a 506. This is obviously low and I am retaking in June. I indicated this pending retake along with my old score. Willl medical schools "wait" for the retake score or will they just go off my old one to extend secondaries/interviews?

Median is 509 so not that low. The schools are not all exactly alike so some may read your whole app now and others may wait to see score 2. All will see the new score when it comes through and reassess. Good luck!

 

[jb2000]

For planned activities, there are a couple that will extend from my prior activities. Do I literally just copy paste the descriptions into the planned activities box? or do I try and come up with new descriptions for what I'll be doing in the upcoming year?

 

[astix3]

For planned activities, there are a couple that will extend from my prior activities. Do I literally just copy paste the descriptions into the planned activities box? or do I try and come up with new descriptions for what I'll be doing in the upcoming year?

For my planned activities I did both. For some, I felt that there was no need to change the description. But for others, I wanted to mention something new. For example, I just finished my first year teaching and so in the planned activities box I talked about what I want to improve on/change during my second year.

 

[t4fam]

For the uploaded photo, does it have to be a white background?

 

[wysdoc]

For the uploaded photo, does it have to be a white background?

Light colored non pattern background is best. White, beige, tan etc

 

[OfMiceAndWomen]

I was awarded a Fulbright fellowship that will take place Jan-May 2021. Would I list this as a non-academic award or a planned activity? The experience itself hasn't happened yet, but I feel that it's more guaranteed than a typical planned activity & there is some merit to getting the fellowship itself.

Also, I participated in a competitive summer research program that funded research & had other programming in addition to the research opportunity. Should I list this as one experience under research, or two experiences under non-academic award and research respectively?

 

[wysdoc]

I was awarded a Fulbright fellowship that will take place Jan-May 2021. Would I list this as a non-academic award or a planned activity? The experience itself hasn't happened yet, but I feel that it's more guaranteed than a typical planned activity & there is some merit to getting the fellowship itself.

Also, I participated in a competitive summer research program that funded research & had other programming in addition to the research opportunity. Should I list this as one experience under research, or two experiences under non-academic award and research respectively?

Fulbright fellowship would be an academic honor, don’t you think? But since it doesn’t start until Jan 2021 it will go in planned activities.
Choose the category for your research activity and describe it in the space provided. You don’t put the same activity in 2 categories so use your judgement.

 

[jpenn33]

Has anyone been verified yet? I submitted on May 4th and yet to hear of anything.

I called and they told me that the current turn around time for processing is just over two weeks. They won't be marking applications as verified until after the first transmission on June 1 and then they will provide updates via twitter page. If there were no issues then yours should be processed and transmitted on Monday.

 

[jb2000]

On the MCAT test dates section, is there some way to put in our scores? Or do we just put in the dates, send to TMDSAS via aamc, and sit tight?

 

[wysdoc]

On the MCAT test dates section, is there some way to put in our scores? Or do we just put in the dates, send to TMDSAS via aamc, and sit tight?

You will release your MCAT scores directly to TMDSAS and/or AMCAS, there’s not a space to self-report.

 

[OfMiceAndWomen]

Sorry to bother with another activities question!

I've been doing research in the same lab for a while (junior year, summer, senior year, gap year), with multiple projects and publications/abstracts. Would it be ok to make separate entries under research experience, say for example, one for time in undergrad and one for work during gap year. Or should I lump everything in one entry, because it's with one lab? I'm having a lot of trouble fitting in an apt description, although I also plan on using the most meaningful section.

Do you think it would be ok if the leadership section was left completely blank, if leadership roles were discussed in respective experiences in other categories?

 

[wysdoc]

Sorry to bother with another activities question!

I've been doing research in the same lab for a while (junior year, summer, senior year, gap year), with multiple projects and publications/abstracts. Would it be ok to make separate entries under research experience, say for example, one for time in undergrad and one for work during gap year. Or should I lump everything in one entry, because it's with one lab? I'm having a lot of trouble fitting in an apt description, although I also plan on using the most meaningful section.

Do you think it would be ok if the leadership section was left completely blank, if leadership roles were discussed in respective experiences in other categories?

You can break up your research by project and that way your dates will be correct.

 

[shepersisted]

For my research we are in the process of writing up the study I conducted, it is not published yet but should be in the next months, so can I say yes for publications and just mention that it is in the process of being published or should I just mention that we will be publishing soon in the description?

 

[wysdoc]

For my research we are in the process of writing up the study I conducted, it is not published yet but should be in the next months, so can I say yes for publications and just mention that it is in the process of being published or should I just mention that we will be publishing soon in the description?

You are actually submitting for publication, you don't know it will be accepted and published. Later if it does go through, you can send an update email to schools you applied to, or mention it in your interviews.

 

[jb2000]

One of the biology courses I took is not offered every semester and isn't listed in the "Course Listings" for my school (Course Listings) even though it is definitely a biology course (in the bio dept, focusing on ecology). A TMDSAS rep said it'd probably be reclassified as "Other Science" upon processing. I am thinking about appealing it, but a) I don't know the processing timeline for tmdsas and b) I don't know how long it typically takes for an appeal to occur (I know it says 10-15 days, but is that really true?) and c) Would that appeal push back my application from being sent to texas schools?

 

[wysdoc]

One of the biology courses I took is not offered every semester and isn't listed in the "Course Listings" for my school (Course Listings) even though it is definitely a biology course (in the bio dept, focusing on ecology). A TMDSAS rep said it'd probably be reclassified as "Other Science" upon processing. I am thinking about appealing it, but a) I don't know the processing timeline for tmdsas and b) I don't know how long it typically takes for an appeal to occur (I know it says 10-15 days, but is that really true?) and c) Would that appeal push back my application from being sent to texas schools?

Does it matter to you what its classification is? Do you have enough Bio classes otherwise to meet the school requirements?

 

[jb2000]

Does it matter to you what its classification is? Do you have enough Bio classes otherwise to meet the school requirements?

I will have enough biology courses to meet requirements. I'm just borderline with my GPA for some schools and this could knock me down a bit.

 

[wysdoc]

I will have enough biology courses to meet requirements. I'm just borderline with my GPA for some schools and this could knock me down a bit.

Once you have submitted, you will get a message from them to check how your courses were classified. You will have 7 days to comment back to them if you disagree. Watch for that after you submit and maybe it will all work out.
TMDSAS calculates your GPA many different ways ( bcpm, non science, cumulative, semester by semester, etc.)

 

[t4fam]

Should I list DO shadowing on MD apps?

 

[wysdoc]

Should I list DO shadowing on MD apps?

Sure, you can. Don't list chiropractor, vet, or nurse shadowing though.

 

[texaswannabedoc]

Can you get secondaries before your MCAT score gets sent in?

 

[NPComplete]

For inputting academic status, what do I do in the case that I finished undergrad in 3 years? I am currently following the AMCAS guidelines where I use FR, SO, and SR years for my coursework. Also, do summer classes after freshman year count as freshman or sophomore? For AMCAS, it counts as sophomore.

If I concurrently pursued two undergraduate degrees at the same school, how would I go about listing them? Should I make use of the second major, or should I make a double entry with the same undergrad university, one for each degree? If I do the latter, then do I need to duplicate all of my coursework and terms attended?

 

[wysdoc]

You have some tough questions, but here's what I found:

1. To decide which term to put your classes in, use this chart. Or, you could use the same academic year plan that AMCAS uses, assigning that summer between Freshman/Sophomore year to Sophomore status. Just be consistent year to year.

2. Regarding Double-major: (Quoted from a TMDSAS staff member answering this question) If you choose to list each degree separately you will need to choose which coursework goes towards each degree since it can’t be double listed. Alternatively, you can list one degree in the colleges attended section and list the other in ‘academic achievements’.
My recommendation is to use a spot in your activities list under Academic Achievements or Honors to describe your double major.

 

[deleted880375]

My app was transmitted today. How long until I will receive secondaries?

 

[Spybil]

My app was transmitted today. How long until I will receive secondaries?

When did you submit?

 

[wysdoc]

My app was transmitted today. How long until I will receive secondaries?

You can log in to create a Texas A&M account any time and get your secondary.
After UTSW has received your application you can get their secondary too.
All the other schools will send you an email inviting you to submit a secondary (also some schools screen the primaries and only ask some).

 

[deleted880375]

You can log in to create a Texas A&M account any time and get your secondary.
After UTSW has received your application you can get their secondary too.
All the other schools will send you an email inviting you to submit a secondary (also some schools screen the primaries and only ask some).

Thanks! How long until schools usually receive the application? Also, I believe the TAMU secondary website has not been updated as I cannot select a 2021 application. Has anyone else had this issue?