*~*~*~*Official TMDSAS Questions Thread 2021-2022*~*~*~*

[Jett24]

@Jett24 you're right, the 300 character limit doesn't allow for much expansion on some of these.
my main tips are to:
1. Use up characters in the title to name your award and location: "40 Acres Scholar, UT Austin" then in the body state the criteria. "Awarded to the top 5 incoming freshmen from each county". You can say the $$ amount if you want. If it's a smaller/more common one say "awarded to all with GPA over 3.5, renewable each year".
2. describe the EC title and location in the title of the activity, this saves you from saying it again within the body of the description. Use the body to say what your actual role and activities were within that activity.
Ludicrous example: "Medical Assistant Disney World Emergency Room, Orlando FL"
"I cleaned exam rooms between patient encounters and restocked the rooms with wet wipes and Disney bandaids, sunscreen, and fresh drinking water. Removal of gum from hair and cotton candy from chairs was my special skill."
You mainly want to describe what you did in the ones where you were short on space.
3. Cut out filler words. If every activity starts out with the phrase "as a junior helper in the DisneyWorld Emergency Room" you have just used up 52 characters. It's going to end up sounding terse sometimes.

I love your examples!

How are most applicants handling paid health care experience? I know it can be listed twice, do most people copy/paste the same description?

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[wysdoc]

I love your examples!

How are most applicants handling paid health care experience? I know it can be listed twice, do most people copy/paste the same description?

in this case you could list mostly your duties in the paid entry and sneak in some "what I gained" comments in the health care experience one.

 

[Jett24]

in this case you could list mostly your duties in the paid entry and sneak in some "what I gained" comments in the health care experience one.

Thank you!

 

[zdm2022]

When looking for updates regarding interviews, are we looking for emails in the inbox we input into the TMDSAS/AMCAS? Or do we have to keep checking the sites where we sent our secondaries? I keep opening the secondary portals for all of the Texas schools lol, in case my inbox isn't where other correspondence has gone.

Also I swear I have different questions other than about interviews

 

[wysdoc]

When looking for updates regarding interviews, are we looking for emails in the inbox we input into the TMDSAS/AMCAS? Or do we have to keep checking the sites where we sent our secondaries? I keep opening the secondary portals for all of the Texas schools lol, in case my inbox isn't where other correspondence has gone.

Also I swear I have different questions other than about interviews

They will email you regarding interviews, except Dell likes to phone you for interview invitations.

 

[supersaiyanvegeta]

If you apply to TX schools on TMDSAS try to submit your application before the end of July. You don't have to demonstrate Texas ties, just be a fit for the school's profile. I don't know much about MD/PhD applications to be honest.

Is there anywhere in the TMDSAS application where you recommend mentioning ties to Texas (like the optional 3rd essay or the Residency section where there is a space to enter more details) or would you do that in secondaries if there is a question? Or are ties to TX not really factored in anyway?

 

[wysdoc]

Is there anywhere in the TMDSAS application where you recommend mentioning ties to Texas (like the optional 3rd essay or the Residency section where there is a space to enter more details) or would you do that in secondaries if there is a question? Or are ties to TX not really factored in anyway?

"residency section" is just to determine whether you are in-state or out-of-state.
You could mention reasons for wanting to attend school in TX in the optional 3rd essay, it's pretty open to use for whatever you want.
The schools that strongly want ties to TX are the ones whose mission is to get students who will settle and practice in the region (like U of Houston, SHSU, and UTRGV, and to a lesser extent Texas Techs.)

 

[thefinalletter123]

@wysdoc My TMDSAS was just verified and processed. On my PCR, it says I am an hour deficient for gen chem. My gen chem I lecture was 3 credits but my gen chem II lecture was 2 credits. I guess I'm an hour deficient cuz I don't have 6 credits of lecture? Will this affect me at any schools? My undergrad only offered gen chem II as a 2 credit course.

Thanks in advance!

 

[wysdoc]

@wysdoc My TMDSAS was just verified and processed. On my PCR, it says I am an hour deficient for gen chem. My gen chem I lecture was 3 credits but my gen chem II lecture was 2 credits. I guess I'm an hour deficient cuz I don't have 6 credits of lecture? Will this affect me at any schools? My undergrad only offered gen chem II as a 2 credit course.

Thanks in advance!

Most of the TMDSAS schools want 6 hrs lecture and 2 hrs lab, except UTSW which only requires 4 hrs general chem with lab and Dell which says 2 semesters gen chem but doesn't specify hours.
You might have to take 1 chem lecture course someplace before matriculation

 

[thefinalletter123]

Most of the TMDSAS schools want 6 hrs lecture and 2 hrs lab, except UTSW which only requires 4 hrs general chem with lab and Dell which says 2 semesters gen chem but doesn't specify hours.
You might have to take 1 chem lecture course someplace before matriculation

Will this affect my chances at interviews? I am fine taking a 1 credit gen chem course sometime next year before med school starts, but I do not have time to do it now.

 

[wysdoc]

Will this affect my chances at interviews? I am fine taking a 1 credit gen chem course sometime next year before med school starts, but I do not have time to do it now.

no, it shouldn't affect your chances for interviews. Schools only go over your pre-reqs closely later if they have offered you admission.

 

[thefinalletter123]

no, it shouldn't affect your chances for interviews. Schools only go over your pre-reqs closely later if they have offered you admission.

Gotcha, thank you. In the case that I am accepted, there is no getting out of taking a 1 credit gen chem class then? Not having the prereq would be grounds for dismissal?

 

[wysdoc]

Gotcha, thank you. In the case that I am accepted, there is no getting out of taking a 1 credit gen chem class then? Not having the prereq would be grounds for dismissal?

Address it with the individual school if and when this happens. There may be flexibility but I can't predict the chances!

 

[acrossoceans]

@wysdoc I was wondering, if I submit my primary application today, send my MCAT scores, and expect my LOR to be submitted in the next few days, will I be too late for this TMDSAS cycle to have a good shot at interviews for all schools? please let me know! Thank you so much for answering questions on here

 

[wysdoc]

@wysdoc I was wondering, if I submit my primary application today, send my MCAT scores, and expect my LOR to be submitted in the next few days, will I be too late for this TMDSAS cycle to have a good shot at interviews for all schools? please let me know! Thank you so much for answering questions on here

Getting it submitted before the end of July is good- while you wait for it to be verified, go find the secondary essay prompts on each of the individual school threads and start writing! Then you could have them ready to go by the time you get a secondary invitation from the schools.

 

[thefinalletter123]

Does our mcat score show up anywhere on the tmdsas app? I see my applicant id and the date I took the exam listed, but I don't see my actual score listed on the app or on the pdf view. Is this normal or did I mess something up? @wysdoc

 

[Anthony77005]

I feel like I'm sweating buckets trying to get my secondaries done. My primary (6/4), MCAT, and rec letters have been transmitted but I'm not sure how the timing on my secondaries is going. It's been nearly a month since I've received them and I'm struggling to fill them out.

How big of a factor does the length of time between submitting your primary and secondary play into admission? I'm terrified because I'm a low stat applicant in a SMP and it's almost do or die this cycle for me.

 

[thefinalletter123]

I feel like I'm sweating bullets trying to get my secondaries done. My primary (6/4), MCAT, and rec letters have been transmitted but I'm not sure how the timing on my secondaries is going. It's been nearly a month and I'm struggling to fill them out.

How big of a factor does the length of time between submitting your primary and secondary play into admission? I'm terrified because I'm a low stat applicant in a SMP and it's almost do or die this cycle for me.

Heard being "complete" at schools by the end of this month in Texas is still more than early enough. Just get those secondaries done soon, but no need to stress

 

[wysdoc]

Does our mcat score show up anywhere on the tmdsas app? I see my applicant id and the date I took the exam listed, but I don't see my actual score listed on the app or on the pdf view. Is this normal or did I mess something up? @wysdoc

@thefinalletter123 I think it only shows the test dates when you do the "print preview".pdf before submitting.
-but-
Log in to your AAMC portal (the one you used to register for the MCAT) and check to be sure you have "released your scores to TMDSAS".
This is an extra step needed for TMDSAS applicants.
When you apply to AMCAS schools the MCAT scores are automatically released.

If you had not released the scores to TMDSAS, do it now, and they will send it along to all your TX schools as soon as they get it.

 

[MadMax2018]

I feel like I'm sweating buckets trying to get my secondaries done. My primary (6/4), MCAT, and rec letters have been transmitted but I'm not sure how the timing on my secondaries is going. It's been nearly a month since I've received them and I'm struggling to fill them out.

How big of a factor does the length of time between submitting your primary and secondary play into admission? I'm terrified because I'm a low stat applicant in a SMP and it's almost do or die this cycle for me.

Do prioritize your secondaries based on the schools you think you have the best chances at and work your way down. Set a deadline to get it all done by the end of the week. Do your best and then just sit back and wait. Get your Caspar date set up if you haven't already.

 

[zdm2022]

Has there been any update regarding the statistics of this past accepted class? For EY 2021 I mean

 

[TheGranolaKing]

Has there been any update regarding the statistics of this past accepted class? For EY 2021 I mean

Since waitlist movement technically isn’t over yet, I don’t think they release those statistics for at least a few months

 

[premedsp]

Question:
I am a Texas resident. With decent GPA and an Ok MCAT.
Should I apply to all the 12 Texas med school? It is a one time flat fee, so I was wondering if In states applicants apply to everything, or do they strategically pick?

 

[wysdoc]

Question:
I am a Texas resident. With decent GPA and an Ok MCAT.
Should I apply to all the 12 Texas med school? It is a one time flat fee, so I was wondering if In states applicants apply to everything, or do they strategically pick?

Most people do apply to all! But if there is some reason you don’t want certain locations and don’t think you would be happy there, leave them off.

 

[premedsp]

Most people do apply to all! But if there is some reason you don’t want certain locations and don’t think you would be happy there, leave them off.

thanks!

 

[BlueScar]

Asking on behalf of my brother who will be applying this year- are letters from science professors required? He is not a science major?

 

[wysdoc]

Asking on behalf of my brother who will be applying this year- are letters from science professors required? He is not a science major?

Check each school's page to verify. TMDSAS application generally asks for 2 faculty letters and 1 other, minimum 3 letters and max 4.

 

[premedchances2021]

My application was finally transmitted today. When I checked the PCR, my research credit in a microbiology lab was coded as Other Science, despite it clearly being biology. Is it worth it to dispute this 9 credit hours (which boosts my BCPM)? Do schools see the PCR, or is that mostly for ensuring completion of prerequisite coursework?

 

[ASP-99]

My application was finally transmitted today. When I checked the PCR, my research credit in a microbiology lab was coded as Other Science, despite it clearly being biology. Is it worth it to dispute this 9 credit hours (which boosts my BCPM)? Do schools see the PCR, or is that mostly for ensuring completion of prerequisite coursework?

OtherSci is counted within your BCPM gpa I believe

 

[premedchances2021]

OtherSci is counted within your BCPM gpa I believe

Can anyone confirm this? It may save me some heartache after looking at my PCR today... @wysdoc

 

[wysdoc]

Can anyone confirm this? It may save me some heartache after looking at my PCR today... @wysdoc

I'm going to refer you to pages xvii to xix in the TMDSAS handbook.
Courses taught outside a Bio department or in a pre-health department (like pre-nursing or kinesiology) sometimes don't make the cut.
If your research credit is primarily research and not a didactic microbiology class it might not make the cut.

Schools will see every class you entered, and TMDSAS also calculates your GPA in a number of ways in addition to the BCPM GPA.
I would use the PCR mostly to see if they pointed out any "deficiencies", such as lacking enough bio credits or chem credits.
If this is the case and it's important for that reason, send TMDSAS a message & ask. You might need to supply a syllabus if they ask for details.

 

[premedchances2021]

I'm going to refer you to pages xvii to xix in the TMDSAS handbook.
Courses taught outside a Bio department or in a pre-health department (like pre-nursing or kinesiology) sometimes don't make the cut.
If your research credit is primarily research and not a didactic microbiology class it might not make the cut.

Schools will see every class you entered, and TMDSAS also calculates your GPA in a number of ways in addition to the BCPM GPA.
I would use the PCR mostly to see if they pointed out any "deficiencies", such as lacking enough bio credits or chem credits.
If this is the case and it's important for that reason, send TMDSAS a message & ask. You might need to supply a syllabus if they ask for details.

Okay, thank you for the explanation. Do schools see the PCR? It seems like a terrible representation of a student imo because GPAs can be skewed so heavily by a bad semester or two.

 

[wysdoc]

Okay, thank you for the explanation. Do schools see the PCR? It seems like a terrible representation of a student imo because GPAs can be skewed so heavily by a bad semester or two.

I don’t think they see the PCR as such, that’s an internal thing between you and TMDSAS.
They will see a semester by semester GPA, so if you had a rough spell followed by recovery that will show up.
If you are still uneasy about the PCR, please ask your TMDSAS liaison, as you will get the official decision and/ or reassurance you seek 😊

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Is it worth it for me to apply now as an OOS or is it too late?

 

[wysdoc]

Is it worth it for me to apply now as an OOS or is it too late?

Can you fill out the TMDSAS app and submit it before the end of July? Then do that. Realize there are some differences from AMCAS that you will need to quickly learn.
If your work on the AMCAS apps will not allow you to do this, probably not worth it.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Can you fill out the TMDSAS app and submit it before the end of July? Then do that. Realize there are some differences from AMCAS that you will need to quickly learn.
If your work on the AMCAS apps will not allow you to do this, probably not worth it.

Thanks for the response. I already started it earlier this cycle but then paused to finish AMCAS. I should be able to finish and submit this weekend. I have an LM of 75+ from an Ivy but no ties to the state. Plus I heard that school really doesn’t matter for Texas schools. Despite this, Texas has many schools I am interested in and heard that the COL is fairly attractive (ex. rent goes much further in Houston or Austin than SF or NYC)

 

[wysdoc]

Thanks for the response. I already started it earlier this cycle but then paused to finish AMCAS. I should be able to finish and submit this weekend. I have an LM of 75+ from an Ivy but no ties to the state. Plus I heard that school really doesn’t matter for Texas schools. Despite this, Texas has many schools I am interested in and heard that the COL is fairly attractive (ex. rent goes much further in Houston or Austin than SF or NYC)

remember to log in to AAMC and release your MCAT scores to TMDSAS. It doesn't happen automatically like on AMCAS.

 

[acrossoceans]

What does it mean when it says 'TMDSAS is currently processing applications submitted: date'? Will applications be transmitted on that day? I've noticed that everyday it processes another day's submitted applications. Can someone please explain this to me?

 

[wysdoc]

What does it mean when it says 'TMDSAS is currently processing applications submitted: date'? Will applications be transmitted on that day? I've noticed that everyday it processes another day's submitted applications. Can someone please explain this to me?

It means they are starting their work on that day’s submissions. If they are getting close to YOUR date, log in to your TMDSAS portal daily to see if there are any messages for you.

 

[acrossoceans]

It means they are starting their work on that day’s submissions. If they are getting close to YOUR date, log in to your TMDSAS portal daily to see if there are any messages for you.

do you know if it typically gets transmitted to schools around that date?

 

[wysdoc]

do you know if it typically gets transmitted to schools around that date?

Soon. It depends on whether they have any questions for you or if you are missing anything

 

[wysdoc]

I don’t think they see the PCR as such, that’s an internal thing between you and TMDSAS.
They will see a semester by semester GPA, so if you had a rough spell followed by recovery that will show up.
If you are still uneasy about the PCR, please ask your TMDSAS liaison, as you will get the official decision and/ or reassurance you seek 😊

@premedchances2021 I looked into the PCR information a little more and this page on the TMDSAS site explains it much better than I have.

Go here to the "next steps" page and scroll down to PCR: Apply

 

[acrossoceans]

Will applying to just MD programs as opposed to MD/MPH programs make a difference in admissions for TMDSAS? Will my application be considered separately for both MD and MPH programs or in conjunction? Can I remove my application from MPH consideration at a later date? Or can I add the MPH at a later date? I've been considering getting an MPH. Please let me know if you know anything about how dual degree programs are considered!

 

[wysdoc]

Will applying to just MD programs as opposed to MD/MPH programs make a difference in admissions for TMDSAS? Will my application be considered separately for both MD and MPH programs or in conjunction? Can I remove my application from MPH consideration at a later date? Or can I add the MPH at a later date? I've been considering getting an MPH. Please let me know if you know anything about how dual degree programs are considered!

@acrossoceans all the TMDSAS schools offer MD/MPH except Texas A&M.
Some schools allow you to add in the MPH later, while some want you in the program from the start and may separate out an extra year for the MPH (Baylor puts it in between MS3 and MS4).

The best place to research how each school handles it is on their individual pages, and I noticed that on MSAR a convenient link is provided to go to the dual-degree program page. I think that will be your fastest way to research the issue.

 

[nah2016]

Primary transmitted today! The site says that they are processing 6/20 but I submitted 6/21!

 

[esroark]

@wysdoc Hello! I’m taking the MCAT July 30 and will be receiving my score Aug 31 — planning to submit primary (have already submitted LORs) next week and believe it will be processed before this date (thus making my final transmission date, scores and all, ~Sept 2)
Is submitting secondaries (assuming I’ve pre-written them) the first week of September significantly hurting my chances for TMDSAS schools?

 

[wysdoc]

@wysdoc Hello! I’m taking the MCAT July 30 and will be receiving my score Aug 31 — planning to submit primary (have already submitted LORs) next week and believe it will be processed before this date (thus making my final transmission date, scores and all, ~Sept 2)
Is submitting secondaries (assuming I’ve pre-written them) the first week of September significantly hurting my chances for TMDSAS schools?

Submit secondaries to any school that invites you, as soon as you are asked. I know they will still be waiting on your MCAT score, but at least the rest of your file will be ready to review.

 

[esroark]

Submit secondaries to any school that invites you, as soon as you are asked. I know they will still be waiting on your MCAT score, but at least the rest of your file will be ready to review.

Thank you for your prompt reply! Just to be clear, do you mean that I'm able to submit secondaries/will be sent secondaries from some schools before my scores are in, so long as primary app has been processed?

 

[wysdoc]

Thank you for your prompt reply! Just to be clear, do you mean that I'm able to submit secondaries/will be sent secondaries from some schools before my scores are in, so long as primary app has been processed?

Yes, and you can send your secondary to A&M and TCOM as soon as your primary is transmitted, they don’t send an email inviting you

 

[TheGranolaKing]

Some interview info I collected from the MSAR and school websites:

UTSW: IIs begin “in July”
Long: “interviews begin” August 20
Dell: IIs begin “last week of July”
McGovern: IIs begin “early August”
UTMB: first interview date is August 11
TAMU: first interview date is August 5
TTUHSC Lubbock: first interview date is August 6
TTUHSC El Paso: IIs begin “early July” lol
UH: IIs begin “August 1”