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Cowboys around a campfire image by Richard Wear
Gather round, cowboys and let's talk!
First off, it's been pretty quiet on the message boards this year, maybe due to y'all being back in classes now and too busy, or maybe due to people being too reticent to share personal info with strangers. Here on the Texas threads I think we're a pretty welcoming bunch, so don't be shy. Share whatever information you want, and ignore the busybody questions that ain't nobody's business!
Second, a reminder that we have a deadline coming up soon for completion of your TMDSAS application. That means primary app, secondary essays, CASPer test taken, MCATs sent, letters turned in.
The Deadline is October 1st at 5 pm.
Third, interviews have already begun at all the Texas schools except our newest DO school, Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Conroe TX. If you want to throw one more hat in the ring and apply to that one, they use the TMDSAS system. Class size will be 150 and they have only recently started sending out secondaries to applicants. Their deadline will probably be extended past Oct 1st for applications, but check with them to be sure! Interviews at TCU/UNTHSC only started up this week, so lots of time to still be invited there.
Fourth, don't lose hope about interviews if you are still waiting. I feel that a lot of "middle of the herd" applicants get stashed in a "maybe" stack, and when all of this year's applications are in, the committees can do another round of picking and choosing applicants for interviews. Some of those "maybes" will now get interviews. The schools don't use up all their interview slots until they can look at the big picture, and so the first interview dates might have gone to the clearly high stat or great mission fit students, and now the rest of you good folks will have your chance.
Last of all, this year's timeline changed a little bit, so that the TMDSAS deadline is still October 1st, but the first pre-match offers can go out as early as October 15th. This is going to make a lot of y'all feel bad because some will get offers, but some haven't even been to interviews yet.
Pre-match offers can be made all the way through Dec 31st. Pre-match offers are a way to take the pressure off, because you can rest assured you have at least one acceptance and you will be going to med school this year!
Remember that you can get accepted without any prematch offers at all, and that when you are feelin' envious of someone who has 5 pre-matches, they can only attend one of them and the other 4 spots will go to somebody, maybe you!
That's it, hit the trail running tomorrow and join in with any questions you have. I'll answer what I can, but I can't predict the future!
Wysdoc