TMDSAS FAQ Suggestions, Please :)

Here's a few:

1) Will I hurt my chances for an acceptance if I rank more competitive schools higher on my list? (oddly, a common misconception)
2) What's with LMFUs? (Haha, if we only had an answer...)
3) When's the first date we can submit TMDSAS? Is there an advantage to submitting then (or close to then)?
4) Which schools have secondaries and what are the questions?
5) When are the first/last interview dates for each school?
6) What have been the average Step 1 scores for each school over the past few years (where reliable data are available)?

That's all I have for now... of course the system could be different next year for all we know. Why does Texas have to be so different?

 

1.) What's the waitlist movement like for each school?
2.) When would I be interviewing for the match/waitlist?
3.) My validation date hasn't changed. When should this worry me?
4.) What is the character limit for the PS? I've already written my AMCAS one, how should I change it to fit it?
5.) What the hell is this Chronology of Activities crap? Didn't I just fill out a activities section?
6.) If I change my address/personal information, do I tell the schools or TMDSAS and how long does it take for the change?
7.) Do TMDSAS schools like to reschedule their interviews? Which ones do and which ones don't?
8.) What are the pros and cons of going to each medical school? (ie all those UTH vs UTSW vs UTMB vs etc battles)
9.) I heard UTMB is going bankrupt and had to fire over 1000 of its staff, how will this affect the medical school?
10.) How much PBL is at each school?
11.) Is UTH really 9-5 classes all the time?
12.) Should I apply OOS or just Texas only? Even if my numbers are stellar?

 

-What should be the general timeline of events (taking mcat, asking for LORs, sending in transcripts, etc)
-How long until I am verified by tmdsas?
-What are the secondary essay prompts?
-Should I apply OOS to increase my chances?


that's all I have for now, I will try to think of more tomorrow

 

Great job Anastasis!! I would have really benefited from such a thread at the beginning of the admissions cycle in August.
Anyways, my only suggestions for right now:
- Does applying early really make that much of a difference? (YES!! turn in apps in June esp. because of how important the prematch is now...I wish I had known this, I wish I had taken the "apply early" advice more seriously)

- Even though I'm super involved and have amazing ECs..is it ok if my numbers (mcat, gpa) are low? (people have different answers to this..but from my personal experience..no matter what..your immediate interview call is going to be based on numbers..so even if you have an ok mcat score (30ish) try again!!!!! it might just be all for the better..again this is only from my personal experience)

 

Is there any advantage to writing the 2 optional essays, or at least one of them?

Is Baylor part of the TMDSAS system? (surprisingly some people think it is)

 

When exactly do match results get posted, is it 10PM like all of the rumors I've heard?

If I'm an MD/PhD or MD/MBA applicant, can I still participate in the match?

Can I submit my application before I have my LORs or my MCAT score? (yes! do it!!!!)

What is a prematch offer? If I accept it, can I still interview/take acceptances at other schools?

Why does TMDSAS suck so much?

 

Here are a couple I thought of. I'll work on more after this weekend

What should I wear to an interview? Texas can be more conservative, women (sorry if you hate me) should wear panty hose!

Good things to bring up at interview/What not to say under any circumstances (ex: I just want to help people! <--don't do it!)

What do LMFU, RCW and validation date all mean?

What are the averages for interviewing, and being accepted?

Does my major matter?

What can different schools health professions offices do? Texas A&M's OPSA (I can't say OPSA office b/c that is totally redundant) is AMAZING no joke! We could discuss benefits of using offices and drawbacks of different schools offices.

 

What courses make up Science (BCPM) and Non-Science credits for TMDSAS and AMCAS?

TMDSAS FAQ sticky...Great idea! No more searching 10000+ Texas posts .

If only we had one seven months ago .

 

1. What kind of drugs is Acie Law on?


Thanks,
HOLDEN

 

Some relevant links:

2006-2007 (Class of 2011) TMDSAS Threads

"Texas Interviews Part 1"
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=294676

"Texas Interviews Part 2"
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=359155&highlight=texas

"The Republic of Texas Thread - Part III - Where the West begins!"
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=370059&highlight=republic+texas

"The Republic of Texas Thread - Part IV - Don't Mess with Texas"
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=370605

"The Republic of Texas Thread - Part V - Where Everything Is Bigger and Better"
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=373464

 

This thread is an excellent idea. Can someone compile all relevant questions? I can probably get them answered in a timely manner and get input from the appropriate people at TMDSAS or the medical schools themselves. I would post it and then people can provide feedback. I think the goal should be a Q&A pdf or document that would be easy to read.

 

Is the process any different for re-applicants?

Do the schools look at your application from previous application years, or just the new one?

What kind of success is there for re-applicants?

 

One thing to consider when applying in Texas compared to out of state is that the TMDSAS does not allow + grades in your GPA, whereas AMCAS does. This may lower your GPA when applying, making you appear to be a less competitive applicant.

(at least it was like this when I applied in 05?)

Also remember that limiting yourself by applying only to Texas schools can be a costly mistake. You'll have to wait an entire year and spend money on TMDSAS again and also AMCAS if you don't get in the first time around. It's worth the extra effort to do it right the first time around.

 

I originally posted some variation of this in Doctor Pardi's FAQ:

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, 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.

 

I wouldn't mind helping you Ana. Got any other questions to fill out still?

 

I guess I'm more of the opposite on the applying to schools outside of Texas. Perhaps I'm less educated about the topic because I've stayed in Texas for school my whole life, but I only applied to TMDSAS. Honestly, my numbers would not have been competitive anywhere but Texas. I know this year all the stats went up, and I would have taken the MCAT again if I was applying right now, but I still think I would have been satisfied with only TMDSAS. First, cost. You really can't beat the cost. And AMCAS is ridiculously expensive. I applied to all the TMDSAS schools for the less than it would have cost me to apply to Baylor only. Second, AMCAS schools, for the most part, seem to be more competitive than Texas schools (minus UTSW). This could be my perception only, but I feel like if I didn't have a chance to get into UTSW, I wouldn't have a chance most places out of state. Also, I LOVE Texas. There aren't a lot of places in the U.S. I really would want to spend 4 years, away from family and life-long friends. Plus, I don't do cold. At all. When it boils down to it, if you have the inkling to apply to outside of Texas schools, do it. But it isn't a blanket recommendation I would make to everyone. If you're going to take the stance you need to apply as broadly as possible, shouldn't you apply EVERYWHERE? I mean MD, DO, Carribean, everywhere. Otherwise, if you eliminate any school, you're automatically cutting down your chances. I guess for me, it boils down to applying to places you are the most competitive applicant, and places you would like to spend 4 years, possibly more. If your destiny is to go to medical school, keep applying until you get in. Knock down those doors until you PROVE you can be successful in school, and as a physician interacting with patients and the rest of the medical world.

Ana, can you have a little easier question I'd be better at answering

 

APPLY OOS for sure. TMDSAS is currently a very broken system, and quite honestly many of the texas schools have sub-par facilities compared to AMCAS schools.

If you really truly have a passion for being a doctor, apply broadly to give yourself greater odds of getting in. If you just want to pay as little as possible for your education and application, apply only to texas.

 

Oh women's interview attire! Something I can give advice on! Being in a sorority there is a lot of explanation of what is appropriate and what is not. WHEW! I will get to work on this.

 

Oh boy here we go!!!

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.

 

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.

 

Just a note that the "standard" interview suit colors are navy and charcoal gray. For med school, everyone seems to wear funeral black. I'd steer away from brown.

 

The UTSW email was the day of the match.

 

I edited my post. Now it is correct.

 

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.

 

Eternal... could you mention something about how important it is to answer/address all three points in TMDSAS. Our advising office makes a point to point this out because apparently it is a real pet peeve (seriously) for schools and when applying I think you'd want everything possible on your side. Your explanation is excellent btw

 

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.

 

SUCH a great idea and progressing quite well! Entering Class of 2008 is gonna have it so good!

 

Word to the wise, it's an added bonus if living and working in the great state of Texas is a professional goal of yours.

 

I think it would be helpful because some people don't have amazing advising offices that make this stuff.
Here is a pdf from A&M. We could adapt this sort of timeline if you thought it would work (I'll even work on it if you want )

http://aggiepremed.tamu.edu/medbasics.pdf

 

Here is another thing from A&M, but I think overall its pretty general. This might provide some good info. One of the past pre-med officers made this and put a lot of hard work into it. he's a very smart guy and I think he did a good job. View attachment MidhatFcompiledadvice.doc

 

Ok i'm going to put down everything I can think of for a time line and I would LOVE suggestions. Then I'll work on making it look pretty

Freshman Year
Fall - Get a really good foundation in your classes. Learn to talk to you professors, get excellent grades. Start a notebook to write down ec's, events you participate in, etc. (it will be easier to look in a book than to have to remember every little thing you did)
Spring - Continue good grades.
Sophomore Year
Fall - work hard, get shadowing experience
Spring - same
Junior Year
Fall - finish up pre-req courses for the MCAT. Work on personal statement over winter break. Begin asking for LOR from profs (ideally, 1MD/DO, 1 science prof, 1 science/nonscience prof )
Spring - Begin a MCAT prep course in December or January. Sign up for MCAT testing time of your choice. Be done by May though. Release scores to TMDSAS when they come out.

Summer between!
TMDSAS comes out May 1. Submit by June 15th. Repeat MCAT if necessary. Buy a suit if you don't already have one
Senior Year
Fall - interviews being in Late July/early august! Rolling admissions begins Nov. 15th.
Spring - Match day Feb 1. (does anyone know what the other important dates will be?)

Please let me know what else I should add/take out!

 

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 TMDSAS 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).

 

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

 

noobs are starting to find their way to SDN:

"How many letters are suitable for the application process? One from the pre-professional advisory committee? Or maybe three(one from the committee) and two more? I've heard both suggestions but really do not know which is wisest."

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.