Texas Medical & Dental Schools
Application Service (TMDSAS)

Frequently Asked Questions

3. Application Processing at TMDSAS

What is processing?

What causes an application to be placed into the problem section?

How does TMDSAS calculate my GPA and what is included in the science GPA?

How will I know that my application has been sent to the schools?

What is validation?

What is processing?

The review of your application for completeness and accuracy. If errors or inconsistencies are found, your application will be placed in the problem section.

What causes an application to be placed into the problem section?

An application may be placed in the problem section, which will delay the processing of your application, for various reasons.

The most common cause is applications that are submitted without the required copies of Visas or Permanent Resident cards (if applicable) are placed in problems until those materials are received by TMDSAS.

Another common reason that applications are placed in the problem section is an incorrect Chronology of Activities (Section 7). Applicants must follow the month/year format show in the example. Activities must be listed in chronological order beginning with high school graduation and covering up to the planned entry date for medical/dental/vet school. Indicate the exact dates (month and year) for each activity and ALWAYS include end dates. Any application submitted that does not use the correct format or has gaps in time will be put into the problem section so that the applicant can correct the chronology.

TMDSAS immediately notifies those applicants who are placed in the problem section via email. It is crucial that you are able to receive emails from TMDSAS and that we have a valid email address for you at all times.

How does TMDSAS calculate my GPA and what is included in the science GPA?

The Texas Coordinating Board for Higher Education determines the procedures for calculating the GPA for students seeking admission to a graduate or professional school in the state of Texas. All institutions must follow these guidelines.  The guidelines are as follows:

1. Only official transcripts from accredited institutions of higher education shall be accepted by the graduate and professional schools of an institution of higher education for evaluation and grade-point calculation.

2. All academic work undertaken and grades or symbols assigned at each institution shall be reflected on the student's official transcript(s). No student's grade may be expunged from his or her record.

3. All grades assigned for academic course work shall be used in calculating the grade-point average, except that an institution may base the calculation on the last 60 semester credit hours (or equivalent) of undergraduate work and any previous work in a graduate or professional school.

4. A four-point scale shall be used in computing the grade point average (e.g.: A, 4 points per semester hour; B, 3.0; C, 2.0; D, 1.0; F, 0.0).

5. A grade or symbol indicating failure (i.e.: F, WF, NC, or in a pass/fail system, FL equals F) shall count as hours undertaken, but no grade points shall be earned.

6. Excluded from the grade-point average shall be any credit by examination (CR); Quit (Q); Withdrew (W); Withdrew Passing (WP); Incomplete (I or X); and a pass grade within a pass/fail system.

7. The grade-point average shall be computed by multiplying each grade point (see paragraph (4) and (5) of this subsection) by the semester or quarter credit hours earned per course and totaling the products. The semester or quarter hours of courses undertaken shall then be totaled. The total of the products shall be divided by the total semester or quarter hours. The result is to be calculated to the hundredth place, giving the official cumulative grade-point average.

8. Academic work at foreign colleges, universities, or preparatory schools shall be excluded from the calculation. In such cases, the grade-point average and credit shall be evaluated and computed as determined by the graduate or professional school to which the student is applying.

 

TMDSAS calculates three different GPA's for an applicant - overall GPA, science GPA and graduate GPA. The overall GPA includes all undergraduate course work ever taken. The graduate GPA includes all graduate level course work ever taken. The science GPA includes all undergraduate level science course work. Included in the science GPA are prerequisite course work (excluding English) and any of the following courses:

Engineering (all areas: Mechanical, Biomedical, Electrical, Civil, etc.)
Astronomy
Computer Science
Geology
Physical Science
Physical Anthropology
Nutrition
Math (other than Calculus or Statistics)
Pharmacy
Respiratory Therapy
Dental Hygiene
Agriculture Science
EMS/EMT
Nursing (depending on course title)
Research seminars in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math areas
Anatomy

 

How will I know that my application has been sent to the schools?

You will be notified via email once your application has been sent to the schools. It is crucial that you have an email address that will accept outside emails in order to receive this notification.

You will also be able to check your Status of Application and Documents Received page from link at the top of this page once your application has been sent to the schools.

What is validation?

Validation is a process by which TMDSAS verifies the Record of College Work against official transcripts for those applicants who have received at least one interview. The Record of College Work is compared to each transcript to verify that the course work entered matches exactly to what is on the transcripts. All official transcripts must be received by TMDSAS before the validation process can be completed.