Texas Medical & Dental Schools
Application Service (TMDSAS)

 

The application is available beginning May 1st. Early filing is strongly encouraged. The deadline to apply is October 1. The application deadline for the following programs is August 1:

• Early Decision Program – Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine
• Early Decision Program – University of Texas Health Science Center – Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Partnership for Primary Care Program - Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine

 

A Complete Application File Consists of:

• Online Application
• Application Fee
• Certification Page
• Photos
• Copy of Visa or Permanent Resident Card (if applicable)
• Official Transcripts
• Evaluation Letters
• Official DAT/MCAT/GRE Score Report
• Secondary Applications

 

ONLINE APPLICATION

Applicants must meet the following system requirements to use the TMDSAS application:

• Access to a computer that is able to connect to the internet
• An e-mail address is required
• Applicants must use only Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator exclusively to complete the application . Do NOT use Mozilla/Firefox
• A laser or ink-jet printer is required to print the Certification Page, Health Professions Evaluation Forms and Transcript Request Forms
  

A correct browser of Netscape Navigator can be obtained at www.netscape.com or a correct browser of Internet Explorer can be obtained at www.microsoft.com

 

TMDSAS will not begin to process your application until your completed application has been submitted online and the following items have been received:

• Signed Certification Page
• Application Fee
• Photos
• Copy of Visa or Permanent Resident card (if applicable)
• Spring 2008 Grades

Your signed certification page, application fee and photos must be mailed to TMDSAS together. Do NOT mail these items prior to submission of your application. TMDSAS recommends that you mail the items via certified mail to confirm receipt.


Getting Started – Requesting your Personal Identification Number (PIN)

1. From the TMDSAS homepage, click on [Applicants Click Here], then click on [Application].

2. Click on either [Medical/Dental School Application] OR [ Veterinary Medical School Application].

Note : If you plan to apply to both veterinary school and medical and/or dental school, then you MUST click on the Veterinary School Application. If you plan to apply ONLY to medical and/or dental school, then you click only on Medical/Dental School Application.

3. Click the [ REQUEST ] button to establish your Personal Identification Number (PIN) and initiate your application. Document your PIN and password, as these will be crucial throughout the application process.

You will be required to fill out the following preliminary information in order to establish your PIN and password:

• Social Security Number - if you do not have a social security number, enter 999-99-9999 as your social security number
• Name - enter your first, middle and last names
• Date of Birth
• Mother’s Maiden Name
• Mailing Address - the address to which ALL correspondence regarding your application will be mailed
• Permanent Legal Address
• E-Mail Address - THIS IS IMPORTANT! Email is the primary mode of communication used by TMDSAS
  
  Attention AOL, Yahoo & Hotmail Users: Occasionally the spam filtering program used by your mail program will oncorrectly classify TMDSAS emails as spam. To keep this from happening, we recommend you add tmdsas@utysystem.edu to your address book.
• AAMC ID - your 8-digit numeric AAMC ID. This is how your MCAT scores will be matched to your file
• Password : your password must be 1-6 characters in length. Passwords are case sensitive

Once you have entered the required information, click [SUBMIT] in order to have your PIN established

4. Enter your PIN and password and click on [REVIEW]. The application will come up and you can begin filling out the application.

You MUST complete the following sections first: Section 1, Section 3 and Section 4 .

 

APPLICATION FEE

Application fees can be paid by personal check, money order or cashier's check drawn on a US bank. TMDSAS cannot accept a US dollar account check from a Canadian bank. Checks and money orders should be made payable to TMDSAS. TMDSAS does not accept cash or credit cards as forms of payment and will not be responsible for any cash payments received.

TMDSAS does not grant fee waivers

Please include your Personal Identification Number (PIN) on the front of the check/money order. If anyone other than the applicant signs the check/ money order, the applicant's name and PIN must be printed on the face of the check/money order to facilitate proper identification.

The application fee is not refundable once initial processing of an application has begun and the fee has been deposited.

The application fee required for an application is based upon residence status and the number of schools to which the applicant applies. The application cannot be processed with a Texas resident filing fee if there is reason to question Texas Residency status. If Texas Residency status is questionable, we advise that a non-resident filing fee be submitted with the application along with a written request for a refund of the difference if you are classified as a Texas resident by the application deadline.


The following are considered an Application Irregularity and are reported to the appropriate professional associations. Either of these actions could initiate an investigation that would result in all medical, dental or veterinary schools being notified of the irregularity.

a. Non-payment of a returned check
b. Placing a stop-payment order or canceling a check in lieu of formally withdrawing an application

Medical and Dental School Applicants ONLY :

Texas Resident Applicants		Non-Texas Resident Applicants
one school	$55 + 2 photos	one school	$100 + 2 photos
two schools	$65 + 3 photos	two schools	$110 + 3 photos
three schools	$75 + 4 photos	three schools	$120 + 4 photos
four schools	$85 + 5 photos	four schools	$130 + 5 photos
five schools	$95 + 6 photos	five schools	$140 + 6 photos
six schools	$105 + 7 photos	six schools	$150 + 7 photos
seven schools	$115 + 8 photos	seven schools	$160 + 8 photos
eight schools	$125 + 9 photos	eight schools	$170 + 9 photos
nine schools	$135 + 10 photos	nine schools	$180 + 10 photos
ten schools	$145 + 11 photos	ten schools	$190 + 11 photos
eleven schools	$155 + 12 photos	eleven schools	$200 + 12 photos

Veterinary School Applicants ONLY:

Texas Resident Applicants	Non-Texas Resident Applicants
Veterinary School ONLY - $100 + 2 photos

Applicants Applying to Veterinary School AND Medical and/or Dental School:

Texas Resident Applicants	Non-Texas Resident Applicants
$100 for applying to the Veterinary school + $10 per Medical/Dental school + 1 photo per school + 1 photo for TMDSAS

CERTIFICATION PAGE

Once you have submitted your online application, print, sign & date the Certification Page from Section 13 of the application and mail it to TMDSAS. The Certification Page should be accompanied by the appropriate application fee and photos. You can only mail these items to TMDSAS after you have submitted your application online.

PHOTOS

Applicants are required to submit one photo for each school they are applying to along with an additional photo for TMDSAS.

• Photographs should be approximately 2" x 3 " in size; passport photos are recommended
• Applicant's name and PIN should be written on the back side of each photo
  

VISA OR PERMANENT RESIDENT CARD

Applicants who are not US citizens and are here on a Visa or are a Permanent Resident must submit a copy (both front and back) of their Permanent Resident card or visa stamp in your passport to TMDSAS. The copies should be mailed along with the Certification Page, application fee and photos. Include your full name and Personal ID Number (PIN) on the copy.

Foreign national applicants whose application for Permanent Resident Status has been preliminarily reviewed should have received a fee/filing receipt or Notice of Action (I-797) from USCIS indicating the
I-485 has been reviewed and has not been rejected. These applicants must submit a copy of the fee/filing receipt or Notice of Approval to TMDSAS. The copy should be mailed to TMDSAS with the Certification Page, application fee and photos. Include your full name and PIN on the copy.

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

Official college transcript(s) from ALL institutions attended must be submitted to TMDSAS directly from EACH academic institution attended. Official transcripts will be necessary for all undergraduate, graduate and professional coursework. Transcripts must be submitted from each school attended even if:

• Coursework appears as transfer credit on another school’s transcript
• Coursework does not count toward a degree
• Coursework was taken while attending high school

Transcripts must be accompanied by the TMDSAS Transcript Request Form.

Only one transcript from each school attended is required. Transcripts released to students are considered official ONLY if they have been duly sealed and certified as original and valid by the registrar. Photocopies or faxed copies are NOT accepted.

 

Transcripts MUST reflect grades for courses taken during the spring semester of the application cycle BEFORE YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION. Applications will NOT be processed until spring grades are reported .

Foreign Transcripts:

TMDSAS will accept a photocopy of a foreign transcript since it may be difficult to obtain an official transcript.

By state law, foreign coursework is not included in the calculation of the admission GPA. Transcripts from foreign schools will be forwarded to the schools so they can be evaluated based on criteria established by the Admissions Committee at the respective school. Consideration of coursework from schools outside of the US or Canada requires an evaluation by a certified educational credentials evaluation service.

A separate transcript from a foreign university is not required for formal Study Abroad programs if the enrollment in these courses is through a US or Canadian sponsoring institution. Grades from these courses must be reported on the US or Canadian institution transcript as if the course was taken in residence.

* NOTE: Transcripts sent to TMDSAS remain the property of TMDSAS. Transcripts are not forwarded to the medical schools. The transcripts are used by TMDSAS to validate coursework listed on the Record of College Work. If accepted to medical school, applicants will be required to send transcripts to the accepting school before matriculation.

EVALUATION LETTERS

Medical and Dental School Applicants:

Applicants are required to submit either ONE Health Profession's Committee Evaluation Packet or TWO individual evaluation letters directly to TMDSAS. Dental applicants who are applying to Baylor College of Dentistry are required to provide an additional letter from a practicing dentist. (See below.)

A written evaluation submitted by the Health Professions (Pre-medical or Pre-dental) Advisory Committee at the applicant's school is preferred. This may be a composite report prepared by the Committee or the Health Professions Office or copies of actual letters submitted to the Committee on the applicant's behalf. A committee letter can have as many individual letters attached to it as your institution will allow.  If letters are collected by an institution on behalf of the applicant but an additional assessment or overview of the applicant is not provided by the institution, TMDSAS will still treat these letters as a committee packet.  A committee letter that is composed and uses quotes from various evaluators but does not have supporting letters attached will also be considered a committee packet by TMDSAS.

The evaluation packet is to be sent to TMDSAS and not to the individual schools.

The evaluation may be submitted with the TMDSAS Evaluation Form provided on the TMDSAS website or a format provided by the school.  The TMDSAS form can be used by the Health Professions Advisor, if needed, for the authority to waive right of access.

If there is no formal Health Professions Advisory Committee at your institution, two individual letters of evaluation are required. Individual evaluators MUST mail letters to TMDSAS in an official school or business envelope. The letter MUST contain the evaluator's name, title, address, phone number and signature. The letter MUST be sealed in an envelope with the evaluator's signature across the seal. Individual evaluation letters should be accompanied by the TMDSAS Evaluation Form (with the waiver signature line completed) if the student is waiving his/her right of access to the evaluation letter. If TMDSAS receives an evaluation letter without the TMDSAS Evaluation Form, it is assumed that the applicant has not waived his/her right of access to the letter.

It is important that the evaluators know the applicant well enough to evaluate him/her both academically and personally. Be sure the evaluator includes the applicant's PIN number on the evaluation.

Applicants who are no longer enrolled in undergraduate school and are unable to obtain an evaluation from a Health Professions Advisor or Advisory Committee may choose one of the alternatives listed below:

• If attending graduate school :
  
  1 evaluation letter from your graduate advisor, major professor or chairman of your major department + 1 evaluation letter from a current or former professor

 

• If not currently attending school for over one year and are currently employed or in military service :
  
  1 evaluation letter from your immediate supervisor or business associate (if self employed) + 1 evaluation letter from a current or former professor
  

The participating schools prefer to receive only the required evaluation letters. Additional letters are not encouraged. However, TMDSAS will forward only ONE letter in addition to those listed on your application in Section 4 question 4. The additional evaluation letter should be accompanied by the TMDSAS Evaluation Form (with the waiver signature line completed) if the student is waiving his/her right of access to the evaluation letter. TMDSAS will only forward the first additional letter received. Any other additional letters will be discarded.

Once the additional letter has been received, the evaluator’s name will be added to the Status of Application & Documents Received page so that the applicant will know the letter has been forwarded to the schools. Other additional letters may be sent directly to the schools, but applicants will need to contact each school to verify if additional letters will be accepted.

Remember, the evaluation letters will not be considered complete until TMDSAS has received the Health Professions Evaluation packet or the individual evaluation letters indicated on the application in Section 4 question 4. We understand that evaluators may change. You MUST update TMDSAS of any change in evaluator via email.

 

Dental School Applicants Only :

Baylor College of Dentistry applicants are required to provide TMDSAS with an additional evaluation letter from a practicing dentist. This letter can be submitted to the Health Professions office to be included in the Health Professions Evaluation or submitted directly to TMDSAS by the practicing dentist. DO NOT send the letter directly to Baylor College of Dentistry.

 

Veterinary School Applicants:

Applicants are required to submit THREE individual evaluations directly to TMDSAS. Each letter MUST be accompanied with the Texas A&M Veterinary Applicant Evaluation Form . A Health Professions Committee packet will be accepted as only one letter unless the packet meets the requirements indicated on the Texas A&M Veterinary Evaluation Form. The evaluations must be sealed in an envelope with the evaluator’s signature across the seal. The applicant should select someone who knows them well enough to evaluate them based on the criteria listed on the Texas A&M Veterinary Evaluation Form.

ADMISSION TEST SCORES

All admission test score(s) MUST be reported directly to TMDSAS by the testing agency. Scores submitted from your personal score report will not be accepted.

Applicants that plan to take or have taken the MCAT/DAT must release the scores to TMDSAS. Any change to test dates indicated in Section 5 of the application MUST be immediately reported to TMDSAS in writing by email or fax. Failure to do so will cause your application to be incomplete which could affect the review of your application at one or more of the participating schools.

Dental School Applicants:

The Dental Admission Test, DAT , is required for admission to dental school. The DAT must be taken within the last five years. A test score from a DAT taken before 2004 will not be considered for the 2009 entry year application. The DAT must be taken before December 1 of the application year to be considered for the current application cycle. Dental schools begin making offers of admission December 1st; therefore, waiting to take the DAT until that late date will delay any consideration for admission until after your test scores are released.

Applicants are required to request their DAT scores be released to each of the dental schools they are applying with. All DAT scores released to the three Texas dental schools will automatically be sent to TMDSAS.

Information regarding the DAT can be obtained from their website: http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/index.asp

 

Medical School Applicants:

The Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT , is required for admission to most medical schools. Only MCAT scores from the previous five years will be considered for the current application cycle. Scores from years prior to 2004 will not be considered. The MCAT must be taken by September 2008.

We strongly encourage taking the MCAT exam in January, April or May so that your application will be completed and in the applicant pool for the start of the interview season. The interview season generally begins at the end of August and closes sometime in early December. Applicants who wait to take the examination for the first time in July, August or September may find action on their application delayed until late in the admission season.

Applicants MUST release their MCAT scores to TMDSAS as soon as they become available to the applicant. This is done by using the MCAT Testing History (THx) System . From the MCAT Testing History System, select [Send All of My Scores], then select [Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service] (4th on the list under [Application Services]). Applicants MUST request that the scores of ALL tests taken be released to TMDSAS.

More information regarding the MCAT can be obtained from their website: www.aamc.org/students/mcat

 

Veterinary School Applicants:

The Graduate Record Exam, GRE, is required for admission to veterinary school. The GRE examination will not be changing this year; therefore, applicants MUST take the GRE by September 30, 2008. GRE scores prior to October 2002 cannot be used or considered.

All applicants will be required to stay informed of any future changes to the GRE requirements by visiting the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine website often.

Scores must be submitted directly to Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine using the institution code #6812. Failure to do so will disqualify the applicant from consideration during the current cycle.

Information regarding the GRE can be found on their website: GRE Website

SECONDARY APPLICATIONS

Secondary applications should be completed near the same time you submit your TMDSAS application.

Any questions relating to a secondary application should be directed to the respective school. Any secondary application required documents and/or fees should be sent directly to the school and NOT to TMDSAS.

Completion of the secondary application is required by the following schools before the TMDSAS application is considered.

• UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas
• Texas A&M Health Science Center, College of Medicine
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine - deadline - October 1 (at 11:59 PM CT)
• JD/MD Program at Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine
• The University of North Texas HSC – Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Baylor College of Dentistry
• Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine

What Happens After I Submit My Application Online?

1.	Applicants can enter or change any information prior to submission of application. Once the application is submitted, all other changes must be requested via a detailed email to TMDSAS. Change of address and adding new coursework to your Record of College Work can be entered direclty by the applicant.
2.	Mail your signed certification page, application fee, & photos to TMDSAS. Applications are processed in the order in which these items are received.
3.	Complete secondary applications, if applicable.
4.	Ensure all supporting documents are sent to TMDSAS promptly. You can view your Status of Application Documents by logging into the TMDSAS website via the [Status of Application and Documents Received] link at the top of this page.
5.	Notify TMDSAS of any changes and/or updates to the following: address, email, telephone, planned coursework, evaluators, admission test dates, grade updates and corrections to any previously submitted data after application is submitted.

 

Application Processing (review and edit of application for completeness and accuracy) Allow 2-4 weeks for application processing, time will vary due to volume and unresolved problems.
Following initial processing:
No Problem with Application	Problem with Application
	TMDSAS will contact the applicant by email to resolve any problems Problems could delay application transmission
Application is transmitted to the schools	Application is transmitted to the schools
Applications are transmitted even if TMDSAS has not received all supporting documents

 

Once the application is submitted to the schools applicants will receive notification via email. They can then access their Applicant Profile.

Corrections and/or updates to the application will be reflected on the Applicant Profile and transmitted to all schools.

Evaluation of applications and admission actions will be made by the schools.

 

Validation of Record of College Work The Record of College Work submitted by the applicant is compared to the official transcripts for all applicants selected for interview This ensures that all coursework is listed on the Record of College Work and that each course is properly classified by TMDSAS standards NOTE: Updated transcripts must be submitted to TMDSAS after each semester/quarter that coursework is completed as long as the application remains active Validation procedures generate an official Prescribed Course Report that indicates any deficiencies in coursework

 

Deadlines and Important Dates

Application Timeline
(Download Adobe Acrobat)

DEADLINES

August 1	Submission deadline for application to EARLY DECISION PROGRAMS at: 1. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine 2. University of North Texas Health Science Center - Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine 3. Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine - Partnership for Primary Care Program
August 1	Certification page, application fee and photos for Early Decision Program applicants must be received at TMDSAS
August 15	All supporting documents (transcripts, evaluation letters, test scores) for Early Decision Program applicants must be received at TMDSAS * Failure to submit documents by these dates may result in disqualification from early decision consideration
October 1	Submission deadline for TMDSAS Medical, Dental and Veterinary School Applications. All sections of the application must be complete and submitted by 11:59 pm (Central Time) on October 1. All supporting documents (transcripts, evaluation letters) for Vet School applicants should be received at TMDSAS. *Failure to submit documents by these dates may result in the disqualification of your application All supporting documents (transcripts, evaluation letters) for TMDSAS Medical and Dental School applicants should be received at TMDSAS. *Some schools will not extend an interview offer until all supporting documents have been received * Certification page, application fee and photos for all applicants MUST be post-marked by this date
October 10	Certification page, application fee and photos for all applicants must be received at TMDSAS
January 15	Deadline for applicants holding pre-match offers from more than one TMDSAS school to choose one offer to hold and decline all others online by 11:59 PM (Central Time) Submission deadline for RANKING of SCHOOL PREFERENCE for the TMDSAS admissions match - to be entered online by 11:59 PM (Central Time)

IMPORTANT DATES

August 1 - December 31	Most medical and dental school interviews are conducted during this time period
September 15	Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and University of North Texas Health Science Center - Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine notify Early Decision Program applicants regarding their admission action
October 15	Initial date for medical schools to begin extending admission offers for non-residents, Special Program applicants (MD/PhD, DO/PhD and MD/MBA), and Assured Acceptance Program applicants
November 15 - December 31	Pre-match open acceptance period for offers of admission to Texas resident medical school applicants
December 1	Dental schools begin extending offers of acceptance
February 1	Medical schools issue offers of admission resulting from the admissions match