The Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) has been closely following disruptions cause by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
We also encourage you to take advantage of the resources your institution may have and to communicate with your pre-health advisor. For those applicants who are no longer able to access a pre-health advisor, we encourage you to join our online communities, which may provide you the opportunity to interact with an advisor.
We recognize that this is an extraordinary event; as such, our member institutions
are working to review their policies (such as coursework, committee letters, etc.)
to accommodate the needs of the community and we will be posting more updates below
as decisions are made. Please check back to this page for further updates.
How Virtual Interviews Will Be Hosted in EY 2022
See responses by school type:
All TMDSAS Member Institutions
On behalf of TMDSAS and our member institutions, our goal is to support our applicants and the pre-health community in this challenging time. We remain committed to your success and encourage our applicants to remain steadfast in the pursuit of their goals.
All TMDSAS participating institutions have agreed to the following:
To further support applicants during this time, TMDSAS has elected to extend the application deadline to October 30th, 2020. For entry year 2021, TMDSAS will not begin transmitting applications until June 1, 2020.
The deadline will remain September 15th for Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine.
The deadline for test scores and letters of evaluation has been extended to November 13th, 2020
For a full list of updated deadlines and important dates, please view the application timeline.
TMDSAS member institutions have agreed to accept all courses graded as pass/fail or credit/no-credit as equivalent to graded courses during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically the spring 2020 academic term (including winter 2020 quarter term).
For Summer 2020, TMDSAS member institutions will accept Pass/Fail courses, but may prefer graded options, if available.
Member institutions will continue to review candidates utilizing a holistic, individualized review process, considering candidates based on the totality of their academic career.
For Summer 2020 and Fall 2020, TMDSAS member institutions will accept Pass/Fail courses, but some schools may prefer graded options, if available.
This policy will continue to remain applicable for the Spring 2021 term.
All prerequisite courses that were transitioned to an online format in the spring 2020 (including winter 2020 quarter term) and summer 2020 academic terms will be applied towards the education requirements for all TMDSAS member institutions.
If your in-person course was moved to an online format in Spring 2020, please record it as an "RC - Regular Course" on your application.
TMDSAS member institutions will continue to remain flexible with accepting online/hybrid pre-requisite coursework for Fall 2020.
This policy will continue to remain applicable for the Spring 2021 term.
TMDSAS does not require test scores to process applications, so applicants should not delay applying simply because a MCAT or DAT score is not yet available. TMDSAS member institutions understand that scores will be available later in the cycle and will evaluate applications as scores are submitted to TMDSAS. The schools will use the time allotted from the new timeline to review applications and extend interview invites, ensuring that applicants are not adversely affected.
TMDSAS and its member institutions are closely monitoring updates related to admissions
test assessments and are in close contact with the AAMC and ADA regarding the MCAT
and DAT, respectively. In considering this year's test schedule changes and to accommodate
applicants, the TMDSAS member institutions extended the application and interview
timelines.
Safety guidelines have been outlined by each organization to ensure student safety
in these unprecedented times (see below). While the AAMC and ADA continue to ensure
student safety in test settings, TMDSAS and its member institutions will continue
to collect these scores as planned.
Our member institutions remain committed to maintaining an equitable admissions process
that respects the practice of holistic review of each application.
Dental Schools
All TMDSAS Dental schools require the DAT, and there are no plans to change this practice
moving forward.
Medical Schools
TMDSAS and its member institutions are closely monitoring updates related to admissions
test assessments and are in close contact with the AAMC regarding the MCAT. Safety
guidelines have been outlined by each organization to ensure student safety in these
unprecedented times (see below). While the AAMC continues to ensure student safety
in test settings, TMDSAS and its member institutions will continue to collect these
scores as planned.
Veterinary Schools
All TMDSAS Veterinary schools will not be requiring the GRE for the current application
cycle.
For more information on updates from admissions test providers, please visit:
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
May 6, 2020 with Long School of Medicine
Stay reassured!! There are so many people out there to help you navigate what is
already a challenging path. We’ll all stay flexible while working hard to maintain
a fair and consistent process for all of our applicants.
JAMP Administration in close communication with JAMP council members, is actively discussing the issues surrounding COVID-19. Two major issues are the timeline for taking the MCAT, and the other is the status of the summer programs. With the closure of MCAT testing sites, JAMP students have been asked to reschedule for early May dates. According to the MCAT website, most people have been successfully rescheduled and they are working with the remaining individuals to make that happen. AAMC’s MCAT team created a centralized MCAT Coronavirus FAQs page to provide the latest information: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/coronavirus-mcat-faqs/.
The decision on whether to have or postpone JAMP Summer Programs is yet to be made.
How the COVID-19 situation develops in the next month, and how the safety recommendations
and precautions evolve will drive the decision. That decision will be made after
discussions with all the JAMP Council members, representing all the JAMP participating
medical schools.
At Long SOM, our Admissions Committee’s usual process is to continuously review applications throughout the entire season, from May 1 through December. We do realize that the MCAT testing changes and other things might shift the application timeline towards the later months in the cycle, and our Admissions Committee will be ready for this.
We will pace our interview invitations throughout the season and will be inviting up until December. We will not fill all our interview spots in May/June/July. We like to see how the entire pool is evolving all throughout the season and invite applicants all throughout the months of May through December.
It is possible that we consider January interview dates, if the pacing of submitted applications warrants.
At the Long SOM and I am sure at most or all schools, we will be very aware when reviewing applications in the future that this was a unique semester for those pursuing medicine. Our committee will be flexible and tolerant of decreased activity of those sorts in this semester. (We will see what the future brings in regards to social distancing in future semesters, including summer 2020.) That being said, there ARE ways to stay busy-learning about medicine and serving. Find ways to help others, and spend some time with a medicine related book or You Tube videos of parts of the history and physical exam. Be creative!
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
July 22, 2020 with McGovern Medical School
How will the processing and review of the applications be affected?
We will begin reviewing applications as usual beginning in June. Interview decisions will be made once we have received all of your materials – secondary application, letters of recommendation and MCAT score(s). Early submission of your application does not always ensure an interview invitation. Interview invitations will be extended beginning early August and continue through early January.
If your MCAT test date has been pushed back, do not stress! Use this time as an opportunity to study effectively for your new test date.
McGovern is committed to addressing the limitations of the institutions, testing centers, and students who have been affected given the current COVID-19 pandemic and we will continue to remain flexible.
If I finish courses remotely, will the courses still meet the requirement?
Online coursework will be accepted as long as the course was taken through a regionally accredited institution and the credit for the coursework is listed on the applicant’s degree-granting transcript.
My research/shadowing/community service has been interrupted. How is your Admissions Committee going to view this?
This is a unique time for all of us. Our Admissions Committee will be aware of this situation in the future when reviewing applications. We foresee that this may be the case for many applicants and we will continue to practice flexibility due to decreased hours.
Use this time wisely to further prepare your application and yourself as a future physician. There are a number of ways that you can serve your community or stay active virtually. Think outside the box; use this time to prepare your essays, teach yourself something new, use online learning resources to learn a new organ system, move your pre-med meetings to a virtual platform, practice your interview skills or read medically related books. Think of how you can use this time to best prepare yourself to be successful in the first year of medical school and as a future physician.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
July 9, 2020 with TTUHSC El Paso, Foster School of Medicine
As of now they won’t! We will as always, be reviewing completed applications on a
rolling basis. We will make every effort to be flexible in our consideration of coursework
taken in the current Spring 2020 semester. Our admissions committee and staff are
ready to receive and review incoming applications this cycle whether it occurs from
campus or at home.
We will not change our policy on pre-requisites. We will continue to review course work on a case-by-case basis as we have always done and be flexible when considering coursework completed during the Spring 2020 semester.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
July 29, 2020 with Sam Houston State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine
How will processing and review of applications be affected?
We plan to move forward with our review process as normal. We have always used a holistic approach, taking all aspects of an application into consideration, and will continue to do so as circumstances develop. Applicants are reviewed as their entire file is completed – this includes the TMDSAS application as well as SHSU-COM’s Supplemental Application – so it is encouraged that you complete your file in a timely manner.
Many institutions have moved courses online, how will these affect the application review process?
We are working to ensure that applicants are not adversely affected by the change in course delivery methods.
Will I be bypassed if I haven’t taken my MCAT?
TMDSAS does not require test scores to process applications, so applicants should not delay applying simply because a MCAT score is not yet available. SHSU-COM plans to continue to process and screen applications as supplemental applications are received. Applications without MCAT scores will go through the same process. We have revised our timeline to review applications and extend interview invites, ensuring that applicants are not adversely affected.
If I finish courses remotely, will the courses still meet the requirement?
Yes, as long as the course work is recorded as completed on your official transcript from your institution, remote coursework will meet the requirements.
Will there be any concessions for required coursework?
Our first academic priority at SHSU-COM is your success so the required coursework will remain the same. We will review appeals for required coursework on a case-by-case basis. Although pass/fail grading is accepted without bias, we strongly encourage all applicants to complete the required coursework using the traditional grading scale, if possible, as this will set them up for the greatest possible success in our program.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
July 2, 2020 with Texas A&M College of Medicine
We expect to conduct our review of applications as usual, beginning in June, in chronological
order, and on a rolling basis until we fill our interview sessions in mid-December
or early January (if necessary). However, we are cognizant of the limitations that
colleges, universities and students may be subject to given the current COVID-19 crisis,
and we will exercise appropriate flexibility.
Yes, provided that the coursework is officially documented on your college or university
transcript.
We review carefully the required coursework for our medical school and inform applicants if they are deficient or if a course(s) does not meet the requirement (s). We do assess these on a case by case basis and will exercise some flexibility depending upon other coursework that may satisfy a requirement (s). To make such decisions, we will require a detailed syllabus and other pertinent documentation.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
June 10, 2020 with Texas Tech HSC School of Medicine
We are planning on conducting the processing and review of applications in the same manner. We will start reviewing applications as they are transmitted in late May or early June. We do understand that during this uncertain time period created from the COVID-19 pandemic that undergraduate institutions are dealing with unexpected limitations, therefore, we will try to be flexible, as much possible, to support our applicants.
Yes, as long as the course work is officially accepted and documented on your undergraduate transcript.
The required prerequisites will remain the same. We will review the applicant's transcript after acceptance to determine if they are deficient on any of the required courses. We will evaluate each student on a case-by-case basis and provide them guidance on how to remediate any deficiencies.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
June 18, 2020 with UNTHSC-TCOM
TCOM process applications as we usually do. We encourage you to complete your application in a timely manner including the secondary application and letters of recommendation. Applications for admission are considered as they are completed.
Our educational and prerequisite course requirements will remain the same. However, we will allow courses completed during the Spring 2020 term to be pass/fail; however, we would recommend that you complete courses through a traditional grading approach if possible. As part our admissions process, we will evaluate applications in a holistic manner taking into account a wide variety of variables in making our decision.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
June 3, 2020 with UT Southwestern Medical School
University of Texas Southwestern holistically reviews applications on a rolling basis and invites candidates to interview throughout the entire admissions season. Similar to most programs, we continually evaluate and re-evaluate applications through the entirety of the admissions cycle. We will closely monitor the impacts of the MCAT test date cancellations and understand that this may affect the application timeline for the 2020-21 season.
As always, our priority in reviewing your coursework is to ensure academic success in the medical school curriculum. There are no plans to change our required coursework for admission, however we will continue to review applicant’s coursework on a case-by-case basis. We can assure you that our committee will be flexible and understanding when considering coursework completed during this semester.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
May 27, 2020 with Texas A&M College of Dentistry and UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
Texas A&M College of Dentistry will review your application when we receive it from TMDSAS. For now, we plan to wait to see your DAT scores before scheduling an interview. [This may need to be updated as the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic change.]
Texas A&M College of Dentistry will open the secondary application on May 1, 2020.
Texas A&M College of Dentistry will consider applications to be early if they are transmitted to the College by the end of August 2020. We plan to interview from September until February; although it is to your advantage to submit as early as you can, there will be opportunities for all who submit by October 30 to have their applications screened and reviewed for a possible interview.
Texas A&M College of Dentistry's secondary application has an essay section for the applicant to tell us about COVID-19's impact on their life.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
June 4, 2020 with UT Health Houston School of Dentistry
The processing and review of applications will be very similar as before but since interviews will start a little later and run longer, we will be reviewing applications for a longer period of time. We also know that dental experience opportunities may have been more limited than in years past.
Required pre-requisite coursework will stay the same. UTSD will work with TMDSAS for determination of acceptance of pass/fail courses and online course work due to these unusual circumstances.
We will be reviewing all applications received, and in most cases will reserve invitations for interviews until DAT scores are received. UTSD understands that there will be a delay in taking and receiving DAT scores for many applicants, and will take this into account. Again, we will continue to monitor this with TMDSAS.
UTHealth School of Dentistry will review applications as they are received. Due to the unusual circumstances this year, interviews will be extended through February. We would encourage all applicants to submit their application as early as possible as long as they are satisfied with their essays and responses to all the different sections. Applicants should not wait on a future DAT time or result to submit their application.
Applicants are encouraged to complete all the essay sections. The decision of whether to incorporate the impact of COVID-19 in any essay is strictly up to the applicant.
UTHealth School of Dentistry will begin the process of reviewing applications once they are received. The Admissions Committee understand the difficulty for applicants to take the DAT because limited number of the exam dates in spring and fall, and will start interviewing in September and run through February. Again, in most cases, we will wait to receive DAT results before extending an offer to interview.
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 Delta variant, UTHSA-SOD will conduct all virtual interviews for EY2022 selections.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
May 27, 2020 with Texas A&M College of Dentistry and UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry will review applications without DAT scores, but should be complete before receiving an interview. Please complete your application with supporting documents in a timely manner.
We plan to delay the start of interviews until the end of August to allow applicants more time to provide supporting documents. The interview period will also be extended until the end of February. Virtual interviews will be conducted for this admissions cycle.
UTHSA-SOD will be flexible in the graded requirements for prerequisite coursework if an applicant attends a school which made system-wide online format changes for the spring 2020 (including winter 2020 quarter term) and summer 2020 academic terms. We will also accept pass/fail grades for spring and summer 2020 coursework. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and assess its impact on the pre-health community and the application cycle moving forward. It is strongly suggested that prerequisite online courses be taken for a letter grade.
Applications will be reviewed but no interviews extended at this time.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
May 28, 2020 with TTUHSC El Paso Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine
As of now, the process for reviewing applicants will stay the same. We encourage
you to continue to do your very best academic work during this unprecedented time.
Our admissions department is prepared to review incoming applications from our campus
offices or from a remote site.
The required pre-requisite coursework will stay the same. We will review an applicant’s coursework in the usual manner and will consider all situations that have resulted from the changes in the undergraduate institutions during the Spring 2020 semester.
At this time Hunt SDM will begin the process of reviewing applications once they are received. However, DAT scores will need to be received prior to being invited for an interview. We do realize the difficulty for applicants to take the DAT after the multiple cancellations of the exam dates. Because of this, we have pushed back the date for the beginning of interviews to accommodate students that were unable to take their DAT at an earlier time.
Hunt SDM does not require a secondary application.
Due to the current pandemic and the various effects it has had on applicants, Hunt SDM finds it unnecessary to deem an application as early or late. Applicants can submit their application pending test scores, which gives applicants the flexibility to submit their applications earlier than if awaiting a test score.
Within the TMDSAS application, there is an optional essay. Applicants are encouraged to write about life experiences and situations that have provided them with opportunities for personal growth. Should the situation with COVID-19 be one of those experiences, applicants are encouraged to share the experience in the optional essay portion of the initial TMDSAS application.
At this time Hunt SDM will begin the process of reviewing applications once they are received. However, DAT scores will need to be received prior to being invited for an interview. We do realize the difficulty for applicants to take the DAT after the multiple cancellations of the exam dates. Because of this, we have pushed back the date for the beginning of interviews to accommodate students that were unable to take their DAT at an earlier time.
The deadline to apply to the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine is September 15, 2020. See all deadlines for applying in EY2021.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
September 3, 2020 Courage Session with Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine
We are pleased to welcome Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine to TMDSAS starting EY2021. If you would like to apply this cycle, please request access to the application.
The application deadline is December 21, 2020 at 5 pm CT.
Each Courage Session is a one-hour conversation with a dental, medical, or veterinary institution where we address how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. We also discuss unique features about each school, such as special programs or initiatives that applicants may consider when deciding to which schools they would like to apply.
September 2, 2020 Courage Session with Texas Tech College of Veterinary Medicine
About the author: The Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) is the centralized application processing service for applicants to the first-year entering classes at all of the public medical, dental, and veterinary schools in the State of Texas.
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