COVID-19 UPDATE FOR APPLICANTS
Applying to Medical School: TMDSAS and AMCAS
The following link offers information about policies changes implemented by medical schools across the United States in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a Google sheet that will update in real time as medical schools continue to make decisions. Please note this document is not all inclusive. Only four Texas medical schools have added information. We strongly urge you to go on to the particular website of each school of interest to find out the most recent information regarding admission requirements for this cycle.
Applying to Osteopathic School: AACOM
Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) FAQ COVID-19
- Offers Virtual Interviews-Not at this time
- Letters form DO Physician Required-Does not require
- Accepts online coursework to fulfill prerequisite requirements: Yes, as long as the institution awarding credit is regionally accredited
- Accepts Pass/Fail Coursework to fulfill prerequisite requirements: Yes, from Spring 2020 only from a regionally accredited college or university
- Accepts online lab coursework-Yes, as long as the institution awarding credit is regionally accredited
- Willing to accept applications without lab coursework: Yes, applicants should have on their application a planned term where any missing prerequisite requirements are to be completed.
- Willing to review applicants prior to having MCAT score: No, not at this time
- Willing to interview applicants prior to having MCAT score: No, not at this time
- Willing to offer conditional acceptance to students prior to having an MCAT score: Not applicable.
AACOM has been creating its own list of Osteopathic medical schools, to help our applicants with these same concerns. This list can be found here:
https://choosedo.org/coronavirus/
AACOM has been working hard to put together the information you need to be successful, assessing both the short and long-term effects of COVID-19 for all. Please refer to the link below for the most recent updates. Please note that this page is being continuously updated in real time. I encourage you to continue to check back for updates. AACOM intends for this web-page to be home to all admissions requirement changes due to COVID-19 at each of their Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
AACOM has surveyed our institutions to determine their responses to the current public health crisis, and have compiled their responses in one, easy-to-access spot. Please refer to their COVID-19 Resource page.
Medical School
If you are planning on starting medical school in fall 2023, you must submit your complete application in summer 2022.
If you plan on asking the Pre-Medical Advisory Committee for a committee letter, contact Dr. Maria Cuevas to obtain all the required forms. All forms need to be submitted to Dr. Cuevas be attentive to emails for deadline.
Timeline
November 15th
- Declare your intent to apply by filling out the Intent to Apply form .
November-January 15th
- Fill out the Review My Application (RMA) form, and submit it to the Pre-Med Advisory Committee. It asks you to list and describe the experiences that have been significant to you, answer short essay questions that help you develop your story, provide names of who will write letters of recommendation for you, and identify schools you may apply to. Make an appointment with the Center for Career & Professional Development (CCPD) to help you with your personal statement. Start early; everything takes longer than you think. It will take you several weeks to get everything done.
- Fill out and submit a signed Request to Prepare a Committee Letter of Recommendation form with the names of committee members who have been classroom instructors of yours. Please make sure to indicate on this form when you would be able to meet for an interview with some members of the Pre-Medical Advisory Committee.
- Submit your professional résumé: state your planned graduation date and the degree you will receive. Please include your full name, including your middle name, in the heading. Make sure it looks professional; if you need help, please make an appointment to see someone at the CCPD. They are experts and are more than happy to help you.
- Fill out and submit a Request to Access Records form .
- Request that your letters of recommendation be sent directly to Dr. Maria Cuevas , chair of the Pre-Medical Advisory Committee. Your personal and professional references should send their letters as a Word document or as a PDF on their official letterhead with their signature included. Letters should be emailed with your name in the subject line.
See Etiquette for Requesting Letters of Recommendation
March–April
- If you choose to have the Pre-Medical Advisory Committee prepare your letters of evaluation and recommendation, you will be required to have an interview with members of the committee. The interviews will take approximately 20–30 minutes.
May: The TMDSAS application opens
The Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) is a service used by all the medical and dental schools in Texas. You will not receive a PIN until you begin your application, so when you learn your PIN, you must send it to Dr. Maria Cuevas, chair of the Pre-Medical Advisory Committee, so the PIN can be included on any correspondence with TMDSAS.
Please forward the email you receive from TMDSAS stating that your application has been transmitted to schools—and attach a PDF of your application with that email—to Dr. Cuevas. We will then know your application is complete and will write and upload the committee letter to the application service within 10 business days.
May : The AMCAS application submission opens
If you are applying to schools outside Texas, you will need to use the American Medical Colleges Application Service (AMCAS). This is also an electronic application service. When you complete the application, you will have a different ID number and a letter ID number for that service.
- You will need to forward a letter request form from AMCAS to Dr. Cuevas, the chair of the Pre-Medical Advisory Committee; this letter request form must accompany the committee’s letter to the AMCAS, or it will not be accepted. Both ID numbers are needed in order to be able to upload the committee letter.
- Email to Dr. Cuevas a PDF of your verified application. You will know your application is verified because a verified application will have a date in the upper right corner in the Processed Date field. Only after we have received the verification will we write and upload your committee letter to the application service within 10 business days. The application service will release your committee letter to all the schools to which you are applying.
For both TMDSAS and AMCAS
- Have a final official transcript sent to AMCAS with your final spring grades once they are posted. TMDSAS will request the transcript. DO NOT submit transcripts until you are prompted by TMDSAS.
- Finalize the list of schools to which you will apply.
- Finalize your personal statement.
Osteopathic schools
You will need to fill out an AACOMAS application as well; some applications may be submitted in May. See link under Application Resources below
June
You should plan to submit you complete application by the end of June.
July
Some schools will send a request for you to fill out a secondary application after reviewing your primary application. Please plan to submit your secondary application within two weeks of the request. Some schools use secondary applications to gather more information and have you answer their own specific questions and essays. They also require you to pay an additional application fee. Please be aware that your application will be considered incomplete until you have submitted your secondary application and additional fee. If your application is incomplete, you will not be considered for an interview.
August–April
- Medical schools will start sending interview invitations.
- You will receive acceptances or waitlist notices starting mid-October
- Watch trafficking rules.
- Accept admission offers; if you have decided before April 30 not to attend a school to which you have been accepted, promptly withdraw your application from that school. This will open a seat for someone on the waitlist.
Application resources
We will have two informational meetings, one in the fall and one in early spring, to help you get organized and answer any questions you may have.