Writing Your Essays for the TMDSAS (Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service)
The Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) has its own application process. You can begin filling out the organization’s electronic application on May 1, similar to the AMCAS application. On the TMDSAS application, there are two required essays and one optional essay.
Ready to get to work on your TMDSAS application? Read on.
TMDSAS application essay tips
Personal characteristics essay (required of all applicants)
Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics (background, talents, skills, etc.) or experiences that would add to the educational experience of others.
The personal characteristics essay is limited to 2500 characters, including spaces.
The Accepted consultants recently had a productive discussion about the Personal Characteristics Essay from this year’s TMDSAS application.
Is this primarily a diversity question? A question about one’s unique educational experiences? A combination?
Here’s what Dr. Herman (Flash) Gordon, one of our expert med school consultants, had to say:
“As a med school educator and former chair of admissions, I see this as a purposeful question. Medical education is changing from the old didactic style to peer-peer education (a subset of “interactive learning”). Typical models are case-based instruction, team learning, and [think-]pair-share. For this to be most effective, there needs to be something to learn from your peers. In general, the more diverse your peers, the more you will learn.
“So I see this prompt as trying to elicit how well the candidate will fit into the new model of med ed. It would be good for applicants to describe experience with such educational models and to reflect on what they got out of the experience, as well as what they were able to contribute to others.”
In other words, this is both a diversity essay and something more than that. The prompt is asking you to think through the ways that your unique background and experiences will help you contribute to an evolving peer-to-peer education model. Being able to discuss previous experiences in a meaningful way will help you here.
A diversity essay, like any personal essay, can be anxiety producing for applicants: some people get caught up in telling the stories they think the committee wants to hear (without putting their own unique imprint on them) or block their writing process by convincing themselves they don’t have an experience worth sharing.
The best essays will also reveal the outcomes of each activity. Because this essay is only a half page in length, be strategic in selecting your characteristics – the best examples will show how well you work with others. Be honest! Have fun with this one.
Medical applicant personal statement
Explain your motivation to seek a career in medicine. Be sure to include the value of your experiences that prepare you to be a physician. (max 5000 characters)
The length of this essay equals roughly one page. If you have already written a personal statement for the AMCAS application, you can adapt that essay to this purpose. If not, we recommend creating a timeline of your life that includes all the important events that have encouraged you to become a doctor. You can begin with your childhood, if relevant. This might be the only place in your application that you can discuss your activities or volunteer work from middle and/or high school. Make sure you cover the most important details of your preparation for a career in medicine.
Optional essay (all applicants)
There is one optional essay available for all applicants. This essay is an opportunity to provide the admissions committee(s) with a broader picture of who you are as an applicant. The essay is optional; however, you are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.
Briefly discuss any unique circumstances or life experiences that are relevant to your application, which have not previously been presented. Optional Essay is limited to 2500 characters, including spaces.
Even though this is labeled an “optional” essay, it’s not really optional. It will hurt your application if you do not write it. Looking through what you have already covered in your other essays, are there any challenges or unique circumstances that you have overcome? If you struggled academically or with the MCAT, this section would be the most appropriate place to address any concerns that the selection committee might have about your application. Do you speak any other languages? Have you completed a medical mission in another country? Or do you have a unique approach to leadership that you would like to discuss in more depth? This section will allow you to go into detail about anything you feel would be important for the selection committee to know about you.
TMDSAS medical application deadlines and important dates
| May 1 | TMDSAS application becomes available at 8 a.m. CST |
| May 15 | TMDSAS application submission opens at 8 a.m. CST |
| August 1 | TTHSC SOM AAMC Early Decision Program UNTHSC TCOM Early Decision ProgramUTRGV SOM Early Decision Program TAMU SOM Partnership for Primary Care Program (PPC) TAMU SOM Premed Fellows Early Admission Program (PMF) TAMU SOM Engineering to Medicine Early Admission Program (E2M) |
| August 15 | All supporting documents (transcripts, evaluation letters, test scores) for Early Decision Program applicants must be received at TMDSAS. |
| October 1 | Early Decision Program decisions announced |
| October 15 | Medical schools begin extending offers of acceptance |
| November 1 | Submission deadline for application to the dental and medical programs All sections of the application must be complete and the application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CST. TMDSAS does not grant deadline extensions under any circumstances. |
| November 15 | Medical and Dental Applicants: Letters of evaluation should be uploaded or post-marked by this date. |
| February 2 | Submission deadline for RANKING of SCHOOL PREFERENCE for the TMDSAS admissions match; must be entered online by 5 p.m. CST |
| February 16 | Match results announced and rolling admissions period begins |
| April 30 | Medical applicants with multiple offers must decide which program to attend and withdraw from other schools |
| May 15 | Medical schools can no longer make offers to Texas resident applicants holding another seat |
**Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with TMDSAS directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***
If you get stuck on any of these essays, it can be helpful to have the guidance of an expert. We recommend that you start your essays early to avoid the stress of an impending deadline. Most students do their best work when they are not under the pressure of a deadline.
You need to work hard if you want to submit a winning TMDSAS application – and we can help! Check out , which provide complete application guidance, from conceptualization to final review. Your experienced consultant will guide you through your entire application, ensuring that you make the best use of your time to create a compelling portrait of yourself as a future leader in the medical field.
For 25 years, Accepted has helped applicants gain acceptance to their dream healthcare programs. Our outstanding team of admissions consultants features former admissions directors, admissions committee members, pre-health advisors, postbac program directors, and doctors. Our staff has guided applicants to acceptance at allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools, residencies and fellowships, dental schools, veterinarian schools, and physician assistant programs at top schools, including Harvard, Stanford, Penn, UCSF, Johns Hopkins, and Columbia. Want an admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!
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