Evaluation of Applicants
The admissions process at the Medical School seeks to identify the most qualified applicants to: (1) succeed in the rigorous curriculum; (2) become responsible and compassionate physicians; and (3) help fulfill the mission of training primary care and subspecialty physicians, educating doctors who will practice in medically underserved areas of Texas, and preparing physician-scientists who seek careers in academic medicine and research.
Applicants are invited to interview based on academic criteria set by the Admissions Committee for GPA, MCAT, health care experience, community service, and recommendation letters. Applicants who are not invited to interview based solely on academic criteria may be invited to interview based on academic performance plus other qualities related to (1), (2), and (3) above (e.g., socioeconomic background, first generation to graduate from college, multilingual proficiency, responsibilities as an undergraduate student such as employment, region of residence, involvement in community activities, commitment to a particular field of study, from a medically underserved geographic area). Applicants who are not invited to interview or who decline an invitation to interview will not advance further in the admissions process.
All interviewed applicants advance to the selection stage and receive an individualized, holistic review of their application and interview results and are assigned a score based on:
- Academic achievement (e.g., college or university, majors, courses, and recommendation letters);
- Characteristics identified in interview (e.g., communication skills, interpersonal skills, creativity, intellectual capacity);
- Mission-related factors (e.g., career interests in underserved areas, primary care, subspeciality care, or academic medicine/research); and
- Personal qualities (e.g., extracurricular activities, motivation, resiliency, compassion, integrity, maturity, and leadership).
Offers of admission are made to the applicants who, in the academic judgement of the Admissions Committee, are most qualified to contribute to the mission of the Medical School.
The Medical School’s Admissions Policy is available online.