John Sealy SOM Office of Admissions & Recruitment

How to Apply

• TMDSAS Application

  To be considered for admission, you must first apply through the Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service. Here you will find everything necessary to help navigate your way through the admissions process.

• JSSOM Supplemental Application

  Candidates will receive an email invitation from UTMB with instructions on how to complete the supplemental application once the TMDSAS application has been processed. There are 2 components to the JSSOM Supplemental Application: 1. Two essay questions that will be submitted via the AMP portal 2. Two asynchronous video responses that will be submitted via Spark Hire. Once invited to complete the supplemental application, applicants will receive additional information about both components. No applicant will be invited for an interview without the submission of a completed supplemental application. Deadline to submit the supplemental application is November 8, 2024. Fee: $70

• MCAT Exam Score

  The MCAT is required of all applicants. JSSOM will not accept a score older than 5 years. It is advisable that you take the MCAT during the spring before you plan to submit your application to increase your chances of receiving an interview. No application is reviewed without an MCAT score.

• Casper Exam Score

  All applicants applying to JSSOM are required to complete both the Casper and Duet assessments via the Altus Suite. Successful completion of Casper is mandatory to maintain admission eligibility. JSSOM also encourages applicants to complete all Altus Suite assessments.

• What are the Altus Suite assessments?

  Casper assesses non-cognitive and interpersonal skills as well as situational judgment. We believe these characteristics are essential for success in our program and complement the other tools we use for applicant screening. Duet assesses student-program value alignment. The implementation of Casper and Duet further enhances fairness and objectivity in our selection process. Duet is a pilot for JSSOM and will not be used during the screening process.

  Casper can be taken practically anywhere that you can satisfy. In order to register for a Casper test, you must create an Altus Suite account with the following:

  • Government-issued photo ID
  • Valid email address
  • Working webcam
  • Working microphone
  • Desktop or laptop commuter
  • Reliable high-speed internet connection

  Please go to https://takealtus.com to reserve your test for the School of Medicine test (CSP-10111 – U.S. Medicine) under your specific country (USA), and reserve a test using your TMDSAS ID and a piece of government-issued photo ID. You will be provided with a limited number of testing dates and times. October 17, 2024 will be the last test accepted for the 2025 entry year. Please note that these are the only testing dates available for your Casper test, and you must select School of Medicine for distribution before the posted Distribution Deadline. Likely, there will be no additional tests scheduled, but the most up to date information can be found by browsing the Test Dates and Times on  https://takealtus.com/dates-times/.

• Letters of Evaluation

  Medical applicants are required to submit:

  • One Health Professions Committee Packet OR
  • Three individual letters of evaluation
    

  Letter Requirements

  All letters of evaluation must include the following criteria in order to be accepted. Any letters that do not meet these standards will be rejected.

  • Be written on official letterhead (personal or professional letterhead is accepted)
  • Include the evaluator's contact information (specifically a phone number and/or email address)
  • Include the evaluator's signature
  • Include the applicant's name
  • Letter must be dated. The Admissions Committee will take the date of the letter into consideration during review.
  • Written in English
• Interviews

  Interview Day Information

  You must be invited for a virtual interview to be considered for admission. Interviews are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Approximately 56 applicants are interviewed weekly utilizing a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format. The JSSOM MMI will consist of seven 8-minute interviews. Applicants will have 3 minutes to read a scenario before each interview. Your interviewer will then connect, and you will have 8 minutes to respond and engage in dialogue. Interviewers consist of faculty, staff, residents, and students. During one of the interviews, you will have the opportunity to sell yourself, discuss your interest in JSSOM, and ask questions of our faculty.

  Interview Orientation Day Information

  Each applicant that is invited for an interview is required to attend an Interview Orientation Day. Orientation will take place on the Friday prior to the applicants scheduled interview day.
  

  UTMB JSSOM Orientation Day Schedule

  • Welcome, Introductions, & Icebreaker
  • Welcome from the Dean
  • Curriculum Presentation
  • Q&A with a Curriculum Dean
  • Campus Tour Video
  Virtual Student Panel

  Scheduling Your Interview:

  Once an applicant has been granted an interview, applicants will have the opportunity to choose from 3 interview dates in the AMP application system. Once the applicant makes their interview day selection, confirmation will be sent to the applicant and the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. All pertinent interview details will be sent to the applicant via email.

  Rescheduling Your Interview Date:

  The Office of Admissions and Recruitment recognizes that extenuating circumstances may arise that will necessitate rescheduling an interview date after confirmation. The applicant must notify our office as soon as the conflict is identified. Extenuating circumstances will include only serious, unavoidable conflicts such as illness and personal or family emergencies. Rescheduling may result in a late interview date during the interview season.

• Notice of Acceptance

  Early Acceptance Period	Dcember – January
  TMDSAS Match	February
  Rolling Admissions	February – May

• Security Clearance

  On January 1, 2004, a new Joint Commission of Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) standard became effective requiring criminal background checks on students as well as staff and volunteers who provide care, treatments, and services. This security clearance will be done through the TDCJ hospital.

  Individual institutions have been given the responsibility for mandating this clearance for students. The UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine policy states that students who are assigned to clinical facilities that require criminal background checks for security purposes must comply with and receive clearance from affiliated institutions in order to participate in clinically related activities. Therefore, in keeping with this policy, all students will be required to undergo a background check for security clearance in order to matriculate into UTMB.

  In addition to the TDCJ security clearance, each accepted student must undergo a drug screen and background check via CastleBranch 60 days prior to matriculation.

• Essential Functions for Students with Disabilities

  The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), ADA Amendments Act of 2008, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and federal state, and local requirements regarding students with disabilities. Under these laws, no otherwise qualified and competitive individual with a disability shall be denied access to or participation in services, programs, and activities of UTMB solely on the basis of disability.

  UTMB is committed to providing equal opportunity for students with disabilities. If you have documented disability or would like to obtain information regarding services for students with disabilities at UTMB, please contact the Institutional ADA Officer.

  For more information, please visit https://www.utmb.edu/studentservices/services/students-with-disabilities