MS Medical Science (1-year) FAQ – Admissions

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Q: What are the course prerequisite requirements?

A: It is required that applicants have completed a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university, and students can be in progress of taking their last semester during the application cycle (a copy of course registration is required for review if students are in progress of completing their degree). In addition, the following prerequisite courses in the sciences and humanities must be satisfactorily completed in order for your application to be properly evaluated.

General or Inorganic Chemistry (at least 6 credits of semester course work and 2 credits of laboratory course work).

Biology (at least 12 semester credits of course work and 2 credits of laboratory course work). Courses in human physiology and anatomy, cell and molecular biology, and microbiology are highly recommended.

Physics (at least 6 semester credits of course work and 2 credits of laboratory course work).

Organic Chemistry (at least 6 semester credits of course work and 2 credits of laboratory course work).

English (two 3-credit semester courses). Any course accredited by the English Department that fulfills the general education English requirement.

Statistics (one 3-credit semester course in statistics). This prerequisite may be met with a course from a regionally accredited college or university in any academic discipline. The course content should include descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, sampling techniques, measures of relationship, regression models and other tests for significance.

Q: When can I apply?

A: The Summer 2024 (face-to-face) application opens 11/15/2023 – 4/1/2024. Application evaluations are rolling, so the earlier you apply the earlier you receive a decision. The application for the Fall 2023 ONLINE Medical Science program will open on 4/15/2024. If you enrolled for college credit in the Fall 2023 semester, please make sure you provide transcripts with Fall 2023 posted grades and registration for Spring 2024 classes, if applicable.

Q: Can I see my application status online?

A: Yes! Login to MyHSC to view your application status. If you have missing items such as transcripts, recommendation letters, MCAT scores, etc. they will be listed on this site as well.

*If you have activated your MyHSC student portal and cannot access your account, please contact the IT Help Desk.

Q: I submitted my application online but when I login to MyHSC it doesn’t appear. Why?

A: When you submit your application, it goes into a holding server. We have to manually program the server to move or “push” your application into the EIS system (http://my.hsc.unt.edu). We do not perform that step until we have received an application fee.

Q: I looked online and the system still says my file is incomplete. I’ve requested everything to be sent to your office. What do I do?

A: During the application season, we see a high volume of documents from applicants thus delaying our processing timeline.  Documents submitted may take 7-10 business days to be processed.

Q: Even though I requested all of my materials (transcripts, letters, etc.) be sent to the application service in plenty of time to meet the deadline, not everything arrived. What can I do?

A: Files that are incomplete by the deadline will not be taken to the admissions committee for review.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all items are received in time.  To accomplish this, make sure you request all materials be sent directly to the appropriate application service. Submission details, including mailing address/uploading instructions, are available on the application service.

Q: Why do I have to provide transcripts from schools other than the school that granted my degree when all of the courses I took are listed on that transcript?

A: Colleges and universities will only print the courses they accept in transfer on their own transcripts. Most of them only include the credits awarded, not the grades earned.  In order to complete our holistic evaluation of each applicant, all college/university courses must be submitted.  Without all transcripts submitted, the applicant’s file will remain incomplete. This includes transcripts from foreign schools granting credit for “summer abroad” type courses.

Q: I applied to TCOM and have already submitted my transcripts. Why can’t you get them from my TCOM file?

A: Transcripts submitted to TCOM are submitted by TMDSAS, therefore we cannot access TMDSAS records.  Our accreditation mandates that we require all applicants to provide transcripts from every institution of higher education attended.  Without all transcripts submitted, the applicant’s file will remain incomplete.

Q: What can you get from my TCOM file?

A: We are unable to obtain any information from your TCOM file.  Without all required application documents submitted, the applicant’s file will remain incomplete.

Q: I applied to TCOM. Will I get a new ID and password for the Enterprise Information System?

A: No. The Enterprise Information System (EIS) holds all of your information under one identification number (the EMPL ID). You will be able to use the same login (called the EUID) and password to access your application records for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as you did for TCOM.

Q: How do I report my MCAT scores?

A: You can obtain your scores from the AAMC website, download your score report, including verification code and either upload it to your application or mail or email it to our office in PDF format.

Q: I have not taken the MCAT yet. Can I substitute the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)?

A: We are no longer accepting the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for the MS Medical Science program.  Applicants interested in dentistry may submit the Dental Admissions Test (DAT).  You MUST clearly indicate in your application that you are submitting a score other than the MCAT due to your career interest. For applicants interested in applying to medical schools, we do not accept any substitutions for the entrance examination requirements for admission to the MS Medical Science Program.

Q: Who should I ask to write letters of recommendation for me?

A: If you were enrolled in a pre-professional program, certainly you should use the pre-professional committee’s recommendation letter(s). However, many applicants are returning to school several years after completing their undergraduate degrees and either no longer have access to the pre-professional office services or were not in a pre-professional program. We are interested in the opinions of individuals who are in positions to judge your ability to handle graduate-level course work and your potential as a healthcare provider. It is never appropriate for a relative to provide a letter of recommendation. The AAMC has produced a PDF entitled “Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant” that we recommend you provide to an evaluator when requesting a recommendation.

Q: When and how will I know if I am accepted?

A: The admissions committee meets on a rolling basis January through April. When a final decision has been made, the application status will be updated on MyHSC and an official decision letter will be sent via e-mail.

Q: I just received my acceptance letter. What do I do now?

A: Read your letter carefully noting the deadline to accept the applicant’s admission.  Begin gathering the required immunization records, student insurance information, etc. There are instructions for submitting your required documents after accepting your admission sent to the applicant.  You will receive more communications from the Office of Admissions & Recruitment and the Office of Student Development in preparation for New Student Orientation.  Orientation is MANDATORY.

Q: I just received my waitlist letter. What do I do now?

A: Each year, we seat applicants from our waitlist as availability opens in our incoming class.  If you wish to be removed from the waitlist, please email us to withdraw your application.

Q: I just received a denial letter. What do I do now?

A: Our best advice is to make an appointment with our office for a file review. Based on the committee’s comments, we can give you very specific advice for improving your application to our program for next year. We conduct file reviews in the month of June. If you wish to participate in a file review, please follow the instructions on your decision letter for scheduling an appointment.