Applying to Professional Schools
Pre-medical and pre-dental students apply to professional school a year or more before entering.
HPAC offers special services to students preparing to apply to professional schools.
Pre-Application Services and Evaluation Process
ALL UTD applicants to professional schools receive:
- guidance from pre-health advisors throughout the application process, along with detailed tips and instructions for completing complex applications,
- seminars on the application process, personal statement writing, and interview skills.
- professional editing of applications and essays from the UT Dallas Learning Center’s Writing Lab and pre-health advisors,
- online tracking of letters of evaluation and other documents as they arrive at HPAC (uses WebCT)
- clearinghourse services: bring your letters of evaluation to HPAC and we'll copy and submit them as a packet to each school you specify on a Packet Mailing Request. (Note: some application services, such as VMCAS, do not accept letters from a clearinghouse.)
Participants in the Health Professions Evaluation (HPE) process also receive:
- practice interviews with two UT Dallas faculty
- thorough evaluation by the Health Professions Advisory Committee. The committee's letter and your scholastic record, letters of evaluation, and interviewers' notes are submitted to medical or dental schools as a "committee packet"
- (Note: HPE is open only to qualifying medical and dental applicants)
REGISTER with HPAC
You should complete a REGISTRATION FORM at a General Admissions Orientation (GAO--see schedule below)
Non-HPE students may register at the HPAC front desk, without attending a GAO.
Complete and Revise Forms
HPE participants MUST complete several forms which mimic the TMDSAS application and revise them with their assigned HPE advisor. All forms will be discussed at the General Application Orientation and posted online for download, once revised to reflect the 2009 TMDSAS application.
Non-participants SHOULD complete forms and revise them with an advisor.
Revisions with advisors are by-appointment only.
Schedule of Seminars
ALL students SHOULD take advantage of the seminars.
HPE participants MUST attend the four seminars.
General Admissions Orientation (GAO)
This seminar will discuss the UT Dallas Health Professions Evaluation (HPE) process and the professional school admissions process. Deadlines, required paperwork, and other considerations will be discussed in detail.
Students register for the HPE process at this meeting.
- November 18, 7 pm
- later dates TBA
Personal Statement Workshop (PSW)
After prewriting their personal statement essays, medical and dental applicants attend this workshop to learn what profesisonal schools look for, examine various organizational and rhetorical strategies, and practice advanced revision. Students will leave the workshop fully prepared to write compelling, effective personal statements.
After attending a PSW and writing their personal statement, students may seek revisions from a pre-health advisor or the UTD Writing Lab, by appointment.
- dates TBA
Interview Skills Workshop (ISW)
This seminar covers what to expect during a professional school interview. It will detail typical interview questions, what to wear, where to stay, how to plan travel, how to deal with difficult topics or inappropriate questions, and more.
- dates TBA
Application Seminar (AS)
Includes detailed exploration of the Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) application and the American Medical Colleges Application Service (AMCAS) application. Other topics include application to dental schools outside of Texas (AADSAS), osteopathic medical schools (AACOMAS) and foreign medical schools. We will also cover topics related to submission of application documents such as transcripts and secondary applications.
- dates TBA
