ADMISSIONS OVERVIEW

Admission to The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine (TAMUSHSC COM) is competitive. The College considers for enrollment individuals who have completed at least 90 hours of their undergraduate course work at a fully accredited college or university in the United States or its territories. By state mandate, enrollment of individuals who are residents of states other than Texas may not exceed 10%.

The College of Medicine is explicit about its commitment to excellence in improving the health of Texans, particularly rural and underserved populations, through the integrated education of humane and highly skilled physicians and the devlopment of knowledge in the biomedical and clinical sciences. It is committed to the important role of diversity in the training of future medical professionals. The College believes that diversity, which is not solely limited to race and ethnicity, but also encompasses talents, life skills and special attributes, enhances its ability to provide care to communities across a broad range of racial and ethnic groups and is critical for the amelioration of disparities in health care. This mission is the philosophy by which the College of Medicine guides itself and the admissions process. It is also the foundation on which the Admissions Committee makes important individual admissions decisions and strives to admit students whose goals and attitudes are consistent with the philosophy and mission of the College of Medicine.

Applicants, therefore, must demonstrate better than average ability to master a challenging educational experience. In addition to academic ability, successful applicants must exhibit the personal qualities necessary to interact with others in an effective and personable manner. Pre-medical advisors play an important role in helping the admissions committee assess these attributes and qualities. Prospective applicants are urged to get to know their advisors early in their undergraduate education.

OVERVIEW AND PROFILE OF ENTERING CLASS 2005

The College of Medicine received 2,746 applications for the 80 places in the 2005 entering class. Six hundred and ninety-six (696) applicants were interviewed. The class is comprised of 91% Texas residents, 49% women, and 13% under-represented minorities. Among the students enrolled, 91% received baccalaureate degrees, 8% had graduate degrees, and 1% had no degrees. The choice of major varied among the students, but 77% chose majors in the sciences, engineering, and health-related professions. Among the non-science degrees, some of the fields of concentration were Advertising, Business, Foreign Language, History, Human Development, Information Systems, Marketing, Music, Political Science, Psychology, and Religion. Thirty-seven colleges and universities throughout the state and nation are represented among the members of the entering class. The class is distinguished by a mean GPA of 3.75 and average MCAT scores of 9.3 per section (or 28 total).