John Sealy SOM Office of Admissions & Recruitment

Admission Requirements

English	6 semester hours or 9 quarter hours. Writing intensive courses taught in departments other than the English department are not acceptable. Any credit or quarter hour deficiency less than or equal to 2 can be waived automatically per applicant request.
Biological Sciences	14 semester hours (12 semester hours of lecture and 2 semester hours of formal lab) or 21 quarter hours (18 quarter lecture hours and 3 quarter lab hours) as required for college science majors. (One semester of Biochemistry can be substituted for one semester of Biology). Any credit or quarter hour deficiency less than or equal to 1 can be waived automatically per applicant request.
Mathematics	3 semester hours or 5 quarter hours of college Calculus or Statistics. Statistics must be taught in the Math department. Any credit or quarter hour deficiency less than or equal to 1 can be waived automatically per applicant request.
Physics	8 semester hours (6 semester hours of lecture and 2 semester hours of formal lab) or 12 quarter hours (9 quarter hours of lecture and 3 quarter hours of formal lab) as required for college science majors. Any credit or quarter hour deficiency less than or equal to 1 can be waived automatically per applicant request.
Chemistry	General Chemistry - 8 semester hours (6 semester hours of lecture and 2 semester hours of formal lab) or 12 quarter hours (9 quarter hours of lecture and 3 quarter hours of formal lab) as required for college science majors. Any credit or quarter hour deficiency less than or equal to 1 can be waived automatically per applicant request. Organic Chemistry - 8 semester hours (6 semester hours of lecture and 2 semester hours of formal lab) or 12 quarter hours (9 quarter hours of lecture and 3 quarter hours of formal lab) as required for college science majors. Any credit or quarter hour deficiency less than or equal to 1 can be waived automatically per applicant request.
Biochemistry	3 semester hours or 5 quarter hours of biochemistry are required. Any credit or quarter hour deficiency less than or equal to 1 can be waived automatically per applicant request. Excess hours in Biochemistry can be used to fulfill biology or chemistry requirements.

JSSOM will allow applicants to take any course Pass/Fail from Spring 2020 (January 2020) through Fall 2021 (December 2021). The letter grade requirement for prerequisite courses reported to TMDSAS began in January 2022. It is up to the applicant to ensure all courses entered on their application match their official transcripts.

Applicants must complete at least 90 semester hours. Preference is given to those applicants who complete a baccalaureate degree. Although a minimum grade of C is required in each course, the average GPA is approximately 3.80. Only college work completed at a U.S. or Canadian college or university, fully accredited by the regional accrediting agency or its equivalent, is acceptable and no waivers of this condition will be granted. Prerequisite courses taken online or at Community Colleges are allowed, but it is strongly encouraged to complete prerequisites in-person to better prepare you for the rigors of medical school coursework.

The MCAT is required of all applicants. UTMB will not accept a score older than 5 years. It is advisable that you take the MCAT during the Spring in order to increase your chances of receiving an interview. It is the goal of the UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine to accept only those students who are guaranteed to complete the full four years of the curriculum based on citizenship or permanent resident status. Therefore, only applicants who are permanent US residents or American citizens will be considered for interview and admission.

In addition to the basic core requirements for medical school, the following courses are highly recommended prior to entering medical school:

Advanced Biochemistry
Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics
Anatomy and Physiology

Immunology
Statistics
Developmental Biology
Microbiology

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. No applicant will be invited for an interview without the submission of a completed supplemental application (supplemental essay AND asynchronous video responses).

Deadline to submit the supplemental application is November 7, 2025.
Fee: $70

The CASPer Test - Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics

All applicants applying to the John Sealy School of Medicine at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston are required to complete both the CASPer and Duet assessments via the Altus Suite. Successful completion of CASPer is mandatory in order to maintain admission eligibility. Applicants must only complete Casper and Duet from the Altus Suite to complete their application to the School of Medicine.

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 is a pilot for UTMB and will not be used during the screening process. It assesses student-program value alignment. The implementation of CASPer and Duet further enhances fairness and objectivity in our selection process.

In order to take CASPer and Duet, you will be responsible for securing access to a computer with audio capabilities, a webcam, and a reliable internet connection on your selected test date. CASPer can be taken practically anywhere that you can satisfy the aforementioned requirements. You will require the following for both account creation and taking the test:

Government-issued photo ID
Valid email address
Working webcam
Working microphone
Reliable high-speed internet connection

Please go to https://takealtus.com/ to sign up 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, 2025 will be the last test accepted for the 2026 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/

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 committees will take the date of the letter into consideration during review.
Written in English

Security Clearance

On January 1, 2004, a new Joint Commission of Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) standard became effective requiring criminal background checks for security purposes on all employees, staff, and volunteers who supervise care, render treatment, and provide services. The site governing this policy can be found at: UTMB IHOP Background Check Policy (PDF) | UTMB Policies and Procedures website. 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.

Equal Opportunity Policy

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, in accordance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or status as a Vietnam era veteran in any of its policies, practices, and procedures. Also, The University of Texas does not discriminate on the basis of sexual or gender orientation. This includes, but is not limited to admissions, financial aid, educational services, and access to facilities and services.

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