UMSI acceptance is available to a select number high school seniors whose candidacy is judged to be exceptional by the TTUHSC School of Medicine Admissions Committee upon meeting the following qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.

• Must be a Texas resident.

• High School Senior as classification, from a Texas high school.

• Achieve a minimum score of a 30 ACT or 1360 SAT. Test scores must be achieved from a singular test date. SAT exams include math and critical reading sections only.

• Preference will be given to students ranking in the top 10% of their high school class.

Student must apply and be admitted to Texas Tech University and the Honors College as entering First Year before the application process for UMSI is complete.

• UMSI students are required to spend four years as an undergraduate at Texas Tech University and demonstrate significant evidence of health-related activities in a hospital or clinical setting before entering the TTUHSC School of Medicine. By waiving the MCAT requirement and guaranteeing medical school admission, UMSI gives students the opportunity to have a varied undergraduate education, which could include internships or study abroad. 

• Students accepted into the UMSI program are required to complete the Honors College requirements as well. The completion of the required coursework, activities, and events in the Honors College are a condition of matriculation to the School of Medicine.

• Study abroad programs must be taken with an affiliated Texas Tech University institution or program. These grades must appear of a student's TTU transcript.

Step 1: Applications to Texas Tech University

• Apply to TTU through Apply Texas or the Common App

  • Nonrefundable $75 application fee (or application fee waiver)

  • Submit an offical copy of high school transcript

  • Official SAT and/or ACT Scores (test scores sent from the high school are considered official if they are included on the transcript sent from the school registrar)

• Honors College application

  • Nonrefundable $35 application fee

  • Two electronic recommendations addressing academic and leadership potential

Processing of submitted application will be completed and student will be informed of their admission status within 4 to 6 weeks. Contact the TTU Undergraduate Admissions for any questions regarding undergraduate degrees.

Step 2: School of Medicine Application

• UMSI application

• Two letters of evaluation are required as a part of the UMSI application, which must be submitted within the online application. These letters should address a student's readiness and preparation to pursue medicine and complete both the UMSI and medical school programs.

• A completed Casper test

  The Casper test is an online screening tool designed to evaluate key personal and professional characteristics that TTUHSC School of Medicine feels is important for medical students and graduates. A complete Casper test taken and submitted by the application deadline is required to maintain admission eligibility. Without a complete Casper test you will not be eligible for an interview or offer of acceptance to TTUHSC School of Medicine.

  
  

  Available Casper test dates are:

  · August 10, 2023 

  · September 7, 2023 

  · October 26, 2023 

  · November 16, 2023 

  · December 7, 2023 

• Ensure to register for your test at least three days before your preferred test date and time to account for identity verification and payment processing timelines.

• Additional document that were submitted to Texas Tech University at the time of application (noted in Step 1) will also be reviewed, including: proof of acceptance to TTU and proof of pending application to the Honors College.

Step 3: Interviewing at the School of Medicine

After the UMSI application is submitted, TTUHSC School of Medicine admissions officers will review the files and invite a select group of qualified individuals for personal interviews with the UMSI selection committee. Students that submit an application after the deadline will not be considered for an interview.

The following, shared by the School of Medicine Admission office, are qualities searched for in an interview:

• Ability to balance academics with extracurricular and work activities.

• Evidence of caring behavior.

• Experience in a health-care field.

• Knowledge of the health-care system and its current changes.

• Interpersonal skills such as the ability to interact well with patients and peers.

Please note these dates are in conjunction with an UMSI applicant's senior year of high school.

The Undergraduate to Medical School Initiative is not an accelerated program. Students are required to attend four academic years at Texas Tech University. The UMSI program does not require applicants to submit an MCAT score for admission to the TTUHSC School of Medicine.

Students must complete all science courses with a grade of B or better and have a minimum science GPA of 3.6 and a minimum overall GPA of at 3.7. Students that receive a grade below "B" in any of the required science courses may retake the course once to maintain eligibility.

A total of at least 53 semester hours of prerequisite coursework is required of all students before matriculation to the School of Medicine. This consists of 8 hours of General Chemistry, 8 hours of Organic Chemistry, 8 hours of Introductory Biology, at least 9 hours of upper-level Biology, and 8 hours of General Physics.

Using Texas Tech course listings, the TTUHSC School of Medicine requires the following courses:

* Recommended upper division courses (3000 or 4000 level courses) include: Cell Biology Laboratory, Developmental Biology, Human Genetics, Cell Biology, Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Biological Chemistry, Principles of Microbiology, Physiology of Bacteria, Introduction of Virology, Immunology and Serology, Pathogenic Microbiology, Basic Concepts of Pathophysiology, Animal Histology, Parasitology.

Courses for non-science majors or for health career majors (nursing, pharmacy, allied health sciences, etc.) will not satisfy the required coursework. All required coursework must be applicable towards a traditional science degree.

ALL coursework must be taken at Texas Tech University as a student in the Honors College. Students who have come in with AP, IB, SAT/ACT test-score credit or dual credit for any specific course within the required coursework may take upper-level credit within that specific discipline to avoid retaking the course (or, for students with AP, IB, SAT/ACT test-score credit, they may simply retake the course). For example, a student may take an additional 8 hours of upper-level biology coursework if he or she received college credit for both Introductory Biology courses, with the alternative option of retaking both Introductory Biology courses. NOTE: A limited number of AP or dual credit course may be accepted for coursework only in English.

Credits earned through Texas Tech University and Reciprocal international study programs are allowed (when grades contribute toward to the student's TTU GPA are earned on a TTU transcript and the student is continuously enrolled at TTU). Credits earned through non-affiliated international study programs are not allowed (if grades from these programs do not contribute toward the student's TTU GPA).

Students admitted to UMSI must maintain 100 hours of volunteer and/or shadowing activity per academic year. Students should keep track of their volunteer hours and be prepared to provide them to the TTUHSC School of Medicine annually and on the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) application when it is submitted.

Volunteer, shadowing, and research hours are earned by the academic year: September 1st through August 31st. Hours earned before September 1st of a student's First-year student year (i.e., the summer between graduating high school and attending Texas Tech University) do not count.

NOTE: The School of Medicine prefers the majority of volunteer/shadowing hours be conducted in a health-care setting. As well, no more than 20% of the hours should be dedicated to research activity.

• Take all coursework and prerequisites at Texas Tech University as a student in the Honors College. Coursework can also be taken at any study-abroad affiliated TTU program with the exception of medical school specific courses or prerequisites.

• GPA requirements

  • All UMSI students must maintain a 3.7 overall GPA

  • All UMSI students must maintain a 3.6 science GPA

• A grade of "B" or higher must be earned in all graded prerequisite courses

• Matriculation will occur four years from acceptance into the UMSI program and is dependent on completion of an undergraduate degree and maintenance of program requirements.

• Be in good standing in the Honors College (including regular involvement in Honors extracurricular activities).

• Meet all requirements of the Program Guidelines.

• Be in good academic and non-academic standing.

• Show evidence of 100 hours of continued related health-care volunteerism or service-based activities annually due by August 31 of each year. Fourth-year UMSI students must submit hours by July 1.

• NOTE: Criminal background checks will be completed on all students matriculating to TTUHSC School of Medicine.

• If a student desires to change their academic major or degree plan they must first meet and be granted approval by the Honors College and TTUHSC School of Medicine Office of Admissions.

• UMSI participants are required to submit the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service application (http://www.tmdsas.com/) between May 1st and October 1st the year prior to matriculation to the TTUHSC School of Medicine. We ask that participants complete this by July 1 to assist with processing times. (UMSI participants receive a fee waiver for the secondary application to the School of Medicine.)