Policy on Admissions Selection

The Admissions Committee is a standing committee of the Faculty Senate and is composed of 30 appointed faculty members. The committee is led by the appointed chairperson, and there is a recording secretary who is a staff member from the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs (OASA). The vice deans for OASA, who are also medical school faculty, shall be ex officio members with voting privileges.

The Committee on Committees, following a faculty-wide interest survey to identify those willing to serve, appoints members. Requests for participation on committees are emailed from the Office of Faculty Affairs, and the Committee on Committees is responsible for generating a slate of standing committee members for review and approval by the dean. All Admissions Committee members have full voting privileges. A quorum of 1/2 of the committee membership shall be required for voting matters. This committee shall comply with the bylaws of the Faculty Senate.

The Admissions Committee is charged with evaluating the credentials and qualifications of applicants and with making the final selection of those best suited for the study of medicine. Per the McGovern Medical School bylaws, the Admissions Committee has final authority over the selection of each class.

Each member has the responsibility to assist with the interviewing of applicants according to their availability.

Each member of the Admissions Committee must sign an agreement that indicates they will disclose any conflicts of interest and that they will recuse themselves from any applicant review in which they have a conflict of interest. The decisions of the Admissions Committee regarding applicants must be free from intimidation and not influenced by any political or financial factors. Any person participating in the medical school admissions process who has a question or potential conflict of interest must inform OASA so that action will be taken to ensure that such conflict does not influence objective decision-making.

Subcommittees

Admissions Committee members are asked to volunteer for at least one subcommittee. The subcommittees of the Admissions Committee are:

  • Combined Degree Program Subcommittee: The purpose of this subcommittee is to assist the dual degree programs with interviewing and assessment of applicants to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) and MD/PhD programs. This committee consists of members of the admissions committee and a dean’s designee from the OMFS and MD/PhD program. This subcommittee will present recommendations to the Admissions Committee at large for final approval.
  • Pre-Entry Program Subcommittee: The purpose of this subcommittee is to work with the Office of Educational Programs to identify incoming students entering into the first year class who would benefit from the summer Pre-Entry Program. This subcommittee is made up of Admissions Committee members and OASA deans. This subcommittee has authority for the selection of students into the Pre-Entry Program.
  • Special Programs Subcommittee: The purpose of this subcommittee is to assist with interviewing and assessment of all assured acceptance programs. This subcommittee will present recommendations to the admissions committee at large for final approval.
  • Executive Committee Subcommittee: The purpose of this subcommittee is to review deficiencies in applications, criminal background check information, applicant special requests, and other miscellaneous work for OASA. This subcommittee is comprised of the deans of OASA.

Selection

The Admissions Committee conducts a holistic review of applicants, reviewing each applicant’s experiences, attributes, and academic metrics based on McGovern Medical School’s mission and core values. The Admissions Committee considers the totality of each application and looks at the following factors:

  • Intellectual capacity
  • Interpersonal and communication skills
  • Breadth and depth of pre-medical educational experience
  • Potential for service to the state of Texas
  • Motivation
  • Integrity
  • Ethical standards
  • Ability to meet essential functions

The Admissions Committee also reviews the AAMC Core Competencies for entering medical school students. These competencies include service orientation, social skills, cultural competence, teamwork, oral communication, reliability and dependability, resilience and adaptability, capacity for improvement, and ethical responsibility to self and others.

The Admissions Committee reviews and approves these standards annually.