To qualify for the individual Portal file review,
your file in the OPSA Portal must be complete
By Friday, April 12, 2024, @ 5:00 p.m. CST
Re-Applicants
Before re-applying to professional school, assess your profile and determine the weak points in your prior
application. Improve yourself in these areas BEFORE you apply a second time. In some cases, you may need to
skip an application year in order to be a better applicant the second time.
1. You must acquire new letters; you may not use previous letters. You may have a previous evaluator
write a NEW letter. Remember, the schools assume that you continued to improve your application
during the past year. They anticipate that you have strengthened or developed relationships with people
who can evaluate you for admission.
2. Grades you have earned since your first application should be excellent. Make the spring and summer
grades your best grades ever.
3. Consider retaking your admissions test. Pull out all the stops and make it your goal to post a higher test
score. This shows you have mastered basic level information.
4. If you were lacking in shadowing hours, correct that. If you don’t have steady, consistent service to
others, start now to make that a reality.
5. Finally, rework all of your application essays and have the application complete by June 2022.
The OPSA Portal for Medical and Dental Applicants
Fall 2025 Admission
In this workshop, you will learn to develop your timeline for applying to medical or dental school
for Fall 2025 admission and how to manage the letters of evaluation.
Being the MOST competitive applicant for medical or dental school requires:
1. Strong letters of evaluation, collected in the OPSA portal.
2. Solid academic record.
3. Strong scores on the MCAT or DAT.
4. Activities that illustrate you are a well-rounded and active student who has a passion for
medicine or dentistry, who also cares about your community and who is a leader.
5. A solid and early application.
Your OPSA Portal File
Medical and dental admissions offices prefer Aggies send their letters through the OPSA Portal; this indicates
you are utilizing University resources responsibly. Your evaluation letters are reviewed for formatting errors
and compiled into a letter packet, which is preferred by the professional schools. The OPSA Portal is a FREE
letter collection service along with a rough draft of the TMDSAS application questions, so you may get a jumpstart
on your application months in advance! Applicants who meet the designated portal deadline will receive a
comprehensive file review by OPSA staff to edit, refine, and polish their file, which as you recall is comprised of
the TMDSAS application questions!
Office of Professional School Advising - 1 - OPSA Portal Workshop, Former Students and Re-applicants, 2025
Office of Professional School Advising
- 2 - OPSA Portal Workshop, Former Students and Re-applicants, 2025
The OPSA Portal
The OPSA Portal is an online service run by our staff. Approximately one week after attending the
workshop, you will be able to access the Portal to begin your file. You may access the Portal directly at
tx.ag/meddentportal. After logging in, you will see four sections:
My Information
Application Picture
Questionnaire
Evaluation Letters
My Information
This portion of your file is easy! When you login to the Portal, you will begin on the Home page. This is where
the status of your file is posted and there is a box for notes from our staff.
• Go to the My Information page next. Some of the information on this page has been completed from
official Texas A&M records.
• Confirm and/or add your NAME and E-MAIL in this section, otherwise, you will miss important
notifications and your letters of evaluation will not be processed correctly.
• Please complete the remaining questions and hit ‘save.’
Picture for Application
A picture is worth a thousand words-choose wisely! The following are examples of ACCEPTABLE
application photos. YOU WILL BE JUDGED by your photo, so strive to look like the professional
physician or dentist you are striving to become.
All students at Texas A&M University, and those who recently graduated
from TAMU, are eligible to collect evaluation letters in the OPSA Portal.
If it has been 2+ years since graduation, you will need to request “Former
Student Access” through the Howdy to ensure you can login to the Portal
(and Howdy for transcripts!) using a netID & password. You may also
contact the IT Helpdesk by phone: 979-845-8300 or e-mail
helpdesk@tamu.edu
Office of Professional School Advising
- 3 - OPSA Portal Workshop, Former Students and Re-applicants, 2025
Questionnaire
The questionnaire is comprehensive and designed to help you organize your information in preparation for the
application. You should begin working on the questions ASAP so you have plenty of time for adding additional
information.
• To answer a question, click ‘view’ and insert your answer. You may save your work and come back to it.
When you save answers, that question’s ‘complete’ box will be checked, but you can still make changes.
If you click ‘view’ again from the Questionnaire page, you can edit the information.
• Once you have completed all the questions, including the essays, you will be able to click ‘Complete’ at
the top of the page.
**Provide thorough information so the individual file review will be maximized, and your application will ultimately be
the most accurate and refined version. **
*** For descriptions, there needs to be a balance of what is/has been accomplished and what you gained
personally/professionally from the experience.**
TMDSAS Myth Busting Activities from Dr. Kellaway Long SOM—great tips for activity crafting!
Activity: Secretary for TAAHP
Example of weak activity description: I took comprehensive notes for Texas Association of Advisors for the Health Professions for the
2023-2024 academic year.
**Everything highlighted in blue is “filler,” i.e. it does not tell the reader anything they could not glean from the entry already.
Additionally, the character space is not maximized to share why this leadership opportunity has value for personal and/or professional
development.
Activity: Secretary for TAAHP
Example of strong activity description: My primary growth area is supporting those in key positions, rather than calling the shots.
Leveraging my attention to detail and robust communication skills, I prioritize transparent communication throughout the organization
while building a comprehensive repository of accurate minutes. I embrace guidance from others, expanding my understanding of
situational leadership, bolstering my ability to empathize and maintain curiosity with my direct reports, enhancing our working
relationships.
**This description shares professional development that is tied to WHAT is being done in the role of Secretary. There is not any filler
that could be gleaned from another part of the entry, like organization name, time frame, etc.
Evaluation Letters
Evaluations can be written by science professors, non-science professors, research supervisors, working
professionals, and employers. Avoid letters from individuals who have not directly observed you in an educational,
organizational, or professional situation. In addition, request evaluations from individuals who know you well
enough to describe your personal characteristics and unique traits (including information about responsibility,
dedication, maturity, leadership, interpersonal skills, and motivation).
• Three letters are required. It is strongly recommended/required by many the
professional schools two of the letters are written by professors who have taught you,
one of whom should be a science/STEM professor. The second letter may be another
science/STEM professor or a professor from another discipline.
o Students applying to dental school must have a dentist write their third letter.
***The PSA staff are not responsible for ensuring you choose the correct evaluators.
• PLEASE NOTE: With the exception of MD/PhD applicants, if additional letters are
submitted to your file, ONLY the first 3 letters uploaded in the OPSA Portal will be
sent to the schools. DO NOT ask for additional letters. If you are a MD/PhD
applicant, you are allowed to submit up to 5 letters of evaluation for the purpose of
applying to the PhD programs. Please consult a member of the OPSA staff for
Office of Professional School Advising
- 4 - OPSA Portal Workshop, Former Students and Re-applicants, 2025
To qualify for the individual Portal file review,
your file in the OPSA Portal must be complete
By Friday, April 12, 2024, @ 5:00 p.m. CST
additional information if you are an MD/PhD candidate.
Requesting Letters:
• To request a letter of evaluation, you should speak directly with the potential evaluator.
• Once they agree, applicants must enter the evaluators’ names and email addresses into the Portal
and fill out the waiver form on-line.
o Medical and dental schools prefer letters you have waived your right of access. Applicants
who retain this right will NOT be able to view the letters in Professional School Advising.
• Immediately after you submit the information, an email is sent to that evaluator requesting the
letter be completed and uploaded. An upload link is included in this email, as is your waiver form.
Evaluation letters should be SIGNED by the evaluator, on letterhead and uploaded directly to
OPSA Portal. Your evaluator does NOT return the waiver form to our office.
• You will be able to see if the letter has been uploaded by logging into your OPSA Portal.
Tips for requesting your letters:
1. Request letters of evaluation by February 2024. Professors have several responsibilities and appreciate
advance notice.
2. Evaluators should NOT mention a specific program/medical or dental school when writing letters because
these letters are sent to application services then to individual schools.
3. Assist your evaluators by providing them with a resume describing your achievements, activities, personal
qualities, and goals. Many will also want to know why you are applying to medical or dental school.
4. Assist your evaluators by providing them with a cover letter that thanks them for their time, and gives
them the deadline you desire, etc. This will help expedite delivery of the letter.
5. Instruct your evaluators that they must upload a signed letter, printed on letterhead.
6. Thank your evaluators for their assistance, either by email or in a hand-written note.
7. Keep evaluators apprised of your status, such as when you receive interviews and when you gain
admission.
Office of Professional School Advising
- 5 - OPSA Portal Workshop, Former Students and Re-applicants, 2025
Completing the OPSA Portal File
Within a few days of completing your OPSA Portal File, you must log in and see your file has been marked
Complete on your Home Page. If all of your items have been
submitted and it has been more than a week, but your
file is not marked complete, please contact opsa-
[email protected] to have a staff member
check your file. Please understand that in late
March and early April, hundreds of students are
completing their files, so response times will be
slower.
ALL questions about the
OPSA Portal should be sent to
opsa-portal@tamu.edu
Sending your Evaluation Letter Packet to Application Services
After you have submitted and paid for your applications, you will need to notify OPSA where to send your
evaluation packet. In early May, the “Request To Send” form hyperlink will be activated at the top of your
Portal Home Page for TMDSAS and AMCAS. In the AACOMAS and AADSAS applications, you will
insert an email address for PSA and they will contact us. We will provide this email address in April.
Important Notes for the OPSA Portal:
***FORMER STUDENTS THAT GRADUATED 5+ YEARS AGO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE
TO RECEIVE A COMPREHENSIVE FILE REVIEW FROM PSA STAFF***
•
Former students for Portal purposes are August 2022 grads and before.
•
Do not click “Complete” on the Questionnaire until you are satisfied with your answers
because you cannot ‘unclick’ the ‘Complete’ status.
•
Your Portal file must be complete before OPSA will send your letters to the application
services. We will not send partial packets.
•
You must have submitted and paid for your TMDSAS application before we will send
letters.
•
You must have begun your AACOMAS, AADSAS or AMCAS application before we will
send the letters.
•
Letters of evaluation can only be used for one year past the date on the letter.
•
Application Workshops will be scheduled in April and May 2024. Make plans to attend.
•
Interview workshops begin in late June.
Office of Professional School Advising
- 6 - OPSA Portal Workshop, Former Students and Re-applicants, 2025
How to make yourself a more competitive applicant this year
It is important to look at yourself on paper to reveal any weaknesses now. If some are found, work on them in
the next year or semester to create a well-rounded, solid application. Evaluate yourself in the following
categories:
• Academics/Grades and MCAT/DAT scores
• Medical and dental experiences
• Non-health care community service
• Extracurricular activities
• Leadership
• Honors, awards, scholarships, recognitions
• Work experience
• Research
These are the categories that are listed on the application and that the schools place a value on. There is not a
magical number of hours or types of involvement that guarantee admission, but you do not want to have
blanks in your application in most of these areas. You may have nothing to write in a few of them, but make
sure you are spending your time in this last year developing the areas which will make you a stronger
applicant.
Admissions Tests
Dental Admissions Test (DAT) https://www.ada.org/dat.aspx
The DAT is given in Prometric Testing Centers, including the testing center in the General Services Complex at
Texas A&M. Prometric Testing Centers located throughout the country, http://www.prometric.com. The test is
administered Monday through Friday, and you should register 60 to 90 days in advance as your preferred date as
locations fill quickly. The exam will cost ~ $530. You must indicate which dental schools should receive your
scores when you register. After you complete the exam, you will receive your unofficial scores before you leave;
dental schools will receive the scores two to three weeks later. The soonest you may retest is 90 days after the first
attempt.
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/
The MCAT is computerized and there are 30 dates on which examinations will be offered throughout 2024. The
exam covers applications of biology, physics, inorganic and organic chemistry, biochemistry, psychology,
sociology and critical analysis and reasoning. In 2023, the MCAT fee was ~$330; the cost goes up the closer to the
test date. Medical schools consider each score, so prepare early and thoroughly the first time. NEVER take the
actual MCAT for practice. You can schedule to retake the MCAT 48 hours after the exam you just completed,
pending space availability. Please remember this is also when the fee to schedule another time to retake the MCAT
can increase.
Registration for the MCAT opens mid-October
Again, there are 30 dates in 2024 for MCAT testing. (Please release your scores to the health professions
advisor when you register for the test.) The test is offered at Pearson sites across the country. You may
take the MCAT only three times per year, four times in consecutive years, and seven times in a lifetime.
Regardless of when you take the MCAT, ideally submit your PRIMARY applications beginning in
mid-MAY and BEFORE the end of the first week of JUNE.
Office of Professional School Advising
- 7 - OPSA Portal Workshop, Former Students and Re-applicants, 2025
TEXAS MEDICAL SCHOOLS
Texas Medical Schools
Name
Location
Application
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston
TMDSAS
Dell Medical School
Austin
TMDSAS
Long School of Medicine (UT)
San Antonio
TMDSAS
McGovern Medical School (UT)
Houston
TMDSAS
Paul Foster School of Medicine
(TTUHSC)
El Paso
TMDSAS
Sam Houston State University
Conroe
TMDSAS
Texas A&M HSC
Multiple
TMDSAS
TTUHSC-School of Medicine
Lubbock
TMDSAS
Texas Christian University School of
Medicine
Ft. Worth
AMCAS
University of Houston Medical
School
Houston
TMDSAS
University of North Texas HSC-
TCOM
Ft. Worth
TMDSAS
University of the Incarnate Word
School of Osteopathic Medicine
San Antonio
AACOMAS
UT Medical Branch
Galveston
TMDSAS
UT Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg
TMDSAS
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas
TMDSAS
UT Tyler
Tyler
TMDSAS
Office of Professional School Advising
- 8 - OPSA Portal Workshop, Former Students and Re-applicants, 2025
To qualify for the individual Portal file review,
your file in the OPSA Portal must be complete
By Friday, April 12, 2024, @ 5:00 p.m. CST
TEXAS DENTAL SCHOOLS
Texas A&M College of Dentistry ~ Dallas
UT Health/School of Dentistry ~ Houston
UT Health/School of Dentistry ~ San Antonio
New! Texas Tech HSC ~ El Paso
APPLICATION SERVICES
AACOMAS- Schools of Osteopathic Medicine
www.aacomas.org
AADSAS- Schools of Dentistry
www.adea.org/aadsas
AMCAS- Schools of Allopathic Medicine
www.aamc.org
TMDSAS
www.tmdsas.com
Office of Professional School Advising
Professional School Advising webpage with link to OPSA Portal
General questions, email: [email protected]
OPSA Portal specific questions, email: opsa-portal@tamu
ALL questions about the
OPSA Portal should be sent to
opsa-portal@tamu.edu
Office of Professional School Advising
- 9 -
OPSA Portal Workshop, Former Students and Re-applicants, 2025
TIMELINE
For those Former Students and re-applicants applying for
fall 2025 admission to professional school, the following
timeline can help you plan for the upcoming months:
Oct-Dec 2023
Jan-Mar 2024
April-May 2024
June -July 2024
Aug-Dec 2024
Jan-Apr 2025
July-Aug 2025
Attend OPSA Portal
Workshop.
Start OPSA file. Portal
Late Oct/early Nov.
Study and prepare for
DAT/MCAT.
Make excellent grades.
Continue to shadow and
volunteer.
Work on getting to know
the professors and people
you want to ask to write
your letters of evaluation.
Dec-Reapplicants &
Former Students can
request access to the
Portal.
Work on OPSA file!
Complete OPSA
file by: Current
Students: late-
March
Follow up on
evaluation letters and
file status through your
online file.
Study and prepare for
DAT/MCAT.
Make excellent
grades.
Continue to shadow and
volunteer
Complete OPSA file by:
Fmr Students: mid/-April
Once OPSA file complete, await
comprehensive file review from
OPSA Staff.
Attend OPSA Application
Workshop
TMDSAS available online
EARLY May.
Study and prepare for DAT/MCAT.
Order official transcripts to be sent
directly to application AMCAS,
AADSAS, & AACOMAS.
Complete the online request
through the OPSA Portal to send
evaluations to TMDSAS after
application is submitted.
Complete Secondary applications
for Texas Schools.
Study and prepare for DAT.
For MCAT it is
recommended to take June
test and no later for this
admission cycle.
Submit TMDSAS if you
have not already done so!
Submit AMCAS,
AACOMAS or AADSAS
applications.
Complete secondary
applications for out-of-state
schools.
Request OPSA to send
evaluations.
Attend OPSA Interview
Workshop!
Continue to make
excellent grades.
Interviews begin in the
July & continue into
January/Feb.
Complete Free
Application for Federal
Student Financial Aid
(FAFSA) Oct.1.
Texas dental schools
acceptance letters begin
December 1
Rolling Admissions begin
for TMDSAS & AMCAS
medical schools –
Oct 15 - Dec 31
Medical Match
Preference
Submission
Deadline
(February)
TMDSAS Match
Results Announced
(March)
Dental Acceptance
Continues
Complete financial
aid forms if not
already done.
Enter
Professional
Programs!!
ALL questions about the
OPSA Portal should be sent to
opsa-portal@tamu.edu
