TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay: The Guide & Samples

TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay Sample 

Because I grew up in Nigeria, a third-world country, I have firsthand knowledge of what the term “barrier to access” refers to. When I was living in Nigeria, I witnessed a lot of suffering as a result of the inadequate allocation of financial resources to health care. So, I can relate to the experience of underserved and disadvantaged populations in the United States. When I visited Australia as a hospital volunteer, I met several members of the Indigenous community who explained how their unique predicaments were often left ignored or insufficiently treated. Some of the underserved populations I served were in Corpus Christi, Laredo, and San Antonio. We provided free health screenings, physical assessments, sports physicals, and influenza vaccines to these disadvantaged populations.

My Nigerian background and nursing career have made me a culturally competent and compassionate caregiver. Being raised in a culture with different values and customs, I’m uniquely sensitive to the beliefs and practices of diverse groups. As a health care worker in the United States, I have had the opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. This has made me more respectful of the beliefs, values, languages, and traditions of people that are different from mine. I can have a positive influence on my classmates by teaching them to respectfully interact with people who come from all different walks of life.

It was difficult for me to understand Americans and their system during my first few years in the country. Many Americans also had difficulty understanding me because we spoke with different accents. It sometimes frustrated people I was interacting with when I had to ask them to repeat what they said. Over the years, I’ve improved my comprehension skills by conditioning myself to listen carefully and repeat what people say to ensure that I understood what they are trying to convey. I will teach my classmates to listen carefully and patiently to people who speak differently from them and try to repeat what they say to ensure they have an understanding of what is said. This, I believe, will help ease the tension in situations where communication can be challenging.

I hope to share my experiences working with underserved populations with my classmates in medical school. I believe it’s imperative to broaden knowledge about the challenges certain populations face and to increase awareness of the health care disparities that occur even in developed countries. (2,494) characters)

Writing a TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay? Watch this video for a quick guide:

Which Medical Schools Require TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay

The following medical schools in Texas, both MD and DO, as well as Dental schools and Vet schools, participate in the TMDSAS application service and therefore require the submission of a personal characteristics essay. Take note of the medical school GPA requirements to help you decide which schools are ideal for you to apply to.

TMDSAS MD Schools

1. Texas A&M University School of Medicine
2. Baylor College of Medicine
3. McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
4. Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio
5. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at El Paso
6. Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine at Lubbock
7. Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine at University of Houston
8. John Sealy School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
9. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
10. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
11. The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine
12. The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School

TMDSAS DO Schools

The DO school rankings below contain schools that also participate in the TMDSAS service. However, keep in mind that many other osteopathic schools use the traditional DO school application, the AACOMAS, so be sure to verify which system you need to use beforehand.

1. Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
2. University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

TMDSAS Veterinary Schools

Check out the following best vet schools that participate in the TMDSAS application service. If you’re considering applying to some of these schools, make sure to check out their veterinary school acceptance rates.

1. Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine
2. Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine

TMDSAS Dental Schools

And finally, check out dental school acceptance rates among the schools that use the TMDSAS application service.

1. Texas Tech University Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine
2. The University of Texas Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
3. The University of Texas Health School of Dentistry at Houston

Applying through TMDSAS? Watch this video to learn more!

What is the TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay?

 Now that you know which schools require the submission of the personal characteristics essay, let’s discuss how you can make this TMDSAS essay stand out. In 2500 characters or less, including spaces, students must respond to the following prompt:

Many students struggle to understand the meaning behind this prompt. If you find yourself thinking “what does that even mean?”, you're not alone. Decoding the prompt and figuring out how to answer it appropriately can be challenging. It is best to think of this essay as a diversity essay for medical school. The admissions committee wants to know what form of diversity you can bring to your medical class that will benefit your peers. Diversity, in this sense, is a broad term referring to backgrounds, skills, insights, and experiences that you've had, that make you unique as a candidate and allow you to bring forth important and different knowledge, perspectives, and ideas. 

Think about a medical school class, for example, made up of 100 students that are essentially identical. Let's say they are all from the same city, went to the same high school, same university, their parents had identical jobs, they had the same amount and type of siblings and are the same ethnicity. Would this medical school class be diverse and bring forth new thoughts, ideas, perspectives, and skills? Not overly, but to a small degree they would, because no matter how many items you can standardize, you still can't standardize every single aspect and the reality is, each of these individuals would still probably have something different to contribute.

Now think about a class that consists of 100 students from a variety of different backgrounds, ethnicities, childhoods, siblings, parents, teachers, cultures, experiences – the list is endless and amount of diversity would be bursting at the seams. So, this is what the characteristics essay is looking for: an extremely diverse class able to challenge one another, push each other, empathize, think differently, show compassion, change for the better. The more diverse a group of individuals, the richer and more creative the group becomes. In this essay, it's your responsibility to demonstrate how you are unique as a candidate and how you can enrich other students in your class based on your own personal experiences in life.

How Can I Demonstrate Diversity in My TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay?

We see this time and time again, students who feel that they don't have anything to contribute to diversity. They may think that because they are not from a traditional “category of diversity” such as race, economic class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, culture, language, immigration and disability, that they have nothing worth discussing. This couldn't be further from the truth and has to do with a misunderstanding of the word “diversity”.

Diversity doesn't only apply to those who may fall into one of the traditional categories above and have an experience they want to share from it. Every single person has something to share and something that holds value. No person in the entire world has had your own unique experience, which is why no one in the world is exactly like you. Most people can appreciate this truth in their siblings, who even during their time growing up in the same household as you, under the same conditions or rules, are probably still different. That's because with each activity we do, or each interaction we have, we are changing, learning and gaining knowledge. It's impossible for someone to experience your identical life, even identical twins are not identical people, regardless of whether or not they look the same.

The idea of the TMDSAS personal characteristics essay is for the admissions committee to learn about what makes you unique, and how you can, in turn, benefit the incoming class. So, let's go over three categories you can consider to help you determine how you can demonstrate diversity in your essay. As with all personal essays, you need to first brainstorm who you are as a person, so you can learn about who you are as a candidate. Go through this exercise below; ask yourself these questions and fill in the answers so you can determine what makes you original. Remember, everyone has a story.

What's your story? Here're some questions for you to consider when you prepare your TMDSAS personal characteristics essay:

What to Include in the TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay

As previously mentioned, every student has something to contribute, you don't have to have climbed Mount Everest or traveled overseas for your experience to be worthwhile. For example, one student who lives in a rural town can have just as many meaningful experiences as a student from an urban city. Experiences don't have to be exotic or require travel, you just have to connect back to how that experience influenced you in your journey to become a physician.

TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay Sample #2

Waiting for the city bus as I exited the empty high school library, I got a call from my stepfather. Before I could even say hello, he told me he was on his way to pick me up – my mother was in labor. In the delivery room, I watched the obstetrician perform precise horizontal incisions on my mother’s anaesthetized abdomen. I was amazed, horrified, and bewitched all at once. I had all sorts of questions for the doctor. My curiosity was sufficiently piqued.

That was my first “real” experience with medicine. The doctor who delivered my baby brother mentioned that the hospital had applications for a research and development project for high school students. I got the call a week later and started working immediately. During that time, I met other like-minded students who like me, were interested in learning basic biological techniques. Surprisingly, what was most rewarding about that experience wasn’t the end result of the study – it was meeting the people I was working with. The swift, crisp communication needed to perform was a lesson in patience and understanding. I found myself taking the lead in some situations, organizing tasks and making sure everyone had what they needed. What I learned was that what’s most important is that everyone can be a leader in their own right – and I think this is a lesson I can embody and use to empower my classmates in medical school.

Shortly after this experience, I met Dr. Sam Beemer. I witnessed her perform an appendectomy. The precise incision made in the lower right part of the patient’s abdomen was impressive. I observed the fastidious effort of the surgeon with the help of others, who each understand their role perfectly. I switched back and forth from watching the camera at the end of the laparoscope and the surgeons who were using the camera to guide their steady hands. This experience reinforced the lesson I learned as a researcher in understanding each other’s roles and giving them the tools to do their best work. This unspoken bond and respect should underlie all collaboration. Channeling this belief, I think I can teach my classmates that trust is as important understanding your role in a team.

These up-close experiences have shown me an appreciation for the medical profession that couldn’t possibly be captured in a textbook. I’d like to continue explore interesting research questions while developing the conscientiousness and courage I’ll need to become a skilled surgeon like the ones I met along my journey. (2,495 characters)

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TMDSAS Personal Characteristics Essay Sample #3

When I moved three hours away from home to go to the university of my dreams, I knew it would a challenge, but I would never have expected it to be such a huge adjustment. I’m close to my family, but when it comes to my education, I wouldn’t compromise. When I got accepted, everything moved along so quickly. I applied for residency, picked my classes, and before I knew it, I was sitting on the bench in the rain watching my family wave goodbye as the bus exhaled and pulled out onto the busy street. I was quickly overwhelmed moving from a small town to a big city. Before the end of my first week at my new school, I booked an appointment with a counsellor at the wellness center. She prescribed me with some medication for my anxiety, which was sufficient to help me focus on my studies and enjoy the experience for what it was.

I was worried about taking medication for mental health reasons because of the stigma reinforced by misinformation. The psychiatrist I spoke with was warm, attentive, and compassionate; he explained in clear, comprehensible terms what I was going through and emphasized that we would work together to overcome my afflictions. I have two main takeaways from this experience: first, people shouldn’t be afraid to express their need for help in times of crisis, and second, that pharmaceutical treatment for mental health problems is often scorned because of false or exaggerated information.

When I was recovering from anxiety, I became an advocate for mental health awareness at a student club with over fifty members. We hosted educational events for people who wanted to learn more. We facilitated conversations, spread awareness, and connected people in need with campus resources. As an advocate, I learned that the more pernicious and undetectable barriers to psychiatric health care are often perpetuated by shame driven by collective implicit bias. When I reflect on this experience, I think of a friend I met named Gabrielle. Like me, she was struggling with depression and having a hard time with the transition to university life. We developed a friendship and spoke openly about our issues. It was cathartic, but it goes to show the transformative power that listening can have. In medical school, I’m looking forward to continuing my journey as an advocate and learning more about how to treat, counsel, and diagnose patients. I believe I can bring a sensitivity and empathy to this reality for my peers as we develop into medical professionals. (2,489 characters)



TMDSAS Medical School Application Timeline

Refer to the following important dates for you to navigate the application in a timely fashion:

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