Admission Requirements
Successful applicants for admission to TTUHSC El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine must have completed an undergraduate curriculum and must have been awarded a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent before matriculation. Ninety semester hours, including all prerequisite courses must have been completed at a U.S. or Canadian accredited college or university.
The Prerequisite Courses Are:
| Courses | Hours |
|---|---|
| Biology | 12 semester hours |
| Biology laboratories | 2 semester hours |
| Biochemistry | 3 semester hours |
| General chemistry with laboratories | 8 semester hours |
| Organic chemistry with laboratories | 8 semester hours |
| Physics with laboratories | 8 semester hours |
| Statistics | 3 semester hours |
| English | 6 semester hours |
TMDSAS Prescribed Course Listings by University
PLFSOM Medical Education Program Policy
The required 3 semester hours of biochemistry may be used towards fulfilling the general biology or general chemistry requirement.
Grades of C or better are required for all prerequisite courses or AP credit.
Successful applicants also should have pursued a broad educational experience, including topics outside of chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics. Although PLFSOM has no prescribed course of study beyond the required courses identified above, the Admissions Committee will consider the breadth of the candidate’s educational experience in their determination of admission. Additional recommended courses include the following:
Humanities, social sciences, or behavioral sciences: 12 semester hours
Coursework in immunology, genetics and cellular/molecular biology is strongly encouraged.
Competence in spoken and written English will be necessary. A facility in conversational Spanish will be an advantage for students intending to remain in the southwest.
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
The MCAT is also a requirement for admission. Information about the MCAT and registration for the exam can be accessed at http://aamc.org/students/mcat/.
CASPer
All applicants to the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine are required to complete an online assessment (CASPer), to assist with our selection process. Successful completion of CASPer is mandatory in order to maintain admission eligibility and scores must be received before being considered for an interview. Please make sure to release your CASper score to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso since we are a different stand-alone institution from Texas Tech - Lubbock.
CASPer is an online test which assesses for non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program, and will complement the other tools that we use for applicant screening. In implementing CASPer, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.
Please go to www.takeCASPer.com to sign up and reserve a test date. You will be provided with a limited number of testing dates and times. Please note that these are the only testing dates available for your CASPer test.
Please direct any inquiries on the test to support@takecasper.com or use the chat bubble on the takeCASPer.com website.
The CASPer test is comprised of 12 sections of video and written scenarios. Following each scenario, you will be required to answer a set of probing questions under a time contract. The test typically takes between 75-90 minutes to complete. Each response is graded by a different rater, providing a robust and reliable view of personal and professional characteristics important to our program. No studying is required for CASPer, although you may want to familiarize yourself with the test structure at takeCASPer.com, and ensure you have a quiet environment to take the test.
CASPer test results are valid for one admissions cycle. Applicants who have already taken the test in previous years will therefore be expected to re-take it.
Altus Assessments has released Casper Snapshot and Duet as part of the Casper Suite to help aid in the admissions process. Our program will NOT be requiring our applicants to complete Snapshot nor Duet for this admissions cycle; however, please note that because of its one-time completion, other programs you are applying to may require it. You can learn more about Snapshot at the Casper site.
Residency
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine can only review and consider for admission applicants who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents of the U.S.