Students interested in pursuing entrance into the medical school are strongly recommended to obtain a bachelor's degree.  However, applicants may be admitted after completion of a minimum of ninety semester hours.  It is further recommended that undergraduate course work be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university and that at least forty-five semester hours, including all prerequisites, have a grade assigned by a U.S. college or university. 

The Admissions Committee considers all of the following in evaluating each applicant's acceptability:

   • Scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT);
   • Academic performance in college as reflected in the grade point average;
   • The rigor of the undergraduate curriculum;
   • Recommendations from the college premedical committee or faculty;
   • Extracurricular activities;
   • Socioeconomic background;
   • Any time spent in outside employment;
   • Personal integrity and compassion for others;
   • The ability to communicate in English;
   • Race/Ethnicity*;
   • Other personal qualities and individual factors such as leadership, self-      appraisal, determination, social/family support, and maturity/coping capabilities;
   • The applicant's motivation for a career in medicine.

*As authorized by the Board of Regents, and subject to the approval of the U.T. System, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas added race and ethnicity to the broad range of criteria considered for student admission and for awarding scholarships and fellowships beginning with the academic year 2006-2007.

In addition, applicants are evaluated with regard to the mission of Southwestern Medical School, which emphasizes the importance of training primary-care physicians, educating doctors who will practice in medically under-served areas of Texas, and preparing physician-scientists who seek careers in academic medicine and research. 

A personal interview is required and is initiated by invitation of the Admissions Committee.  The committee invites applicants to interview who have excellent academic qualifications or who demonstrate convincing evidence of commitment to an area of medicine emphasized in the mission of Southwestern Medical School and who have academic backgrounds that indicate the potential for success in achieving the M.D. degree.  Interviews are held on Saturdays between September and December each year.