UTMB (John Sealy)

University of Texas Medical Branch John Sealy School of Medicine Galveston, TX · Public · MD

Average MCAT: 513
Average GPA: 3.78
Class size: 230
Tuition: $42,436 (per year, nonresident)
Out-of-state applicants: Limited

Deadlines

AMCAS deadline: Oct. 1, 2026
Secondary deadline: Nov. 6, 2026

Essays

Option 1: learning fast for a team (300 words (answer two of six))

Describe a situation where your team’s success depended on your ability to learn a new skill or perspective quickly. How did your contributions specifically alter the group’s outcome?

Option 2: an error (300 words (answer two of six))

Analyze a time that you made an error in a professional or academic setting. Provide your response, how you disclosed it, and any changes you made to prevent it from recurring.

Option 3: verifying a doubtful claim (300 words (answer two of six))

Scientific inquiry is important for being a physician. Describe a time you encountered a claim or piece of information that you initially doubted. How did you verify the truth and how will this skepticism serve you as a physician?

Option 4: a trait you lack (300 words (answer two of six))

Identify a specific trait that you look for in your physicians that you currently lack. What is your plan to develop this attribute during your time at John Sealy School of Medicine?

Option 5: work experience (300 words (answer two of six))

If you have any work experience, particularly with significant responsibilities, explain how those skills will help you be a better physician.

Option 6: why JSSOM and Galveston (300 words (answer two of six))

John Sealy School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch serves patients throughout Texas, focusing on Galveston County and the Gulf Coast Region. Are there particular characteristics of our school and/or the Galveston area in terms of location, history, regional mission, or other attributes that make you especially interested in matriculating here?

Spanish proficiency (Select a level)

JSSOM has a bilingual health scholarly concentration, which focuses on Spanish-speaking populations. Please indicate your level of proficiency in Spanish based on the guidelines provided below:

Video responses (Two recorded answers)

Two asynchronous video responses submitted via Spark Hire (questions provided upon invitation).

Editor's notes

JSSOM says academic and nonacademic factors count equally, and it reviews nothing until your MCAT and Casper are in. Casper's last date is Oct. 20, 2026. If you test late, your file sits idle while interview slots fill from August.
You choose two of six supplemental prompts. Pick the two that let you tell different stories, and make sure neither repeats your TMDSAS personal statement. If you have a real reason to be in Galveston, option 6 is the only place to say it.
The interview is a virtual MMI with seven stations, and one of them is your pitch for JSSOM. Prepare a two-minute answer on why this school that names something concrete, such as the TDCJ partnership or a scholarly concentration.
JSSOM makes early offers from October through January, and after the Match it usually takes 10 to 15 students from an unranked alternate pool. The school accepts letters of intent by email, so if it's your first choice, say so before the Jan. 29, 2027 rank deadline.