Paul L. Foster MD Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• TMDSAS primary: Available May 1, submission opens May 15 and deadline October 1, 2026. EY2027 dates
• Secondary: December 1, 2026 at 5 p.m. Mountain. PLFSOM timeline
• Tests: MCAT and CASPer are required; CASPer results must arrive before interview consideration. Requirements
• Residency: U.S. citizen or permanent resident only; state rules require 90% of the entering class to be Texas residents. FAQ

Admission requirements

Applicants ordinarily must complete a bachelor's degree or equivalent before matriculation and at least 90 semester hours, including prerequisites, at an accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university. Required credits are 12 biology plus two biology lab, three biochemistry, eight general chemistry with labs, eight organic chemistry with labs, eight physics with labs, three statistics and six English. The biochemistry course may count toward general biology or general chemistry. Requirements

The MCAT is required, and the application checklist says the highest-performing score from the past five years will be evaluated. CASPer is mandatory, is valid for one admissions cycle and must be received before an applicant can be considered for interview. The school explicitly says Snapshot and Duet are not required for the stated cycle, but does not label that statement as Entry Year 2027; applicants should verify the live Altus configuration. Applications Requirements

A complete file includes TMDSAS, the PLFSOM secondary, supporting documents, all declared letters, MCAT and CASPer. Letters go through TMDSAS as either a health-professions advisory committee submission or three independent evaluations. A physician or faculty professor is preferred, although another healthcare professional can be used when able to describe the applicant's motivation for medicine. Applications FAQ

PLFSOM considers only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. As a Texas state institution, it is required to admit a class that is 90% Texas residents. The secondary costs $100. Requirements FAQ

Important dates

For TMDSAS Entry Year 2027, the primary application becomes available May 1, 2026 and submission opens May 15. The deadline is October 1 at 11:59 p.m. Central, evaluation letters should be received by October 15, school-preference rankings are due January 29, 2027 at 5 p.m. Central and Match Day is February 12. Medical schools begin offers October 15, applicants with multiple offers must narrow to one by April 30 and schools cannot offer a Texas applicant holding another Texas seat after May 15. TMDSAS dates

PLFSOM's school-specific secondary deadline is December 1, 2026 at 5 p.m. Mountain. Its application page also lists January 30 and February 13 for ranking and match; those are the published Entry Year 2026 dates on TMDSAS, so the current EY2027 service dates above control. The school lists interview season beginning in July, while its process page describes weekly sessions from early August to mid-January. Exact Fall 2027 interview dates are not published. Applications Process

How selection works

Complete applications are reviewed for requirements and competitiveness before interview invitation. Published review factors include MCAT, science and overall GPA, undergraduate rigor and course selection, medical and non-medical extracurriculars, employment and its effect on development, recommendations, socioeconomic or disadvantaged background, communication in the personal statement, leadership, maturity, determination, motivation for medicine and regional origin. Admissions process

After each interview session, the Admissions Committee reviews credentials and interview evaluations and decides for or against admission. Acceptable candidates are ranked, and alternate vacancies are filled during rolling admissions after the match. The school publishes no numeric weights, academic screening threshold, interview rubric or committee voting threshold. Admissions process Applications

Interview details

Confirmed

Competitive complete applicants are invited to a full day of school orientation and interviews. The interview evaluates interest and knowledge of healthcare, motivation for medicine, personal characteristics and problem solving, and gives the applicant a chance to address questions. The FAQ adds maturity, ability to relate to people, organized communication and awareness of social, economic and ethical issues in medicine, particularly in Texas. Admissions process FAQ

The process page says sessions occur weekly from early August to mid-January; the FAQ says the season can run into mid-February.

Not published or conflicting

The current pages do not publish Fall 2027 modality or location, the number and length of interviews, interviewer roles, file access, structured stations, scoring rubric or interview weight. Because the official season endpoints conflict, applicants should use the date in their invitation rather than assume a final interview week.

Who this program may suit

Foster's mission and review emphasize El Paso, the border region and service beyond it. Regional origin is a published selection factor, and the state residency requirement shapes the class. Applicants should connect border-health or underserved-community interest to actual preparation and contribution rather than claim geographic fit without evidence. Admissions mission Admissions process

Paul L. Foster is the El Paso medical school and a stand-alone admissions identity from Texas Tech's Lubbock school; applicants must release CASPer specifically to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. JAMP and other assured pathways do not set the regular TMDSAS contract. Requirements

Practice and next step

Record a 90-second response about a healthcare or service experience in which local context changed your first assumption. State the observation, what you did, whose perspective you incorporated and how the result shaped your motivation for medicine. Review whether the local context changes your reasoning rather than appearing as background. Improve the weakest link, record a second response and compare specificity and humility. Then apply the same loop to one current Texas healthcare issue without pretending expertise you do not have.

Frequently asked questions

What are Foster's Fall 2027 deadlines?

TMDSAS is due October 1, 2026; the PLFSOM secondary is due December 1 at 5 p.m. Mountain; school preferences are due January 29 and Match Day is February 12, 2027. TMDSAS dates PLFSOM timeline

Is CASPer required?

Yes. A current-cycle result must reach PLFSOM before interview consideration. Requirements

Can non-Texas applicants apply?

Yes if they are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, but state rules require 90% of the entering class to be Texas residents. FAQ

What is the interview format?

The school confirms a full day with orientation and interviews, but does not publish current modality, count, duration or file access. Admissions process

Sources

Verified August 12, 2026. Current official sources: PLFSOM applications and secondary deadline, Requirements and CASPer, Selection and interview process, Admissions FAQ, Admissions mission and TMDSAS Entry Year 2027 dates.