The Republic of Texas XXXIII: Lone Star State Pride

[Make Or Break]

Any updates guys? Seems pretty quiet.

I think a lot of schools have their FB groups set up by now so a lot of the communication happens on there.

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[TXdoc18]

Found this chart from last year's 2014 match day for Texas medical schools.

1. I wonder which school is which (3 schools had a 100% match rate after match day/SOAP/scramble
2. Isn't having 10 students not match even after SOAP/scramble pretty high?

http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=31107

 

[SweetCaroline7]

That chart is...curious. Those seem like pretty large numbers of unmatched students. I wonder if we could figure out which school is which just by looking at their match statistics individually?

On another note, can anyone weigh in on the following: I'd like to answer a TX school's secondary question about leisure activities with what I truly do on the weekends and in my free time, which is spend time with my family. This would be the only aspect of my application that is not an activity directly related to medicine (or required for an application to medical school, however you want to see it). The truth is that I do not have "leisure" activities because my free time is spent with them, and we do a lot of activities in our city (try new restaurants, go to the movies, park). Is it a terrible idea to answer in this way?

 

[radkat101]

Found this chart from last year's 2014 match day for Texas medical schools.

1. I wonder which school is which (3 schools had a 100% match rate after match day/SOAP/scramble
2. Isn't having 10 students not match even after SOAP/scramble pretty high?

http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=31107

Those numbers are fine for all schools.

 

[InsertMemberNameHere]

That chart is...curious. Those seem like pretty large numbers of unmatched students. I wonder if we could figure out which school is which just by looking at their match statistics individually?

On another note, can anyone weigh in on the following: I'd like to answer a TX school's secondary question about leisure activities with what I truly do on the weekends and in my free time, which is spend time with my family. This would be the only aspect of my application that is not an activity directly related to medicine (or required for an application to medical school, however you want to see it). The truth is that I do not have "leisure" activities because my free time is spent with them, and we do a lot of activities in our city (try new restaurants, go to the movies, park). Is it a terrible idea to answer in this way?

No, it is completely fine to say you spend most of your leisure time with family. Not every one of your answers has to directly relate to medicine or why you want to be a doctor - especially this question! Just be honest and candid with your response, and try it make it meaningful and thoughtful.

If I remember correctly, I believe Texas Tech Lubbock's secondary application asked that question! Message me or post here if you have any additional questions or concerns about essays or the medical school application process in general, and I or someone else might be able to help you. Thanks!

 

[LChristmas]

Found this chart from last year's 2014 match day for Texas medical schools.

1. I wonder which school is which (3 schools had a 100% match rate after match day/SOAP/scramble
2. Isn't having 10 students not match even after SOAP/scramble pretty high?

http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=31107

The class that entered in 2010 matriculated 1470 students, so 98.2% of Texas students matched in the Class of 2014 (not including those who chose not to scramble/soap). I don't feel like digging through other years to look for a trend, but this match rate seems pretty good to me.

https://www.tmdsas.com/Final Statistics Report-EY10 - Medical.pdf

 

[Earl Simmons]

Going to bump this up now that it's April. It would be interesting come May/June to compile where the Texas SDN'ers are headed and tips we learned for future applicants

 

[Make Or Break]

Going to bump this up now that it's April. It would be interesting come May/June to compile where the Texas SDN'ers are headed and tips we learned for future applicants

Cool. I'll start since I already know where I am going.

UTMB bay-bay!!!

Advice to future applicants?

Never give up. The MCAT will be stressful, interviews will be stressful, waiting for an answer will be stressful, but in the end you need to ask yourself how badly you want this. Keep your eyes on the prize and continue pushing forward.

 

[clairephillips]

Going to bump this up now that it's April. It would be interesting come May/June to compile where the Texas SDN'ers are headed and tips we learned for future applicants

My turn! I'm going to UTHSCSA! My advice is for nontrads, like me: be patient with yourself... there's so much to do to prepare for your MCAT and apply, but if you will be patient with yourself, do some piece of the work every day, and just keep plugging, you CAN and WILL make it!

 

[MSUspartansx4]

my advice:

1. Not sure about the 2 new schools, but currently 5/8 TMDSAS schools have secondary applications that you do not need to be invited to complete, everyone fills them out. Don't make the mistake of waiting for an invitation, and complete them ASAP.

2. After you submit the 5 TMDSAS secondary applications, call all 5 of them soon after to make sure they received it and everything else they need. At least 3 of those 5 schools had secondary application glitches this year and mistakingly deleted some applicants' secondaries (so they were never received), which applicants didn't find out about until months after with no interview invitation.

 

[Make Or Break]

my advice:

1. Not sure about the 2 new schools, but currently 5/8 TMDSAS schools have secondary applications that you do not need to be invited to complete, everyone fills them out. Don't make the mistake of waiting for an invitation, and complete them ASAP.

2. After you submit the 5 TMDSAS secondary applications, call all 5 of them soon after to make sure they received it and everything else they need. At least 3 of those 5 schools had secondary application glitches this year and mistakingly deleted some applicants' secondaries (so they were never received), which applicants didn't find out about until months after with no interview invitation.

Agreed. Go in with the mindset for EVERYTHING that it is better to be safe than sorry.

 

[SweetCaroline7]

@MSUspartansx4 and @Make Or Break, if I understand correctly from the 2014-2015 school-specific threads, TTU Lubbock actually insisted that they had everyone's secondary. So all of those applicants with lost secondaries were just out of luck? Do you have any recommendations for us 2015-2016 applicants, given that at least one school insisted nothing was wrong when people asked?

 

[Earl Simmons]

I'm not set on where I'm going yet, but I have a couple of tips:
1. Apply EARLY! This is so important
2. Practice interviewing. Get a friend to grill you a couple of times and you will be more than prepared for the Texas interviews, which are pretty laid back. Also, practice your handshake and eye contact.
3. Pre-write secondaries because they hardly change, if at all.
4. Ask for rec letters well in advance. Ideally, the only thing you want to be waiting on to submit your TMDSAS are your final spring semester grades.
5. Patience is a virtue! I cannot emphasize this enough. You might get into a school 1 year after you apply! That's how long this process is, so be patient and things will work out

I'll add more tips later!

 

[MSUspartansx4]

@MSUspartansx4 and @Make Or Break, if I understand correctly from the 2014-2015 school-specific threads, TTU Lubbock actually insisted that they had everyone's secondary. So all of those applicants with lost secondaries were just out of luck? Do you have any recommendations for us 2015-2016 applicants, given that at least one school insisted nothing was wrong when people asked?

It is unfortunate, which is why everyone needs to be proactive and double check everything is complete soon after they submit. As for the Tech situation, I guess all you can do is call them soon after you submit to make sure everything was received adequately, reiterate your interest in the school, and maybe express that you had known people from the 2014-2015 cycle that had experienced a long delayed processing date? All we can do is believe the admissions offices though, and after looking at what some applicants experienced with the Tech secondary mishap, maybe future applicants who submit their secondaries can monitor when their secondary applications are "processed," if it's been a while without being processed, could be a clue something's going on. For reference, I was marked complete on Tech's secondary portal 9 days after I submitted everything (1 day for Tech Foster's portal). The school's admissions departments are there to help, so definitely use it! The date you submit (and when they receive everything completely) can be extremely important.

 

[chijumi]

I got in to a few Texas schools, but I don't feel like an expert! Haha

Here's some stuff I learned, I'm sure not everyone will agree:
1) It's not all about numbers - I know we hold ourselves to impossible standards as pre-med students, but half of the incoming class will be below the average. If you have something to add to the class, then grab onto that and don't let go.
2) Have multiple people tear your personal statement apart - it's one of the last things you can change at this point preparing to apply. I think this year at least one of the former optional essays will be required. Also show your reviewers the prompts, because everything in the essay has to relate back to you and the prompt.
3) Don't ignore the activity descriptions - those should take you a few days of re-reading and editing. Every word on your app is important, and if a description is not adding anything for the admissions committee, then maybe you should leave that activity off.
4) As everyone else has said, be PATIENT. Things take forever, every office is crazy busy, but things will happen when they happen. Keep an eye out here to see when people are submitting and getting verified and if your timeline is very askew, then absolutely call in, but otherwise wait for things to finish.
5) Make your timeline for everything and stick with it. E.g) Third draft of essays finished by X date. Y secondaries will be submitted by Z date.
6) Go into this cycle only if you honestly believe you are ready to apply. It is perfectly fine to wait a year, your career is not going away. On the other hand, even if you believe you are fantastic, it would be silly to not have an idea of alternate plans if you don't get in (Masters program, job, continuing research with a professor).

I'm sure there is a lot more I am forgetting, but that's all for now.

 

[lizzietx615]

In a super surprising turn of events, I was accepted off the wait list today at UT Southwestern. I matched to UTHSCSA and now feel so torn about what to do. I really enjoyed the environments and people at both schools on interview day and could see myself being very happy at either school. Anybody have any input, advice, or opinions?

 

[BillrothI]

In a super surprising turn of events, I was accepted off the wait list today at UT Southwestern. I matched to UTHSCSA and now feel so torn about what to do. I really enjoyed the environments and people at both schools on interview day and could see myself being very happy at either school. Anybody have any input, advice, or opinions?

I think it comes down to how you feel about the new curriculum at UTSW. If you're excited about it and feel that the potential rewards outweigh the risk, then I'd go for UTSW. However, if you'd be more comfortable being a part of a more established, tried-and-true curriculum, then UTHSCSA would probably be the better option.

I definitely understand why you're feeling torn. UTHSCSA has an outstanding pre-clinical curriculum. In fact, it's probably my favorite among all of the TX schools. UTSW's new curriculum looks promising, but the class of 2019 might experience some hiccups since it is so new and so different from the previous model. That said, UTSW is higher up in the rankings, and they offer unparalleled research opportunities, so it really is a tough call.

Congrats on your acceptance, and best of luck with your decision!

-Bill

 

[Calimd2019]

In a super surprising turn of events, I was accepted off the wait list today at UT Southwestern. I matched to UTHSCSA and now feel so torn about what to do. I really enjoyed the environments and people at both schools on interview day and could see myself being very happy at either school. Anybody have any input, advice, or opinions?

Congrats! They're both great schools, however if the only thing you're concerned about is the new curriculum UTSW is switching to, I'll spread what was told to me by current students at different TX schools: don't be deterred by new curriculums. Schools are constantly comparing, improving, and changing their curriculums because nothing can be 100% perfect - they SHOULD be changing, improving, adapting. There's a reason UTSW, A&M, UTHSCSA (probably more) have all drastically changed curriculums in the last year. Many schools will continue to change/add to their curriculums and will still produce great, successful doctors. I understand being cautious, but keep that in mind.

You're in a great position, if price and pre-clinical curriculum is comparable to you, where do you prefer to live...Dallas or SA? How do the rotation hospitals compare (quality and residency positions) for UTSW vs UTHSCSA?

 

[Garurumon]

my advice:

1. Not sure about the 2 new schools, but currently 5/8 TMDSAS schools have secondary applications that you do not need to be invited to complete, everyone fills them out. Don't make the mistake of waiting for an invitation, and complete them ASAP.

2. After you submit the 5 TMDSAS secondary applications, call all 5 of them soon after to make sure they received it and everything else they need. At least 3 of those 5 schools had secondary application glitches this year and mistakingly deleted some applicants' secondaries (so they were never received), which applicants didn't find out about until months after with no interview invitation.

Yikes, #2 is a problem I definitely don't want to run into. Thanks for bringing it up. I don't like making calls, but in the end I'll do what I gotta do. #INTJproblems

 

[MSUspartansx4]

Yikes, #2 is a problem I definitely don't want to run into. Thanks for bringing it up. I don't like making calls, but in the end I'll do what I gotta do. #INTJproblems

I hear ya, I didn't want to sound annoying either, but understand that the admissions office is there to help us. I agree we need to be patient, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with calling them to confirm they received everything properly not long after you submitted. The admissions offices I spoke to were extremely nice and seemed happy to help.

 

[Gsb653]

Going to bump this up now that it's April. It would be interesting come May/June to compile where the Texas SDN'ers are headed and tips we learned for future applicants

By no means any expert here but I had good success with getting interviews and was very happy with my acceptances. I'm heading to Baylor in the fall and here are a few things I picked up from the whole application cycle and interviews.

1) Essays and LORs are very essential. I think that is what I received comments on the most in my interviews, the fact that I had very strong letters of rec (from professors/PIs that new me very well) and the fact that my essays were interesting and original. (Also, do EVERY essay. Some say optional, but if you really want to get in, they are not. You need to use every possible chance to differentiate yourself from other candidates.) Obviously GPA and MCAT are important, but if you have stats decent enough, the essays and letters are where you can really stand out.
2) GET PATIENT INTERACTION. And then write and talk about how that interaction impacted you. This was something I was asked about at almost every interview and I always felt like speaking about these interactions was a great way to convey compassion and all of those traits AdComs are looking for in future physicians.
3) Take your time. I graduated undergrad in Dec. 2012 and decided to take the time to make my application the absolute best that it could be. There were multiple people that advised me to not do this but it ended up being the best decision I ever made. You know yourself better than anyone else. Trust your gut. If you decide to take a gap year(s) then be sure to be productive with that time, but also enjoy yourself a little. It's not for everyone, but had I not taken this time, I would not have had the success I did with this application cycle.

I also agree with everything else mentioned above, be patient, make a timeline and stick to it, and don't give up!

 

[SweetCaroline7]

I'm loving all the seasoned advice in this thread. Thanks guys!

Can anyone remember if Baylor's requirements have changed since last year?
https://www.bcm.edu/education/schools/medical-school/admissions/requirements

I'm curious whether the "Advanced Biology" requirement is any upper-level biology class and they are just listing genetics and cell/molecular biology as examples or if they require one of those two specifically.

 

[texan2414]

Thank you all for your feedback above guys. As someone applying for the upcoming EY2016 cycle, I am learning a lot from you guys!!

I wanted to ask if you can expand a little bit on Stress Interviews - I know some applicants have had stress interviews at UTMB. If you have had one of these interviews, can you please describe your experience? How can someone best prepare for these and really how "stressful" are they? Do you have to defend your assertions as in a debate or an argument? What non-cognitive factors could these be testing in an interview, besides maintaining composure and logical thought.

I'm trying to know as much as I can about the different types of interviews so I can be successful this cycle. Any input is available.

Best,

 

[ecolik-12]

Thank you all for your feedback above guys. As someone applying for the upcoming EY2016 cycle, I am learning a lot from you guys!!

I wanted to ask if you can expand a little bit on Stress Interviews - I know some applicants have had stress interviews at UTMB. If you have had one of these interviews, can you please describe your experience? How can someone best prepare for these and really how "stressful" are they? Do you have to defend your assertions as in a debate or an argument? What non-cognitive factors could these be testing in an interview, besides maintaining composure and logical thought.

I'm trying to know as much as I can about the different types of interviews so I can be successful this cycle. Any input is available.

Best,

Its really a crap shoot and depends on your luck. I honestly know several people that have had stress interviews at several of the UT schools and Baylor (I myself had a stress interview at one of these schools). You cant really prepare for these much like you can't prepare for other stressful situations that pop-up that you are going to deal with on the fly. Some interviewers are plain mean and some are trying to rattle you but the bottom line is that you have to believe in yourself and believe in the stance you take. If you can back it up with logic and sound reasoning, there is no wrong answer. Be tactful, listen to what they are saying, take a few seconds to compose yourself and state your opinion in a logical manner.

 

[tl0100]

Here's my 2 cents of advice for everyone applying soon!..
I took the MCAT 4 times and applied to med school 3 times. But here I am with an acceptance to UTSW Getting in is not all about numbers. Of course your mcat/gpa are very importnant, but not everything. If you have a story or something unique- tell it! Don't be shy to brag on yourself. & don't be discouraged by rejections.. You can't fail unless you give up. Good luck!!

 

[Gsb653]

Thank you all for your feedback above guys. As someone applying for the upcoming EY2016 cycle, I am learning a lot from you guys!!

I wanted to ask if you can expand a little bit on Stress Interviews - I know some applicants have had stress interviews at UTMB. If you have had one of these interviews, can you please describe your experience? How can someone best prepare for these and really how "stressful" are they? Do you have to defend your assertions as in a debate or an argument? What non-cognitive factors could these be testing in an interview, besides maintaining composure and logical thought.

I'm trying to know as much as I can about the different types of interviews so I can be successful this cycle. Any input is available.

Best,

So I think I had a few of what you would call "stress interviews," along with some other difficult questions.

At my first interview, one of my interviewers was extremely friendly and everything was very conversational. My other interview was very different, however. I arrived to the interviewers office and the first thing they said when I sat down was, "I am going to ask you a lot of questions, now." And that is exactly what this person did. I got anything from "What experiences in your undergrad prepared you for medical school," to "When was a time that you dealt with a stressful situation is a good way and one that you dealt with in a bad way." Honestly, I think for most of these interviews, they are just wanting to know how you handle yourself under a slightly pressured situation. Also, don't necessarily take how the interviewers react as any indication on how you did. This particular person did not crack a smile once, nor give any verbal or non-verbal cues as to how I was doing or how they felt about my answers. I did not leave this particular interview feeling very positive, and yet this was one of the schools I pre-matched at. So really, you just never know.

The second school I interviewed at definitely threw me my most stressful interview. This interviewer quite literally dissected my application and addressed anything they considered a weakness. However, after answering their questions to the best of my ability, they gave me some very good feedback and explained why they dug so deep. In this case, the interviewer really wanted a candidate that was intimately familiar with all aspects of their application (i.e. Did I really understand my research, did my patient experiences truly affect me like I had written, did I have reasons for everything I did, ect.) I talked with one applicant after our interviews that had the same individual and she, too, had been asked about a part of her research, but she had forgotten about a certain part since it was so long ago. She told me that this did not go over too well with this particular interviewer. So from this particular experience, I would say know exactly what is on your application, essays, awards, research, EVERYTHING. Because anything you put down is fair game. On that same note, this was the only interview I had that basically went through everything. Most interviews only focused on one or two things (i.e. you played X sport? Cool, tell me about that. Or you volunteered at X clinic, explain how this affected you.)

At another interview, the entire conversation was going great and then the interviewer looked at their watch and said, "Well, 5 minutes left...let's see...how do you feel about physician assisted suicide?" It really threw me for a loop, and the person definitely wanted a definitive stance so I wasn't able to just skirt around the issue with "Well, it isn't so black and white." But again, I think in this situation, the interviewer was really looking for poise and the ability to formulate an answer when thrown a curve ball.

This was actually a common occurrence for me at interviews, I got asked my views on multiple ethical issues. Twice was I asked about physician assisted suicide, twice I was asked about someone refusing X medical treatment based on religious views and once I was asked about prescribing birth control to a minor without consent of their parents. So I would definitely be aware of hot ethical issues of the moment before your interviews, but as long as you are true to your views and honest, I think these aren't too hard to handle.

The last thing I will talk about is an interviewer that was slightly offensive. I played a sport all the way through college and this particular interviewer said something along the lines of "I am not very familiar with X sport, but when I think about it, I think of rich, white people that have nothing better to spend their money on. What do you think about this?" Just to give some context, I am a white female and my interviewer was a non-white male who, from his own admission, came from an underserved area in another country. So although slightly offended at his assumption, I felt as through I was slightly trapped in a corner (which may have been his intention, I don't really know.) Anyways, I dealt with this by saying that although I understood where his incorrect assumption came from, he was actually quite wrong in his stereotype. I then politely explained all the sport had done for me and my family...yadda yadda. Again, my though here was that he was trying to rile me up a bit and see how I reacted.


All in all, I don't think I really did anything to prepare, per say, for these type of interviews. I just went into them with the mindset that they were going to happen and to stay calm and answer them as best as I could. The one thing I did prepare for, however, was the usual questions, "Why medicine, why not something else, ect." These were also asked all the time. I made sure for those that I had solid answers prepared that I practiced many times in advance.

Yikes, sorry for the long post....but I hope this helps!!

 

[texan2414]

@Gsb653

Thank you for sharing the breadth and depth of your interviewing experiences... Very informative and helpful!!

 

[zathrus]

I'm loving all the seasoned advice in this thread. Thanks guys!

Can anyone remember if Baylor's requirements have changed since last year?
https://www.bcm.edu/education/schools/medical-school/admissions/requirements

I'm curious whether the "Advanced Biology" requirement is any upper-level biology class and they are just listing genetics and cell/molecular biology as examples or if they require one of those two specifically.

I sure hope they changed...I didn't take Biochem. I like to think I would have noticed if that was a requirement, or someone would have said something...

As for the Advanced Biology, I assume Baylor would tackle it case-by-case. Ecology or Mycology might not be what they're looking for.

 

[Gsb653]

@Gsb653

Thank you for sharing the breadth and depth of your interviewing experiences... Very informative and helpful!!

My pleasure! I am by no means an expert here, but I had a pretty broad interview experience with pretty good results. So let me know if you have any questions! I'd be happy to share anything about my experiences throughout the application cycle.

 

[zathrus]

For interviews and the application cycle, I'll add to the echo chamber and say: submit early! I didn't submit until the end of July for pretty much no reason at all. I just didn't want to write the Personal Statement. It didn't end up hurting me, but it was dumb of me to wait that long. Time flies. Get a draft done now, or at least bullet points. I will happily give anyone advice on a PS.

As for interviews, I ran the whole Texas gamut, and don't think I had a single "stress" interview in...16 opportunities? I had some strange interviewers, but no one was directly challenging me for anything. I will say this: identify the biggest weakness in your app, and come up with an answer for every possible question regarding it. My biggest weakness was lack of direct shadowing. I did a lot of clinically-relevant volunteering, but it wasn't usually me tagging along with a physician. One interviewer spoke calmly and soothingly and asked me softball questions the entire time so I was feeling very relaxed and casual. Suddenly came a blunt, direct question about shadowing and I got really flustered because it caught me so off-guard. Looking back, it was beautifully done on the interviewer's part. I still kick myself with what I should have answered. And I was asked to say like four weaknesses about myself and I had only thought of three stock answers to give in interviews, so I'm sure I looked like a real jerk who can't think of ways he isn't perfect.

Despite that, I still got in.

So if you have a weakness in your app, have some sort of answer ready. Whether is honest or stretches the truth or is a little white lie or is an outright fabrication is up to your own moral compass (and how easy you think it'll be to get caught).

Also, answer directly. If I were the interviewer, I would hate if someone got all wishy-washy for every single question I asked. If they give you a forced choice between "this" or "that", just pick one. Stick to your guns. Doctors need to be confident.

If one of your interviewers is a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist, don't mention your mother. If you do talk about your mother, you'll realize your mistake, and somehow just keep bringing her up and he will just stare into your soul the whole time.

Have a lot of questions ready for your interviewer. Ask about the support for doing research, support for doing shadowing/being mentored, what are some things to know about handling medicine from the business side of things, life as a physician, how did you choose a specialty, how did you choose to be in academic medicine, would you recommend it, etc. One interviewer asked me like two generic questions, and then said, "Ok, do you have any questions for me?" I had to interview him for 20 minutes, and he would give extremely short answers ("Yep" or "Not really, no") before saying, "Anything else?" Awkward.

Unless you really think that you will be the greatest academic researcher in the world, or the most specialized surgeon, or whatever...where you go for med school won't make a huge difference. Don't go to a school because of US News and World Report. Go to a city and a school you like. Use the curriculum as just about the last criterion for choosing a school. Every school churns out hundreds of students every year who all did just fine on Step because they studied their butts off like everyone else in the country. I think it's silly how worked up people get curricula. All schools are flexible enough to let you carve out your own little niche and get in a good residency if you work hard enough.

Also, gap years are great. I did three...probably would have been fine with just two, but it took me a while to figure out that what I wanted to do.

 

[Gsb653]

For interviews and the application cycle, I'll add to the echo chamber and say: submit early! I didn't submit until the end of July for pretty much no reason at all. I just didn't want to write the Personal Statement. It didn't end up hurting me, but it was dumb of me to wait that long. Time flies. Get a draft done now, or at least bullet points. I will happily give anyone advice on a PS.

As for interviews, I ran the whole Texas gamut, and don't think I had a single "stress" interview in...16 opportunities? I had some strange interviewers, but no one was directly challenging me for anything. I will say this: identify the biggest weakness in your app, and come up with an answer for every possible question regarding it. My biggest weakness was lack of direct shadowing. I did a lot of clinically-relevant volunteering, but it wasn't usually me tagging along with a physician. One interviewer spoke calmly and soothingly and asked me softball questions the entire time so I was feeling very relaxed and casual. Suddenly came a blunt, direct question about shadowing and I got really flustered because it caught me so off-guard. Looking back, it was beautifully done on the interviewer's part. I still kick myself with what I should have answered. And I was asked to say like four weaknesses about myself and I had only thought of three stock answers to give in interviews, so I'm sure I looked like a real jerk who can't think of ways he isn't perfect.

Despite that, I still got in.

So if you have a weakness in your app, have some sort of answer ready. Whether is honest or stretches the truth or is a little white lie or is an outright fabrication is up to your own moral compass (and how easy you think it'll be to get caught).

Also, answer directly. If I were the interviewer, I would hate if someone got all wishy-washy for every single question I asked. If they give you a forced choice between "this" or "that", just pick one. Stick to your guns. Doctors need to be confident.

If one of your interviewers is a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist, don't mention your mother. If you do talk about your mother, you'll realize your mistake, and somehow just keep bringing her up and he will just stare into your soul the whole time.

Have a lot of questions ready for your interviewer. Ask about the support for doing research, support for doing shadowing/being mentored, what are some things to know about handling medicine from the business side of things, life as a physician, how did you choose a specialty, how did you choose to be in academic medicine, would you recommend it, etc. One interviewer asked me like two generic questions, and then said, "Ok, do you have any questions for me?" I had to interview him for 20 minutes, and he would give extremely short answers ("Yep" or "Not really, no") before saying, "Anything else?" Awkward.

Unless you really think that you will be the greatest academic researcher in the world, or the most specialized surgeon, or whatever...where you go for med school won't make a huge difference. Don't go to a school because of US News and World Report. Go to a city and a school you like. Use the curriculum as just about the last criterion for choosing a school. Every school churns out hundreds of students every year who all did just fine on Step because they studied their butts off like everyone else in the country. I think it's silly how worked up people get curricula. All schools are flexible enough to let you carve out your own little niche and get in a good residency if you work hard enough.

Hahaha "he will stare into your soul the whole time."

I'll second the greatest strengths and weaknesses questions and having answers to them. I'll also add that when answering the weakness questions, try to shape your answers in a positive light. For example, if your greatest weakness is being way too self-critical, try framing your answer something like this, "I would have to say that my greatest weakness is being extremely self-critical, but while I continue to work on cutting myself a little slack, I think that this characteristic has been helpful in learning to take criticism well from others..." or something like that. You get my drift. I would shy away from saying something negative about yourself without having the last word be something at least slightly positive.

I also second the "have questions ready." I had one interviewer tell me that they liked the questions I asked him because it showed that I had genuine interest in that particular school. It might even be a good idea to ask questions about school specific programs, even if you aren't 100% interested in that program. It always looks good to seem like you've done your homework

 

[texan2414]

Hahaha "he will stare into your soul the whole time."

I'll second the greatest strengths and weaknesses questions and having answers to them. I'll also add that when answering the weakness questions, try to shape your answers in a positive light. For example, if your greatest weakness is being way too self-critical, try framing your answer something like this, "I would have to say that my greatest weakness is being extremely self-critical, but while I continue to work on cutting myself a little slack, I think that this characteristic has been helpful in learning to take criticism well from others..." or something like that. You get my drift. I would shy away from saying something negative about yourself without having the last word be something at least slightly positive.

I also second the "have questions ready." I had one interviewer tell me that they liked the questions I asked him because it showed that I had genuine interest in that particular school. It might even be a good idea to ask questions about school specific programs, even if you aren't 100% interested in that program. It always looks good to seem like you've done your homework

What sorts of questions did you have for your interviewers? Also, are applicants given notice in advance who their interviewers are? I would like to brush up a little on my interviewer and their past research, medical / clinical interests, etc. so I can formulate the right kinds of questions to ask during the interview - would I have time to do that?

Thanks,

 

[LChristmas]

What sorts of questions did you have for your interviewers? Also, are applicants given notice in advance who their interviewers are? I would like to brush up a little on my interviewer and their past research, medical / clinical interests, etc. so I can formulate the right kinds of questions to ask during the interview - would I have time to do that?

Thanks,

I asked questions that were not easily found on their website. That's a very important thing to consider, and why preparation is very important. I think zathrus had some good general questions above that you could keep in your arsenal. I don't think I could add much more to that.

I found out who my interviewers were when I arrived in the morning, and did a quick, frantic google search in the half an hour before it started. I also reached out to people I knew at the school who gave me some insight on them. All I knew going into the interview was that one was in clinical medicine and the other was in research. Now that I think about it more, I actually asked the Dean of Admissions about my interviewers too... He was very nice and gave me about a one sentence synopsis of each person. Keep in mind that they are trying to sell the school to you as much as you're trying to sell yourself to the school.

The rumor mill has it that you could call the admissions office and politely ask them if they could tell you who your interviewers will be. I stress politely because they are busy during interview season, going out of their way to help you, they will know exactly who you are when you call, and they will have your file right there with them. If you're a d*ck, then rest assured that everyone in the office will know about it (including your interviewers).

 

[PantherPride]

You don't find out about your interviewers till interview day. A lot of people would look them up to see what they do but I wouldn't recommend looking up past research papers or something like that cause I could see it coming off as creepy lol

 

[Amalfi.aqua]

Speaking as a Texas hopeful for EY 2016, this thread has been very helpful. Thank you for the interview insights!

 

[PrinceofMaladies]

Glad to see this good ol' Republic of Texas thread active again.

The only advice I have for the next batch of applicants is... APPLY EARLY!
I didn't submit until August because... well I was just too lazy to finish up my essays and whatnot. The waiting period after submitting sucked since I saw everyone else getting their interview invites while I was still waiting for verification.

Oh and the dean of UTHSCSA told us that 1/4 people that applied in May were invited for interview compared to only 1/10 that applied in August. He also said they ended up running out of interview spots altogether and had to reject people they otherwise would have interviewed.
So yeah, apply early y'all!

P.S. I'm matriculating to UTMBae

 

[clairephillips]

Glad to see this good ol' Republic of Texas thread active again.

The only advice I have for the next batch of applicants is... APPLY EARLY!
I didn't submit until August because... well I was just too lazy to finish up my essays and whatnot. The waiting period after submitting sucked since I saw everyone else getting their interview invites while I was still waiting for verification.

Oh and the dean of UTHSCSA told us that 1/4 people that applied in May were invited for interview compared to only 1/10 that applied in August. He also said they ended up running out of interview spots altogether and had to reject people they otherwise would have interviewed.
So yeah, apply early y'all!

P.S. I'm matriculating to UTMBae

I believe to my core that I had a more limited number of interviews for little reason other than a late application. I applied in August as well because I needed the summer to study for the MCAT. Ultimately, I was accepted to two schools anyway, one of which I had set my sights on long before starting my app, but my other favorite never even have me an interview, and my stats were well within interview range. My interviews also ended up extremely late, putting me at a real disadvantage for prematches/matches. Did I end up with a favorable result? You bet! Did I get the best result I could have? Absolutely not. So, get your app in as early as you can, but don't stress if you absolutely can't get it in early. It is still possible.

 

[ecolik-12]

I believe to my core that I had a more limited number of interviews for little reason other than a late application. I applied in August as well because I needed the summer to study for the MCAT. Ultimately, I was accepted to two schools anyway, one of which I had set my sights on long before starting my app, but my other favorite never even have me an interview, and my stats were well within interview range. My interviews also ended up extremely late, putting me at a real disadvantage for prematches/matches. Did I end up with a favorable result? You bet! Did I get the best result I could have? Absolutely not. So, get your app in as early as you can, but don't stress if you absolutely can't get it in early. It is still possible.

This X 100! I dilly-dallied with my MCAT and applied in August as well. I am grateful to have been accepted but save yourself the heart-ache and the long waiting process by applying early. I strongly believe I would have interviewed at other schools if I applied in May

 

[DokterMom]

Oh and the dean of UTHSCSA told us that 1/4 people that applied in May were invited for interview compared to only 1/10 that applied in August. He also said they ended up running out of interview spots altogether and had to reject people they otherwise would have interviewed.

Quoted for emphasis.
This belongs in a sticky.

 

[Gsb653]

I asked questions that were not easily found on their website. That's a very important thing to consider, and why preparation is very important. I think zathrus had some good general questions above that you could keep in your arsenal. I don't think I could add much more to that.

I found out who my interviewers were when I arrived in the morning, and did a quick, frantic google search in the half an hour before it started. I also reached out to people I knew at the school who gave me some insight on them. All I knew going into the interview was that one was in clinical medicine and the other was in research. Now that I think about it more, I actually asked the Dean of Admissions about my interviewers too... He was very nice and gave me about a one sentence synopsis of each person. Keep in mind that they are trying to sell the school to you as much as you're trying to sell yourself to the school.

The rumor mill has it that you could call the admissions office and politely ask them if they could tell you who your interviewers will be. I stress politely because they are busy during interview season, going out of their way to help you, they will know exactly who you are when you call, and they will have your file right there with them. If you're a d*ck, then rest assured that everyone in the office will know about it (including your interviewers).

Eh...I wouldn't call and ask who your interviewers are...it doesn't really help you anyways. Plus, to me, it would sound like you were asking for an unfair advantage. You can do the whole google thing, I did out of curiosity, but I didn't ask any specific questions based on what I googled. In general you could ask then interviewer what type of research they do or what type of clinician they are, but that's it.

One question I asked every interviewer was, "If you could change one thing about the school, what would it be?" Along with general questions, like what they think the school excels at, what they like about the city, ect. I also asked questions about specific programs, like for UTHSCSA, I asked about their regional academic health programs. At Baylor, I asked about their tropical medicine program... things like that.

Oh, oh...and ALWAYS send thank you notes/ e-mails. This is soooo important. I even had an interviewer tell me that I should do that for every interview that I go to.

Ah, and another piece of advice. When you submit a photo for your application, MAKE SURE you look professional. The dean at UTHSCSA straight up told us that if you didn't have a professional looking photo, they threw your application in the trash (actually, I believe he said if your photo is of you shirtless on vacation, it's going in the trash, or something to that effect.) It may sound harsh, but it's true. You don't need to go pay money to get them done, but get someone to take a photo of you wearing a suit/ nice blouse, clean cut, with a neutral background and good lighting. That's what I did.

 

[estanton]

Ah, and another piece of advice. When you submit a photo for your application, MAKE SURE you look professional. The dean at UTHSCSA straight up told us that if you didn't have a professional looking photo, they threw your application in the trash (actually, I believe he said if your photo is of you shirtless on vacation, it's going in the trash, or something to that effect.) It may sound harsh, but it's true. You don't need to go pay money to get them done, but get someone to take a photo of you wearing a suit/ nice blouse, clean cut, with a neutral background and good lighting. That's what I did.

^ Ha he told us "if you're holding a fish it's an automatic no." It basically just needs to be a portrait/headshot/passport photo. This is NOT your opportunity to show how cool and fun you are.

 

[ecolik-12]

^ Ha he told us "if you're holding a fish it's an automatic no." It basically just needs to be a portrait/headshot/passport photo. This is NOT your opportunity to show how cool and fun you are.

Dr.Jones is hilarious.

 

[clairephillips]

Dr.Jones is hilarious.

I agree! I'm a huge fan of Dr. Jones and am very lucky to be attending UTHSCSA!

 

[Make Or Break]

UTMB just went true pass/fail!!!

 

[ShakaChaka]

Is it harder to get oos to other states in the United States of America as a Texas or California State resident?

 

[LChristmas]

Is it harder to get oos to other states in the United States of America as a Texas or California State resident?

CA has virtually no IS bias.

A TX resident with good stats will have trouble applying to OOS schools because they know students will choose schools that are equally as prestigious but half the price. If you are a TX resident, then you will get into a TX school way before you will get an OOS acceptance.

Does that answer your question?

 

[iforget2]

Can anyone comment on how lenient Texas schools are on deferrals? So far I only know UTH is a no on deferrals

 

[clairephillips]

Can anyone comment on how lenient Texas schools are on deferrals? So far I only know UTH is a no on deferrals

I know that UTHSCSA and TTEP will consider it on a case by case basis.

 

[ShakaChaka]

CA has virtually no IS bias.

A TX resident with good stats will have trouble applying to OOS schools because they know students will choose schools that are equally as prestigious but half the price. If you are a TX resident, then you will get into a TX school way before you will get an OOS acceptance.

Does that answer your question?

My last question on this is, if I have mid-low tier stats (3.68cpga, 3.7sgpa(upward trend) 29mcat(10,10,9P) would the other oos over look the fact that I am from Texas and look at my application the same as someone who had my stats from California?

Hmm. I wonder what my chances are to getting accepted to Texas medical schools with my raw stats? I am ORM, but they might not have that many Asians in that state lol.

Thanks L Christmas!

 

[LChristmas]

My last question on this is, if I have mid-low tier stats (3.68cpga, 3.7sgpa(upward trend) 29mcat(10,10,9P) would the other oos over look the fact that I am from Texas and look at my application the same as someone who had my stats from California?

Hmm. I wonder what my chances are to getting accepted to Texas medical schools with my raw stats? I am ORM, but they might not have that many Asians in that state lol.

Thanks L Christmas!

If you apply to every school in Texas, you'll get some interest from a few. So long as your ECs are in order...