University of North Texas (UNTHSC/TCOM) Discussion Thread 2016 - 2017

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Accepted on the portal and a few minutes later by email!!! So excited! This school was so impressive on interview day!

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Accepted on the portal and a few minutes later by email!!! So excited! This school was so impressive on interview day!
So jealous. Throw in a good word for me ;)
 
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Reviewing over my application, I suddenly feel like my response to their secondary question on motivation for pursuing osteopathic medicine was somewhat weak. My question is do they accept update letters and would it be worth it to email them with a more recent experience or is my app pretty much going to get tossed at this point? I'm an in-state resident and my LizzyM is 68-69 for reference.

Wondering if anyone has any input on this?
 
Reviewing over my application, I suddenly feel like my response to their secondary question on motivation for pursuing osteopathic medicine was somewhat weak. My question is do they accept update letters and would it be worth it to email them with a more recent experience or is my app pretty much going to get tossed at this point? I'm an in-state resident and my LizzyM is 68-69 for reference.

I did ask them about update letters and they said they accept them. It's probably hard for anyone to say whether your app has been thrown in the garbage yet, but I doubt it! If I was in your shoes I would send them an update letter and maybe try to express yourself a little better in regards to Osteopathic medicine.
 
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II!!! Super excited for this one. Lizzy M 64. IS. Completed 7/28.
 
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II!!! Super excited for this one. Lizzy M 64. IS. Completed 7/28.
Fort Worth cultural district is a sweet little area. Check out the botanical gardens if you have time. They are free and just minutes away from campus.
 
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Congrats!!! Was it by email or phone call?
I can answer.
A nice lady named Caroline will call for II's with an unknown number. They also update your portal a few hours before the call to "You have been invited to interview" I don't think they email, so check your portal status if you missed a call from unknown and clear room on your voicemail.
 
I can answer.
A nice lady named Caroline will call for II's with an unknown number. They also update your portal a few hours before the call to "You have been invited to interview" I don't think they email, so check your portal status if you missed a call from unknown and check your voicemail.

Lol, Small Town Texas posted around lunch time and all I could think about was, "Well, they're having lunch so they'll call me after lunch time. Yeah, that's it!"
Almost 4pm and nothing yet today :(.
 
Is there anyone here that has got an interview with a sub-par mcat score? I have a 500 mcat/3.6 GPA and I really want to go this school so I can stay close to my parents :(

500 Mcat

127 physical
121 verbal
125 Bio
127 PSych
 
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I
Lol, Small Town Texas posted around lunch time and all I could think about was, "Well, they're having lunch so they'll call me after lunch time. Yeah, that's it!"
Almost 4pm and nothing yet today :(.
I have been creeping the other Texas school forums and when I see II's given out, I tap portal refresh excitedly all day and as the afternoon ends I get sad.
By the way, how has the application cycle going for you? You replied to a WAMC threads a while back giving me hope.
 
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I

I have been creeping the other Texas school forums and when I see II's given out, I tap portal refresh excitedly all day and as the afternoon ends I get sad.
By the way, how has the application cycle going for you? You replied to a WAMC threads a while back giving me hope.

Glad to hear! I don't remember what I said. Interviewed at ACOM and just got an ATSU-SOMA II yesterday. I'll be sending a few more primaries after I get a LOR from a professor. I'm excited to move to Arizona since it's a metropolitan area, but UNT is my top choice right now after realizing how much I'll save in tuition alone, how good a school it is, and I won't even have to move from my apartment! I'm all for doing their SMP if this cycle goes badly.
 
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Thei
Is there anyone here that has got an interview with a sub-par mcat score? I have a 500 mcat/3.6 GPA and I really want to go this school so I can stay close to my parents :(

500 Mcat

127 physical
121 verbal
125 Bio
127 PSych

Their avg MCAT for acceptances was 504.6 according to the orientation. The verbal might be a problem. I suggest a retake to get it to 123. I have a 123 verbal and I got love from here. With a 2 point MCAT improvement, I bet you would get some love from TCOM. Also, if you want to go here, they love to hear rural. Both interviewers asked me about my rural interests. I didn't commit to rural, and I feel bad for that and my rural interests have even gone up since the orientation.

Try up your verbal to atleast 123 and express a rural interest for TCOM love. Just west of Tarrant county it gets rural quickly.
 
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Is there anyone here that has got an interview with a sub-par mcat score? I have a 500 mcat/3.6 GPA and I really want to go this school so I can stay close to my parents :(

500 Mcat

127 physical
121 verbal
125 Bio
127 PSych

Man, I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but 121 is not good. 121 is a 5-6? Perhaps even call the school and try to ask? They might be nice about it.
Thei


Their avg MCAT for acceptances was 504.6 according to the orientation. The verbal might be a problem. I suggest a retake to get it to 123. I have a 123 verbal and I got love from here. With a 2 point MCAT improvement, I bet you would get some love from TCOM. Also, if you want to go here, they love to hear rural. Both interviewers asked me about my rural interests. I didn't commit to rural, and I feel bad for that and my rural interests have even gone up since the orientation.

Try up your verbal to atleast 123 and express a rural interest for TCOM love. Just west of Tarrant county it gets rural quickly.

Yeah, and before they took down their old stats, the previous few class years had a range of 22-34 or so. I'm not sure how special those 22s were, but it was there.
 
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Glad to hear! I don't remember what I said. Interviewed at ACOM and just got an ATSU-SOMA II yesterday. I'll be sending a few more primaries after I get a LOR from a professor. I'm excited to move to Arizona since it's a metropolitan area, but UNT is my top choice right now after realizing how much I'll save in tuition alone, how good a school it is, and I won't even have to move from my apartment! I'm all for doing their SMP if this cycle goes badly.
You told me about the TCOM/Fort Worth area and I really love it. Fort Worth rent is nice, it has that urban-country feel to it.
I hope you get into TCOM. Congrats on the ATSU II. Arizona is nice also, I spent some time at Ft. Huachuca once.
 
Thei


Their avg MCAT for acceptances was 504.6 according to the orientation. The verbal might be a problem. I suggest a retake to get it to 123. I have a 123 verbal and I got love from here. With a 2 point MCAT improvement, I bet you would get some love from TCOM. Also, if you want to go here, they love to hear rural. Both interviewers asked me about my rural interests. I didn't commit to rural, and I feel bad for that and my rural interests have even gone up since the orientation.

Try up your verbal to atleast 123 and express a rural interest for TCOM love. Just west of Tarrant county it gets rural quickly.
Ya I know man, I have been an ESL student my whole life and I have struggled with english even though I was born in Cali. Lmao

If you don't mind me asking, what was your mcat score/GPA? I am not trying to take the mcat again lol, Luckily, I have been getting interest from out of state schools. Also I am a reapplicant, I can't wait another year, my rents getting old (dad has Parkinsons) so I am trying to stay in Fort Worth
 
Man, I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but 121 is not good. 121 is a 5-6? Perhaps even call the school and try to ask? They might be nice about it.


Yeah, and before they took down their old stats, the previous few class years had a range of 22-34 or so. I'm not sure how special those 22s were, but it was there.
It was most likely from Jamp students. I had a friend who was in Jamp program and he had like a 22 mcat score
 
Ya I know man, I have been an ESL student my whole life and I have struggled with english even though I was born in Cali. Lmao

If you don't mind me asking, what was your mcat score/GPA? I am not trying to take the mcat again lol, Luckily, I have been getting interest from out of state schools. Also I am a reapplicant, I can't wait another year, my rents getting old (dad has Parkinsons) so I am trying to stay in Fort Worth

So you are bilingual? That could be a plus. Verbal is a pain for some of us, I can't imagine how difficult it would be for ESL. CARS is my struggle also.
Sure, 507
~3.7 sGPA
~3.8ish cGPA
 
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You told me about the TCOM/Fort Worth area and I really love it. Fort Worth rent is nice, it has that urban-country feel to it.
I hope you get into TCOM. Congrats on the ATSU II. Arizona is nice also, I spent some time at Ft. Huachuca once.

Are you not from DFW? Where are you from? I just love DFW in general, because there is something for any lifestyle.
 
Are you not from DFW? Where are you from? I just love DFW in general, because there is something for any lifestyle.
SE Houston near the Gulf Coast. It was my first time in Ft. Worth and I spent the day before the interview exploring. I went to the Japanese and Botanical gardens. It was great. Walked around Camp Bowie/University Blvd/7th street. Fancy area and I felt safe. I can see why some people would choose TCOM over some of the Texas MD schools. I have a nice pic from the library roof I took during the student ambassador tour overlooking the cultural district. I snapped it discreetly, trying not to look like a nerd.

The anatomy lab was nice. 24/7 access, groups of 5 per body. I didn't expect the anatomy lab to be so legit. It was my first time inside a medical school so I didn't know what to expect. You get an Apple Macbook 2nd day of class, the entire lab was wired with imacs.
 
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SE Houston near the Gulf Coast. It was my first time in Ft. Worth and I spent the day before the interview exploring. I went to the Japanese and Botanical gardens. It was great. Walked around Camp Bowie/University Blvd/7th street. Fancy area and I felt safe. I can see why some people would choose TCOM over some of the Texas MD schools. I have a nice pic from the library roof I took during the student ambassador tour overlooking the cultural district. I snapped it discreetly, trying not to look like a nerd.

The anatomy lab was nice. 24/7 access, groups of 4-5 per body. I didn't expect the anatomy lab to be so legit. It was my first time inside a medical school so I didn't know what to expect. You get an Apple Macbook 2nd day of class, the entire lab was wired with imacs.

Damn it, my friend graduated class of '14 from TCOM and he had a Windows PC. I guess change is good.

Awesome that you liked Fort Worth! What's great about DFW is that you're not trapped within Fort Worth if you live in the area. You can enjoy Dallas and its amenities easily without driving for hours.
 
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Is there anyone here that has got an interview with a sub-par mcat score? I have a 500 mcat/3.6 GPA and I really want to go this school so I can stay close to my parents :(

500 Mcat

127 physical
121 verbal
125 Bio
127 PSych
I had a 500 MCAT score. But I also have a 3.8+ gpa, very strong ECs and incredible LORs. This was my 4th II, so you can definitely overcome the low MCAT score as long as you put together a strong application elsewhere.
 
I had a 500 MCAT score. But I also have a 3.8+ gpa, very strong ECs and incredible LORs. This was my 4th II, so you can definitely overcome the low MCAT score as long as you put together a strong application elsewhere.
Were any of those other II in Texas? If so, could you share which ones and when you were complete?
Congrats.
 
Yeah. TTU Lubbock, and UIW (New DO school in San Antonio).

Nice. Good Luck. You seem to be doing something right. I am feeling uncertain with only a single interview. Teach me your ways.
 
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II! Completed secondary on 10/7 and II on 10/13. Can anyone shed light on the interview day? Thanks in advance!
 
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I also had a quick question about what the application status page looks like for you? The only item related to status I see on the page is "Application is Complete", is that what it is until you either get invited for a II or released?
 
I also had a quick question about what the application status page looks like for you? The only item related to status I see on the page is "Application is Complete", is that what it is until you either get invited for a II or released?

That is what I had until I was invited for an interview. When I received an interview, my status changed to "You have been invited for an interview." I hope you hear back soon!
 
II! Completed secondary on 10/7 and II on 10/13. Can anyone shed light on the interview day? Thanks in advance!
There are 3 interview groups. Some people interview in the mornings before lunch and some interview in the afternoon. Expect a group of 20-30 per interview day.
On Fridays the hospital tour is Cook's Children hospital and Tuesdays is JPS county hospital tour.
Interviews are 30 mins and questions are pretty standard.
Student ambassador tours take you through Library, OMM lab, anatomy lab, and lecture hall.
When get there, you do a file check, get a badge and then sit in an orientation room with other interviewers until your interview time. You just go up to the room and you don't wait to be called. (For early morning interviews )
It's chill and pretty organized.
The tension was heavy at first and then everyone got friendly and chatted as the day progressed. No social pre-interview. No student interviewers, faculty only. Mostly conversational.
Have fun, good luck.
 
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There are 3 interview groups. Some people interview in the mornings before lunch and some interview in the afternoon. Expect a group of 20-30 per interview day.
On Fridays the hospital tour is Cook's Children hospital and Tuesdays is JPS county hospital tour.
Interviews are 30 mins and questions are pretty standard.
Student ambassador tours take you through Library, OMM lab, anatomy lab, and lecture hall.
When get there, you do a file check, get a badge and then sit in an orientation room with other interviewers until your interview time. You just go up to the room and you don't wait to be called.
It's chill and pretty organized.
The tension was heavy at first and then everyone got friendly and chatted as the day progressed. No social pre-interview. No student interviewers, faculty only. Mostly conversational.
Have fun, good luck.
I will say there were some differences for mine. Both of my interviewers came out and got me, I was waiting in the waiting area. My interviews weren't until 3:00 and 4:30, but many had theirs in the morning and right after lunch. Also, all of the other applicants were super friendly right from the beginning. But I agree, it'a definitely relaxed. So enjoy it!
 
I also had a quick question about what the application status page looks like for you? The only item related to status I see on the page is "Application is Complete", is that what it is until you either get invited for a II or released?

I hope ours is not in the "Application is Complete, but we're going to send you a rejection letter by snail mail, probably near Christmas time to lessen the blow" pile.
 
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From a first year here who ranked this school last (simply because of the DO degree, not bc of my interview experience), let me just say incredible this school is. My classmates are highly supportive, the curriculum is designed to help you handle the material in the way that fits you best (MLMs are not mandatory but very helpful and lectures are all recorded), the admin is very receptive to student feedback, there are really fascinating guest lectures and opportunities like the culinary medicine course, and apparently there will soon be a... "medicinal" garden on campus for research studies. (No really, just for drug research studies.)
 
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From a first year here who ranked this school last (simply because of the DO degree, not bc of my interview experience), let me just say incredible this school is. My classmates are highly supportive, the curriculum is designed to help you handle the material in the way that fits you best (MLMs are not mandatory but very helpful and lectures are all recorded), the admin is very receptive to student feedback, there are really fascinating guest lectures and opportunities like the culinary medicine course, and apparently there will soon be a... "medicinal" garden on campus for research studies. (No really, just for drug research studies.)

That's entirely the presentation I was given from the interview. Great to hear! I'm seriously hoping for a pre match in November!


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Interviewed back in August and would love to go here. Can any current students share their thoughts on the new tcu medical school sharing the same campus as tcom?
 
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Interviewed back in August and would love to go here. Can any current students share their thoughts on the new tcu medical school sharing the same campus as tcom?

I interviewed in August and fell in love with this school as well. However, I would really like to hear more input from current students about the TCU-UNT MD school opening up in 2018, since from news reports it seems that they will be sharing the same campus resources and similar clinical sites as TCOM
 
I interviewed in August and fell in love with this school as well. However, I would really like to hear more input from current students about the TCU-UNT MD school opening up in 2018, since from news reports it seems that they will be sharing the same campus resources and similar clinical sites as TCOM

I would like to know about this too. They didn't mention this at all at interview day and I only heard about this recently. I'm kind of bugged about it right now!

One thing about TCOM that I didn't like was how crowded the building was! I mean, it might have just been a test day or something, but I didn't see any places that weren't full of students, even in the library. There seem to be lots of students on campus between the different programs in that one building. Even if TCU doesn't use the main campus (that seems weird if they would) the thought of a new MD program coming in and siphoning research and rotation resources is a big turn off! The class size at TCOM is already rather large! I don't want to sound like a brat but I think it's a legitimate concern. But, I guess for the class of 2021 we would only have a small first class below us. Am I off base?
 
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The new TCU med school is something we literally never talk/think about. It won't affect my class because the first class starts once we hit the wards. Not sure how they will accommodate 60 students but the long-term plan is to move TCOM and TCU Med to the hospital district in FW. As for now, there is plenty of room. The MET building is exclusively reserved for TCOM first- and second-years. All other programs are in the buildings by the library and patient health clinic.

Establishing an MD school occurred for three reasons: a) expand GME in Fort Worth, which currently has plenty of hospitals but very few residency programs, b) enhance revenue (obviously) c) keep our current rotation spots in our grasp. The rumor is that UTSW and Weill Cornell Med were seeking to co-opt rotations and hospital affiliations away from us. In the long run, this is a great move for the school.
 
How quickly do TCOM students begin getting clinical experience? I think I read somewhere that students are sent to primary care facilities during their first semester.
 
How quickly do TCOM students begin getting clinical experience? I think I read somewhere that students are sent to primary care facilities during their first semester.

We have standardized patient encounters within the first month for the longitudinal Med Practice course.

There is also SAGE, where med students pair up with students from nursing, PT, PA, etc. and make monthly visits to basically "hang out," but also treat, senior citizens. That starts second semester.

The clubs have pretty cool experiences too. In Sports Med, we volunteer at med triage tents in local sports events and football/basketball games.
 
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