I pre-matched Tech, UTH, and UTSA. MY problem is, I can't decide between Tech and UTH. While Tech is my undergrad institution, I can't decide if it is where I want to do medical school. My biggest concern is with the clinical training at Texas Tech. I haven't really heard much, good or bad. Do any current students have any input? I know that UTH emphasized their clinical training on interview day, whereas Tech really didn't. I also can't decide how I feel about the class being split between the three sites. I am from Amarillo, but having worked in the hospitals there, I know the pt. variance is pretty minimal. My decision has pretty much become a Texas Medical Center vs. closeness to friends and family. Does anyone have any opinions either way?
So, i apologize if you heard this on your interview day, but i'm going to guess I wasn't a DA for that day because I totally stress how awesome our exposure is. I think if you got the impression we didn't talk about 3rd/4th yr much it is because all of the deans ambassadors are 2nd years so we haven't gone through it yet. But we get ALL if not more clinical training here than in Houston. we start our mandatory clinic time within 2 weeks of starting school. That is only once a month, but if you are interested in learning more 'hands on' you can shadow, learn as much as you want! We only go to class 1/2 a day, so if you don't mind studying at night you can use the other 1/2 to be in clinic/surgery/etc.
I want to be a surgeon and I SCRUBBED IN for 5 hours on a surgery where they were replacing a woman's abdominal aorta! This was when i had only been in medical school for 2 months. I wasn't even done with anatomy yet and I was holding a retractor on a woman's liver. One of the residents preceded to teach me the aortic pathway post the illiac split by drawing on the drapings.
I've never been told no when i've asked to shadow/learn. Even though lubbock itself isn't that big we serve a population over a million because so many things get flown in. We have one of the only burn centers in HOURS and hours away.
In my preceptor now (mandatory clinic in 2nd year) i've spent hours researching mysterious symptoms that a patient presented with. and I can do as much of the "clinic" part of that as I want.
As far as the campuses, well... all 3 are great but since they are looking at designing it more in a "match" system, since you pre-matched you have a decent shot at getting your first choice (don't quote me on that, but this is my understanding). I personally am a single non-house owner who got Lubbock for 3rd and 4th because i wanted to be around the level 1 trauma/ burn.
I'll stop hogging the board but this is something i'm super passionate about so feel free to PM me if you have any more specific questions about the clinical training. I'm originally from southeast texas, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE it here at Tech and I wouldn't chose to go anywhere else for 3rd and 4th even if someone gave me the option of transferring medical schools!
Oh and ps I worked at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Lukes so i'm relatively familiar with the Texas medical center. It is definitely a great place, but for learning purposes I still would stay here in Lubbock.
🙂 Again PM me if you want to know more about why I say that.
) for today, or they are stringing them out throughout the day? also,
