2010-2011 University of Texas - Southwestern Application Thread

[doctor freak]

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Yay, congratulations! 🙂

Can I ask how the interview was? What kind of questions did they ask?

One of my friends was asked to walk his interviewer through the process of tying a shoe. (!?)

Haha, wow! No I didn't get any weird questions like that! I would strongly recommend going to the entire friday program, we had an AWESOME clinical rounds program and really thorough afternoon session- but best of all was that the admissions big wigs were there and interacted with you all day. It was a great relaxer and they constantly emphasized that we weren't gonna have "interviews" but "conversations". My interviews were just that - in my first interview I got asked pretty standard questions: what specialty do you want to go into, what's your biggest weakness/strength, what would your friends say was something negative about you (which honestly was a difficult question for me, since aren't really meant to criticize you...but oh well), and a hard question- name an ethical controversy in medicine and your stance on it. It seems pretty confrontational but it wasn't at all bc I felt well prepared and the guy was extremely friendly and humorous so it was no sweat. The second interview was even better - she asked what I would do if I didn't get into med school, what I would do iftheir were no longer any med schools, and ethical issue about reporting cheating, what I thought would be the hardest thing about med school...along those lines. Was really sweet and inviting - even walked me to lunch and gave some really great insight into the school. I didn't know I would leave so impressed!!! Now for sure my top choice 😀

 

[Coug]

It's good to hear that you had an awesome experience. I knew all those bad rumors weren't true!

 

[mrfuumanchu206]

That's exactly how I felt. I was lucky enough to prematch then, and y'all definitely have a good shot because UTSW historically fills a large percentage of its class through pre-match. Best of luck to you!!

 

[NickNaylor]

Interview day was pretty cool. For those of you who are curious, don't be compelled to go to the program on the day before the interview. It's informative, but you'll get the same information (though abbreviated) on interview day. It actually made interview day a bit of a beating since you basically got the same information twice.

Interview day schedule was like this:

9-10: Welcome
10-11: Interviews/tours (everyone is split into two groups; one group interviews, one group tours)
11-12: Interviews/tours
12-1:30: lunch (BBQ)
1:30-3: student-run presentations/information sessions

Have fun!

 

[Coug]

Interview day was pretty cool. For those of you who are curious, don't be compelled to go to the program on the day before the interview. It's informative, but you'll get the same information (though abbreviated) on interview day. It actually made interview day a bit of a beating since you basically got the same information twice.

Interview day schedule was like this:

9-10: Welcome
10-11: Interviews/tours (everyone is split into two groups; one group interviews, one group tours)
11-12: Interviews/tours
12-1:30: lunch (BBQ)
1:30-3: student-run presentations/information sessions

Have fun!

How many people were at your interview day?

 

[NickNaylor]

How many people were at your interview day?

It was a pretty large group. I would guess 50-60.

 

[NickNaylor]

It's good to hear that you had an awesome experience. I knew all those bad rumors weren't true!

The MS1s and MS2s are substantially more relaxed than the MS3s and MS4s, which I think correlates to when the grading system was changed. The difference is pretty identifiable; I'd be surprised if you didn't see it on interview day. Of course these are only generalizations, but I enjoyed talking with the younger students much more than the upperclassmen. I can easily see how UTSW got the gunner reputation in the past.

 

[Coug]

Hmm, thats weird. I guess there must have been some substantial changes in grading/curriculum set up?

 

[NickNaylor]

Hmm, thats weird. I guess there must have been some substantial changes in grading/curriculum set up?

Well they went from a normative curve (10% get high pass, 10% get pass, and so on) to a "you get what you earn" system. Now there are no limits on how many people get each grade.

 

[CaptainSSO]

Well they went from a normative curve (10% get high pass, 10% get pass, and so on) to a "you get what you earn" system. Now there are no limits on how many people get each grade.

Oh, I didn't catch that.

So it's done on a letter system now?

 

[addo]

Additionally, I think i read somewhere that the grading of the first semester of the first year is pass/fail. Is this accurate?

 

[NickNaylor]

Oh, I didn't catch that.

So it's done on a letter system now?

Yeah basically. I think it's an ABCF system.

addo, only the first semester is pass/fail. However, that includes biochem, anatomy, and two other courses, so I think they try to get the beasts out of the way while the grading is more lenient.

 

[ehmdee]

stupid UTSW twitter email...got all excited for nothing (waiting for an interview invite 🙂 )

 

[princessBP]

stupid UTSW twitter email...got all excited for nothing (waiting for an interview invite 🙂 )

hahha ME TOO!!! bummer

 

[PRATFO]

Dear UTSW,

It is cruel to send a man an important-sounding UT Southwestern Admissions email, only to tell me about your twitter feed. It tends to break people's hearts.

Your friend,

PRATFO

 

[texandoctobe]

Dear UTSW,

It is cruel to send a man an important-sounding UT Southwestern Admissions email, only to tell me about your twitter feed. It tends to break people's hearts.

Your friend,

PRATFO

Agreed. Does this mean we're in or out? Heck I'll make a twitter acct if they'll give me an interview invite!!

My payment went through 7/12 and UTSW got my app 8/30. High GPA but a high 20s MCAT. Does this mean I'm out of the running? I wish they'd send us emails saying they looked at our file and will not be granting an interview...

 

[CaptainSSO]

Yeah basically. I think it's an ABCF system.

addo, only the first semester is pass/fail. However, that includes biochem, anatomy, and two other courses, so I think they try to get the beasts out of the way while the grading is more lenient.

Good

 

[SterlingArcher]

Interview an invite about an hour ago! I was complete about a week ago (damn TMDSAS) and was happy to see that they give you a selection of a few dates. Anyone gone to the clinical rounds Friday thing yet?

 

[miraclemd]

Hey everyone,

Does anyone know if graduate bio coursework would count toward the bio prerequisite? On TMDSAS' website it doesn't say that it does, but UT Southwestern's doesn't mention anything about it at all.

thanks!

 

[NickNaylor]

Interview an invite about an hour ago! I was complete about a week ago (damn TMDSAS) and was happy to see that they give you a selection of a few dates. Anyone gone to the clinical rounds Friday thing yet?

I would go to the rounds thing if you can, but I don't think it's something worth losing sleep over. It's a pretty long day, and you'll get pretty much the same information on interview day. If it's easy for you to go, though, I would go.

 

[SterlingArcher]

I would go to the rounds thing if you can, but I don't think it's something worth losing sleep over. It's a pretty long day, and you'll get pretty much the same information on interview day. If it's easy for you to go, though, I would go.

Thanks for the advice, I'll probably end up going because it seems pretty unique and I have family in Dallas I can stay with so it won't cost too much extra to be there on Friday.

 

[dbeast]

I cannot f-ing believe I've been sitting around wondering where my secondary email has been for this school... seriously did I miss anything in their complete email that says how to complete it or what?

Oh well... time to write another essay

 

[NickNaylor]

I cannot f-ing believe I've been sitting around wondering where my secondary email has been for this school... seriously did I miss anything in their complete email that says how to complete it or what?

Oh well... time to write another essay

I don't remember receiving an e-mail from them saying to complete it. TMDSAS, however, makes it pretty clear that you have to complete a secondary, and I think there's even a link.

 

[ecl3c7ic]

.

 

[thitchcock]

My TMDSAS finally transmitted last week (after spending a month and a half processing 😕), and much to my surprise, I got an interview invite three days ago! I guess this backs up the idea that they just a GPA/MCAT cutoff for "guaranteed interviews"...considering how many applications they're probably wading through right now, there's no way they could have gone through my app that quickly unless they were just looking for numbers.

Funny thing is...three days after the interview invite appeared in my inbox, I finally got an email from UTSW confirming the that they received my application, saying "It is difficult to anticipate when you might hear from us regarding the status of your application".

what are your stats if you dont mind me asking

 

[ninefivethree]

My TMDSAS finally transmitted last week (after spending a month and a half processing 😕), and much to my surprise, I got an interview invite three days ago! I guess this backs up the idea that they just a GPA/MCAT cutoff for "guaranteed interviews"...considering how many applications they're probably wading through right now, there's no way they could have gone through my app that quickly unless they were just looking for numbers.

Funny thing is...three days after the interview invite appeared in my inbox, I finally got an email from UTSW confirming the that they received my application, saying "It is difficult to anticipate when you might hear from us regarding the status of your application".

I have a friend with a 3.9 and 38, two years of intense research, and an unbelievable amount of shadowing/surgery observing and she hasn't heard anything except the "under review" email. Her app was transmitted end of July

 

[TigerTownTexan]

My TMDSAS finally transmitted last week (after spending a month and a half processing 😕), and much to my surprise, I got an interview invite three days ago! I guess this backs up the idea that they just a GPA/MCAT cutoff for "guaranteed interviews"...considering how many applications they're probably wading through right now, there's no way they could have gone through my app that quickly unless they were just looking for numbers.

Funny thing is...three days after the interview invite appeared in my inbox, I finally got an email from UTSW confirming the that they received my application, saying "It is difficult to anticipate when you might hear from us regarding the status of your application".

Same exact thing happened to me. 2 days turnaround b/t TMDSAS transmitting and the interview invite email. Got worried when I saw the second "Had Received the Application" email.

 

[ecl3c7ic]

.

 

[ecl3c7ic]

.

 

[peabody2]

I heard the traffic in Dallas downtown is in a mess almost every morning. Which hotel would you recommend so that the traffic will likely not be a problem if you stay there? Is there any hotel within the walking distance of the medical school?

 

[rufusdoofus]

Is there any hotel within the walking distance of the medical school?

Before you stay in a hotel, make sure to check if there are any big events going on in Dallas. My hotel was basically a rowdy drunken frat house because of the Texas / Oklahoma game being held in town the same day as the interview. I understand that pretty much all hotels in the area were the same way. Very little sleep...... 😡

 

[NickNaylor]

There are some super ghetto (read: don't stay there) hotels that are about a 5 minute walk from Southwestern. There's a hotel across the highway from the school, but I'd guess it'd be about a 15 minute walk. You'll probably want to take a cab or something. And traffic isn't horrible. I live about ~15 miles away from Southwestern, and it usually takes me about 20 or 25 minutes to get there using the highway during rush hour.

 

[tako]

Just received an interview invite for 10/23!! (This was at 11:40 p.m. too, so apparently UTSW likes sending them out kinda late 😛) Transmitted 8/04 -- so STOKED!

 

[LazyDSledge]

Just received an interview invite for 10/23!! (This was at 11:40 p.m. too, so apparently UTSW likes sending them out kinda late 😛) Transmitted 8/04 -- so STOKED!

Dude I know! wtf are peoples doing up at 12:39 in the morning?!

🙂

(transmitted the same day)

 

[Coug]

Anybody else get the Access to UTSW Learning Management with username and password email?

 

[NickNaylor]

Anybody else get the Access to UTSW Learning Management with username and password email?

Yeah, you use that to do the HIPAA training if you signed up to attend the clinical day.

 

[Coug]

Yeah, you use that to do the HIPAA training if you signed up to attend the clinical day.

Yeah I saw that, but I actually went to the interview (and rounds) a couple of weeks ago so I was kinda confused why it was showing up now

 

[NickNaylor]

Yeah I saw that, but I actually went to the interview (and rounds) a couple of weeks ago so I was kinda confused why it was showing up now

Lol, dunno about that then. I never got another e-mail after my interview.

 

[Tutankhamun]

Yeah I saw that, but I actually went to the interview (and rounds) a couple of weeks ago so I was kinda confused why it was showing up now

I got one of those, too, with my interview a couple weeks ago. I don't think it means anything.

 

[doctor freak]

Anybody else get the Access to UTSW Learning Management with username and password email?

Same here...was kinda hoping that meant something, lol 😛

 

[Coug]

Guess it's just one of those things. Though I really wanted to do the HIPAA training again... 🙂

 

[spacemanxxx]

Just received an interview invite for 10/23!! (This was at 11:40 p.m. too, so apparently UTSW likes sending them out kinda late 😛) Transmitted 8/04 -- so STOKED!

Its the same with me. Transmitted 8/04, Interview invite for 10/23 last night. Danced with joy 😀 & 😴.
Sent request for student housing & clinical rounds. No reply today. Hopefully, the Clinical thing isn't filled up yet. Otherwise, I wasted two hours on that HIPAA certification already.

 

[SterlingArcher]

Thought the interview weekend was pretty awesome as well as the students there (met mostly 1st and 2nd years), but if you go to the entire Friday program things start to get really repetitive (but tons of free food). Hope my OOS-ness doesn't keep me from getting accepted!

 

[georgearms]

Did anyone get the feeling that the students here weren't..well..too happy? I dunno, everyone seemed kinda stressed? Maybe I got the wrong impression, it was puzzling though. It could have been exam time..I mean, med school is stressful haha

 

[NickNaylor]

Did anyone get the feeling that the students here weren't..well..too happy? I dunno, everyone seemed kinda stressed? Maybe I got the wrong impression, it was puzzling though. It could have been exam time..I mean, med school is stressful haha

I didn't get the impression that ALL of the students were stressed, however I thought there was a definite distinction between the older and younger students with respect to demeanor. The older students seemed to be more high-strung.

 

[georgearms]

I didn't get the impression that ALL of the students were stressed, however I thought there was a definite distinction between the older and younger students with respect to demeanor. The older students seemed to be more high-strung.

Yeah, I think you're right. Maybe I met the 4th years anxious about residency.

 

[KTD]

Did anyone get the feeling that the students here weren't..well..too happy? I dunno, everyone seemed kinda stressed? Maybe I got the wrong impression, it was puzzling though. It could have been exam time..I mean, med school is stressful haha

MS1s also have a bunch of tests coming up (one tomorrow actually!) and we are a little more stressed than usual. If you talked to any MS1s you probably just caught some of the "blacktober" stress, we usually aren't so bad.

I think students here take school seriously, but we aren't losing our minds. The school really pushes the notion that we are med students AND people and I think we've bought into it pretty well--making sure we stay well-rounded and take care of ourselves.

 

[DrDrummer]

Non-awesome GPA applicants, take heart. Interviewing here soon (albeit late in the season) with a 3.6ish and < 3.5 sGPA. (34 MCAT if it matters.)

I don't think they have any ridiculous cutoffs.

 

[roberco0908]

Anyone headed here for an interview this Sat.? I'll be @ the Friday rounds too! 👍

 

[tako]

Anyone headed here for an interview this Sat.? I'll be @ the Friday rounds too! 👍

Me! I unfortunately have a test on Friday and won't be able to make the clinical rounds thing :/ But I'm really looking forward to/nervous about Saturday. Eek!