2011-2012 Texas Tech (El Paso) Application Thread

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Will be attending the 8/18 One. I transmitted 5/20. I haven't heard back from any of the other schools 🙁 I didn't turn in my secondaries for some until mid-late june. I hope that's why.

hah yea same here actually on both counts, transmitted primary 6/11 and secondaries 6/24, I'm sure we will be hearing from other schools soon.
 
Yay! interview invite!! still have to choose 8/18 or 8/25 😍
 
If any of last years applicants are on here could you tell us when we will find out who we will interview with? Will we know ahead of time so we can research them or do they wing it when we show up?

still no aug 4th interviews?
 
If any of last years applicants are on here could you tell us when we will find out who we will interview with? Will we know ahead of time so we can research them or do they wing it when we show up?

still no aug 4th interviews?

I can say from previous experience that you will probably find out your interviewer(s) when you check in on interview day. If you have a smart phone, which I don't, then you have plenty of time (3 minute bathroom break) to learn the interviewers specialty and alma mater. Enough to break the ice and have a decent conversation. Hope this helps.
 
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When I interviewed here, we got our list of interviewers and times in the morning, but none of the interviews (from what I heard) were scheduled until the afternoon, after lunch, since the morning is usually taken up by school tours, information sessions, etc.

Oh, and just a quick update about housing: We found out a few days ago that they changed our weekly formative exams from Mondays to Thursdays, meaning that a lot of us might not want to host students on Wednesday night because we'll be studying. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes...
 
Thanks for the updates Beets, I am actually really excited about El Paso and would love to get to see the school a little better. I went out to San Diego for spring break and drove through it on the way and honestly was kind of 'meh' about the city but talking to people about the city got me a little stoked to hear from the committee there. I remember it was like 2 different worlds off the interstate, the school to the north and everything else to the south. How do you like living there?
 
Thanks Beets. Haha I'm so tired this morning that I thought your response said you guys would be too busy "partying" to house students and had to read it again 🙂

That's unfortunate, but I'm glad you told us because now I'll go about booking a hotel. Still hope to see you guys around campus on interview day!
 
Thanks for the updates Beets, I am actually really excited about El Paso and would love to get to see the school a little better. I went out to San Diego for spring break and drove through it on the way and honestly was kind of 'meh' about the city but talking to people about the city got me a little stoked to hear from the committee there. I remember it was like 2 different worlds off the interstate, the school to the north and everything else to the south. How do you like living there?

I actually really love living here. The downside for me, as it probably would be for most of you, is how far away it is from my family and my boyfriend. The city itself is very different depending on what part you're in. On the west side, you've got more of a suburban feel, with lots of new stores, chain restaurants, nice neighborhoods, apartment complexes, etc. A lot of the nightlife is on the west side around UTEP, where they have several bars and restaurants. There are a few nightclubs downtown for people who are into that kind of thing, but I can't give you much of a review about that, since I haven't personally been. There are two malls: Sunland Park Mall and Cielo Vista Mall. Sunland Park is on the west side of the city and is a little smaller, but still nice. Cielo Vista Mall is a couple of miles east of the school and is quite a bit larger, but it appears older. It has several higher end stores that Sunland Park doesn't have, though. We also have an outlet mall that's maybe 5 miles down I-10 from where most people live.

For people who like the outdoors, there are lots of cool hiking trails in the Franklin Mtns, ranging in difficulty from beginner to more advanced (where you'll encounter chains to help you climb, etc.). There's also a cool amphitheater on the east side situated on the mountain in McKelligon Canyon. They hold concerts and shows there sometimes, and in fact this Friday I'll be checking out the Viva El Paso show that they've got going on, which includes the history of El Paso through the ages and some folklorico dancing. The Ron Coleman trail also starts at McKelligon Canyon, which is the more advanced trail I was mentioning before.

The central and eastern parts of the city are older for the most part, which is where the school is located. There is some new growth to the far east and near Ft. Bliss, but that's more as you get to the outskirts of the city, from what I've encountered. Commute times haven't been bad so far. It takes me approximately 15 minutes to get to school in the morning, but that will most likely increase when UTEP is back in session for the fall.

I hope that gives you a pretty good idea of the layout of El Paso and what it has to offer. You might not see all of the cool stuff when you come for your interview, considering most of it is not near the school or airport, but trust me, it's there!

Did you guys have any more specific questions about El Paso? I can't say much right now about workload, considering regular classes start next week, but I will say that all of the faculty and staff I've encountered so far have been extremely kind and helpful. They're very approachable, which is important to me. I don't feel nervous about asking them questions, emailing them, etc.
 
I actually really love living here. The downside for me, as it probably would be for most of you, is how far away it is from my family and my boyfriend. The city itself is very different depending on what part you're in. On the west side, you've got more of a suburban feel, with lots of new stores, chain restaurants, nice neighborhoods, apartment complexes, etc. A lot of the nightlife is on the west side around UTEP, where they have several bars and restaurants. There are a few nightclubs downtown for people who are into that kind of thing, but I can't give you much of a review about that, since I haven't personally been. There are two malls: Sunland Park Mall and Cielo Vista Mall. Sunland Park is on the west side of the city and is a little smaller, but still nice. Cielo Vista Mall is a couple of miles east of the school and is quite a bit larger, but it appears older. It has several higher end stores that Sunland Park doesn't have, though. We also have an outlet mall that's maybe 5 miles down I-10 from where most people live.

For people who like the outdoors, there are lots of cool hiking trails in the Franklin Mtns, ranging in difficulty from beginner to more advanced (where you'll encounter chains to help you climb, etc.). There's also a cool amphitheater on the east side situated on the mountain in McKelligon Canyon. They hold concerts and shows there sometimes, and in fact this Friday I'll be checking out the Viva El Paso show that they've got going on, which includes the history of El Paso through the ages and some folklorico dancing. The Ron Coleman trail also starts at McKelligon Canyon, which is the more advanced trail I was mentioning before.

The central and eastern parts of the city are older for the most part, which is where the school is located. There is some new growth to the far east and near Ft. Bliss, but that's more as you get to the outskirts of the city, from what I've encountered. Commute times haven't been bad so far. It takes me approximately 15 minutes to get to school in the morning, but that will most likely increase when UTEP is back in session for the fall.

I hope that gives you a pretty good idea of the layout of El Paso and what it has to offer. You might not see all of the cool stuff when you come for your interview, considering most of it is not near the school or airport, but trust me, it's there!

Did you guys have any more specific questions about El Paso? I can't say much right now about workload, considering regular classes start next week, but I will say that all of the faculty and staff I've encountered so far have been extremely kind and helpful. They're very approachable, which is important to me. I don't feel nervous about asking them questions, emailing them, etc.
👍 thanks. Do you have any suggestions on who to contact for questions regarding our application? It has been hard to get a reply from Dr. S, and I heard Mr. Snelling was gone for a while.
 
I actually really love living here. The downside for me, as it probably would be for most of you, is how far away it is from my family and my boyfriend. The city itself is very different depending on what part you're in. On the west side, you've got more of a suburban feel, with lots of new stores, chain restaurants, nice neighborhoods, apartment complexes, etc. A lot of the nightlife is on the west side around UTEP, where they have several bars and restaurants. There are a few nightclubs downtown for people who are into that kind of thing, but I can't give you much of a review about that, since I haven't personally been. There are two malls: Sunland Park Mall and Cielo Vista Mall. Sunland Park is on the west side of the city and is a little smaller, but still nice. Cielo Vista Mall is a couple of miles east of the school and is quite a bit larger, but it appears older. It has several higher end stores that Sunland Park doesn't have, though. We also have an outlet mall that's maybe 5 miles down I-10 from where most people live.

For people who like the outdoors, there are lots of cool hiking trails in the Franklin Mtns, ranging in difficulty from beginner to more advanced (where you'll encounter chains to help you climb, etc.). There's also a cool amphitheater on the east side situated on the mountain in McKelligon Canyon. They hold concerts and shows there sometimes, and in fact this Friday I'll be checking out the Viva El Paso show that they've got going on, which includes the history of El Paso through the ages and some folklorico dancing. The Ron Coleman trail also starts at McKelligon Canyon, which is the more advanced trail I was mentioning before.

The central and eastern parts of the city are older for the most part, which is where the school is located. There is some new growth to the far east and near Ft. Bliss, but that's more as you get to the outskirts of the city, from what I've encountered. Commute times haven't been bad so far. It takes me approximately 15 minutes to get to school in the morning, but that will most likely increase when UTEP is back in session for the fall.

I hope that gives you a pretty good idea of the layout of El Paso and what it has to offer. You might not see all of the cool stuff when you come for your interview, considering most of it is not near the school or airport, but trust me, it's there!

Did you guys have any more specific questions about El Paso? I can't say much right now about workload, considering regular classes start next week, but I will say that all of the faculty and staff I've encountered so far have been extremely kind and helpful. They're very approachable, which is important to me. I don't feel nervous about asking them questions, emailing them, etc.

Hey Beets,

Do you have any idea the number of hours Paul L. Foster students are scheduled to be in the classroom? Is it like Lubbock where they only go in the mornings and are expected to do a lot of self study or is it different?

Thanks!
 
👍 thanks. Do you have any suggestions on who to contact for questions regarding our application? It has been hard to get a reply from Dr. S, and I heard Mr. Snelling was gone for a while.

Mr. Snelling is back, I believe, so you might try contacting him.

Hey Beets,

Do you have any idea the number of hours Paul L. Foster students are scheduled to be in the classroom? Is it like Lubbock where they only go in the mornings and are expected to do a lot of self study or is it different?

Thanks!

I'd say it's somewhere in between. You have Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons off (from what I can see in my calendar so far). Once a month on either Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon we have clinic assignments that last from 1-5. Lots of self study is still required, like with any medical school, and they post reading assignments/powerpoints/videos up on our WebCT calendars for any given class session. This year we are, according to the faculty, supposed to have video lectures that will be posted shortly after class, but since regular class doesn't start until Monday, I can't really vouch for that either way. Test weeks are free from lectures completely and the way they have it scheduled this year for us, we have a four day weekend after tests, Thurs-Sun (except for the 1st unit due to a scheduling conflict). That gives us time to take a break, go home if we want, etc.

One thing I think is pretty cool is that all of our textbooks are electronic through VitalSource, and although it will probably take some getting used to, it allows for you to search within books for the information you're looking for, so you'll spend less time flipping through books searching for bits and pieces of info. It also has capabilities for changing the display to suit your preferences, posting "sticky notes" near important passages, highlighting, sharing notes/highlights, etc. We're the guinea pig class for it here, but I think it's going to work out well.
 
Hey guys,
I was transmitted 07/19 but I still have a wrench next to El Paso but a check next to Lubbock. Should I be concerned?
Thank you!
 
Hey guys,
I was transmitted 07/19 but I still have a wrench next to El Paso but a check next to Lubbock. Should I be concerned?
Thank you!

Had same prob and still have wrench now even after invite- Mr Snelling said it wasn't a big deal- just a glitch.
 
Thanks again Beets. That is great information to have. Paul L Foster is sounding better to me all the time. Do you have an idea of the approximate number of people they will matriculate in 2012?
 
Thanks again Beets. That is great information to have. Paul L Foster is sounding better to me all the time. Do you have an idea of the approximate number of people they will matriculate in 2012?

Due to the recent budget cuts, we're probably not expanding our class for 2012. So I wouldn't expect anything over 85-90
 
Oh, just in case anyone is into Facebook, you should like our medical school's page so that you can stay up to date on the current events going on around our campus.

For example, the most recent note announced that the class of 2013 (the first entering class) achieved a 97% pass rate on their USMLE Step I (nat'l average is 91-92%) and had an average score of 225 (nat'l average is 219-221), for any of you curious about that information. Pretty darn good, if you ask me.
 
That's awesome, thanks Beets! Can't wait to see the school here soon!
 
Oh, just in case anyone is into Facebook, you should like our medical school's page so that you can stay up to date on the current events going on around our campus.

For example, the most recent note announced that the class of 2013 (the first entering class) achieved a 97% pass rate on their USMLE Step I (nat'l average is 91-92%) and had an average score of 225 (nat'l average is 219-221), for any of you curious about that information. Pretty darn good, if you ask me.

People need to quit making me fall in love with all the Texas schools :laugh:

😍

sounds awesome
 
Interview invite! The first day that I don't obsessively check my e-mail, and I get an invite. Maybe there's a lesson there...

Super excited.
 
Interview invite! The first day that I don't obsessively check my e-mail, and I get an invite. Maybe there's a lesson there...

Super excited.

Congrats! This process is definitely one that teaches patience lol
 
Oh, just in case anyone is into Facebook, you should like our medical school's page so that you can stay up to date on the current events going on around our campus.

For example, the most recent note announced that the class of 2013 (the first entering class) achieved a 97% pass rate on their USMLE Step I (nat'l average is 91-92%) and had an average score of 225 (nat'l average is 219-221), for any of you curious about that information. Pretty darn good, if you ask me.

Great info I wanted to ask about the usmle data but I didn't know if you all had any data back on it yet. Thanks!
 
Great info I wanted to ask about the usmle data but I didn't know if you all had any data back on it yet. Thanks!


My friend just got back from the interview and the USMLE Step I average score was 227.
 
Congrats!! when?

Option of Sept. 1 or 8. I think I might choose 8. I broke my ankle playing soccer a week ago and would like to walk with as little hobble as possible. An extra week just might help.
 
Option of Sept. 1 or 8. I think I might choose 8. I broke my ankle playing soccer a week ago and would like to walk with as little hobble as possible. An extra week just might help.

Sorry Mate- That sucks! suit+heat+pain 🙁
 
For those of you who are anxious because you haven't had any interview invites...DONT WORRY. I did plenty of that last year. My first interview wasnt even till October and i actually interviewed at El Paso in November. Turned out it was better too because it was after the pre-match deadline so i found out i was pre-matched to El Paso literally 3 days after my interview. I was accepted before some people i know who interviewed way before me. If its December and you havent interviewed anywhere thats when you should be worried.
 
Flying out tomorrow to go to my El Paso interview. Hope to see some of ya'll there!
 
Anybody here get interviewed at PF last year, but not yet this year? Or has anyone been interviewed there last year, and again this year already? Yes, I'm a reapp 😳
 
So how did it go?! Who interviewed you?

The interviews went very well. I think most of us had one MD and one PhD interviewer.

The focus on basic science integration into systems based units is big here. They are really trying to push that mindset into interviewees and I think it is a trend in Texas that I am seeing from my interview in Galveston and El Paso. I really like that attitude towards teaching and have fallen in love with their curriculum. The admissions staff have told us that the curriculum has seen changes in the last 3 years since the school has been open and it seems like it is very fluid and receptive to student and faculty feedback. One example they mentioned was that they moved one of the units which consisted of Neuro/Musculoskeletal and split it up into different areas because the course load was too heavy for students. The admissions staff also stressed that in the first two years the faculty members assigned to teach are told only to teach. They do not really have other side projects such as research and are more invested in the students and courses they teach. In fact, the PhD that interviewed me didn't really talk about research at all with me but discussed the course that he taught and how he occasionally will try to publish. It is not a hassle for them to teach and it seems that they are all teachers at heart.

The facilities are as great as everyone says they are. Everything is state of the art and shining. It is also all located in one building so if you are concerned about walking a lot, don't be. I want to give a shout out to Dr. Ho in the clinical simulation facility. You da bomb! (BTW clinical simulation is a boss)

Also, there is tons of clinical exposure from the beginning of the 1st year. Students are required to go to an affiliated clinic once a month from the start of the 1st year that they continue on in for the remainder of their time at El Paso. One student from the student panel discussion we had at the end mentioned that he felt that he had a lot of confidence going into his first real patient workup as a 3rd year due to what he said were "at least a hundred encounters with patients in similar situations."

Only negative I see is the fact that Juarez, Mexico is right across the border and is definitely not the safest place to be. However, the admissions staff kept repeating that El Paso is 1st in overall safety in cities with populations of over 500,000 people. I think border and local police does a good job in keeping everyone safe. On the other side to that there seems to be a lot of opportunities to do procedures in the 3rd and 4th year as residency quotas for procedures are met really early so they give the reins to the medical students much more readily than other schools.

All in all, I left feeling very impressed by the school. The students seemed to love it (though I have yet to see students at any school NOT love their school) and they truly embraced the curriculum.
 
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The interviews went very well. I think most of us had one MD and one PhD interviewer.

The focus on basic science integration into systems based units is big here. They are really trying to push that mindset into interviewees and I think it is a trend in Texas that I am seeing from my interview in Galveston and El Paso. I really like that attitude towards teaching and have fallen in love with their curriculum. The admissions staff have told us that the curriculum has seen changes in the last 3 years since the school has been open and it seems like it is very fluid and receptive to student and faculty feedback. One example they mentioned was that they moved one of the units which consisted of Neuro/Musculoskeletal and split it up into different areas because the course load was too heavy for students. The admissions staff also stressed that in the first two years the faculty members assigned to teach are told only to teach. They do not really have other side projects such as research and are more invested in the students and courses they teach. In fact, the PhD that interviewed me didn't really talk about research at all with me but discussed the course that he taught and how he occasionally will try to publish. It is not a hassle for them to teach and it seems that they are all teachers at heart.

The facilities are as great as everyone says they are. Everything is state of the art and shining. It is also all located in one building so if you are concerned about walking a lot, don't be. I want to give a shout out to Dr. Ho in the clinical simulation facility. You da bomb! (BTW clinical simulation is a boss)

Also, there is tons of clinical exposure from the beginning of the 1st year. Students are required to go to an affiliated clinic once a month from the start of the 1st year that they continue on in for the remainder of their time at El Paso. One student from the student panel discussion we had at the end mentioned that he felt that he had a lot of confidence going into his first real patient workup as a 3rd year due to what he said were "at least a hundred encounters with patients in similar situations."

Only negative I see is the fact that Juarez, Mexico is right across the border and is definitely not the safest place to be. However, the admissions staff kept repeating that El Paso is 1st in overall safety in cities with populations of over 500,000 people. I think border and local police does a good job in keeping everyone safe. On the other side to that there seems to be a lot of opportunities to do procedures in the 3rd and 4th year as residency quotas for procedures are met really early so they give the reins to the medical students much more readily than other schools.

All in all, I left feeling very impressed by the school. The students seemed to love it (though I have yet to see students at any school NOT love their school) and they truly embraced the curriculum.
Ha ha ya I liked Dr. Ho. He let me give "epinephrine" to the simulator guy on street drugs with a low heart rate.
 
I also interviewed yesterday and will share some of my thoughts on the experience 🙂

I arrived on Wednesday afternoon and rented a car which allowed me to explore the city. Some observations:

--Traffic was relatively light. It was quick and easy to get from one side of town to the other.
--The airport is quick and easy to fly out of. No need to arrive two hours before your plane leaves. (But just in case, do it anyway. I would hate to be blamed for someone missing a plane ride back home!)
--Most students said they live on the west side of town. I drove through the east side and, though it is definitely older, it felt completely safe.
--Restaurants, restaurants, everywhere you look, and most of them unique and Mexican.
--I found it interesting that the actual downtown area is located RIGHT BY the border. I was driving through it, made a turn, and ended up at the gate into Mexico.

Also, I enjoy being outside and active, so I noticed:

--There were designated bicycle lanes on many roads, and many back roads through neighborhoods as well which would be easy to ride around on without worrying about traffic. I actually saw a good number of people riding throughout different parts of the city, but especially in the hills near the mountains.
--The mountains have a good number of hikeable trails. I hiked a good way up one and it was certainly not easy. It actually turned more into a "climb" than a "hike."

Observations on the school:

I had a great time interviewing at Paul L. Foster and was very impressed. The school itself is state-of-the art and has everything a medical student could want. 10 standardized patient rooms, a great simulation lab, 24-hour access to every area in the building (including library, study rooms, fitness area, etc.). The admissions staff and the students were all very friendly and informative. Our first tour guide was absolutely hilarious. I would not mind if he taught every single class I took lol. We had several information sessions in the morning. There was one about admissions, one about the MD/MPH program (which was eye-opening to me and really piqued my interest), one about the curriculum (loved this presentation; the presenter did a wonderful job and he LOVED the curriculum. He was very convincing about its effectiveness, and honestly, with the recent Step 1 scores I was already sold).

Okay! That was typed quickly and if someone has follow-up questions just ask! Good luck to everyone!
 
Oh, just in case anyone is into Facebook, you should like our medical school's page so that you can stay up to date on the current events going on around our campus.

For example, the most recent note announced that the class of 2013 (the first entering class) achieved a 97% pass rate on their USMLE Step I (nat'l average is 91-92%) and had an average score of 225 (nat'l average is 219-221), for any of you curious about that information. Pretty darn good, if you ask me.

Yup, I heard only one person didn't pass the first time.
 
Hey guys,

About how long did it take for ya'll to get interview invites after your application was transmitted? I transmitted in June but still no invite! I'm getting kinda nervous... 🙁
 
I also interviewed here this past week on 08/11 and figured the more thoughts provided could only benefit others more.

I had a very positive experience as PLFSOM also! Like asrikrishnan and mjjdm mentioned, the facilities, simulation center, lecture halls, and other buildings are EXTREMELY nice and state-of-the-art. The faculty, admissions office, and Dean Schydlower (sp?) are all very proud of their students, their school, and the curriculum. One 3rd year at the student panel, who did not spend his first two years in El Paso, stressed that we would be wise in choosing PLFSOM because after going through the first two years, he would have very much preferred the integrated, clinical-presentation based curriculum over the one he received elsewhere, and that we would be lucky to get to learn from it. I honestly think I might like having faculty that prefer teaching than doing research, like the instructors we met throughout the day. One of my interviewers spent nearly ten minutes or so explaining why the curriculum was so beneficial and how I would benefit from it; this combined with their "assembling a puzzle" metaphor was what really sold me on it.

Another thing I liked was the whole city in general. You really would have no choice but to learn to speak Spanish living in El Paso, which I can't wait to learn more wherever I go. Throughout the city, and places like the infamous Chico's Tacos (go try it if you can), you would have opportunities to practice. The city itself is also very nice. El Paso is essentially split in half by the mountains in Franklin State Park, one of which I got to hike and see the awesome views of the city from up high. There is definitely lots to do outdoors, including a 10K through the mountains that one of my interviewers told me about- yikes! Driving through the city on I-10, you go back and forth from older-looking areas to brand new establishments and rows of endless restaurant chains and stores. The west side also had a large outlet mall that looked pretty new. Basically, you have everything you'd expect a city to have, plus lots of Spanish culture and mountain/outdoors activities only 15 minutes away.

Overall I was very impressed by PLFSOM. I would have loved to get to talk to more students throughout the day and hear more input and opinions, but ultimately the brand new facilities and caring, helpful faculty more than made up for that. Definitely an awesome school!
 
Interview invite on 8/12!!! I transmitted on 7/11. Anyone else there for the 9/1 date?

Something interesting I calculated (in my neurotic rampage):

School / %IS applicants interviewed / %IS applicants matriculated from interview pool


PLFSOM / 16.8% / 15.6%
UTHSCSA / 30.6% / 22.98%
TTLubbock / 26.3% / 20.2%
UTSW / 27.3% / 27.2%
TAMU / 27.7% / 18.8%
UTMB / 30.2% / 25.1%
UTH / 32.5% / 23%


PLFSOM is (according to numbers) the most competitive md public school in Texas. 👍

Good luck everybody! :luck:
 
el paso's the only texas med school that hasnt given me an interview 🙁
 
el paso's the only texas med school that hasnt given me an interview 🙁

Lol that statement definitely shouldn't end with a sad face. That's really impressive to have interviews at almost all the places you can get in Texas!
 
Leaving in an hour for my interview. I can't wait to see the school and the city. I have never been to El Paso.
 
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