2012-2013 University of Texas Southwestern Application Thread

[tn4596]

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Only 3 weeks away!

 

[Tastycakes]

Erm, how many of you have sent update letters? (or are planning to?)

 

[JABWS]

Hey everyone, it's been a while since I last posted on this thread, so I'll reintroduce myself. I'm currently an MS1 at UTSW.

Congratulations to those who have received pre-match offers! And for those who are still waiting to hear back, don't lose hope. January is going to be a quiet month, as is February. UTSW typically doesn't use the match, so don't get your hopes up for a miracle. However, historically there has been a lot of movement (> 100 spots) on the waitlist between March - June. My best advice to all of you who are now playing the waiting game is to be patient and give it a couple of months. I was in your same position last year, and I needlessly spent many days worrying and anticipating an email. Trust me, it's a waste. I know it's easier said than done, but save your sanity and try to stay preoccupied during this time.

If anyone has any specific questions on stats/interview date/my experience so far etc.., feel free to pm me. Good luck to you all.

 

[tn4596]

Hey everyone, it's been a while since I last posted on this thread, so I'll reintroduce myself. I'm currently an MS1 at UTSW.

Congratulations to those who have received pre-match offers! And for those who are still waiting to hear back, don't lose hope. January is going to be a quiet month, as is February. UTSW typically doesn't use the match, so don't get your hopes up for a miracle. However, historically there has been a lot of movement (> 100 spots) on the waitlist between March - June. My best advice to all of you who are now playing the waiting game is to be patient and give it a couple of months. I was in your same position last year, and I needlessly spent many days worrying and anticipating an email. Trust me, it's a waste. I know it's easier said than done, but save your sanity and try to stay preoccupied during this time.

If anyone has any specific questions on stats/interview date/my experience so far etc.., feel free to pm me. Good luck to you all.

I am assuming that you got an acceptance late in the cycle.. Did you wait until the last min to make housing arrangement?

 

[JABWS]

I am assuming that you got an acceptance late in the cycle.. Did you wait until the last min to make housing arrangement?

Your assumption is correct. I wouldn't say I waited until the last minute, as I still had ~3 months to find a place to live, but I spent the better part of the first half of the year not knowing where I was going to end up. The difficulty was actually that I started getting correspondence from another school, asking for shot records, and even information so they could pair me up in their "buddy" system, so I had to go along with a few things while keeping the possibility of attending utsw in the back of my mind.

Even so, if you're accepted, you'll have plenty of time to find a place to live and make appropriate arrangements for the upcoming school year. However, you may or may not miss out on summer opportunities, depending on when you're accepted.

 

[BoricuaMD]

Your assumption is correct. I wouldn't say I waited until the last minute, as I still had ~3 months to find a place to live, but I spent the better part of the first half of the year not knowing where I was going to end up. The difficulty was actually that I started getting correspondence from another school, asking for shot records, and even information so they could pair me up in their "buddy" system, so I had to go along with a few things while keeping the possibility of attending utsw in the back of my mind.

Even so, if you're accepted, you'll have plenty of time to find a place to live and make appropriate arrangements for the upcoming school year. However, you may or may not miss out on summer opportunities, depending on when you're accepted.

Please elaborate on summer opportunities.

 

[Translation]

Im not ranking utsw number 1,

Good luck on the waiting.game yall

 

[JABWS]

Please elaborate on summer opportunities.

I was referring mainly to the summer research program, which provides a stipend and allows you to work on a project even as an MS0. The application deadline is in March, though, so many applicants who are waitlisted will not have this opportunity.

Do you have a particular interest in research? There are other options as well, and as far as I know, most of what's available to current students becomes available to you once you're accepted.

 

[BoricuaMD]

I was referring mainly to the summer research program, which provides a stipend and allows you to work on a project even as an MS0. The application deadline is in March, though, so many applicants who are waitlisted will not have this opportunity.

Do you have a particular interest in research? There are other options as well, and as far as I know, most of what's available to current students becomes available to you once you're accepted.

I am in a constant debate as to whether I want to either:

1. Do the summer research program as an MS0 (interested in research although I have never done any before)
2. Begin working on my MPH (dual degree route /4 yr route)
3. Do the Summer enrichment program (my stats are a little below the average and I believe I would benefit from this program)
4. OR...spend my summer drinking, partying, Vegas, beaches, being a bum and just generally doing nothing before classes begin in Aug. (more value to this option than people may initially see, especially in terms of preventing burnout)

Any insight, information or advice would be much appreciated, thanks.

 

[JABWS]

I am in a constant debate as to whether I want to either:

1. Do the summer research program as an MS0 (interested in research although I have never done any before)
2. Begin working on my MPH (dual degree route /4 yr route)
3. Do the Summer enrichment program (my stats are a little below the average and I believe I would benefit from this program)
4. OR...spend my summer drinking, partying, Vegas, beaches, being a bum and just generally doing nothing before classes begin in Aug. (more value to this option than people may initially see, especially in terms of preventing burnout)

Any insight, information or advice would be much appreciated, thanks.

If I had it all to do over again, I would probably rank your four options as follows:

1/4 (leaning towards 4)
2
3

I would never advise against doing research, and I certainly don't think it would be a bad idea for you to get started early; however, I can assure you that you'll have plenty of time for that once school gets started. I'm working on a project currently and have plans to start a second one this summer. Whatever you do, don't take your free time for granted. You're going to get a great education at utsw, but you're also going to work very hard in the process. Take a break, you're going to wish you had one very shortly.

I can't really comment on the MPH option, other than I think if that's something you want to try and complete in four years then you basically have no choice but to take classes the summer before school starts.

Lastly, I would steer clear of the summer enrichment program unless you feel especially weak in the sciences. There's more than enough lecture/study time that's required; don't sign yourself up for additional work. Granted, I was a science major, but I had absolutely zero experience in anatomy going in and did well in the course (if that's what you're worried about).

 

[BoricuaMD]

If I had it all to do over again, I would probably rank your four options as follows:

1/4 (leaning towards 4)
2
3

I would never advise against doing research, and I certainly don't think it would be a bad idea for you to get started early; however, I can assure you that you'll have plenty of time for that once school gets started. I'm working on a project currently and have plans to start a second one this summer. Whatever you do, don't take your free time for granted. You're going to get a great education at utsw, but you're also going to work very hard in the process. Take a break, you're going to wish you had one very shortly.

I can't really comment on the MPH option, other than I think if that's something you want to try and complete in four years then you basically have no choice but to take classes the summer before school starts.

Lastly, I would steer clear of the summer enrichment program unless you feel especially weak in the sciences. There's more than enough lecture/study time that's required; don't sign yourself up for additional work. Granted, I was a science major, but I had absolutely zero experience in anatomy going in and did well in the course (if that's what you're worried about).

You are one of many who have told me to just do option #4. I've heard this from physicians and med students alike...

Thanks for your advice on the SEP, an MS1 told me that they strongly recommended it, but now I don't know...additional work the summer before MS1 doesn't sound too appealing or wise to me...

I guess I am just excited and eager to begin medical school...I should probably take it easy and relax for the time being since I probably won't be able to do so again for a very long time...Thanks for all the info JABWS, I appreciate it.

 

[JABWS]

You are one of many who have told me to just do option #4. I've heard this from physicians and med students alike...

Thanks for your advice on the SEP, an MS1 told me that they strongly recommended it, but now I don't know...additional work the summer before MS1 doesn't sound too appealing or wise to me...

I guess I am just excited and eager to begin medical school...I should probably take it easy and relax for the time being since I probably won't be able to do so again for a very long time...Thanks for all the info JABWS, I appreciate it.

No problem. Your eagerness and excitement is totally warranted. I don't want to discourage you from pursuing something if you think it'd be beneficial, I'm just speaking from experience. I was in your shoes feeling the same way not too long ago.

Anyways, I'm glad you're coming to Southwestern. Obviously I'm a little biased, but I think you've made a wise decision. You'll have plenty of support from your small group/college mentor/big sibs once you get here, but until then, don't hesitate to message me if you have any questions. I think I speak for most of the MS1s when I say that we're looking forward to meeting you and your fellow classmates and showing you the ropes.

 

[Whatyousay]

I am in a constant debate as to whether I want to either:

1. Do the summer research program as an MS0 (interested in research although I have never done any before)
2. Begin working on my MPH (dual degree route /4 yr route)
3. Do the Summer enrichment program (my stats are a little below the average and I believe I would benefit from this program)
4. OR...spend my summer drinking, partying, Vegas, beaches, being a bum and just generally doing nothing before classes begin in Aug. (more value to this option than people may initially see, especially in terms of preventing burnout)

Any insight, information or advice would be much appreciated, thanks.

The SEP might be nice if you've been out of school for a long time, but I don't think it's really necessary (especially since the first semester is P/F, so you have time to adjust without too much pressure). That's up to you to decide, though.

I would say the majority of my classmates went with option 4, although I will say that the select few that decided to go with option 1 didn't seem to regret their decision. As for the MPH route, I was under the impression that it was online, so it's probably possible to couple that with options 1,3, or 4 (you'll need to ask the MPH coordinator for specifics, though).

 

[BoricuaMD]

The SEP might be nice if you've been out of school for a long time, but I don't think it's really necessary (especially since the first semester is P/F, so you have time to adjust without too much pressure). That's up to you to decide, though.

I would say the majority of my classmates went with option 4, although I will say that the select few that decided to go with option 1 didn't seem to regret their decision. As for the MPH route, I was under the impression that it was online, so it's probably possible to couple that with options 1,3, or 4 (you'll need to ask the MPH coordinator for specifics, though).

Hey thanks for the insight.

I was told that apparently the MPH online courses are quite time consuming according to the directors of the program. Originally my plan was to do summer research AND the MPH courses, but I was discouraged to do so. Now I am leaning towards just relaxing and enjoying my free time before classes start in August. You guys say I can participate in research later and I am not sure about the MPH degree yet so I honestly don't know what to do at this point, but am leaning towards nothing

 

[letmein13]

Can any current students give me the reason they chose UTSW? It's come down to Baylor or UTSW and I have absolutely no idea where is a good fit for me. I loved my interview here. and Dallas with a new Parkland will be amazing. However, I am uneasy about the graded courses and the study/mental health time available.

 

[imymemine]

I am in a constant debate as to whether I want to either:

1. Do the summer research program as an MS0 (interested in research although I have never done any before)
2. Begin working on my MPH (dual degree route /4 yr route)
3. Do the Summer enrichment program (my stats are a little below the average and I believe I would benefit from this program)
4. OR...spend my summer drinking, partying, Vegas, beaches, being a bum and just generally doing nothing before classes begin in Aug. (more value to this option than people may initially see, especially in terms of preventing burnout)

Any insight, information or advice would be much appreciated, thanks.

i did #4, but depending on your schedule you would probably have time to do some of #4 even if you went with #1. we (ms1s) have a 12 week summer and the research program is only 10 weeks. so it depends on how long you want to be a bum for.

 

[imymemine]

Can any current students give me the reason they chose UTSW? It's come down to Baylor or UTSW and I have absolutely no idea where is a good fit for me. I loved my interview here. and Dallas with a new Parkland will be amazing. However, I am uneasy about the graded courses and the study/mental health time available.

i came to southwestern mainly because of the price. the little things also seemed to be well thought out too - individual desks in the carrells, the homeliness of the college system, the conveniently located parking and student center, and the efficiency of the interview day. it seemed like the administration knew what they were doing and did a nice job of making things student friendly and showing they cared. not sure if i could say the same thing for baylor since the interview day wasn't as thorough or efficient. not saying they aren't student friendly, i just never got much of a chance to learn about them. my gut feeling was the admin didn't care as much as utsw's. as for the non p/f, i didn't really care either way. i believe baylor's p/f isn't true p/f anyway since they rank (whatever that means). utsw actually has true p/f for the first semester, and there is a decent chance your class will have it extended since some students are fighting for it (so stay tuned).

had i gotten into baylor i def would have considered attending. their theme seems to be flexibility by allowing you to take boards after 3rd year and an extra few months to do whatever you want. if you are weaker at test-taking it might be nice to have that extra cushion of going through clinical rotations first. i also liked that their tests were not multiple choice.

i kinda liked (fit in better with) the brand of the utsw grad versus the baylor grad. if i were to stereotype them (feel free to disagree), utsw grads are kinda nerdy, but tough from having been pushed hard. baylor grads are perhaps more down-to-earth, but kind of coddled.

all that being said, if i were you i'd probably just go with whichever city i liked better or was closer to family. a lot of these intangible things are impossible to judge accurately, but money and location are sure things..

 

[premed8991]

Could anyone who decided to pursue research at UTSW the summer before starting comment on their experience? Thanks!

 

[JABWS]

Can any current students give me the reason they chose UTSW? It's come down to Baylor or UTSW and I have absolutely no idea where is a good fit for me. I loved my interview here. and Dallas with a new Parkland will be amazing. However, I am uneasy about the graded courses and the study/mental health time available.

I would echo a lot of what imymemine said. I don't mean to bash BCM, I just didn't get a good vibe on interview day. Perhaps your experience was different, but I was underwhelmed, to say the least, during my visit. If that's the amount of effort they're willing to put in to recruit new students to the school, then how much support and attention could I expect once I got there. I also didn't feel much of a sense of community. Other than a few designated areas, there really didn't seem to be much of a campus, which made me think I was going to be just another fish in the big sea that is the TMC. There was no mention of any type of mentor/big sib system either.

As for the graded courses, our first semester is purely pass/fail, and fourth year is the same. BCM is not what I would consider pass/fail. Sure, you don't have grades, but they have an internal ranking system. To me that seems to take the worst of both worlds. You ARE compared to your peers, but you're not really rewarded when you excel. If I get an A in a course, I'd like for my transcript to reflect my hard work. But hey, that's just me. I will give you one thing, BCM's curriculum is innovative and ahead of the curve. BCM's curriculum at UTSW would be a perfect combination.

Like many others have stated previously, both are great schools. I went with my gut and chose Southwestern. I think the future is bright here (for a number of different reasons I can get into if you'd like), and a semester in, I'm very happy with my decision.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I would echo a lot of what imymemine said. I don't mean to bash BCM, I just didn't get a good vibe on interview day. Perhaps your experience was different, but I was underwhelmed, to say the least, during my visit. If that's the amount of effort they're willing to put in to recruit new students to the school, then how much support and attention could I expect once I got there. I also didn't feel much of a sense of community. Other than a few designated areas, there really didn't seem to be much of a campus, which made me think I was going to be just another fish in the big sea that is the TMC. There was no mention of any type of mentor/big sib system either.

As for the graded courses, our first semester is purely pass/fail, and fourth year is the same. BCM is not what I would consider pass/fail. Sure, you don't have grades, but they have an internal ranking system. To me that seems to take the worst of both worlds. You ARE compared to your peers, but you're not really rewarded when you excel. If I get an A in a course, I'd like for my transcript to reflect my hard work. But hey, that's just me. I will give you one thing, BCM's curriculum is innovative and ahead of the curve. BCM's curriculum at UTSW would be a perfect combination.

Like many others have stated previously, both are great schools. I went with my gut and chose Southwestern. I think the future is bright here (for a number of different reasons I can get into if you'd like), and a semester in, I'm very happy with my decision.

Just want to point out that Baylor does have such a system

 

[dwills]

Anyone going to MS0 weekend?

I wanted to go and get a better feel for Dallas/Southwestern since I will very likely be attending and have never been to Dallas before (I flew in the morning of my interview and went straight the airport right after) but i have another interview scheduled for the 15th. I might try and make it out just for the last day if its worth it.

 

[JABWS]

Just want to point out that Baylor does have such a system

Well, I stand corrected. I was careful to use the word mentioned because I figured they had some type of system in place. I actually asked my interviewer about this when I was there and she said she wasn't aware of anything like that. Apparently she was misinformed.

Nevertheless, I do think Southwestern has the edge in this regard. We are inducted into colleges and given our own desk/workspace within what are called carrels. Not only does it build camaraderie amongst the students, but it also gives you stability and helps you feel grounded, which is especially important at the outset. You're able to meet and develop relationships with a rather large group of students relatively quickly, and you always have that space and those friends to fall back on throughout the year. Also, we are assigned to even more close-knit groups, called small groups, where you're joined with ~5 other members of your college and paired with a faculty mentor and 6 big sibs, who were in your same small group the previous year. So right out of the gate you have your college members, small group members, big sibs, and a faculty mentor as a support system.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Well, I stand corrected. I was careful to use the word mentioned because I figured they had some type of system in place. I actually asked my interviewer about this when I was there and she said she wasn't aware of anything like that. Apparently she was misinformed.

Nevertheless, I do think Southwestern has the edge in this regard. We are inducted into colleges and given our own desk/workspace within what are called carrels. Not only does it build camaraderie amongst the students, but it also gives you stability and helps you feel grounded, which is especially important at the outset. You're able to meet and develop relationships with a rather large group of students relatively quickly, and you always have that space and those friends to fall back on throughout the year. Also, we are assigned to even more close-knit groups, called small groups, where you're joined with ~5 other members of your college and paired with a faculty mentor and 6 big sibs, who were in your same small group the previous year. So right out of the gate you have your college members, small group members, big sibs, and a faculty mentor as a support system.

Ya I think utsw's college system is a bit better than baylors system. I think it a big plus for a great school (I'm still undecided despite my sig)

 

[sliceofbread136]

Anyone going to MS0 weekend?

I wanted to go and get a better feel for Dallas/Southwestern since I will very likely be attending and have never been to Dallas before (I flew in the morning of my interview and went straight the airport right after) but i have another interview scheduled for the 15th. I might try and make it out just for the last day if its worth it.

I'm going! I hope the food is as good as interview day!

 

[BoricuaMD]

Anyone going to MS0 weekend?

I wanted to go and get a better feel for Dallas/Southwestern since I will very likely be attending and have never been to Dallas before (I flew in the morning of my interview and went straight the airport right after) but i have another interview scheduled for the 15th. I might try and make it out just for the last day if its worth it.

Yeah I'm definitely going. I'm filling out the RSVP form as we speak.

This may sound frivolous but MS0 weekend isn't really considered the time to bring parents along right? Is it like an all student program? My family is ecstatic about my acceptance at UTSW and I've been dying to show them around. Are there other weekends for parents?

 

[Salaam]

Yeah I'm definitely going. I'm filling out the RSVP form as we speak.

This may sound frivolous but MS0 weekend isn't really considered the time to bring parents along right? Is it like an all student program? My family is ecstatic about my acceptance at UTSW and I've been dying to show them around. Are there other weekends for parents?

I was wondering the same thing! Also, is staying with students more for people from out of town or is it recommended for everyone?

 

[EBLoneStar]

Yeah I'm definitely going. I'm filling out the RSVP form as we speak.

This may sound frivolous but MS0 weekend isn't really considered the time to bring parents along right? Is it like an all student program? My family is ecstatic about my acceptance at UTSW and I've been dying to show them around. Are there other weekends for parents?

I don't remember anyone bringing parents etc on ms0 day. I would recommend against it because one of the best things about that weekend is getting to know/hang out with your (likely) future classmates, and if your parents are there I would imagine you would feel compelled to try to entertain them instead of mingling. People definitely brought significant others though.

The weekend everyone brings parents and shows them around etc. tends to be the weekend of the white coat ceremony. Probably better at that point too because you actually know where you are going by then.

(current ms3) =)

 

[EBLoneStar]

Can any current students give me the reason they chose UTSW? It's come down to Baylor or UTSW and I have absolutely no idea where is a good fit for me. I loved my interview here. and Dallas with a new Parkland will be amazing. However, I am uneasy about the graded courses and the study/mental health time available.

For what it's worth, I'm a current 3rd year at UTSW and I absolutely love it here; every one of my classmates I can think of I believe would agree that we would definitely choose it again.

While Baylor has the condensed preclinical curriculum which definitely sounds nice, I think there's no way in the world I could have possibly learned UTSW's curriculum in any less time than I did and still have time to have a life. In addition, since our curriculum is so thorough and well taught, and we actually have time to learn it, I found step studying to be much easier than I was expecting, since all the material I encountered really seemed like review. I only studied for 4.5 weeks for step 1 (even though they give us 6 weeks) and scored >250. And I'm not a phenomenal student or anything. I really attribute it to the fact i worked really hard and learned the material taught to us the first 2 years.

And as someone mentioned, yes driving and parking here is really easy. Student parking is $90 a year for a covered garage that's a 2 minute walk from the lecture halls, which are directly connected to the library, and 3 of the 5 hospitals we primarily train at, which is really convenient to say the least.

The biggest advantage of UTSW over Baylor though I think might be the clinical training. When you're applying, it's easy to get caught up on the first 2 years, but as your go through medical school you realize it's the clinical training that matters most. I have loved every single clerkship so far (everyone I know has even loved surgery!), and I have yet to encounter a single malignant attending/resident or anyone really. And compared to my friends that go to Baylor or UT Houston, UTSW students get to do soooo much more hands on stuff and get to take a lot more ownership of our patients. I have done procedures as a med student that even interns haven't done yet at lots of other programs. Our didactics are strong in almost all clerkships so that the shelf exams are very manageable even with limited times studying when not in the hospital (I rarely study at home or outside normal work-day hours now as a third year). There's a reason UTSW students match so well, and program directors will even tell you they love taking UTSW students because we perform on an intern or greater level during med school and on day 1 of residency are ready to hit the ground running.

Anyway just thought I'd share that I really am happy here! Plus, new parkland and new university hospital st Paul are going to be friggin' amazing. =)

(partly copied from an earlier post I made on another thread)

 

[lizbit]

SEP is actually not as bad as it's been made out to seem. Depending on your confidence level and how long you've been out of school, I actually think it's a nice introduction to the first semester. There are tests and quizzes, but they don't count for anything other than to gauge your understanding. MS2s(current MS1s) teach the three classes you take. If you tend to get easily burned out though, then I'd advise against it.

 

[lizbit]

Can any current students give me the reason they chose UTSW? It's come down to Baylor or UTSW and I have absolutely no idea where is a good fit for me. I loved my interview here. and Dallas with a new Parkland will be amazing. However, I am uneasy about the graded courses and the study/mental health time available.

Like the other students said, I got a good vibe and felt that I would fit in at UTSW. I didn't apply to Baylor, though. The colleges system was a major reason I chose UTSW and I don't regret the decision. I also liked the care and attention given to the interviewing students, which made me feel that they would care here. I also heard about the excellent clinical training at utsw while intervieing at a couple of other Texas schools. Go with your gut. I bet you will be happy if you do.

 

[BoricuaMD]

I was wondering the same thing! Also, is staying with students more for people from out of town or is it recommended for everyone?

I'm coming from SA and asked to stay with a student. Seems like a good idea, especially since they can give you some pretty good information about the school from a non-faculty or adcom perspective. I stayed with a student during my interview and it was an awesome experience, me and the student still stay in touch. I would recommend it. 👍

 

[BoricuaMD]

Like the other students said, I got a good vibe and felt that I would fit in at UTSW. I didn't apply to Baylor, though. The colleges system was a major reason I chose UTSW and I don't regret the decision. I also liked the care and attention given to the interviewing students, which made me feel that they would care here. I also heard about the excellent clinical training at utsw while intervieing at a couple of other Texas schools. Go with your guy. I bet you will be happy if you do.

I agree with this post completely. I just got a good "feeling" from Southwestern. It seemed like the faculty there really did care about the students and truly wanted you to choose Southwestern over the other schools. (As if they had to try )

The friday morning clinical rounds program was awesome, too. Great idea on behalf of UTSW and a huge selling point for me and I'm sure many other students.

 

[duyvtr]

So when do we go to check our match? Is there a specific time for Feb. 1st where everyone's match will be posted, or will it be popping up randomly for each person?

 

[TimeRippleRumpl]

You sound like a perfect fit for UTSW. Their ADCOM looks for a lot more than just grades. They look to see who you are as a total person, and to see if you fit into their overall mission statement. You obviously have a lot of experiences which would greatly add to the diversity of the student body, not the least of which is your ability to build a strong marriage and a strong family.

I am not filling out the AMCAS either. Although Ivy League schools certainly come with a lot of prestige, I went to SMU the other day to have lunch with a professor friend of mine. On my way there, I had a 19 y/o kid in a $70,000 Mercedes honking at me because I couldn't figure out how to get the gate open at the parking garage. It is my opinion that 19 year old kids should not be driving brand new Mercedes. I think at Harvard or Yale, it will be even worse. I don't think I would enjoy going to the student center and having a conversation with another student about "My dad is a senator, what does your dad do?" I imagine you get a lot of that at the Ivy Leagues.

One thing I like about UTSW is that it is full of people striving to be better. I have not met too many people there who feel they are "entitled" to be there. The "entitled" people go to the Ivy League schools. The rest of us who want to be the best we can be, and are striving to make something of our lives despite setbacks choose a place like UTSW.

Besides have you looked at the tuition for the Ivy Leagues? $50,000 a year. At UTSW, it is $15,000 a year. With the $140,000 you save in tuition, you could travel to countless professional meetings. Not to mention the interest payments on that extra debt you'd be paying during your residency. By my calculations, $140,000 in extra student loans results in about $1,000 a month extra that you have to pay during your residency.

There are a lot of good reasons to go to school in Dallas.

Wow. I wish at this age I had a Mercedes.

Do you ever think Ivy League is for the rich kids and we "poor people" are there to boost the stats and the prestige on paper?

Nah...but...George W Bush was Ivy, right?....

If you go to med in the South, do they all have air conditioning there in the colleges? Not from around there, so just asking.

 

[cyanide12345678]

So why are people waiting for the match for Southwestern? Southwestern doesn't believe in the match lol 😛 If you want Southwestern, you have to be a little more patient and wait for the wait list movement which starts around May and goes on until June 🙂

Don't get your hopes up high like I did for the match if you want to go here lol 😛 But I can tell you that there are definitely some 20 to 30 class fellows of mine who did get in after the match off of the waitlist (inclidung myself ofcourse) 🙂

 

[cyanide12345678]

P.S - Southwestern is amazing 🙂 the people here are amazing. The opportunities that you get are amazing. I love this place 🙂 The first time I got my Southwestern acceptance I had a hard time deciding between Southwestern and UTH. But now that I've been here for 6 or so months, I would pick this place in a heart beat with my eyes closed 🙂 It's definitely one of the most cohesive student bodies I have ever seen.

On another side note, if you don't get accepted on feb 1st, send an update letter, let the school know that THIS is where you want to be. But this time of the year especially is a somewhat stressful time. I hope everyone can just relax and enjoy senioritis as much as possible, because y'all are going to be working your asses off in med school (but you will be having wayyy more fun than you ever had in college 🙂 I promise 😛 ). And even if you don't get into your dream school, doesn't matter which school you go to, whereever you end up, you will be coming out with an MD 🙂

 

[REPTAR013]

Anyone match here today?

 

[duyvtr]

Anyone match here today?

Too quiet, so there were probably 1 or 2 who matched that aren't on SDN.

 

[txMed7]

Anyone match here today?

Nope, though I wasn't expecting one either. Dr. Wagner emphasized that the match concept makes little to no sense. They'll simply continue with rolling admissions through June.

 

[496552]

Nope, though I wasn't expecting one either. Dr. Wagner emphasized that the match concept makes little to no sense. They'll simply continue with rolling admissions through June.

Hope they continue rolling admissions sometime sooner than late April, but I'm thinking we're all in for a long wait!

 

[StrikeX2]

Hope they continue rolling admissions sometime sooner than late April, but I'm thinking we're all in for a long wait!

Yea, +1.

So are all IS and OOS who interviewed and haven't gotten accepted placed on the waitlist now? I'm so confused as to how their rolling works after match.

 

[txMed7]

Yea, +1.

So are all IS and OOS who interviewed and haven't gotten accepted placed on the waitlist now? I'm so confused as to how their rolling works after match.

Everybody who interviewed is automatically put on the waitlist. They don't reject anybody outright. If you interviewed here, you're on the waitlist. You'll probably get an e-mail about it in a month or so asking you to "be patient" because it's a "long process" (or something like that).

 

[Watah]

Everybody who interviewed is automatically put on the waitlist. They don't reject anybody outright. If you interviewed here, you're on the waitlist. You'll probably get an e-mail about it in a month or so asking you to "be patient" because it's a "long process" (or something like that).

They told us that only people who rank UTSW as #1 on their match list stay on the waitlist

 

[Omnomnomagon]

They told us that only people who rank UTSW as #1 on their match list stay on the waitlist

That's not accurate. There is no way for them to know how you ranked them. Everyone who ranked UTSW higher than their currently matched school is on the wait list. Likewise, if you didn't match anywhere, you're still on all of their wait lists.

 

[JABWS]

Hang in there guys! The match doesn't really affect your chances at all. As long as you ranked UTSW higher than your currently matched school, then you're still in contention. It's a little bit different from year to year, but don't be surprised if it takes a while for them to start accepting students again. Regardless, it will happen and there will be plenty of waitlist movement.

Good luck everyone!

 

[Michael333smith]

Does UTSW send out e-mails to inform applicants that they are "officially" on the waitlist? If so, has anyone received this e-mail yet?

 

[redoitall]

Does UTSW send out e-mails to inform applicants that they are "officially" on the waitlist? If so, has anyone received this e-mail yet?

Michael, i can't answer your question. But i pre matched, and matched because this is my to choice. Know that they didn't email us today. My point is that they don't seem to be in the email business. So i wouldn't expect a waitlist email either. Perhaps someone with better info will chime in.

Sent from my LG-MS770 using SDN Mobile

 

[txMed7]

Does UTSW send out e-mails to inform applicants that they are "officially" on the waitlist? If so, has anyone received this e-mail yet?

Everybody who interviews and isn't pre-matched (or matched, although UTSW does not use the match) is officially on the waitlist.

They will send you an official email about it sometime in late February or March, but honestly it doesn't matter. You're on the waitlist. They make this very clear during the interview day activities.

I know this for a fact because I was waitlisted last year by UTSW and this is pretty much how it went. E-mail from Anne in March about being on the waitlist and that we should "stay patient," and then a follow up e-mail in August with the "thank you for considering UTSW we regret to inform you..." polite rejection.

 

[JABWS]

If I remember correctly, they should send out an official notification that you're on the waitlist, but as txMed stated, this is already a given. I do remember them sending out occasional updates, and Ms. McLane is very responsive to any questions you may have. I would just be careful to not go overboard because you wouldn't want to annoy the person who is ultimately deciding whether or not you're accepted.

 

[BoricuaMD]

Thoughts on housing anyone?

I am thinking uptown with a roommate to cut down costs 😎