2013-2014 University of Texas - Southwestern Application Thread

[Status Sciaticus]

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Having a test every 2 weeks seems insane to me. In college, I would have to study for a test for a least 1 week (and preferably two).

When you say you only take 1 class at a time, does that mean you only take Biochem, then Genetics, then Embryology, etc. So the curriculum is not integrated by organ system?

Also, what are the Step 1 averages for UT Southwestern? I didn't see it on their website.

That tests every two weeks seems really intense. The only real comparison I have is Baylor (because I have friends who are MS1s there) and they just have 1 test at the end of every block, which I believe is like every four weeks or so.

the average for last year was 235 and 233 the year before that.
Its better to take a test every 2 weeks compared to every 4 weeks for two reasons:
1. if you do bad on one test, you have a lot more of them to compensate and raise your average.
2. Given the sheer volume of material learned in medical school, shorter frequent tests will allow you to focus on a narrow range of information versus learning more material for the same amount of questions.

How can The classes be one at a time?

Fall semester alone:
Medical Biochemistry (8 weeks)
Human Anatomy (15 weeks)
Medical Embryology (8 weeks)
Medical Genetics (4 weeks)
Medical Physiology (5 weeks)

Or can someone further explain, please?

Its not technically one class at a time. Its one BIOMEDICAL class at a time.

So for example you will have Anatomy running the majority of the semester and you will rotate out biochem, embryology, genetics, and physiology.

Does that make sense?

 

[clutch21]

An actual UTSW student will explain this better, but based on the schedule they shower us at the curriculum talk, there are some overlaps, but the idea is that there is only one "major" class at a time, which may overlap with an "easier" class in the same "category": eg., "easier" Embryo (according to UTSW student-to-student manual, "the class you don't remember you took" or something) overlaps with "major" Anatomy, and Genetics overlaps with Biochem. (So, yeah, it's not really 1 class at a time.) If I remember correctly, Physio kind of starts in the Fall semester and continues into the beginning of the Spring semester. Too bad they didn't give us schedule examples handouts.

MS1 here. Unfortunately there is significant overlap between biochem and anatomy over the first 2 months of school. Biochem takes loads of your time (especially the first two blocks making it hard to balance anatomy). Several people found themselves going into cram mode for anatomy because of this. Luckily it's all pass fail so not too bad. Also, don't worry about embryo over this stretch.. you really do forget about it.

I don't know if anyone showed you this, but this is the link to our calendar- http://medschool.swmed.edu/newcal/name.php?month=August&year=2013&class=ms1

According to MS2s the overlap of Physio and cell bio in the winter is also pretty rough.

On a side note about scheduling, they have completely overhauled genetics this year. It's now PBL instead of traditional. No one is really sure what to expect from it, but it seems likely that the schedule won't be as flexible for the genetics stretch now.

 

[Amygdarya]

Thank you for the clarification!

 

[JoshBoss]

So I got an interview at UTSW on Nov 2nd (with the accompanying rotation shadow on the 1st), but I was wondering if any UT Austin people would like to ride up there from Austin with me. We can split gas/hotel so it will be wayyy cheaper.

Message me on here if interested! More the merrier (unless its 5+ cause I only have 4 empty car seats)

p.s. I'm not a murderer

 

[Status Sciaticus]

So I got an interview at UTSW on Nov 2nd (with the accompanying rotation shadow on the 1st), but I was wondering if any UT Austin people would like to ride up there from Austin with me. We can split gas/hotel so it will be wayyy cheaper.

Message me on here if interested! More the merrier (unless its 5+ cause I only have 4 empty car seats)

p.s. I'm not a murderer

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Normally I'd be down but I've already booked my hotel and like to drive solo.
Ill be staying at the Wyndham by Love Field Airport FYI.

 

[JoshBoss]

Hah yeah I know what you mean, gotta get your game face on.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

Hah yeah I know what you mean, gotta get your game face on.

That, I listen to a lot of EDM. Many people dont like that music blaring.

Are you getting in thursday?

 

[JoshBoss]

Yeah Thursday I guess to get settled. Yeah EDM's the way to go, I like KTN, zomboy, skism, kill paris, dogblood is good but I wish they would break back up into skrillex and boys noize, I think they're better apart.

 

[Amygdarya]

That, I listen to a lot of EDM. Many people dont like that music blaring.

Yeah EDM's the way to go, I like KTN, zomboy, skism, kill paris, dogblood is good but I wish they would break back up into skrillex and boys noize, I think they're better apart.

That's how I know I'm old: I have no idea what you guys are talking about 😀

 

[JoshBoss]

Hah well as far as "classics" go in this genre, this song may be one. But yeah it's not for everyone, good for working out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSeNSzJ2-Jw

 

[BlueLabel]

That's how I know I'm old: I have no idea what you guys are talking about 😀

Me either.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

Yeah Thursday I guess to get settled. Yeah EDM's the way to go, I like KTN, zomboy, skism, kill paris, dogblood is good but I wish they would break back up into skrillex and boys noize, I think they're better apart.

Ah Im more into house, trance, and progressive like Above & Beyond, Alesso, AVB, Nicky Romero, etc...

That's how I know I'm old: I have no idea what you guys are talking about 😀

Well if you are older you still might have heard music from Daft Punk, Gigi D'Agostino, Benny Bennassi, or Tiesto.

 

[Dbate]

Does Southwestern not give you the option of staying with a student the night before the interview?

 

[JoshBoss]

They do, and I might end up doing that.

 

[Dbate]

They do, and I might end up doing that.

Where can you sign up for that? I didn't see any details in the interview invitation email.

 

[BlueLabel]

Where can you sign up for that? I didn't see any details in the interview invitation email.

Read the attached .pdf it's at the bottom of the first page bro. However: it says "if you wish to stay with one of our students Friday evening..." which leaves open the question of what to do for Thursday evening. Presumably you won't be driving in the morning of since the Friday activities begin at 8 AM.

Maybe other interviewees or current students can elaborate on this.

 

[BlueLabel]

They do, and I might end up doing that.

What is your interview date? If it's 11/2 we've got quite the SDN gang going on here

 

[JoshBoss]

Yeah 11/2 and i'm going for the Friday deal so i'll probably get there Thursday night.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

Where can you sign up for that? I didn't see any details in the interview invitation email.

Read the attached .pdf it's at the bottom of the first page bro. However: it says "if you wish to stay with one of our students Friday evening..." which leaves open the question of what to do for Thursday evening. Presumably you won't be driving in the morning of since the Friday activities begin at 8 AM.

Maybe other interviewees or current students can elaborate on this.

Yeah 11/2 and i'm going for the Friday deal so i'll probably get there Thursday night.

We can do an informal social or something to that effect thursday evening if you all are interested. It might even be easier for us to get rooms in the same hotels for convenience/parking and such.

 

[Dbate]

We can do an informal social or something to that effect thursday evening if you all are interested. It might even be easier for us to get rooms in the same hotels for convenience/parking and such.

I would be so down for this, but I have to fly in from NYC so I wouldn't get to the hotel until midnight 🙁

Also, i am always afraid of people finding out who I am from the internet. I do alot of trolling on the internet when I get bored, and I would hate for people to think that I am like that in real life


At nearly all of my interview dates, I stand out from everyone else, so it would be easy to identify me.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

I would be so down for this, but I have to fly in from NYC so I wouldn't get to the hotel until midnight 🙁

Also, i am always afraid of people finding out who I am from the internet. I do alot of trolling on the internet when I get bored, and I would hate for people to think that I am like that in real life


At nearly all of my interview dates, I stand out from everyone else, so it would be easy to identify me.

Why are you coming in so late?

LOLOL. If you've been on these threads, you've definitely seen me troll. And I've been asked and identified as Gandalf at every single interview. People are pleasantly surprised by the difference between my online personality and how I am in real life.

Besides, it's easy to identify a Yale graduate who is also African American from a group of 30 interviewees

 

[BlueLabel]

We can do an informal social or something to that effect thursday evening if you all are interested. It might even be easier for us to get rooms in the same hotels for convenience/parking and such.

I'd be down for a dinner or something Thursday evening.

 

[Dbate]

Why are you coming in so late?

I have to wait until after work to catch a flight on Thursday. I don't to take off Thursday and Friday.

LOLOL. If you've been on these threads, you've definitely seen me troll. And I've been asked and identified as Gandalf at every single interview. People are pleasantly surprised by the difference between my online personality and how I am in real life.

Besides, it's easy to identify a Yale graduate who is also African American from a group of 30 interviewees

Yeah, I am pretty much one of the least anonymous people on this forum. But I want to keep of the pretense just in case ad com members read SDN.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

I have to wait until after work to catch a flight on Thursday. I don't to take off Thursday and Friday.



Yeah, I am pretty much one of the least anonymous people on this forum. But I want to keep of the pretense just in case ad com members read SDN.

That's fine I guess.
I doubt it matters since they will already know that an AA Yalie is interviewing Nov 2 by your previous posts. Anonymity is already out the window

 

[Amygdarya]

Plus, if you attend Friday afternoon session, at some point you will have to get up and introduce yourself to the group of however many applicants UTSW interviews that day (the biggest group of applicants in my, admittedly, limited experience) 🙂

Thank you for the musical education guys. And good luck 🙂

 

[sliceofbread136]

If you guys were liking that UTSW had no PBL (like I did), you should probably know that they just started a PBL based genetics curriculum. I guess I'm happy it's only 4 weeks...

 

[Command]

Has anyone attended the Friday morning rounds & dinner before your interview?

 

[Amygdarya]

Has anyone attended the Friday morning rounds & dinner before your interview?

Today or ever?

 

[minuteman]

II Nov 16th!! Still hope!!

 

[lithe]

II this evening! In state applicant. Yaaaay 🙂

 

[Command]

Today or ever?

ever

 

[Amygdarya]

ever

Yes, and I'm quite sure I'm not the only one who did 🙂
If you have questions, ask away.

Congrats with IIs guys!

 

[deleted393595]

Its better to take a test every 2 weeks compared to every 4 weeks for two reasons:
1. if you do bad on one test, you have a lot more of them to compensate and raise your average.
2. Given the sheer volume of material learned in medical school, shorter frequent tests will allow you to focus on a narrow range of information versus learning more material for the same amount of questions.

But the advantage of 1 test per 4 weeks is that you get 3 weeks to chillax and then 1 week of furious studying!

 

[Amygdarya]

But the advantage of 1 test per 4 weeks is that you get 3 weeks to chillax and then 1 week of furious studying!

True for undergrad, but, judging from the pancake parabola, this is not going to work for med school.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

But the advantage of 1 test per 4 weeks is that you get 3 weeks to chillax and then 1 week of furious studying!

This is something you should not try to learn by trial and error.

True for undergrad, but, judging from the pancake parabola, this is not going to work for med school.

👍

 

[TxsMed14]

Il for 12/7! Does anyone know about changing the interview (not clinical/dinner) date? I had several options to choose from besides that one, and the email says to use the website to RSVP or make changes... But wasn't clear anywhere if I had to get approval first.

Seems strange they assigned me almost two months from now, with three open weekends before then!

 

[ynot89125]

II invite yesterday! for 11/9. Complete 8/1 Can't wait! Stats: 3.6/37 I totally thought I was passed over. To those who are still waiting don't give up hope yet!!

 

[arsarcrium]

Interview Invite 11/9. But I never completed my secondary!? CRAZYSAUCE!

I submitted May 31st and was feeling a little overwhelmed by the application process and the UTSW secondary just fell through the cracks. Was this invitation some fluke of the automated system or did someone just look at my application and assume that the secondary was incoming? Do I even have a chance here with a six month late application?

 

[ynot89125]

Interview Invite 11/9. But I never completed my secondary!? CRAZYSAUCE!

I submitted May 31st and was feeling a little overwhelmed by the application process and the UTSW secondary just fell through the cracks. Was this invitation some fluke of the automated system or did someone just look at my application and assume that the secondary was incoming? Do I even have a chance here with a six month late application?

Hard to believe this happened....I'm pretty sure they don't give out interviews until the secondary is complete even if you are a complete boss stat-wise.

If this did happen, I'm a little worried that my invitation was a fluke/error! 🙁

 

[deleted393595]

True for undergrad, but, judging from the pancake parabola, this is not going to work for med school.

One must learn to stuff oneself. Or at least try to. Or at least aim for the least amount of effort needed to pass.

This is something you should not try to learn by trial and error.



👍

Don't worry! I will!

 

[Cheetah13]

Hard to believe this happened....I'm pretty sure they don't give out interviews until the secondary is complete even if you are a complete boss stat-wise.

If this did happen, I'm a little worried that my invitation was a fluke/error! 🙁

Nope it's not a fluke!! Congratulations on the invite!
Just make sure to complete your secondary before the interview

 

[Status Sciaticus]

Interview Invite 11/9. But I never completed my secondary!? CRAZYSAUCE!

I submitted May 31st and was feeling a little overwhelmed by the application process and the UTSW secondary just fell through the cracks. Was this invitation some fluke of the automated system or did someone just look at my application and assume that the secondary was incoming? Do I even have a chance here with a six month late application?

yes, you have a chance. If you see the MyInterview tab, then no its not a fluke.
Just be sure to finish the secondary before your interview though.

Hard to believe this happened....I'm pretty sure they don't give out interviews until the secondary is complete even if you are a complete boss stat-wise.

If this did happen, I'm a little worried that my invitation was a fluke/error! 🙁

Its happened before, so its probably a true invite.

 

[ynot89125]

Oh sorry I thought this was the only one. It's interesting tho that they do this. I look forward to seeing you guys there on 11/9! Also I sent in a update letter probably a week ago so i feel like it may have been a factor?

 

[Amygdarya]

Hard to believe this happened....I'm pretty sure they don't give out interviews until the secondary is complete even if you are a complete boss stat-wise.

If this did happen, I'm a little worried that my invitation was a fluke/error! 🙁

UT Southwestern does give some IIs without complete secondaries, it's not a fluke. But yeah, it's a good idea to submit that secondary ASAP 🙂

One must learn to stuff oneself. Or at least try to. Or at least aim for the least amount of effort needed to pass.

It's healthier to be a moderate eater 😉 Plus, if you try stuffing yourself with all the med school stuff you may burst.
There is no point of arguing with someone as overconfident as you are, so I won't. You're probably smart enough to adjust your study habits if you don't do as well as you expect/are used to on your first test. Good luck with the least amount of effort 😀

 

[therealfinale]

Hard to believe this happened....I'm pretty sure they don't give out interviews until the secondary is complete even if you are a complete boss stat-wise.

If this did happen, I'm a little worried that my invitation was a fluke/error! 🙁

Hey, congrats on the invite. It's not a fluke, since I also received an ii back in August without having completed my secondary. I think they just want you to complete it 2 weeks before your interview.

 

[deleted393595]

UT Southwestern does give some IIs without complete secondaries, it's not a fluke. But yeah, it's a good idea to submit that secondary ASAP 🙂

It's healthier to be a moderate eater 😉 Plus, if you try stuffing yourself with all the med school stuff you may burst.

There is no point of arguing with someone as overconfident as you are, so I won't. You're probably smart enough to adjust your study habits if you don't do as well as you expect/are used to on your first test. Good luck with the least amount of effort 😀

It's only considered arrogance if it involves overexageration!

But tbh, I see the point though in spreading out the studying over several weeks. It's just that I'd rather have the ability to spend a few weeks doing absolutely nothing.

 

[Amygdarya]

But tbh, I see the point though in spreading out the studying over several weeks. It's just that I'd rather have the ability to spend a few weeks doing absolutely nothing.

I'm glad we can agree on something. I guess it's because I'm non-trad that I can't even imagine "a few weeks doing absolutely nothing" 🙂 Along the same lines, spring break, summer vacation - what are these? 😛 I took exactly 3 days off work in the 18 months preceding my my medical school interviews, and I often had to work on weekends, too.
That said, I have absolutely no doubt that most trad students can adjust to the more or less nonstop studying/working that is medical training.

 

[N7chell]

I thought I would get no love from UTSW, but got an II for 11/2!

How do you get a student host for Friday night? Do we have to send a request for it somewhere? I must be blind, but I don't see it mentioned anywhere in the attachments.

 

[Cheetah13]

I thought I would get no love from UTSW, but got an II for 11/2!

How do you get a student host for Friday night? Do we have to send a request for it somewhere? I must be blind, but I don't see it mentioned anywhere in the attachments.

They sent you an invite today for 11/2? That's 9 days away!

 

[N7chell]

I got the email late last night. I thought it was pretty late too, but I'll take it! (I did have an option for a later date, but I wanted to get in before pre-match)