2014-2015 University of Texas Southwestern Application Thread

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Earl Simmons said:
I must tip my cap to you. You definitely have the most entertaining MDApps I have ever read.

What type of research (clinical, translational, basic) do most medical students at UTSW pursue, and what percent of medical students at UTSW pursue research during their four years? To go off that last question, how popular is the MD with Distinction in Research and does it mean anything in the long run (ex. residency applications)?

Also, what is your opinion of the more traditional 2-year science curriculum at UTSW as a current student who has been through it i?

Thanks!
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If I had to throw out a guess, I would say that 2/3 of my classmates have done some type of research during their time at UTSW (don't really have any numbers to back that up, though). Most students pursue some type of clinical research, since those projects tend to be much shorter in duration and require a much lower work burden compared to translational/basic research. Students who want to do translational/basic research should probably expect to devote more time than the usual summer break between MS1-MS2 if they expect to get a first author publication out of their project. I don't really think the MD with Distinction title really means anything besides a simple acknowledgement that you did more research than the average med student.

All that being said, I know of quite a few people who haven't done research yet and don't plan on doing any in the future. It all depends on what your goals are for the future.

I don't think the 2-year curriculum held me back in terms of my performance on Step 1. There's definitely some redundancy/esoteric nonsense/"hey look at this cool molecule we discovered at UTSW but has no clinical significance" moments, but nothing that I have major complaints about. I had plenty of free time to do whatever I want ... to be honest, I treated the first 2 years as a vacation. I studied when I felt like it, slept in when I felt like it, and did nothing when I felt like it. That being said, I recognized that there were definitely a few questions that I may have gotten correct if I had a bit more clinical experience beforehand. The good news is that your class should be the 2nd (or 1st? I'm not sure) to experience the revamped curriculum (I think they changed it to an 18 month curriculum, but I'm not super clear on all the details /timelines).
 
The UTSW curriculum information pages still show the 2 year science + 2 year clinical curriculum. Are the new changes not reflected on the webpage?

http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/academics/curriculum/second-year.html
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/academics/curriculum/third-year.html

Does the 2 year curriculum make a significant difference in how much free time one may have because of the extra semester to learn all the material? To be honest, I never thought about it that way, but that does sound appealing!
 
Earl Simmons said:
The UTSW curriculum information pages still show the 2 year science + 2 year clinical curriculum. Are the new changes not reflected on the webpage?

http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/academics/curriculum/second-year.html
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/academics/curriculum/third-year.html
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Nothing's set in stone yet. All they told us was that they were planning on rolling out some type of major curriculum reform this year or next year. I imagine they'll provide more information about the curriculum on the interview dates.
 
Oh wow! I didn't realize that UTSW was reforming the curriculum. The 1.5 yr programs (a la Baylor) do sound really appealing
 
Current MS4. Not doing much right now so happy to help answer any questions you may have, fee free to PM or use thread!
 
hey @hownowmauvecow, current in-state resident, submitted my secondary at the beginning of july and hopefully will have an II in the near future. how are interviews at UTSW? are you able to divulge any specifics?
 
Whatyousay said:
Current MS3 here. I'd be happy to answer any questions y'all have about the school.

Best of luck with the application process!
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hownowmauvecow said:
Current MS4. Not doing much right now so happy to help answer any questions you may have, fee free to PM or use thread!
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Hey guys, I am finishing up my secondary for UTSW. I have been there as a graduate student and really wanted to use the secondary as a way to show how much I enjoyed being there and give reasons why i would like to be there again. Do you think this will come across as desperate or will it help?

Thanks in advance.
 
ladygagakid2001 said:
hey @hownowmauvecow, current in-state resident, submitted my secondary at the beginning of july and hopefully will have an II in the near future. how are interviews at UTSW? are you able to divulge any specifics?
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Unless they've decided to change things up, here's how things were last year:

Friday: clinical shadowing/tour at one of the UTSW-affiliated hospitals, some afternoon presentations, dinner with current med students at one of the fancier buildings (OPTIONAL... I didn't attend due to another interview, and I don't think they cared)

Saturday: tours, presentations, two interviews with MDs/PhDs, BBQ lunch. Generally people are done by 1-2ish. I've heard that one interviewer has access to your application and the other interviewer doesn't, but that's just rumor and no one actually knows. Interviews are pretty straightforward with the usual questions (why medicine, why UTSW, blahblahblah). If you've done research and you've listed it on your app, be able to talk about it coherently (it's a research heavy institution, after all). One of my interviewers happened to work in a field that was directly related to the material in my senior thesis, and my interview ended up being a 30 minute grilling on the subject matter.

Porter said:
Hey guys, I am finishing up my secondary for UTSW. I have been there as a graduate student and really wanted to use the secondary as a way to show how much I enjoyed being there and give reasons why i would like to be there again. Do you think this will come across as desperate or will it help?

Thanks in advance.
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Definitely don't do start off with "Here's a list of reasons why I want to come to UTSW."

The secondary prompt is organized in a way that should allow you to answer the questions directly while integrating relevant aspects of your experiences at UTSW. If you feel like your experiences at UTSW helped shape your desire to enter medicine/changed your post-graduate career goals, feel free to tie them in ("I want to pursue academic medicine because of my experiences in xxx lab blah blah blah.") If your experiences don't make sense in the context of the secondary prompt, don't force it in there ("I ran PCRs for 10 years and haven't had human contact in 5").

All that being said, I received an interview before I even looked at the secondary prompt, so make what you want of that.
 
For people applying MSTP only- there's no secondary right? Just a little nervous I missed something.
 
There is not if you are only applying MSTP but if you are applying MTSP and regular admission (so still vying for a spot at the medical school even if you don't get in to the MTSP program at UTSW) then you do need to fill out the secondary.
 
ladygagakid2001 said:
hey @hownowmauvecow, current in-state resident, submitted my secondary at the beginning of july and hopefully will have an II in the near future. how are interviews at UTSW? are you able to divulge any specifics?
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I know whatyousay already answered most of this, but one person does have access to your file and one only has access to your personal statement (I know they were not sure). Really shouldn't make a difference to you and if you have a red flag be prepared for either one of your interviewers to bring it up, its not worth it to try and guess who has access to what info.

And reiterating what whatyousay said, they like research here. Now that does NOT mean that you are at a disadvantage if you don't plan on doing it/haven't done it but if does mean that some of your interviewers may decide to spend a large chunk of the interview talking about their research without prompting. Let them. Just occasionally ask some intelligent sounding questions to remind them you are still there. And that is more the exception than the rule when it comes to interviews. They are pretty chill for the most part, after all by the time you have been given the II you have already met all the academic qualifications and so its really just showing the school that you are 'normal' (whatever that is) and that you are someone they should have here.
 
For the first question on the secondary do we have to choose one of the choices? Not really interested in any of the choices but can bs something if it's required
 
Hey all! Good luck applying this year! I will be an M1 - so I just did this process last cycle. I also had a later interview and got in AFTER the first round of pre-matches. Let me know if you have any questions about the application/interview process!
 
Vans42 said:
Hey all! Good luck applying this year! I will be an M1 - so I just did this process last cycle. I also had a later interview and got in AFTER the first round of pre-matches. Let me know if you have any questions about the application/interview process!
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If you did not mind, please share your stats and the timeline in your applying process(such as date completing TMDSAS, date II, Date Accepted ....).

Thank you very much in advance.
 
meteor said:
If you did not mind, please share your stats and the timeline in your applying process(such as date completing TMDSAS, date II, Date Accepted ....).

Thank you very much in advance.
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I had my TMDSAS submitted I think around May 4th or 5th, so pretty early. I think my secondary was completed towards the end of May. I got an interview date - I can't remember when I got it - for November (I think it was very soon after the pre-matching began). I got pre-matched ~2 weeks later.

My GPA was 3.9+ but my MCAT was between 29-31 and I had taken it three times (the first two were in mid 20's). I had a TON of research though (two years out of college), a couple of publications and one will be a first authorship. I also had a lot of great volunteering and working experiences (clinical and non) that I began before I was thinking of med school. So it really matters to be well rounded (although that goes for every school).
 
meteor said:
If you did not mind, please share your stats and the timeline in your applying process(such as date completing TMDSAS, date II, Date Accepted ....).

Thank you very much in advance.
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On the other side of the fence from Vans42.. not to depress anyone or anything

Submitted TMDSAS Mid May, II August, Interviewed September, Waitlisted post-match in feburary, accepted Mid May.

3.9/35 (one take)/in-state/traditional student/standard ECs (lots of research, volunteering, shadowing)
 
sinon said:
For the first question on the secondary do we have to choose one of the choices? Not really interested in any of the choices but can bs something if it's required
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I think the choices are broad enough in scope that you can find a way to tie your experiences/career goals into just about any of them. I think the main goal of the prompt is to gauge what type of career arc you're seeking.

That being said, if you really can't find a way to relate to any of the choices listed in the secondary, don't lie.
 
NCKSD said:
On the other side of the fence from Vans42.. not to depress anyone or anything

Submitted TMDSAS Mid May, II August, Interviewed September, Waitlisted post-match in feburary, accepted Mid May.

3.9/35 (one take)/in-state/traditional student/standard ECs (lots of research, volunteering, shadowing)
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Thank NCKSD for sharing. That was a long process covering the whole cycle. Knowing this will help me to prepare myself for such long process.
 
I'm applying MSTP to UTSW (so I applied through AMCAS), and I never got a secondary. I got an email saying they're still waiting for my LORs, but that's it. Do MSTP applicants not get secondaries? Thanks.
 
matlas said:
I'm applying MSTP to UTSW (so I applied through AMCAS), and I never got a secondary. I got an email saying they're still waiting for my LORs, but that's it. Do MSTP applicants not get secondaries? Thanks.
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Nope! Got an email today confirming they had everything and we only needed a secondary if we were applying MD only
 
Quick question regarding the confirmation email. My TMDSAS was transmitted almost 2 weeks ago, and I have not received a confirmation email from UTSW or UT Houston, but I have received one from all the other schools I applied to. Granted, my LORs have not yet been submitted, and I have not turned in my secondary. Should I contact either school, or continue waiting? I just hope my app hasn't been lost...been over 2 weeks.
 
When I applied, I never received a confirmation from UTH before I received my interview. UTSW sent me a confirmation email around the same time I received confirmation emails from other schools (LORs in, interview invite was received before secondary completed).

If the other schools have received your application, I would assume that UTSW and UTH have as well. It might be worthwhile to shoot a quick email to UTSW's admissions office, but be aware that they're probably swamped right now, so I don't know what the response time would be on a query like that.
 
Thanks for the help! I actually just received a confirmation email from UTSW this morning, so very happy they at least have the application now. Also sending in my LORs today. Hoping UTH does the same for me lol
 
Does UTSW send a complete email? I've only received confirmation of the receipt of my secondary, but nothing else.
 
trailblazer518 said:
Does UTSW send a complete email? I've only received confirmation of the receipt of my secondary, but nothing else.
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I just received a confirmation of my TMDSAS app. Haven't submitted secondary. In the email they said to keep checking status of TMDSAS to keep up with other documents. I believe your GateWay app webpage should reflect your completed secondary, but I could be wrong.
 
whalewind said:
I just received a confirmation of my TMDSAS app. Haven't submitted secondary. In the email they said to keep checking status of TMDSAS to keep up with other documents. I believe your GateWay app webpage should reflect your completed secondary, but I could be wrong.
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Ok, yeah I everything has been received by TMDSAS for me, so I assume I'm complete then.
 
I am applying MSTP as well as just MD for UTSW, and I'm wondering if it's okay that my MD/PhD essay kind of overlaps with the second prompt of the UTSW secondary? Will the MD committee even read my MD/PhD application?
 
jj2015 said:
I am applying MSTP as well as just MD for UTSW, and I'm wondering if it's okay that my MD/PhD essay kind of overlaps with the second prompt of the UTSW secondary? Will the MD committee even read my MD/PhD application?
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Probably fine. The MD committee should not see your MD-PhD letters since those are through AMCAS and the MD committee is through TMDSAS.
 
UTSW emailed me thursday and said my app had been received from TMDSAS, but I got another identical email about five minutes ago. This happen to anyone else?
 
This happened to me also ladygagakid2001
 
Here's to hoping II go out this week. Last year they started on the 8th and schools have been sending invites earlier than usual this cycle
 
¥+
ladygagakid2001 said:
UTSW emailed me thursday and said my app had been received from TMDSAS, but I got another identical email about five minutes ago. This happen to anyone else?
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+1.... Thought It was a rejection haha

Just checked and literally Thursday and today
 
One of my friends said that UT Southwestern doesn't require that your secondary be complete before they offer you an interview. Is this true?
 
ladygagakid2001 said:
UTSW emailed me thursday and said my app had been received from TMDSAS, but I got another identical email about five minutes ago. This happen to anyone else?
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Thursday and today for me too. This was the reason I got on SDN just now, glad to see it wasn't just me
 
Hey guys this is my first post on here, wish everyone the best in applying, I just wanted to see what my chances were:

3.75 cGPA
3.83 sGPA
29 MCAT
Texas resident
Decent EC's (Medical mission trip, 100+ hospital volunteer hours, some shadowing, etc)

Thank yall and good luck!
 
I'm an out of state applicant so take this with a grain of salt, but this is my personal experience and associated opinion: I applied to a similarly ranked in-state school last year with an above average GPA, a MCAT that was several points below average, and what I would say are very strong EC's and LOR's. I was wait-listed, re-took the MCAT and greatly improved my score, and am currently reapplying more broadly. Given that your GPA is slightly below their average and your MCAT is 5 points below average (30 is their 10th percentile), I would say that you would have to have amazing EC's to carry the weight. It can't hurt to apply, but if you're set on UT SW I would begin allocating your time to improving your MCAT and EC's in anticipation of having to reapply.
 
DocEllen said:
One of my friends said that UT Southwestern doesn't require that your secondary be complete before they offer you an interview. Is this true?
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Yes, this happened to me and the reason why I hadn't filled out the secondary was because I didn't think I had a chance in hell of getting in.

That being said, you shouldn't wait until that happens to fill it out, because regardless, I think it ended up hurting me to turn it in late.
 
Hopeful Future Doc said:
Hey guys this is my first post on here, wish everyone the best in applying, I just wanted to see what my chances were:

3.75 cGPA
3.83 sGPA
29 MCAT
Texas resident
Decent EC's (Medical mission trip, 100+ hospital volunteer hours, some shadowing, etc)

Thank yall and good luck!
Click to expand...

I know people who have received interview invites/acceptances with stats similar to yours. That being said, the applicant pool is large and the admissions process is strange, so it'll probably be a coin toss in terms of whether or not you hear back. If you happen to add anything significant to your app (big publication, new MCAT, whatever), I would recommend updating the admissions office on your status.
 
II today! IS, LizzyM >70, secondary completed 6/15

Do you guys think rescheduling my interview from 9/6 to 9/27 would negatively affect my chances by much? I would love to go sooner but that would mean missing their Friday program, and it sounds like a great opportunity
 
Ash2015 said:
II today! IS, LizzyM >70, secondary completed 6/15

Do you guys think rescheduling my interview from 9/6 to 9/27 would negatively affect my chances by much? I would love to go sooner but that would mean missing their Friday program, and it sounds like a great opportunity
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It would have no effect on your chances, you'll be fine.
 
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