2015-2016 Texas Tech University - Lubbock Application Thread

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J1988 said:
Congrats @DoctorJJ3K and @FoodisGood163 !

To all who have received IIs, did y'all indicate an interest in primary care on the secondary application? I DID NOT select primary care as a field of interest and I wonder if that effectively killed my chances at texas tech.
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I pretty sure I didn't select primary care either and have not received an II. It would be very unfortunate if not making that selection kills our chances.
 
bate16 said:
I pretty sure I didn't select primary care either and have not received an II. It would be very unfortunate if not making that selection kills our chances.
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I put primary care but I also put that I plan on specializing in a sub-specialty of internal medicine. They might have pushed your application to the bottom of the pile, but I know people got interviews with VERY low MCATs last year so you should get one.
 
I put primary care as an interest, but also made it clear that since I really have no idea what kind of specialty I want to go in since I'm not even in med school yet, I highly doubt it would kill your chances, it's not like this school is exclusively primary care.
 
It's more discouraging when you have a LizzyM of ~71, and have interviewed at 3 other places already, but no sign of an interview from here. Secondary complete 6/25. -__-
 
YoungDrHopeful said:
It's more discouraging when you have a LizzyM of ~71, and have interviewed at 3 other places already, but no sign of an interview from here. Secondary complete 6/25. -__-
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When i get on these boards and see everyone with IIs, it's so easy to forget that I don't get to see all the people out there who have no IIs yet. Nevertheless I assure you that there are plenty, so don't get too down. I'm sure you'll get your chance here in good time.
 
Jobikenobi said:
When i get on these boards and see everyone with IIs, it's so easy to forget that I don't get to see all the people out there who have no IIs yet. Nevertheless I assure you that there are plenty, so don't get too down. I'm sure you'll get your chance here in good time.
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This post really puts things into perspective. Couldn't agree more with you. For those of you MCAT psychology peeps, the sample size of SDN posters for IIs is too small, not representative of the whole population
But seriously though it's so early. I'm sure there will be many more invites to come. Best of luck to everyone!
 
Hey guys, what is the nearest airport and how far is it from the school?
 
texan2414 said:
Think there's only one lubbock airport.
Btw did you get a 3rd II here? Gratzzz!!!
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Thanks for the info. I was very late booking a flight because clearly rolling in money here. This was my fourth one - I thank god all the time. I got the II about a week ago. Haven't heard from anyone else since though. The wait is hard.
 
texan2414 said:
@FoodisGood163 @DoctorJJ3K Congratz!

Mind sharing your stats and also when you submitted your secondary?
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Hey, sorry for the late response. Been busy with stuff. I actually have pretty average (or maybe even below average stats).
GPA: 3.66 at UT Dallas
sGPA: 3.64
MCAT: unbalanced 506
I'm a non-trad. Been working since graduation in 2014. My MCAT was poor for my previous cycle and I didn't apply as early as I would have liked. Of course, I tried my best to rectify that this cycle. I submitted my secondary on 7/16.

J1988 said:
Congrats @DoctorJJ3K and @FoodisGood163 !

To all who have received IIs, did y'all indicate an interest in primary care on the secondary application? I DID NOT select primary care as a field of interest and I wonder if that effectively killed my chances at texas tech.
Click to expand...

I selected primary care as an area of interest.
 
Since the interview feedback page for Tech is slightly outdated, I was wondering whether anyone who interviewed this or in past cycles got any weird questions that maybe threw you for a loop?
 
unparapluie said:
Since the interview feedback page for Tech is slightly outdated, I was wondering whether anyone who interviewed this or in past cycles got any weird questions that maybe threw you for a loop?
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I interviewed yesterday and the interviews were all weirdly easy. None of the questions were even remotely tricky
 
jd989898 said:
I interviewed yesterday and the interviews were all weirdly easy. None of the questions were even remotely tricky
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@jd989898

It's interesting that you said this. I have some friends who interviewed at Tech a few years back and they all said it was pretty straight forward and that they had the impressions that Tech was much more "laid-back" than many other interviews. Needless to say, it's not an excuse to be too casual or anything I would assume. What was your overall impression of the culture and atmosphere in Lubbock and at the HSC? I lived in Austin and Houston for most of my life so I don't know exactly what to expect in Lubbock. Thanks for any input.
 
FoodisGood163 said:
Hey, sorry for the late response. Been busy with stuff. I actually have pretty average (or maybe even below average stats).
GPA: 3.66 at UT Dallas
sGPA: 3.64
MCAT: unbalanced 506
I'm a non-trad. Been working since graduation in 2014. My MCAT was poor for my previous cycle and I didn't apply as early as I would have liked. Of course, I tried my best to rectify that this cycle. I submitted my secondary on 7/16.



I selected primary care as an area of interest.
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I'm totally stalking and this is kinda irrelevant but good luck! I too am a utd grad of 2014 🙂 Whoosh~
 
DoctorJJ3K said:
@jd989898

It's interesting that you said this. I have some friends who interviewed at Tech a few years back and they all said it was pretty straight forward and that they had the impressions that Tech was much more "laid-back" than many other interviews. Needless to say, it's not an excuse to be too casual or anything I would assume. What was your overall impression of the culture and atmosphere in Lubbock and at the HSC? I lived in Austin and Houston for most of my life so I don't know exactly what to expect in Lubbock. Thanks for any input.
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The campus/area is far more rural, conservative, and isolated than Houston or Austin. The facilities are surprisingly nice, and it has its perks, but Lubbock seems to be a negative for most people. The interviews were very laid-back for the most part, but keep in mind this depends on the people who interview you. Try to adapt to each person and be just as, if not very slightly more formal than your interviewer.
 
J1988 said:
Congrats @DoctorJJ3K and @FoodisGood163 !

To all who have received IIs, did y'all indicate an interest in primary care on the secondary application? I DID NOT select primary care as a field of interest and I wonder if that effectively killed my chances at texas tech.
Click to expand...
I selected primary care, but I doubt it affected your chances at this point, since it's only one minor part of the entire application. There are a few people on here who received IIs without doing so, too. I know there are certain things they gauge your interest in during the interview, primary care being one of them, for which they add points accordingly, but I would imagine that's a little further down the line.
 
jd989898 said:
The campus/area is far more rural, conservative, and isolated than Houston or Austin. The facilities are surprisingly nice, and it has its perks, but Lubbock seems to be a negative for most people. The interviews were very laid-back for the most part, but keep in mind this depends on the people who interview you. Try to adapt to each person and be just as, if not very slightly more formal than your interviewer.
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Thanks! That's some great info. Yeah I'm trying to keep an open mind when it comes to location so we'll see come Wednesday. Thanks again
 
Received an II yesterday with directions to go online to "select" my interview date. As others have said, there was only one option listed and happened to be only three days away. I'm a non-trad with a full-time job, so I called this morning to ask about rescheduling to a later date and was surprised by how easy it was to switch to 9/11. I submitted everything on 6/28. I am excited to compare and contrast TTUHSC with UTHSCSA, a similarly "laid back" school set in a city I could really like.

A few humble words of advice for those who are following these forums looking for dates of submission, LizzyM scores, and other information as comparison material, coming from a fellow applicant slowly learning from this whole process: Just focus on your day-to-day life and ignore applicant portals and SDN. Forget about it all until an email pops up in your inbox. Time passes quicker and the days are more enjoyable. Who has ever added hours to their life by worrying?
 
Found this great FAQ from @sector9:

sector9 said:
Hey everyone,

I'm a MS3 at TTUHSC and I thought I'd put together a FAQ in this post. I'll slowly add more as time allows or as questions come up.

If you have a question, I'd prefer to answer it in the thread so everyone can see the answer and so that other students can contribute, but you can also send me a PM if you want.

Some great references:
-Office of Admissions website
-FAQ from the Office of Admissions

What are the average stats for students at TTUHSC SOM?

Here's the statistics page from the Office of Admissions. It is a little out of date. I think they said the class entering in 2012 was GPA of 3.7 and MCAT of 30. The TTUHSC FAQ lists GPA of 3.65 and MCAT of 31. So somewhere in that range is the average 😉

I don't see TTUHSC on AMCAS! How do I apply?

TTUHSC, like the other public Texas schools, uses a different application service called TMDSAS for their normal MD applications. Check out their website for more information www.tmdsas.com. It should be noted that state law requires the medical school to be 90% in-state students.

What are the course prerequisites?

The prerequisites are listed here on the TMDSAS website for all Texas schools and are also listed on TTUHSC's website here. One thing of note is that Texas Tech is one of the few schools that requires biochem.

What are the LOR requirements?

The detailed requirements are listed on the TMDSAS website and also on the TTUHSC site. Basically, they want to see a committee letter if your school has one, or two letters from either faculty and/or physicians who know you well if you don't have a committee.

Any application tips?

I would definitely recommend applying as early as possible! TTUHSC typically starts their interview season in August and wraps it up in December or January. The TTUHSC FAQ says that an "early" application is from May 1 to July 15.

What's the name of the school? Is the med school part of the undergrad campus?

Technically, the medical school at Texas Tech is a part of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), which is a separate university from the main undergraduate campus Texas Tech University (TTU). They are both part of the Texas Tech University System. The TTU campus is just across the freeway from TTUHSC's main campus in Lubbock and TTUHSC medical students have access to lots of stuff on the undergrad campus, from the Rec Center (lots of stuff there, like the Student Leisure Pool, indoor climbing wall, indoor pools, track, basketball courts, weight rooms, etc) to the sporting events (free admission to all sporting events).

Is it terrible living in Lubbock?

I don't mind it at all. There's no doubt that Lubbock is smaller than most other cities that have a medical school. However, there are still over 250,000 people who live here and an undergrad campus of over 30,000. I love the lack of traffic around here and "The Loop" (circular freeway system around the city) makes everything accessible within a few minutes of drive time. I've always been able to find everything I need right here in Lubbock. Your class will end up finding lots of stuff to do together, both here in Lubbock and by organizing informal trips elsewhere. You'll spend a lot of time studying no matter where you go so I never placed much importance on where I went for med school, but it's obviously a personal decision.

What's the grading system like?

See this FAQ answer 🙂

Where do third and fourth year rotations take place?

In order to ensure that all students have a great clinical rotation experience and have opportunities to work in smaller groups with faculty, the SOM uses a multi-campus system for the third and fourth years of medical school. Students will be split up between three campuses: Lubbock, Amarillo, and the Permian Basin (Midland and Odessa). The approximate number of spots per campus will be over 100 at Lubbock, over 50 at Amarillo, and a little over 20 at the Permian Basin. Lubbock is always the most popular choice and therefore gets full.

In order to make campus assignments, admitted students fill out a Campus Preference form where you rank the campuses and explain your ranking. Students who have a compelling reason to stay in Lubbock (like a spouse or partner working in Lubbock, school age kids, or an ongoing illness with medical care established in Lubbock) will pretty much always get Lubbock if they request it.

The campus assignment process is completed before school starts your MS1 year. In your MS2 year, you can petition for a change in campus assignment.

What are some of the special programs and degree types available at TTUHSC?

TTUHSC offers some innovative programs and many of the traditional options as well. TTUHSC was the first U.S. medical school to offer an accelerated 3-year MD program specifically designed for family medicine. More information can be found here, but the basics are that you graduate in 3 years (you're in school year-round), one of your years of med school is covered by a scholarship (so you only pay for 2 years of med school), and you have a guaranteed spot at one of Texas Tech's Family Medicine residencies.

TTUHSC also has a 4-year MD/MBA program, which is offered in conjunction with the Rawls School of Business at TTU, and a 6-year MD/JD program, offered in conjunction with the School of Law at TTU. There is also an MD/PhD program (7 years), a Research Honors program (adds a year to the MD degree), and students can work with administrators to customize a MD/MS degree if desired. TTUHSC is starting an MPH program which will soon have an MD/MPH dual degree option.

How easy or difficult is it to do research at TTUHSC?

It is very easy to get involved with research at TTUHSC. One of the most popular summer activities between MS1 and MS2 year is a summer research program organized by the dean's office. The program is very non-competitive, meaning that you don't need prior research experience to be involved and everyone that applies can receive the stipend if they do their proposed project. They make is super easy to hook up with faculty for projects, putting together a website listing the PI's and projects available and also a lunch meeting where faculty present their research projects and you can hook up with mentors for a project. Projects in both the basic sciences and clinical research are available. You can also set up something on your own with a faculty mentor.

How much does it cost to attend TTUHSC?

The cost is one of the great things about the school. Tuition is currently at just over $16,000 for in-state students, making it one of the cheapest schools in the nation. If you are lucky enough to be part of the 10% OOS students, then they almost always give you a scholarship for $1000. According to Texas law, if you get a scholarship of $1000 or more, you are charged at in-state tuition rates, resulting in a fantastic option for medical school. Additionally, the cost of living in Lubbock is below national average.

What's the class environment like? Is everyone super competitive?

Personally, I love the class environment and think that the environment is a big selling point for Tech. This is one of those schools where people are always posting their study notes, new websites they found that they thought were helpful, reminding others about upcoming deadlines for assignments or scholarships, or pointing out books or other resources that explain the material. Also, students are constantly trading babysitting for their pets, asking for rides to the airport, or organizing a night out or a weekend trip somewhere. I consider the class to be really helpful and friendly and I think you'll get that vibe if you come out to interview day, which is one of the big reasons I ended up here.

What is the pre-clinical curriculum like? What's your schedule like?

First of all, here's the website explaining the curriculum and the exact order of classes.

Tech is on a block schedule so we are only studying for one exam at a time. Although I think some webpages state we have a "systems based" approach, I wouldn't really describe it that way. Some of our classes are broken down into systems (like physiology, where we had different units for the different major organ systems) but the overall curriculum is more structured by grouping disciplines (i.e. physiology, histology, biochemistry, etc) than organ systems.

The first block is anatomy. Anatomy is very much a hands on experience where you will spend plenty of time in the lab. Attendance is required for most things during anatomy and the days are pretty long. Fortunately, anatomy is only 10 weeks long.

After anatomy, our schedule is pretty awesome. Throughout the remainder of the preclinical years, a typical day is class lecture for a max of 4 hours (8am-noon for MS1's and 1pm-5pm for MS2's). This is way less than most schools. Attendance is not required for most lectures, and classes are both audio and video recorded and lecture slides are available online.

In addition to regular lectures, we do have some additional activities. The schedule for these required things varies but I would say it averages out to about once per week. Examples of these things include a small group meeting, practicing clinical skills in the simulation center or hospital, or a quiz.

Between blocks, they now have a week-long period where you have your P3 class every day. This is basically your doctoring class mixed with ethics and other tidbits they need to teach.

Tell me everything about studying for Step 1 at Tech!

My opinion is that Step 1 preparation and your final score are very much a reflection of the individual student's preparation and dedication. That being said, Texas Tech certainly does everything possible to make sure you can get the score you want. To start off your Step 1 studying, the school will buy you access to UWorld's QBank for 9 months. You can do some searches around here for reviews, but suffice it to say that most students find UWorld to be the best QBank available. There has also been a recent push to make sure that our professors are covering material relevant for Step 1, so they are referencing the "First Aid for the Basic Sciences" two-volume set of books throughout the first 2 years. Another thing they did this year was buy Pathoma (an excellent pathology teaching and review system geared for Step 1 prep, providing both the book and online access to the video lectures for all students) for the MS2 class.

Then, starting in about March of your MS2 year, you will be taking the CBSE exam (Comprehensive Basic Science Exam, testing fees also covered by the school). This is like a mini-Step 1 written by the NBME, the same people who write Step 1. In order to make sure you're ready for Step 1 (and to avoid a retake, which is potentially damaging to your residency application), Tech wants to see you pass the CBSE before you take your Step 1. The school gives you the opportunity to take it up to 3 times.

Finally, you will also get about 6-7 weeks off to study for and take Step 1. Most students take it in the middle of that time and use the rest of the break for vacation before year 3 starts.

Tech's averages for Step 1 score and % passing on the first attempt are at or above the national average, so the administration's efforts must be paying off!

Can I see a Match List for TTUHSC?

Yes, you can check out match lists here www.ttuhsc.edu/som/studentaffairs/msiv/Residency_and_the_Match.aspx. There are several posts around SDN weighing the pro's and con's of looking at match lists though so I'd encourage some restraint when trying to compare schools via residency matches!
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Just wanted to report back about the interviewing experience today, and basically echo what's already been said: it's quite laid-back and casual, and everyone is incredibly warm and forthcoming in their presentation of the school and all it has to offer. Really enjoyed meeting a lot of the other interviewees, as well!
 
Yep. Interviewed today as well. Although my first interview was most definitely a "stress interview" my second was fantastic. I actually ended up hanging out with my orthopedic surgeon interviewer after the interview session off campus. For the most part, super laid back. Aside from the bad cop interviewer, all was good. Great school. Fantastic students. I stayed with a med student during the time, awesome host and in a great location (buffalo springs, def recommend checking it out) and great facilities.
 
I had an interview on 8/26 like the two others that posted yesterday. If anyone has any questions about the interview process at this awesome school, I will do my to answer them 🙂
 
Had an interview on 8/26 as well, everything pretty laid back except for that one interviewer both DoctorJJ3K and I had. Apperantly there's gonna be 23 interview days, with the 8th tomorrow 8/28. One every Friday and one Wednesday of the next 4 months I think.. Post any questions like the previous posts, and I'll try to answer
 
TexasHopeful1237 said:
Had an interview on 8/26 as well, everything pretty laid back except for that one interviewer both DoctorJJ3K and I had. Apperantly there's gonna be 23 interview days, with the 8th tomorrow 8/28. One every Friday and one Wednesday of the next 4 months I think.. Post any questions like the previous posts, and I'll try to answer
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Thanks a lot for your feedback.
Really hoping I get a chance to interview at Lubbock. Sitting on zero IIs atm 🙁
 
DoctorJJ3K said:
Yep. Interviewed today as well. Although my first interview was most definitely a "stress interview" my second was fantastic. I actually ended up hanging out with my orthopedic surgeon interviewer after the interview session off campus. For the most part, super laid back. Aside from the bad cop interviewer, all was good. Great school. Fantastic students. I stayed with a med student during the time, awesome host and in a great location (buffalo springs, def recommend checking it out) and great facilities.
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TexasHopeful1237 said:
Had an interview on 8/26 as well, everything pretty laid back except for that one interviewer both DoctorJJ3K and I had. Apperantly there's gonna be 23 interview days, with the 8th tomorrow 8/28. One every Friday and one Wednesday of the next 4 months I think.. Post any questions like the previous posts, and I'll try to answer
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I heard about that interviewer, too, and at least one other who seemed to like to make the interviewees sweat. One of the MS2s said to let them know if our experience was unusually stressful, just FYI.
 
unparapluie said:
I heard about that interviewer, too, and at least one other who seemed to like to make the interviewees sweat. One of the MS2s said to let them know if our experience was unusually stressful, just FYI.
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Yeah I spoke to one right after my interview who was taking me to the other end of the Hospital for the next interview. I think it's part of it though, you'll definitely get those difficult "how do they react under pressure" type interviews. But I'll def mention it in the interview evaluation. Thanks!
 
Wow you are all so on the ball, I had a late MCAT unfortunately so I'm throwing my hat in late in the game and hoping for the best... about how long was the wait between submitting your secondary to it being marked as complete? I've had all my things in now for about 10 days but it is not selected as complete yet.

Thanks!
 
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DoctorJJ3K said:
Yeah I spoke to one right after my interview who was taking me to the other end of the Hospital for the next interview. I think it's part of it though, you'll definitely get those difficult "how do they react under pressure" type interviews. But I'll def mention it in the interview evaluation. Thanks!
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Oh yeah, it's for sure to be expected. And no problem!
 
DoctorJJ3K said:
Yep. Interviewed today as well. Although my first interview was most definitely a "stress interview" my second was fantastic. I actually ended up hanging out with my orthopedic surgeon interviewer after the interview session off campus. For the most part, super laid back. Aside from the bad cop interviewer, all was good. Great school. Fantastic students. I stayed with a med student during the time, awesome host and in a great location (buffalo springs, def recommend checking it out) and great facilities.
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Is there an established way to get in touch with current students there to set up a place to stay the night before the interview?
 
JCrewton said:
Is there an established way to get in touch with current students there to set up a place to stay the night before the interview?
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Yes there is. Once you are invited for an interview, you can submit an application online (it's only like 3 questions long). They'll match you up with someone once you submit that app and contact you via email with their information. It's pretty straightforward and laid back, like the rest of the schools' culture. It would seem that they try to match you up with someone you'll relate to. I was matched with an MS2 who actually graduated from UT Austin the same year I did. Or it could just be completely random hah.
 
texan2414 said:
Congrats!!!

Mind sharing your stats?
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Apologies that it has been a while. Work steals days like no other.
Non-Trad Student, Texas Resident
GPA: 3.5 at HYP Postbac: 3.5
MCAT: 510

This is my only interview invitation to date, and I haven't heard a peep from all the others. There's still plenty of time. Take everything as it comes. We'll all be ok whatever happens even though it may seem stressful at the moment.
 
Is it too late to submit the secondary?
 
IS II today, 9/3

Transmitted 8/13
Secondary invite 8/17
Secondary submitted 9/2

LizzyM 78
 
Hey guys sorry if this is a dumb question, but is there a social associated with the interview?
 
Will be attending the interview here this Friday, so excited for the road trip!
 
Hi all,
I received an II today. I was complete here 7/13 and scheduled for Sept 25th.
 
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