2016-2017 Texas A&M Health Science Center Application Thread

[bearonionlol]

If you don't receive word about it and your interview is coming up shoot me a PM. I'm at Temple and can help you find a couch for the night

Ahh, I only saw this after reserving a room at Candlewood Suites lol. Thanks, though! SOOO EXCITED!

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[eowyn26]

WOW just got a full-ride scholarship to Texas A&M! I loved this school so much, I'm so excited!

 

[720606]

WOW just got a full-ride scholarship to Texas A&M! I loved this school so much, I'm so excited!

Congrats! How did you find out ?

 

[Doctor.Zoidberg]

Full-ride as well AAAAHHHHHH

 

[Doctor.Zoidberg]

Found out via email!

 

[prince0fpersia94]

Found out via email!

What's your LizzyM? If you don't mind. I'm just curious to know who they're choosing for the scholarships. High stats ppl? Well rounded ppl?


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[eowyn26]

Congrats! How did you find out ?

Via e-mail as well and through the portal. Thanks so much!

 

[Doctor.Zoidberg]

What's your LizzyM? If you don't mind. I'm just curious to know who they're choosing for the scholarships. High stats ppl? Well rounded ppl?


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LizzyM 69-71, but with very strong ECs and a difficult background that I had to overcome. My interviewer seemed most interested in my essays, he asked a lot about why I wrote what I did

 

[prince0fpersia94]

LizzyM 69-71, but with very strong ECs and a difficult background that I had to overcome. My interviewer seemed most interested in my essays, he asked a lot about why I wrote what I did

Well, I'm glad you got the scholarship. It seems like you definitely deserved it. Congrats bud! That's awesome


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[Doctor.Zoidberg]

Well, I'm glad you got the scholarship. It seems like you definitely deserved it. Congrats bud! That's awesome


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Thank you!!!

 

[raybae69]

II just now!!!! Been complete since early August, so excited haha

 

[Rovar0]

II just now!!!! Been complete since early August, so excited haha

+1! Also was complete in August.

 

[jgear645]

You guys received an email right? That's amazing congrats!!! I hope hat since I have less than stellar stats that it'll be my turn soon

 

[raybae69]

You guys received an email right? That's amazing congrats!!! I hope hat since I have less than stellar stats that it'll be my turn soon

E-mail notification and then I had to RSVP via BAMF portal. My LizzyM is only 67, but I have 2000+ hours of clinical research under my belt which I believe may have helped me out.

 

[Seldinger3]

It's been very quiet this week...

 

[tennischamp822]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to point out something that gets overlooked when choosing a medical school.

On pages 13-14 of the Texas A&M Student Handbook, it tells you what it takes to get dismissed from the school, which is surprisingly not that much IMO.

1. Failure of one course or clerkship will result in probation.
2. Failure of two courses in the Foundations Curriculum will require a student to repeat the first year and may be considered for dismissal.
3. Failure of three courses in the first academic year will require repeat of the year and may result in dismissal.
4. Failure of two courses in Semester Three/Year 2 will result in repeat of Semester Three and may result in dismissal.
5. Failure of two organ system blocks in Year 1 (for example, CV and Respiratory) will be referred to SPC for disposition.
6. Failure of two clerkships may result in dismissal.
7. Failure of one course and marginal performance in two other courses (defined as receiving a grade of 73% or less) may require repeat of the year.
8. Marginal performance in many courses (defined as receiving a grade of 73% or less) may require a student to repeat the year and may result in dismissal.
9. Failure of a course or clerkship while repeating a year may result in dismissal.
10. Failure of a course or clerkship after two separate previous failures may result in dismissal.
11. Failure of a course or clerkship while on probation for any reason may result in dismissal.
12. Failure of USMLE Step 1 or Step 2-CK can occur once. A second failure will result in dismissal.

 

[SallyT]

Hey guys, just want to point out something that gets overlooked when choosing a medical school.
On pages 13-14 of the Student Handbook, it tells you what it takes to get dismissed from Texas A&M medical school.
1. Failure of one course or clerkship will result in probation.....

Unfortunately, I couldn't agree more. The disorganization of this medical school is beyond me. Students tend to forget that their tuition is essentially paying for a service. Raising an issue with current practice is the only way for faculty and coordinators to know this is unacceptable.

 

[inthemaking1]

Interesting points to be aware of. But how often do students fail a course at TAMHSC? Is it a common concern? I'd imagine 95% of students pass and very few fail a course (possibly due to course rigor, personal issues... etc..) but bounce back and pass the rest of the courses.
Could a current student chime in and shed some light on what the pass/fail rate is like among students?

Hey everyone, I just wanted to point out something that gets overlooked when choosing a medical school.

On pages 13-14 of the Texas A&M Student Handbook, it tells you what it takes to get dismissed from the school, which is surprisingly not that much IMO.

1. Failure of one course or clerkship will result in probation.
2. Failure of two courses in the Foundations Curriculum will require a student to repeat the first year and may be considered for dismissal.
3. Failure of three courses in the first academic year will require repeat of the year and may result in dismissal.
4. Failure of two courses in Semester Three/Year 2 will result in repeat of Semester Three and may result in dismissal.
5. Failure of two organ system blocks in Year 1 (for example, CV and Respiratory) will be referred to SPC for disposition.
6. Failure of two clerkships may result in dismissal.
7. Failure of one course and marginal performance in two other courses (defined as receiving a grade of 73% or less) may require repeat of the year.
8. Marginal performance in many courses (defined as receiving a grade of 73% or less) may require a student to repeat the year and may result in dismissal.
9. Failure of a course or clerkship while repeating a year may result in dismissal.
10. Failure of a course or clerkship after two separate previous failures may result in dismissal.
11. Failure of a course or clerkship while on probation for any reason may result in dismissal.
12. Failure of USMLE Step 1 or Step 2-CK can occur once. A second failure will result in dismissal.

Unfortunately, I couldn't agree more. The disorganization of this medical school is beyond me. Students tend to forget that their tuition is essentially paying for a service. Raising an issue with current practice is the only way for faculty and coordinators to know this is unacceptable.

Additionally, left out of the Student Handbook (for the class of 2020, atleast):
13. You will only have three days to prepare for the remediation exam if you fail MGA or the second block of foundations.

 

[GinnyWeasley]

Unfortunately, I couldn't agree more. The disorganization of this medical school is beyond me. Students tend to forget that their tuition is essentially paying for a service. Raising an issue with current practice is the only way for faculty and coordinators to know this is unacceptable.

Additionally, left out of the Student Handbook (for the class of 2020, atleast):
13. You will only have three days to prepare for the remediation exam if you fail MGA or the second block of foundations.

Can you explain why this school is disorganized? Because I'm assuming the majority of schools have similar rules. At EVERY school, you're paying for a service. The policies listed above are very reasonable.

 

[Naokuvi]

Unfortunately, I couldn't agree more. The disorganization of this medical school is beyond me. Students tend to forget that their tuition is essentially paying for a service. Raising an issue with current practice is the only way for faculty and coordinators to know this is unacceptable.

Additionally, left out of the Student Handbook (for the class of 2020, atleast):
13. You will only have three days to prepare for the remediation exam if you fail MGA or the second block of foundations.

Along with @GinnyWeasley I am also curious about this. My A&M friends have told me a lot of good things about this school and I'm actually considering keeping this pre-match offer for the match. It would be interested in hearing some of the negatives to make a more well-informed decision. Can you or @tennischamp822 comment on the school's disorganization and whether or not the school is receptive toward's a student's hardship or plights?

 

[biggupp1]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to point out something that gets overlooked when choosing a medical school.

On pages 13-14 of the Texas A&M Student Handbook, it tells you what it takes to get dismissed from the school, which is surprisingly not that much IMO.

1. Failure of one course or clerkship will result in probation.
2. Failure of two courses in the Foundations Curriculum will require a student to repeat the first year and may be considered for dismissal.
3. Failure of three courses in the first academic year will require repeat of the year and may result in dismissal.
4. Failure of two courses in Semester Three/Year 2 will result in repeat of Semester Three and may result in dismissal.
5. Failure of two organ system blocks in Year 1 (for example, CV and Respiratory) will be referred to SPC for disposition.
6. Failure of two clerkships may result in dismissal.
7. Failure of one course and marginal performance in two other courses (defined as receiving a grade of 73% or less) may require repeat of the year.
8. Marginal performance in many courses (defined as receiving a grade of 73% or less) may require a student to repeat the year and may result in dismissal.
9. Failure of a course or clerkship while repeating a year may result in dismissal.
10. Failure of a course or clerkship after two separate previous failures may result in dismissal.
11. Failure of a course or clerkship while on probation for any reason may result in dismissal.
12. Failure of USMLE Step 1 or Step 2-CK can occur once. A second failure will result in dismissal.

I can't be the only one that thinks that if you're already worried about failing multiple courses before you've even started school, then it sounds like you have bigger issues, right? You say "surprisingly not that much" but failure of multiple courses seems pretty serious to me. Unless you have some other info that suggests a fair amount of students at A&M have problems with this, then it seems kinda paranoid to me.

 

[SallyT]

Interesting points to be aware of. But how often do students fail a course at TAMHSC? Is it a common concern? I'd imagine 95% of students pass and very few fail a course (possibly due to course rigor, personal issues... etc..) but bounce back and pass the rest of the courses.
Could a current student chime in and shed some light on what the pass/fail rate is like among students?

Can you explain why this school is disorganized? Because I'm assuming the majority of schools have similar rules. At EVERY school, you're paying for a service. The policies listed above are very reasonable.

tennischamp88 edited out a sentence that stated that dismissal rates are potentially higher at A&M for reasons related to the disorganization of the program in conjunction with the rigid policies. My comment about paying for a service was in response to the disorganization being unacceptable, not the policies.

It'd take far more time than I have to "explain," but I will say that when a student body depends on FB to know what's going on and when, that might indicate a lack of organization. Keep in mind this is a professional program. You will be held to higher standards, as should the facilitators.

@Naokuvi The college of medicine tends to accept a disproportionate amount of their own. That's all I'll say about that. You will find on SDN and in general that those that are willing to talk about their program will only highlight the positive. This, of course, is by convention and totally understandable. However, it isn't always the most helpful insight in making a decision that is right for YOU.

 

[GinnyWeasley]

tennischamp88 edited out a sentence that stated that dismissal rates are potentially higher at A&M for reasons related to the disorganization of the program in conjunction with the rigid policies. My comment about paying for a service was in response to the disorganization being unacceptable, not the policies.

It'd take far more time than I have to "explain," but I will say that when a student body depends on FB to know what's going on and when, that might indicate a lack of organization. Keep in mind this is a professional program. You will be held to higher standards, as should the facilitators.

@Naokuvi The college of medicine tends to accept a disproportionate amount of their own. That's all I'll say about that. You will find on SDN and in general that those that are willing to talk about their program will only highlight the positive. This, of course, is by convention and totally understandable. However, it isn't always the most helpful insight in making a decision that is right for YOU.

Personally I felt the school was very organized, and the Facebook is only a pro. Social media can be very helpful with making sure you're up to task, since as professional students we shouldn't expect the school to babysit us. Can you link where it says that the dismissal rates are potentially higher at A&M? I've never heard of this before.

I get that it would take a long time to "explain", but if you post something like this on here, you really should explain it further haha.

 

[SallyT]

Personally I felt the school was very organized, and the Facebook is only a pro. Social media can be very helpful with making sure you're up to task, since as professional students we shouldn't expect the school to babysit us. Can you link where it says that the dismissal rates are potentially higher at A&M? I've never heard of this before.

I get that it would take a long time to "explain", but if you post something like this on here, you really should explain it further haha.

Oh god. You were able to determine the institution's organization after a six hour visit on interview day? You don't need to kiss ass on the forums, there're no ADCOMs here. You're a prime example of the overly naive, oblivious students that thwart the betterment of a program. Relying on FB posts from your peers because information was not provided in the syllabus is a far cry from "babysitting."

Also, do make a habit of comprehending what you read prior to posting. I said a sentence was edited out, and in the sentence the term used was "potentially." Because reasons for dismissal are so variable it'd be impossible to even attempt a compilation of data.

We are providing insight to help potential (there's that word again) matriculants make better informed decisions, we really don't have to do anything.

 

[GinnyWeasley]

Oh god. You were able to determine the institution's organization after a six hour visit on interview day? You don't need to kiss ass on the forums, there're no ADCOMs here. You're a prime example of the overly naive, oblivious students that thwart the betterment of a program. Relying on FB posts from your peers because information was not provided in the syllabus is a far cry from "babysitting."

Also, do make a habit of comprehending what you read prior to posting. I said a sentence was edited out, and in the sentence the term used was "potentially." Because reasons for dismissal are so variable it'd be impossible to even attempt a compilation of data.

We are providing insight to help potential (there's that word again) matriculants make better informed decisions, we really don't have to do anything.

LOL yes, you seem like a person that would give rational and sound advice. Tbh you sound like the typical troll who pops up around December- a few posts, a picture of you (or someone instead of an anonymous pic), and trying to cause problems. For the life of me if I had to troll someplace, a pre-med board would be the most boring lol. Also, please look up at my previous post, where I use the word "potential".

For the record: anyone that is interviewing here, Facebook wasn't a substitute for stuff not in the syllabus but an extra in case you need help or advice. Also, one of the professors of anatomy apparently stays as long as you need him to before an exam (they were saying midnight and on). It sounds like a very collaborative environment, and I think their policy of failing/retaking is extremely fair.

 

[Doctor.Zoidberg]

I would also like to chime in that on my interview day, they talked about having resources available for students who are struggling. My interviewer also stressed that the professors really want to see the students succeed.

Of any place that I have interviewed so far, the staff/students at A&M were by far the most kind and helpful if I had any questions. Obviously I can only know so much from research and the one day, but I imagine that if a student asked for help at any given point, someone amongst the students, professors, and resource staff would be able to point them in the right direction at the very least


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[mmm_cats]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to point out something that gets overlooked when choosing a medical school.

On pages 13-14 of the Texas A&M Student Handbook, it tells you what it takes to get dismissed from the school, which is surprisingly not that much IMO.

1. Failure of one course or clerkship will result in probation.
2. Failure of two courses in the Foundations Curriculum will require a student to repeat the first year and may be considered for dismissal.
3. Failure of three courses in the first academic year will require repeat of the year and may result in dismissal.
4. Failure of two courses in Semester Three/Year 2 will result in repeat of Semester Three and may result in dismissal.
5. Failure of two organ system blocks in Year 1 (for example, CV and Respiratory) will be referred to SPC for disposition.
6. Failure of two clerkships may result in dismissal.
7. Failure of one course and marginal performance in two other courses (defined as receiving a grade of 73% or less) may require repeat of the year.
8. Marginal performance in many courses (defined as receiving a grade of 73% or less) may require a student to repeat the year and may result in dismissal.
9. Failure of a course or clerkship while repeating a year may result in dismissal.
10. Failure of a course or clerkship after two separate previous failures may result in dismissal.
11. Failure of a course or clerkship while on probation for any reason may result in dismissal.
12. Failure of USMLE Step 1 or Step 2-CK can occur once. A second failure will result in dismissal.

Is this not normal? Most schools have similar policies...

 

[tennischamp822]

Interesting points to be aware of. But how often do students fail a course at TAMHSC? Is it a common concern? I'd imagine 95% of students pass and very few fail a course (possibly due to course rigor, personal issues... etc..) but bounce back and pass the rest of the courses.
Could a current student chime in and shed some light on what the pass/fail rate is like among students?

So, I don't want to tell you exactly how I came to these conclusions, but around 10-15 students repeated the year or were dismissed during each of my M1 and M2 years (this is the Class of 2018). I can provide definite proof of my M2 year claim to anyone who messages me with their identity, but I don't want to risk any trouble with A&M admins since this is not information that they want to publicize lol.

 

[Skittsie13]

Is that abnormal, though? That's roughly 5% of the class. I would not be surprised if the bottom 5% had to repeat or even were dismissed at any medical school.

 

[tennischamp822]

LOL yes, you seem like a person that would give rational and sound advice. Tbh you sound like the typical troll who pops up around December- a few posts, a picture of you (or someone instead of an anonymous pic), and trying to cause problems. For the life of me if I had to troll someplace, a pre-med board would be the most boring lol. Also, please look up at my previous post, where I use the word "potential".

For the record: anyone that is interviewing here, Facebook wasn't a substitute for stuff not in the syllabus but an extra in case you need help or advice. Also, one of the professors of anatomy apparently stays as long as you need him to before an exam (they were saying midnight and on). It sounds like a very collaborative environment, and I think their policy of failing/retaking is extremely fair.

Yes, this is Dr. Chen. He is the best professor at A&M, but there is only one of him. You will end up being taught by professors who simply don't want to explain concepts and instead read facts from their PPT slides.

There is an A&M student on SDN who had major difficulties with Step 1 even after going through A&M's basic science curriculum as an average student. Keep in mind that most students who begin Step 1 studying at other schools start out with passing NBMEs (190+) and then improve on their score by 30-40 points during the dedicated study period for Step 1.

This A&M student on SDN started out at a 160 and improved to a 190 during his dedicated study period. Then, he had to request A&M to allow him to take a second dedicated study period because he wasn't sure if he could pass the step with just one dedicated study period. This situation rarely happens at other schools, but it seems to happen at A&M a lot due to the disorganized basic sciences curriculum. The Class of 2017 had a Step 1 average of 229 without counting the scores of the 2 or 3 students who failed the exam according to a friend of mine in the Class of 2017.

Took a practice NBME and am feeling unbelievably demoralized. I received a 160. Not sure how since I've been an average student throughout med school. How long would it take to increase my score up to a 220 (my goal). I know that's much lower than the average around these forums.

I'm scheduled for June 1st and my dedicated study period starts in 2.5 weeks. Thanks for any advice.

I received an email from my school asking us to submit a form to the committee if we were going to delay. Here are my numbers.

NBME 18: 165 (4 weeks ago)
NBME 17: 175 (2 weeks ago)
NBME 16: 190 (today)

My exam is in 15 days. Have to submit the form this week. Thoughts?

Edit: I would begin rotations 1.5 months late.

It really sucks having to go through dedicated again, but it beats getting a 192-205 score I suppose. Or worse, failing.

I honestly want to take responsibility for it, but I just don't know. I was an average (well, slightly below) student throughout med school. I'm ranked 105 out of 190. I really don't get how my scores were so low to begin with. I think it's partly the school, but I'm probably to blame much more. I guess I just never really learned it right the first time unfortunately

 

[tennischamp822]

Is that abnormal, though? That's roughly 5% of the class. I would not be surprised if the bottom 5% had to repeat or even were dismissed at any medical school.

~25/~200 in my class (don't know if they have expanded class sizes since then) = 12.5%

 

[Skittsie13]

~25/~200 in my class (don't know if they have expanded class sizes since then) = 12.5%

Did not realize you meant 10-15 during both years. Seems high but it would be nice to see some actual data rather than anecdotes.

 

[sehnsuchtsermedico]

How would this differ with the class of 2019. They started the new curriculum?

 

[tennischamp822]

How would this differ with the class of 2019. They started the new curriculum?

Have no idea. It is hard to find out this kind of data in general.

 

[sehnsuchtsermedico]

I have 3 friends there that are in the class of 2019. I hear good things, but it may be biased. I'm having them help me make a pros and cons list. If I hear a read flag, I'll let you know.

 

[Naokuvi]

I have 3 friends there that are in the class of 2019. I hear good things, but it may be biased. I'm having them help me make a pros and cons list. If I hear a read flag, I'll let you know.

Is it possible for you to PM me the list? I'm having a very difficult time debating between this school, TCOM, and UTHSCSA and I would love to get a better perspective of the school.

 

[tennischamp822]

Is this not normal? Most schools have similar policies...

Some schools are more lenient and others may even be more stringent. I made the original post so that people can check these policies before committing to medical school. To find out the policies at other schools, just type in the "Name of the Medical School" + "Student Handbook" on google, and you should be able to find out.

Do you want to go to a school that will dismiss you if you fail Step 1 twice (which happens at A&M)? There are many other MD/DO schools which will give you 3 tries at passing.

Do you want to face the Student Promotions Committee for passing a class marginally (between 70-73%)? This is a new concept that I haven't seen at most other medical schools.

Do you want to have to remediate a class 3 days after you found out you failed the class?

 

[sehnsuchtsermedico]

Is it possible for you to PM me the list? I'm having a very difficult time debating between this school, TCOM, and UTHSCSA and I would love to get a better perspective of the school.

Yeah, once I make one. Remind me later. I still haven't made my list. Friends have a test today so I was going to bug them later.

 

[tennischamp822]

I would also like to chime in that on my interview day, they talked about having resources available for students who are struggling. My interviewer also stressed that the professors really want to see the students succeed.

Of any place that I have interviewed so far, the staff/students at A&M were by far the most kind and helpful if I had any questions. Obviously I can only know so much from research and the one day, but I imagine that if a student asked for help at any given point, someone amongst the students, professors, and resource staff would be able to point them in the right direction at the very least

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At the interview, they will definitely try to sell you on the school, and the people at A&M are generally nice.

But, you should ask the students/faculty at A&M: if I start struggling (failing or marginally passing), will I be guaranteed a tutor in that subject to help me succeed? The answer is "no" because the school has sent out e-mails to our class asking us if we want to tutor since they don't have enough tutors for everyone who needs one.

 

[Nysor_bttw]

At the interview, they will definitely try to sell you on the school, and the people at A&M are generally nice.

But, you should ask the students/faculty at A&M: if I start struggling (failing or marginally passing), will I be guaranteed a tutor in that subject to help me succeed? The answer is "no" because the school has sent out e-mails to our class asking us if we want to tutor since they don't have enough tutors for everyone who needs one.

Sounds like a class problem. In 2019, we have our fair share of people who struggle, but those who succeed jump to help them out. We had 1 person who had to repeat the year to my knowledge. The new curriculum is tough, some people do not reach the schools expectations, but A&M is far from a school who leaves these students out in the cold. Stop painting it as one.

 

[sehnsuchtsermedico]

Sounds like a class problem. In 2019, we have our fair share of people who struggle, but those who succeed jump to help them out. We had 1 person who had to repeat the year to my knowledge. The new curriculum is tough, some people do not reach the schools expectations, but A&M is far from a school who leaves these students out in the cold. Stop painting it as one.

See, that's why I was confused with the class of 2018. My friends in 2019 are enjoying it, and selling it to me well! They've only complained about minor things, but dealing with the curriculum change and being first... but who wouldn't expect feedback when you're the first to try something new. Other than minor things I can't even recall, they've had great experiences!

 

[tennischamp822]

Did not realize you meant 10-15 during both years. Seems high but it would be nice to see some actual data rather than anecdotes.

I will post the data I used to make these conclusions once I get back home for winter break in ~2 weeks.

The only points I want to let potential matriculants know about are these:

1. It is easier to get kicked out of A&M than many other medical schools. Please google the policies at other medical schools and compare them to the policies I have provided in post #623 in this thread. Whether or not you decide to go to A&M, this is still very good information to know upfront.

2. We lost a ton of students in our class.

 

[jchan10]

Yeah, once I make one. Remind me later. I still haven't made my list. Friends have a test today so I was going to bug them later.

Could I get it too? I actually got into the same exact schools lol

 

[Naokuvi]

Could I get it too? I actually got into the same exact schools lol

Ayyy, which are you leaning towards at the moment?

 

[thatonegirly]

M1 here and in my opinion this is making a mountain out of a molehill-
To say that the faculty are not invested in the students would be completely and totally wrong! Dr. Chen was mentioned on the thread but he's not the only professor that holds review sessions, Drs Chico, Hubbard, McCord, Allen ect all hold reviews too. I know for a fact if you feel like you are struggling and you reach out to the professor they will help you. We also have an amazing academic support team with Dr. Hairrel who helps you draft study plans and preform better (whether you are doing poorly or very well she will help you improve). One of the reasons I chose A&M was how dedicated the faculty was to student success. Our curriculum is challenging and fast paced, but its also very manageable. As an M1 I know that we do have access to individual support, just because they didnt send an email out to the entire class of 2018 to ask for help (which honestly would be ridiculous anyway) doesnt mean we dont have support or access to it. They dont make tests easy because they know that we are capable and they expect us to rise to the challenge. I think some M2s might say it was 'disorganized' but I think thats the product of being the first year on the new curriculum. My friend that goes to McGovern frequently complains about this. That is a drawback of being the first class on new curriculum/at new schools. There will inevitably be some problems that get fixed. They changed some of the structure and arrangement of our schedule for that reason. I also saw a lot of people commenting on our reliance on facebook and why that might be indicative of a problem. Due dates for everything are listed either on the syllabus or on blackboard with the assignment, but we use facebook and our class website as a reminder just in case anyone forgets something. But mostly we use facebook for fun, and to share interesting information, resources, and questions with one another.

Honestly I really cant speak very much to failure rates because I dont know. I know that 2 or 3 people have withdrawn from our class, but I know for a fact that at least one of them did so because of personal health issues and intends on returning next year once they have recovered. I am aware of only one individual that will be repeating this year due to failing 2 of the 3 foundations curriculum classes, I dont really want to go into specifics on why I think they failed but I do think lack of motivation played a big role. I know of a few individuals in our class who are repeating from previous years, one of whom I believe withdrew from the class of 2018. At the time they had undiagnosed ADD and were also dealing with some very very difficult personal life situations. Now this individual has accommodations and is thriving. Not to say that every withdrawal has something else behind it, but I just wanted to point out that there are other factors to consider. Since I havent taken step yet I really cant say much about how well it actually prepares you. We did take an NBME practice exam last week and we should be getting results from that soon, and that should help us gauge our progress. I guess once the current M2s take the exam we'll know a lot more, although I know thats going to be too late for this cycle.

And to the point that started this whole mess - how easy it is to get dismissed. First- most of the statements were "may result in dismissal", not "will result in dismissal" and thats a big difference. A student will likely only be dismissed for repetitive and continued failure, or serious infractions of professionalism. In my opinion those rules are actually reasonable. Would you rather have physicians that didnt succeed in med school but graduated anyway, or worse yet have a school that makes test easy so anyone can pass? These rules exist primarily so they can catch students who are struggling and get them the help they need. I don't think its unreasonable to expect professional behavior and for students to pass. Also, if anyone applying is already anticipating that they are going to fail then I think you might need to reexamine what you are applying to, because med school is known to be challenging anywhere you go. If you aren't willing to put in the work or think it will burn you out then maybe you should really assess if you are prepared for whats to come. Because in my opinion this whole discussion was started by an individual that is burned out and cynical, but I know far more individuals who aren't. Should one cynic really be your source of decision making information?

 

[tennischamp822]

M1 here and in my opinion this is making a mountain out of a molehill-To say that the faculty are not invested in the students would be completely and totally wrong!

Faculty may be invested in the students, but that doesn't mean they are good at teaching on the whole. Class of 2017 had a below average Step 1 (229) without counting the scores of the few people who failed the exam. In the Class of 2018, there are more students than I can count who had to request extra time to study for Step 1 because they were failing practice exams right before they were scheduled to take their Step 1.

As an M1 I know that we do have access to individual support, just because they didnt send an email out to the entire class of 2018 to ask for help (which honestly would be ridiculous anyway) doesnt mean we dont have support or access to it.

I asked for help and was told they did not have tutors for us during my M1 year. Later on, in my M2 year, we were sent multiple e-mails asking us to help tutor the Class of 2019 on physiology/biochem/other subjects because they didn't have the resources. The reason they didn't have the resources is that they wanted us to either volunteer to tutor or go through a process to get paid 10 dollars an hour for our time. I personally know people in the Class of 2019 who did not get tutoring and were eventually dismissed.

Would you rather have physicians that didnt succeed in med school but graduated anyway, or worse yet have a school that makes test easy so anyone can pass?

No of course not. But, A&M's rules are much harsher and result in more repeats/dismissals than many other medical schools (~20-30 in the Class of 2018); people should know that going into the school rather than after they have matriculated. A&M will never have a problem recruiting students because of the location of its clinical sites, but it is important to get some of the facts out there.

 

[SallyT]

M1 here and in my opinion this is making a mountain out of a molehill-
To say that the faculty are not invested in the students would be completely and totally wrong! Dr. Chen was mentioned on the thread but he's not the only professor that holds review sessions, Drs Chico, Hubbard, McCord, Allen ect all hold reviews too. I know for a fact if you feel like you are struggling and you reach out to the professor they will help you. We also have an amazing academic support team with Dr. Hairrel who helps you draft study plans and preform better (whether you are doing poorly or very well she will help you improve). One of the reasons I chose A&M was how dedicated the faculty was to student success. Our curriculum is challenging and fast paced, but its also very manageable. As an M1 I know that we do have access to individual support, just because they didnt send an email out to the entire class of 2018 to ask for help (which honestly would be ridiculous anyway) doesnt mean we dont have support or access to it. They dont make tests easy because they know that we are capable and they expect us to rise to the challenge. I think some M2s might say it was 'disorganized' but I think thats the product of being the first year on the new curriculum. My friend that goes to McGovern frequently complains about this. That is a drawback of being the first class on new curriculum/at new schools. There will inevitably be some problems that get fixed. They changed some of the structure and arrangement of our schedule for that reason. I also saw a lot of people commenting on our reliance on facebook and why that might be indicative of a problem. Due dates for everything are listed either on the syllabus or on blackboard with the assignment, but we use facebook and our class website as a reminder just in case anyone forgets something. But mostly we use facebook for fun, and to share interesting information, resources, and questions with one another.

I would beg to differ. Helping prospective students make a decision that WILL effect the rest of their life is anything but a molehill. As stated previously, OP asked for honest feedback to help make an informed decision. All students receive the same presentation during orientation week where we are told that we were selected because we were in the top of our class, but in med school 50% will be in the upper half and 50% in the lower half of the class. Students tend to think this doesn't pertain to them, until they are placed in a class with 199 of the brightest students in the nation. I'm happy to be chastised for preparing students for the possibility of being in the lower half, and forewarning them that they won't get the help they need in such an event bc the school just doesn't have the resources for them. I wish someone would have been more honest on SDN about A&M when I turned down my offers to UTHSCSA, McGovern, UTMB, and Tech (Lubbock), as well as some OOS schools. The core faculty is dedicated, sure, but as @tennischamp822 mentioned, you only deal with them during first semester when classes are comparatively easier than they are in the subsequent blocks. Report back when you get to the ID block, and you have to teach yourself 40 lectures worth of material for an exam bc all the prof did was read off the slides. Dr. Hairrell is great, but she's one person. Good luck getting an appointment with her after first block, when things pick up. To my understanding, as explained by members in your class, the website was created out of necessity. M1 is a busy year, and it's highly unlikely that they had so much time on their hands that they wanted to spend time creating a website that's updated weekly for ****s and giggles.

I hate that it sounds like I'm bashing this school, but this is an open forum and all too often comments are disproportionately positive which doesn't allow a student to make an accurate assessment of whether this is the right school for them. Maybe you'd prefer shorter blocks of tests like at UTSW, or want to stay in one place for 4 yrs like at McGovern, or maybe you just loathed histology in undergrad and don't want to dedicate an entire block to it and would rather it be covered when pertinent in the different organ blocks like at many of the other medical schools in TX. I think honesty is the best policy. M-zeroes have worked their asses off to get to this point and I just want to see them happy with their selection.

Oh, and btw, our class also only received three days to prepare for a remediation exam. I felt bad for those trying to study to pass a block in three days that they were unable to maintain a passing average in after four weeks. Just things to consider.

Good luck with match day!!!

 

[SallyT]

Sounds like a class problem. In 2019, we have our fair share of people who struggle, but those who succeed jump to help them out. We had 1 person who had to repeat the year to my knowledge. The new curriculum is tough, some people do not reach the schools expectations, but A&M is far from a school who leaves these students out in the cold. Stop painting it as one.

This simply is not true. None of it. Medical school is the colosseum of competition, there will be no one to help you here unless they are a close friend or are doing well enough to the point that they don't need to study (I have yet to see this). Saying only 1 person had to repeat is far from the truth. Several students from the class of 2019 that I know of had to repeat and a few were dismissed or withdrew. I can see how it would be difficult to notice who doesn't progress in a class of 200 unless you got inside information like I did, but let's not be misleading. If @thatonegirly is honest, she can attest to the inaccuracy of this statement. Not to knock those that had to repeat, bc they certainly lacked the support they needed to do well.

 

[jchan10]

Ayyy, which are you leaning towards at the moment?

haha i honestly dont know. its a three way tie at the moment. wbu?

 

[GinnyWeasley]

A current student messaged this to me, and requested to remain anonymous:



"I have had an amazing experience here so far, but it truly is what you make of it. There are people scraping by and remediating, sure, but I have found help to be plentiful, as long as you seek it out. We have multiple professors not just Chen that stay until midnight, Dr. Chico frequently does as well, and my group of friends has had amazing help from multiple faculty, but we seek it out and are friendly with them. I am not a stellar student putting in 12 hr studying days, or studying 7 days a week, I try to maintain a good balance and maintain physical and mental health and I still am making above average grades, because I seek out resources.

The one area this school does fail on is the communication though, I will give the other posters that, but, I have had no major issues arise from this. i am not at all worried about Step, I feel that maybe the reason people from this school don't do as well, is because they tend to not weigh the MCAT as heavily in admissions so there are more people with standardized testing issues. I got a 97th percentile MCAT and consider myself to be very good at testing, but if someone has issues with this... go see someone! People can take control of their situation no matter where they are. "

Now this is what I say: Tbh, med school gives you what you put into it. If you go into med school thinking you should be spoon fed by the faculty, you're going to have a rough time. A&M is probably not perfect, but no medical school is. And it's not for everyone, so I hope we all make informed choices!