- Joined
- May 16, 2012
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Current MS1 here..... I pre-matched at A&M and UTHSCSA and was all set on going to A&M, but had a change of heart in December of last year.
I just read some of the discussion in the A&M thread, and if you are basing your decision solely on something posted in an anonymous internet forum- you are doing yourself a disservice. You have no idea what those posters' intentions are, and really no way to verify any of the narrative on either side.
What I am about to say really only pertains to choosing A&M vs. UTHSCSA. Most importantly, you have to understand this is my one and only experience.... so how would I truly know in the end if I would have been happier elsewhere.
Having said that, the reason I chose UTHSCSA over A&M was housing (we rent a 4 bedroom 2000 sq ft home for 1400 per month), work for my SO, and not having to pack up and move at any point. Also in regards to housing, we could have done anything from a 2500 sq ft home with a pool at around ~1700 per month to a one bedroom luxury for 1100 per. The options where all over the place.
Initially I wanted to go to A&M, and I was completely willing to move- as I thought being able to possibly rotate at BUMC or the med center would be worth the hassle. Now, having finished my first semester I'm very happy I came here. As a disclaimer I am a non-trad, and kind of saw the writing on the wall towards the end of the interview cycle. I begin to realize that I wanted comfort above all else. That means short commute, cheap rent, and a big job market for my SO. Moving would have made all of those things more difficult to attain.
I think the single most important factor in being able to succeed in medical school is to cut the non-sense out, and live as stress free as possible. I am more than likely going to make all A's this semester, and its not because I am gifted, nor is it because we have the best faculty- its because I live in a manner where I can put in 12 hr days when I need to, and it doesn't really even bother me.
I have complained plenty of times about scheduling, or the way a subject is taught etc..... but this is going to happen everywhere. I've actually taught at the undergrad level, and fully understand how hard it is to deliver a medically related curriculum.... now imagine doing that for 200+ students- its just tough to please everyone.
Overall, my experience has been probably 75/25 more positive than negative.
I would say our first block which is Biochem/genetics/histo/cell bio could have been better. We had two guest lecturers that were pretty sub par IMO. But this was also happening at a time when I was just getting my bearings and study methods all worked out. I also don't feel as if they stayed on point with Step material.
We just finished our Micro/immuno/histo block and I was a big fan.... they taught us according to step material and stayed on point through out. I taught Clinical Immuno and can say I was impressed with what they did in that course.
Our anatomy department is great! It's a really tough course, but the resources they provide are extremely helpful. We have MS4's that come back to do a dedicated anatomy elective, and will tutor small groups on Saturdays/Sundays for $5 an hour, and its the best $5 you will ever spend. Also, we get a huge Q-bank that we use to prep for each written test- which are really helpful. Finally, we have a group of MS2s that do lecture reviews on the weekends where they directly address the learning objectives for each lecture (huge help). Also, we have anatomy review periods for 1 hr once per week during lunch that are recorded covering the prior week's material, usually given by the lecturer.
I'm not sure about A&M, but we also have a large anatomy faculty. So when you are doing dissections there are always 3-4 T/As or professors walking around in your dedicated room to help you find structures, or explain concepts.
Clinical skills has been pretty underwhelming, but I have a suspicion its more me than the class itself. Now, that I have been rounding with my preceptor it is starting to come together, and I am confident it will all fall into place before we start clinicals.
As far as other resources, I know that after our first test if you scored like a ~72 or lower they set you up with a tutor, but you really weren't eligible for one otherwise. Even so, we have a dedicated department for addressing your study habits/strategies etc. Cant speak to the value because I have not utilized the department.
All the MS2's have been extremely helpful as well- provided us with endless resources on our class google drive and are always willing to chat about how to study for "x" class. Our class as a whole always shares documents/resources.... has been a huge team effort and pretty proud of everyone in that regard.
Another big positive is that we are directly attached to University hospital. This may be one of the most underrated things about choosing a medical school. Today for instance, because I am on Christmas break, I texted my preceptor and asked if I could come in and round with them. I simply threw on my scrubs and white coat and saw 15 patients this morning, and also got a chance to take a history on a new admit. I'm not sure if that is the norm at other schools, but I know several class mates that have done the same.
So I think I've kind of addressed anything that I can speak on intelligently- will do my best to answer any others. But in the end, you should think about what brings you comfort, and choose a school that will give you the best shot of setting that up. I promise you it wont matter which school you choose- you are going to constantly feel behind and overwhelmed... just the way it goes, so try to address the things you can control.
