2016-2017 University of Texas - Southwestern Application Thread

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Orange Line should go from Medical District/Parkland Station directly to DFW Airport Station.

DFW is the last stop so you can't miss it. It's a little over an hour ride and you'll pay $5 or less (5 is a day pass).

If you're also riding the train to UTSW and need help navigating, let me know. The train seems far from where you'll be interviewing but it isn't if you know that everything is connected on the campus. PM me if you need further directions at any point.
 
HopeBest said:
thanks a bunch. instead of me researching for the route, what would be the start station and end station? Do I need to reansfer

thanks a bunch.
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Start station is DFW Airport, the last stop on the line. It leaves from Terminal A so if you arrive at a different terminal, there's an inter-terminal train you can take. The closest DART to UTSW would be the Southwestern Medical District/Parkland stop. Inwood/Love Field is a little farther but could be close depending on where you're staying (it's not too far from the north campus side). It should take 45 minutes or so. Google Maps will give you the timetable but they're not super frequent (maybe every 20 minutes at peak time). It should be the orange line. A 2 hr pass is $2.50 I think.

DART is super easy and convenient! Definitely a plus for Dallas is the easy public transport options for the two airports.
 
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Hi guys!

Had a question about traveling on interviews. I know they sent us a list of nearby hotels in the invite, but does anyone have any tips or opinions about the best places to stay based on their experiences? Or are all the places nearby just pretty much the same?
 
Jillofalltrades said:
Hi guys!

Had a question about traveling on interviews. I know they sent us a list of nearby hotels in the invite, but does anyone have any tips or opinions about the best places to stay based on their experiences? Or are all the places nearby just pretty much the same?
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Everything is probably not the same. Some of the surrounding areas can be less than thrilling. I'd check the reviews on a couple of travel websites.

For my interviews/traveling in general, I tend to stick with Hilton properties (most) or Courtyard by Marriott. They're pretty consistent.
 
Jillofalltrades said:
Hi guys!

Had a question about traveling on interviews. I know they sent us a list of nearby hotels in the invite, but does anyone have any tips or opinions about the best places to stay based on their experiences? Or are all the places nearby just pretty much the same?
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You can also stay with a student host! In one of the documents that they sent out, there is an email for student housing request. I talked to a couple students at my interview, and they really enjoyed their stay.

For me, I actually used Airbnb because it was much cheaper than hotels. The place that I stayed at was really quiet and the people were very accommodating, so I really enjoyed it.
 
DnaA said:
II today, 2 dates available, 11/19 or 12/3. Wanted to know if schools give pre-match offers if you interview after 11/15. If so, do I have a higher chance for acceptance if I interview on 11/19 rather than 12/3? Thanks in advanced.
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Yes you can prematch I believe. Its rolling admissions so you can infer if its good to interview earlier.
 
DnaA said:
II today, 2 dates available, 11/19 or 12/3. Wanted to know if schools give pre-match offers if you interview after 11/15. If so, do I have a higher chance for acceptance if I interview on 11/19 rather than 12/3? Thanks in advanced.
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Yeah last year a few people on SDN pre-matched in December. The majority pre-matched on 11/15. I'd say the earlier the better for your interview.
 
DnaA said:
II today, 2 dates available, 11/19 or 12/3. Wanted to know if schools give pre-match offers if you interview after 11/15. If so, do I have a higher chance for acceptance if I interview on 11/19 rather than 12/3? Thanks in advanced.
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This is the reason I switched to 11/19. Ultimately, it won't negatively impact your admission.
 
thewhitefang said:
Congrats guys! Stats if you don't mind?
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3.75 cGPA, 514 MCAT, Female ORM, Secondary complete on 6/28, Total app done on 7/28.

My numerical stats are kind of meh compared to the general pool. Thank goodness for ECs and essays lol
 
Hey, does anyone know if after your interview when you get their decision? Is it the 4-6 weeks rule or is there a certain date they send them out?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
zurc2014 said:
Yes you can prematch I believe. Its rolling admissions so you can infer if its good to interview earlier.
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idontknowwhatnametopick said:
Yeah last year a few people on SDN pre-matched in December. The majority pre-matched on 11/15. I'd say the earlier the better for your interview.
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plinkko said:
This is the reason I switched to 11/19. Ultimately, it won't negatively impact your admission.
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Thanks, I'm taking the earlier date.
 
yaka said:
Got an II today! I'm so excited, this is definitely my first choice!!
I'm so glad to have this opportunity, Dallas is my hometown! I'm so pumped!
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Welcome to the family my friend... You will love this school, the curriculum (pass/fail yay!), the tours, everything. Congrats!
 
yaka said:
Got an II today! I'm so excited, this is definitely my first choice!!
I'm so glad to have this opportunity, Dallas is my hometown! I'm so pumped!
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Grats! What dates were available? Still hoping to hear from this school!
 
zurc2014 said:
Welcome to the family my friend... You will love this school, the curriculum (pass/fail yay!), the tours, everything. Congrats!
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Thanks! Hopefully I'll get to join the family for real 😉 It would definitely be a dream come true.

thewhitefang said:
Grats! What dates were available? Still hoping to hear from this school!
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I was automatically assigned 12/10, but I had the option to change to 12/3 and 1/7. I had an exam on 12/2 (so I would have had to miss the Friday events), so I was happy with 12/10 anyway.
 
Does anyone have the prerequisites list of last year? I am applying next cycle and it appears that UTSW is the only school in Texas that requires 14 hours without the possibility to use biochem 1 to satisfy both? I just want to know if they will see the error of their way next cycle. This is basically pigeonholing people into biology major. What about course waiver? :/ I don't know if I want this school enough to go back to school to take that 1 class.
 
wizzed101 said:
Does anyone have the prerequisites list of last year? I am applying next cycle and it appears that UTSW is the only school in Texas that requires 14 hours without the possibility to use biochem 1 to satisfy both? I just want to know if they will see the error of their way next cycle. This is basically pigeonholing people into biology major. What about course waiver? :/ I don't know if I want this school enough to go back to school to take that 1 class.
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http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/admissions/apply/process/prerequisites.html
 
Thanks but I meant the previous version of the pre-req page. I just want to know if the 14 hours of pure biology is a new thing and is likely to change next cycle. Or it has always been like this. I've compared the pre-reqs to other schools. UTSW just stood out. The other either requires 11 hours + 3 hours of biochem or 14 hours of bio + 3 hours of biochem- however the 3 hours of biochem can apply toward the 14 hours of bio.
 
wizzed101 said:
Thanks but I meant the previous version of the pre-req page. I just want to know if the 14 hours of pure biology is a new thing and is likely to change next cycle. Or it has always been like this. I've compared the pre-reqs to other schools. UTSW just stood out. The other either requires 11 hours + 3 hours of biochem or 14 hours of bio + 3 hours of biochem- however the 3 hours of biochem can apply toward the 14 hours of bio.
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the current prerequisites are what will apply to you - not sure what good any prior year list would be.
 
So there is no chance they will change it for the 2017-2018 cycle? 🙁
 
II today! Listed dates to choose from were 12/10 and 01/07; took the 12/10 one today; planning to check back occasionally to see if they have earlier dates available as time goes by.

LizzyM of 68.7 (cGPA of 3.57/MCAT 514); completed secondary on 09/06

If anyone has any advice or tips for interviewing here, please PM me!

EDIT: Changed date to 11/19!
 
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@wizzed101, I am a current applicant and it seems like the separate biochemistry prerequisite is new this year. I only have 3 semesters of biology without including biochemistry and it didn't stop me from getting an interview here. If I'm lucky enough to prematch I'm planning on asking the school about my options -- I already graduated so it would be a burden to take an extra biology class, especially since it only showed up as a prerequisite this year. For now I would plan on taking a fourth biology course if you can before or during next cycle.
 
Skittsie13 said:
@wizzed101, I am a current applicant and it seems like the separate biochemistry prerequisite is new this year. I only have 3 semesters of biology without including biochemistry and it didn't stop me from getting an interview here. If I'm lucky enough to prematch I'm planning on asking the school about my options -- I already graduated so it would be a burden to take an extra biology class, especially since it only showed up as a prerequisite this year. For now I would plan on taking a fourth biology course if you can before or during next cycle.
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Thanks! Please post in this thread when you are accepted !!
 
Good afternoon guys!
Interviewing Nov. 5th, does anyone know if the hospital shadowing is mandatory? Or is the interview sufficient for admissions?
 
Wroke said:
Good afternoon guys!
Interviewing Nov. 5th, does anyone know if the hospital shadowing is mandatory? Or is the interview sufficient for admissions?
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Read your thing it tells you. :smack:
 
mmm_cats said:
Read your thing it tells you. :smack:
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Thanks for answering the question. Though I was asking for clarification. 😉
It appears to be space-available basis and there is no indication that it is mandatory, so I'm fairly sure it's optional.

Given that there's no space available, I will probably just do the Friday afternoon informational session and the interview.
 
Wroke said:
Good afternoon guys!
Interviewing Nov. 5th, does anyone know if the hospital shadowing is mandatory? Or is the interview sufficient for admissions?
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It is very much optional, but they encourage Friday because it's their chance of selling their school to you.

The rounds in the morning is a good chance to talk to MS3s and see directly what kind of mentorship you're likely to get at there. The student panel in the afternoon was really casual and people asked about everything from housing/living in Dallas to the curriculum. And at dinner you get to talk to even more students. Basically, UTSW gives you a lot of access to current students and chances to ask all of the questions. What I appreciated the most was I got to talk to MS2-4 (didn't meet any MS1) whereas at other schools MS3s and 4s were just slightly less available and MS2s can't really answer questions about their clinical experiences because they haven't had them yet.

That being said, I thought they did a good job for people who could only come on Saturday. The Sat. tour guides were MS4s that were very helpful and most people ask the same types of questions as the ones on Fridays so you'll know what you need to know by the end. And the interviews happen at some point in the morning and then you're free by 2:30-ish in the afternoon.
 
Wroke said:
Thanks for answering the question. Though I was asking for clarification. 😉
It appears to be space-available basis and there is no indication that it is mandatory, so I'm fairly sure it's optional.

Given that there's no space available, I will probably just do the Friday afternoon informational session and the interview.
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^^^

If space becomes available, the Friday morning session is definitely worth attending because you will get to see what a MS3/MS4 does in clinical rotations. It was really interesting to see how involved the medical students were in logging patient history and the actual treatment process.

The afternoon info sessions were also helpful, but it was mostly focused on the different academics tracks, like global health, research, etc. But the condensed version was given in the Saturday program as well.
 
Jillofalltrades said:
It is very much optional, but they encourage Friday because it's their chance of selling their school to you.

The rounds in the morning is a good chance to talk to MS3s and see directly what kind of mentorship you're likely to get at there. The student panel in the afternoon was really casual and people asked about everything from housing/living in Dallas to the curriculum. And at dinner you get to talk to even more students. Basically, UTSW gives you a lot of access to current students and chances to ask all of the questions. What I appreciated the most was I got to talk to MS2-4 (didn't meet any MS1) whereas at other schools MS3s and 4s were just slightly less available and MS2s can't really answer questions about their clinical experiences because they haven't had them yet.

That being said, I thought they did a good job for people who could only come on Saturday. The Sat. tour guides were MS4s that were very helpful and most people ask the same types of questions as the ones on Fridays so you'll know what you need to know by the end. And the interviews happen at some point in the morning and then you're free by 2:30-ish in the afternoon.
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I'm sorry you didn't get to meet any MS1s. If you have any MS1-specific questions please reach out, I am an MS1 🙂
 
Did everyone who interviewed at UT Southwestern receive an email today from the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion or was it specifically targeted?
 
nittyt said:
Did everyone who interviewed at UT Southwestern receive an email today from the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion or was it specifically targeted?
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I received one, however I am an URM.
 
Wroke said:
Good afternoon guys!
Interviewing Nov. 5th, does anyone know if the hospital shadowing is mandatory? Or is the interview sufficient for admissions?
Click to expand...
What are your stats, if you don't mind. In-state or out-of-state?
 
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