really hoping for an II from here!
I, too, would appreciate some insight!Trying to decide between here or McGovern (Houston). Does anyone have any insight?
Both are very great programs. Between those two, I’d pick where I fit the best - and also whichever program has some kind of focus within the specialty you’re interested in.Trying to decide between here or McGovern (Houston). Does anyone have any insight?
While this is true, when I interviewed at McGovern the students, and dean of admissions, said the Texas Medical Center (TMC) is so large that multiple medical schools is a non-issue. The students said they rarely even see Baylor students on rotations because the TMC is massive. The dean of admissions said the TMC could realistically handle 6 medical schools and the addition of another medical school (Houston) really won't be a big issue. So the excess of medical students does not seem to be hampering clinical experience in any way.I did not interview here, but one of my friends did, and she said that one thing that stood out to her about UTSA vs Baylor was that although there's a lot of opportunities in Houston, it's also highly saturated with 3 medical schools and one more on the way. UTSA really tried to highlight to her that even just as an MS2 you would be actively involved in clinical settings since there aren't as many residents in San Antonio as Houston, who would usually take priority for clinical tasks over med students.
Both schools have such a good clinical education that I don't think you can go wrong either way. For me the decision came down to quality of life. Living in the South Texas medical center in SA is MUCH cheaper than the TMC, and the traffic can't even be compared. Gold's gym right on campus, super friendly students/faculty, lots more to do in this part of Texas than the Houston area in my opinion, etc. It just seemed to me that it would be a lot easier to maintain a good life outside of medical school and keep stress levels low in SA vs Houston, and so far that's been true.Both are very great programs. Between those two, I’d pick where I fit the best - and also whichever program has some kind of focus within the specialty you’re interested in.
Another important question though - which school had the better lunch on interview day? It could come down to that as the deal breaker
All that time off for STEP was something I really liked about SA. I believe it’s the most out of all the TX schools.Both schools have such a good clinical education that I don't think you can go wrong either way. For me the decision came down to quality of life. Living in the South Texas medical center in SA is MUCH cheaper than the TMC, and the traffic can't even be compared. Gold's gym right on campus, super friendly students/faculty, lots more to do in this part of Texas than the Houston area in my opinion, etc. It just seemed to me that it would be a lot easier to maintain a good life outside of medical school and keep stress levels low in SA vs Houston, and so far that's been true.
It's really hard to objectively compare the day-to-day of preclinical curricula, but I will say that having months and months off to study for Step or do a couple of early rotations is a HUGE advantage for people who are more self-directed learners. Just my $.02
is it 3 months they give for STEP prep?All that time off for STEP was something I really liked about SA. I believe it’s the most out of all the TX schools.
They give you 4 months!is it 3 months they give for STEP prep?
They give you a lot of time off but surprisingly their STEP scores aren't all that great. Long SOM typically scores 2 points higher than the national average but if they give you 4 months off to study I'd expect better STEP scores. I guess it has to do with a more clinical based curriculum than step based?They give you 4 months!
Yes, this is exactly right. At my interview day they said they do not cater to Step1 very much and compensate by giving a lot more time off to study. They prefer to focus on clinical teaching (which pays off in the 3rd/4th year).They give you a lot of time off but surprisingly their STEP scores aren't all that great. Long SOM typically scores 2 points higher than the national average but if they give you 4 months off to study I'd expect better STEP scores. I guess it has to do with a more clinical based curriculum than step based?
Hate to break hearts, but admissions replied to an email of mine saying they are done with interview season as of today
Yes, this is exactly right. At my interview day they said they do not cater to Step1 very much and compensate by giving a lot more time off to study. They prefer to focus on clinical teaching (which pays off in the 3rd/4th year).
Dell and Duke also very competitive medical schools that only accept top tier students who are more likely to do well independent of the curriculum. Long has good stats for incoming students but not quite to the level of Duke or Dell, so I'm sure that plays a rollYeah, ok but I'd say Dell and Duke really focus on clinical teaching (with the entire second year being clinicals) and they score very well. I'm not sure that's really answer for why their scores are lower. Maybe Dell and Duke teach to STEP 1 really well in their condensed pre-clinical year but I did not get that impression from their students.
513 and 3.8 avg stats of entering class is pretty comparable with dell. Just keep in mind those 3% ish who fail the step at long probably tank the average (out of 220 or so students). I don’t think anyone at dell would fail considering they have 50 students (less chance of failing), could be wrong thoughDell and Duke also very competitive medical schools that only accept top tier students who are more likely to do well independent of the curriculum. Long has good stats for incoming students but not quite to the level of Duke or Dell, so I'm sure that plays a roll
Dell had an average MCAT of 514 for the students who took the STEP and scored high, Long has an average MCAT of 513... not much difference. Duke is at another level.Dell and Duke also very competitive medical schools that only accept top tier students who are more likely to do well independent of the curriculum. Long has good stats for incoming students but not quite to the level of Duke or Dell, so I'm sure that plays a roll
Bless, I want an acceptance here so bad. If I get an acceptance here, I'll be so happy because that means I got into a good school I like! Some other places I interviewed at rubbed me the wrong way for Long SOM was so nice and the school was so quaint. I really liked the atmosphere.I'm OOS and interviewed a little over a week ago and they told me that we probably wouldn't hear until around February 1st since thats when the match happens and they're not heavy on pre-match offers, even for OOS
According to MSAR the median matriculating mcat and GPA for Dell is 512 and 3.75, for Long its 510 and 3.78 so it's actually much closer than I originally thought. Likely the very small class size at Dell plays a role in them doing well on STEP1 like thegrind mentioned.Dell had an average MCAT of 514 for the students who took the STEP and scored high, Long has an average MCAT of 513... not much difference. Duke is at another level.
I think they have before, but according to last years thread there wasn’t. And based on how many times the school themselves have mentioned just how match heavy they are, I would think they won’t be sending anymore out. But, as with all of this stuff it’s hard to really know! The school is closed all of next week though, so I’d say if nothing is heard by this Friday it is safe to assume we have to wait until the match for anymore news! All speculation though so who really knows lolI know this school is match heavy, but does anyone know if there was a second wave of prematches in previous years?
Whichever you fit better atStruggling to decide whether to rank Long or UTMB higher. Thoughts?
I liked San Antonio as a city A LOT more than Galvy. Not even comparable imo. I also felt that it would be better to be the most prominent medical school in the metropolitan area. Too many vying for supremacy in the Houston area (which I consider Galveston part of).Struggling to decide whether to rank Long or UTMB higher. Thoughts?
OOS tuition is still a bargain!Does anyone know if long waives the difference between IS and OOS?
Does anyone know if long waives the difference between IS and OOS?
That could be true, when I interviewed the med student who was leading my tour group said he wanted to do primary care so he was only going to study for part of the time they give him and then take the rest off for vacation.I have a theory that part of the reason Long scores about average on STEP is because a large portion of the student body really wants to do primary care (and not just in secondary essays, like they actually want to do that as a career). The STEP score needed to be competitive for different specialties is readily available information- for that reason I suspect Long's distribution of scores might actually be bimodal, with a lower scoring group interested in less-competitive specialties, and a second group of students scoring quite highly, which would better explain the match list. Caveat emptor: no concrete data to back that up, just spitballing.
Two things to keep in mind when looking at different medical school average step scores when making your rank list:
1.) Most of how you do on the test is going to be up to your own preparation, not the curriculum. It's just like the MCAT in that regard.
2.) STEP scores are a good predictor of competitiveness for residency, but they don't tell the whole story. Match lists are still the best way to see how well a school's students do in terms of matching.
If In-state be sure to rank it #1 on TMDSAS before Match Day deadline.So this is the only TMDSAS school I ended up interviewing at back in early September. What are the odds I actually match to the only school I interviewed at
If In-state be sure to rank it #1 on TMDSAS before Match Day deadline.
If OOS you are on "rolling admission" and have a chance up till school starts. Be sure to send your fall transcript, if any, to TMDSAS.
Location + culture of students and the people of SA. But that is more of a personal reason, structure of the schedule wise, the 4 months off is extremely appealing!What would y’all say are the things that attract you to this school vs other schools. In other words, what does this school offer that others don’t?
Location + culture of students and the people of SA. But that is more of a personal reason, structure of the schedule wise, the 4 months off is extremely appealing!
What do yall think are the main pros and cons of Long vs UTMB? I am having a hard time ranking them as I know others are as well.
Those 4 months are for STEP prep right? I think I would feel more comfortable with 4 months of dedicated study time vs the 6 weeks UTSW offers. That’s the main school I’m comparing Long to. I fell in love with Long, but recently interviewed at UTSW and was really impressed with what they had.
Those 4 months are for STEP prep right? I think I would feel more comfortable with 4 months of dedicated study time vs the 6 weeks UTSW offers. That’s the main school I’m comparing Long to. I fell in love with Long, but recently interviewed at UTSW and was really impressed with what they had.
Does anyone know if long waives the difference between IS and OOS?
Yup! One of the pros for me!Those 4 months are for whatever you want- most students will use 6-8 weeks to study for step, take a vacation for a few weeks or a month, and do an early rotation to free up vacation time (or time for away rotations, interviews, research, etc) during their third and fourth years.
I interviewed at UTSW last cycle and personally preferred UTSW over Long. UTSW has an amazing campus whereas Long felt a little bit cramped to me. If you're worried about the time off to study and don't think it's enough, just look at the average step scores, UTSW clearly knows what they're doing. That being said, Long is definitely tied for 2nd favorite (with UTMB) out of the ones I've interviewed at, the faculty and students were extremely welcoming and friendly and it is an amazing school so you really can't go wrong with either.
Do you remember the average step 1 score for UTSW? I believe it was 234 or 236. Dr. Kellaway mentioned in one of the emails that Long’s average step is one point above the national average, so that would make it 231.
I remember at the lunch that some of the current students mentioned they were only going to study enough to make an average score on Step and that it was a common theme there since a lot of the students want to go into primary care or some of the noncompetitive specialties and that is why their average score isn’t as high as UTSW.
234 sounds right to me, not 100% sure on that though.