2023-2024 UT San Antonio (Long)

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Do we think Long will celebrate the final day of prematch period with some prematches? (I’m delusional)
 
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@Hartroc I know you posted on AOA at Long and I had a couple questions about it:

  1. You mentioned that 15 or so ppl had perfect grades. When you say perfect grades, does this refer to having Honors for every course or literally perfect 100s in every course?
  2. All in all, how many people get into AOA? I know there's junior and senior AOA but just curious how much of the ~220 ppl in class actually get AOA in junior or senior year.
  3. What percentage of the class is eligible to apply for senior AOA? And what percentage is selected?
  4. How do classmates at Long applying to competitive specialties (derm, etc) fair without AOA?

@kit10 If you have any insight too, that would be appreciated
 
Sandman23 said:
@Hartroc I know you posted on AOA at Long and I had a couple questions about it:

  1. You mentioned that 15 or so ppl had perfect grades. When you say perfect grades, does this refer to having Honors for every course or literally perfect 100s in every course?
  2. All in all, how many people get into AOA? I know there's junior and senior AOA but just curious how much of the ~220 ppl in class actually get AOA in junior or senior year.
  3. What percentage of the class is eligible to apply for senior AOA? And what percentage is selected?
  4. How do classmates at Long applying to competitive specialties (derm, etc) fair without AOA?

@kit10 If you have any insight too, that would be appreciated
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I am not Hartroc, but I’m assuming the perfect grades means honors in all classes. One of my friends is happy as an up and coming ortho without having been AOA. It is certainly possible to do even without AOA! Something important to note is that grades are the qualifier - you need to be involved in activities outside of school to seal the deal. I hope that helps even if it’s a bit limited.
 
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Does anyone know if this school provides resources like first aid?
 
Katalum said:
Does anyone know if this school provides resources like first aid?
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Hopefully I'm not jumbling this up with another school but I think they offer 3 or 4 of the major ones. I think students said that they successfully lobbied administration to provide Sketchy, so they're definitely open to feedback from students on which resources help the best.
 
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Welcome new classmates!! I am so excited to see so many new future classmates in this thread! Long is a great school, and I'm more than certain you guys (hopefully) agree. The Class of 2027 is so pumped to welcome the Class of 2028. You're going to be sent a lot of information soon, so please keep your e-mails up and consider joining that Facebook group and GroupMe when the invitation comes.

I'm looking forward to seeing you all on campus, be it at Welcome Day or for classes! Please reach out to me via DM or reply here if you have any questions. :clap:
 
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how many acceptances are given out after match day? If we were not matched to any school is it safe to assume we need to start prepping for next cycle?
 
Anyone have the curriculum timeline? I can’t seem to find it on their website
 
I think they entirely fill the class on match day - and they stated every interviewee goes on the waitlist. So probably won’t hear anything for a while
 
Bonehead11 said:
I think they entirely fill the class on match day - and they stated every interviewee goes on the waitlist. So probably won’t hear anything for a while
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Out of State (OOS) runs a little differently than TX residents, but it is possible all of the OOS slots are full and they need people to withdraw before sending out more acceptances to OOSers.
 
IJUSTWANTOPARTYDOC said:
Non-medstudent here. When it comes to P/F grading I think it's honestly not as big of a deal as people make it out to be.

I am definitely pro-P/F in that I think it might reduce some stress. But at the same time, with so many schools (including most of the top ones in Texas/the US) being P/F, how are residency program directors going to be able to compare a HP (B equivalent... I think) to a P in pre-clinicals between two students from different schools? I don't think it's possible. I'm also pretty sure PD's routinely rank pre-clinical grades pretty low on their 'decision-making-formula' but you can fact check this by looking at recent PD surveys and check out this thread for discussion on the same.

If you are the type of person who needs/wants to hear/see "pass" when you get your grade back, P/F is probably for you. If you have positive enough self-talk, I think getting a "honors/pass/etc" in addition to your grade won't be that impactful when you consider that it probably won't make much difference in the long run anyway (pun intended lol).

I also think it's important to note that few, if any, med students have experienced both systems for pre-clinical or for clincal grading, so when someone from a P/F school says its the best... what are they comparing it to? Undergrad? At my undergrad all of my classes were graded but many/most of my classmates and I were very helpful with sharing resources, explaining concepts, study tips, etc. so I don't think hierarchical pre-clinical grades in-and-of-themselves create or eliminate a competitive environment.

I think things like internal ranks (which also vary by the school, but most still have them, so pre-clinical grades still matter in that sense even if you recieve a P or F on your transcript), school prestige/reputation, but especially extra-curriculars (research mostly, but also probably AOA in addition to hobbies/passions) will be used to screen and help select students for residency spots.

That's at least my copium for leaning more towards Long (graded preclinical) vs. Texas Tech Lubbock (P/F), because otherwise I am almost entirely leaning toward Long (the in-house exams and inability to review exams are still seem lame imo, but maybe @Hartroc @kit10 or someone else can weigh in. I've only spoken to a MS1 at Long who, a few weeks ago, said they didn't love the grading/exam system).
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I’m a MS3 at Long. Everything I’ve read about the cons of a graded curriculum, I have experienced at our school.

The vibe and energy of the classes, atleast mine and the one below, is very unchill when it come to lectures (like 90% of your life in MS1&2). I swear I never went a day without hearing at least one person complain how behind they were on the material.

God forbid you’re a lil adhd and have to use 3rd party materials to learn, then most of the time you very likely will be “behind”! In my opinion, the graded curriculum is a total ball and chain on the process of acquiring preclinical knowledge at Long.

For a number of the modules, the lectures were chronically disappointing in that slide decks were recycled from years past and it was clear the presenter was reading them for the first time. (This wasn’t the case for ALL the modules, but it also was not uncommon. We have some of the most incredible and talented anatomy instructors. Like amazing.)

Our in-house exams are… disappointing. Working through AMBOSS, UWorld or NBME questions, the quality does not remotely compare.

The exams are obviously based on in-house lecture material, and it is not rare to have the most random or minute concepts from like one slide in one lecture tested on the final.

If you’re a student that has to use other tools to learn (sketchy, bnb, pathoma, anki, pixorize, drawing, Goljan) and find it difficult to retain knowledge by sitting in a lecture for hours and hours of PowerPoints, Long is very difficult.

They make it that way by maintaining their graded curriculum and in-house exams, essentially pigeon holing everyone into a single way of learning (going to lecture and reading all of their PowerPoints/handouts). Don’t get me started on the handouts/pre-readings… they’re often bulletpoint lists of things covered in the lecture with little to no story, context, or logical framework for how to integrate the information.

If vibe and culture are a consideration for you, the graded curriculum sucks the life and fun out of a large chunk of the class. Everyone is worried about whether they memorized enough random facts from class slides to get a H on the exam, while spending most of their time learning the concepts from 3rd party sources.

You can choose to not worry about your grade (believe me it’s liberating) but if your class is anything like mine at LongSOM, you will be surrounded by stressed out med students constantly frustrated that they are behind on the material.
 
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mr.mysteryguest said:
I’m a MS3 at Long. Everything I’ve read about the cons of a graded curriculum, I have experienced at our school.

The vibe and energy of the classes, atleast mine and the one below, is very unchill when it come to lectures (like 90% of your life in MS1&2). I swear I never went a day without hearing at least one person complain how behind they were on the material.

God forbid you’re a lil adhd and have to use 3rd party materials to learn, then most of the time you very likely will be “behind”! In my opinion, the graded curriculum is a total ball and chain on the process of acquiring preclinical knowledge at Long.

For a number of the modules, the lectures were chronically disappointing in that slide decks were recycled from years past and it was clear the presenter was reading them for the first time. (This wasn’t the case for ALL the modules, but it also was not uncommon. We have some of the most incredible and talented anatomy instructors. Like amazing.)

Our in-house exams are… disappointing. Working through AMBOSS, UWorld or NBME questions, the quality does not remotely compare.

The exams are obviously based on in-house lecture material, and it is not rare to have the most random or minute concepts from like one slide in one lecture tested on the final.

If you’re a student that has to use other tools to learn (sketchy, bnb, pathoma, anki, pixorize, drawing, Goljan) and find it difficult to retain knowledge by sitting in a lecture for hours and hours of PowerPoints, Long is very difficult.

They make it that way by maintaining their graded curriculum and in-house exams, essentially pigeon holing everyone into a single way of learning (going to lecture and reading all of their PowerPoints/handouts). Don’t get me started on the handouts/pre-readings… they’re often bulletpoint lists of things covered in the lecture with little to no story, context, or logical framework for how to integrate the information.

If vibe and culture are a consideration for you, the graded curriculum sucks the life and fun out of a large chunk of the class. Everyone is worried about whether they memorized enough random facts from class slides to get a H on the exam, while spending most of their time learning the concepts from 3rd party sources.

You can choose to not worry about your grade (believe me it’s liberating) but if your class is anything like mine at LongSOM, you will be surrounded by stressed out med students constantly frustrated that they are behind on the material.
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yikes
 
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mr.mysteryguest said:
I’m a MS3 at Long. Everything I’ve read about the cons of a graded curriculum, I have experienced at our school.

The vibe and energy of the classes, atleast mine and the one below, is very unchill when it come to lectures (like 90% of your life in MS1&2). I swear I never went a day without hearing at least one person complain how behind they were on the material.

God forbid you’re a lil adhd and have to use 3rd party materials to learn, then most of the time you very likely will be “behind”! In my opinion, the graded curriculum is a total ball and chain on the process of acquiring preclinical knowledge at Long.

For a number of the modules, the lectures were chronically disappointing in that slide decks were recycled from years past and it was clear the presenter was reading them for the first time. (This wasn’t the case for ALL the modules, but it also was not uncommon. We have some of the most incredible and talented anatomy instructors. Like amazing.)

Our in-house exams are… disappointing. Working through AMBOSS, UWorld or NBME questions, the quality does not remotely compare.

The exams are obviously based on in-house lecture material, and it is not rare to have the most random or minute concepts from like one slide in one lecture tested on the final.

If you’re a student that has to use other tools to learn (sketchy, bnb, pathoma, anki, pixorize, drawing, Goljan) and find it difficult to retain knowledge by sitting in a lecture for hours and hours of PowerPoints, Long is very difficult.

They make it that way by maintaining their graded curriculum and in-house exams, essentially pigeon holing everyone into a single way of learning (going to lecture and reading all of their PowerPoints/handouts). Don’t get me started on the handouts/pre-readings… they’re often bulletpoint lists of things covered in the lecture with little to no story, context, or logical framework for how to integrate the information.

If vibe and culture are a consideration for you, the graded curriculum sucks the life and fun out of a large chunk of the class. Everyone is worried about whether they memorized enough random facts from class slides to get a H on the exam, while spending most of their time learning the concepts from 3rd party sources.

You can choose to not worry about your grade (believe me it’s liberating) but if your class is anything like mine at LongSOM, you will be surrounded by stressed out med students constantly frustrated that they are behind on the material.
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Well, that’s interesting. I’m just going to keep an open mind about the school. I have a friend that goes here and he enjoys the place. Always appreciate extra perspectives though!
 
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RightAngleC said:
Well, that’s interesting. I’m just going to keep an open mind about the school. I have a friend that goes here and he enjoys the place. Always appreciate extra perspectives though!
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Absolutely! I'd say keep an open mind about anywhere you go.

This can by no means be an experience isolated to Long, I am sure its the experience at many schools.

I just want folks to have first hand perspective from both sides and I feel like I never found a thorough answer to the p/f vs graded question when I was applying. Especially for folks who find it difficult to learn in a traditional classroom lecture model, I want y'all to know what you're getting into.

I was able to follow along pretty well, and I got through pre-clinicals with good grades. On the other side of things now, and given the choice, I'd have preferred a p/f curriculum.

There are plenty of good things about Long, and they've been elaborated in this thread. I just wanted to provide some sugar-free input on the matter.
 
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mr.mysteryguest said:
Absolutely! I'd say keep an open mind about anywhere you go.

This can by no means be an experience isolated to Long, I am sure its the experience at many schools.

I just want folks to have first hand perspective from both sides and I feel like I never found a thorough answer to the p/f vs graded question when I was applying. Especially for folks who find it difficult to learn in a traditional classroom lecture model, I want y'all to know what you're getting into.

I was able to follow along pretty well, and I got through pre-clinicals with good grades. On the other side of things now, and given the choice, I'd have preferred a p/f curriculum.

There are plenty of good things about Long, and they've been elaborated in this thread. I just wanted to provide some sugar-free input on the matter.
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I understand, glad to have a better perspective on how the grading is along with the in-house exams. Thank you!
 
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mr.mysteryguest said:
I’m a MS3 at Long. Everything I’ve read about the cons of a graded curriculum, I have experienced at our school.

The vibe and energy of the classes, atleast mine and the one below, is very unchill when it come to lectures (like 90% of your life in MS1&2). I swear I never went a day without hearing at least one person complain how behind they were on the material.

God forbid you’re a lil adhd and have to use 3rd party materials to learn, then most of the time you very likely will be “behind”! In my opinion, the graded curriculum is a total ball and chain on the process of acquiring preclinical knowledge at Long.

For a number of the modules, the lectures were chronically disappointing in that slide decks were recycled from years past and it was clear the presenter was reading them for the first time. (This wasn’t the case for ALL the modules, but it also was not uncommon. We have some of the most incredible and talented anatomy instructors. Like amazing.)

Our in-house exams are… disappointing. Working through AMBOSS, UWorld or NBME questions, the quality does not remotely compare.

The exams are obviously based on in-house lecture material, and it is not rare to have the most random or minute concepts from like one slide in one lecture tested on the final.

If you’re a student that has to use other tools to learn (sketchy, bnb, pathoma, anki, pixorize, drawing, Goljan) and find it difficult to retain knowledge by sitting in a lecture for hours and hours of PowerPoints, Long is very difficult.

They make it that way by maintaining their graded curriculum and in-house exams, essentially pigeon holing everyone into a single way of learning (going to lecture and reading all of their PowerPoints/handouts). Don’t get me started on the handouts/pre-readings… they’re often bulletpoint lists of things covered in the lecture with little to no story, context, or logical framework for how to integrate the information.

If vibe and culture are a consideration for you, the graded curriculum sucks the life and fun out of a large chunk of the class. Everyone is worried about whether they memorized enough random facts from class slides to get a H on the exam, while spending most of their time learning the concepts from 3rd party sources.

You can choose to not worry about your grade (believe me it’s liberating) but if your class is anything like mine at LongSOM, you will be surrounded by stressed out med students constantly frustrated that they are behind on the material.
Click to expand...
Reading this after the match is... oof.

I've also heard similar things from a current MS1 at Long so I'm not sure how much this has improved, if at all.
 
RightAngleC said:
I understand, glad to have a better perspective on how the grading is along with the in-house exams. Thank you!
Click to expand...
Yeah, at this point I'm hoping it's like when a professor has a ton of bad reviews on RMP but is actually completely reasonable irl.

🤷‍♂️
 
IJUSTWANTOPARTYDOC said:
Yeah, at this point I'm hoping it's like when a professor has a ton of bad reviews on RMP but is actually completely reasonable irl.

🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
I know some things have changed coming from my M3 and M1 friends here. They have had some of the same complaints as well. However, I’ve heard the same things coming from friends in TCOM, UIWSOM, and UHCOM. The grass isn’t greener. I’m just glad we have these perspectives so we’re not shell-shocked when starting
 
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mr.mysteryguest said:
I’m a MS3 at Long. Everything I’ve read about the cons of a graded curriculum, I have experienced at our school.

The vibe and energy of the classes, atleast mine and the one below, is very unchill when it come to lectures (like 90% of your life in MS1&2). I swear I never went a day without hearing at least one person complain how behind they were on the material.

God forbid you’re a lil adhd and have to use 3rd party materials to learn, then most of the time you very likely will be “behind”! In my opinion, the graded curriculum is a total ball and chain on the process of acquiring preclinical knowledge at Long.

For a number of the modules, the lectures were chronically disappointing in that slide decks were recycled from years past and it was clear the presenter was reading them for the first time. (This wasn’t the case for ALL the modules, but it also was not uncommon. We have some of the most incredible and talented anatomy instructors. Like amazing.)

Our in-house exams are… disappointing. Working through AMBOSS, UWorld or NBME questions, the quality does not remotely compare.

The exams are obviously based on in-house lecture material, and it is not rare to have the most random or minute concepts from like one slide in one lecture tested on the final.

If you’re a student that has to use other tools to learn (sketchy, bnb, pathoma, anki, pixorize, drawing, Goljan) and find it difficult to retain knowledge by sitting in a lecture for hours and hours of PowerPoints, Long is very difficult.

They make it that way by maintaining their graded curriculum and in-house exams, essentially pigeon holing everyone into a single way of learning (going to lecture and reading all of their PowerPoints/handouts). Don’t get me started on the handouts/pre-readings… they’re often bulletpoint lists of things covered in the lecture with little to no story, context, or logical framework for how to integrate the information.

If vibe and culture are a consideration for you, the graded curriculum sucks the life and fun out of a large chunk of the class. Everyone is worried about whether they memorized enough random facts from class slides to get a H on the exam, while spending most of their time learning the concepts from 3rd party sources.

You can choose to not worry about your grade (believe me it’s liberating) but if your class is anything like mine at LongSOM, you will be surrounded by stressed out med students constantly frustrated that they are behind on the material.
Click to expand...
@mr.mysteryguest feedback could have been helpful before rank lists were due. I would love to get @kit10 perspective to balance this feedback out.
 
dynamis1 said:
@mr.mysteryguest feedback could have been helpful before rank lists were due. I would love to get @kit10 perspective to balance this feedback out.
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I think that I would say that my experience and the experience of my classmates has not been like Mr. Mysteryguest. Maybe they’ve tweaked how preclinicals work, but we have had a generally positive experience with things. I did provide my perspective on the school in previous posts, alongside some pros and cons, but I can wholeheartedly say that my class has a very collaborative nature. We have a Google Drive that we all collectively work together on for LOs and we are all very supportive of each other. Lectures are decent and contain pertinent information. The tests can be relied on to have material that come from the study guides that are prepared for us and the occasional slide. I believe they are very upfront about expectations for exams and what we need to know.

All I can say is that it truly is unfortunate to hear that there is a bad experience because that hasn’t been mine or my classmates’. I asked around after reading it and received positive feedback. Admin has been receptive and responsive to any concerns we might have. I think a lot of time in medical school, we can feel underprepared or unready because that’s how medical school is no matter where you go — I’m on top of things and very good about studying, and when test day comes even I’m nervous about what I know! It’s just the quantity of what needs to be known, and be it Long or Harvard or any medical school in the US, the quantity can be a lot. Medical school itself selects for high achieving and outstanding people who understand the importance of doing well. It feels great to be on top of it! No one is ever going to feel like they’re a master of content, though — not until you sit down for the exam and fly through the questions because in reality you were on top of it.

What’s most important is the people you surround yourself with. The friends that I’ve made really help with the neuroticism I sometimes feel. My classmates are friendly, supportive, and we are all interested in seeing each other succeed. Our upperclassmen (at least the MS2s and MS4s as we don’t have much face to face with MS3s who are usually at the hospital or studying) are likewise supportive and helpful.

I have found balance that works for me and sometimes I deviate from it in the dead week that we have before exams. For the most part though, it works for me and it helps me stay happy, healthy, and as low stress as possible. I know my experience probably isn’t everyone’s experience, but sincerely, in asking my classmates, I haven’t met anyone who has had a bad experience yet. We started in late July and obviously there is another year to go for opinions to change but we’re doing OK!
 
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Hey y’all! I didn’t see where anyone had shared or started a group chat for admitted students yet…. If one already exists lmk, but I went ahead and made a GroupMe! Looking forward to meeting everyone :)

GroupMe

The free, simple way to stay connected with those who matter most.
groupme.com groupme.com
 
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