Long SOM vs Texas Tech Lubbock

[kit10]

Hi everyone! I've been drafting this up for a few days. I had a decent TMDSAS cycle, and while I didn't end up with prematches, I would like some help deciding a rank order between Long SOM and Texas Tech Lubbock. Both are fantastic schools in their own right. As a foreword, I believe I will do well and work hard at any institution I attend. It's just about finding that "fit" right now.

Long SOM
Pros

• Great city (San Antonio)
• Higher ranked which may mean more research opportunities
• Larger class so more opportunity to make friends
• Part of me likes the idea of potentially being in a school with a high MCAT average score. Seems somewhat prestigious and it would feel nice to be part of that if that makes sense!
• No limit/cap on the number of people who can receive an H. Dr. K mentioned that anywhere from 70-90% of students receive a H in any given module.
• Fourth year is entirely electives
• My parents have friends there
• Only 3rd year counts towards AOA, but GPA is calculated twice: once after preclinicals and once after clinicals. Quartile based recommendation for residency.
• They have a distinction for medical education. In my gap years, I've taken to teaching to help ends meet alongside my other side hustle and I really enjoy it. It might be cool to pursue this. If I could squeeze out some time for substitute teaching, then San Antonio also offers nearly double the pay of Lubbock for subbing in their ISD.

Cons

• H/P/F, but no limit on number of H
• Didn't necessarily feel a "spark" when on campus, but I'm going to try and go again before the rank list is due to see if I was just having a bad day or something
• In house exams -- Dr. K clarified that this is because they have an integrated curriculum that would otherwise be limited by standardized tests. They have a large curriculum team that investigates questions and exams if need be.
• The people who gave me a tour a few months ago did not seem very excited.

Texas Tech Lubbock
Pros

• Undergraduate campus located within a 5 minute drive.
• I really liked my interview here, probably more so than I did at Long SOM - probably my favorite ever, tbh. I also liked visiting the campus and driving around the area.
• Pass/Fail up until clinical
• Only 3rd year counts towards AOA and rankings
• Free access to university resources, such as sports, counseling, etc.
• People touring told me their school reports that their students sleep an extra hour longer than other schools, so I think that would most likely mean something good about school/life balance.
• The people who gave me a tour seemed excited to go to school there and genuinely happy.
• My mentor from my Master's degree is there, albeit not at the medical school but in another school in the Health Science Center.
• I interviewed with a higher up of the school during my interview day and he said he hoped I would rank Lubbock first. Obviously, I don't have a prematch and I know it might not have been sincere, but I hope it was and will treat it as such at face value.

Cons

• Might have to move after 2 years to another city. Part of me is tired of moving around as much as I have these past few years.
• H/P/F for clinical starting 3rd year
• Not as highly ranked
• Town is "small." Downtown was one brick road. Seemed like most of the activity was spread out all over the place rather than concentrated in one place like San Antonio. Very much a college town which can be good and bad.

I think something interesting to note about both schools are the different feels: Texas Tech felt like a university/college with a medical school while Long SOM felt like a hospital with a medical school. I prefer the former but I think it might be because I haven't been on a campus for a long time and there's a certain "buzz" to college towns. I did like the vibe of having a campus close by. I liked Texas Tech a lot, but I also do think Long's prestige is very important to consider. Tough decision all around for me.

I'm not the best when looking at residency lists and seeing what's best, but I do notice that both schools have a lot of matches in Texas with some notable ones being to outside places like Mayo or Yale.

Long's matches: OFFICIAL - 2022 Match Lists (2022), OFFICIAL - 2021 Match Lists (2021)
TTUHSC's matches: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/medicine/student-affairs/documents/2022-match-list.pdf.pdf (2022), https://www.ttuhsc.edu/medicine/student-affairs/documents/2021-match-list.pdf (2021)

I'm notoriously indecisive, so I appreciate your help!

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[californiadreamin23]

In terms of rankings, it’s negligible. Not a single PD from plastics to FM, would look at your otherwise identical application and say “Ah, they go to Texas Tech, no interview”. Sounds to me like the “vibe” at Tech wins out tbh. Lubbock is also one of the cheapest places to live too.

I went there for undergrad. Thought I wanted out more than anything else in the entire world. Got a similar “vibe” on interview day, yet still picked another school. And now that I’m in my 30s, I look back on Lubbock as the best place I’ve ever lived (and my training has taken me out west and to the east coast, so I have a good sample size).

 

[123OkayGoogle]

Sure rankings are negligible but you’ll see a wider range of specialties and pathologies in San Antonio. Plus more things to get involved with

 

[Snoozles]

It sounds like you vibed more with Texas Tech. I think it would be easier for you to be successful if you are going to a school where you vibe with the students, lower stress, P/F pre-clinical, etc. San Antonio might have more going on than Lubbock, but Lubbock isn't a rural town with one flashing 4-way stoplight on the main street.

 

[mr.mysteryguest]

Hi everyone! I've been drafting this up for a few days. I had a decent TMDSAS cycle, and while I didn't end up with prematches, I would like some help deciding a rank order between Long SOM and Texas Tech Lubbock. Both are fantastic schools in their own right. As a foreword, I believe I will do well and work hard at any institution I attend. It's just about finding that "fit" right now.

Long SOM
Pros

• Great city (San Antonio)
• Higher ranked which may mean more research opportunities
• Larger class so more opportunity to make friends
• Part of me likes the idea of potentially being in a school with a high MCAT average score. Seems somewhat prestigious and it would feel nice to be part of that if that makes sense!
• No limit/cap on the number of people who can receive an H. Dr. K mentioned that anywhere from 70-90% of students receive a H in any given module.
• Fourth year is entirely electives
• My parents have friends there
• Only 3rd year counts towards AOA, but GPA is calculated twice: once after preclinicals and once after clinicals. Quartile based recommendation for residency.
• They have a distinction for medical education. In my gap years, I've taken to teaching to help ends meet alongside my other side hustle and I really enjoy it. It might be cool to pursue this. If I could squeeze out some time for substitute teaching, then San Antonio also offers nearly double the pay of Lubbock for subbing in their ISD.

Cons

• H/P/F, but no limit on number of H
• Didn't necessarily feel a "spark" when on campus, but I'm going to try and go again before the rank list is due to see if I was just having a bad day or something
• In house exams -- Dr. K clarified that this is because they have an integrated curriculum that would otherwise be limited by standardized tests. They have a large curriculum team that investigates questions and exams if need be.
• The people who gave me a tour a few months ago did not seem very excited.

Texas Tech Lubbock
Pros

• Undergraduate campus located within a 5 minute drive.
• I really liked my interview here, probably more so than I did at Long SOM - probably my favorite ever, tbh. I also liked visiting the campus and driving around the area.
• Pass/Fail up until clinical
• Only 3rd year counts towards AOA and rankings
• Free access to university resources, such as sports, counseling, etc.
• People touring told me their school reports that their students sleep an extra hour longer than other schools, so I think that would most likely mean something good about school/life balance.
• The people who gave me a tour seemed excited to go to school there and genuinely happy.
• My mentor from my Master's degree is there, albeit not at the medical school but in another school in the Health Science Center.
• I interviewed with a higher up of the school during my interview day and he said he hoped I would rank Lubbock first. Obviously, I don't have a prematch and I know it might not have been sincere, but I hope it was and will treat it as such at face value.

Cons

• Might have to move after 2 years to another city. Part of me is tired of moving around as much as I have these past few years.
• H/P/F for clinical starting 3rd year
• Not as highly ranked
• Town is "small." Downtown was one brick road. Seemed like most of the activity was spread out all over the place rather than concentrated in one place like San Antonio. Very much a college town which can be good and bad.

I think something interesting to note about both schools are the different feels: Texas Tech felt like a university/college with a medical school while Long SOM felt like a hospital with a medical school. I prefer the former but I think it might be because I haven't been on a campus for a long time and there's a certain "buzz" to college towns. I did like the vibe of having a campus close by. I liked Texas Tech a lot, but I also do think Long's prestige is very important to consider. Tough decision all around for me.

I'm not the best when looking at residency lists and seeing what's best, but I do notice that both schools have a lot of matches in Texas with some notable ones being to outside places like Mayo or Yale.

Long's matches: OFFICIAL - 2022 Match Lists (2022), OFFICIAL - 2021 Match Lists (2021)
TTUHSC's matches: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/medicine/student-affairs/documents/2022-match-list.pdf.pdf (2022), https://www.ttuhsc.edu/medicine/student-affairs/documents/2021-match-list.pdf (2021)

I'm notoriously indecisive, so I appreciate your help!

I go to Long and can say with a certainty that 70-90% of students do not make honors in any given module. We get the class distribution when they release grades.

Going to lectures is a roll of the dice on whether your lecturer is a teacher or a voice to read the slides at you.

The in-house exams are often a disappointment. The reason given about the integrated curriculum is not valid. I really really wish we had nbme exams. Many of us study our asses off and a lot of people do get honors, but bc of how bad the exams are that A doesn’t feel like a representation of how well you’ve mastered the material that someone at your level of training should know.

Given the choice I’d rather put time in learning the material I need for the level I’m at (which I think nbme exams would help assess) not cramming step2 material for an in house exam as a 2nd year.

 

[kit10]

I go to Long and can say with a certainty that 70-90% of students do not make honors in any given module. We get the class distribution when they release grades.

Going to lectures is a roll of the dice on whether your lecturer is a teacher or a voice to read the slides at you.

The in-house exams are often a disappointment. The reason given about the integrated curriculum is not valid. I really really wish we had nbme exams. Many of us study our asses off and a lot of people do get honors, but bc of how bad the exams are that A doesn’t feel like a representation of how well you’ve mastered the material that someone at your level of training should know.

Given the choice I’d rather put time in learning the material I need for the level I’m at (which I think nbme exams would help assess) not cramming step2 material for an in house exam as a 2nd year.

Hi! I go to Long SOM now! What year are you? I might have some later year questions for you.

I will say one gripe I have is how we can’t review our exams haha

 

[mr.mysteryguest]

Hi! I go to Long SOM now! What year are you? I might have some later year questions for you.

I will say one gripe I have is how we can’t review our exams haha

I somehow completely missed that your post was from February😶

I’m a MS2. Feel free to message me!