Texas: Dell Medical School (UT Austin) vs McGovern (UT Houston)

[CoffeeTurtle]

Hey guys,

With only 3 days left to finalize TMDSAS rank preferences, I am wondering if I can get input here. I am deciding between ranking Dell or McGovern for #1 in the match.

Dell just opened last year, but it is providing generous scholarships to the entire first few classes, and I like its curriculum - specifically its 1 year pre-clinical work, and dedicated 3rd year for pursuit of research or a dual degree.

The 2 big things McGovern has over Dell is location (Houston, and the Texas Medical Center), and that it is an older, established school.

If it matters, I am interested in EM.

Some other points to consider-
How important is the location of clinical rotations in MS3 and MS4? Does it really matter if you get to see very complex and diverse pathologies in Houston, if all you are is a med student learning the basics?

How risky is it to go to a new program that hasn't even graduated a class yet? Anyone know the last big-name university to open a medical school? I'm wondering if coming from a brand new school will put me at a significant disadvantage in matching to residency.

I appreciate any thoughts.

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[plinkko]

I'm also an accepted student (so no worldly wisdom here) but every other doctor has told me that clinical experience is the meat and potatoes of your medical education and the most important part of medical school.

The doctor I work with now did her medical school in a developing country, where she saw things that can only be observed in textbooks in the US, before coming to the US for residency.

She has caught and successfully diagnosed all kinds of weird cancers, unusual syndromes, parasitic infections, atypical Kawasaki's, and a whole host of strange illnesses. Her clinical expertise blows all of her peers out of the water and she has saved so many lives just-in-time all because she has seen everything and a lot of it.

Don't think that since you're just "learning the basics", the quality of clinical education doesn't matter.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moving to pre-allo as OP is a premed

 

[Goro]

Have you ever been in Houston in the summer?????

Hey guys,

With only 3 days left to finalize TMDSAS rank preferences, I am wondering if I can get input here. I am deciding between ranking Dell or McGovern for #1 in the match.

Dell just opened last year, but it is providing generous scholarships to the entire first few classes, and I like its curriculum - specifically its 1 year pre-clinical work, and dedicated 3rd year for pursuit of research or a dual degree.

The 2 big things McGovern has over Dell is location (Houston, and the Texas Medical Center), and that it is an older, established school.

If it matters, I am interested in EM.

Some other points to consider-
How important is the location of clinical rotations in MS3 and MS4? Does it really matter if you get to see very complex and diverse pathologies in Houston, if all you are is a med student learning the basics?

How risky is it to go to a new program that hasn't even graduated a class yet? Anyone know the last big-name university to open a medical school? I'm wondering if coming from a brand new school will put me at a significant disadvantage in matching to residency.

I appreciate any thoughts.

 

[Lucca]

Dell is currently being very generous with scholarships. I would personally pick McGovern for the TMC and its location in Houston. A full ride to Dell vs. full sticker price at McGovern might be an entirely different conversation, but at full price I think McGovern is the better choice on the face of it.

Dell is new and shiny and has lots of fantastic faculty, but, ultimately, I think I would rather be in Houston for medical school, and I say that as someone who lives in Austin (for undergrad) and is from Houston (high school) and thinks Austin > Houston as a city.

 

[CoffeeTurtle]

She has caught and successfully diagnosed all kinds of weird cancers, unusual syndromes, parasitic infections, atypical Kawasaki's, and a whole host of strange illnesses. Her clinical expertise blows all of her peers out of the water and she has saved so many lives just-in-time all because she has seen everything and a lot of it.

Not to downplay her achievements, but what specialty and type of practice allows her to save so many lives just-in-time due to her clinical exposure in medical school? From what I have heard, you really start training to become a doctor in residency, and medical school is the preparation for residency.

One thing that is quite difficult for me as a pre-medical student is to evaluate the quality of clinical instruction and education I would receive at different hospitals..

At Dell:
Students will rotate in the Dell Seton Medical Center, a 211-bed (42 ER beds, and 13 ORs) Level 1 teaching hospital. This opens in May 2017 and will be the only Level 1 trauma center for adults in Central Texas. I think students can also rotate in: Seton Medical Center Austin, Seton Shoal Creek Hospital and Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas.

At McGovern:
Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Harris Health System's Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, UT Harris County Psychiatric Center, Texas Heart Institute at CHI St. Luke's Health - Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.

 

[CoffeeTurtle]

Have you ever been in Houston in the summer?????

...I say that as someone who lives in Austin (for undergrad) and is from Houston (high school) and thinks Austin > Houston as a city.

I actually prefer Houston over Austin as far as living location, and have lived in Houston several years.

I believe scholarship support over 4 years is estimated to be around 30%. This year prematched applicants were offered 25-50% off tuition for the first year.

 

[Kgizzle]

Cheaper school. Your future self will thank you.

 

[CoffeeTurtle]

Cheaper school. Your future self will thank you.

They both come out to about the same, because although Dell offers scholarships, I would pursue a dual degree there and the cost of living is significantly higher in Austin.

*Edit: I do get more value at Dell (because of "2 degrees for the price of 1")

 

[masnerj]

if cost comes out to be the same, go for the established school in an excellent medical environment (nothing against Austin but it's not Houston and the Texas Medical Center). In my opinion the 2nd degree shouldn't be the determining factor unless it's critical for your future plans.


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[Kgizzle]

They both come out to about the same, because although Dell offers scholarships, I would pursue a dual degree there and the cost of living is significantly higher in Austin.

*Edit: I do get more value at Dell (because of "2 degrees for the price of 1")

What @masnerj said. If you must have the 2nd degree for your future goals then stick with Dell. However, Houston has some of the biggest/best hospitals in the nation and if you would be equally happy at both schools, then H-town is where it goes down.

 

[bashwell]

Have you ever been in Houston in the summer?????

As the great @jdh71 put it:

The bottom line: UT Houston is in HOUSTON. You will have to live in HOUSTON.

Every had swamp crotch? Monky butt?

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/thoughts-on-ut-houston.968841/

 

[premed1234567891011]

Have you ever been in Houston in the summer?????

Austin is just as bad as Houston in the summer imo

 

[esob]

Houston = 45 minutes to the coast, 3 palms motocross and proximity to NASA.... ez choice

 

[MilkIsGood]

what type of scholarships is dell offering. full tuition plus stipends?

 

[Goro]

Houston in the summer is as humid as being on the Equator.

Austin is just as bad as Houston in the summer imo

 

[5words]

What's the TMDSAS? Why are you applying for med school this early?

 

[pioneer22]

What's the TMDSAS? Why are you applying for med school this early?

Texas' specific version of the AMCAS

 

[5words]

Texas' specific version of the AMCAS

Wait, i am Texan as well, does it mean i have two days left to apply for this cycle? Reply ASAp, so doesnt it mean that i have to open an account now as well?

 

[Lucca]

Wait, i am Texan as well, does it mean i have two days left to apply for this cycle? Reply ASAp, so doesnt it mean that i have to open an account now as well?

No worries, the next cycle for Texas does not start until May when TMDSAS re-opens. The upcoming deadline is for Texas matchlists. The Texas cycle has a thing called "pre-match" and "match". In other words, this is the endgame for the *current* cycle, not the next cycle. Read more about TMDSAS and matching here:

https://www.tmdsas.com/medical/homepage.html

https://www.tmdsas.com/medical/acceptance_Match_info.html

 

[JoaoMoutinho]

Wait, i am Texan as well, does it mean i have two days left to apply for this cycle? Reply ASAp, so doesnt it mean that i have to open an account now as well?

https://www.tmdsas.com/medical/application-instructions.html

EDIT: It looks like @Lucca beat me to it.

 

[esob]

Wait, i am Texan as well, does it mean i have two days left to apply for this cycle? Reply ASAp, so doesnt it mean that i have to open an account now as well?

If you are at the application stage and you don't know what TMDSAS is at this point you better get hooked up with a solid premed adviser quick, fast and in a hurry. TMDSAS has its own set of rules and regulations and prereqs, etc. If you plan on applying to Texas schools as a Texas resident you need to become intimately familiar with their system.