Texas In-state vs. not In-state...any advantage?

[1drwannabe]

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I have read previous posts about this. As a Texan, I have an advantage, I suppose, to instate med schools.

Is this affected by going out of state for UG? does it matter?

Seems Texas is so competitive, IS it REALLY an advantage anymore??

I hate to let my choice of UG get too affected by this...I want to go where I am comfortable, where I can learn, enjoy the people, the academics...etc. BUT! I don't want to get a few years down the road and wish I would have known something, that right now I am not seeing.

Seems some schools give you "strong ties to..." status if you go to UG there, and some of these states, Arkansas and Mississippi at least, seem a bit less competitive.

IDK, I just get horrified by the smart kids that make the grades at UG, and decent MCAT (3.8 and 30+) and EC and can't get into medical schools.

Your thoughts??

 

[da8s0859q]

I have read previous posts about this. As an Texan, I have an advantage, I suppose, to instate med schools.

Is this affected by going out of state for UG? does it matter?

Seems Texas is so competitive, IS it REALLY an advantage anymore??

I hate to let my choice of UG get too affected by this...I want to go where I am comfortable, where I can learn, enjoy the people, the academics...etc. BUT! I don't want to get a few years down the road and wish I would have known something, that right now I am not seeing.

Seems some schools give you "strong ties to..." status if you go to UG there, and some of these states, Arkansas and Mississippi at least, seem a bit less competitive.

IDK, I just get horrified by the smart kids that make the grades at UG, and decent MCAT (3.8 and 30+) and EC and can't get into medical schools.

Your thoughts??

What matters is the state in which you'll be able to claim residency. The TMDSAS page on that -- http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/medical/residency.html -- will answer your questions.

But yes, Texas residents have an advantage to Texas medical schools. I'm in my final year and am a little hazy, but if memory serves, state law mandates that the entering class of any Texas public medical school be comprised of 90% Texas residents.

Oh, and I'd be willing to bet that a sizable chunk of the 3.8+/30+ group had something else about their app which was lacking, or had pretty bad interviews, which would help explain why they didn't get accepted. Yeah, sometimes there's just a bunch of well-qualified people and it's hard to get in anyway, but sometimes there are other reasons.

 

[sonofva]

the reality of this issue is that you shouldn't sweat it too much... go the place that is the CHEAPEST for you (you will already be accruing astronomical debt in medical school should you matriculate, no need to unduly add more for undergrad), and go where you'll have the most fun...

drink a beer, talk to people of the opposite sex, and study things you find enjoyable...if it's meant to be, medical school will always be there...

and for the record, people with 3.8/30+ that don't get accepted ANYWHERE are probably d-bags...

 

[tennischamp822]

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[eDITN]

I have read previous posts about this. As an Texan, I have an advantage, I suppose, to instate med schools.

Is this affected by going out of state for UG? does it matter?

Seems Texas is so competitive, IS it REALLY an advantage anymore??

I hate to let my choice of UG get too affected by this...I want to go where I am comfortable, where I can learn, enjoy the people, the academics...etc. BUT! I don't want to get a few years down the road and wish I would have known something, that right now I am not seeing.

Seems some schools give you "strong ties to..." status if you go to UG there, and some of these states, Arkansas and Mississippi at least, seem a bit less competitive.

IDK, I just get horrified by the smart kids that make the grades at UG, and decent MCAT (3.8 and 30+) and EC and can't get into medical schools.

Your thoughts??

It does not matter where you choose to do your undergraduate studies. If you graduate from a Texas high school (and your parents remain in TX), then you will be considered a Texas resident on TMDSAS when you apply to medical school.

There are many factors involved in deciding where you should go to college. Don't let this be one of them. You will still be a Texas resident for application purposes even if you go to a school out of the state.

 

[hughnguyen22]

I have read previous posts about this. As an Texan, I have an advantage, I suppose, to instate med schools.

Is this affected by going out of state for UG? does it matter?

Seems Texas is so competitive, IS it REALLY an advantage anymore??

I hate to let my choice of UG get too affected by this...I want to go where I am comfortable, where I can learn, enjoy the people, the academics...etc. BUT! I don't want to get a few years down the road and wish I would have known something, that right now I am not seeing.

Seems some schools give you "strong ties to..." status if you go to UG there, and some of these states, Arkansas and Mississippi at least, seem a bit less competitive.

IDK, I just get horrified by the smart kids that make the grades at UG, and decent MCAT (3.8 and 30+) and EC and can't get into medical schools.

Your thoughts??

It is competitive any where. I heard the opposite that Texas schools were more lenient toward their residents. I knew, not just some hearsay, a person with strong stats 3.8 and 34 with interviews at all the Texas schools did not get into any of them. On the other hand, I knew a person with a 26 with one interview and got into medical school in El Paseo. But at the end, their situations are theirs to worry about. You gotta look at your own strength and play on it. If you are not confident, talk to an adviser. You can even hire a good one to consult you.

 

[1drwannabe]

exi, yes, i think that is right, 90%. could be true on the other issues aspect of these grads that get no acceptance, congrats to you!!

editn, that is exactly what i need to know. and yes, they are planning on staying put! too broke to move, they tell me!

tennis, that is what i thought, that texas was pretty competitive. looking into these other states, too. but really gotta go where i won't regret going just for a calculated move that may or may not matter in the long run.

sono, yes, lighten up should be my motto. could be the dbag factor...

hugh, good points...about that consultant?? are there such people, even for me, a HS jr? Just don't know where to go!! and so far, score wise, I can go almost anywhere I want (not ivies, but not interested). too many options! not a bad thing though

THANKS ALL!!

 

[eDITN]

While I agree that Texas is by no means an "easy" state to get an acceptance from, I would have to say that it is certainly one of the most advantageous states to be a resident of for application purposes. Due to the sheer number of medical schools in Texas (which seems to keep growing) and the cost of in-state tuition (near the bottom of all public schools in the nation), I would say that being a Texas resident is quite advantageous!

That said, you absolutely still need to be competitive. Wherever you choose to go to undergrad, keep your grades up (3.6+), score well on the MCAT, and do some volunteer work both inside and out of the clinical setting and I think you would have a really good shot at a Texas medical school for sure.

Take home message is that, in my opinion, being a resident of Texas is absolutely an advantage but it is still competitive to gain admission to every medical school in the US. Nothing is a shoe in, but I think its best to have as many shots on goal as possible - Texas allows you to do that.

 

[tennischamp822]

...

 

[hughnguyen22]

exi, yes, i think that is right, 90%. could be true on the other issues aspect of these grads that get no acceptance, congrats to you!!

editn, that is exactly what i need to know. and yes, they are planning on staying put! too broke to move, they tell me!

tennis, that is what i thought, that texas was pretty competitive. looking into these other states, too. but really gotta go where i won't regret going just for a calculated move that may or may not matter in the long run.

sono, yes, lighten up should be my motto. could be the dbag factor...

hugh, good points...about that consultant?? are there such people, even for me, a HS jr? Just don't know where to go!! and so far, score wise, I can go almost anywhere I want (not ivies, but not interested). too many options! not a bad thing though

THANKS ALL!!

For public schools, UT Austin is an excellent feeder school for all the medical schools in Texas. People seem to love the undergrads from UTA. Rice is more expensive but also a great feeder school. Also, Rice has joint programs with Baylor. In the program, you matriculate as an undergrad at Rice and will get a guaranteed admission to Baylor med school. http://futureowls.rice.edu/futureowls/Medical_Scholars_Program.asp
Just keep your head straight and participate in medical volunteer exp to test your feelings for a life of a doctor and to build your resume. Try to become a nice and well-rounded person that med adcoms love. Do not party too much and mess up your grades in college, you will be fine.
Regarding a consultant, a good undergrad school would have great pre-med advisers for you. SDN is also a good site for advice. However, I think that, sometimes, it stirs up more confusion and neurosis in stead of helping since it has too many people with too many opinions. If you/your parents can afford the coins, Dr. Jessica Freedman is a great consultant.

 

[sector9]

I'm not an expert on TX residency requirements, but I am a med student at a TX med school and there are plenty of students here who are from TX and who went to OOS schools. I don't think that it's a big issue but it is something to be aware of, so look into the rules if you'd like to be considered a TX resident.

I don't think that TX residents have a significantly easier time getting in to med school. I think that a huge advantage is the inexpensive medical education though.