TEXAS Med Schools Entering Class *2005* Applicant Thread part 01

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GutsyGal said:
Anyway, hope you guys are having a great Monday night. Me...I'll be stuck in the library writing a paper late into the night. 🙁 My fault for procrastinating.
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No fun! Good luck and I hope you get at least a few hours of sleep! :luck:
 
AsianDoc - Congrats!!!! 😀 😀 Now you know that no matter what, you're going to be AsianDoc, MD. 🙂 👍
 
Hey all:

The Frog made an appearance. 😀 Just got back from the Tech thingy. I'd say it was totally worth it as some pertinent and relevant information vis a vis the admissions process was disclosed. Also, if you were pushy enough you had the chance for a little face time with Dr. Dalley, the Dean of Admissions at Tech. That alone is worth the trip. 😀

Some info that was thrown our way:

- Tech expects ~2,500 applications this year (vs. 2,300 last year)
- They are planning to interview 850 this year.
- They have 28 interview dates, and so far they have already done 10 or 12 (Dr. D. couldn't exactly remember)
- GPA and MCAT are important but not absolutely so this year.
- Your two interviews will make up ~40-50% of your post-interview "score" for ranking.
- They will rank approximately 500 students this year to fill their class of 140.
- The remaining students who don't match anywhere are placed on the Tech waitlist.
- In an average year, they will have 18-24 students pulled off the waitlist.
- However, last year was unusual in that only 4 were pulled off the w/l.

My impressions: The alumni are sucessful and happy people. It was totally apparent, whether they were oncologists or family practice docs, that they enjoyed their careers and felt that they had an outstanding educational experience. Everyone was super nice and the applicants present especially so. I came away with a good feeling for the schoool, and I hope that I end up with an interview there. They seem to like people who show an interest in their school.

That's all I can remember for now. I'll post more if I remember.

Evo
 
👍 Great info, Evo! Thanks!
 
I went last night, and I'm glad. This is the first time I've had face to face interaction with any of the schools and other applicants.

In addition to Evo's list, I do remember that Dr. Homan mentioned that there are 3 interviewers, 2 faculty and one student (3rd or 4th year) and that they all have equal weight. He said that some interviewees tend to "blow off" the student thinking they don't have as much say, but that is not true.

Also, Dr. Dalley mentioned that as soon as the interviews are over for the day, the committee meets to evaluate and recommend that day while the interviews are fresh in their minds.

I have to say I was also impressed with the deans and the alumni. I'll admit that I was not thinking about ranking Tech very high, just based on location (I've talked about my need to stay in the Houston area). But hearing how enthusiastic Dr. Homan was about the new facilities and new curriculum really made me re-evaluate. Of course, it's all moot if I don't get an interview, but it would not be the end of the world to go to Tech!

I met lots of nice people last night, but no one I could identify from here, but then I did not go around asking "hey, are you on SDN?"!!
 
Congrats on your acceptance AsianDoc!!!! Now you can relax some until 1 February rolls around.
 
Hey Evo & aidan, since you guys attended, can you tell me what most people were wearing?
 
frank51 said:
Hey "Evo" & "aidan", since you guys attended, can you tell me what most people were wearing?
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I'm female and wore a nice blouse and dress pants with heels. I brought a blazer, but I just carried it/slung it on a chair since it didn't really match (who knew black came in so many different shades!!) I felt comfortable even though a lot of the ladies were wearing skirt or pant suits.

The men were mostly in suits, or at the least suit pants with a nice shirt and tie. Dr. Dalley himself was in khakis with a sport coat & tie, if I'm remembering right, and all of the other male alumni were in suits.

They had a bar and food, but I stuck with water, I don't drink, and I had eaten before hand since I did not know. It didn't look like a full course meal (it was on a buffet), it seemed more like appetizer/finger food.

Let me know if you have any other questions!
 
Hey ya'll I just received an invite to interview at Texas Tech this morning. I attended the reception in Houston hosted by Tech, and Dr. Dalley said they have only filled 1/3rd of their interview slots as of yet(if my memory serves me correct). So Tech still has a ways to go in terms of interviewing. Good Luck! :luck:
 
LetMeIn2004 said:
Hey ya'll I just received an invite to interview at Texas Tech this morning. I attended the reception in Houston hosted by Tech, and Dr. Dalley said they have only filled 1/3rd of their interview slots as of yet(if my memory serves me correct). So Tech still has a ways to go in terms of interviewing. Good Luck! :luck:
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hey man i got an interview at tech too, if you go to UH we need to talk, to see if we can coordinate this thing.
ANYONE with tips on the best way to go to tech from houston, if by plane which airline did ya'll find the cheapest. i have already lost alot of money. i heard about southwest eartlier on the thread is that the consesus.
any one also want to mention what their experience at tech was like.
 
LetMeIn2004 said:
Hey ya'll I just received an invite to interview at Texas Tech this morning. I attended the reception in Houston hosted by Tech, and Dr. Dalley said they have only filled 1/3rd of their interview slots as of yet(if my memory serves me correct). So Tech still has a ways to go in terms of interviewing. Good Luck! :luck:
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Congrats, man!!! That's great news. 👍
 
thehopeful said:
hey man i got an interview at tech too, if you go to UH we need to talk, to see if we can coordinate this thing.
ANYONE with tips on the best way to go to tech from houston, if by plane which airline did ya'll find the cheapest. i have already lost alot of money. i heard about southwest eartlier on the thread is that the consesus.
any one also want to mention what their experience at tech was like.
Click to expand...
I thought the the reception was nice and informative and I'm glad I went. However, I was disappointed I didn't get to meet evo and all the other SDNers. I was looking but could not recognize anyone, plus that 2hrs went by so quick!
I left feeling alot better about Lubbock. It's not as small as I thought from what the alumni said.
Everyone seemed really nice, including all applicants that I met which made the night that much more enjoyable. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to meet someone from Sdn!
 
elee20 said:
I thought the the reception was nice and informative and I'm glad I went. However, I was disappointed I didn't get to meet evo and all the other SDNers. I was looking but could not recognize anyone, plus that 2hrs went by so quick!
I left feeling alot better about Lubbock. It's not as small as I thought from what the alumni said.
Everyone seemed really nice, including all applicants that I met which made the night that much more enjoyable. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to meet someone from Sdn!
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:meanie: I was wearing a (small) pic of the frog on my badge. 😀
 
EvoDevo said:
:meanie: I was wearing a (small) pic of the frog on my badge. 😀
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I remeber you saying that and I tried to look at everyone's badge without making it to obvious.
 
EvoDevo said:
:meanie: I was wearing a (small) pic of the frog on my badge. 😀
Click to expand...

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

So Evo, we get name badges at the reception just like during interviews?

-tx
 
elee20 said:
I remeber you saying that and I tried to look at everyone's badge without making it to obvious.
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Yep, me too. I was looking for the frog. Musta been teeny tiny!
 
aidan73 said:
Yep, me too. I was looking for the frog. Musta been teeny tiny!
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I knew I wasn't the only one!!! aidan, what were you wearing last night? I might rememeber you.
 
elee20 said:
I knew I wasn't the only one!!! aidan, what were you wearing last night? I might rememeber you.
Click to expand...

Black slacks, white dress shirt with pinstripes and heels. I have red hair that I pulled up in a twist and I wear glasses (like that helps!)

My name is Alison, I work in oil and gas and graduated from UH-Clear Lake in 1999 - all of which I talked about last night. See, I'm not afraid to post some personal stuff!
 
thehopeful said:
ANYONE with tips on the best way to go to tech from houston, if by plane which airline did ya'll find the cheapest. i have already lost alot of money. i heard about southwest eartlier on the thread is that the consesus. any one also want to mention what their experience at tech was like.
Click to expand...

Hey I'm interviewing with Tech in El Paso and I'm flying out of Austin via Southwest Airlines. The roundtrip internet special ticket was about $200 with taxes. Last time I checked, a ticket from Houston to El Paso was about $300 😱 ! I think Houston to Lubbock is about $200 (that was back in June), but there is a layover in Dallas 👎 .]

The interview at Tech last year was cool. El Paso ain't bad. There were two interviewers. One of mine was a PhD and the other was M4 (and VERY cute 😳 ). Very laid back.
 
UTKB said:
Hey I'm interviewing with Tech in El Paso and I'm flying out of Austin via Southwest Airlines. The roundtrip internet special ticket was about $200 with taxes. Last time I checked, a ticket from Houston to El Paso was about $300 😱 ! I think Houston to Lubbock is about $200 (that was back in June), but there is a layover in Dallas 👎 .]

The interview at Tech last year was cool. El Paso ain't bad. There were two interviewers. One of mine was a PhD and the other was M4 (and VERY cute 😳 ). Very laid back.
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Check www.continental.com. I usually find that Continental is cheaper than Southwest within Texas -- but I stick to the majors so I get my free upgrades 😀 . Lubbock is small with little competition so you may just have to cough up the 300.

The drive is 9 hours 😱
 
aidan73 said:
Black slacks, white dress shirt with pinstripes and heels. I have red hair that I pulled up in a twist and I wear glasses (like that helps!)

My name is Alison, I work in oil and gas and graduated from UH-Clear Lake in 1999 - all of which I talked about last night. See, I'm not afraid to post some personal stuff!
Click to expand...
That's sweet!!!! You and I were sitting at the same table! I'm the one from Clear Lake.
 
If you want to know what I looked like, you can drop me a PM. 😉

aidan, I think I remember you. There were only two redheads there, right?
 
I've got action. I finally see some action on my application. I have been cleard from the problem section and there is now some action on my profile. I sure hope if goes out this week.

Can anyone beat 54 days to process? Anyone?

Congrats and good luck to all.
 
UTKB said:
The interview at Tech last year was cool. El Paso ain't bad. There were two interviewers. One of mine was a PhD and the other was M4 (and VERY cute 😳 ). Very laid back.
Click to expand...

Hey, you know if what Evo said was true about there only being 4 people being pulled off the waitlist last year, wouldn't you have been one of the lucky few? 🙂
 
SFAJess said:
No fun! Good luck and I hope you get at least a few hours of sleep! :luck:
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Thanks! I went to bed around 5:30...so I got a good, oh, 3 hrs of sleep. 😀
 
ifailedmcat said:
Interesting note, both of my interviewers stated that they believed it was all a numbers game. Basically, if you have good numbers, you're in.
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At UTMB, definitely. Last year I talked with the Associate Dean of Admissions about basic admissions stuff during an informal reception at my school. I asked her advice about making a personal statement more "personal" versus making it a listing of accomplishments. She stopped me mid sentence and asked "Okay, what did you get on your MCAT?"

I had not even asked the traditional "I have x.xx and a xx MCAT, will I get in?" She really was only concerned with MCAT scores. And considering that she later called herself the "gate keeper" of admissions, I'm guessing she likes to emphasize that in the screenings, too.

It's not the same way at every school, tho. Recently, I talked to a former AdCom member at Baylor University (they get their faculty to be on the committee) who actually made fun of Galveston, by name, for trying to be a "wannabe Southwestern."

According to him, Baylor considers itself superior to those kind of automatic screens because, as he put it, they have the resources to "look at the entirety of every application that comes in." Considering I know a resident who got into Baylor with a 23 MCAT (VERY RARE exception & NOT an URM!), I'm guess the adcom member was telling the truth.

So there is a game going on there, but most of it seems to be mind games among the Texas Adcoms. :laugh: Still, even Southwestern's been known to interview the sub-30 MCAT crew & look at reapplicants more closely (the sister of a friend of mine got accepted with her 3.2 because her interviewer liked that she knew ballroom dancing), and UTSA, Tech, TCOM, and A&M pride themselves in sorting out the dedicated/ non traditional students. I have not gotten a clear picture of UT Houston, but considering that there's an MD/PhD in my lab who likes to brag that he got into UT Houston's dual program with a 3.3, there's an indication that not everything is by the numbers there either.

There's just no guarantee, especially with the economy tanking right now and everyone wanting to stay in school. Good luck to everyone! :luck:
 
GutsyGal said:
Hey, you know if what Evo said was true about there only being 4 people being pulled off the waitlist last year, wouldn't you have been one of the lucky few? 🙂
Click to expand...

Aye-carumba! 😱 😱 😱 :scared: :scared: :wow: I guess so...
 
GutsyGal said:
Hey, you know if what Evo said was true about there only being 4 people being pulled off the waitlist last year, wouldn't you have been one of the lucky few? 🙂
Click to expand...

Man, that just irks the hell outta me that I have to go through this process again, just because I was 1-4 spots outta the class, and in order to attend Tech I'd have to pack up my entire life and haul my a$$ to Lubbock in 2 days. Everyone who keeps up with this thread, DON'T MAKE ANY IMPORTANT COMMITMENTS UNTIL THE MED SCHOOL CLASSES START!!! The lady I talked to, Linda Prado, said things like this happen way more often than people think (by that I mean offering acceptances to waitlisted folks right before classes start). GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! 😡 😡 😡 😡 👎
 
EvoDevo said:
:meanie:

The Frog is everywhere.....and nowhere. 😉
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Ain't that the truth! Just like in SA! 😉
 
thehopeful said:
hey man i got an interview at tech too, if you go to UH we need to talk, to see if we can coordinate this thing.
ANYONE with tips on the best way to go to tech from houston, if by plane which airline did ya'll find the cheapest. i have already lost alot of money. i heard about southwest eartlier on the thread is that the consesus.
any one also want to mention what their experience at tech was like.
Click to expand...
I found that the cheapest for me was through Delta. $171.40 roundtrip with a layover in Dallas and I'm flying out of Hobby. Just check all of the major airline websites.
 
fotolilith said:
At UTMB, definitely. Last year I talked with the Associate Dean of Admissions about basic admissions stuff during an informal reception at my school. I asked her advice about making a personal statement more "personal" versus making it a listing of accomplishments. She stopped me mid sentence and asked "Okay, what did you get on your MCAT?"

I had not even asked the traditional "I have x.xx and a xx MCAT, will I get in?" She really was only concerned with MCAT scores. And considering that she later called herself the "gate keeper" of admissions, I'm guessing she likes to emphasize that in the screenings, too.

It's not the same way at every school, tho. Recently, I talked to a former AdCom member at Baylor University (they get their faculty to be on the committee) who actually made fun of Galveston, by name, for trying to be a "wannabe Southwestern."

According to him, Baylor considers itself superior to those kind of automatic screens because, as he put it, they have the resources to "look at the entirety of every application that comes in." Considering I know a resident who got into Baylor with a 23 MCAT (VERY RARE exception & NOT an URM!), I'm guess the adcom member was telling the truth.

So there is a game going on there, but most of it seems to be mind games among the Texas Adcoms. :laugh: Still, even Southwestern's been known to interview the sub-30 MCAT crew & look at reapplicants more closely (the sister of a friend of mine got accepted with her 3.2 because her interviewer liked that she knew ballroom dancing), and UTSA, Tech, TCOM, and A&M pride themselves in sorting out the dedicated/ non traditional students. I have not gotten a clear picture of UT Houston, but considering that there's an MD/PhD in my lab who likes to brag that he got into UT Houston's dual program with a 3.3, there's an indication that not everything is by the numbers there either.

There's just no guarantee, especially with the economy tanking right now and everyone wanting to stay in school. Good luck to everyone! :luck:
Click to expand...
I think that you hit the nail on the head with this assessment. Except y'all should realize that the UT-Houston MD, PhD admissions committe is completely separate from the MD-only adcom.

Let me emphasize that again: they are completely separate and often don't even talk to each other. So I could totally see your friend getting in with the 3.3. 🙂
 
fotolilith said:
At UTMB, definitely. Last year I talked with the Associate Dean of Admissions about basic admissions stuff during an informal reception at my school. I asked her advice about making a personal statement more "personal" versus making it a listing of accomplishments. She stopped me mid sentence and asked "Okay, what did you get on your MCAT?"

I had not even asked the traditional "I have x.xx and a xx MCAT, will I get in?" She really was only concerned with MCAT scores. And considering that she later called herself the "gate keeper" of admissions, I'm guessing she likes to emphasize that in the screenings, too.

It's not the same way at every school, tho. Recently, I talked to a former AdCom member at Baylor University (they get their faculty to be on the committee) who actually made fun of Galveston, by name, for trying to be a "wannabe Southwestern."

According to him, Baylor considers itself superior to those kind of automatic screens because, as he put it, they have the resources to "look at the entirety of every application that comes in." Considering I know a resident who got into Baylor with a 23 MCAT (VERY RARE exception & NOT an URM!), I'm guess the adcom member was telling the truth.

So there is a game going on there, but most of it seems to be mind games among the Texas Adcoms. :laugh: Still, even Southwestern's been known to interview the sub-30 MCAT crew & look at reapplicants more closely (the sister of a friend of mine got accepted with her 3.2 because her interviewer liked that she knew ballroom dancing), and UTSA, Tech, TCOM, and A&M pride themselves in sorting out the dedicated/ non traditional students. I have not gotten a clear picture of UT Houston, but considering that there's an MD/PhD in my lab who likes to brag that he got into UT Houston's dual program with a 3.3, there's an indication that not everything is by the numbers there either.

There's just no guarantee, especially with the economy tanking right now and everyone wanting to stay in school. Good luck to everyone! :luck:
Click to expand...

I can see how this is true for UTMB, especially looking at last year's stats. UTMB's average GPA was a 3.75, which is close to that of UTSW and Baylor. However, UTMB's average MCAT was only around a 29....so the emphasis on MCAT doesn't really make sense.

A note about Baylor....I've been trying to figure this school out for nearly 4 years. It seems to me that Baylor selects some of the top students in Texas (and other states as well). Yes, they defintely like well-roundedness. But that's well-roundedness with high GPAs and MCATs too. Therefore, it's sorta unlikely that you could get in without outstanding EC's and outstanding stats as well. Baylor seems to like people who have a passion about something that sets them apart--whether it be working at NASA, learning Japanese, taking a multitude of liberal arts classes, or having traveled around the world for a few years before applying to med school. Granted, not all Baylor students fit this picture, but I think that at least 50-60% do. I really love this school.....hope I get a chance to interview there.
 
EvoDevo said:
:meanie: I was wearing a (small) pic of the frog on my badge. 😀
Click to expand...

I kept my eye out for you the whole night dude. Unfortunately they didn't put "Danny" on my name tag, so I don't know if anyone spotted me. I was the asian guy who sat at the table full of girls if that helps any. I was kinda tired the whole night due to moving and all, but everything Evo and aidan said pretty much covers it.

Oh, and congratulations on your acceptance AsianDoc!!! 😀 👍 😉
 
Hey all. Just got an invite to interview at A&M! This makes #2 for The Great State.
Here is the rub... I'm currently working/living over in Germany. I'm going to be a bit brash and call the other schools and ask (nicely and humbly) that "if I were to be offered an interview slot, could it be during the week of xxxx".
Hopefully, they will see the rational and won't think I'm being too pretentious. I'll let you know.
 
EvoDevo said:
If you want to know what I looked like, you can drop me a PM. 😉

aidan, I think I remember you. There were only two redheads there, right?
Click to expand...
Yep, 2 reds. The other lady had shorter hair and mine is darker auburn.
 
elee20 said:
That's sweet!!!! You and I were sitting at the same table! I'm the one from Clear Lake.
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Cool 😀 , I never really thought I would meet someone from here. SDN seems like such an alternate universe.........

Congrats to everyone getting invites this week. I'm still patiently waiting.
 
We should organize a social of our own for SDNers....I feel like I know you guys, without even knowing what you look like. The only people I've met are AggieGal and txguy....

And thanks for all the congrats guys....this has kept me going during a tough week =)
 
crazy eyes said:
Best of luck with your interview at Baylor... thanks for the great plugs. We do look for the best of the best and a life without passion for something is truly boring.
Cheers.
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Honestly, the well-roundedness of the students makes Baylor a very attractive school. Every student that I've met from Baylor has not only been academically talented, but incredibly interesting as well! I think that most people would agree with this statement, given the responses from those who have already interviewed at Baylor.
 
AsianDoc816 said:
Honestly, the well-roundedness of the students makes Baylor a very attractive school. Every student that I've met from Baylor has not only been academically talented, but incredibly interesting as well! I think that most people would agree with this statement, given the responses from those who have already interviewed at Baylor.
Click to expand...


When I interviewed there, I thought "how the hell did I get an interview here!"

:laugh:
 
I'm interviewing at TCOM on 11/4. Got the telephone call and scheduled yesterday.
 
Hello fellow Texans. Where have you been all my life?!?? I'm j/k. What I mean to say is that I wish I had stumbled upon this forum earlier! What worries it would have saved me!! For the past few days I have been a lurker, reading past entries to assess what has been discussed and all. When I told my friend about this nifty forum she was like, "cool, that's cool that they have a network for y'all, nerdy nerds." (she was kidding) :laugh:

I'm so relieved to have found some fellow pre-medders that I can very much relate with during this stressful process. Thank you all for expressing your opinions, experiences, concerns, and support for each other - y'all are awesome. I only hope that I am worthy of contributing. 🙂
 
thehopeful said:
hey man i got an interview at tech too, if you go to UH we need to talk, to see if we can coordinate this thing.
ANYONE with tips on the best way to go to tech from houston, if by plane which airline did ya'll find the cheapest. i have already lost alot of money. i heard about southwest eartlier on the thread is that the consesus.
any one also want to mention what their experience at tech was like.
Click to expand...

Hey, I found a deal on Southwest for $168 roundtrip. I'm flying out of Houston on 11/2 then I will leave Lubbock around 6pm on 11/3. I got some internet fare, so checkout their website. 👍
 
Hey everyone,

My application at TMDSAS was just completed and sent to the schools today. I was wondering how long it has taken usually for people to hear from each of the schools about an interview date. I have a 30R and a high GPA. Thanks for all your help.
 
LetMeIn2004 said:
Hey, I found a deal on Southwest for $168 roundtrip. I'm flying out of Houston on 11/2 then I will leave Lubbock around 6pm on 11/3. I got some internet fare, so checkout their website. 👍
Click to expand...

hey man you wanna give me more info on that, i checked and got like 200 bucks, i wanna see if i can get it cheaper.
thanks
 
meads said:
Hello fellow Texans. Where have you been all my life?!?? I'm j/k. What I mean to say is that I wish I had stumbled upon this forum earlier! What worries it would have saved me!! For the past few days I have been a lurker, reading past entries to assess what has been discussed and all. When I told my friend about this nifty forum she was like, "cool, that's cool that they have a network for y'all, nerdy nerds." (she was kidding) :laugh:

I'm so relieved to have found some fellow pre-medders that I can very much relate with during this stressful process. Thank you all for expressing your opinions, experiences, concerns, and support for each other - y'all are awesome. I only hope that I am worthy of contributing. 🙂
Click to expand...

Pre medders? :laugh: :laugh:

Anyway, welcome to the Texas thread, meads 👍

-tx
 
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