Texas Medical Schools

[halethsonofhama]

I have seen a bunch of posts about Texas schools during my time on SDN and the only thing I have learned is to ignore all posts dealing with them.

I'd like to get things straight now.

Why are texas schools not on the AMCAS system?

Do OOS students typically not apply to them? (While I considered applying to schools in other states, I skipped texas solely because I'm too lazy to fill out another application)

Are they any good?

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[TheTruckGuy]

I have seen a bunch of posts about Texas schools during my time on SDN and the only thing I have learned is to ignore all posts dealing with them.

I'd like to get things straight now.

Why are texas schools not on the AMCAS system?

Do OOS students typically not apply to them? (While I considered applying to schools in other states, I skipped texas solely because I'm too lazy to fill out another application)

Are they any good?

By the shear fact of the schools being in Texas, they are placed high up on the awesome rankings of schools.

But as to why Texas schools aren't on AMCAS, I don't know. But I do know that applying to all Texas schools (Baylor excluded) is about as much as applying to one AMCAS school.

There are plenty of OOS students that apply, but admission of OOS students is capped at 10%, with most schools averaging between 7-9% OOS. Baylor is the exception there.

Tuition at Texas schools, even for OOS students, is cheaper than most anywhere else. And many OOS students can get a tuition waiver, given them an in-state rate.

 

[iqe2010]

I live in Texas (born and bred) and I've always wondered this also. One thing I love about the application process in Texas is that you don't wait to fill out secondaries. But the whole match thing is a mess..

 

[mauberley]

Why are texas schools not on the AMCAS system?

My suspicion is that it's rooted in Texas's...independent streak.

 

[eli20]

Well Texas public schools are required by law to accept Texas residents as at least 90% of the class. Baylor (which is private and uses AMCAS) is required to accept 70% Texas residents. There are usually out of state students who apply but obviously because of the law there are a small number of out of state spots available. Texas has some great schools.

In my opinion the TMDSAS app is pretty easy to fill out if you've done AMCAS - they're very similar except TMDSAS has even stricter character limits and 2 optional essays in addition to the personal statement.

I think that they are on not on AMCAS because a lot of students only apply to the schools on TMDSAS (and sometimes + Baylor). They get to set their own prices, their own schedule, etc. Also it allows them to use the match system, which in my opinion has really only become a mess as the schools have basically completely circumvented it by using very high rates of prematches under the (I believe false) assumption that they were losing students to out of state schools by having match day in February. I'd also have to agree that its probably based in the independent Texas spirit/culture.

Texas nationalism would be a cute little anachronism if their weren't people who were so stupidly serious about it.

 

[texahn]

tmdsas is super cheap compared to applying to the same # of schools on amcas.

idk if anyone else feels this way but texas schools have a certain "sink or swim" feel to them which is something ive become familiar with whiel growing up here.

competition is encouraged i guess thats what im trying to say.

 

[Checcles]

Why are texas schools not on the AMCAS system?

Welcome to the Texas mindset.

Do OOS students typically not apply to them? (While I considered applying to schools in other states, I skipped texas solely because I'm too lazy to fill out another application)

I'm OOS and got into a couple Texas schools. Yes it is another application, but most was just copy and paste from AMCAS for me (yet it should be the other way around since TMDSAS is earlier). And yes, I applied to like 8 texas schools for the same price that one AMCAS school cost me.

Are they any good?

After seeing Texas facilities and future fellow classmates and comparing them to the other interviews I got elsewhere, I'd be crazy not to move to Texas...which I am in two months. I got an in-state scholarship so I'll be paying around 15,000 a year...which just sweetens the deal.

 

[acb88]

tmdsas is super cheap compared to applying to the same # of schools on amcas.

idk if anyone else feels this way but texas schools have a certain "sink or swim" feel to them which is something ive become familiar with whiel growing up here.

competition is encouraged i guess thats what im trying to say.

I also grew up in Texas and went to undergrad in Boston, and I don't agree with what you are saying at all. I feel competition is definitely much more present in the northeast than in Texas, and honestly did not get a competitive sense at any of the five schools I interviewed at in Texas (did not interview at UTSW or Baylor though, so those may be a bit more competitive). I am not sure what area you grew up in, but "sink or swim" is definitely not how I would describe the Texas education system.

 

[justdoit31]

idk if anyone else feels this way but texas schools have a certain "sink or swim" feel to them which is something ive become familiar with whiel growing up here.

competition is encouraged i guess thats what im trying to say.

I disagree with this- It was stressed from the moment I stepped onto campus that our school is about teamwork. Our class shares notes and resources all the time with eachother. I feel like my biggest competition is myself and I think that that is how most people here feel. I'm finishing up my 2nd year and from what I've heard even third year has a low competition feel- I guess I will find out in a couple months!

 

[FutureMDSurgeon]

I disagree with this- It was stressed from the moment I stepped onto campus that our school is about teamwork. Our class shares notes and resources all the time with eachother. I feel like my biggest competition is myself and I think that that is how most people here feel. I'm finishing up my 2nd year and from what I've heard even third year has a low competition feel- I guess I will find out in a couple months!

Amen. I've heard a lot of good things about Tech. I was just curious, what do you guys do for fun in Lubbock? I have never visited, but i've heard its in the middle of nowhere and kinda dull.

 

[texahn]

oh i was basically talking about bcm and utsw lol sorry

 

[ijn]

I was just curious, what do you guys do for fun in Lubbock? I have never visited, but i've heard its in the middle of nowhere and kinda dull.

You'd be right. But like any other medical school the answer is alcohol. Lots of alcohol.

 

[acb88]

oh i was basically talking about bcm and utsw lol sorry

well then that's taking out a majority of the medical schools. UTSW and BCM aren't the be all end all of medical schools. ALL of the schools in Texas are good, and you would be selling yourself short if you didn't apply to all of them. I met plenty of people on my interview trail picking another school over UTSW and BCM solely because of the less competitive and just genrally better environment that the "lower ranked" schools have

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

The TX schools are trying out a new program where they offer a mandatory one year delay in your education. A&M is rolling it out this year and seeing how it is received among students. So if you're interested in that...

 

[2010houston]

oh i was basically talking about bcm and utsw lol sorry

I don't find BCM to be this way AT ALL!!

 

[eli20]

UTSW and BCM are like night and day in my opinion, it would be a major error to conflate their equal ranking to assume they have an institutional culture that is the same.