UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion thread 2007-2008

[lackoftalent]

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Nice job! Would you mind sharing some of your stats or background? We Texans have a few weeks to go before we'll know.

Sure, I've got a 3.5/3.7 gpa and a 29 mcat. I have also worked in clinical research for 2+ years.

Good luck everyone!!!

Congrats DOcat

 

[PatriotsForever]

I'm in!!!! TCOM here I come, congrats to lackoftalent and DOcat on your acceptances!!!!

 

[lackoftalent]

I'm in!!!! TCOM here I come, congrats to lackoftalent and DOcat on your acceptances!!!!

you too!!! yay!!!

 

[PatriotsForever]

you too!!! yay!!!

I was a little surprised we found out today after we they told me yesterday... but I am extremely happy the end result for all of us was favorable! Congrats, lackoftalent, I'm sure with your application you will have some big decisions to make concerning which school to attend in the near future! My stats are 27 MCAT (11BS, 8VR, 8PS) and a 3.74 TMDSAS uGPA as well as a 4.00 TMDSAS gGPA.

 

[lackoftalent]

I was a little surprised we found out today after we they told me yesterday... but I am extremely happy the end result for all of us was favorable! Congrats, lackoftalent, I'm sure with your application you will have some big decisions to make concerning which school to attend in the near future! My stats are 27 MCAT (11BS, 8VR, 8PS) and a 3.74 TMDSAS uGPA as well as a 4.00 TMDSAS gGPA.

I'm sure you will too! where in Idaho are you? my roomate is from gooding, ID. ever heard of it?

 

[PatriotsForever]

I'm sure you will too! where in Idaho are you? my roomate is from gooding, ID. ever heard of it?

Yeah, gooding is over in the south-central part of the state.... about 100 miles from where I'm at, Pocatello (Home of Idaho State U). It is located in the southeast corner of the state, just north of the Utah border.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Let's re-visit perhaps the greatest event in Idaho history...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4s8vdzYwFU[/youtube]

 

[txkiteboarder]

i submitted my application very late... does anyone has current update on the class? I am assuming they will stop interviewing in early january

 

[PT2MD]

TexTri that's still one of the most hilarious...sorry incredible games I've ever watched.

TexKite. I'm not sure when you submitted, but I would imagine your competitiveness would still be measured on the strength of your app. I'm not sure when they finish interviewing though. I interviewed on 7/27. Hope that helps.

 

[pjz0001]

Should I send thank you notes to the Office of Admissions at TCOM??

they were so friendly and kind and really made me feel great there in my interview yesterday.

is that appropriate?
🙂

 

[146233]

You can, but I think people typically reserve thank you notes for their interviewers. If the Admissions staff went above and beyond to make you comfortable, etc., then I can't see how it would hurt.

 

[Fermata]

You can, but I think people typically reserve thank you notes for their interviewers. If the Admissions staff went above and beyond to make you comfortable, etc., then I can't see how it would hurt.

Or a simple thank you to their face works just as well.

If you do choose to send a thank you note then try not to use it as an avenue for brown-nosing.

 

[PT2MD]

Someone mentioned on the Texas thread that some folks were getting TCOM rejection letters already. 🙁

 

[PatriotsForever]

Someone mentioned on the Texas thread that some folks were getting TCOM rejection letters already. 🙁

Yikes.... in-state or out-of-state?

 

[PT2MD]

Yikes.... in-state or out-of-state?

What do you care? At this point I hope to be sitting next to you in class next year laughing about this thread. In all seriousness, I don't know anything about the letters. Only that I haven't received one yet!

 

[myKuduSlewaZulu]

Hey guys, I have two 1st year friends at TCOM, so whenever I hear something about the school it often sticks. There was a presentation about med education given here at UTMB recently, and one of the slides had a graph of the combined USMLE Step 1 and 2 pass rates in 2005/6 for the TMDSAS schools. Anyway, thought I'd share that TCOM was at 97% both years. Didn't report avg score or how many TCOM students took it though.

 

[PT2MD]

That is great to hear. Thanks for sharing that info. I was really impressed with TCOM and think it would be a great school. Could you give your friends a shout and ask them to drop in on this thread? It would be great to hear how their first year is going.

 

[PatriotsForever]

What do you care? At this point I hope to be sitting next to you in class next year laughing about this thread. In all seriousness, I don't know anything about the letters. Only that I haven't received one yet!

True! I just did not think they would notify in-state residents until Nov. 15. PT2MD, i'm pulling for you.... hopefully you'll hear the good news very shortly!

 

[PT2MD]

True! I just did not think they would notify in-state residents until Nov. 15. PT2MD, i'm pulling for you.... hopefully you'll hear the good news very shortly!

Thanks, I appreciate any karma you can send my way. Are you definitely coming to Texas?

 

[PatriotsForever]

Thanks, I appreciate any karma you can send my way. Are you definitely coming to Texas?

Yes... it was a tough decision but I really love Texas so much, it is a great place - plus I grew up in Abilene. DMU made it hard to decide but TCOM seems to have more opportunity for me. It also turned out to be my cheapest option since I can get in state after one year with my wife working! We may be heading down to Fort Worth as early as January...

 

[PT2MD]

Other than the cost and location, were there any other reasons you chose TCOM? There isn't a ton of TCOM discussion on SDN. I know it's a great school and have done some research on it, but I still think there are a lot of things I've yet to learn.

Each class sets up their own website at TCOM, and it would be good to get some insight from them on their experiences thus far. I'm getting pretty excited about the rolling admissions period coming up. I've got two possible schools (TCOM and A&M) that I could attend if they accept me.

 

[myKuduSlewaZulu]

That is great to hear. Thanks for sharing that info. I was really impressed with TCOM and think it would be a great school. Could you give your friends a shout and ask them to drop in on this thread? It would be great to hear how their first year is going.

No prob. Sure, I'll see if I can get them on here to contribute. Everyone was required to have a tablet pc, which I think is included in the tuition, and a pda....they have some sorrt of Medical Informatics course, but you probably already knew that. They do seem a lot more "worked" than I am down here, always telling me how "easy" I've got it when we compare stuff. I volunteered with a few TCOM students as a premed, and they generally seemed satisfied, but it'd be better to hear it from them.

 

[PatriotsForever]

Other than the cost and location, were there any other reasons you chose TCOM? There isn't a ton of TCOM discussion on SDN. I know it's a great school and have done some research on it, but I still think there are a lot of things I've yet to learn.

Each class sets up their own website at TCOM, and it would be good to get some insight from them on their experiences thus far. I'm getting pretty excited about the rolling admissions period coming up. I've got two possible schools (TCOM and A&M) that I could attend if they accept me.

Yeah, there are many other reasons including the opportunity to stay in one place all four years (I dont want to move my family during rotations), the COMLEX and USMLE pass rate (the highest of all osteopathic medical schools), the opportunity to do research (many other DO school hardly know what research means.... just kidding), US News and World Report rankings indicating that residency directors rate TCOM's program highly, friendly atmosphere, the best facilities I've seen at a DO school maybe other than DMU, and affiliation with UNT (larger networking possibilities and more visible identity). This is not an exhaustive list but gives you some of the things I was thinking about when I made my decision.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

The pats are a freaking meat grinder. I'm not sure anyone will play them within single digits this year. Maybe Indy has a chance to knock them off, but only because the game is at Indy.

 

[PatriotsForever]

The pats are a freaking meat grinder. I'm not sure anyone will play them within single digits this year. Maybe Indy has a chance to knock them off, but only because the game is at Indy.

I hope they get past Indy next week.... if they do we could be witnessing the first undefeated season since the 72 dolphins!

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Anyone who goes undefeated these days is a lot more impressive than the 72 dolphins. With the salary cap in place to even out the talent, it is harder to dominate like this.

Now comparing between eras... could this team hang with/beat the early-90's cowboys, late-80's niners, etc.? Nobody could possibly know. But I think this is the best team of the salary cap era for sure. At least to this point in the season.

At the same time... the Pats are in such a lame division that they will probably wrap that baby up with 3-4 games left to play. If Indy keeps going strong, then they would still have home field to play for, but at what point do they start pulling Brady, Moss, etc. in the second half? They could drop a game or two when that time comes.

 

[DocRawk]

I just got the call for an interview!😀

 

[mandinca]

I just got the call for an interview!😀

Congratulations! I hope I get one soon, too!

 

[Mariel]

So I'm one of myKuduSlewaZulu's friends who is a 1st year at TCOM. I can just give a general overview of things and then if you have any specific questions, you can ask.

Everyone always tells you that med school is harder than undergrad, but I didn't really believe it until I got to experience it for myself. It's not that the information is hard, but simply that you have so much information to manage and not enough time. We have classes scheduled most days from 8am-5pm, and most have required attendance.

Some classes are all semester while others are almost like block classes. For example, our first class was five weeks. On average, we have 10-15 lectures a week on a particular subject. In addition, we have Clinical Medicine and OMM throughout the semester. On average, we have tests every 2 weeks in a "block" class (so that's ~20-30 lectures). For the past month, we've been having one or more exams a week, which can get old.

We're in neuro now, which is notoriously unpleasant, so it probably contributed to the tone of the message. =p I'm just trying to be honest though--I don't think anyone was honest with me throughout the application process and I was pretty shocked when I saw how things actually were.

 

[tcom200901]

Mariel,
I'm a third year here, and I'm a little confused by your comments. Didn't people tell you medical school (any med school) was hard? I expected it, and I got what I expected. It's just an incredible amount of material at a "really, really, really" fast pace.
That being said, I'm getting a great education here, and I love medicine. Good luck with Neuro. Wait until you hit MOD.

TCOM200901

 

[PT2MD]

Thanks for posting both of you. Rolling admissions kicks off here in a few weeks and I'm sure we'll have some questions for ya'll. As a third year, how have your rotations been set up and are you getting some good experience? I appreciate ya'lls input.

 

[Mariel]

I expected med school to be hard, but I don't think I was able to formulate an accurate opinion until I actually experienced it. That's just me though. While interviewing, I received opinions about the difficulty. Some people said they studied "a lot" while others said "1-2 hours a day is fine"--granted, it varies from person to person and motivation level. Med school is doable, it's not impossible, albeit can feel a little overwhelming at times. You just have to remember that everyone feels the same way and people still get through it.

Oh, I've heard horror stories about MOD... at least it's still rather far away.

 

[Porco Rosso]

getting anxious... havent heard anything about an interview.. YET..

is it too late for an offer? This sucks, i wanna go here so badly

 

[mandinca]

getting anxious... havent heard anything about an interview.. YET..

is it too late for an offer? This sucks, i wanna go here so badly

Same here! TCOM is my #1 school..........I prayin' 😳

 

[tcom200901]

Thanks for posting both of you. Rolling admissions kicks off here in a few weeks and I'm sure we'll have some questions for ya'll. As a third year, how have your rotations been set up and are you getting some good experience? I appreciate ya'lls input.

I have been on medicine at JPS (large county hospital with incredible cases) and Dallas Methdist Hospital (about 400 beds with great teaching). I have really enjoyed both.

Good luck on your applications.

TCOM200901

 

[PT2MD]

Is the order of your 3rd year rotations set or do you have a choice? I was thinking of (acceptance pending of course!) IM and surgery would be the best way to start things off, but I don't even know how that process works.

Also, you can do your fourth year rotations away correct? I was hoping to do most of mine near Houston. Again, thanks for the help.

 

[PT2MD]

getting anxious... havent heard anything about an interview.. YET..

is it too late for an offer? This sucks, i wanna go here so badly

Porco, when were you complete with TCOM?

 

[civilleader]

Whats taking TCOM so long?!

 

[PT2MD]

Whats taking TCOM so long?!

I have no idea. You're OOS with competitive stats. It may have something to do with when you interviewed? They also fill 90% of the class in-state so that also may have something to do with it. You may start to hear something after Nov 15th as the Texans start figuring out where they're going. Good luck.

 

[civilleader]

I have no idea. You're OOS with competitive stats. It may have something to do with when you interviewed? They also fill 90% of the class in-state so that also may have something to do with it. You may start to hear something after Nov 15th as the Texans start figuring out where they're going. Good luck.

Ya I know. TCOM is my top choice DO school. I really really want to go there.
I still haven't heard anything about interviews yet.

 

[civilleader]

Ya I know. TCOM is my top choice DO school. I really really want to go there.
I still haven't heard anything about interviews yet.

Apparently I am under review in TCOM! I am so nervous, keeping fingers crossed that they invite me.

 

[PT2MD]

Apparently I am under review in TCOM! I am so nervous, keeping fingers crossed that they invite me.

That's great to hear. So I didn't fully understand from earlier. When did you interview or are you still waiting to get one? Either way good luck. It seems like a very good school.

 

[mandinca]

Apparently I am under review in TCOM! I am so nervous, keeping fingers crossed that they invite me.

So......when you guys are calling the school, are you just talking to the secretary in the admissions office? Or are you actually talking to the dean, someone else? I was told by my husband, and people on this site (med students, residents) that it was NOT a good idea to call the school to check your status. I only called the office to make sure all my MCAT scores and LORs were there. I'd LOVE to actually ask.....you know, "am I under review, are they gonna send me an invite, am I getting in this time (and other neurotic questions)?", but I've been fighting the urge for fear of being annoying.......and being added to the 'neurotic-pre-meds-we-don't-want-at-our-school' list. 😳

 

[PatriotsForever]

So......when you guys are calling the school, are you just talking to the secretary in the admissions office? Or are you actually talking to the dean, someone else? I was told by my husband, and people on this site (med students, residents) that it was NOT a good idea to call the school to check your status. I only called the office to make sure all my MCAT scores and LORs were there. I'd LOVE to actually ask.....you know, "am I under review, are they gonna send me an invite, am I getting in this time (and other neurotic questions)?", but I've been fighting the urge for fear of being annoying.......and being added to the 'neurotic-pre-meds-we-don't-want-at-our-school' list. 😳

I called the school and they were very nice and informative. I talked to the assistant dean. They cannot give out status info until the admission committee allows them to do so at which point they call you. As long as your not calling everyday it is no big deal since I got accepted after calling them.

 

[PT2MD]

I called the school and they were very nice and informative. I talked to the assistant dean. They cannot give out status info until the admission committee allows them to do so at which point they call you. As long as your not calling everyday it is no big deal since I got accepted after calling them.

How did you find out you were accepted Pats? Email? What did it say? I want to see if I can live vicariously through your experiences.

 

[hookem]

anyone know how many people they are gonna let in by pre-match? i heard some schools are doing only 10% but someone else has told me they are trying to tell a whole lot of folks during the pre-match this year so they dont repeat what happened last year.

 

[PatriotsForever]

How did you find out you were accepted Pats? Email? What did it say? I want to see if I can live vicariously through your experiences.

They called me at 8:00 am in the morning on Friday, October 19 and then I received a letter via snail mail the following Tuesday. It basically said that on behalf of the admissions committee we are pleased to accept you as part of TCOM class of 2012 and to look out for further information signed by the dean Dr. Hahn. Your call is coming here very shortly PT2MD!

 

[mosel]

congrats pf!

 

[civilleader]

I got TCOM's interview...I am so excited!

 

[CalicoCat]

I got TCOM's interview...I am so excited!

Congrats!

Still waiting here - apparently my app is still being reviewed...

Cat