The Republic of Texas XLII: You Don't Just Move Into Texas, It Moves Into You

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The one thing I keep going back and forth on is whether I want to rank UTSW or UTMB as 2 and 3 or vice versa, respectively. UTMB, for me, has a much better location, and I am super familiar with the area and the school. However, I want my options to be open if I choose to pursue a competitive specialty, which would make UTSW a better choice. In terms of cost, UTMB would be cheaper for me than UTSW but not super significantly. I'm not sure if there is anything else I should consider or if I am potentially missing out in my thought process.
 
Rite1234 said:
The one thing I keep going back and forth on is whether I want to rank UTSW or UTMB as 2 and 3 or vice versa, respectively. UTMB, for me, has a much better location, and I am super familiar with the area and the school. However, I want my options to be open if I choose to pursue a competitive specialty, which would make UTSW a better choice. In terms of cost, UTMB would be cheaper for me than UTSW but not super significantly. I'm not sure if there is anything else I should consider or if I am potentially missing out in my thought process.
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UTMB would definitely not close any doors for you in terms of competitive specialties
 
Rite1234 said:
The one thing I keep going back and forth on is whether I want to rank UTSW or UTMB as 2 and 3 or vice versa, respectively. UTMB, for me, has a much better location, and I am super familiar with the area and the school. However, I want my options to be open if I choose to pursue a competitive specialty, which would make UTSW a better choice. In terms of cost, UTMB would be cheaper for me than UTSW but not super significantly. I'm not sure if there is anything else I should consider or if I am potentially missing out in my thought process.
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You recently said you had not gone to your UTSW interview yet - maybe that will help you decide.
 
Rite1234 said:
Moved from TMDSAS Questions Thread

Here is how I am potentially thinking of ranking my schools:

1. Baylor
2. UTSW (Have not interviewed yet, but will soon)
3. UTMB
4. McGovern
5. TAMU
6. TTU Lubbock
7. TTU El Paso
8. SHSU (Pre-matched)

Reasons:

1. Baylor: Is P/F and USMLE is after core rotations. Also I am really interested in the MD/JD program. Plus Houston is a great location.
2. UTSW: Have family friends that go here. Great for competitive specialties + in house residency programs. Not a super big fan of the grading system. Far from home as well.
3. UTMB: Really really strong ties here. Fantastic location for me, really close to home. Just familiar with the area. Plus P/F even if internal ranking is there. Really strong Medical Humanities programs.
4. McGovern: Great location, access to the TMC. Everyone was super friendly at my tour
5. TAMU: has a Houston option after the first 18 months. Fantastic Medical Humanities options.
6. TTU Lubbock: Quite far from home but still great interview experience and great school
7. TTU El Paso: Even farther from home but overall great school. Doesn't seem to have as many opportunities for competitive specialties (which I am interested in)
8. SHSU: Pre-matched but I am interested in competitive specialties and it is a little unclear as to SHSU's outcomes since they have not graduated a class yet. But it is definitely a great school.
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I thought you had to take the LSAT to compete for the JD program? Or is that exempt?
 
wysdoc said:
You recently said you had not gone to your UTSW interview yet - maybe that will help you decide.
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Yep, definitely waiting until after that to make a final decision.
 
jack lock said:
I thought you had to take the LSAT to compete for the JD program? Or is that exempt?
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You do, but I only want to start prepping for it if I get into Baylor since you are allowed to apply to the JD program until your MS3 year.

Edit: You can apply for the MD/JD program from the beginning, but I wasn't sure and am still not 100% sure. I would only consider the program if I received an offer from Baylor first.
 
Since it’s basically the end of the cycle for me I’ll throw in my rankings as well!

I only applied to 6 Texas schools pre-II R from UTSW (I can live with this. Kinda want to leave Dallas anyway) and withdrew II from TCOM.

1. Baylor (I’m perfectly fine with Temple. Part of me prefers the smaller class size.)
2. McGovern
3. UTMB
4. Long (not a fan of the grading system and I am not pursuing a competitive speciality.)
 
I am OOS and am waiting to hear back from SHSU, UH, and UTMB. I know UTMB isnt sending anything until this month but I interviewed pretty early for SHSU and UH and havent heard anything in months whereas other students have prematches and acceptances. If I havent heard back from them yet does that mean that I got waitlisted? I got accepted to TCOM which I am super excited about!! But I was just wondering what you guys thought about the other schools I interviewed at. Thanks!
 
hulksmash15 said:
I am OOS and am waiting to hear back from SHSU, UH, and UTMB. I know UTMB isnt sending anything until this month but I interviewed pretty early for SHSU and UH and havent heard anything in months whereas other students have prematches and acceptances. If I havent heard back from them yet does that mean that I got waitlisted? I got accepted to TCOM which I am super excited about!! But I was just wondering what you guys thought about the other schools I interviewed at. Thanks!
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You may hear from the other schools closer to February or March, but congratulations on getting in to TCOM already!
No news is good news and if you’re not rejected you’re still in the running.
 
hulksmash15 said:
I am OOS and am waiting to hear back from SHSU, UH, and UTMB. I know UTMB isnt sending anything until this month but I interviewed pretty early for SHSU and UH and havent heard anything in months whereas other students have prematches and acceptances. If I havent heard back from them yet does that mean that I got waitlisted? I got accepted to TCOM which I am super excited about!! But I was just wondering what you guys thought about the other schools I interviewed at. Thanks!
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UH only has 6 seats for OOS since their total is 60 while SHSU may have 15 (not sure if they have an official policy on this since they were private until last year?).

TCOM is lot more established than both UH and SHSU. So I am not so sure you should be pining for either over TCOM. Dont know if MD is better for you as OOS which means UH is still in contention.

UTMB would be the best in all these options if it comes through.
 
Hi y'all! I am currently trying to figure out how to rank my schools but have been going back and forth a lot between A&M and McGovern for my number 1 and 2 rankings. Here are my pros and cons for both programs:

TAMU
PROS
  1. Have the chance to spend 3 years in Round Rock (I’m from Round Rock)
  2. Positive and collaborative students and faculty, got a great sense of loyalty to the school from everyone
  3. Seems like a less stressful environment than McGovern but I’m not fully sure about this
CONS
  1. Could not find detailed match data, especially for dermatology which is what I’m interested in as of right now
  2. Felt like one of my interviews didn’t really go great and was very tense
  3. Since I would be moving after the first year, idk how well I would be able to form close relations with mentors or classmates
McGovern
PROS
  1. TMC provides a significant amount of research opportunities and good clinical rotations
  2. Loved both of my interviews and felt very supported
  3. Seems more “prestigious” and matches well for competitive specialities
CONS
  1. Cost of living seems really high in downtown houston
  2. Heard environment is more competitive (pls correct me if I’m wrong or if you have more insight on this)
  3. Grading turns into Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Below Pass/ Fail after the first semester and I don’t know if it would just be adding extra stress to what is going to be an already stressful time haha
All thoughts welcomed and any advice/insights would be greatly appreciated!!
 
texasvandy said:
UH only has 6 seats for OOS since their total is 60 while SHSU may have 15 (not sure if they have an official policy on this since they were private until last year?).
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SHSU is now getting TX subsidy support so they will also be tied to the 10% OOS limit.
 
optimisticdocc said:
Hi y'all! I am currently trying to figure out how to rank my schools but have been going back and forth a lot between A&M and McGovern for my number 1 and 2 rankings. Here are my pros and cons for both programs:

TAMU
PROS
  1. Have the chance to spend 3 years in Round Rock (I’m from Round Rock)
  2. Positive and collaborative students and faculty, got a great sense of loyalty to the school from everyone
  3. Seems like a less stressful environment than McGovern but I’m not fully sure about this
CONS
  1. Could not find detailed match data, especially for dermatology which is what I’m interested in as of right now
  2. Felt like one of my interviews didn’t really go great and was very tense
  3. Since I would be moving after the first year, idk how well I would be able to form close relations with mentors or classmates
McGovern
PROS
  1. TMC provides a significant amount of research opportunities and good clinical rotations
  2. Loved both of my interviews and felt very supported
  3. Seems more “prestigious” and matches well for competitive specialities
CONS
  1. Cost of living seems really high in downtown houston
  2. Heard environment is more competitive (pls correct me if I’m wrong or if you have more insight on this)
  3. Grading turns into Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Below Pass/ Fail after the first semester and I don’t know if it would just be adding extra stress to what is going to be an already stressful time haha
All thoughts welcomed and any advice/insights would be greatly appreciated!!
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You seem to have done serious analysis that applies to you.

To be honest, the true positive you have is being able to spend 3 more years at home. One needs a lot of support during med school and residency from family due to all the stress. I recommend most people in Houston to stay close to home if they can.

Outside of this, McGovern is truly above and beyond most choices in Texas and worth all the cons you list (not sure they are all correct but let someone at McGovern provide better feedback).
 
texasvandy said:
UH only has 6 seats for OOS since their total is 60 while SHSU may have 15 (not sure if they have an official policy on this since they were private until last year?).

TCOM is lot more established than both UH and SHSU. So I am not so sure you should be pining for either over TCOM. Dont know if MD is better for you as OOS which means UH is still in contention.

UTMB would be the best in all these options if it comes through.
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I totally agree. I would choose TCOM over either one probably except for UTMB but I just want to know where I stand especially because other applicants have heard back already.
 
happy&hungry said:
does anyone else feel like it was yesterday we were drowning in secondaries and now schools (UTSW and UTMB so far) are sending their final goodbyes for the cycle? what a whirlwind this process is 😅
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Ya it honestly flew by. Cant believe it’s been so long and match day is now right around the corner
 
I can’t believe I am just now discovering this thread. Since people were discussing where they are ranking schools as of now I guess I’ll join in:

1. Tech Lubbock (interview 12/15): born and raised in West Texas and went to undergrad here. Very familiar with the faculty and know a lot of students who have nothing but awesome things to say. Not overly competitive but also gives you plenty of opportunities for competitive specialties. I know Lubbock gets a lot of hate but I think it’s a fantastic city with plenty to do and easily the best community I’ve ever been in. My parents also live there so that’s a huge plus.

2. TCOM: love this school as well. Did the Medsci program so I had classes with lots of the faculty. The school itself is really nice and they offer so much support for their students. I love Fort Worth as a city and the opportunities they have with JPS, Children's and All Saints. Still able to match into competitive specialties but it’s still harder due to being a DO.

3. Tech El Paso: this school is interesting for me. I was really enjoying the interview day until a little bit of a hiccup came around. I think it is still a good option but I have fallen in love with my other 2. I think El Paso is an incredibly underrated city but it’s so far from nearly all of my family which makes it tough.

Felt like I had a different opinion than a lot of people with ranking Tech Lubbock so highly. But as @Howdie can attest to, once you give Lubbock a fair chance it’ll surprise you. Would love to know what anyone thinks or any other opinions!
 
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Woo!

1) Either McGovern or Dell. I'm super in-between the two.
- Dell: Amazing city, amazing opportunity to do something with my third year. Also are pass fail. HOWEVER, less established and seems to be more choose your own adventure with less research opportunities, clinical sites, and less in-house residencies. They also have in-house exams.
- McGovern also has its pros and cons. The pros are of course the TMC, research, opportunities, and establishment. They also have NBME exams after the first semester. As for cons, it's graded after the first semester which seems pretty tough but people say most people do quite well. Overall, just seems like a more stressful schools but it's quite incredible so feels worth it but idk.
I LOVE and am so lucky to have both schools.

3) UTMB: P/F, NBME exams, very established. Sounds great to me other than the Galveston aspect.

4) TAMU (prematched): I also like this school a lot but in house exams, not true pass fail, and moving around is a little odd to me but I still really love this school and often debate putting it above UTMB but I have friends at UTMB I love.

Really thankful for all the opportunities and am thrilled to go to any of these!! Also, any opinions would be great.
 
Think this is how i'm going to rank mine!

1. Baylor: Houston (hopefully, but still ranking 1 even with temple as a possibility) - the best city in the country by far, TMC, everything P/F, space medicine pathway, Astros, Rockets, lfg
2. Dell: Get a masters degree in the third year, small class size, AUSTIN (the second best city in the country)
3. UTSW: Good school but seems very competitive + Dallas (worst big city in Texas) (prob will actually rank this lower than UTSA)
4. Long: San Antonio is cool, great school, awesome masters in AI in third year program that's epic
5. TAMU EnMed: In Houston + Engineering related but seems pretty difficult and stressful + new school
6. UTRGV: Too far from everything + no research opportunities

Was originally very hype to stay in Texas but some OOS developments have made me question my allegiance to Texas XD
 
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2023applicantxd said:
Think this is how i'm going to rank mine!

1. Baylor: Houston (hopefully, but still ranking 1 even with temple as a possibility) - the best city in the country by far, TMC, everything P/F, space medicine pathway, Astros, Rockets, lfg
2. Dell: Get a masters degree in the third year, small class size, AUSTIN (the second best city in the country)
3. UTSW: Good school but too many sweats and gunners + Dallas (worst big city in Texas) (prob will actually rank this lower than UTSA)
4. Long: San Antonio is cool, great school, awesome masters in AI in third year program that's epic
5. TAMU EnMed: In Houston + Engineering related but seems pretty difficult and stressful + new school
6. UTRGV: Too far from everything + no research opportunities

Was originally very hype to stay in Texas but some OOS developments have made me question my allegiance to Texas XD
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Prematches?
 
texasvandy said:
Surprising with a such a nice list of IIs. Any admits OOS?
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I interviewed at baylor and Dell relatively late (10/27), (11/14), and Have not interviewed with long (1/12) or UTSW yet! I sent my tmdsas app out a little late 🙁! (Sorry for the UTSW slander my good friend goes there and cries about it like every other day : ( ). No OOS admits yet but Cornell and Carle Illinois II!
 
Here are my rankings:

1) Texas Tech: the school genuinely cares about you as a student (student testimonials about the late Dr. Berk and his impact truly wowed me). Couldn’t care less about curriculum, research, etc. I will find a way to be successful; however, whatever opportunities exist, they have. I want to practice in West Texas so it only makes sense for me to go there! Interview 12/15

2) Michigan State COM: Great school with an abundant amount of research opportunities and affiliated residency programs! Interviewed 11/29

3) Des Moines COM: Also a great school and will set me up for success! Prematched…kinda

The last two schools are not in Texas but I really wanted to be a part of this trend!
 
2023applicantxd said:
I interviewed at baylor and Dell relatively late (10/27), (11/14), and Have not interviewed with long (1/12) or UTSW yet! I sent my tmdsas app out a little late 🙁! (Sorry for the UTSW slander my good friend goes there and cries about it like every other day : ( ). No OOS admits yet but Cornell and Carle Illinois II!
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Cornell and Carle dont seem to be anywhere close to being peers but you are interviewing at all levels in Texas too..

Good luck!
 
I would like to add to the UTSW talk, because I really think the school is getting a bad rap. I work at UTSW in research and I genuinely like the institution. As an employee, I am treated fairly and I do feel like I am appreciated for the contributions that I make.

I know a current medical student on a close basis and am acquainted with two recent grads, and to say that they’re gunners is very misleading. I think that term is used almost in a negative connotation these days, but this is merely conjecture and not to be taken to heart.

This school is extremely competitive and difficult to get into. It is a superb school at that, and will setup you up for success regardless of what you want to do. The research available here is unmatched (13 HHMI investigators, 20 NAS members, and 6 Nobel winners, I mean that’s just incredible!!) and the residency programs are top notch. There are fantastic opportunities for community involvement (I volunteer with a current MS4) and I think they even have some overseas global medicine programs (don’t quote me on this).

It is a 1.5/2.5 program and maybe that can contribute to some of the preclinical stress. The people I’m close with quickly became accustomed to the rigor of medical school and UTSW specifically, and were able to settle in with time. They had plenty of free time and got to visit family over holidays/weekends without too much stress. Things do pick up in years 3 & 4, but I think this is the case at most schools.

Overall, my thoughts and feelings about UTSW are positive. I personally like Dallas and have enjoyed working/volunteering here. To be forward, I did not apply to UTSW, but I also did not apply to Baylor or Long either as I did not see myself being happy at these places for personal reasons.

These are only my opinions and my experience, but I did want to share them as I feel like UTSW is being perceived unfairly. I’m happy to answer questions about the research side of things and Dallas itself, but I cannot answer many questions about the school.

Happy ranking y’all!!!!!
 
2023applicantxd said:
I said I hate Dallas bc I hate the cowboys but Dallas is probably a great city otherwise! Everything else is just what I’ve heard and my own personal biases and reasonings for rankings!!! I’m sorry my sarcasm and dryness made it seem like I hate the school am telling others not to go there.
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No qualms whatsoever!!! Just want to shed some positive light on the school. I personally can’t stand the traffic LOL
 
here are my current rankings:

1. baylor - i'm from houston and love it here, tmc, went to the open house and loved it i felt like i fit there, p/f, just an all around amazing school, temple has one of the best teaching hospitals in the country so if i end up there i'm sure i'll have amazing opportunities to learn + experience smaller town life with great community
2. utsw - again an amazing school with great resources for research, p/f preclinical, have never lived in dallas before and would be cool to unlock another texas city (went to ut austin for undergrad haha), this was my top choice for a while but baylor has since stolen my heart
3. mcgovern - close to home in houston, tmc, p/f only for first semester, when i interviewed here i just fell in love with the environment created by the faculty they very clearly care about uplifting their students and want them to succeed
4. long - haven't interviewed here yet but from what i've seen the school has great resources and san antonio would be fun to live in (again, would be collecting major texas cities like infinity stones)
5. utmb - loved the environment, everyone talks about how "chill" it is, p/f, love that you have the option to work with incarcerated patients during rotations (something i haven't really seen at other schools), i haven't visited the campus yet so this might change but idk i think living in galveston could be fun and it's really close to houston where my family lives
6. tamu - think this is a great school and it's clear how much the students love it there but for some reason i just didn't feel like i "fit" there, like the option to do rotations at regional campuses, especially the houston and round rock locations

don't have any prematches so far so hoping for some good news before christmas!
 
has anyone written a letter of interest to any texas schools yet/is it even an appropriate time to write one yet (post interview) or should we wait?
 
512fella said:
has anyone written a letter of interest to any texas schools yet/is it even an appropriate time to write one yet (post interview) or should we wait?
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I’ve heard that while a school may accept it, it’s not gonna change your ranking on their list post interview
 
Lakers2023Champs said:
should be renamed to debt tbh 🙁
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I feel like any Texas tuition is more than doable without even thinking too too much about finances since our tuition is not only really cheap but we have generally low cost of living compared to other states.

Now the private school debt…🤣 I’m trying to think of my financial plan now. Grateful that there are so many resources online to tackle this where it truly does feel like an investment that will definitely eventually payoff.
 
How often do people match to a school they did not prematch to, but ranked above a prematched school?
 
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cookiecake23 said:
How often do people match to a school they did not prematch to, but ranked above a prematched school? For instance:
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Nobody can give you that statistic. It also depends on which school they pre-matched at in the first place.
 
cookiecake23 said:
How often do people match to a school they did not prematch to, but ranked above a prematched school? For instance:
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Anecdotal, but last year my buddy ranked a school they weren’t prematched at over a couple of schools they had offers from and that’s where they ended up matching. Sure it happens pretty often especually for the schools that are conservative with their prematch offers
 
Just want to confirm this is how Match Day works

Lets say we have Student A and Student B

Student A ranks School C as their #1 choice, while Student B ranks them as #2 (they have School D as #1)

Now on Match Day, School C ranks Student B slightly higher than Student A just so that Student B just makes the cut while Student A would be on their waitlist.

Assuming Student B gets waitlisted from their #1 choice (School D), would Student B still get priority over Student A since the medical school ranked Student B higher?
 
jack lock said:
Just want to confirm this is how Match Day works

Lets say we have Student A and Student B

Student A ranks School C as their #1 choice, while Student B ranks them as #2 (they have School D as #1)

Now on Match Day, School C ranks Student B slightly higher than Student A just so that Student B just makes the cut while Student A would be on their waitlist.

Assuming Student B gets waitlisted from their #1 choice (School D), would Student B still get priority over Student A since the medical school ranked Student B higher?
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Yes, it is medical school ranking that counts to match the student in the algorithm since they are ranking all the interviewees they have not rejected in the order they want to accept them for the number of spots they want to match.
 
texasvandy said:
Yes, it is medical school ranking that counts to match the student in the algorithm since they are ranking all the interviewees they have not rejected in the order they want to accept them for the number of spots they want to match.
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Bet, ty
 
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