The Republic of Texas XXXI: Everything's not just bigger, it's more awesome too

[TheTruckGuy]

It's about time this got started again

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[Stumpyman]

Good luck to all TX applicants!

 

[AtlasCarraway]

OOS applicant trying desperately to gain acceptance to a TX school. Good luck this year everyone!

 

[REPTAR013]

aw yuh!

 

[ShenanigansMD]

This is why I didn't apply to Texas schools:

Round house kick rejections man... scary stuff.

 

[La Presse]

As a fellow Texan, I say good luck to everyone.

Yee Haw? Sexy-Ass wild fartin' cowboy...

 

[climbouthole]

Just a couple weeks and change until pre-matches come out!

Best of luck to y'all, yee haw.

 

[JaBoomDay]

LOL wow this thread is awesome. I'm an outsider lookin to become a Texan too.
Yee haw!

 

[Praefectus]

I've got a pretty bad case of Texas envy too.

[YOUTUBE]WOPBoC3v8Z8[/YOUTUBE]

 

[DrBarbie08]

14 days to go people!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Plue00]

This would probably be the only reason I'd want to be a Texan resident... and the dirt cheap tuition (compared to others) doesn't hurt!

Good luck guys!

 

[Justin Stuart]

Subscribed

 

[rubisco88]

I love TX for med school admissions and dirtcheap tuition!! I love that we have our own application and Texas' loyalty to it's residents!

 

[Silence Dogood]

I've got a pretty bad case of Texas envy too.

[YOUTUBE]WOPBoC3v8Z8[/YOUTUBE]

I hear both these guys got full rides at all the Texas medical schools.

 

[TheTruckGuy]

I hear both these guys got full rides at all the Texas medical schools.

That's actually more true than you'd think.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Nov 15th is slowly creeping up!

 

[sswest]

Anxiously waiting for good news. Good luck to each and everyone!

 

[TheTruckGuy]

Anyone know which schools will be interviewing into January? I know Baylor keeps going since they aren't tied to the match, but I remember some talk of some of the schools going into January.

 

[Silence Dogood]

That's actually more true than you'd think.

Oh, I didn't mean that in a derogatory way. The other states should be jealous...and they are.

 

[TheTruckGuy]

Oh, I didn't mean that in a derogatory way. The other states should be jealous...and they are.

Yeah, I figured, but what I meant was Texas residents that enter the military benefit from the Hazelwood Act - 150 hours of free education at any public institution. So if they got accepted, between their GI Bill and the Hazelwood Act they'd pretty much be covered.

 

[vlk2008]

Anyone know which schools will be interviewing into January? I know Baylor keeps going since they aren't tied to the match, but I remember some talk of some of the schools going into January.

UT houston has one interview in early january!

 

[TxResident]

D-town represent! As for interview dates, I've gone ahead and visited each school site this morning to save myself some sanity so here they are (note I will be going thru the class forums to take off dates which somebody has already been scheduled into):

UTSW: November 17 (maybe, there hasn't been a round of II lately according to SDN), December 1, December 8, January 12, January 19

UTMB: December 14 (according to SDN class-specific thread, they just opened this date for more interviews)

UTH: They haven't updated their site with interview invites, but judging from their past interview dates on their site, theres about 2-3 interview dates in December (I'm guessing 2 with how the Fridays are falling on) and one in January, so about 3 interview dates are left in total.

UTSA: No interview dates found on their website. Overall I've found this school VERY quiet according to SDN comparatively to other schools. The latest II according to an SDN user was on October 3rd, which might mean they're preparing to send another round of II. A user on October 1st got an II scheduled for November 26th, so there should be at least one date left in December, I have no idea how late their interview season goes. According to their timeline though, it could potentially go up to the very beginning of January, which if is the case, there should be about three dates left!

TAMU: Seems the latest II was on October 29 for December 13. BUT, there was also anohter II on October 26 for early November. IIRC, you can pick the dates available to your choosing. No II dates on their website, I'm assuming they also run into late January, so seeing as how "early November" dates were still available, I'll say theres maybe one II date left in November, two in December, and one in January, for a total of 4 II dates left, but that is pushing it as people can schedule their interviews to their liking, so some of the dates could potentially be half-filled/half-empty (if you're that sort of person).

TTUHSC (Lubbock): Last round of II being sent out was on October 29th, and they had 4 different dates available according to a user, ranging from November 9th into mid December (according to their website, they are not interviewing into January).

TTUSOM (El Paso): Yeah okay, now THIS school is very quiet on SDN. Friend got an II on October 10th for some date... I forget what day though :\. According to their site though, their interviewing season ends in mid January, so I'd say theres about 4 more dates left if its MID January.

TCOM: Interview season takes place from September to February according to their site. But, it could end sooner according to how fast the class is filled. Latest II was on November 1 for an interview later this month, so December up to February should still be up for grabs (I'd reckon 2+3+(2/3) interview dates are left, so 7-9 interview dates).

BCM: Interview sessions according to their site begins from September and ends in February. Latest II was on October 10 for some unknown date, but assuming they send II about a month prior, theres 3 months left, so about 7-9 interview dates left.

Of course this is all speculation, and of course this didn't help my anxiety. This is just my 2 cents on what interview dates are left.

 

[Translation]

I attached a screen shot from the post interview survey.
dates remaining 11/05, 11/12, 11/19, 11/26, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17.
hope it clarifies any questions on that.

as for me, im just waiting for pre-match day! 11/15-12/31.

 

[tn4596]

Reporting in!

 

[TheTruckGuy]

Thanks TxResident, that's a handy reference.

 

[REPTAR013]

This wait sucks!

 

[TxResident]

Thanks TxResident, that's a handy reference.

I attached a screen shot from the post interview survey.
dates remaining 11/05, 11/12, 11/19, 11/26, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17.
hope it clarifies any questions on that.

as for me, im just waiting for pre-match day! 11/15-12/31.

Thanks for the info, I've been wondering about what dates UTSA has left.

Also, question, does anybody really understand this prematching thing? Is it based off of numbers? Are students who prematch more likely to get more scholarships? Is it based on interviews? Not sure how this whole thing works tbh (doubt I'll get prematched, only one interview ). From what I can gather its just a period to accept students before the match program actually works it magic.

 

[TheTruckGuy]

Thanks for the info, I've been wondering about what dates UTSA has left.

Also, question, does anybody really understand this prematching thing? Is it based off of numbers? Are students who prematch more likely to get more scholarships? Is it based on interviews? Not sure how this whole thing works tbh (doubt I'll get prematched, only one interview ). From what I can gather its just a period to accept students before the match program actually works it magic.

The pre-match is a relatively new thing. Before, when only the match existed, a lot of Texas residents were getting accepted out of state and withdrawing their instate applications. So they instituted the pre-match system. Basically, if a school really likes you they can offer you a spot starting November 15th and going up until January 1st. You can get several pre-matches and hold several acceptances at this point. You can accept that only 1 acceptance temporarily, or accept it permanently and withdraw from other schools you've interviewed at. If you interviewed at schools A,B & C, were given a prematch at school A, but would rather go to school B over C, followed by A, then you rank them 1. B, 2. C, 3. A. You'll basically go to whichever school you rank the highest that has also accepted you. I believe you can only hold one pre-match going into the match. In this case, if you got accepted to school B or C, then you automatically lose your acceptance to A.

If you rocked your interview you may very well get a pre-match. I know several people that only interviewed at one or two places and got

Something a lot of people don't understand is that the match doesn't hurt you in any way. Some people think that if you ranked school B over school C, school C will see that and extend their offer to someone else. Or they think there is some strategy to the ranking. The only thing you should think about when ranking is where you want to go to medical school for the next 4 years.

 

[stolen_biscuit]

Also, question, does anybody really understand this prematching thing? Is it based off of numbers? Are students who prematch more likely to get more scholarships? Is it based on interviews? Not sure how this whole thing works tbh (doubt I'll get prematched, only one interview ).

I've heard mixed info on the magic of pre-match. Some schools seem to offer more spots this way than others.

Of the couple I've interviewed so far, they mentioned "scoring" you based on given number for tangibles (stats) + given number for intangibles (interview/app). Top scores are often the ones pre-matching and also tend to be offered available scholarships.

Again, this is just the impression I've gotten from attending a couple of interviews.

I believe you can only hold one pre-match going into the match.

I think you can hold as many pre-matches as you've got until match. Then, as you described, you will be assigned just 1 school. If you want one you pre-matched to, you would just list that first, and it would be a done deal.

 

[Whatyousay]

I've heard mixed info on the magic of pre-match. Some schools seem to offer more spots this way than others.

Of the couple I've interviewed so far, they mentioned "scoring" you based on given number for tangibles (stats) + given number for intangibles (interview/app). Top scores are often the ones pre-matching and also tend to be offered available scholarships.

Again, this is just the impression I've gotten from attending a couple of interviews.



I think you can hold as many pre-matches as you've got until match. Then, as you described, you will be assigned just 1 school. If you want one you pre-matched to, you would just list that first, and it would be a done deal.

Just a few things on prematching:

(1) Many Texas schools choose to fill the majority of their class through pre-match (UTMB and UTSW come to mind). I think UTH is one of the few schools that has historically been pretty stingy about prematching, although it seemed like they were pretty generous last year.

(2) That being said, many people without prematches are still able to match into a school when the match lists are released, since a lot of prematch offers go out to candidates who end up holding multiple acceptances. Since applicants can't hold on to more than one acceptance from a Texas school after the match lists are due, this naturally ends up opening a lot of spots.

(3) Prematching can be a pretty inexact science. There are some brilliant people in my class who had to ride out the cycle on the waitlist until the very end.

(4) If you end up receiving multiple prematch offers, be sure to withdraw from schools that you have no intention of attending, since it will free up an additional prematch slot for someone else (ultimately, the result is the same as if you were to automatically withdraw from the school via the match, but this way, someone else doesn't have to wait until match day to figure out if they've been accepted anywhere). If you're torn between multiple schools, feel free to hold onto your acceptances as long as it takes for you to make a decision. Just be aware that other applicants may not be so lucky

 

[TxResident]

@bigtruckguy3500, craftyconqueror, and Whatyousay

Thanks for the information guys. Its a bit comforting and at the same time at the same time and a bit worrying . I'm praying I get prematched to UTMB (only interview) but at the same time... If I don't get prematched...

Regardless, thanks for the info, hopefully other people found it to be useful! Good luck to errbody.

 

[tn4596]

Ahhhh a few more days till nov 15, when I'll start being about 100 times more neurotic for everyday without any good news. Should I start looking up housing arrangements for all the places I wanna go to? Or is that too much?

 

[Sassafrass23]

(doubt I'll get prematched, only one interview ). From what I can gather its just a period to accept students before the match program actually works it magic.

TxResident - Would you mind sharing your stats? I only interviewed at one school - Lubbock. I find it strange that I interviewed in August at Tech, seeming to suggest that they were impressed with me (also, my interviewer told me she was impressed with my research experience), and then to never hear from anyone else. I read about other applicants like you that heard from my top schools and noone else. What criteria are they using?!

My stats aren't stellar (sGPA 3.4, nsGPA3.6, 29MCAT) but I have a lot of clinical cardiology research experience that gave me a ton to write about and was complete in May. I'm sad that I appear to have been shafted by every other school.

 

[bollywoodlover]

This waiting is killing me. I have a 27 MCAT (super low I know) and a 3.5ish cGPA and sGPA (also low). I"m a non-URM but on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum with some hardship and a unique/diverse background that I expressed in my essays. Thankfully, I've heard from 3 schools for IIs so far at TCOM, UTMB, UTHSCSA. I submitted my primary in August and secondaries at the end of September and am still wondering if I will get an II from Lubbock or Texas A&M. I've given up on El Paso and Houston and pretty much applied to UTSW because its only an extra 10 bucks. Funny how I thought I'd have a better shot at these schools since stats are lower and they are more primary care focused (where my interests lie) and felt I had no shot at the UTs, but so far not a peep . Hoping for at least one more interview and maybe I'll feel more secure about maybe getting in somewhere. Definitely thankful though that I'm being interviewed at 2 schools that are in my top 3.

 

[stolen_biscuit]

Arghh, how to rank schools? I've interviewed at 3 (don't expect others at this point), and they have all been awesome! I know we don't rank until Jan, but it's hard not to be thinking about it. How are you all deciding?

 

[sliceofbread136]

Arghh, how to rank schools? I've interviewed at 3 (don't expect others at this point), and they have all been awesome! I know we don't rank until Jan, but it's hard not to be thinking about it. How are you all deciding?

I go by avg MCAT scores.

 

[TheTruckGuy]

Arghh, how to rank schools? I've interviewed at 3 (don't expect others at this point), and they have all been awesome! I know we don't rank until Jan, but it's hard not to be thinking about it. How are you all deciding?

In my opinion, you should first think about where you want to live for potentially 4 years. Think about proximity to friends/family, the size of the city, the environment the school is, what kind of commute you'll likely have, etc. I think that's probably the most important thing because all the Texas schools are great schools and I don't think one necessarily produces better doctors than another as long as your effort is there.

But still, think about the curriculum and the length of semesters, and all that. Some schools start earlier and/or end later. Some do a more integrated approach than others. Some have bigger class sizes that you might like, or you might like a smaller class size where you can really get to know everyone.

And lastly, think about cost. Most schools in Texas are relatively cheap, so you don't have much to worry about, and it shouldn't be hard to secure loans. I've seen some doctors (all women), pretty much go into a part time status after residency because they want to stay at home with their kids. Do you really want to accumulate more debt than necessary if you think that could be you?

And then I suppose you could also think about amenities. For example, some schools have nice student lounges, some not so nice. Little rec centers, or rec centers attached to larger schools, better study spaces in the library, etc.

 

[stolen_biscuit]

I go by avg MCAT scores.

So, it's hard to read people via written word...but are you serious?

In my opinion, you should first think about where you want to live for potentially 4 years. Think about proximity to friends/family, the size of the city, the environment the school is, what kind of commute you'll likely have, etc. I think that's probably the most important thing because all the Texas schools are great schools and I don't think one necessarily produces better doctors than another as long as your effort is there.

But still, think about the curriculum and the length of semesters, and all that. Some schools start earlier and/or end later. Some do a more integrated approach than others. Some have bigger class sizes that you might like, or you might like a smaller class size where you can really get to know everyone.

And lastly, think about cost. Most schools in Texas are relatively cheap, so you don't have much to worry about, and it shouldn't be hard to secure loans. I've seen some doctors (all women), pretty much go into a part time status after residency because they want to stay at home with their kids. Do you really want to accumulate more debt than necessary if you think that could be you?

And then I suppose you could also think about amenities. For example, some schools have nice student lounges, some not so nice. Little rec centers, or rec centers attached to larger schools, better study spaces in the library, etc.

These are all good points. I feel like some have blended together, so I am going to revisit websites and my notes. I hope I wrote a lot down.

The hard part is that I feel each has their own things I really like and some I don't have much an opinion on or don't care for. I don't know which to put the most emphasis on!

 

[bollywoodlover]

I haven't interviewed at all of them. But I'm thinking 1) UTHSCSA 2) UTMB 3) TCOM. I think San Antonio is an overall better location than Galveston. I've visited and I like the city. I don't think there is much to do in Galveston and I don't think the weather is as nice. I think the new curriculum at UTHSCSA has a lot to offer (it's based off UCLA's curriculum so I'm sure it'll only make the school better) and I like how they get out early second year and have 8 weeks to just study for boards. I also like how it will be easier to fly into San Antonio from El Paso rather than fly to Houston and drive to Galveston. I guess some of these reasons are a bit superficial, but location matters a lot to me. Overall, I think both UTMB and UTHSCSA are known to have really happy and collaborative students and a relatively flexible schedule (which I like since I might do better studying on my own than going to class) and I'd be happy at either school. Both schools offer environments that aren't known to be cutthroat. Houston, Galveston, and San Antonio have always been my top three so I'm happy to have 2/3 as an option. I liked TCOM, but I am concerned with the 8-5 schedule and students there seem more stressed in general. I'd also rather only take one exam than both USMLE and COMLEX. Overall, I'm choosing a school based on where I think I'd be happiest at and that fits my personality. US News rankings aren't even a factor in my decision. I think all the Texas schools are good and you just have to choose the one that will fit your personality and needs the best.

 

[stolen_biscuit]

I haven't interviewed at all of them. But I'm thinking 1) UTHSCSA 2) UTMB 3) TCOM. I think San Antonio is an overall better location than Galveston. I've visited and I like the city. I don't think there is much to do in Galveston and I don't think the weather is as nice. I think the new curriculum at UTHSCSA has a lot to offer (it's based off UCLA's curriculum so I'm sure it'll only make the school better) and I like how they get out early second year and have 8 weeks to just study for boards. I also like how it will be easier to fly into San Antonio from El Paso rather than fly to Houston and drive to Galveston. I guess some of these reasons are a bit superficial, but location matters a lot to me. Overall, I think both UTMB and UTHSCSA are known to have really happy and collaborative students and a relatively flexible schedule (which I like since I might do better studying on my own than going to class) and I'd be happy at either school. Both schools offer environments that aren't known to be cutthroat. Houston, Galveston, and San Antonio have always been my top three so I'm happy to have 2/3 as an option. I liked TCOM, but I am concerned with the 8-5 schedule and students there seem more stressed in general. I'd also rather only take one exam than both USMLE and COMLEX. Overall, I'm choosing a school based on where I think I'd be happiest at and that fits my personality. US News rankings aren't even a factor in my decision. I think all the Texas schools are good and you just have to choose the one that will fit your personality and needs the best.

Good reasons! I think environment matters too. I've always been happier when I lived somewhere that I enjoyed the climate and atmosphere; it affects my daily life.

And yes, it seems to me that all TX schools can get you where you need to be. Step scores seem to be similar, and they all Match well.

 

[TxResident]

TxResident - Would you mind sharing your stats? I only interviewed at one school - Lubbock. I find it strange that I interviewed in August at Tech, seeming to suggest that they were impressed with me (also, my interviewer told me she was impressed with my research experience), and then to never hear from anyone else. I read about other applicants like you that heard from my top schools and noone else. What criteria are they using?!

My stats aren't stellar (sGPA 3.4, nsGPA3.6, 29MCAT) but I have a lot of clinical cardiology research experience that gave me a ton to write about and was complete in May. I'm sad that I appear to have been shafted by every other school.

Sorry about the late response, 3.7 sGPA/3.7 cGPA, 30 MCAT. Average ECs (maybe... low considered to SDN's standards).

 

[bollywoodlover]

You seem like a good applicant to me!

 

[CoolioMD]

IS pre-match this Thursday for TX schools!

 

[TheTruckGuy]

Sooo... Anyone catch the game?

Can I get a Whoop!?

 

[phant0m0o0o]

Whoop!

 

[def1]

Does anyone know if prematch offers go out midnight on the 15th or are they sporadically given throughout the day?

 

[MilkIsGood]

Does anyone know if prematch offers go out midnight on the 15th or are they sporadically given throughout the day?

last year, some went out at midnight

 

[REPTAR013]

From what I've read it appears that UTSW and UTMB were sent out at midnight last year. UT Houston started around 8AM last year and occurred in waves throughout the day. UTSA and Tech both sent out in waves throughout the day and through the month. El-Paso couldn't really find any information... and Baylor does what Baylor pleases.

 

[TxResident]

You seem like a good applicant to me!

Hah thanks, but its kind of like girls. It doesn't matter unless they can see that you're good .

Sooo... Anyone catch the game?

Can I get a Whoop!?

Whoop!

In the words of Lil Wayne (who has fallen off quite a bit),
HE'S A BEAST, HE'S A DOG, HE'S A MOTHERF***IN' PROBLEM.
As an alumni of UT, all I can say is got dayum, now imagine if you guys were still in the Big 12, easy ticket to the bowl, granted y'all will probably manage just fine.

Does anyone know if prematch offers go out midnight on the 15th or are they sporadically given throughout the day?

I believe thats dependent on each school, but as people have stated UTMB and UTSW are huge prematchers. IIRC, prematches primarily went out on midnight of November 15 (the night of November 14th). They do continue to prematch though weekly from what it seems from last years threads for each school (only looked at UTMB and UTSW though).

EDIT: Also guys, GOT DAYUM 2 more days!!! My blood pressure. My heart. HNGGGGGGGGGGGGG

 

[Sephiroth]

Are you really going to go through the entire first page without people ranking the texas schools and then arguing about it?