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

[sliceofbread136]

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It's all the same to me honestly. You are
Going to be ranked regardless if its p/f. P/f might actually make me work not as hard.

If you mean ranked based on preclinical grades this isn't necessarily true. Some schools have unranked p/f.

 

[TheTruckGuy]

Well, as of now I'm ranking A&M #1 and PLF #2. I think I'd be happy in either place, but happier in College Station. Hopefully I don't end up in Temple all 4 years, but it's still an easy drive home to visit family if I do.

Edit: I am also hoping I get into either location.

 

[OccamsRazor]

I am also having a hard time deciding between UTSW and UTH. I almost want to rank UTSW #1 in hope that I get waitlisted and have more time to decide, but I fear this decision is going to screw me over somehow. Any others in the same boat? Aaaaahhhh.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I am also having a hard time deciding between UTSW and UTH. I almost want to rank UTSW #1 in hope that I get waitlisted and have more time to decide, but I fear this decision is going to screw me over somehow. Any others in the same boat? Aaaaahhhh.

It probably doesn't matter what you rank them, they don't match like anybody. In this case it is probably to your advantage.

 

[BoricuaMD]

It probably doesn't matter what you rank them, they don't prematch like anybody. In this case it is probably to your advantage.

Did you mean they don't MATCH anyone?

 

[bollywoodlover]

I heard even though some schools are p/f though you are internally ranked. Don't residency programs need to know your class rank. And I thought AOA was also something that could work for your benefit if you want a competitive specialty. Aoa is basically implying that those select few are the best in the class all around, which is almost like ranking anyways. Even some really competitive schools like Baylor which is p/f have AOA. Apparently you have to be in the top 25 percent based on grades alone to be even considered. Sounds like Baylor is ranking to me regardless of p/f. Maybe Harvard or some top 10 schools don't have AOA. In that case, I'd prob believe a truly Unranked system. I'd just be cautious of picking a school just because its p/f because I think most programs rank their students in some way. They just don't advertise it. Pick the place you think you be happiest at and that is most conducive to you achieving you academic goals.

 

[def1]

I am also having a hard time deciding between UTSW and UTH. I almost want to rank UTSW #1 in hope that I get waitlisted and have more time to decide, but I fear this decision is going to screw me over somehow. Any others in the same boat? Aaaaahhhh.

Im ranking UTSW for that reason. I mean they match only like 5 people, if I happen to be one of those 5 then I'll take that as a sign I was meant to be at UTSW anyway.

But honestly UTH has had my heart since October, UTSW came through and really won me over but I don't know if Im ready to give up UTH as my top choice.

I honestly know that I'll be happy at either school though. I'd be happy at any Texas school honestly.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Did you mean they don't MATCH anyone?

Yes thank you

 

[sliceofbread136]

I heard even though some schools are p/f though you are internally ranked. Don't residency programs need to know your class rank. And I thought AOA was also something that could work for your benefit if you want a competitive specialty. Aoa is basically implying that those select few are the best in the class all around, which is almost like ranking anyways. Even some really competitive schools like Baylor which is p/f have AOA. Apparently you have to be in the top 25 percent based on grades alone to be even considered. Sounds like Baylor is ranking to me regardless of p/f. Maybe Harvard or some top 10 schools don't have AOA. In that case, I'd prob believe a truly Unranked system. I'd just be cautious of picking a school just because its p/f because I think most programs rank their students in some way. They just don't advertise it. Pick the place you think you be happiest at and that is most conducive to you achieving you academic goals.

Some schools are unranked p/f with no AOA. You are correct that baylor is ranked. Even though there are internal rankings many still feel better with p/f.

 

[TxResident]

Hey guys, I was lucky enough to get interviews at UTMB and TTUHSC this application cycle (no prematches though) and I've been trying to figure out how to rank them. I've been reading through the thread and looking at how y'all ranked the schools and noted that UTMB ranked higher than TTUHSC and was hoping to find out why.

From how I saw it, their curriculum seems about the same. Although UTMB has the Galveston NBL (the BSL-4 lab building) which sounds awesome, I feel as if TTUHSC still has a lot to offer in research opportunities as well as other things since it includes the undergraduate institution.

Location wise, the island of Galveston itself seems pretty sparse, though I did not get a chance to really explore around town. I did not explore the area surrounding the island (I heard a few people live outside of the island and commute to school) but it seems nice enough, very small town though.
Lubbock on the other hand is a pretty nice city, a decent size in my opinion. I grew up in a suburb of Dallas so I feel sort of at home already. Can't really say anything bad about it to be honest and the people there are quite nice (gas is cheap too!).
The thing is Galveston does offer the incentive of being close to a major city (Houston) while offering the quiet small town life (at least from what it looked like), so UTMB gets a one up.

TL;DR: its late, I'm tired, and sorry if the aforementioned things were a bit jumbled/a complete mess, but I was hoping to get some insight as to why people consider one school over the other (although it seems as if it will be mostly why UTMB is a better choice than TTUHSC, seeing as how almost everybody did UTMB>Lubbock). I'm trying to see which location I would be a better fit/where I could live for the next potential 4 years. Thanks guys. And damn even this TL;DR feels poorly constructed, but I've gotta sleep for work.😴

 

[bollywoodlover]

Probably because UTMB has sky high board scores and everyone seems to like the flexible curriculum.

 

[def1]

Hey guys, I was lucky enough to get interviews at UTMB and TTUHSC this application cycle (no prematches though) and I've been trying to figure out how to rank them. I've been reading through the thread and looking at how y'all ranked the schools and noted that UTMB ranked higher than TTUHSC and was hoping to find out why.

From how I saw it, their curriculum seems about the same. Although UTMB has the Galveston NBL (the BSL-4 lab building) which sounds awesome, I feel as if TTUHSC still has a lot to offer in research opportunities as well as other things since it includes the undergraduate institution.

Location wise, the island of Galveston itself seems pretty sparse, though I did not get a chance to really explore around town. I did not explore the area surrounding the island (I heard a few people live outside of the island and commute to school) but it seems nice enough, very small town though.
Lubbock on the other hand is a pretty nice city, a decent size in my opinion. I grew up in a suburb of Dallas so I feel sort of at home already. Can't really say anything bad about it to be honest and the people there are quite nice (gas is cheap too!).
The thing is Galveston does offer the incentive of being close to a major city (Houston) while offering the quiet small town life (at least from what it looked like), so UTMB gets a one up.

TL;DR: its late, I'm tired, and sorry if the aforementioned things were a bit jumbled/a complete mess, but I was hoping to get some insight as to why people consider one school over the other (although it seems as if it will be mostly why UTMB is a better choice than TTUHSC, seeing as how almost everybody did UTMB>Lubbock). I'm trying to see which location I would be a better fit/where I could live for the next potential 4 years. Thanks guys. And damn even this TL;DR feels poorly constructed, but I've gotta sleep for work.😴

I didnt interview at lubbock but if I had to choose based purely on location I would go with galveston. Although its not the nicest beach, its still a beach and you are only 45 minutes from Houston which means you have access to all the big concerts, sports games, etc.

I also really loved how laid back the people at utmb seemed, not sure how it is at lubbock.

This is the main criteria i used when deciding. (numbered starting with most important)

1. 3rd and 4th year rotations (hospitals, quality of training, etc)
2. Research opportunities
3. Location
4. If the students seemed happy

Honestly though I can say for UTH and UTSW, I just got a feeling that I didn't get from the other schools. I instantly knew I wanted to be at those schools. While I liked every school I interviewed at, I didn't get that same feeling except at those 2 schools.

 

[BoricuaMD]

For what it's worth...

I loved UTH when I went and interviewed there, it was my top choice coming into application season and I thought for sure that was the school I'd rank #1. When I got there I was blown away and amazed by the TMC, it was epic...I imagined how inspiring and awesome it would be to wake up every morning and be immersed in such a large and bustling medical environment. The "night before social" at UTH was super fun and med students came out in bunches. They drank beer, laughed, ate great food and seemed like some of the coolest down to earth people I had ever met. I was excited at the prospect of joining them in the future.

During the actual interview date, my 2nd interview was rough, I got grilled and it left a very nasty taste in my mouth. From that point on my thoughts on UTH started to dwindle...I know people say that curriculum doesn't matter but the thought of "hell week" testing schedules also added to my doubts.

When I went to UTSW I was expecting a bunch of weird, hermit-like, socially awkward students who were too studious and cut-throat to develop any type of friendships or healthy relationships. I was wrong. The students at UTSW were just like all the rest...friendly, hard working and seemingly compassionate about what they were doing. In my opinion, the friday morning clinical rounds program was a big plus for UTSW and it really impressed me, I also thought that no school tried as hard to flash their strengths and truly try to convince you to come to their school as much as UTSW did. UTSW's interview day left me enamored with the school. Then when they announced that the new Parkland and University Hospitals would be up and running for our 3rd and 4th years, I was sold.

TL;DR: UTH and UTSW are both great schools, a more positive interview experience and new teaching hospitals convinced me to commit to UTSW.

 

[BoricuaMD]

Yes thank you

No prob, congrats on Baylor 👍

 

[Paramedoc]

I'm probably biased because I was born and raised here, but I'd be really excited to join the class of 2019 at UT-Austin's new med school, but they probably won't even be ready by 2015.

http://www.kvue.com/news/University...meline-for-new-medical-program-177736371.html

 

[armybound]

This is the main criteria i used when deciding. (numbered starting with most important)

1. 3rd and 4th year rotations (hospitals, quality of training, etc)
2. Research opportunities
3. Location
4. If the students seemed happy

Any reason for this order? I'd recommend pretty much the reverse order.

 

[BoricuaMD]

Any reason for this order? I'd recommend pretty much the reverse order.

Yeah, my thoughts exactly...

 

[TxResident]

No one else has thoughts on UTMB vs. Lubbock?

And yeah def1, my order was fairly similar to that. I was thinking of more what opportunities they offered in the future, which was in fact why I was thinking of Lubbock so much. Their 3rd and 4th year offsites (Midland/Odessa and Amarillo) do not have surgery residents I believe, allowing the chance for med students to get hands on experience really early (I'm interested in cardiothoracic surgery).

Research opportunities, like I said, Galveston does offer the GNL, but I do not know how heavily associated it is with the medical school and the med students itself. Lubbock on the other hand, I would feel that it offers more different fields to research in.

Location, Lubbock does offer a nice feeling of suburbia (where I was born and raised in), so it instantly felt like home when I was driving around for a little bit. Galveston on the other hand seemed a little small, but like you stated, is close to Houston, so it offers the benefits of both which I really like (Lubbock has the option of suburbia or isolation out in the wilderness).

Happiness wise, the students at both schools were very laid back (then again I was interviewing during the Winter break for Lubbock) and quite nice at both schools.

This is the reason I'm having trouble, because I feel like overall, the schools would be comparable for me. Also has anybody heard of the med schools being able to see how you rank their schools relative to the other schools?

 

[DrBarbie08]

No one else has thoughts on UTMB vs. Lubbock?

And yeah def1, my order was fairly similar to that. I was thinking of more what opportunities they offered in the future, which was in fact why I was thinking of Lubbock so much. Their 3rd and 4th year offsites (Midland/Odessa and Amarillo) do not have surgery residents I believe, allowing the chance for med students to get hands on experience really early (I'm interested in cardiothoracic surgery).

Research opportunities, like I said, Galveston does offer the GNL, but I do not know how heavily associated it is with the medical school and the med students itself. Lubbock on the other hand, I would feel that it offers more different fields to research in.

Location, Lubbock does offer a nice feeling of suburbia (where I was born and raised in), so it instantly felt like home when I was driving around for a little bit. Galveston on the other hand seemed a little small, but like you stated, is close to Houston, so it offers the benefits of both which I really like (Lubbock has the option of suburbia or isolation out in the wilderness).

Happiness wise, the students at both schools were very laid back (then again I was interviewing during the Winter break for Lubbock) and quite nice at both schools.

This is the reason I'm having trouble, because I feel like overall, the schools would be comparable for me. Also has anybody heard of the med schools being able to see how you rank their schools relative to the other schools?

I did not interview at UTMB, although I have spent some time in Galveston. I did interview at San Antonio and would have chosen Tech over it. I would also chose TT over UTMB, but I don't know if my reasons are any good. I prefer the rural towns, I enjoy the home-y feeling of Lubbock, I love that it's part of a big university, they have a few dance halls (which in my opinion is all you need), the students at the school were happy and very easy to talk to, I love the big rec center, and exactly as you said it's SO CHEAP!! Lubbock isn't 15 minutes from Houston but how often does anyone really go into Houston in med school? For me, I don't think that would happen ever while in school. I hope this helps, I was struggling with my rankings so I know the feeling. Best of luck to you!

 

[stolen_biscuit]

Hey guys, I was lucky enough to get interviews at UTMB and TTUHSC this application cycle (no prematches though) and I've been trying to figure out how to rank them. I've been reading through the thread and looking at how y'all ranked the schools and noted that UTMB ranked higher than TTUHSC and was hoping to find out why.

Take my opinion with a grain of salt as I did not interview at UTMB (although my neighbor is a 4th year there and has been happy with it 🙂 ). I live south of Houston, so I am quite familiar with Galveston as a city. I did interview at Tech and got the same impression as you.

From what I've read on past threads while looking to see how people choose to rank schools, it seems location is the big draw. Most people appear to like all schools in TX and feel they would get a great education at any, but when it comes time to rank, preference is given to the city. Several of my traditional friends said they loved TTUHSC and would choose/have chosen it as #1 if it were in Houston; they just want to be in a city.

I'm a non-trad with a family and have been in this area a while, so we have been seeing the same physicians for years. My 2 favorite TX-trained physicians with great bedside manner did their residencies at UTMB. One was a med student at UTMB and one at Tech. They both enjoyed their training, are thorough, and are well-known in the area.

My point: I think you won't go wrong with either choice, so I'd go where you feel you will fit in and feel most comfortable. It seems a bad idea to choose a med school based on what others think about it, so you should create your own criteria for judgement.

 

[Whatyousay]

I did not interview at UTMB, although I have spent some time in Galveston. I did interview at San Antonio and would have chosen Tech over it. I would also chose TT over UTMB, but I don't know if my reasons are any good. I prefer the rural towns, I enjoy the home-y feeling of Lubbock, I love that it's part of a big university, they have a few dance halls (which in my opinion is all you need), the students at the school were happy and very easy to talk to, I love the big rec center, and exactly as you said it's SO CHEAP!! Lubbock isn't 15 minutes from Houston but how often does anyone really go into Houston in med school? For me, I don't think that would happen ever while in school. I hope this helps, I was struggling with my rankings so I know the feeling. Best of luck to you!

Don't forget the waterpark.

 

[tn4596]

The one downside of lubbock would be that you might get relocated. I haven't been to armarillo so there is a uncertainty factor there

 

[def1]

Any reason for this order? I'd recommend pretty much the reverse order.

I'm going to medical school to get a great education. Preclinical years don't mean much to me, but I want to attend a medical school where the 3rd year students are actually going to get a lot of good training and not just standing by like flies on the wall. I also really want to do research so I need a school with that available.

Location is important but I wouldn't put it over the other two.

And the students seemed happy at all the schools so it didn't really help in deciding at all.

 

[BoricuaMD]

I'm going to medical school to get a great education. Preclinical years don't mean much to me, but I want to attend a medical school where the 3rd year students are actually going to get a lot of good training and not just standing by like flies on the wall. I also really want to do research so I need a school with that available.

Location is important but I wouldn't put it over the other two.

And the students seemed happy at all the schools so it didn't really help in deciding at all.

I feel you on wanting to have good places to train for 3rd and 4th year, but I strongly believe you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would sincerely say you wouldn't get a great education at any of the Texas medical schools.

I agree with your statement about students seemingly being happy at all the schools, I noticed that as well.

 

[TheTruckGuy]

I never interviewed at UTMB, so I don't know what they had to offer, but I'd choose Lubbock over UTMB. My main reason is that when I interviewed at Lubbock, I really liked the new facilities, the advantages that come with being attached to an under grad institution (like a rec center), and a relatively small risk of getting hit by a hurricane. Also, when I was in the process of figuring out my application short comings the folks at Lubbock were extrememly helpful, told me to call them and spent quite some time on the phone with me going through my application. All I got back from a certain someone from UTMB was that my GPA was below their average. So that kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. But I'd still go to UTMB in a heart beat if invited.

 

[PennDippody]

I'm going to medical school to get a great education. Preclinical years don't mean much to me, but I want to attend a medical school where the 3rd year students are actually going to get a lot of good training and not just standing by like flies on the wall. I also really want to do research so I need a school with that available.

Location is important but I wouldn't put it over the other two.

And the students seemed happy at all the schools so it didn't really help in deciding at all.

I would agree that students seemed happy everywhere I went, too. I think also, that the "Happy" factor is really a matter of the individual - insofar as how you allow yourself to be. I think letting yourself be happy is key in whether or not your experience will differ from place to place.

 

[def1]

I would agree that students seemed happy everywhere I went, too. I think also, that the "Happy" factor is really a matter of the individual - insofar as how you allow yourself to be. I think letting yourself be happy is key in whether or not your experience will differ from place to place.

Yea I honestly would be happy at all the schools I think.

Since Feb 1st is fast approaching I feel myself getting all anxious and scared.

I have had 5 interviews (although 1 post rejection from TCOM) and I felt like all my interviews have gone very well. I feel like I have a good chance of getting matched this year but I can't help but worry that I'll be wait listed at all 4 remaining schools.

I felt really devastated not getting prematched anywhere, I'd feel even more miserable not getting a match anywhere.

 

[stolen_biscuit]

I felt really devastated not getting prematched anywhere, I'd feel even more miserable not getting a match anywhere.

I would suspect you match with that many interviews. If not, there is still a ton of waitlist movement among TX schools (and the rest of the US too, but a ripple effect here, it seems). That doesn't mean it's not stressful, I know, but it helps a little to think of the reality of the situation.

Also, in terms of how many people interview, very few pre-match. Remember that a lot of those will pre-match to multiple schools, so without redundancy, those numbers are even smaller. You are in the majority. On SDN, prematch seems common, but IRL I know only a few people in the last several years who have not had to wait until match day or after.

This process is extremely frustrating, but keep your chin up!

 

[armybound]

I'm going to medical school to get a great education. Preclinical years don't mean much to me, but I want to attend a medical school where the 3rd year students are actually going to get a lot of good training and not just standing by like flies on the wall. I also really want to do research so I need a school with that available.

Location is important but I wouldn't put it over the other two.

And the students seemed happy at all the schools so it didn't really help in deciding at all.

I think you underestimate the preclinical years and overestimate the clinical years.

But what do I know 🙂

 

[def1]

I would suspect you match with that many interviews. If not, there is still a ton of waitlist movement among TX schools (and the rest of the US too, but a ripple effect here, it seems). That doesn't mean it's not stressful, I know, but it helps a little to think of the reality of the situation.

Also, in terms of how many people interview, very few pre-match. Remember that a lot of those will pre-match to multiple schools, so without redundancy, those numbers are even smaller. You are in the majority. On SDN, prematch seems common, but IRL I know only a few people in the last several years who have not had to wait until match day or after.

This process is extremely frustrating, but keep your chin up!

Thanks appreciate the post.

 

[def1]

I think you underestimate the preclinical years and overestimate the clinical years.

But what do I know 🙂

earlier you were saying the curriculum was completely arbitrary, so why would preclinical be more important when deciding a school?

But its possible, I mean I have no idea what med school is like so I don't know what will be important once Im there.

Any reason why you think clinical years are not the most important part?

 

[nysw]

No one else has thoughts on UTMB vs. Lubbock?

And yeah def1, my order was fairly similar to that. I was thinking of more what opportunities they offered in the future, which was in fact why I was thinking of Lubbock so much. Their 3rd and 4th year offsites (Midland/Odessa and Amarillo) do not have surgery residents I believe, allowing the chance for med students to get hands on experience really early (I'm interested in cardiothoracic surgery).

Research opportunities, like I said, Galveston does offer the GNL, but I do not know how heavily associated it is with the medical school and the med students itself. Lubbock on the other hand, I would feel that it offers more different fields to research in.

Location, Lubbock does offer a nice feeling of suburbia (where I was born and raised in), so it instantly felt like home when I was driving around for a little bit. Galveston on the other hand seemed a little small, but like you stated, is close to Houston, so it offers the benefits of both which I really like (Lubbock has the option of suburbia or isolation out in the wilderness).

Happiness wise, the students at both schools were very laid back (then again I was interviewing during the Winter break for Lubbock) and quite nice at both schools.

This is the reason I'm having trouble, because I feel like overall, the schools would be comparable for me. Also has anybody heard of the med schools being able to see how you rank their schools relative to the other schools?

I can't give you thoughts on UTMB versus Tech specifically, because I didn't go to my Tech interview, and thus I have no idea what the school is like at all.

GNL (microbiology and immunology, vaccine development) is one of UTMB's strong points, but you probably didn't know that we have an awesome pharmacology & toxicology department, and we run the Houston-Galveston poison control center. We also have a lot of cancer biology research going on in collaboration with MD Anderson. The GNL itself is very associated with the medical school - everyone in that building is UTMB faculty, and the faculty are very open to having students work in their lab. There are a ton of MD only upperclassmen that do research during the school year, and the faculty are definitely open to teaching. All of my PBL facilitators so far have invited our PBL groups to research in their lab over the summer, or even shadow them in clinic.
There's a tons of different fields in both basic and clinical, and the proximity to the TMC also lends itself quite nicely to interesting collaborations.

Galveston is about 30 minutes away from Clear Lake, which is a suburb of Houston. There's a ton of stuff to do there, but Houston proper is only 45 minutes away. I personally head up to Houston 4 times a week for roller derby practice, and to just get away. Galveston has enough stuff to do despite being a small city, and is quite charming in places.

I hope this kind of helps. Also, pretty sure that the schools do not see your ranking list.

 

[TxResident]

Thanks for the opinions and advice guys! (Btw, in regards to whether or not a school can see your rankings, they can't supposedly, at least according to TMDSAS. Surprised I missed that ).

@DrBarbie08: I definitely know what you mean. I grew up in Richardson (iirc, you're from Dallas, or at least in Dallas atm) and I definitely felt at home once I arrived (thankfully the streets are better placed there).

@tn4596: They are fairly open to changes / staying where you want to spend your 3rd and 4th years from what the students there said. But I wouldn't be too worried at Lubbock since their offsites have no surgery residents --> you are the first assistant in the case of a surgery (at least from my understanding).

@bigtruckguy3500: Yeah, I was really impressed with the new facilities this time. It kind of turned me off that UTMB did not tour around most of their facilities. Also in regards to the SimLife center at TT, some of the students stated that not a lot of them use it (though I may have misheard).

@def1: Keep your chin up and always hope for the best.

@nysw: Yeah, haha I just noticed that on TMDSAS. Also thanks for the input on UTMB. I also didn't know y'all were involved with treating prisoners (a plus in my book, some of the students had amusing stories with them). And yeah, I was sort of leaning towards Galveston because of the living situations available. It seems they offer the best of both worlds depending on how you want it.

 

[armybound]

earlier you were saying the curriculum was completely arbitrary, so why would preclinical be more important when deciding a school?

But its possible, I mean I have no idea what med school is like so I don't know what will be important once Im there.

Any reason why you think clinical years are not the most important part?

The curriculum is arbitrary, as in the way they present the information doesn't matter, since you're going to learn it regardless. But learning that material is incredibly important for all aspects of your education. You have to pass tests, do well in courses, do well on Step (which comes directly from doing well in the first 2 years) and then impress on the wards.

Your time on the wards will consist largely of using or assimilating the material you learned in the preclinical years. What is expected of me on a daily basis has far more to do with the things I learned the first 2 years than what I have learned in third and fourth year. That basic medical knowledge is the foundation of the rest of your education and is vitally important.

To be honest, you don't learn or do a whole lot in third year, and I think that's fairly universal. At UT they are very much focused on student education and make sure we always see and present patients and get hands-on whenever possible, so I think I'm even speaking from having a great clinical background at UT, but even so, the vast majority of the pimping and presenting and day-to-day management of patients relies heavily on those preclinical years. Yeah I can get to the OR and impress them with my suture skills or I can present the hell out of a patient, but knowing what's going on with your patient and how to manage it (what's expected from you as a student) comes from what you learned in the preclinical years.

Don't get me wrong, the clinical years are important, but you don't really learn medicine in the trenches that way. You do learn the practical application of the fundamentals in clinical years, but it's not until residency when you learn the true clinical side of medicine.

So my view looking back on medical school is to go somewhere that you'll enjoy, which is where the students are happy, where the faculty are supportive of the students, where you'll enjoy living (close to family vs far from family, whichever you prefer), and if possible, somewhere that's convenient for you as a student, such as a place that doesn't have hospitals 20-30 miles away that you have to travel to. Medical school comes down a lot to convenience, such as how easy it is to get to/from required attendance lectures or rotations, minimal interference with your study time, and so forth.

This is just my opinion, and you're free to disagree. I do see a lot of things that premeds get hung up on that I've found to be irrelevant to my education, though, and I'd hate for somebody to pass up a school where they'd succeed for the wrong reasons.

 

[bollywoodlover]

+1

I totally agree. Convenience is a huge plus for me. Part of why I chose San Antonio over Galveston. I thought San Antonio was an incredibly livable city with everything you could possibly need close by. I think it would be convenient to do all the things I needed to do with little commute time and less traffic than Houston or Dallas. convenience for me results in more study time.

 

[def1]

The curriculum is arbitrary, as in the way they present the information doesn't matter, since you're going to learn it regardless. But learning that material is incredibly important for all aspects of your education. You have to pass tests, do well in courses, do well on Step (which comes directly from doing well in the first 2 years) and then impress on the wards.

Your time on the wards will consist largely of using or assimilating the material you learned in the preclinical years. What is expected of me on a daily basis has far more to do with the things I learned the first 2 years than what I have learned in third and fourth year. That basic medical knowledge is the foundation of the rest of your education and is vitally important.

To be honest, you don't learn or do a whole lot in third year, and I think that's fairly universal. At UT they are very much focused on student education and make sure we always see and present patients and get hands-on whenever possible, so I think I'm even speaking from having a great clinical background at UT, but even so, the vast majority of the pimping and presenting and day-to-day management of patients relies heavily on those preclinical years. Yeah I can get to the OR and impress them with my suture skills or I can present the hell out of a patient, but knowing what's going on with your patient and how to manage it (what's expected from you as a student) comes from what you learned in the preclinical years.

Don't get me wrong, the clinical years are important, but you don't really learn medicine in the trenches that way. You do learn the practical application of the fundamentals in clinical years, but it's not until residency when you learn the true clinical side of medicine.

So my view looking back on medical school is to go somewhere that you'll enjoy, which is where the students are happy, where the faculty are supportive of the students, where you'll enjoy living (close to family vs far from family, whichever you prefer), and if possible, somewhere that's convenient for you as a student, such as a place that doesn't have hospitals 20-30 miles away that you have to travel to. Medical school comes down a lot to convenience, such as how easy it is to get to/from required attendance lectures or rotations, minimal interference with your study time, and so forth.

This is just my opinion, and you're free to disagree. I do see a lot of things that premeds get hung up on that I've found to be irrelevant to my education, though, and I'd hate for somebody to pass up a school where they'd succeed for the wrong reasons.

This was an informative post. I did take into account whether the students were happy and location. I just didn't rank them as high because I got the general sense that at every school I went to, all the students seemed happy. As far as location, this was something I considered and why I chose TTEP over UTMB, because I am a El Paso native. However when it came down to UTH vs UTSW both seemed like great locations so it didn't help me decide.

 

[bollywoodlover]

Is Dallas traffic any better than Houston?

 

[MelonMan]

Is Dallas traffic any better than Houston?

Nah traffic is equally bad in both. Anyone telling you different is just trying to start a lame houston vs dallas debate.

 

[armybound]

You should also consider that your travel times won't be at peak traffic hours.

I hardly ever experience bad Houston traffic.

 

[TXLS11]

Ugh I'm having the hardest time trying to decide between UTH and UTHSCSA right now. As a San Antonio native living back in SA wouldn't be that bad for me. However when making this decision I'm trying to take out the location aspect of things since I've already decided that I like SA more than Houston. School-wise SA and UTH seem to be almost equal.

I'm having the same issue....curious to know your thought process. I keep going back and forth. I'm from houston but I like both cities.

 

[REPTAR013]

I'm having the same issue....curious to know your thought process. I keep going back and forth. I'm from houston but I like both cities.

I had first pre-ranked SA at the top of my list before vists right behind UTSW. So naturally I already went in with an SA bias. However come interviews I visited Houston for the first time, first at Baylor and then UTH. I absolutely fell in love with the TMC. To be honest, the South Texas Med Center and the UTSW Med Center does not in anyway compare to the TMC. So after the UTH interview it shot up my list, but still right below SA. It wasn't until I received a pre-match offer from UTH and SA that I seriously considered moving UTH over SA. I had heard that UTH gives very few pre-match offers out and I felt honored and really wanted by UTH at that point.

However it wasn't until I started going to look at the housing around the TMC and the student housing there that I start getting turned off by the city of Houston (no offense). I was still though semi-okay with having UTH over SA at that point, but now that I'm going into rankings I have to give up one of their pre-matches. Just by the looks and feel, UTH is obviously so much better than SA due to the TMC and their renovated buildings from hurricane Ike. With that being said, I'm primarily interested in going primary care, and I think SA offers the best opportunities for me in pediatrics and family medicine. I was really surprised and happy with their decision to partner with CHOP/Vanguard and build their own free-standing children's hospital. This also created more of a "rift" with Christus Santa Rosa and Methodist Systems. Both systems are looking into building their own hospitals in the med center now (well Santa Rosa, Methodist will be renovating), and frankly having 3 brand new children's hospitals in the med center is really appealing to me even if there are political disagreements between UTHSCSA and Christus/Methodist.

Further, I really am trying not to choose between cities here. So right now I'm trying to strip away cities/housing and just look at the schools themselves. Like someone above me said, it seems that SA's preclinical curriculum is better, but UTH clinical opportunities are better. I am looking at all the UTH affiliated hospitals and likewise for SA. I pay some attention to rankings, but not too much. Finally I try to ask myself which would better prepare me for the physician I want to be. This is definitely an extremely hard decision because I feel both schools will provide me with ample resources and training to become a great doctor. That is why I usually end up having to choose between cities which I don't want to do lol.

I'm not sure, I'm rambling, you can see how back and forth I am just reading this. Right now I'm leaning SA because of my ties to the city, the doctors I've shadowed and students I've met there, and their recent curriculum changes and partnership with CHOP.

 

[def1]

When do the schools make their final rank of the students? Do they still actively review applicants who have already interviewed after Dec? I'm just wondering if fall semester grades will make any difference in where students rank at a school, or do they not look at the updated transcripts for fall?

 

[bollywoodlover]

I think sometimes you just have to go with your gut/heart. You can't really go wrong with either UTH or UTHSCSA. CHOP seems like it will offer good opportunities and am so glad it will be opening in time for our rotations. I am also very optimistic about the new curriculum at SA and I think the shortened 2nd year will really benefit students when it comes to studying for boards.

 

[some_user86]

I had first pre-ranked SA at the top of my list before vists right behind UTSW. So naturally I already went in with an SA bias. However come interviews I visited Houston for the first time, first at Baylor and then UTH. I absolutely fell in love with the TMC. To be honest, the South Texas Med Center and the UTSW Med Center does not in anyway compare to the TMC. So after the UTH interview it shot up my list, but still right below SA. It wasn't until I received a pre-match offer from UTH and SA that I seriously considered moving UTH over SA. I had heard that UTH gives very few pre-match offers out and I felt honored and really wanted by UTH at that point.

However it wasn't until I started going to look at the housing around the TMC and the student housing there that I start getting turned off by the city of Houston (no offense). I was still though semi-okay with having UTH over SA at that point, but now that I'm going into rankings I have to give up one of their pre-matches. Just by the looks and feel, UTH is obviously so much better than SA due to the TMC and their renovated buildings from hurricane Ike. With that being said, I'm primarily interested in going primary care, and I think SA offers the best opportunities for me in pediatrics and family medicine. I was really surprised and happy with their decision to partner with CHOP/Vanguard and build their own free-standing children's hospital. This also created more of a "rift" with Christus Santa Rosa and Methodist Systems. Both systems are looking into building their own hospitals in the med center now (well Santa Rosa, Methodist will be renovating), and frankly having 3 brand new children's hospitals in the med center is really appealing to me even if there are political disagreements between UTHSCSA and Christus/Methodist.

Further, I really am trying not to choose between cities here. So right now I'm trying to strip away cities/housing and just look at the schools themselves. Like someone above me said, it seems that SA's preclinical curriculum is better, but UTH clinical opportunities are better. I am looking at all the UTH affiliated hospitals and likewise for SA. I pay some attention to rankings, but not too much. Finally I try to ask myself which would better prepare me for the physician I want to be. This is definitely an extremely hard decision because I feel both schools will provide me with ample resources and training to become a great doctor. That is why I usually end up having to choose between cities which I don't want to do lol.

I'm not sure, I'm rambling, you can see how back and forth I am just reading this. Right now I'm leaning SA because of my ties to the city, the doctors I've shadowed and students I've met there, and their recent curriculum changes and partnership with CHOP.

Will the new children's hospital be ready in time for your third and fourth years?

 

[bollywoodlover]

Dr. jones said CHOP will be ready to rotate in by third year, but I guess there are no guarantees.

 

[REPTAR013]

Will the new children's hospital be ready in time for your third and fourth years?

Dr. jones said CHOP will be ready to rotate in by third year, but I guess there are no guarantees.

Yup, plans are it should be ready 2-3 years from now. The other hospitals may be open in 3+ years depending on how far along their plans are.

 

[TXLS11]

I don't know if this has to do with location exactly, but after looking at the apartments in both areas, SA appears to have a far better selection at an affordable rate. In houston I would want to live on or within walking distance of the rail, but the rating for those apartments say there is a rather high crime rate (car break ins mainly). If cost were to be factored in, I believe SA has slightly higher tuition, but houston has high cost of living plus if I didn't live on the rail I'd probably pay the $150/month for the parking garage. I'm not one to bike to school.

I was drawn to SA mainly because I got the interview so early and pre matched right away and didn't hear from houston until the end of November. I had already decided I was going to SA. I even went to my houston interview expecting to not like it as much as I liked SA, but I ended up really enjoying everything. I think the curriculum sounds great at SA and I really like how they set up your laptop for you, configured and in your fees.

As for the type of medicine I want to go into....I really like internal medicine and the subspecialties (onc, ID) and derm. But I definitely am open to other specialties, even surgery depending on how med school really is once I get there. I don't want to have all these high expectations for myself before I know how difficult if may be.

Does houston have a pre matriculation program? I'm not aware of one, but that is something that SA and utmb offer and all the students I have talked to that have done that highly recommend it.

Ok there was my rant...lol

 

[armybound]

Yes, UTH has a pre-entry program.

 

[Salaam]

This decision is way harder than I thought it would be! Anyone else still conflicted? Can't believe rankings are due in less than a week!

 

[annonymous819]

Is the background check for AAMC schools different than for TMDSAS schools? I just submitted for my AAMC schools through certiphi but UTHSCSA's website says that they require one that is $40 through certiphi? Are these not the same?