The Republic of Texas XXXII: Everything is better in the Lonestar State

[Amygdarya]

---

Members don't see this ad.

This reminds me: confidence is a good thing, arrogance is not.

 

[sprintuser]

I have a 3.6 GPA (including community college classes) and low 30s MCAT. I'm not an URM, but I do come from a low socioeconomic background. I've graduated, but I'm not applying this cycle. So basically there will be a 2 year gap from when I graduated to when I start (hopefully) med school. I don't think I'll be doing anything meaning, maybe a mundane job during these 2 years.

I've done plenty of shadowing and volunteering. I'm guessing my rec letters are decent, but not great. I also predict my personal statements to be decent, but not great either. What are my chances at getting into a Texas school, particularly UTHSCH, Baylor, or UTSW?

 

[Dbate]

I have a 3.6 GPA (including community college classes) and low 30s MCAT. I'm not an URM, but I do come from a low socioeconomic background. I've graduated, but I'm not applying this cycle. So basically there will be a 2 year gap from when I graduated to when I start (hopefully) med school. I don't think I'll be doing anything meaning, maybe a mundane job during these 2 years.

I've done plenty of shadowing and volunteering. I'm guessing my rec letters are decent, but not great. I also predict my personal statements to be decent, but not great either. What are my chances at getting into a Texas school, particularly UTHSCH, Baylor, or UTSW?

The best indicator for chances stats wise would probably be the MSAR.

 

[bubba2nark]

Has it been really dead as far as interview invites go or is no one posting that they got invites anymore? I'm beginning to think something is wrong with my application since I haven't heard back from anyone.

 

[Amygdarya]

I have a 3.6 GPA (including community college classes) and low 30s MCAT. I'm not an URM, but I do come from a low socioeconomic background. I've graduated, but I'm not applying this cycle. So basically there will be a 2 year gap from when I graduated to when I start (hopefully) med school. I don't think I'll be doing anything meaning, maybe a mundane job during these 2 years.

I've done plenty of shadowing and volunteering. I'm guessing my rec letters are decent, but not great. I also predict my personal statements to be decent, but not great either. What are my chances at getting into a Texas school, particularly UTHSCH, Baylor, or UTSW?

I can't tell you what your chances are at any of the TX schools, but what I can tell is not doing anything meaningful over the 2 years preceding med school (the sentence I have bolded) is not a good thing to have on your resume. You better do something at least remotely exciting, so it's not a complete downer to talk about at med school interviews 🙂 I mean, I do understand that it's not easy to find a great job now, but please try to find something at least remotely meaningful - or try changing your attitude toward whatever work you end up doing.

Community college classes are certainly not going to kill your app at TX state schools; I don't know about Baylor.

To improve your application, I know that Baylor and UTSW like research. They like it a lot. So, if you could find some research opportunities, that would be great.

 

[Amygdarya]

Has it been really dead as far as interview invites go or is no one posting that they got invites anymore? I'm beginning to think something is wrong with my application since I haven't heard back from anyone.

1. It does seem like it's been really quiet. It has certainly been quiet in terms of TX schools for me: I haven't heard anything from any TX schools in over a month.
2. Hang in there! It's still only the beginning of the cycle. I understand your anxiety (I think most of us, fellow applicants, do): the first post-secondary communication I received from any medical school was a rejection - boy, did I freak out 😀 But then it went better from that point on 😉 Bottom line: be patient, have faith.

 

[SCX1]

Has it been really dead as far as interview invites go or is no one posting that they got invites anymore? I'm beginning to think something is wrong with my application since I haven't heard back from anyone.

Me too man, I haven't heard anything back from my last Texas II which was over a month ago from uthscsa

 

[QuantumJ]

Has it been really dead as far as interview invites go or is no one posting that they got invites anymore? I'm beginning to think something is wrong with my application since I haven't heard back from anyone.

It does seem that way. UTHSCSA and UTH seem especially quite (based solely on these forums).

 

[bubba2nark]

I guess I'm glad I'm not the only one....

Just got an e-mail about meeting with the dean of admission at UTHSCSA. Freaked out and thought maybe it was a one-on-one but found it was just sent out to anyone who received an interview invite at my undergrad. With him being there only an hour I doubt I will get to talk to him...Damn 🙁

 

[BlueLabel]

I guess I'm glad I'm not the only one....

Just got an e-mail about meeting with the dean of admission at UTHSCSA. Freaked out and thought maybe it was a one-on-one but found it was just sent out to anyone who received an interview invite at my undergrad. With him being there only an hour I doubt I will get to talk to him...Damn 🙁

So wait, did you get an invite from UTHSCSA? Seems like it would be a good opportunity to take advantage of if you can meet with the Dean.

 

[QuantumJ]

I've decided this is how they choose who to invite:

 

[armybound]

I have a 3.6 GPA (including community college classes) and low 30s MCAT. I'm not an URM, but I do come from a low socioeconomic background. I've graduated, but I'm not applying this cycle. So basically there will be a 2 year gap from when I graduated to when I start (hopefully) med school. I don't think I'll be doing anything meaning, maybe a mundane job during these 2 years.

I've done plenty of shadowing and volunteering. I'm guessing my rec letters are decent, but not great. I also predict my personal statements to be decent, but not great either. What are my chances at getting into a Texas school, particularly UTHSCH, Baylor, or UTSW?

your GPA and MCAT wouldn't stop you from getting an interview at some of those. What's going to make the biggest impact is what you do with your time, what your letters look like, and especially what your personal statement says.

your stats and story sound a lot like mine. if you sell yourself well, you should be able to get good interviews.

 

[bubba2nark]

So wait, did you get an invite from UTHSCSA? Seems like it would be a good opportunity to take advantage of if you can meet with the Dean.

Wish it was an invite. It was just the dean of admissions giving a talk to the undergrads and met with some students before hand. I couldn't get out of work to be there before his talk so I had to skip it.

 

[BlueLabel]

I've decided this is how they choose who to invite:

Really? I thought it was more like this

 

[QuantumJ]

I like it. I'll say it's a toss up between the two. Although I do so see a scared child (me), a few adults in suits (adcoms) and a chicken w/ it's head cut off (my dreams)

 

[sprintuser]

your GPA and MCAT wouldn't stop you from getting an interview at some of those. What's going to make the biggest impact is what you do with your time, what your letters look like, and especially what your personal statement says.

your stats and story sound a lot like mine. if you sell yourself well, you should be able to get good interviews.

What did you do during your break? Any of the health-related jobs (scribe, office assistant, etc.) seem to pay minimum wage. I'm open to any type of meaningful/interesting (not only health-related) jobs that pay enough to comfortably live on your own. Seems like my science degree isn't very useful.

 

[lovemango]

I have a 3.6 GPA (including community college classes) and low 30s MCAT. I'm not an URM, but I do come from a low socioeconomic background. I've graduated, but I'm not applying this cycle. So basically there will be a 2 year gap from when I graduated to when I start (hopefully) med school. I don't think I'll be doing anything meaning, maybe a mundane job during these 2 years.

I've done plenty of shadowing and volunteering. I'm guessing my rec letters are decent, but not great. I also predict my personal statements to be decent, but not great either. What are my chances at getting into a Texas school, particularly UTHSCH, Baylor, or UTSW?

I took 2 years off before starting med school last month, but I worked as an ER scribe for a year and a half. Almost all of my interviewers brought up the scribing gig, and I also traveled quite a bit during that time, so my experiences gave me some good points of discussion to start off with.

 

[Dbate]

Is UT Southwestern receptive to "in the area" emails?

 

[texan2414]

BUMP where is everybody?

 

[Dbate]

BUMP where is everybody?

Probably just busy with life.

I finished all my Texas interviews (and I am sitting on all the ones I am probably going to get), so now it is just a countdown to Nov. 15.


This is going to be the longest 6 weeks of my life

 

[Pseudonymity]

I've been in a cold spell for II's here

 

[Chillbo Baggins]

I finished all my Texas interviews (and I am sitting on all the ones I am probably going to get), so now it is just a countdown to Nov. 15.


This is going to be the longest 6 weeks of my life

45 days! Just gotta keep enjoying life.

 

[Dbate]

I've been in a cold spell for II's here

With invites to Columbia, Baylor and UTSW, your cold spell would be a hot spring for me! 😀

 

[Pseudonymity]

With invites to Columbia, Baylor and UTSW, your cold spell would be hot spring for me! 😀

It's been over a month though!

 

[QuantumJ]

Haven't heard anything in over a month. I feel like I'm competitive at UTH UTHSCSA and TT lubbock so I'll probably wait until the end of Oct and maybe send some letters of interest (not to Houston considering their email ).

 

[Dbate]

It's been over a month though!

I totally understand. I got alot of interviews early on and every since Sept. 6, I've heard nothing.

I keep telling myself I am not going to get anymore interviews (to force me to stop checking my email), but it hasn't worked 🙁

 

[miss chievous]

You guys can't be complaining after not hearing for a few weeks!

I received 2 TX MD interviews in July and haven't heard anything from any other TX school since! What gives!? I thought getting invites that early was a sign of much more to come...sigh 🙁

 

[PescadoAmor]

You guys can't be complaining after not hearing for a few weeks!

I received 2 TX MD interviews in July and haven't heard anything from any other TX school since! What gives!? I thought getting invites that early was a sign of much more to come...sigh 🙁

I'm in the exact same boat miss chievous. I have high hopes for us though!

 

[SCX1]

You guys can't be complaining after not hearing for a few weeks!

I received 2 TX MD interviews in July and haven't heard anything from any other TX school since! What gives!? I thought getting invites that early was a sign of much more to come...sigh 🙁

Hang in there bud, I haven't heard back from anyone for 2 months. Octobor will be our month...hopefully lol.

 

[McRunner]

I feel y'all. I haven't heard anything either.

 

[MackandBlues]

Yea I haven't heard anything except from TCOM but I've only been complete for 1.5 months or so.

 

[deleted393595]

Just popped in here to say good luck to all of y'all!

Why would you even care about this?

+1

 

[Dbate]

More than anything the wait is killing me.

Apparently, multiple schools make decisions on admissions on interview day (A&M) or rank you right after the interview (Baylor & UTH, i think), but we can't find out until Nov. 15!


And on top of that the OOS, students get to find out in less than two weeks.

I don't know know how to pass the time. Any advice?

I can tell this is going to be a long two months T_T


P.S. GL to everyone! If you get an invite to UT Houston, then you are going to be in for an awesome day. We even got to see the life flight take off from the helicopter pad 😍

 

[Status Sciaticus]

In the same situation. Last inteview invite I had was the second week of august.

Still waiting on:

UTH
UTSW
BCM

 

[bubba2nark]

I am seriously losing hope..... Only 1 DO invite since I had my application entirely complete, nothing from any of the MD schools. I am beginning to think something is wrong with my application and I have no idea what it could be. This sucks.

 

[bunionberry]

Just so that we don't go insane, what is usually the last day Texas school have interviews for in-state students? I keep telling myself I have until December to hear back from schools but it doesn't feel very encouraging hearing that from myself.

:\

 

[FSOG]

Will all TX publics send out pre-matches on 11/15? Are there any that send pre-matches out only on 11/15 as opposed to offering them throughout the remainder of 2013? I realize UTSW takes the majority of its class through prematch, whereas UTH takes very few and prefers to release offers during match...what are the percentages of pre-match acceptances at the other schools?

 

[QuantumJ]

Will all TX publics send out pre-matches on 11/15? Are there any that send pre-matches out only on 11/15 as opposed to offering them throughout the remainder of 2013? I realize UTSW takes the majority of its class through prematch, whereas UTH takes very few and prefers to release offers during match...what are the percentages of pre-match acceptances at the other schools?

Tech El Paso said they were very conservative with the prematch and did most of their acceptances through the match. UNT said the same. A&M said they do a lot of prematching.

 

[EE12BMD]

Does anyone know the class size for each Tx public school?

 

[BlueLabel]

Tech El Paso said they were very conservative with the prematch and did most of their acceptances through the match. UNT said the same. A&M said they do a lot of prematching.

I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, but I don't remember Foster saying that and if you look at their stats for EY 2013 they prematched 214 for a class of 100. I'm not sure how this compares to their total acceptances because that isn't listed, but it seems to me that that's a pretty significant amount of prematches given the class size. I also don't remember TCOM saying that and don't recall getting that impression from their statistics, but again I could be wrong.

Here's the link: http://www.ttuhsc.edu/fostersom/admissions/plfsom_stats_ey_2009.aspx

I encourage everyone with questions like this to first just go to each school's page and poke around for their statistics. Prematch ratio may be slightly more elusive, but you can absolutely find class sizes on your own with a minimal amount of effort. If anyone better informed than I am has some input I'd love to hear it.

 

[lovemango]

Just so that we don't go insane, what is usually the last day Texas school have interviews for in-state students? I keep telling myself I have until December to hear back from schools but it doesn't feel very encouraging hearing that from myself.

:\

I think most schools have their last interview day in December, but I know UTSW lists January 11, 18 as their last two dates.

 

[QuantumJ]

I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, but I don't remember Foster saying that and if you look at their stats for EY 2013 they prematched 214 for a class of 100. I'm not sure how this compares to their total acceptances because that isn't listed, but it seems to me that that's a pretty significant amount of prematches given the class size. I also don't remember TCOM saying that and don't recall getting that impression from their statistics, but again I could be wrong.

Here's the link: http://www.ttuhsc.edu/fostersom/admissions/plfsom_stats_ey_2009.aspx

I encourage everyone with questions like this to first just go to each school's page and poke around for their statistics. Prematch ratio may be slightly more elusive, but you can absolutely find class sizes on your own with a minimal amount of effort. If anyone better informed than I am has some input I'd love to hear it.

Interesting and I hope that means I hear sooner 😉. I remeber el paso specifically telling us to not be discouraged about not hearing during the pre-match because they only accepted a few during that time. The UNT presenter said the same. I wonder why we heard different things. Great link btw.

I'm still waiting on UT in houston and san antonio. I was hoping they hadn't seen my application yet and I could get an interview before Nov 15 but I'm hoping there's still time for late Nov and Dec interview times.

 

[BlueLabel]

Interesting and I hope that means I hear sooner 😉. I remeber el paso specifically telling us to not be discouraged about not hearing during the pre-match because they only accepted a few during that time. The UNT presenter said the same. I wonder why we heard different things.

I seem to remember them saying not to be discouraged if you don't pre-match because the possibility still exists to match outright. But like I said I don't have all the information so I can't say for sure what is or isn't true about this.

 

[Canada10]

I am a canadian citizen and will graduate this year from an american university. I have applied to all the MD schools in TX via TMDSAS on Aug 2. I haven't heard anything at all from any schools about interview invites. I am just wondering if I am outa luck or if anyone has any info being out of state and what to expect etc. I have a 4.0, 30 MCAT, Very Strong Ex Curr's.

 

[Amygdarya]

I am a canadian citizen and will graduate this year from an american university. I have applied to all the MD schools in TX via TMDSAS on Aug 2. I haven't heard anything at all from any schools about interview invites. I am just wondering if I am outa luck or if anyone has any info being out of state and what to expect etc. I have a 4.0, 30 MCAT, Very Strong Ex Curr's.

Canada10, I hate to be a downer, but TX state schools only take 10% of the class OOS and are even less open to internationals. I can't speak of all TX schools - you should check their web sites yourself - but I know that, for example, UTSW doesn't accept any internationals starting this year (they did accept applications from internationals last year, but they don't anymore). Do you have US permanent residency aka green card? If yes, you're OK, if no, UTSW won't consider you (but I can't speak of other schools).
Also, 30 MCAT for an international is not very high. Hopefully, your great GPA will compensate for it, but it would be much better if you had a higher MCAT. It has been said that average MCAT of accepted international applicants is about 2 point higher than MCAT of accepted US citizens/permanent residents - so, I'm afraid, a MCAT of 30 may not be great for an international applying even to schools with lower accepted stats.

 

[Dallasmavs]

Really hoping a few of the schools go on invite sprees. Getting worried only having 1 interview.

 

[bubba2nark]

Really hoping a few of the schools go on invite sprees. Getting worried only having 1 interview.

I'm hoping all the schools go on invite sprees.... Something needs to happen soon or I'm going to go crazy lol.

 

[McRunner]

i'm hoping all the schools go on invite sprees.... Something needs to happen soon or i'm going to go crazy lol.

+1

 

[whitehouses23]

Hey y'all, I posted this in the MCAT discussion but I'd really appreciate your input as well! I'm kind of facing a dilemma on when to take my MCAT. But I was just told that I should probably wait until June 2014 to take it so that I have some time after the semester's over to dedicate full-time to studying. But since the Texas med school apps open earlier than other schools (I think around May 1st?), would pushing the MCAT back be detrimental in any way, since I won't be able to submit my app until later? I also plan on starting to study during winter break, as soon as this semester's exams are over (so that gives me about 4ish months if I plan on April)

Good luck to everyone still waiting for interviews!

 

[texas123456]

In my opinion, taking your MCAT the June before you apply is pretty late. You'll get your scores a month later in July, which doesn't push you back too much. But - if you don't do well enough during the first time then you've basically guaranteed you're going to have to put off med school for another year because it will be too late to study and retake. I was scheduled to take mine in March and ended up pushing it back to May 30. While it ended up working out for the best, the pressure of knowing that it was my only shot for this application cycle was a lot to handle. On the other hand, don't take it in April if you aren't ready for it. But since that is 6 months from now, you have quite a bit of time to start preparing 🙂 That is just my opinion though. Other people may feel differently!