TMDSAS Ranking help

[HoneyKat]

I have been lucky enough to receive 4 II this cycle and I know my top two choices but I'm having trouble deciding between my bottom two

My current ranking is :

1.UTMB

2.Long

3/4 : TCOM vs UTRGV


I was blessed to receive a prematch acceptance from TCOM (DO) so at the very least I know I will have the opportunity to attend, but am I crazy for potentially wanting to rank them higher than UTRGV (MD). I know that TCOM is a well respected DO school and is very competitive when it comes to residency placements when compared to other DO schools which is one of the reasons I think I may want to go there above UTRGV. But here are a list of my other pros and cons

TCOM pros:

• Fort Worth Tx
  • close to my boyfriend and his family as well as close to Dallas which is an urban setting that I find myself comfortable at
• low cost tuition ($13,000 for TX residents)
• they have a cadaver lab (not too important but still think its super cool)
• They have their own dermatology DO program and at the moment dermatology is the specialty I would like to pursue (I know this may very well change as I go through med school though)

TCOM cons:

• DO
  • If I do end up wanting to pursue other competitive specialities I know Ill be at a slight disadvantage because of these letters

UTRGV pros:

• MD school so I wont have to worry about DO discrimination
• Small class size

UTRGV cons:

• very far from my home town (5 hrs)
• rural area
  • I know their focus is border health while I would like to be located in a more urban area post med school graduation
• More expensive than TCOM (about $19,000)
  • still very affordable when looking at the grand scheme of things.

Most people always say to rank MD over DO but i'm not sure in this case, Id love and appreciate any advice. Thank you in advance!

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[HoneyKat]

Dermatology
DO Students Applied: 61
DO Students Matched: 35 (57%)

MD Students Applied: 471
MD Students Matched: 368 (78%)

I'm familiar that TCOM is different than the rest of the DO schools given how established it is. However, the data and students will back the mantra that MD is the easier route to competitive specialties. I would rank UTRGV higher. You do have some decent arguments for TCOM, but none of them would be convincing enough for me. It's a stupid game, but thats how it is

thank you so much for your input!

 

[SolidDoc]

I agree with Kracin. While TCOM is a great school, I just think attending a good MD school like UTRGV will better benefit you in your career. I would rank UTRGV higher simply because it is an MD school & its on the rise in terms of rankings. The community is beautiful and if you want to go for a competitive speciality, they have great networks of research and health institutions to get you where you need to go. Plus, the small class size is great! YOu will be able to develop stronger relationships with your classmates & professors. Hope this helps! They also had a 100% match rate this past cycle!

 

[Drsecondchance]

Not crazy to rank TCOM higher, but I think the others are right that if you want something competitive, outside of Texas UTRGV is the safer choice. However, you could still decide that you're okay with that small risk and attend TCOM, knowing that it's the top DO school and, at least inside Texas, not likely to hurt you much to have attended there. Certainly, there are a good many DO dermatologists in the world and you could be one. Good luck in your decision!

 

[mcatstudent1]

I think the cost is negligible. I think you may have more opportunities with MD. Med school is very general; for the first three years everyone has the same curriculum. For derm or something competitive, you will be happy you applied MD. Also you may end up doing a research year anyway (derm) and can pick someplace more urban for that. I actually preferred being away from family in med school, helped me study better.