To all Texas Pre-Med's and Med's

[Mr. Beef]

Hi, I just first want to say this is my second post here, and I just want to congradulate those of you that are well on your way to medical school.

Now to the meat and potatoes of my posting.

I am what you might call a non-Traditional student. I gave up a good job a couple of years ago to go to a technical school and so far things have not panned out career wise on that front. I'm back in school taking a couple of classes at a community college that have nothing to do with being a pre-med student, but I figure after being out a couple of years I need to ease back in.

Now allow me a little room to roam on this post and I'll try not to take up to much of your time. Anyway, I grew up loving science and I even attended the Health Professions high school in Dallas for my high school years. I learned a lot there and I figured going into medicine would be the next logical step.

So far all I have on my transcript is a bunch of social science classes as well as College Algebra, and a few other classes needed for an Associate Degree.

I have a few questions that I will direct first at the folks who have made it into medical school.

What was your major? I hear the Physical sciences are a safe bet to major in for a bachlors degree, but for me that does not seem like an easy thing to do. I know from reading one of the sticky's above that you can major in anything as long as you take the required classes to help you on the MCAT, and to get the prerequisites into medical school.

For those of you in the Dallas Area, where did you volunteer? I am aready doing work for Baylor Hospital in one of their Senior Clinics near where I live, and I am considering Parkland as another place to do work since I called them today and they said they had a lot of pre-meds volunteer there. The problem I'm running into is that none of the hospitals will let you work directly with patients without being on their Payroll. Medical records is all well and good, but that's only one hour three days week at the most.

How hard was the MCAT? I hate to think my medical school dreams will ride on one test and then find out I only make a high 20 something on my MCAT.

Interviews are kind of hard for me because I have a tendency to go on and on and jump topics at the drop of the hat. How were the Interviews? I'm an okay off-the-cuff speaker, but I don't like to brag about myself.

Should I take my physical science classes at a Community College or go for it and actually go to a 4 year university and take them there? I'm thinking go to a four year college and take them there since reseach projects will probably be going on there and we all know how important reseach is to getting into the med school that you really want.

Finally: Did anyone from Dallas get into UT Southwestern? I'm only asking this because I would like to attend UT Southwestern since most of my family lives in Dallas and that means cheap room and board.

I look forward to your answers.

Thanks,

Mr. Beef

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[Zondeare]

What was your major? I hear the Physical sciences are a safe bet to major in for a bachlors degree, but for me that does not seem like an easy thing to do. I know from reading one of the sticky's above that you can major in anything as long as you take the required classes to help you on the MCAT, and to get the prerequisites into medical school.

Major in something you love. College is a time to learn more about who you are. Honestly, major doesn't mean much. If you aren't good at biology (or don't like it) you might need to think really hard about keeping with medicine.

For those of you in the Dallas Area, where did you volunteer? ...The problem I'm running into is that none of the hospitals will let you work directly with patients without being on their Payroll. Medical records is all well and good, but that's only one hour three days week at the most.

I recommend Children's hospital or Scotish Rite. They'll let you play with the kids. If you want to do peds, it's perfect. If you want to do surgery or something along that line, you can work as a "sitter" in the post-op room and help kids recover from surgery when they can't be near their parents. Plus, Children's is affiliated with Southwestern- you might meet someone to write you a good rec letter.

How hard was the MCAT? I hate to think my medical school dreams will ride on one test and then find out I only make a high 20 something on my MCAT.

The MCAT is different for everybody. Some people don't study at all and get a 42. Others work their hearts out and get a 25. It depends on who you are, what kind of test taker you are, and what your strengths are. If you REALLY want to do medicine, don't let the MCAT scare you away. If the MCAT is scaring you away, you don't want to do medicine. There are much harder tests in front of people who are in medical school (like the boards). The MCAT is only the beginning.

Interviews are kind of hard for me because I have a tendency to go on and on and jump topics at the drop of the hat. How were the Interviews? I'm an okay off-the-cuff speaker, but I don't like to brag about myself.

Some interviews are really tough- designed that way to separate the cream from the rest. Others just want to try to convince you that their school is the best and place the real emphasis on your application.

Should I take my physical science classes at a Community College or go for it and actually go to a 4 year university and take them there? I'm thinking go to a four year college and take them there since reseach projects will probably be going on there and we all know how important reseach is to getting into the med school that you really want.

Everything is relative. Community college is probably fine, but make sure you take hard courses and really understand the material. I'm not about to tell you that it's just as good as a high quality 4 year university, but you won't be turned down based on where you went took pre-med classes.

Finally: Did anyone from Dallas get into UT Southwestern? I'm only asking this because I would like to attend UT Southwestern since most of my family lives in Dallas and that means cheap room and board.

Yes. I'm a long time Dallas resident. I went to high school and undergrad here and now am at UTSW. 5 other people from my college also are at UTSW in my class with me. (I went to SMU, not a school I recommend for pre-med even though the numbers don't sound terrible)

 

[Brain]

Hello Mr. Beef,

I was a microbiology major. You're right in that you can major in whatever you want as long as you take certain courses. The advantage of a science degree is that the pre-req courses are built into your degree and you don't go out of your way to extra courses. There are other options of course; for example, a friend of mine majored in the humanities and got a minor in biology. Major in whatever will make you the happiest because it may make it easier to get the high grades you'll need.

As far as the MCAT goes: Well, I found it easier than the ACT and SAT mostly because I've grown up a lot since I took those tests and have since learned to study and focus. It is much easier than the GRE, at least in my opinion. It still is a challenging test that you'll have to spend a lot of time studying for. I read a statistic somewhere that people who got in the 30's did so because they studied 300+ hours for it. I studied for it about an hour a day everyday for 6 months.

To address your concerns about not actually having patient contact volunteering in the DFW are hospitals, any exposure to the healthcare system will be helpful. There are also other acceptable options that will allow you to get patient contact. I volunteered for a county health department where I got to provide information to patients with notifiable disease and got to go to senior centers to give presentations on West Nile virus and answer any questions they had. I had an awesome time with this. Good luck and hope this helped.

*Edit* Forgot to mention this: Be sure to check out the interview feedback site for info on how an interview may go at a particular school. Here's a link:
http://www.studentdoctor.net/interview/interview_read.asp

 

[drfunktacular]

Major:
I tell people that they are missing the point entirely if they are thinking "this major is a safe bet to get me into med school." You are going to learn plenty of scientific information once you GET to med school, probably more than your brain can hold. So obviously being prepared is a big help--hence the undergraduate course requirements. That is the purpose of those requirements: to prepare you. Other than that, you should major in whatever is going to make you the happiest, most awesome, interesting, bitchin' human being you can be, because that is what med schools want of you. That said, if you LOVE science, simply CANNOT GET ENOUGH of de novo synthesis pathways, will DIE if you don't characterize more enzyme kinetic profiles experimentally, then by all means, get hardcore and major in biochem or chemistry. In any case, you should take these classes at the most advanced level you can manage (a four-year school would be better than a 2-year). [One caveat to this is that if you ARE in your advanced science classes (biochem, physiology, whatever) and hate it, maybe you should start considering whether medicine is really the career for you. Not all doctors are scientists, but good medicine is based on good science. Because of that you are going to have to learn lots of science, and if you are going to be miserable doing that for the next 4-? years, you should probably give some serious thought to what about medicine it is that attracts you.] I myself am fascinated by biochemistry, but only as a means to an end. I am a philosophy major (accepted to med school [UTMB] last week), and I truly feel like I have made the most of my college experience. I have learned the way the world's greatest thinkers approached its greatest problems, and even though I cannot emulate it, I can at least appreciate it. In philosophical study, one is also taught to synthesize and apply information in a way that most science majors do not teach one to do so (interviewers LOVE hearing this, fyi). So--major in whatever, repeat: WHATEVER, you think is awesome/interesting/world-shaking/etc., and figure out how to work in those pesky pre-req's.

Now, the MCAT:
The MCAT is designed to test your mastery of the aforementioned pre-requisite course topics. More accurately, it is designed to test your ability to apply your mastery of those topics to novel/situational problems. That being the case, I would recommend hitting it as soon as you're done with your intro years of bio, physics and organic. Biochem and more advanced biology will certainly help, but they are only ancillary material to the test. Also (and here is a benefit of the pick-any-major policy) the verbal section is a GREAT place to rack up some points, and med school admissions committees love it. I personally got a 34 on the MCAT without taking any kind of prep class, or really without even studying for it. How? I was a few weeks from the end of my second-semester organic and bio classes so I was as up on those subjects as I would conceivably ever be, and I was so used to reading complicated and dense (and often unintelligible) texts in my philosophy classes, that my 13 on the verbal section compensated for a relatively tepid 10 on the physical sciences section. The MCAT is hard, but it is not impossible. It is a little bit different from other standardized tests (eg, the SAT) in that it doesn't test your knowledge so much as it tests your ability to use whatever knowledge you have in combination with information that the test presents to you. While I was taking it, I was reminded of the "reading passages" on the SAT more than anything--in each passage, there will be a few questions that test factual knowledge,but the majority will be things you can figure out by applying basic scientific principles to the information presented in the passage.

Volunteering:
I don't know anything about the Dallas volunteer market, but the "mandatory volunteering" is one of my pet peeves, namely because it is a non-entity. It is like your major: if you just HAVE to spend four hours a week pushing hospital beds up and down hallways, then get going. But there are many, many other things to do with your time that will make you a better person (and thus a better medical school applicant) in the end. Take up SCUBA diving. If you are concerned with other people's medical welfare, get involved with Amnesty International or Oxfam or some other international relief NGO. Or if you want to volunteer somewhere, do it at a homeless shelter or elementary school, or somewhere else you will be making a real difference. Squirting disinfectant on vomit stains in the Parkland ER will certainly help someone, but if you and every other volunteer stopped going, they would just pay someone $5.75 an hour to do it.

Interviews:
These are a huge cause of anxiety for most people, but virtually everyone I know will tell you that almost all of that anxiety is swept away after their first interview. These doctors are just wanting to know whether you would fit well at their school, and whether they have anything to offer you and your interests. Read up on what doctors do. Think about what you would like to do within the colossal field of medicine. Do you want to work in path labs all day? Do you want to sew up machete wounds in the namibian jungle? Do you want to prescribe anxiety meds to rich housewives all day? Someone has to do all these things, and you have to do something. Now is as good a time as any to start trying some of them on for size. If nothing else, it will give you something good to talk about, and the interviewers will know you are psyched to get on to med school.

Research:
The importance of research to getting into med school is another myth. I have asked my interviewers about this, and they have told me essentially the same thing I have already said about your major and volunteering: If you are unbelievably pumped to learn scientific protocols and perform a lot of repetetive laboratory tasks (and wash a lot of glassware), or if you think you will actually have an opportunity to be in a situation where you can really contribute something meaningful and learn something important and useful to you THAT YOU WILL ENJOY, then go for it. But if you are just doing it because "it will get you into med school" that is a RED LIGHT. People reading your application or interviewing you will see this clearly. Not only that, but you will have wasted one of the greatest opportunities in your life to become an expert (or at least very knowledgable) about anything and everythign that interests you. If research is what you want, you will have multitudes of opportunities to do so in med school, with better resources and more active involvement. If you just can't resist now, go for it. But it will not "get you in" if you are a boring person.

Hope some of this helps.

[Aside: does anyone else find any of this to be true/helpful? I was always discouraged throughout college by what seemed to me to be the insanity of other pre-meds in adhering religiously to the checklist approach to med school admissions. Few people stop to consider that filling out the checklist essentially renders you indistinguishable from every other pre-med who is also checking off "biology major", "volunteer hours", "research", "pre-med honor society", ad nauseam. Anyway, if people find this to be helpful, please let me know because I have been thinking about collecting it all in a homebrew guide to being pre-med. Please send me any comments/suggestions/questions you might have about any of this...]

 

[fotolilith]

Major:
[Aside: does anyone else find any of this to be true/helpful? I was always discouraged throughout college by what seemed to me to be the insanity of other pre-meds in adhering religiously to the checklist approach to med school admissions. Few people stop to consider that filling out the checklist essentially renders you indistinguishable from every other pre-med who is also checking off "biology major", "volunteer hours", "research", "pre-med honor society", ad nauseam. Anyway, if people find this to be helpful, please let me know because I have been thinking about collecting it all in a homebrew guide to being pre-med. Please send me any comments/suggestions/questions you might have about any of this...]

That was awesome drfunktacular! I definitely agree - I didn't click off any checklists while going through undergrad (BS in liberal arts degree, followed my *own* volunteering interests instead of working in some hospital gilft shop, had to change my study habits after 1st year grade bombs, took community college classes over the summer, etc, etc) & I got accepted (and I think we will agree, it was to the best school - UTMB ).

You should do as much as possible at a 4-year school, and there are some outstanding ones in TX that are very well respected and affordable. But you have not put yourself out of the running if you have some community college credit too.

I think the best pre-med advice I got was "Find your niche: like a scarab beetle."

Basically what drfunktacular said: *individualize yourself*! Med school acceptance is based more on *the school's* perception of what you have to offer them - not the perfection of the applicant.

But don't freak out of you don't get everything down on the checklist - I know a LOT of people who didn't get the checklist right, and still got into their favorite school (myself included), and I know a LOT of ppl who did everything "right," but just faded away among all the other cookie cutter pre-meds.

Good luck - there are plenty of TX non-traditional docs, so you'll like it here.

 

[schoolgirl]

[-

 

[Mr. Beef]

I am a Spanish major and a Chemistry minor... at every single interview we talked about that and how important it is to know Spanish if you live in Texas... I have noticed a lot of premed spanish minors at my school. The MCAT is not the end of the world. If you make a high twenty something and you have good grades, you will definately get lots of TX interviews.

Also, if you need to stay in the DFW area and for some reason it does not work out with UTSW, have you considered TCOM? Just an idea.

Well, I never thought about Osteopathic Schools simply because it seemed more like Chiropractic medicine than traditional medicine. One of the Osteopathic Hospitals in the area had to close it's doors right before Christmas so I would not know where I would be interning.

I don't have to stay in the DFW area. I was also thinking about Baylor and UT Houston Medical schools in Houston. I have a friend that lives down there and her daughter is getting married in just over three months and moving out of the house. So I could probably stay with her while I was in medical school.

Thanks for all the advice and keep it coming.

Mr. Beef

 

[Twitch]

Here is a thought. Why don't you ask the school(s) you're interested in? Call the school and set up an appointment with someone from admissions. Tell them your story. Where you're coming from and what you want to do. Make sure you have an idea of how to reach that goal as well. It shows motivation and that you're not entirely clueless and have done your homework. Then ask them how if any should you improve upon the plan.

All schools want strong applicants. This way they'll tell you how to make your self stronger from the get go rather than after all the decisions have been made when it might be too late. Most people have a unique story so one cookie cutter approach doesn't work for everyone. Nor does.. oh this worked for me so it may work for you. So take whatever people say on here with a grain of salt and setup a meeting with the admissions folks at the schools you're interested in and listen to what they have to say about your situation.

Good Luck,
-Y_Marker

 

[SFAJess]

How hard was the MCAT? I hate to think my medical school dreams will ride on one test and then find out I only make a high 20 something on my MCAT.

A high 20 something on the MCAT is not bad at all. I got interviews at all 6 schools that I applied to....even to Southwestern and I had a 28. Furthermore, I got my number 1 choice in the match. You will be fine to have a high 20 something MCAT as long as your GPA doesn't suck.

 

[Mr. Beef]

Major in something you love. College is a time to learn more about who you are. Honestly, major doesn't mean much. If you aren't good at biology (or don't like it) you might need to think really hard about keeping with medicine.

The whole Major in something you love is something that I hear a lot, but what if you don't know what you want to major in? I seem to be in that boat right now and if I had to pick something to major in than Physical Education might be a possibility.

As for the biology thing, it does not scare me, I just need to find a time to take it that I will not be sleepy during the class.

I recommend Children's hospital or Scotish Rite. They'll let you play with the kids. If you want to do peds, it's perfect. If you want to do surgery or something along that line, you can work as a "sitter" in the post-op room and help kids recover from surgery when they can't be near their parents. Plus, Children's is affiliated with Southwestern- you might meet someone to write you a good rec letter.

I don't really find peds that intresting to me. I don't get along with kids because most of them that I run into are brats. I took some 130 question on-line test about what Specialities you would be good in and Physical Medicine/Rehab and Internal Medicine were top of the list. Peds along with Family Practice were at the bottom of the list.

The MCAT is different for everybody. Some people don't study at all and get a 42. Others work their hearts out and get a 25. It depends on who you are, what kind of test taker you are, and what your strengths are. If you REALLY want to do medicine, don't let the MCAT scare you away. If the MCAT is scaring you away, you don't want to do medicine. There are much harder tests in front of people who are in medical school (like the boards).

The MCAT to me is kinda like the SAT. You gotta take it and hope for the best for your future. I really want to do medicine, but the MCAT is kinda in the way. I guess I'll feel different once I get a few science classes under my belt.

Some interviews are really tough- designed that way to separate the cream from the rest. Others just want to try to convince you that their school is the best and place the real emphasis on your application. Everything is relative.

I'm hoping that most of mine are the latter instead of the former. I'm pretty hard to convince unless you dangle a pretty big carrot in front of me.

Community college is probably fine, but make sure you take hard courses and really understand the material. I'm not about to tell you that it's just as good as a high quality 4 year university, but you won't be turned down based on where you went took pre-med classes.

Well that is kinda a load off my mind. Maybe I can take the things like the Sciences there and then go to a four year college and finish my Major there.

Yes. I'm a long time Dallas resident. I went to high school and undergrad here and now am at UTSW. 5 other people from my college also are at UTSW in my class with me. (I went to SMU, not a school I recommend for pre-med even though the numbers don't sound terrible)

I have three family members that went to SMU and they did okay, but I'm looking at something like North Texas for my Major classes.

Thanks and keep it coming.

Mr. Beef

 

[Zondeare]

I don't really find peds that intresting to me. I don't get along with kids because most of them that I run into are brats. I took some 130 question on-line test about what Specialities you would be good in and Physical Medicine/Rehab and Internal Medicine were top of the list. Peds along with Family Practice were at the bottom of the list.

If Children's and Scottish Rite doesn't sound interesting, you might want to talk to your family physician. Usually they will let you observe or at least they may know somewhere you can go. There is also a Parkland Summer Program for Dallas county resident undergrads to work in the hospital (in the speciality of your choice). It's something to look into at least.

I have three family members that went to SMU and they did okay, but I'm looking at something like North Texas for my Major classes.

UNT is a great choice. So is UTD. There are several strong schools that will help you get to your goal. Good luck!

 

[heeter]

Anything is possible if you put your mind to it... My story goes like this --

I got a BS in business at UT Dallas and have worked in the IT field for almost 8 years now and hate it w/ a passion. A couple years ago, I went back to school for the prereqs for medicine. All but one were taken at UT Austin (general chem I was at a CC). Meanwhile, I volunteered, worked in a research lab, and studied hard for the MCAT. Bottom line, this year I got into UTSW, my first choice, at the tender age of 30.

The moral of the story is, don't sweat the stuff you are asking about, just get crackin' and it'll all fall into place. I wouldn't take your prereqs at a CC. For good or bad, the adcoms won't think as highly of them. Go to UTD, UNT, UTAustin, wherever. Just get involved when you get there and see what the school's premed office suggests.

The other advice I would offer for a returning student is to focus and be sure you have a support system in place to keep you on track. My gf was very supportive while a good buddy of mine (who is currently in residency) has helped me every step of the way. You basically have to prove to the adcoms that they should take a chance on you. Show them you deserve it, and believe it yourself. Good luck my man and PM me if you have any questions...

 

[Mr. Beef]

Here is a thought. Why don't you ask the school(s) you're interested in? Call the school and set up an appointment with someone from admissions. Tell them your story. Where you're coming from and what you want to do. Make sure you have an idea of how to reach that goal as well. It shows motivation and that you're not entirely clueless and have done your homework. Then ask them how if any should you improve upon the plan.

All schools want strong applicants. This way they'll tell you how to make your self stronger from the get go rather than after all the decisions have been made when it might be too late. Most people have a unique story so one cookie cutter approach doesn't work for everyone. Nor does.. oh this worked for me so it may work for you. So take whatever people say on here with a grain of salt and setup a meeting with the admissions folks at the schools you're interested in and listen to what they have to say about your situation.

Good Luck,
-Y_Marker

Now this is probably the best idea that I have read on my dilemma. Problem is that most of the schools, save for two, are a half a days drive (at the most) and an overnight stay away. Granted my first choice is in town and I could probably do this easily with them.

Thanks -Y marker

Mr. Beef

 

[Twitch]

Now this is probably the best idea that I have read on my dilemma. Problem is that most of the schools, save for two, are a half a days drive (at the most) and an overnight stay away. Granted my first choice is in town and I could probably do this easily with them.

Thanks -Y marker

Mr. Beef

You're welcome Beef. You'll get more out of it with a face to face. Keep in touch with admissions as you go through the process.

I was in the same boat you are since I live in Dallas and am non-trad. You'd be suprised by the amount of incorrect info that gets thrown around here. Not that people here ill intentionally want you to go down the wrong path, but what works for person X may not work for person Y. Stick with official sources, but don't entirely disregard person X's experience though.

When I spoke with admissions I alluded to some of the concerns that were shared here on SDN. I think the biggest misconception I heard was the CC vs 4 year. In my case, I've got a BS in Engineering from TX A&M and an MBA from SMU. Since I never took the introductory pre-med required classes, I'm taking them at RLC (ironically, recommended by a med school admissions person because it was right for MY SITUATION, may not be right for a lot of students.

Look at it this way for one thing it costs a whole heck of a lot less for Dallas residents to goto a CC. Secondly, guess who really ends up teaching intro science classes at 4 year schools? I've heard all the arguments about well it all depends on the teacher - the student ...You see where this argument is going right?

So keep the issues in mind and sit down with admissions and come up with a strategy that's best for YOU.

Good Luck,
-Y_Marker

 

[DeepCowboy]

Don't be so quick to poop on TCOM (Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine) in Fort Worth. I interviewed there and I think it is a really good school! It is actually part of University of North Texas. The osteopathic hospital that closed is right across the street from TCOM, but it was a totally separate entity from TCOM and the effects on the quality of education are probably less than you think. Graduates do their clinicals, internships, and residencies all over the DFW area.

The school's site: TCOM

Something that may be especially useful to you is that TCOM does 7-year B.S./D.O. programs with UNT, UT Dallas, and UT Arlington. This sounds perfect for your situation.

TCOM 7-yr program

Good luck on your quest. Determination and persistence will be your best assets. My only other advice is to become a nuclear submarine officer. Wearing dress blues with medals to your interview will nicely offset a 29 MCAT and 3.48 GPA. Like everybody said, you've got to find your niche.

 

[N-toxicologist]

UNT is a great choice. So is UTD. There are several strong schools that will help you get to your goal. Good luck!

Mr.Beef:
Hearing feedback from med students at TCOM, it sounds like UNT is the best in the area to get a good and varied science background. (Maybe I'm biased, just a little )

Oh, and check out the non-trad forum on this site, if you haven't already.

As far as the osteopathic hospital closing, the current residents were the ones who really took the hit, but there should be other systems in play by the time you get to do rotations. MS-3 and 4's do rotations at Plaza (or is it Harris?), JPS, and I think they were trying to add a few more. I wouldn't be too concerned about residency at this point. If you're like me, your family dynamics may change and you may be able/willing to relocate for a good match by that time. regardless, I'm going to go where I can get in. Incidentally, because of family, I only applied to the DFW and Houston/Galveston areas.

 

[heeter]

When I spoke with admissions I alluded to some of the concerns that were shared here on SDN. I think the biggest misconception I heard was the CC vs 4 year.

I respectfully disagree. When I took my courses (gchem I plus lab and statics) at DCCCD, my classes were full of people who could care less, moreso than you average college kid. The prof was ok but had to teach down to the lowest common denominator, which was pretty damn low. I felt like I didn't learn all that much b/c the prof couldnt' or didn't care to get into the nitty gritty, just the bare minimum of what was needed to say "I took general chemistry!" My experience may be unique but I stand by my assertion. You'll want to take some challenging courses so you are prepared for the MCAT. Plus, if you are worried about the cost of a public university vs. CC, how will you pay for medical school?

 

[txguy]

I like your new avatar!!!

-tx

Mr.Beef:
Hearing feedback from med students at TCOM, it sounds like UNT is the best in the area to get a good and varied science background. (Maybe I'm biased, just a little )

Oh, and check out the non-trad forum on this site, if you haven't already.

As far as the osteopathic hospital closing, the current residents were the ones who really took the hit, but there should be other systems in play by the time you get to do rotations. MS-3 and 4's do rotations at Plaza (or is it Harris?), JPS, and I think they were trying to add a few more. I wouldn't be too concerned about residency at this point. If you're like me, your family dynamics may change and you may be able/willing to relocate for a good match by that time. regardless, I'm going to go where I can get in. Incidentally, because of family, I only applied to the DFW and Houston/Galveston areas.

 

[Mr. Beef]

Don't be so quick to poop on TCOM (Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine) in Fort Worth. I interviewed there and I think it is a really good school! It is actually part of University of North Texas. The osteopathic hospital that closed is right across the street from TCOM, but it was a totally separate entity from TCOM and the effects on the quality of education are probably less than you think. Graduates do their clinicals, internships, and residencies all over the DFW area.

The school's site: TCOM

Something that may be especially useful to you is that TCOM does 7-year B.S./D.O. programs with UNT, UT Dallas, and UT Arlington. This sounds perfect for your situation.

TCOM 7-yr program

Good luck on your quest. Determination and persistence will be your best assets. My only other advice is to become a nuclear submarine officer. Wearing dress blues with medals to your interview will nicely offset a 29 MCAT and 3.48 GPA. Like everybody said, you've got to find your niche.

Okay I might have been a bit quick to poop on Osteopathic schools, but it looks like a good alternative to medical school. I'll look into the whole BS/DO on monday before I go to class.

I'm making it my second choice behind UTSW.

Thanks DeepCowboy for pointing this out to me.

Mr. Beef

 

[AsianDoc816]

Okay I might have been a bit quick to poop on Osteopathic schools, but it looks like a good alternative to medical school. I'll look into the whole BS/DO on monday before I go to class.

I'm making it my second choice behind UTSW.

Thanks DeepCowboy for pointing this out to me.

Mr. Beef

Yes, TCOM pleasantly surprised me as well. The area around the school is especially nice, as it is not located in the downtown Dallas/Ft. Worth area but is not in the middle of nowhere either (we all know which school I'm referring to here). Many people do not apply to TCOM because of the "negative stigma" against osteophathic schools, but I think that TCOM is of higher quality than some of the other DO schools around the nation. It is ranked in the "top 20" for primary care, and if you're especially interested in pediatrics, internal medicine, ob/gyn, and/or family practice, I'd definitely give TCOM a shot. Good luck to you--you seem to be putting things together quite nicely!

UNTlabrat--I like your new avatar as well =)

 

[txguy]

Okay I might have been a bit quick to poop on Osteopathic schools, but it looks like a good alternative to medical school. I'll look into the whole BS/DO on monday before I go to class.

I'm making it my second choice behind UTSW.

Thanks DeepCowboy for pointing this out to me.

Mr. Beef

Btw, TCOM is also a medical school, just like UTSW is....as a DO, you will be liscensed to practice medicine just like MDs are.......perhaps you meant to say "allopathic" rather than "medical school?"

Anyway, good luck with your future endeavors....I am also a post-bacc student (non-traditional) who got into medical school (I got a degree in business from UT-Austin and worked as a healthcare IT consultant before deciding to take the plunge!)

PM me if you have any questions--I was in your exact situation not too long ago.....

-tx

 

[Mr. Beef]

Mr.Beef:
Hearing feedback from med students at TCOM, it sounds like UNT is the best in the area to get a good and varied science background. (Maybe I'm biased, just a little )

Well I had a brother graduate from there (granted it was social work) so I know a little about North Texas.

Oh, and check out the non-trad forum on this site, if you haven't already.

I have not yet, but I'll look at it as soon as I finish this post.

As far as the osteopathic hospital closing, the current residents were the ones who really took the hit, but there should be other systems in play by the time you get to do rotations. MS-3 and 4's do rotations at Plaza (or is it Harris?), JPS, and I think they were trying to add a few more. I wouldn't be too concerned about residency at this point. If you're like me, your family dynamics may change and you may be able/willing to relocate for a good match by that time. regardless, I'm going to go where I can get in. Incidentally, because of family, I only applied to the DFW and Houston/Galveston areas.

I too would like to go where I can get in, but this is still a long way off. I'm looking at roughly a year to get my Associate Degree in Arts before moving on to North Texas. My family dynamics seem pretty steady for now and I think up and moving to somewhere like Houston, Galveston or San Antonio would just crush them. That's why I would like to stay in the D/FW area.

Thanks UNTlabrat. I love your icon by the way.

Mr. Beef

 

[AsianDoc816]

Btw, TCOM is also a medical school, just like UTSW is....as a DO, you will be liscensed to practice medicine just like MDs are.......perhaps you meant to say "allopathic" rather than "medical school?"

Anyway, good luck with your future endeavors....I am also a post-bacc student (non-traditional) who got into medical school (I got a degree in business from UT-Austin and worked as a healthcare IT consultant before deciding to take the plunge!)

PM me if you have any questions--I was in your exact situation not too long ago.....

-tx

But txguy is young at heart....I keep forgetting that you're non-traditional. You look so young (like me)!

 

[txguy]

But txguy is young at heart....I keep forgetting that you're non-traditional. You look so young (like me)!

LOL

When I got my hep-b shot yesterday, the nurse said "do you need a note?"--she thought I was in High School!

In March I will no longer be a quarter century years old

-tx

 

[EvoDevo]

LOL

When I got my hep-b shot yesterday, the nurse said "do you need a note?"--she thought I was in High School!

In March I will no longer be a quarter century years old

-tx

Jesus! Is that what you guys consider old?

I'll be the one with the cane.....

 

[txguy]

Jesus! Is that what you guys consider old?

I'll be the one with the cane.....

hehe

Being over the hill is better than being buried under it--just kidding!!

-tx

 

[AsianDoc816]

Jesus! Is that what you guys consider old?

I'll be the one with the cane.....

Evo, you're not old either....I'd say that 45-50 is getting old. What do you guys think?

 

[txguy]

Evo, you're not old either....I'd say that 45-50 is getting old. What do you guys think?

Evo seems to be young at heart too, so I think age is nuttin but a number

-tx

 

[AsianDoc816]

Evo seems to be young at heart too, so I think age is nuttin but a number

-tx

You're only as old as you feel (and look!)....