TTUHSC Lubbock vs UTHSCSA Long

[thatonegrrl]

I have been pre-match accepted to both TTUHSC and UT Long as an out-of-state applicant. I'm a non-trad career changer interested in primary care and psych, most interested in Med-Peds, so attending an affordable school is important to me since I expect to be in a lower paying specialty and with less time to pay off loans.

Pros of TTUHSC

• In-state tuition scholarship
• TTUHSC is near to extended family so I might have a support network nearby
• Driveable distance to hometown
• Cost of living in Lubbock is very affordable
• TTUHSC is P/F for pre-clinical years allowing more focus on just learning and less worrying about specific grades
• Serve a large service area with opportunities for rural rotations
• Medical Spanish curriculum
• Lots of resources provided for Step Prep
• Distinction in service to the underserved
• More non-trads in class

Cons of TTUHSC

• Though Lubbock is near my extended family it isn't really near much else
• Could drive to home town in a day, but flights harder to come by w/ smaller airport
• Potentially having to move to a new town for clinical rotations
• Less competitive match list (recent list was almost all in TX, many at Tech, and both physical climate and political climate make TX not a place I think I want to live long term)

Pros of UT Long

• In-state tuition scholarship
• 3rd ranked school in TX (higher ranked than TTUHSC for research, primary care and diversity), might be more competitive for combined residency programs (?) and plenty competitive for family med
• San Antonio is a fun city, lots to do
• Options for urban as well as rural rotations
• Already have a potential faculty mentor in psych
• Generally just got really good vibes from the program

Cons of UT Long

• In-state tuition scholarship means comparable tuition but lower total COA for personal expenses means less margin (issue for me as a non-trad with regular health expenses for prescriptions and specialist visits)
• No family nearby, they are in TX but a few hours away; would have to fly home but there are direct flights available
• Honors, high pass, pass and fail grading throughout (but maybe this is good with step 1 P/F?)
• Non-NBME testing
• Fewer non-trads, harder time finding shared housing

*Neither school has a recent Med-Peds, Triple Board or FM/psych match that I've seen
**Both have medical humanities program
***Both have MD/MPH program option

About my goals: I am especially interested in primary care and psychiatry. I definitely want to work with kids, I have a background in Prek-12 education and I know I genuinely enjoy working with children and families. I see myself serving underserved populations in primary care and I'm open to rural or urban underserved settings. I am most interested Med-Peds, Triple Board (peds/psych/child psych) and FM/psych combined residencies as well as full-scope FM and Gen Peds.

Questions I don't have answers to: How good are the student health insurance plans? Are the schools/residencies good about allowing time for learners to go to the doctor? Take off when sick? What is the atmosphere on both campuses like in terms of social-emotional well-being of students and faculty? Are the schools responsive to student concerns? Do either schools have any red flags I should be aware of? Which school gives me the greatest opportunity to reach my goals?

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[123OkayGoogle]

You sure you want to commit to family med this early? You rotate through many specialties and you never know you might change your mind. If you’re 100% sure, prob staying at TT would be best option

 

[thatonegrrl]

You sure you want to commit to family med this early? You rotate through many specialties and you never know you might change your mind. If you’re 100% sure, prob staying at TT would be best option

I'm not 100% sure. I was about 99% sure when I applied, but have since discovered things (primarily listed in my worries section) that have made me less sure rather than more so. I think if I could be sure that peds cases would definitely be a good chunk of my future practice (like at least 25% and up to 50% or more) then I would be ready to commit to FM, even this early. But if most people in FM are really only seeing adult patients, then that isn't the womb to tomb, whole lifespan care that appealed to me at the start, that's just adult primary care.

Given that lack of certainty I've been leaning more towards keeping options open for specialties that I know would include peds patients - Med-Peds, Gen Peds, or Peds/Psych - and wondering which school would be the best for those options or if both schools would make me a potentially competitive applicant for those. (I did not see any recent grads matching Med-Peds or Peds/Psych from either school on their match lists, but both obviously have good Peds matches).

I have also considered that it might be the FMAT would be a better option financially, and then I could use fellowship or even a second residency to get more training in peds and be able to have a larger peds patient panel. At least that way I would be getting paid during the additional training, versus spending an additional year in school and paying for training. I've also heard that if I worked in an academic setting, potentially a community-based University affiliated residency program, as clinical faculty that I might be able to see more peds patients, but I don't know how true this is.

 

[thatonegrrl]

Reviving this thread with update -

TTUHSC - if I chose not to continue with FMAT program tuition total would still be comparable to UT Long, so cost would be equivalent
TTUHSC - recent matches into Med-Peds programs and well regarded Psych and Peds programs (eg - CU, UTSW, etc.)
TTUHSC - slightly smaller class size
TTUHSC - nearby family working with organization that I think would have great partnership/volunteer opportunities

UT Long - Did not see any recent Med-Peds or other combined program matches (but may be reported under both IM and Peds, rather than together?)

I am leaning more towards TTUHSC at this time even if I did not do FMAT, but would love more feedback from current students and alumni of either school, especially since I don't have a chance to do a second look visit. What are your experiences with the school(s)? Also, if a PD, would you be more or less likely to consider an applicant to your program from either school? Are there any red flags to program directors re: either school that I'm not aware of?

 

[thatonegrrl]

So I've narrowed down that my biggest worry about TTUHSC is just being a smaller system, less rotation opportunities in non-core specialties and the prospect of having to move half way through (and planning that move while studying for step most likely - hello stressful). But I like the smaller class size with proportionally more nontrads like me and closer proximity to family. They also seem to pay for student access to a few of the more well-regarded Step prep resources.

For Long I really like their facilities, medical humanities program, again already have a potential mentor doing work with community mental health. Lots of rotation opportunities within the city/system and not having to move (I really hate moving so this is big for me). But I'm wary of the larger class size, the non-NBME testing and the weight put on team quizzes (I've been burnt by too many group projects) - I don't mind the grading scale too much, since it's not on a curve and purely competencies based. The only Step prep I remember them mentioning is Lecturio, which would mean probably paying more out of pocket for resources and thus increasing cost of attendance slightly.

West Texas is pretty barren, but cooler temp wise (it actually snows!)... San Antonio has lots of trees, but is hot & humid...

I'm still so on the fence, a great scholarship from either school (not dependent on FMAT) would probably sway me pretty strongly, would it be worth mentioning that to financial aid?

 

[amath03]

So I've narrowed down that my biggest worry about TTUHSC is just being a smaller system, less rotation opportunities in non-core specialties and the prospect of having to move half way through (and planning that move while studying for step most likely - hello stressful). But I like the smaller class size with proportionally more nontrads like me and closer proximity to family. They also seem to pay for student access to a few of the more well-regarded Step prep resources.

For Long I really like their facilities, medical humanities program, again already have a potential mentor doing work with community mental health. Lots of rotation opportunities within the city/system and not having to move (I really hate moving so this is big for me). But I'm wary of the larger class size, the non-NBME testing and the weight put on team quizzes (I've been burnt by too many group projects) - I don't mind the grading scale too much, since it's not on a curve and purely competencies based. The only Step prep I remember them mentioning is Lecturio, which would mean probably paying more out of pocket for resources and thus increasing cost of attendance slightly.

West Texas is pretty barren, but cooler temp wise (it actually snows!)... San Antonio has lots of trees, but is hot & humid...

I'm still so on the fence, a great scholarship from either school (not dependent on FMAT) would probably sway me pretty strongly, would it be worth mentioning that to financial aid?

Umm you do know today is match day right???

 

[thatonegrrl]

Umm you do know today is match day right???

I'm pre-matched at both these schools and I'm OOS - so Match Day applies 0% to me

 

[amath03]

I'm pre-matched at both these schools and I'm OOS - so Match Day applies 0% to me

Got it, using pre-match made me think you were an in-state student.

I’m that case, I guess you could ask the financial aid office about scholarships. It’s hard to ask that without sounding entitled, but if you word it right it can come off the right way. Worst they will say is no. I know Long has already been giving out scholarships, but I don’t know anything about Tech.

 

[obiwan]

So I've narrowed down that my biggest worry about TTUHSC is just being a smaller system, less rotation opportunities in non-core specialties and the prospect of having to move half way through (and planning that move while studying for step most likely - hello stressful). But I like the smaller class size with proportionally more nontrads like me and closer proximity to family. They also seem to pay for student access to a few of the more well-regarded Step prep resources.

For Long I really like their facilities, medical humanities program, again already have a potential mentor doing work with community mental health. Lots of rotation opportunities within the city/system and not having to move (I really hate moving so this is big for me). But I'm wary of the larger class size, the non-NBME testing and the weight put on team quizzes (I've been burnt by too many group projects) - I don't mind the grading scale too much, since it's not on a curve and purely competencies based. The only Step prep I remember them mentioning is Lecturio, which would mean probably paying more out of pocket for resources and thus increasing cost of attendance slightly.

West Texas is pretty barren, but cooler temp wise (it actually snows!)... San Antonio has lots of trees, but is hot & humid...

I'm still so on the fence, a great scholarship from either school (not dependent on FMAT) would probably sway me pretty strongly, would it be worth mentioning that to financial aid?

Graduated from TTUHSC many moons ago. Wouldn't worry as much about any lack of opportunities to some of the other subspecialties since they definitely exist. The number of faculty might be a few less than UTSA since its a larger medical center. Not sure if you have like family where you don't have to move for your clinical years. You might not believe it but took Step 1 and then immediately packed for Amarillo that evening to move out the following day which in hindsight was not the smartest thing to do LOL.

I would definitely see what the financial packages are and use that as the main determining factor.

 

[123OkayGoogle]

Long gives you uWorld access for 2 six month periods to help for step 1 and 2 prep I believe. Also your group mates for tquizzes are all very very smart and I’m pretty sure if you all put your heads together you can get all of them right. Most t quiz scores are mostly 100%. You take the quiz right after your individual quiz. That’d be the least of my worries

 

[thatonegrrl]

Long gives you uWorld access for 2 six month periods to help for step 1 and 2 prep I believe. Also your group mates for tquizzes are all very very smart and I’m pretty sure if you all put your heads together you can get all of them right. Most t quiz scores are mostly 100%. You take the quiz right after your individual quiz. That’d be the least of my worries

This is great to know! Thanks for chiming in. 🙂

 

[thatonegrrl]

At this point I've pretty well decided on TTUHSC, primarily because of housing and a more generous COA, but boosting one last time in case anyone has any additional insights to share. Hoping to finalize my decision this next week ahead of the April 30th deadline.

(And I did already call fin aid office at UTHSCSA to ask if it is possible to get an increase in COA to cover regular health related expenses and was told No.)

 

[123OkayGoogle]

Seems like you’ve been leaning Tech this whole time. I’d stick with your gut decision

 

[thatonegrrl]

Seems like you’ve been leaning Tech this whole time. I’d stick with your gut decision

They were one of my top 3 choices going into the application cycle (I'm waitlisted at the other 2), but Long did surprise me with how much I liked them after interview day. It has made the decision really much much harder than I anticipated. Both great schools, and I'm incredibly fortunate to have the chance to choose - especially as an out of state applicant!