I am adding info about the program, in no particular order, in hopes of answering any other questions.
-There are several students in this program pursuing Dental and PA studies.
-MCAT prep course is required if you scored below 28, BUT retaking the MCAT is purely your discretion. The course helped raise my score by 3 points. The most was 11 points that they know of.
-There is a technology fee. This year, it was $2000 for a Macbook Pro 13" and iPad mini w/ Retina. It might be different next year. BUT it is REQUIRED, even though you may already have them for personal use. Exams are taken on laptops. iPad mini, because it's part of the package. Included is a 1-yr warranty for each.
-Many of our professors also teach at TCOM, and they will tell you what TCOM students are learning if you ask. EDIT: One or two have mentioned that the rigor of our classes was similar to that at TCOM, granted there was less info to study or less time to study the same amount of info.
-Courses are rigorous. Be prepared to treat it like a full-time, 40hr-week job. Classes usually begin at 8am, and intermittent through the day, lasting up until 6pm once or twice a week. Class averages hover in the high 80s. If a class makes below an 85 as the final course grade, a curve is applied. There has been none so far. There are many students able to maintain a 4.0, but don't expect that of yourself if you are not used to making consistent As in undergrad. Try to maintain at least a 3.5 for better prospects, but there is no minimum that will guarantee and interview or acceptance into a medial school. Definitely make some As.
-Working is not advised. BUT it is doable, depending on how efficient you are with your time and studies.
-There is PLENTY of volunteering opportunities, BUT don't let that affect your academics.
-Major courses so far: SUMMER: 10wks Intro to Biochem (Pass/Fail, optional, semi-helpful for me), 10wks Biostats; FALL: 8wks(?) Biochem, 3wks Immuno, 3wks Micro, 16wks Histo, 16wks Epidem
-Future courses: Jan-Apr: Struct Anat, Physio; Apr-May: Pharmaco
-Preceptorship: 40hrs shadowing with a PCP is REQUIRED. Details aren't important right now, but you have until the beginning of Spring semester to complete the hours.
-I would say that my fellow classmates are VERY friendly and helpful! Most that I run into readily share info with me and help if I ask. The competition is pretty fierce, BUT they are also supportive. Lots of different personalities. I like!
-The atmosphere is open and supportive. Faculty and administration are VERY helpful- they try to help with you anything (and everything!). They want you to succeed, and I feel they emphasize for you to focus more on academics than extracurriculars. Be open with them and they will work with you. The reason they accepted you is because they feel you can do it, but they also know that external factors can influence whether or not you will actually succeed. In the same sense, they expect a lot from you, too.
-Students in the past have been accepted into MD schools in TX. Many get accepted into DO schools, either at TCOM or out of state. From what I've heard, this program is very well known across the nation. Some of my friends and relatives here in TX have heard about it.
-This program is NO GUARANTEE that you will get into a medical school. That all comes down to how badly you want it. Enough to make a high GPA? Enough to dedicate time for volunteering? Enough to prioritize your whole life to dedicate to academics? Enough to...??
-Your chances of being accepted into this program? Your guess is as good as mine. It partly depends how many students apply. Our class is around 190ish. I think there were 400+ applicants.
-Your chances of being accepted into medical school after doing well in this program? All I can really say is that it will be better than when you applied the first time and didn't get in.
EDIT:
-Don't get too caught up with stats and hearsay. I have been told that 100% of students who make at least a 3.5GPA will EVENTUALLY make it into a medical school...over the next several years, as there are students who make above 3.5 but don't get acceptances due to other circumstances. These stats are based on student feedback given at the end of the program. Keep in mind, there are students who don't apply during the cycle that they are in this program, some withdraw from the program, and some don't make good enough grades/MCAT scores (even after doing the prep course and retaking the MCAT, or not wanting to retake).
-There are tutoring sessions provided for our core courses, given by prior MedSci, current TCOM students.
I will add more as they come to mind.