UNTHSC M.S. in Medical Sciences (Texas)-SMP 2019-2020

[ADr.1Day]

Out of curiosity- how many people were waitlisted?

On This Thread, I have only read that 1 person said that they were wait listed

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[iqe2010]

Has anyone who applied to the UH M.S program heard back yet?

I was rejected from them.

 

[iqe2010]

Well it's official,

Dear XXXX,

Thank you for your interest in graduate studies at University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. We have completed the evaluation of your application for admission into the Medical Sciences program. As you know, admission to graduate school is a highly competitive process and we are unable to admit every applicant due to a limited number of seats available. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you admission at this time.


Submitted 2/19
Rejected 5/9

Aww I’m sorry.

 

[ADr.1Day]

Aww I’m sorry.

@iqe2010 , no worries. I was accepted to a few other schools. Leaving Texas in July , that was always my objective anyway. I got tired of being here, 10 yrs too long.

 

[iqe2010]

@iqe2010 , no worries. I was accepted to a few other schools. Leaving Texas in July , that was always my objective anyway. I got tired of being here, 10 yrs too long.

I think I need to leave Texas for a while too lol

 

[RedRaider97]

For all the people who got accepted, how is the program?

 

[pineapples66]

For all the people who got accepted, how is the program?

The good: the admins have been doing a great job of giving students help for essays, applications, stress management, etc. There are many resources on campus.

The bad: quality of instruction for the biostats course has been underwhelming TBH when compared to an undergraduate equivalent. Reading materials sometimes contradict one another. The text is vague and full of abstractions. I feel sorry for students who have never had stats before. There is a new policy in place where you cannot see OR discuss the questions you got wrong on exams under any circumstance. It doesn't bother me but has been a source of frustration and confusion among many students.

I recommend you keep your doors open to the newer A&M, TTech, and UH post-bacc programs.

 

[deleted968358]

As someone who hasn't taken biostats before, I can agree that this particular course can be frustrating at times. For me personally, it is the tests. I feel like there are some questions that are made to trick you rather than test you. But I also think it's important to note that we are only halfway through the course and a lot can still happen. So far, I've only heard good things about the other summer classes offered, and seeing as biostats is the only online course offered (that I'm aware of), it seems a shame to make an overall decision about the quality of the program based on that course alone. I have a friend who went through the program a few years ago and they told me that biostats was the hardest course for them personally but the program only gets better moving forward. I for one have been quite happy so far and believe this program will 100% help my future applications. Even if biostats hasn't been as smooth as I would have liked so far.

 

[pineapples66]

Update: since fall semester is coming to a close, I wanted to update my initial opinion

the Good:
-The admins are excellent. There are sessions where you can give feedback which will lead to course improvements. Although there have been hiccups during curriculum restructuring, the admins are very willing to listen.
-The class has been performing well despite a new test bank and anti-cheating policies
-getting an A is straight forward if you keep up and have a good system for memorization
-professors are approachable and make themselves available for questions
-the tests are not difficult, you just have to keep up with the material

the Bad:
-epidemiology course took some time to get used to but now it's fine; it's a lot of reading but nothing difficult and the professor is responsive to feedback
-I'd prefer if the Health Disparities course was made more succinct and/or moved to the summer. The extra hour could have gone to a course like immuno/microbio which feels incomplete.
-if a test question is flawed, it should be fixed and the class should receive credit no matter what the average is. Sometimes we were not given credit because the class average was deemed "too high". This could screw over people with borderline grades.

Overall: program is going pretty well

 

[yaypremedlife]

Howdy, another current Med sci here.

To everyone frustrated and anxious rn, its going to be ok. That being said, please dont only apply to 3- 4 postbacs. I personally applied to 10, and (being entirely truthful) I was admitted to all of them. I chose UNTHSC after talking to previous students, it really is a well established program. You dont want to rely on just 1-3 schools to give you a post bac acceptance, bc if you run the risk of not getting accepted… what are you going to do for an entire year???? Ofc, I completely get if that is not financially possible- but think hard about the consequences of only applying to a few and then not getting accepted, you may need to shell out even more in the future then. Here are my stats: 500 hours volunteering, 3.734 GPA, and 509 MCAT, 3 leadership positions. My friends in this program have as low as 3.2 GPA, and there are indeed some with 497 MCAT as well! So dont worry. I would say the people that need to be really careful are those that have a double whammy (aka low mcat and low gpa). Most have a really low gpa, with a strong mcat OR vice versa. My scores are pretty competitive, I just didnt apply correctly. But I am not lying to you when I am saying there are tons of students in here with lower scores than mine in gpa and mcat. Warning: be prepared to work your ass off in the summer if the MCAT is your weak point. I personally not a fan of the princeton course, but some professors are good (biology, CARS, etc). Your already paying money for it and if your below 508 you’ll be placed in there so might as well learn everything you can. Biostats and Epidemiology are the most frustrating courses. But i wouldn’t change attending here. Most of the time I study at the library and only go to my apartment to sleep. Im so glad i finally got the mcat out of the way. Fall wise its not hard material, but there is a lot of it, but just remember med school is going to be harder so you just need to stick it out. Btw unthsc library is amazing and the scenic views are to die for.

You’ll have access to housing lists, talk to previous med sci students, and the “bible” which is a compilation of resources past med sci have used to study for tests once added to the facebook group post acceptance. Best thing to do before entering this program is figuring out housing, and cultivating good stress/anxiety techniques early on. you'll need it. This program is doable- it is not overtly challenging but it will push you. This is not undergrad anymore. They'll be days your stressed out and sick of studying. But that is exactly whats going to happen in med school so this is your chance to prove you belong there. keep a positive mindset, surround yourself with positive students. Stay away from naysayers and people who put others down, and try not to get too drunk over the weekends. I love fort worth! its really nice here, and pretty.

I will say tho, there are a fair amount of us that low-key miss the first class rep but she got accepted into med school (luckyyyyy) during the summer and is probably killing it there as well. There were a couple others that got accepted during the summer, that will happen. The current one is doing a decent job, but the previous one was insanely on top of things and I feel like organization wise things would have been better if she was still here, and she cared a lot about her classmates. But thats just my opinion Im low-key her fan. But the point is make sure whoever you’re electing cares about the student body and does a really good job advocating + good at organizing/staying on top of ****. Both of ours have done well so far.

beware of this : people have been deleting **** from the bible, which is causing a headache, so dont be that person and do that. Its annoying and no one likes you if you get caught.

We have two former med sci that are attending TCOM that do a great job of hosting review sessions and creating practice tests. They are also absolutely incredible. (girl power)! I agree with all the complaints my med sci classmates have already stated on here. Epi is such a nuisance to deal with, so beware.

What I like most about the program is the supportive atmosphere. That being said there are a few obnoxious people (but they people like that everywhere) so be smart about who you spend your time with. There are indeed some big friend groups going on, and not everyone gets along. Do yourself a favor and exit out of these groups when drama goes down. You dont need that right now, and stay away from overly boastful people. aka Mr. and Mrs “i got a perfect cars score etc etc”.

Definitely stop paying attention to people who keep saying they have high mcat and gpa, it just stresses you out. They are on their own path, and you are on yours. People have subpar scores here, that is a reality. Work on yourself.

When your applying, aside from your stats, REALLY spend time on your essays and let your passion/reason why you want to attend UNTHSC med sci shine through. MD schools want proof you can handle the curriculum, and frankly if your goal is only MD your better off waiting until your done with the program (at least according to past med sci’s). Now thats not to say you won’t have any luck with MD if you apply the cycle of enrolling, but you’ll have to play the waiting game and really do well first semester. I will be waiting until the program is finished so ill apply the next cycle.

I take a day off to relax, in order to prevent burnout. Fort worth is a fun place to be, but the highways are annoying. There are a few out of state students as well.

I also agree with whoever said they take a holistic approach to accepting! it is true. I wouldn’t change my decision to come here

ok back to studying, hope this helps! sorry for the rambling-im really caffeinated

ADD ON: wait i just thought of a few advice. For those of you who are planning on applying this year. You HAVE to re-write your essays if you are a re-applicant (i know it sucks). Dont shoot yourself in the foot and submit the exact application. Re-phrasing and moving a few paragraphs isn't gonna help either. Because this will be annoying and takes a **** ton of time, start thinking about this NOW. Also prepare for the interview now (focus on ethical questions, they screw most people over due to not being prepared), invest in some really good business/business casual attire (you'll need it), and minimize volunteering/leadership (if you are not heavily lacking in this area). Priority: MCAT, then GPA, then clinical experience, then leadership, then everything else. Ok cool im done

 

[Promotheon]

Howdy, another current Med sci here.

To everyone frustrated and anxious rn, its going to be ok. That being said, please dont only apply to 3- 4 postbacs. I personally applied to 10, and (being entirely truthful) I was admitted to all of them. I chose UNTHSC after talking to previous students, it really is a well established program. You dont want to rely on just 1-3 schools to give you a post bac acceptance, bc if you run the risk of not getting accepted… what are you going to do for an entire year???? Ofc, I completely get if that is not financially possible- but think hard about the consequences of only applying to a few and then not getting accepted, you may need to shell out even more in the future then. Here are my stats: 500 hours volunteering, 3.734 GPA, and 509 MCAT, 3 leadership positions. My friends in this program have as low as 3.2 GPA, and there are indeed some with 497 MCAT as well! So dont worry. I would say the people that need to be really careful are those that have a double whammy (aka low mcat and low gpa). Most have a really low gpa, with a strong mcat OR vice versa. My scores are pretty competitive, I just didnt apply correctly. But I am not lying to you when I am saying there are tons of students in here with lower scores than mine in gpa and mcat. Warning: be prepared to work your ass off in the summer if the MCAT is your weak point. I personally not a fan of the princeton course, but some professors are good (biology, CARS, etc). Your already paying money for it and if your below 508 you’ll be placed in there so might as well learn everything you can. Biostats and Epidemiology are the most frustrating courses. But i wouldn’t change attending here. Most of the time I study at the library and only go to my apartment to sleep. Im so glad i finally got the mcat out of the way. Fall wise its not hard material, but there is a lot of it, but just remember med school is going to be harder so you just need to stick it out. Btw unthsc library is amazing and the scenic views are to die for.

You’ll have access to housing lists, talk to previous med sci students, and the “bible” which is a compilation of resources past med sci have used to study for tests once added to the facebook group post acceptance. Best thing to do before entering this program is figuring out housing, and cultivating good stress/anxiety techniques early on. you'll need it. This program is doable- it is not overtly challenging but it will push you. This is not undergrad anymore. They'll be days your stressed out and sick of studying. But that is exactly whats going to happen in med school so this is your chance to prove you belong there. keep a positive mindset, surround yourself with positive students. Stay away from naysayers and people who put others down, and try not to get too drunk over the weekends. I love fort worth! its really nice here, and pretty.

I will say tho, there are a fair amount of us that low-key miss the first class rep but she got accepted into med school (luckyyyyy) during the summer and is probably killing it there as well. There were a couple others that got accepted during the summer, that will happen. The current one is doing a decent job, but the previous one was insanely on top of things and I feel like organization wise things would have been better if she was still here, and she cared a lot about her classmates. But thats just my opinion Im low-key her fan. But the point is make sure whoever you’re electing cares about the student body and does a really good job advocating + good at organizing/staying on top of ****. Both of ours have done well so far.

beware of this : people have been deleting **** from the bible, which is causing a headache, so dont be that person and do that. Its annoying and no one likes you if you get caught.

We have two former med sci that are attending TCOM that do a great job of hosting review sessions and creating practice tests. They are also absolutely incredible. (girl power)! I agree with all the complaints my med sci classmates have already stated on here. Epi is such a nuisance to deal with, so beware.

What I like most about the program is the supportive atmosphere. That being said there are a few obnoxious people (but they people like that everywhere) so be smart about who you spend your time with. There are indeed some big friend groups going on, and not everyone gets along. Do yourself a favor and exit out of these groups when drama goes down. You dont need that right now, and stay away from overly boastful people. aka Mr. and Mrs “i got a perfect cars score etc etc”.

Definitely stop paying attention to people who keep saying they have high mcat and gpa, it just stresses you out. They are on their own path, and you are on yours. People have subpar scores here, that is a reality. Work on yourself.

When your applying, aside from your stats, REALLY spend time on your essays and let your passion/reason why you want to attend UNTHSC med sci shine through. MD schools want proof you can handle the curriculum, and frankly if your goal is only MD your better off waiting until your done with the program (at least according to past med sci’s). Now thats not to say you won’t have any luck with MD if you apply the cycle of enrolling, but you’ll have to play the waiting game and really do well first semester. I will be waiting until the program is finished so ill apply the next cycle.

I take a day off to relax, in order to prevent burnout. Fort worth is a fun place to be, but the highways are annoying. There are a few out of state students as well.

I also agree with whoever said they take a holistic approach to accepting! it is true. I wouldn’t change my decision to come here

ok back to studying, hope this helps! sorry for the rambling-im really caffeinated

ADD ON: wait i just thought of a few advice. For those of you who are planning on applying this year. You HAVE to re-write your essays if you are a re-applicant (i know it sucks). Dont shoot yourself in the foot and submit the exact application. Re-phrasing and moving a few paragraphs isn't gonna help either. Because this will be annoying and takes a **** ton of time, start thinking about this NOW. Also prepare for the interview now (focus on ethical questions, they screw most people over due to not being prepared), invest in some really good business/business casual attire (you'll need it), and minimize volunteering/leadership (if you are not heavily lacking in this area). Priority: MCAT, then GPA, then clinical experience, then leadership, then everything else. Ok cool im done

Is there an interview for the SMP itself? I don't remember that being the case when I applied last year.

 

[yaypremedlife]

@Promotheon Not that I am aware of! No one i know had an interview- its based on application

 

[cookie1996]

Hey guys! I just wanted to add a little bit to what my peers are saying. I agree with all that they said above. I just wanted to warn you that if you do get accepted to the program please don't wait until the application workshops to submit your applications. I received quite a few interviews and I attribute some of that to submitting my primary late May and the majority of my secondaries (to schools I received interviews at) early June. As for people who are planning on applying this upcoming cycle after taking the MCAT prep course I would like to warn you that all of that the course ends a bit late. Most people that I know in the program took their MCATs in August/ September and I feel like that is really late if you are already applying with average stats. I was accepted originally into the program with a 507 MCAT and 3.6 GPA. I decided to retake my MCAT prior to beginning the program and thankfully improved my score to a 515 (I highly recommend taking the MCAT before the program starts if you have time and are applying this upcoming cycle). That way you have the summer to focus on apps and biostats. Overall I feel like I have learned a lot from this program I just wanted to warn everyone that their timeline is very late if you are planning on applying this cycle. There is definitely some leeway for later submitted medsci applications if you are planning on attending TCOM but if you want a shot at other schools in Texas I would shoot to have your secondaries in by the end of June and primary in by the end of May. Also if you really need the grades from this program to help your application you might be better off taking your time with the MCAT and doing well in the program and then applying. I was pretty disappointed that I wasn't really able to submit the majority of my grades until around December which was after all of the interviews are pretty much sent out. Also the classes are not hard and a 4.0 is very doable but you do get used to taking tests ALLL the time.... Good luck to everyone! Message me if you have any questions.

 

[Drgoku]

I dont know if this question has been answered, but is this program good for someone who has a high gpa(3.9) and an MCAT of 513 if they were not able to get into med school the first time they applied?

 

[AnotherCatProfile]

I dont know if this question has been answered, but is this program good for someone who has a high gpa(3.9) and an MCAT of 513 if they were not able to get into med school the first time they applied?

IMO, there isn't much this program (or any other SMP/Post-bacc) will do to benefit you. If you applied here you would absolutely get in, but that time would probably be better spent on improving ECs/essays/LORs.

A 4.0 in this program probably wouldn't show adcoms anything your high GPA/high MCAT don't already demonstrate. And, on the off chance you do poorly in any of the courses, it could hurt your application.

 

[cookie1996]

I dont know if this question has been answered, but is this program good for someone who has a high gpa(3.9) and an MCAT of 513 if they were not able to get into med school the first time they applied?

I personally do not know for sure but since a specialized master's program is typically used to raise your stats like a low GPA etc. I think you may be better off addressing the weak points in your application that aren't GPA or MCAT related. For example, do you need more clinical experience? have you done research? Do you need to practice your interview skills or write better essays? or are you lacking volunteer experience? Those things may be more important in your case. Typically (based on talking to my peers) most people in this program have MCATs around a 507 and gpas around 3.5. I think for those people it is a good investment. Also if your top school is TCOM I think being in the program is good too.

 

[Drgoku]

I personally do not know for sure but since a specialized master's program is typically used to raise your stats like a low GPA etc. I think you may be better off addressing the weak points in your application that aren't GPA or MCAT related. For example, do you need more clinical experience? have you done research? Do you need to practice your interview skills or write better essays? or are you lacking volunteer experience? Those things may be more important in your case. Typically (based on talking to my peers) most people in this program have MCATs around a 507 and gpas around 3.5. I think for those people it is a good investment. Also if your top school is TCOM I think being in the program is good too.

I think my essays and interview skills definitely need some work. Volunteering and research are good. I am working on clinical experience since that may be low too. Thanks for the help!

 

[Drgoku]

I personally do not know for sure but since a specialized master's program is typically used to raise your stats like a low GPA etc. I think you may be better off addressing the weak points in your application that aren't GPA or MCAT related. For example, do you need more clinical experience? have you done research? Do you need to practice your interview skills or write better essays? or are you lacking volunteer experience? Those things may be more important in your case. Typically (based on talking to my peers) most people in this program have MCATs around a 507 and gpas around 3.5. I think for those people it is a good investment. Also if your top school is TCOM I think being in the program is good too.

Thanks!

 

[Cam124]

I would say that the program is ok, there are definitely negatives to the program that are very frustrating and not conducive to getting you into medical/dental/professional school. PM if you need details.

The only way it wouldnt be conducive is if you did poorly, is that what you mean? I would agree in that case (as with every SMP program out there) that if you do well you'll get a ton of interviews but if you do bad, well, that just means to admissions committees you'll do bad in med school. Now when it comes to Texas schools though, it seems they wait until your done so that would mean a gap year.

 

[avenc17]

Does anyone have info about the UH SMP? I'm looking between that and UNTHSC's.

 

[Fruitseller]

Does anyone have info about the UH SMP? I'm looking between that and UNTHSC's.

I applied there last year but withdrew my app after MedSci acceptance. Some info:

1. UH SMP has an integrated research internship along with classes (1 year) vs. MedSci (research track requires 2nd year)
2. UH didn't accept rec letters from Interfolio and wanted letter writers to upload to their website. This was a hassle.
3. Their last semester was scheduled into July. This wouldn't work if I got into a med school that started early July.
4. I gave them this feedback so hopefully they made changes

Good luck!!!

 

[nah2016]

Let's kick this off!

I'm a current medsci and I'm willing to answer any questions you might have.

I had lower stats before applying, but I also applied twice. ugpa:3.1, mcat:500. That goes to say, things would always work out. Keep trying hard and you'll get to where you want to be!

Good luck!

Do you think it is feasible to have a job and be in this program at the same time?

 

[Cam124]

Do you think it is feasible to have a job and be in this program at the same time?

Think of it as if having a job during med school (the workload is apparently comparable). No, it's not feasible if you want the grades. This program requires most of us to study 8-10 hours a day to be successful (that's on top of going to class/watching lecture). I have a job that allows me to work over breaks and holidays, but beyond that I definitely can't adequately fit in time to work during the active semester.

 

[Aurarice]

Think of it as if having a job during med school (the workload is apparently comparable). No, it's not feasible if you want the grades. This program requires most of us to study 8-10 hours a day to be successful (that's on top of going to class/watching lecture). I have a job that allows me to work over breaks and holidays, but beyond that I definitely can't adequately fit in time to work during the active semester.

In terms of workload, I'd say it's theoretically less than medical school. I definitely worked harder in MedSci than I am now in med school, but that's because I had to learn how I learned best. Once you've got that down, everything else falls into place much more quickly.

Do you think it is feasible to have a job and be in this program at the same time?

Feasible, yes. Advisable, no. Recall MedSci is a "second chance" of sorts for people who did not perform that well (at least academically) in undergrad.
Another way to view it is as a risk - If you do well, you prove you can handle it. If you do poorly, you prove that you can't. I'd advise that you put in everything for just the one year to ensure a good performance. Best case scenario, you have some free time, in which case just go do some volunteering and flesh out your extracurriculars.