UNTHSC MS Med Sci Program 2013-2014

[silentshadow59]

So they aren't going in order? I was told they review applicants in the order they complete their applications

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[tylerf19]

So they aren't going in order? I was told they review applicants in the order they complete their applications

I was told the same thing... I got accepted last week and I submitted march 10th? Who knows?

 

[NobleGas14]

Hey guys,

Congrats to all of those accepted. Does anyone know if there's linkage to UNT's medical school? Also, how good is the programs prestige in comparison to other programs?


Thanks!

 

[JuxGiant]

So they aren't going in order? I was told they review applicants in the order they complete their applications

They review applicants in the order of completed apps, but some applicants might go into the "maybe" pile. That isn't to say one has been wait listed - your app might just be looked at in every meeting. Trust me, I've been done since early November, and app has already gone to review, but I haven't heard anything yet.

 

[silentshadow59]

@NobleGas14 if you maintain a 3.5+ GPA in the program you have a guaranteed interview at UNT's DO school. As far as prestige in comparison to other programs, I'm also hoping someone answers this! I would like to know how this program, which is a SMP simulation at a DO school, compares to actual SMPs at allopathic schools

 

[Maskedbandido]

They review applicants in the order of completed apps, but some applicants might go into the "maybe" pile. That isn't to say one has been wait listed - your app might just be looked at in every meeting. Trust me, I've been done since early November, and app has already gone to review, but I haven't heard anything yet.

So if we haven't heard anything it's a good thing because were being considered still or they just don't send out rejections? Is there an official waitlist that they inform applicants of? From this thread I've only seen one person say he's been rejected. I submitted in late march but I haven't heard anything either.

 

[texasgirl2014]

No kidding.

I was accepted into a similar program of Texas A&M, of which I need to accept or decline their offer by the 18th, which is next Friday. Dunno what I'm gonna do if I say yes to Aggieland but UNT also accepts me in the following weeks. It'd be kind of a jerk move to withdraw after I accept.

That's awesome! Congrats to you! But it's better to be safe and accept, I'm sure if you explain it to them they will understand!

Congrats to everyone who has been accepted this week! Ughhh I'm sooooo scared now, this program seems wonderful and as the weeks go by I feel like chances of getting accepted are slowly decreasinggggggg. I officially feel like I've been silently rejected or waitlisted.

 

[davidb25]

If you do well in the Drexel program, isn't that an automatic acceptance into their medical school? I'd probably go that route, if that's the case.

Above a 3.0 gets you an interview, not an acceptance.

Drexel is VERY expensive in comparison to UNT. That's my main concern.

 

[JuxGiant]

So if we haven't heard anything it's a good thing because were being considered still or they just don't send out rejections? Is there an official waitlist that they inform applicants of? From this thread I've only seen one person say he's been rejected. I submitted in late march but I haven't heard anything either.

So I think that, if one hasn't heard anything at this point, we're still being considered. Like, we haven't even been waitlisted yet. Since one person HAS been rejected, the people that haven't heard a decision yet should be thankful we're still in the running.

From previous year's threads, it seems like there IS a "waitlist" status, and no one on this thread has said they've been updated to "waitlist" yet, so that's good.

That's awesome! Congrats to you! But it's better to be safe and accept, I'm sure if you explain it to them they will understand!

Congrats to everyone who has been accepted this week! Ughhh I'm sooooo scared now, this program seems wonderful and as the weeks go by I feel like chances of getting accepted are slowly decreasinggggggg. I officially feel like I've been silently rejected or waitlisted.

Oh yeah, I definitely accepted the offer, on the 17th. I'm just glad I'm going to be a student somewhere this year. It's just, the UNT program is my first choice.

I'm sure you'll hear something positive back soon! Keep your spirits up!

Above a 3.0 gets you an interview, not an acceptance.

Drexel is VERY expensive in comparison to UNT. That's my main concern.

Ooh, ok. Yeah, I thought it was an auto-in. Then I would go the UNT route, especially if you're a resident of Texas.

 

[emery86]

Accepted! Received the email at 2:14pm CT.
So very relieved! Can't wait to meet everyone at orientation!
PS Submitted everything by March 10th.

 

[mkp]

Accepted! Received the email at 2:14pm CT.
So very relieved! Can't wait to meet everyone at orientation!
PS Submitted everything by March 10th.

Did you get the email today, as in Saturday or on Friday?

 

[silentshadow59]

@emery86 congrats!! Mind letting us know your mcat and gpa? Just curious to know where I stand at this point in the game

 

[emery86]

Did you get the email today, as in Saturday or on Friday?

I got the email on Friday afternoon.

@emery86 congrats!! Mind letting us know your mcat and gpa? Just curious to know where I stand at this point in the game

MCAT 28- taking it again May8th also
cGPA 3.59
sGPA 3.2ish

Thank you so much for the congrats! Its a huge relief. Hoping the best for everyone!

 

[NobleGas14]

Thanks for the insight. However, I haven't read anything about a guaranteed interview on their website; only on SDN. Is this 3.5/guaranteed interview a real thing?


Also, do any members or former members of the program have a review for the master's? I can't find one in the "Rate your Post-bacc" thread.

Cheers!

 

[JuxGiant]

Thanks for the insight. However, I haven't read anything about a guaranteed interview on their website; only on SDN. Is this 3.5/guaranteed interview a real thing?

I think it was a real thing in years past, but I think they took that away in recent years. I could be wrong, though.

You'd think they mention this, on the program description. If anything, it would generate even more interest (a.k.a. more applications a.k.a. more money) in the program.

 

[Mx300]

I think it was a real thing in years past, but I think they took that away in recent years. I could be wrong, though.

You'd think they mention this, on the program description. If anything, it would generate even more interest (a.k.a. more applications a.k.a. more money) in the program.

When I spoke to the graduates they said that a 3.5 and up would get u an interview but not an acceptance. They will take into account ur ug stats as well. A good SMP Gpa will help u out but it's not going to erase ur undergrad years. And now the class size is like 170 I believe so they have a lot to chose from.

 

[Maskedbandido]

When I spoke to the graduates they said that a 3.5 and up would get u an interview but not an acceptance. They will take into account ur ug stats as well. A good SMP Gpa will help u out but it's not going to erase ur undergrad years. And now the class size is like 170 I believe so they have a lot to chose from.

Do you mean 170 for the med school class or the post bacc?

 

[Mx300]

Med sci, and the med sci are competing with each other for seats in the med school.

 

[JuxGiant]

When I spoke to the graduates they said that a 3.5 and up would get u an interview but not an acceptance. They will take into account ur ug stats as well. A good SMP Gpa will help u out but it's not going to erase ur undergrad years. And now the class size is like 170 I believe so they have a lot to chose from.

I would hope that stats garnered from doing the Master's program would be looked upon more favorably, though. The only reason people apply for these programs is to rectify mistakes made in undergrad.

 

[Mx300]

I would hope that stats garnered from doing the Master's program would be looked upon more favorably, though. The only reason people apply for these programs is to rectify mistakes made in undergrad.

Yes that's true but if there going to choose an applicant that both have 3.5+ then the one with the better UG app, not just Gpa but ECs with probably be picked.

 

[GreyF0X]

I heard that around 30-40/170 people get into TCOM from the med sci program. I know of 4 people who did the program in different terms and all went to an out of state DO school, they performed well (>3.5) also. I feel like an SMP is not really worth it for out of state DO schools. Has anyone heard any good feedback from med sci students about the program?

 

[tylerf19]

I heard that around 30-40/170 people get into TCOM from the med sci program. I know of 4 people who did the program in different terms and all went to an out of state DO school, they performed well (>3.5) also. I feel like an SMP is not really worth it for out of state DO schools. Has anyone heard any good feedback from med sci students about the program?

Yes, I'm a scribe/tech at a large specialty ophthalmology practice in San Antonio, we just hired an ophthalmologist who is 1 year out of his residency (he went to TT-lubbock med school) and he is a graduate of this program. He has nothing but great things to say and was the convincing factor that led me to apply. As you may or may not know, ophthalmology is one of the more competitive residencies, that being said, he said this program made MS-1 a walk in the park. In addition, he said the city is awesome and you will be more than prepared for med school.

 

[bones9023]

Do you guys know of people getting into MD programs after this SMP? Or do most people just go the DO route after the UNT program? Guessing it all just depends on your stats and what you want to do.

 

[NobleGas14]

Additionally, does anyone know how difficult it is to be accepted into this program?

Anyone have statistics of getting into Texas MD programs after this program?

 

[UTsksk]

Just to clear something up for you all. Nothing is really guaranteed with this program unless you're in bridge. All of the people that I know who interviewed did have a 3.5 or above, but not all people with >3.5 interviewed. Don't get a C in any class and try your hardest.

Also want to mention that I really like the program. It can be tough, but it is very possible to succeed.

 

[GreyF0X]

Just to clear something up for you all. Nothing is really guaranteed with this program unless you're in bridge. All of the people that I know who interviewed did have a 3.5 or above, but not all people with >3.5 interviewed. Don't get a C in any class and try your hardest.

Also want to mention that I really like the program. It can be tough, but it is very possible to succeed.

Were you able to matriculate into a TX med school afterwards? If you don't mind me asking, what were your undergrad stats like? Im sure TCOM still looks at your undergrad stats whether or not you did great in the med sci program, right?

 

[WTEngel]

@NobleGas14 if you maintain a 3.5+ GPA in the program you have a guaranteed interview at UNT's DO school. As far as prestige in comparison to other programs, I'm also hoping someone answers this! I would like to know how this program, which is a SMP simulation at a DO school, compares to actual SMPs at allopathic schools

This is false. TCOM does not promise, guarantee, insinuate, or otherwise lead anyone to believe that they will be given an interview for meeting a certain standard while in the MedSci program. As utsktsk mentioned there is only one guaranteed route to TCOM from MedSci, and that is "the bridge." If you haven't heard about it, then you don't need to hear about it. It is by invitation only, and they seek you out, not the other way around.

While 3.5+ GPA performance sets you up well to be selected for an interview, it is by no means a guarantee. Again, as Utsktsk said, don't get any C's and keep your GPA as close to 4.0 as you can, and you have a decent shot at an interview.

As to your comment about this being a "smp simulation" I'm not really sure what you mean. It feels pretty much like an actual SMP to me, nothing simulated about it. Graduates from this program tend to have pretty good success at getting accepted to Texas MD schools as well as OOS schools. As for prestige, no one is going to roll out a red carpet and give you the 5 star treatment no matter what SMP you attend, however my participation was more than well received at every med school interview I attended.

In fact, I felt like the program carried more weight with schools other than TCOM. You have to understand, to TCOM, the MedScis are a dime a dozen. Nothing too impressive there. At other schools though, it is easier to stand out because of your participation in the program, as there isn't 200 other applicants just like you across the way in the auditorium.

Best advice to everyone around here is be careful who you listen to (myself included) and don't dish out advice if you don't know what you're talking about.

 

[silentshadow59]

Oh I said it's simulated SMP because true SMPs have med school courses taken with the med students, like Georgetown for example. Thanks for the responses though

 

[silentshadow59]

And Jessica told me by phone that maintaining a 3.5 gpa while in the program will land you an interview at TCOM

 

[Mx300]

And Jessica told me by phone that maintaining a 3.5 gpa while in the program will land you an interview at TCOM

Yeah I was under this impression when I went to the open house. They seemed to let us know that maintaining a 3.5 and up would get us at least an interview. But they were very clear that it wouldn't necessarily lead to an acceptance.

 

[WTEngel]

Well I won't argue with Jessica. She is definitely more in the know than me, and she has never given me information that wasn't true.

I would be very careful about understanding the difference between what she said, and what you heard though. They were very explicit with our class that there was no magic number to achieve an interview or acceptance. Like I said earlier, 3.5+ is where you need to be in order to have the best chance for an interview. If they chose not to interview you and you had over a 3.5 GPA though, you have no recourse. They aren't obligated to interview anyone from MedSci if they so choose, GPA notwithstanding.

The last thing I have to say on the matter is, can you find anywhere IN WRITING where it says a GPA of 3.5+ will guarantee you an interview?

 

[silentshadow59]

I'm not sure why I should go looking for that for you considering you've gone through the program already. All I said was what I was told. It shouldn't really even be a lengthy discussion for this thread at this time, considering a large chunk of applicants haven't even heard back from admissions yet

 

[WTEngel]

Yeah...I wasn't asking you to look it up for me. The statement was more rhetorical, as I already know the answer. I guess sometimes tone is lost when a statement is written.

Focus on doing well, and hope the interviews come.

 

[AtownBrown89]

Well I won't argue with Jessica. She is definitely more in the know than me, and she has never given me information that wasn't true.

I would be very careful about understanding the difference between what she said, and what you heard though. They were very explicit with our class that there was no magic number to achieve an interview or acceptance. Like I said earlier, 3.5+ is where you need to be in order to have the best chance for an interview. If they chose not to interview you and you had over a 3.5 GPA though, you have no recourse. They aren't obligated to interview anyone from MedSci if they so choose, GPA notwithstanding.

The last thing I have to say on the matter is, can you find anywhere IN WRITING where it says a GPA of 3.5+ will guarantee you an interview?

I went to the open house and it was stated several times that there is no linkage or acceptable gpa that garunteed and acceptance or interview. Just affirming your statement.


A lot of frustrated Pre meds here. I was completed october 10th. Heard nothing yet. Like stated before, some of us have affairs that we need time to get in order before we/ if we start the program. I hope they let us know soon.

 

[JuxGiant]

A couple of users stating past students in the program said >3.5 gets you an interview. A user saying Jessica said >3.5 gets you an interview.Current users who ARE students saying >3.5 doesn't get you squat. A user saying the open house didn't say anything about >3.5 getting you an interview. A user saying the open house DID say >3.5 = interview...

How I feel after reading a derailed thread:

@silentshadow59 and @WTEngel: Why can't we be friends?!

In all seriousness, can we just all agree that getting and maintaining a GPA >3.5 leads to higher success rates in gaining interviews, wherever you apply? Students might overthink it when they reach that magical 3.5 number and start to try and calculate what they need just to coast at that level, which may lead to bad decisions. "Oh, I can get a B here and still get an interview? YEAH!!!" ... ... ... "ends up getting a C because of not studying as hard. Doesn't get an interview anywhere he/she applies, and becomes a ninja for hire."

tl;dr? Don't become a ninja for hire. Get the best GPA you can get. In a way, this is a second chance - let's not fudge it up.

 

[silentshadow59]

Haha I've been friendly! All I'm saying is what I was told lol. I suppose it was not a binding guarantee, It was mentioned by her before I even applied while I was still gathering information. I certainly think you all should maintain at least a 3.5 GPA regardless of a 'guaranteed' interview at this one particular school, because you will likely get a few interviews regardless if you apply broadly. Still wondering how this program will compare to other SMP programs where you actually take courses with allopathic med students, but I guess this isn't a thread in which anybody would know about the other programs

 

[Mx300]

Here's what I think. I think that students who have a great SMP Gpa but are lacking in other things might not be interviewed. I would be curious to see the mcat and ECs of the ppl who did great in the SMP but were not given an interview. But if u have ur ducks in a row and also have a great SMP Gpa then I do think u have a guaranteed interview. This is the impression I was given but of course nothing is in writing because they want to have wiggle room. They wouldn't stress maintaining a 3.5 and up if it wasn't some criteria for them.

As a student I would be pissed if I had a decent mcat and ECs and I busted my butt to maintain a good SMP Gpa and they didn't even give me an interview. I would feel cheated and mislead. I don't expect an acceptance but an interview is something that they should be more lenient on giving to the med sci students.

 

[rwmedic906]

I was a former MedSci who is now a first year at TCOM (soon to be second year!!) Generally if you're in good academic standing you CAN get an interview. That just means a GPA above 3.0.... now, the reality is, TCOM has the pick of the litter here at UNTHSC and over the past two years has received more application than ever before in the history of the school. So, what does that mean?..... I think it means that they are picking and choosing more selectively because they can. A large majority of MedScis generally get an interview but past tha,t its a crap shoot. I have friends that got in with low MCAT scores, MedSci GPA's below 3.5 and friends that didn't get accepted with MedSci GPA's above 3.75 with great MACT scores. This speaks to the fact that TCOM has generally prided itself on selecting what it considers well rounded candidates (which is subjective and hard to quantify) not just necessarily the most qualified. It IS getting more difficult, The stats ARE going up with each new incoming class, but so are medical schools everywhere. MedSci was a difficult year, BUT it absolutely gave me and all my classmates a leg up our first year. I have friends from medical schools all over Texas that tell me all the time how much MedSci has helped them succeed and that they couldn't imagine what first year would be like without having had MeSci under their belts. The only thing you should be worried about is doing well in the program and the results of that will take care of themselves, maybe not at TCOM but somewhere and you'll have a significant advantage over your med school classmates that get railroaded by the pace of med school first year. ALSO, DONT GET A "C"! (I had a 3.7 MedSci GPA, 28MCAT, and 3.3/3.4 UGPA)

 

[JuxGiant]

@Former and current MedScis: There's going to be differing opinions here, but what's been the most difficult class for you? What's been the "easiest" class?

 

[xozarkax]

Still no answer! :O my app was submitted on the 12th of March. Any of yall apply for FAFSA? If so, have yall gotten any say from fin aid? How are yall going about the finding housing and stuff?

 

[Eleventhirteen]

When I was a medsci during the 2012-2013 school year, TCOM pretty much interviewed everyone who was in good academic standing (>3.0). I think things have changed, and I know that this wasn't the case this year. I've mentioned this in other threads, but you can get a 4.0 in this program and still be rejected if your MCAT is terrible and your ECs suck. That being said, doing well in the program can only help you. It is a tough program, but it is certainly manageable and I know it helped me tremendously. Students from this program have been accepted to virtually every Texas school, though the majority seemed to be TCOM and A&M.

Make sure you have a strong application, a solid MCAT score, and a great MedSci GPA and I'm sure you'll be successful.
My stats: 31 MCAT 3.6gGPA, 3.3uGPA.

Juxgiant, for me personally I think physiology in the spring was the most difficult class. There was a lot of variability in physio and some of the exams were very easy and some were pretty difficult.
Of the core classes, I had the least trouble with Immuno/Micro, but that may have had more to do with my background than the actual difficulty of the class. Anatomy can seem overwhelming at times if you don't keep up with the material.

 

[WTEngel]

With the way they have re worked the curriculum, Spring semester is an absolute kick in the teeth. You end up taking anatomy and physiology at the same time, both 5 hour courses. This happens along side of ethics and intro to clinical research, one of which is online, and the other meets once weekly, so while those two are manageable, with anatomy and physiology looming so heavily it makes it incredibly easy to forget an assignment in one of the two easier courses. I took 23 hours in a single semester during undergrad (I was attending a CC and 4 year school, doubling my credits so I could graduate faster) and it wasn't nearly as hard to keep up with as the 15 hours they laid on us this Spring semester.

Scholastically, I'd say physiology is probably the hardest, and I say this even in the presence of 12 years of pretty significant clinical experience (paramedic, flight paramedic, etc.) it is also the only course they end up curving basically every year. This year they only curved it one point, in years past they have curved up to 3 I think (not positive.) this is just another example of how competitive and high stat our class was.

Biostats is not a hard course, but it is a gut check, as it is the first course you take over the summer, it is 4 hours, and you aren't sure what to expect. It is also a "sleeper" because it really can sneak up on you, and before you know it you've got a B, or worse yet a C, and you really don't know how it happened. Dr. Ariel (not sure if he's teaching again this summer or not, but he's a great guy) gives 3 exams with a total of 100 questions for the term. It's really simple, every 10 questions you miss is a letter grade. You can drop from A to B pretty quick, and B to C even quicker. Since it is 4 hours, it can be a nice little hole to dig yourself out of before the Fall even starts.

Pharmacology is the last course we are taking right now, and again, it isn't hard necessarily, but for most of us the dye has been cast so to speak, so it can be hard to find that same motivation we had at the beginning of the program.

So my unofficial list, in order of MOST to LEAST difficult is:

1.) Physiology - difficult in its own right, but with Anatomy and two other classes running along side it, it is definitely a beast. They curve it every year, and that is because it is a killer. (spring semester)

2.) Biostats - not necessarily difficult scholastically, but since it is the first course, it can get away from you in a hurry, and they run MCAT prep, optional biochem, preceptorship, and a few other things along with it. (summer semester, only graded course)

3.) Cell biology - this may be unique to me. I did pretty well in cell biology in undergrad, but this particular course I never quite caught up with. I still did well, but it was more work than I expected. (Fall semester)

4.) Histology - again, this may be unique to me, I don't really love histo, but this class was only 2 hours of credit, and easily took 3-4 hours of hardcore studying for 1 hour of in class lecture time. The general consensus was that this felt like the work of a 4 hour course, yet the contact hours only amounted to 2. (Fall semester.)

5.) Anatomy - everyone on the whole did well in this course and the average for the class was a high B (around 88 I think) but the fact that it was alongside physiology made it hard to manage. This class takes a lot of time outside of lecture. If you have never had a human anatomy course, you are already behind for this class. (Spring semester)

6.) Pharmacology - this course would be higher on my list of difficulty if it wasn't for the fact that this is literally the only time in the entire program where you just have one course you are responsible for. It's the end of the program, 95% of us know what our fate is, and summer is so close we can taste it. Hard to stay focused...you better believe it. Easy to say, "Getting a B isn't the worst thing in the world." Most definitely! (Spring semester)

7.) biochemistry, immunology/microbiology, and the rest of the science credits are about the same level of difficulty. Nothing too hard, just stay on top of it.

8.) all of the non science courses like health disparities, intro to clinical research, epidemiology, ethics, etc. are pretty much GPA boosters. You should get an A in all of these courses without much trouble. They are great courses, and I loved the content, but they were not academically challenging, which is nice once in a while. You show up, learn some cool stuff, make an A and hit the road. If only everything came together that nicely.

So there you have it. That's just my opinion of course, and oharm may move up on the list depending in what my score on the next exam is...I'd be interested to hear other previous MedScis input on this. It can be a very individualized thing as everyone has different things they are good at, but I am pretty sure almost everyone will put physiology close to the top of the list...

 

[Pencilplans15]

I submitted Feb 21, and still no reply...

 

[TW23]

Additionally, does anyone know how difficult it is to be accepted into this program?

Anyone have statistics of getting into Texas MD programs after this program?

I interviewed at multiple MD schools and ended up pre-matching, matching, and getting accepted to a dual program while being in this program. I believe that getting interviews at MD schools in Texas is more on your stats outside of this program, but that doing well in this program can seal the deal for an interview or an acceptance (at least I felt that was the case for me). I know of about 15 students that have gotten into Texas MD schools, about about 30 students that got into TCOM, and about another 20 or so that have gotten into out of state DO and MD schools. There are about 200 students in our class and a little more than half applied this year. I hope this helps.

 

[GreyF0X]

I interviewed at multiple MD schools and ended up pre-matching, matching, and getting accepted to a dual program while being in this program. I believe that getting interviews at MD schools in Texas is more on your stats outside of this program, but that doing well in this program can seal the deal for an interview or an acceptance (at least I felt that was the case for me). I know of about 15 students that have gotten into Texas MD schools, about about 30 students that got into TCOM, and about another 20 or so that have gotten into out of state DO and MD schools. There are about 200 students in our class and a little more than half applied this year. I hope this helps.

What were your UG & MedSci stats if you don't mind me asking?

 

[xozarkax]

What were your UG & MedSci stats if you don't mind me asking?

I called yesterday and this was answered. Jessica said that they are REVIEWING the apps in order received but not necessarily deciding in that same order. I.e: they might put some aside after reviewing then in order received to decide on acceptance later.

 

[xozarkax]

So they aren't going in order? I was told they review applicants in the order they complete their applications

I called yesterday and this was answered. Jessica said that they are REVIEWING the apps in order received but not necessarily deciding in that same order. I.e: they might put some aside after reviewing then in order received to decide on acceptance later.

 

[TW23]

What were your UG & MedSci stats if you don't mind me asking?

Yeah, not a problem.

Undergrad Cumulative: 3.68
Undergrad Science: 3.65
MCAT: 21 and 32
Med Sci GPA: 4.0

I'll be at y'all's orientation on the 21st during lunch if y'all get accepted to the program and would like to talk.

 

[MXAspiringdoc86]

It seems like acceptances are going out every Friday at around 2pm. Any insight into when rejection letters are rolling out? Green dot's driving me crazy already haha

 

[GIpremed]

Is the Spring semester 15 credits or 17? Not sure if my math is wrong when adding the courses up http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20004/gr.../master_of_science_degree_in_medical_sciences