The prep course used for this semester will be Princeton Review; I'm not sure how exactly that will compare.
UNTHSC/TCOM M.S. in Medical Sciences (Texas)-SMP 2017-2018
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The prep course used for this semester will be Princeton Review; I'm not sure how exactly that will compare.
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Long time lurker around here, but finally decided to make an account because I needed to post 
So I am a rising senior at an undergrad out of state, but I am a Texan resident. I am thinking of applying for MedSci for the upcoming year, just after first semester of senior year ends, around December to have time to be able to pull my grades up.
Currently, I have a 3.0 gpa, and a 2.7 sgpa with a 520 MCAT score. I anticipate applying to Medsci with around a 3.1 gpa, 2.9 sgpa by the time December rolls around. I am worried that I risk a rejection because my sGPA will below a 3.0 at the time of application....does anyone know if the adcoms for this program break down GPA by sgpa like for med school admissions? Idk if this makes any difference at all, but I also go to a top 10 undergrad.
So I am a rising senior at an undergrad out of state, but I am a Texan resident. I am thinking of applying for MedSci for the upcoming year, just after first semester of senior year ends, around December to have time to be able to pull my grades up.Currently, I have a 3.0 gpa, and a 2.7 sgpa with a 520 MCAT score. I anticipate applying to Medsci with around a 3.1 gpa, 2.9 sgpa by the time December rolls around. I am worried that I risk a rejection because my sGPA will below a 3.0 at the time of application....does anyone know if the adcoms for this program break down GPA by sgpa like for med school admissions? Idk if this makes any difference at all, but I also go to a top 10 undergrad.
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Long time lurker around here, but finally decided to make an account because I needed to post
Currently, I have a 3.0 gpa, and a 2.7 sgpa with a 520 MCAT score. I anticipate applying to Medsci with around a 3.1 gpa, 2.9 sgpa by the time December rolls around. I am worried that I risk a rejection because my sGPA will below a 3.0 at the time of application....does anyone know if the adcoms for this program break down GPA by sgpa like for med school admissions? Idk if this makes any difference at all, but I also go to a top 10 undergrad.
No worries you'll be totally fine. I graduated sub-3.0 (barely on the line), and approx 2.7sgpa. They don't break it down much I think. My mcat was only 508(no biochem yet), and I even applied after their deadline. Ofc I wouldn't advise doing what I did -a poor accident - but with your mcat and an upward trend you should have no problem.
In fact, if you're strong in other areas, you may want to take a shot at a few lower schools anyway. That will definitely get you looked at.
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Thank you so much for the response!
Just wondering, are you also a Texan resident? And when, relative to the completion of your undergrad degree, did you apply? (like, did you graduate just this year, or has it been a few years or so?)
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Yup - Texas born and raised. I'm 2 years out of undergrad. I've been doing Americorps teaching in the meantime as well as my Master's in Education as well, which I'm pretty sure gave me a good boost even though I was a little late.
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Ahh ok, wow you've got a pretty interesting background! Sadly, I'm just about to be an average college grad next semester, with a unflattering GPA for medschools...haha. Based on what I've read on the forums from past years, it seems that the people from MedSci who were most successful not only did well in the program, but also had higher undergrad GPAs. Hearing this, I am increasingly wondering if a postbacc program aimed at increasing my undergrad GPA is more worth it than this masters program. I've been looking into the postbacc program at UTD....not too sure what to do
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Ahh ok, wow you've got a pretty interesting background! Sadly, I'm just about to be an average college grad next semester, with a unflattering GPA for medschools...haha. Based on what I've read on the forums from past years, it seems that the people from MedSci who were most successful not only did well in the program, but also had higher undergrad GPAs. Hearing this, I am increasingly wondering if a postbacc program aimed at increasing my undergrad GPA is more worth it than this masters program. I've been looking into the postbacc program at UTD....not too sure what to do
Have you called around the schools and asked about it? Your position might seem dire, but for some (like myself), a 520 might as well be hitting the lottery. I just checked Texas A&M and UTSW's profile and their bottom floor was a 3.04 and 3.1.
If I were you, I would lean towards a post-bac just for that 3.0 cutoff, it's cheaper, and you pick your own courses. Then again, you should call and see what info you can scope out.
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My anticipated application time to MedSci in January will mean that my sGPA will still be below a 3.0 (being about a 2.9), and cumulative at a 3.1 ish, since I'll have only 1 semester of senior year under my belt.
BUT, by the time I graduate, my cumulative GPA will hopefully be around a 3.25 , and my sGPA will be about a 3.11 -15 ish (based on my recent performance...when I started to somewhat get my priorities straight
). So this is the approximate GPA/MCAT combo (3.25 cGPA, 3.1 sGPA, 520 MCAT) I'll have by the time I graduate next year, and will apply to medical schools.As for after graduation, I did some rough calculations for a hypothetical - a UTD postbacc for 24 credit hours (assuming all As) would boost me roughly to a 3.4 GPA, and a 3.3 sGPA. This brings my stats to the "slightly" acceptable range for Texas (I'm ORM, so I'd assume not much leeway here as well) , since it seems that most Texan schools prefer pretty high GPAs, and don't seem to care very much for a higher MCAT. So this is a partial win/partial loss scenario.
Doing the medical masters successfully, IF my undergrad GPA is considered to be okay by TCOM/Texan schools with such a program, would give me a significantly better chance at the schools. But on the flip side, IF my undergrad GPA is not considered ok, then I'd have wasted a year on a program that doesn't help me at all because I'd have been rejected regardless...and I'd have to spend yet another year improving my GPA before I even apply. So this seems like a winner take home scenario - I either get 100% benefit, or 0%.
With these current stats and hypothetical stats, what would you do? Would you suggest postbacc at UTD/somewhere else , or this Medical Masters program (which would be listed as a separate grad GPA)? I'd honestly REALLY want todo the Medical Masters...but I wish I had some solid assurance that my undergrad GPA won't hold me back when applying to med school (that approx 3.25 cGPA, 3.1 sGPA upon graduation...), in the case that I did very well in the program, because that would REALLY suck!
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My anticipated application time to MedSci in January will mean that my sGPA will still be below a 3.0 (being about a 2.9), and cumulative at a 3.1 ish, since I'll have only 1 semester of senior year under my belt.
BUT, by the time I graduate, my cumulative GPA will hopefully be around a 3.25 , and my sGPA will be about a 3.11 -15 ish (based on my recent performance...when I started to somewhat get my priorities straight
As for after graduation, I did some rough calculations for a hypothetical - a UTD postbacc for 24 credit hours (assuming all As) would boost me roughly to a 3.4 GPA, and a 3.3 sGPA. This brings my stats to the "slightly" acceptable range for Texas (I'm ORM, so I'd assume not much leeway here as well) , since it seems that most Texan schools prefer pretty high GPAs, and don't seem to care very much for a higher MCAT. So this is a partial win/partial loss scenario.
Doing the medical masters successfully, IF my undergrad GPA is considered to be okay by TCOM/Texan schools with such a program, would give me a significantly better chance at the schools. But on the flip side, IF my undergrad GPA is not considered ok, then I'd have wasted a year on a program that doesn't help me at all because I'd have been rejected regardless...and I'd have to spend yet another year improving my GPA before I even apply. So this seems like a winner take home scenario - I either get 100% benefit, or 0%.
With these current stats and hypothetical stats, what would you do? Would you suggest postbacc at UTD/somewhere else , or this Medical Masters program (which would be listed as a separate grad GPA)? I'd honestly REALLY want todo the Medical Masters...but I wish I had some solid assurance that my undergrad GPA won't hold me back when applying to med school (that approx 3.25 cGPA, 3.1 sGPA upon graduation...), in the case that I did very well in the program, because that would REALLY suck!
I understand that Texas favors high gpa, but matriculation gpa is a RANGE and there's more to your application than a number. I started with a similar GPA btw, but my mcat sucks. I totally get chancing yourself with actual statistics though, but sometimes, you just have to play the cards you're dealt with. Even with a 4.0/99% mcat, no one on this board can definitively say you'll get in. Just check the re-applicant forum for high number achievers and no acceptances.
The most high-yield path would be to do the SMP since your gpa would be 3.0+. I don't like the gpa boost you'll get after the post-bac, if you can prove yourself in a highly regarded SMP. I can't imagine you won't have multiple interviews if your ECs are lined up.
Years ago I had a private conversation with the poster below who inspired me to do a post-bac. It's anecdotal, but it was inspiring for me then. He ended up getting into A&M.
Low GPA what kind of mcat do i need to even have a chance?
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Ahh ok, wow you've got a pretty interesting background! Sadly, I'm just about to be an average college grad next semester, with a unflattering GPA for medschools...haha. Based on what I've read on the forums from past years, it seems that the people from MedSci who were most successful not only did well in the program, but also had higher undergrad GPAs. Hearing this, I am increasingly wondering if a postbacc program aimed at increasing my undergrad GPA is more worth it than this masters program. I've been looking into the postbacc program at UTD....not too sure what to do
According to your other post, if you do graduate with your projected GPAs >3.0, I believe it would be better to do an SMP rather than a post-bacc unless it will affect your hours much. I graduated with ~160-180 (can't remember) so a post-bacc was useless for me. Go ahead an do a few courses on your own if you're missing some subject areas, but otherwise I'd go ahead and just do the MedSci. Your MCAT will be far above everyone else's
My anticipated application time to MedSci in January will mean that my sGPA will still be below a 3.0 (being about a 2.9), and cumulative at a 3.1 ish, since I'll have only 1 semester of senior year under my belt.
BUT, by the time I graduate, my cumulative GPA will hopefully be around a 3.25 , and my sGPA will be about a 3.11 -15 ish (based on my recent performance...when I started to somewhat get my priorities straight
As for after graduation, I did some rough calculations for a hypothetical - a UTD postbacc for 24 credit hours (assuming all As) would boost me roughly to a 3.4 GPA, and a 3.3 sGPA. This brings my stats to the "slightly" acceptable range for Texas (I'm ORM, so I'd assume not much leeway here as well) , since it seems that most Texan schools prefer pretty high GPAs, and don't seem to care very much for a higher MCAT. So this is a partial win/partial loss scenario.
Doing the medical masters successfully, IF my undergrad GPA is considered to be okay by TCOM/Texan schools with such a program, would give me a significantly better chance at the schools. But on the flip side, IF my undergrad GPA is not considered ok, then I'd have wasted a year on a program that doesn't help me at all because I'd have been rejected regardless...and I'd have to spend yet another year improving my GPA before I even apply. So this seems like a winner take home scenario - I either get 100% benefit, or 0%.
With these current stats and hypothetical stats, what would you do? Would you suggest postbacc at UTD/somewhere else , or this Medical Masters program (which would be listed as a separate grad GPA)? I'd honestly REALLY want todo the Medical Masters...but I wish I had some solid assurance that my undergrad GPA won't hold me back when applying to med school (that approx 3.25 cGPA, 3.1 sGPA upon graduation...), in the case that I did very well in the program, because that would REALLY suck!
If it helps, I met a few people that were offered acceptances into multiple medical schools with stats that ranged around cGPA of 3.1-3.2 and a sGPA of 2.9-3.0 for their undergraduate years, and excelled in the MedSci program (3.7+).
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In case anyone's on the waitlist, I'm withdrawing from here this weekend. Hopefully they offer it to someone!
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Wait, did you get admission to a med school elsewhere?
And yeah, I think I'm leaning towards MedSci at this point tbh. My GPA will increase a bit if I did a semester of a postbacc, but the effects of it are ambiguous at this point. Also, MedSci appears to be more structured, and will better prepare me for med school - and also...I just have a feeling I'd just get bored taking random upper level courses on my own via a DIY postbacc. MedSci seems to have a "community" of students taking classes together, so that's always a plus.
G
gibranmd2
Where are you going instead?
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TX1000 - No, I got into a different SMP that I wanted, and I've been dying to get out of Texas. Also, yes it's definitely more structured and from what I've seen so far in the fb group, the group seems to be pretty friendly and communal
gibranmd2 - Georgetown
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Anyone aware of what the technology package includes this year?
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Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
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Odd question to ask - how does one formally withdraw from a program? I don't suppose there's a way to do this online?
did you mean that you want to drop a course? withdrawing from the program, med sci program, would most likely require talking to the director, Dr.Gwirtz.
I would talk to Derrick for dropping a course.
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Thanks. I just drive to Fort Worth today. Turns out I needed to sign some papers in person. Good luck to the rest of you guys. The HSC looks like a nice area. I'm going to miss Texas
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Couldn't tell you because I decided not to. It was too rushed and I didn't want to bomb it. I know someone who applied end of Jan/early Feb and got in so it can be done.
Hi guys, I am planning on applying to this program next month and was wondering if they take LORs that were used during the current med school application cycle. I guess my question is should I get completely new ones or just send a couple that I used for this cycle's med school apps?
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I'm pretty sure they encourage you to submit the ones you already have! That's what I did when I applied.
Nice! So they were totally cool with that?
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Yeah. It was also good because when you re-apply, you can talk to Dr. Gwirtz about the strength of the letters and she can give you advice on which ones to use. (Not that she'll tell you what they say. She'll just encourage you one way or another.)
If you do this program, do they still take your residency into consideration when you apply to the med school? For example, if you get into the masters program as an out of state resident, are you considered on equal footing with everyone else in the masters program when they decide who to take from the program into the med school, or is there still an in-state bias?
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There is still an in-state bias. I have a tutor who did medsci in the past and she was still considered out of state but did eventually get into TCOM
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Hey guys, I was wondering if any current students or graduates of this program would like to join a groupme account for advice tips or questions? Also if anyone recently accepted would like to join please message me.
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As a previous Med Sci graduate that finished with a 4.0 and someone that was accepted into a Texas MD this cycle, I don’t mind giving advice. I just prefer to stay anonymous so feel free to message me on SDN. Good luck!
UNTHSC M.S. in Medical Sciences (Texas)-SMP 2017-2018
Although the year in the title is incorrect, this is the current medsci SDN thread from what I'm aware of.
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Thanks for offering to give back!
D
deleted506306
Are you graduating this May or are you in your gap year? If the latter, what are you doing in your year off? Any tips on doing well in Med Sci? Are there things you wish you knew before you started the program that you can share with us? Thanks!
Just ask and everyone can hop in to answer. Or message me if it's too personal.
Also 4.0 here, but I'm slacking hard on my apps this cycle. Financial situation is the main roadblock, but I can at least comment on the program itself!
From my understanding, a lot of people end up getting into medical school who do this program.
My question is how long do they typically do it? Do they complete the program or just do a year?
For example, let's say I get in fall of 2019. Would I then apply to medical school the following year?
Would it make sense to apply to medical school during the first year of the program?
My question is how long do they typically do it? Do they complete the program or just do a year?
For example, let's say I get in fall of 2019. Would I then apply to medical school the following year?
Would it make sense to apply to medical school during the first year of the program?
I just graduated this past May and there was a mix a people who applied concurrently while in the program and people who wanted to finish the program before sending their applications in. I know a good amount of people who were admitted into Texas MD/DO and OOS DO who concurrently applied. These people already had strong, competitive stats so they might have just needed a little extra boost for their application. Generally speaking, if your GPA needs serious improvement, for example my uGPA was around a 3.4, I would say the best course of action would be to successfully complete this program and then apply with the good graduate grades you make. If your GPA is lacking and you have a solid MCAT score (510+), I think you could try applying concurrently, but I still think you would have the best results after waiting since you'll have an entire year's worth of graduate science classes that can bolster your academic credentials.
Med Sci is a 1 year SMP program, so if you apply concurrently, and if you're accepted, you'll be matriculating into medical school the following year.
Thanks for this.
For some reason I thought it was a 2 year program.
My issue is both low GPA and MCAT. I'm retaking the MCAT in September and I'm hoping to score 509+. If by some miracle I can pull that off I'll just roll the dice on D.O. schools and maybe a couple of MD.
Is it wise to apply to med sci & MD/DO at the same time?
+1 to what @shelbybro said.
With regards to concurrent application, it really does depend on your stats. Being a reapplicant due to an unsuccessful cycle just means you have much more to accomplish during your gap year, which just happens to be mostly filled in with MedSci.
Considering your low stats, I don't think concurrent application would be a bad idea, although chances will be optimized if you apply following the program (assuming you do well).
Do you think it's possible to have a job and do this program? Or would you not recommend it?
Thanks.
It all depends on how well you're able to budget your time and set your priorities straight. Always remember that Med Sci is not only your second chance at proving yourself to medical schools, but may very well be your last opportunity to do so. What I mean is that if you don't do well in Med Sci the resulting poor academic transcript can severely damage your chances of getting admitted into medical schools. It would be a shame if you were working and were unable to stay on top of your Med Sci classes, because you were too burned out from work or you just didn't have the time to study due to your busy schedule. I followed the golden rule of making Med Sci my Number 1 priority when I was in the program. Essentially, I wouldn't recommend working while in this program, because there are weeks that you can easily get overwhelmed with classwork (this applies significantly more in the spring semester). Having said all that, if you're someone who is really good at time management and doesn't slack and spend too much time on video games/youtube/Netflix/procrastinating, I'd say you could make it work, but I think you should play it safe and make sure you do really well in this program.
EDIT: What are your stats? If your GPA needs serious improvement then I would 100% recommend that you not work during the program and focus only on making good grades in the program.
By any chance, do you know what the average GRE score was for prospective PA students that were admitted into the program? I can't find any info regarding that since most applicants take the MCAT and are prospective medical students . Any help is greatly appreciated!
