UTMB vs McGovern vs Dell

[kitkatlover]

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UTMB
Pros

• True pass/fail preclinical with no internal rankings
• Large class size
• NBME questions the whole way through

Cons

• Don't know the strength of rotation sites; far from TMC relative to McGovern
• Curriculum sounds like it is very self-directed learning with little emphasis on actual lectures; not sure how this will fare in med school
• Island weather potentially
• Would have to find housing

McGovern
Pros

• In the TMC
• Large class size
• Strong rotation sites, maybe a better connection with PDs in competitive residencies
• Probably can commute, save on living costs

Cons

• Graded after 1st semester
• In-house exams for the first semester (doesn't sound like a lot, but that is 1/8th of med school and I think 1/4th of the time you are prepping for step 1)
• List grades and where you are among your class distribution on residency application - seems very intense

Dell
Pros

• Free 3rd year to boost residency app
• True pass/fail, or correct me if I'm wrong

Cons

• Don't know the strength of rotation sites; MD Anderson opening but a lot later - seems like a non-factor for class of 2030
• Small class size and would not want to stay in Austin after graduating
• Few in-house residencies
• School emphasized away rotations for students to match; sounded like another headache

Summary: I want to keep my residency options open bc I don't know exactly what I want to do, maybe IM -> cards or gi fellowship, or maybe something surgical. I also do not really care about prestige much, just want a good experience throughout med school, and to be in a place that makes getting to residency feel less stressful than it already is. I feel like the UTMB true pass/fail and culture is good for students and would suit my learning style more bc I feel like having to shoot for an honors in every class will eat so much extra time, but will this hinder my shot at a competitive residency like ortho or ENT, for example? McGovern is in the TMC, but the curriculum sounds intense, and you are basically graded the whole way through. Also, I don't mind moving to the island or Austin or commuting to the TMC, it's the smallest factor imo, but I listed it in case. Can anyone speak to the pros and cons of these 3 schools, maybe expanding on what I have listed and adding other details that only a student or someone who's been through the process knows?

edit: I want to match out of state 100%, do not want to remain in Texas any longer than medical school

 

[pulsatilepony]

Growing up in Houston, I have to ask what we are talking about when it comes to "probably can commute". Are you inside the loop? Theoretical ability to commute vs sitting on the Katy Freeway for an hour in gridlock are two different things, aye?

Regarding your edit, while all three programs certainly seem feasible to match OOS for residency, matching IM out of TX is definitely no small feat w/o connections elsewhere (i.e. you will probably need to audition/away regardless of the school that you go to) because of the number of programs IS. Also, this is more anecdotal but I remember an M4 on my McGovern interview day mentioning that McGovern matches a lot of McGovern for residency (largely due to the students' own preferences) and that is reflected in their match list.

If you like UTMB's culture (and aren't currently living within 20 minutes of McGovern), I think the move to Galveston sounds like a good fit.