My GPA is definitely my biggest concern. My grades over the last year have been 3.8+, but I\'m worried about how getting mostly B\'s with only a few A\'s my Fresh/Soph year will hurt my chances.
**MCAT**
3/26/2011: PS 11, VR 12, BS 11, WS R (34R)
I am very pleased with my MCAT, especially considering my practice test average was 31-32. Hopefully this will be my saving grace and compensate some for my low-ish GPA.
**Other Stuff**
1+ year research (10hr/wk, year-round) 1 publication in peer-reviewed, but local journal (great experience, lots of work, but not huge deal) 2+ years working in emergency department Significant experience in foreign country--learned foreign language and double majored in it As part of foreign experience, taught free community English classes ~10hr/wk Respectable amount of volunteering Respectable amount of shadowing (not including employment experience)
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 05/31/2011
Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
Total MCAT SCORE: 516
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 129,
C/P 128,
CARS 130
Overall GPA: 3.41
Science GPA: 3.32
Summary of Application Experience
I know my GPA is nothing to brag about so I\'m pulling out all the stops and applying big--27 schools will receive my primary application! I don\'t think there is any such thing as safety schools for me, but I\'m applying to a lot where I hope I will have a decent shot, as well as several reach schools. In the spirit of adventure I also threw in just a couple schools where I probably have no business applying, but they would be dreams come true.
Realistically anywhere in Texas, preferably San Antonio, would be fantastic. My most realistic reach is probably Baylor. We\'ll see!
I\'ll update more as secondaries start rolling in and hopefully interviews later this summer and fall.
9/26 Update: Once I got my UTHSCSA and Tech interviews I decided to hold off on sending in my AACOMAS DO school secondaries to save financially. Realistically TCOM is the only DO school I would even consider attending over those two Texas MD schools. I felt my interviews went pretty well, too. If I haven\'t gotten any pre-match offers from the schools I\'ve interviewed at by the end of Nov, then I will go ahead and send in my secondaries and hope for more DO interviews in early 2012.
11/18 Update: Pre-matched TCOM 11/15!!! I\'m officially going to be a doctor (finally)!
11/18 Update: As frustrating as September and October were for me (heard absolutely nothing), November is turning out to be pretty sweet! Since my TCOM pre-match, I\'ve gotten two more interview invites: UT-Houston (early Dec) and Duke (early Feb)! Can\'t believe it--especially Duke! Still hoping for a pre-match from UTHSCSA or Tech, though. What a rollercoaster process...
1/17/12 update: Almost two weeks till the Texas match results. I ended up ranking my hometown school (UTHSCSA) #1, UTH #2, and TTUHSC-Lubbock #3 (prematched). I\'ve got one interview left... Duke in Feb. It\'d be hard to turn down a school close to home for a school on the other side of the country that\'s 4x as expensive... but it\'s freaking Duke, so who knows... :). I seriously doubt they\'ll accept me though.
3/15/12 update: After a long, long year everything is finally decided! I matched my #1 choice, UTHSCSA, and am elated with that. I got a rejection from Duke (no surprise), which is just as well because even though they impressed me I wasn\'t convinced that going to an expensive top private school over my hometown state school would really matter that much in my career. So with matching to San Antonio, I was withdrawn from my other prematches. I\'m now officially a proud member of the UTHSCSA School of Medicine Class of 2016.
Applied, Rejected
Mayo Medical School
Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
Submitted: 06/01/2011
Secondary Completed: No
Interview Invite: No
Interview Attended: No
Waitlisted: No
Accepted: No
Rejected: 07/12/2011
Summary of Experience:
I guess I had no business applying here.
Summary of Experience:
Too bad. This was the only other Texas school I was really hoping to get an interview from. Guess they just didn\'t like me much.
Summary of Experience:
No secondary. Wow... an interview invite after over 6 months of silence! I\'m really exited about this school for a number of reasons--hope they like me back.
Interview day was impressive. The TMC easily blows most of medical centers out of the water. I have questions as to much being near the TMC will actually influence my education in med school, though. Yes there will be a wider range of research and shadowing opportunities, but research will only be a supplemental part of me education--not the primary focus. I kinda wish they had spent more time detailing their curriculum and talked about how much time is dedicated for step studying and what the 3rd/4th years were like with respect to required rotations vs elective opportunities. I also wish they had given us what a \"typical\" day is like during the pre-clinical years... how much can be done by internet (video-podcasts) vs how many hours a day were in mandatory activities.
I\'m from a big city so I could handle Houston, but the traffic and parking and general congestion are turn-offs. At least in San Antonio (another big city) the medical center is closer to the suburbs.
Overall it was a very impressive school, and just made my rankings even more difficult.
Summary of Experience:
Whoa! This was one of my *huge* reach school--I\'d looong given up hope here. Just goes to show that you can never predict what will happen in this crazy process. I\'m glad someone saw something special in my application. It\'s just such an honor to interview here, even if they never end up accepting me.
Interview day was very impressive. MMI was actually enjoyable and I felt like I did pretty well. Honestly though I don\'t know if I could justify living so far away from family for so much more money, even if I got in. First, I have a spouse and child and being close to extended family would be a big help for them while my life is consumed by med school. Second, I don\'t know if Duke\'s research-heavy curriculum is really right for me.
Update: Rejection. Oh well. No surprise at all. In fact in a way I\'m kind of glad since now I don\'t have to make a very tough decision about choosing a high ranking school over my hometown, cheap state school.
Long School of Medicine - University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio
Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
Submitted: 05/31/2011
Secondary Completed: Yes
Interview Invite: 07/17/2011
Interview Attended: 08/07/2011
Waitlisted: No
Accepted: 01/31/2012
Rejected: No
Summary of Experience:
No secondary.
Actually submitted 5/12/2011, application complete email received 6/23/2011. This website is dumb and doesn\'t let you put anything before 6/1/2011 for submitted... did they completely ignore TMDSAS?
Wow, what an amazing and underrated (by some) school. Their new curriculum that would begin Fall 2012 sounds amazing and I would be really excited to experience it. Top choice right now--and probably will stay that way.
Summary of Experience:
I submitted my TMDSAS on 5/12/2011 and the secondary on 5/20/2011. MDApps won\'t let me put anything prior to June 1...
First invite! Was not expecting anything so early.
I was very impressed with this school. The quality of education, as evidenced by their match list and graduates\' success rates, is comparable to most MD schools--especially if your focus is on becoming an excellent clinician-physician (vs physician-scientist). At least within Texas it does not seem like you would face any bias against you from residency directors. In my opinion TCOM is the best DO school in the country.
Brand new medical education building; Very friendly and cooperative environment; They respect OMM as an additional resource that may be appropriate and helpful in certain situations, but in no way worship AT Still or anything; A tablet PC laptop is included in your tuition and comes pre-loaded with tons of educational software, ppt slides, and e-textbooks.
The only real downside is that a few of the students did complain that getting good rotations 3rd year was more difficult than they would have liked--which I thought was surprising given the metropolitan area of Ft. Worth. They also have loooong days during the first couple of years (8/9-4ish).
Overall I loved the school and would extremely happy attending here. I still think San Antonio or maybe Baylor would be my top choice, though.
YESS!!! Pre-matched! First acceptance. Dream come true... I\'m going to medical school.
Very impressed with school and love at first sight with the location (opposite of most people--I know).
Wow--prematch!! I very seriously considered ranking this #1 and just being done with the application year, but ended up choosing programs closer to home. If I don\'t match elsewhere I\'ll still be very happy going here.
