2016-2017 University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley Application Thread

[WedgeDawg]

1. List three adjectives that characterize the community you grew up in:


2. Briefly describe the community you anticipate practicing medicine in post-residency: 100 words



3. In the event you are accepted to two or more medical schools, what factors would be most important in determining which school would be the "best fit" for you: 150 words


4. The UTRGV SOM educates future physicians with the following values in mind:
Patient Advocacy; Community-Focus; Cultural Awareness; Collaborative Leadership Style; Lifelong Problem Solving. Choose TWO (2) of these values and explain their importance to you, as well as how they integrate with each other. Finish by indicating how this integration will impact your medical school education: 300 words



DESCRIBE EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE HAD UNRELATED TO SCIENCE OR MEDICINE.
PART 1: Required
PART 2: Select 2 out of the 4*

• briefly describe the experience
• state the circumstances of the experience (why you participated)
• what you learned about yourself through that experience

*Experiences may be used more than once to address each category. Limit your answers to the space provided.

Part 1

A situation in which you interacted with individuals who were different from you: 150 words


Part 2 (select 2 out of 4)
A community service experience: 150 words


An employment experience: 150 words


A position of responsibility/authority in which others depended on you for direction: 150 words


A creative endeavor (anything that required you to be creative in your approach, such as fine arts, computer programming, web design, writing, etc.): 150 words

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[breadNbutter]

If anyone has questions regarding the school, the location, or anything else related to UT-RGV or the application process, I will do my best to help as an incoming MS1 and south Texas resident.

Additional details, which for whatever reason aren't accessible through the main page navigation, regarding the curriculum, grading, etc., can be found here: http://www.utrgv.edu/school-of-medicine/academics/md-program/index.htm

 

[popopopop]

Do you know anything about the student profile stats-wise? I'd imagine it would be quite high in stats since it's an incoming year.

 

[breadNbutter]

Do you know anything about the student profile stats-wise? I'd imagine it would be quite high in stats since it's an incoming year.

Stats data will probably be available once the class is finalized closer to June 1st (waitlist movement is still a possibility until then).

 

[smr]

Stats data will probably be available once the class is finalized closer to June 1st (waitlist movement is still a possibility until then).

Hi, do you know if there are specific requirements for the letters of recommendation? Do they want 2 from professors or only one from a science professor, etc? I am planning on having one from a physician I shadowed, a professor and a research PI. Does this sound fine?

 

[breadNbutter]

Hi, do you know if there are specific requirements for the letters of recommendation? Do they want 2 from professors or only one from a science professor, etc? I am planning on having one from a physician I shadowed, a professor and a research PI. Does this sound fine?

They follow the TMDSAS guidelines for LOR. I would only add a third letter if I felt it would be exceptionally strong. What you have looks good.

 

[PhDandConfused]

Has anyone received a secondary yet? Do they do a primary screen and send them out selectively?


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[LeafyStreet]

Could someone please post the secondary essay prompts for this year? Thank you!

 

[rgrahul1234]

No secondary yet. I turned in the primary app 5/17.

 

[rgrahul1234]

Just called. Secondaries will be out in about a week.

 

[mdhopeful545]

Just called. Secondaries will be out in about a week.

have you received a secondary from them yet?

 

[rgrahul1234]

have you received a secondary from them yet?

Still haven't received anything yet.

 

[PhDandConfused]

Got the secondary this morning. Haven't had a chance to log on and view, will look tonight.


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[kegar99]

Got the secondary this morning. Haven't had a chance to log on and view, will look tonight.


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+1 Anyone know what the screening is for secondaries? I'm guessing most everyone gets one

 

[Seldinger3]

Got the secondary this morning

 

[iforget2]

Transmitted 6/7 and got a secondary today. I haven't looked deep into it, but is there no secondary essay for this one?

 

[iforget2]

There are lots. As soon as you electronically sign they will pop open

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Just filled it out and saw it. Got excited there for a second. Haha thanks!

 

[FCMike11]

Just filled it out and saw it. Got excited there for a second. Haha thanks!

There are lots. As soon as you electronically sign they will pop open

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Got the secondary this morning

Would any of you guys mind posting these here?

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[FootballFoot]

Holy **** secondary. I thought Dell was bad.

 

[iforget2]

Holy **** secondary. I thought Dell was bad.

Literally what I thought. These are mercifully short though compared to the others

 

[iforget2]

If I'm interested in working with Mandarin-speaking patients and write about it in my essays, will this pretty much be an axe into a chance at an interview here?

 

[719927]

Received the secondary as well today. Not sure what the pre-screening criteria was. Although it seems like alot, the questions are fairly short which and straightforward for the most part.

 

[Texasgirl123]

I was told that don't give secondaries to everyone!

 

[FootballFoot]

If I'm interested in working with Mandarin-speaking patients and write about it in my essays, will this pretty much be an axe into a chance at an interview here?

Wondering this too, but for another non-Spanish language.

 

[iforget2]

Transmitted on 05/17 and got a secondary today! i called them today asking about it and they said that they don't give secondaries to everyone and that it isn't based on a gpa/mcat screen. They said they do a holistic view of applicants in groups of 10 applications and are pretty slow about sending out secondaries bc they actually give everything a look through and send secondaries out accordingly


So it may be a prescreen similar to how Dell does it? Probably looking for diff things but sounds similar? idk

This make me feel a little bit better about my app lol

 

[Texasgirl123]

This make me feel a little bit better about my app lol

lol i feel ya, I haven't gotten one from Dell yet so ugh. Hopefully I get one.
The Rio Grande people said that they interview around 10% of the total applicants/applications they receive (for 50 spots). Idk if that's a low percentage or high or just normal.

 

[gummychocos]

.

 

[parrotlet2016]

If I'm interested in working with Mandarin-speaking patients and write about it in my essays, will this pretty much be an axe into a chance at an interview here?

It's best to be honest because the committee can sense when you are faking it. Though I can't tell you exactly what they are looking for, the goal of the school is to find people who are truly interested in working with the community, especially patients that may come from very low socioeconomic backgrounds. If you are truly worried about it, maybe mention the language as an example but focus on patient characteristics (language aside) that the school was founded to work with.

 

[Phoodie]

I noticed that UTRGV requires 14 hours of biology classes for science majors only. I was a psychology major but took biopsychology. Does anyone know if this would suffice as one of the biology classes? I was planning on using this plus biochemistry as my two upper division biology classes.


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[deleted554561]

1. List three adjectives that characterize the community you grew up in:


2. Briefly describe the community you anticipate practicing medicine in post-residency: 100 words



3. In the event you are accepted to two or more medical schools, what factors would be most important in determining which school would be the "best fit" for you: 150 words


4. The UTRGV SOM educates future physicians with the following values in mind:
Patient Advocacy; Community-Focus; Cultural Awareness; Collaborative Leadership Style; Lifelong Problem Solving. Choose TWO (2) of these values and explain their importance to you, as well as how they integrate with each other. Finish by indicating how this integration will impact your medical school education: 300 words



DESCRIBE EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE HAD UNRELATED TO SCIENCE OR MEDICINE.
PART 1: Required
PART 2: Select 2 out of the 4*

• briefly describe the experience
• state the circumstances of the experience (why you participated)
• what you learned about yourself through that experience

*Experiences may be used more than once to address each category. Limit your answers to the space provided.

Part 1

A situation in which you interacted with individuals who were different from you: 150 words


Part 2 (select 2 out of 4)
A community service experience: 150 words


An employment experience: 150 words


A position of responsibility/authority in which others depended on you for direction: 150 words


A creative endeavor (anything that required you to be creative in your approach, such as fine arts, computer programming, web design, writing, etc.): 150 words

OH MY DAMN!!!!

I'm glad I got accepted into the inaugural class.

Good luck to y'all this cycle and hopefully I will see some of you there in the future .

 

[breadNbutter]

I noticed that UTRGV requires 14 hours of biology classes for science majors only. I was a psychology major but took biopsychology. Does anyone know if this would suffice as one of the biology classes? I was planning on using this plus biochemistry as my two upper division biology classes.


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This ought to work. TMDSAS has their own classification guide for courses. It is available on their page. The school will probably just go by that. It wouldn't hurt to call the school just to be sure though.

 

[Phoodie]

This ought to work. TMDSAS has their own classification guide for courses. It is available on their page. The school will probably just go by that. It wouldn't hurt to call the school just to be sure though.

True. I'll shoot them a call soon. Thanks!

 

[SmilingTooth]

Primary app transmitted 5/6, and still no secondary invite. I've been screened out or a silent rejection, maybe not!

 

[Phoodie]

I'm an OOS applicant. Here's my timeline FWIW:

• TMDSAS Submitted: 5/23/16
• TMDSAS Transmitted: 5/31/16
• UTRGV Secondary Invite: 6/9/16
• UTRGV Secondary Submitted: 6/10/16
• UTRGC Secondary Received: 6/13/16

Edited it to update my most recent status

 

[smr]

I'm instate and haven't submitted my LOE yet, received secondary earlier this week. Hope the "pre-screen" thing is a good sign, but it seems so early in the process. Same thing goes for Dell.

 

[SmilingTooth]

Got my secondary today! I wonder what they are really screening to select the secondary recipients...

Primary app transmitted 5/6, and still no secondary invite. I've been screened out or a silent rejection, maybe not!

 

[kegar99]

Anyone else finding that those 150 words are going super fast?

 

[SmilingTooth]

Anyone else finding that those 150 words are going super fast?

I just finished mine and I can attest to what you said. I was compressing essays like the Pied Piper Beta.

 

[iforget2]

I just finished mine and I can attest to what you said. I was compressing essays like the Pied Piper Beta.

Wow that was a quick turnaround lol

 

[SmilingTooth]

Wow that was a quick turnaround lol

I pretty much redbull'd my way through the night. Time to crash will commence in exactly T minus 8 hours.

 

[SmilingTooth]

2 secondary receipt email on the same day. Maybe a good omen

 

[Phoodie]

Anyone know when the first rounds of IIs are sent?

 

[SmilingTooth]

Anyone know when the first rounds of IIs are sent?

This is anyone's guess since they start accepting apps late in the cycle last year. But the confirmation email says that they start interviewing mid-August, so the IIs should be out before mid-July. Take your pick

 

[Phoodie]

This is anyone's guess since they start accepting apps late in the cycle last year. But the confirmation email says that they start interviewing mid-August, so the IIs should be out before mid-July. Take your pick

Ah yes - I was at work when the email was sent so I only quickly glanced over it. I'm hoping for the best but I'm also OOS so the likelihood of receiving an II is slim!

 

[bearonionlol]

TMDSAS Submitted: 6/2/16
TMDSAS Transmitted: 6/14/16
UTRGV Secondary Email: 6/15/16

Will update this post as necessary.

Do you guys think it's even worth it to do the secondary? I feel like I will get screened out because of a super BAD bio score on my most recent MCAT. I have taken it three times, btw.
Scores:
Jan 2015: 27- 8 PS, 10 VR, 9 BS
June 2015: 504- 127 C/P, 125 CARS, 127 B/B, 125 P/S
May 2016: 506- 127 C/P, 125 CARS, 124 B/B, 130 P/S
My composite GPA is 3.56 and my BCPM GPA is a 3.52.
Texas resident, Asian, Male

I feel like the only things I've got going for me is a very unique PS describing my passion for psychiatry. Also, my LOR are probably really good.

Any feedback or tips would be greatly appreciated! Oh yeah, I'm a re-applicant if that matters.

 

[SmilingTooth]

TMDSAS Submitted: 6/2/16
TMDSAS Transmitted: 6/14/16
UTRGV Secondary Email: 6/15/16

Will update this post as necessary.

Do you guys think it's even worth it to do the secondary? I feel like I will get screened out because of a super BAD bio score on my most recent MCAT. I have taken it three times, btw.
Scores:
Jan 2015: 27- 8 PS, 10 VR, 9 BS
June 2015: 504- 127 C/P, 125 CARS, 127 B/B, 125 P/S
May 2016: 506- 127 C/P, 125 CARS, 124 B/B, 130 P/S
My composite GPA is 3.56 and my BCPM GPA is a 3.52.
Texas resident, Asian, Male

I feel like the only things I've got going for me is a very unique PS describing my passion for psychiatry. Also, my LOR are probably really good.

Any feedback or tips would be greatly appreciated! Oh yeah, I'm a re-applicant if that matters.

Looking at all your MCAT scores, it seems like the most recent bio score was a fluke. Your overall MCAT scores are above average, so take a shot at that secondary; it won't cost you an arm or a leg, ($35) unlike other private schools I've applied to

 

[parrotlet2016]

TMDSAS Submitted: 6/2/16
TMDSAS Transmitted: 6/14/16
UTRGV Secondary Email: 6/15/16

Will update this post as necessary.

Do you guys think it's even worth it to do the secondary? I feel like I will get screened out because of a super BAD bio score on my most recent MCAT. I have taken it three times, btw.
Scores:
Jan 2015: 27- 8 PS, 10 VR, 9 BS
June 2015: 504- 127 C/P, 125 CARS, 127 B/B, 125 P/S
May 2016: 506- 127 C/P, 125 CARS, 124 B/B, 130 P/S
My composite GPA is 3.56 and my BCPM GPA is a 3.52.
Texas resident, Asian, Male

I feel like the only things I've got going for me is a very unique PS describing my passion for psychiatry. Also, my LOR are probably really good.

Any feedback or tips would be greatly appreciated! Oh yeah, I'm a re-applicant if that matters.

Your scores are similar to mine and I got in. It's worth a shot.

 

[bearonionlol]

Thank you so much guys! I guess I'll do it, then! I'm just so BUMMED out because I spent over $2000 for a TPR course this time around and I even got 129s on some of their practice tests in the B/B section. It was also my highest subsection on my EK practice exams. I just don't want to be automatically screened out after I pay the fee. I've already spent so much on applications and it sucks so much. But, yeah I guess $35 is better than the $60 that some of the others cost! It's crazy that there are only 50 seats though.

 

[parrotlet2016]

Don't sit too long on the secondary. The sooner you complete your entire application, the better. Keep in mind that stats matter (to an extent), but this school does focus more holistically (as cliche as med schools make that seem now). Therefore if you are truly passionate about something, make sure to convey it.

 

[iforget2]

Thank you so much guys! I guess I'll do it, then! I'm just so BUMMED out because I spent over $2000 for a TPR course this time around and I even got 129s on some of their practice tests in the B/B section. It was also my highest subsection on my EK practice exams. I just don't want to be automatically screened out after I pay the fee. I've already spent so much on applications and it sucks so much. But, yeah I guess $35 is better than the $60 that some of the others cost! It's crazy that there are only 50 seats though.

I feel like this school looks more at fit (i.e. dedicated to serve Hispanic or underserved populations) as opposed to your GPA or mcat scores