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Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Since there aren't any "why utsw" questions, should we try to fit that into our other answers or just focus on answering the questions
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wysdoc said:
You will answer the questions. There are plenty of them!
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Thank you! So just to confirm, I should fit in "why utsw" in my secondary answers even though they don't explicitly ask for them
 
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vv1997 said:
Thank you! So just to confirm, I should fit in "why utsw" in my secondary answers even though they don't explicitly ask for them
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There isn't a "why UTSW?" question, so don't try to wedge that into one of the questions they do ask :)
If you look at the TX other schools, they don't really have one either. Some of the others do ask specifically "Why do you want to live in this part of Texas?' or "What are your ties to the area?"

You're applying to UTSW, they know you are interested in UTSW.
 
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There is not a long essay to be written at most medical schools as to why you want to attend there. What you do is fit in some sentences in each essay to make your interest known as to why. If you have 2500 character essay, you should tie off towards the end (allocate 300-400 characters) to link whatever you have written to tie it back to school.
 
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If you are a reapplicant, they may not send you an email again this year. At least they didn't for me. The instructions on the site say to wait (Admissions) but I tried to login using my old username on a whim and used the forgot password option and I was able to get access again.
 
"Describe a time that you have witnessed someone acting unethically or dishonestly, or an experienced behavior of harassment or discrimination. Consider the following in your response: What did you do? What made the situation difficult for you personally? Describe your reaction and what you might do differently now in retrospect."

Is the bolded section asking us if we have ever been harassed or discriminated against, or what we did when we watched someone get treated this way?
 
scimusicgirl said:
"Describe a time that you have witnessed someone acting unethically or dishonestly, or an experienced behavior of harassment or discrimination. Consider the following in your response: What did you do? What made the situation difficult for you personally? Describe your reaction and what you might do differently now in retrospect."

Is the bolded section asking us if we have ever been harassed or discriminated against, or what we did when we watched someone get treated this way?
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I interpret that question as an either/or choice. Talk about witnessing someone acting unethically or dishonestly. -or- if you have been subject to harassment or discrimination, talk about that.
In both cases they also want to hear how you handled it, or how you wish you would have. Show your thought process.
 
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"Describe a time that you have witnessed someone acting unethically or dishonestly, or an experienced behavior of harassment or discrimination. Consider the following in your response: What did you do? What made the situation difficult for you personally? Describe your reaction and what you might do differently now in retrospect."

Do you guys think talking about witnessing a crime is straying too far from the prompt? I was walking home at night when I intervened in a situation where a guy was suspiciously following a girl that was stumbling home intoxicated.
 
thunderjedi said:
"Describe a time that you have witnessed someone acting unethically or dishonestly, or an experienced behavior of harassment or discrimination. Consider the following in your response: What did you do? What made the situation difficult for you personally? Describe your reaction and what you might do differently now in retrospect."

Do you guys think talking about witnessing a crime is straying too far from the prompt? I was walking home at night when I intervened in a situation where a guy was suspiciously following a girl that was stumbling home intoxicated.
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sounds good as a topic - and sounds scary!
 
wysdoc said:
sounds good as a topic - and sounds scary!
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Thanks for the quick response! And yes looking back at it I could've been easily hurt or worse
 
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erenyeager said:
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I read online that some optional questions are used to gauge interest. For UTSWl, these optional questions are truly optional right? Like I've done volunteer work (~100hrs) spread out over a year, but don't think it really fits the "public service" prompt. So is it safe to ignore, or should I just try and write something? Also, "extenuating circumstances" refers to academics right? This is not a place to squeeze in some diversity essay?
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The sorts of public service activities included in the first prompt to which you alluded, the Peace Corps, TFA, &c. suggest to me that they're looking to see something truly remarkable highlighted, if it's applicable. I could be wrong, however.
 
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4. Have you engaged in any public service activities for a duration of one year or greater in length (examples: Military, Peace Corps, Teach for America, etc.). Yes or No? If so, please describe the experience and impact on your personal and professional development. (Optional)
Current Character Count: 0 /2500

The public service questions are mostly applicable to people who took gap years to do service. The schools are trying to give them additional weight based on that specific type of service and not meant for volunteer work where you might not get paid. So if you did not work full time in one of these types of jobs and acquired educational credits it is not applicable to you (they pay some money towards future education and not pay you directly in these programs).
 
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erenyeager said:
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I read online that some optional questions are used to gauge interest. For UTSW, these optional questions are truly optional right? Like I've done volunteer work (~100hrs) spread out over a year, but don't think it really fits the "public service" prompt. So is it safe to ignore, or should I just try and write something? Also, "extenuating circumstances" refers to academics right? This is not a place to squeeze in some diversity essay?
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I believe this thinking applies more to the TMDSAS primary application (aka the "Unique Experience" essay).

For secondaries, I think it is more important to make sure your answer always directly responds to the prompt. It doesn't appear that your volunteer work would equal the same level of commitment as the public service activities they describe so including it for that prompt would likely be looked down upon. However, you could still talk about it in your "group project" or the "difficult task" prompt if an experience during your volunteering fit into one of those prompts!

For the "extenuating circumstances" essay, I would probably only include a diversity-themed response if it helps explain a shortcoming in your application; I wouldn't include it just to score more points with an admission committee since an extenuating circumstance is defined as "a situation or condition that provides an excuse for an action."
 
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So I specifically addressed my academic discrepancies in my TMDSAS optional essay. Should I leave the secondary essay blank/write a small blurb about how I already covered this/rewrite the essay slightly differently even though it'll essentially be the same?
 
Does anyone know if UTSW needs our CASPer transmitted to get an interview? Or are they like some other TX schools and they will interview without it?
 
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RicochetThis said:
Does anyone know if UTSW needs our CASPer transmitted to get an interview? Or are they like some other TX schools and they will interview without it?
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In their emails it just says we're required to take it for the selection process. Its vague on whether or not they require it to be invited for an interview, but I assume you need it BEFORE they invite you to interview because to be considered "complete" for review it has to be checked off on the UTSW secondary portal.
 
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AlturaAmor said:
In their emails it just says we're required to take it for the selection process. Its vague on whether or not they require it to be invited for an interview, but I assume you need it BEFORE they invite you to interview because to be considered "complete" for review it has to be checked off on the UTSW secondary portal.
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Yeah that part of the email confused me too! Thank you for the reply though. It makes sense that you’d have to be complete.
 
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AlturaAmor said:
In their emails it just says we're required to take it for the selection process. Its vague on whether or not they require it to be invited for an interview, but I assume you need it BEFORE they invite you to interview because to be considered "complete" for review it has to be checked off on the UTSW secondary portal.
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Don’t assume things, just do what you can discover is required.
Only 2 TX schools have clearly stated that they want to review CASPer results before selecting for interviews ( UTMB and Texas Tech El Paso). Long has said they will look at CASPer as an additional factor after interviews.
Nonetheless, since most Texans apply to almost all the TX schools, it is to your advantage to get CASPer done early, after your MCAT and TMDSAS submission.
 
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What wysdoc said. If you are a Texas resident, please apply and take CASPer ASAP. I see 6 different Texas medical schools requiring the test and so it would make no sense to pinpoint at what point they require it if so many of them do.
 
My letters of rec and MCAT score are received by TMDSAS but still show "Not Received" by UTSW's secondary portal. Also I took CASPer in June and it has been sent to UTSW, but again is still not showing on the secondary. Does anyone know about how long these typically take to be received my schools? My TMDSAS was only verified yesterday finally, but I'd just like to know if anyone else has experience with this! Thanks!
 
hopefulMD023 said:
My letters of rec and MCAT score are received by TMDSAS but still show "Not Received" by UTSW's secondary portal. Also I took CASPer in June and it has been sent to UTSW, but again is still not showing on the secondary. Does anyone know about how long these typically take to be received my schools? My TMDSAS was only verified yesterday finally, but I'd just like to know if anyone else has experience with this! Thanks!
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I had a similar issue where it said they didn't receive my letter but when I clicked on it it said received on X date. I emailed through the portal and got a complete email the next day. might be worth a shot
 
Does anyone know what the CAS requirements are? They're marked incomplete for me.
 
hopefulMD023 said:
My letters of rec and MCAT score are received by TMDSAS but still show "Not Received" by UTSW's secondary portal. Also I took CASPer in June and it has been sent to UTSW, but again is still not showing on the secondary. Does anyone know about how long these typically take to be received my schools? My TMDSAS was only verified yesterday finally, but I'd just like to know if anyone else has experience with this! Thanks!
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I had the same issue, but I emailed UTSW and they told me they have everything and my app is under review
 
Elsewhere on this forum and on Reddit, I’ve seen claims that UTSW automatically extends interview invites to those who meet certain GPA/MCAT thresholds. Am I correct in assuming this is a myth?
 
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Havelock Vetinari said:
Elsewhere on this forum and on Reddit, I’ve seen claims that UTSW automatically extends interview invites to those who meet certain GPA/MCAT thresholds. Am I correct in assuming this is a myth?
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Not a myth. But they don’t share what their numerical cutoff is.
 
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wysdoc said:
Not a myth. But they don’t share what their numerical cutoff is.
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Oh. Well, that’s somewhat reassuring. Thanks for the reply. I’m hoping the first round of invitations will be released soon, but I understand it might be a few weeks.
 
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Havelock Vetinari said:
Oh. Well, that’s somewhat reassuring. Thanks for the reply. I’m hoping the first round of invitations will be released soon, but I understand it might be a few weeks.
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Lizzy M 81.6? I think you will be ok friend.
 
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N=1 from last cycle, late submission by Texas timeline (mid-late August primary and secondary completion), LizzyM ~75, assuming automatic interview since I got the invite within a week of completion. Was definitely anxious about my chances since people had already interviewed before I was even complete.
 
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They are looking at CASPer this year and no one knows their scores to know how they will be treated as part of the selection process.

I have assumed auto invites are 3.85/517 as a starting point since that is what their matriculant stats show. Lizzy M 74 does not seem to work if you have low GPA and high MCAT but you will get picked in later rounds once they finish the autos. You probably need a 77 or higher OOS auto invites but since they limit the slots for interviews and control admits very tightly for OOS, there will be additional factors under consideration.

@wysdoc caveat applies - early interviews does not mean admits and late interviews does not mean waitlists. They are interviewing you because they see potential. Dont assume that you have no shot because you get interviewed in December or January or admitted because you are interviewed in September. Prepare well for your interview and try to impress.
 
Another q: My committee letter isn't done yet and I submitted my secondary at the beginning of the month (2nd). Does that mean that my application isn't under consideration yet for interviews? Or are they still going to look at my app before they get the LoR?
 
Can any current students or admin/professors comment on Southwestern's curriculum?

I really liked the flipped classroom at Dell and can see that Southwestern has a team-based learning center along with some active learning opportunities.

Does Southwestern also used flipped classroom? I am also wondering how much time is spent doing more passive learning (lectures) versus active learning opportunities.
 
For UTSW's 4th question (public service prompt), would it be applicable to talk very briefly about a full-time AmeriCorps job that I started recently? I don't know if AmeriCorps is considered public service, but I'm guessing it is. If it is, I'm unsure if it's okay to mention it briefly (since I just started it) or if it's better to just leave it blank.
 
alohamichaela said:
For UTSW's 4th question (public service prompt), would it be applicable to talk very briefly about a full-time AmeriCorps job that I started recently? I don't know if AmeriCorps is considered public service, but I'm guessing it is. If it is, I'm unsure if it's okay to mention it briefly (since I just started it) or if it's better to just leave it blank.
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Yeah, I think AmeriCorps would definitely fit UTSW's public service description. It's essentially a domestic version of the Peace Corps, right? If yes, I don't think you should leave this answer blank. If you don't have much experience, talk briefly about what you've learned and then pivot to talking more about what you hope your future experience(s) will teach you. However, if the experience will be less than one year (once complete) then that would exclude you from the question (since it calls for 1+ year experience in the described public service activities).
 
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alohamichaela said:
For UTSW's 4th question (public service prompt), would it be applicable to talk very briefly about a full-time AmeriCorps job that I started recently? I don't know if AmeriCorps is considered public service, but I'm guessing it is. If it is, I'm unsure if it's okay to mention it briefly (since I just started it) or if it's better to just leave it blank.
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If this is your current job, you should be discussing it. The reason the essay exists is because they are adding weight to applicants who are spending a year or more doing public service type of jobs. It is true that you have not already finished one year but you are expected since you must have a contract.
 
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hey do you guys know when they will stop or end giving out secondaries because unfortunately I have not gotten one yet :/
 
Kareem1 said:
hey do you guys know when they will stop or end giving out secondaries because unfortunately I have not gotten one yet :/
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afaik everyone who applies is sent a secondary application after the primary is transmitted. If you haven't received one and your primary is in then you might want to email their admissions contacts.
 
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rustymuffin said:
afaik everyone who applies is sent a secondary application after the primary is transmitted. If you haven't received one and your primary is in then you might want to email their admissions contacts.
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Thank you for the help, do you know maybe what the admissions contact email is? Thank you
 
Kareem1 said:
Thank you for the help, do you know maybe what the admissions contact email is? Thank you
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[email protected]

www.utsouthwestern.edu

Admissions

Applying to UT Southwestern Medical School requires taking MCATs, submitting two applications and secondary documents, and an in-person interview.
www.utsouthwestern.edu

You should store the email addresses for admissions for all the schools you apply to.
The address you submit your secondary apps to might be different, or might be a portal you have to log in to. (save that info also).
You need to be organized, y'all, you will need those addresses over the next year.
 
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premed_97 said:
Yeah, I think AmeriCorps would definitely fit UTSW's public service description. It's essentially a domestic version of the Peace Corps, right? If yes, I don't think you should leave this answer blank. If you don't have much experience, talk briefly about what you've learned and then pivot to talking more about what you hope your future experience(s) will teach you. However, if the experience will be less than one year (once complete) then that would exclude you from the question (since it calls for 1+ year experience in the described public service activities).
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texasvandy said:
If this is your current job, you should be discussing it. The reason the essay exists is because they are adding weight to applicants who are spending a year or more doing public service type of jobs. It is true that you have not already finished one year but you are expected since you must have a contract.
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Thanks for this! Definitely will be talking about my AmeriCorps position, then.
 
wysdoc said:
[email protected]

www.utsouthwestern.edu

Admissions

Applying to UT Southwestern Medical School requires taking MCATs, submitting two applications and secondary documents, and an in-person interview.
www.utsouthwestern.edu

You should store the email addresses for admissions for all the schools you apply to.
The address you submit your secondary apps to might be different, or might be a portal you have to log in to. (save that info also).
You need to be organized, y'all, you will need those addresses over the next year.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this I will definitely save this email address for the future.
 
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