2022-2023 University of Houston (Fertitta)

[DirtBike]

Sure thing.

Honestly I think the program is so new that they have been trying different things with admissions each cycle. I just would hope that their communication would be better as a medical student.

It’s gotten better 👍🙂

Sure thing.

Honestly I think the program is so new that they have been trying different things with admissions each cycle. I just would hope that their communication would be better as a medical student.

have you reached out to UH medicine via email?

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[Numpostrophe]

It’s gotten better 👍🙂

have you reached out to UH medicine via email?

Glad to hear that. I haven't reached out since I have the tour in a couple of weeks and don't mind waiting.

 

[Firetypestarter]

When does UHCOM stop sending II's ??

 

[wysdoc]

When does UHCOM stop sending II's ??

The most recent one I saw was November 30, but I think they will send some more in December & early January.
All the TMDSAS schools must be done with interviews before Feb 17, 2023 so applicants can rank their schools.

 

[Firetypestarter]

The most recent one I saw was November 30, but I think they will send some more in December & early January.
All the TMDSAS schools must be done with interviews before Feb 17, 2023 so applicants can rank their schools.

I submitted my secondaries during the middle of September, and I was wondering if the lateness of the interviews were dependent on if adcoms were simply unsure of your application earlier in the cycle or because is it because I sent my secondaries at a later date?

 

[Firetypestarter]

Are "low-stat" applicants with good ECs simply rejected initially, or are they put in the back burner and evaluated after most of the secondary applications have been submitted?

The most recent one I saw was November 30, but I think they will send some more in December & early January.
All the TMDSAS schools must be done with interviews before Feb 17, 2023 so applicants can rank their schools.

In other words, are applicants with lower stats offered at a later date as opposed to people with better stats? (with the assumption that both applicants sent their apps at the same time)

 

[Numpostrophe]

@kimdan427 I recommend that you listen to the TMDSAS podcast (Inside Health Education) episode with UH as they go over their admissions procedures pretty thoroughly. They do not send applicants a secondary if their stats are too concerning. The evaluation for interview has more to do with experiences and your writing than your stats.

 

[wysdoc]

Are "low-stat" applicants with good ECs simply rejected initially, or are they put in the back burner and evaluated after most of the secondary applications have been submitted?

In other words, are applicants with lower stats offered at a later date as opposed to people with better stats? (with the assumption that both applicants sent their apps at the same time)

I agree with @Numpostrophe - watch the podcast interview for insights. Your secondary was submitted late-ish but they don’t necessarily factor that in, it’s more about your fit for this school’s mission

 

[koalafied_biologist]

Are "low-stat" applicants with good ECs simply rejected initially, or are they put in the back burner and evaluated after most of the secondary applications have been submitted?

In other words, are applicants with lower stats offered at a later date as opposed to people with better stats? (with the assumption that both applicants sent their apps at the same time)

I am a low stat applicant with great ECs and got an interview last week so I dont think it's totally true. They sent me the secondary late, end of October, and took a month to send me the II. It was my fastest secondary to interview turn around time. I think they're more interested in mission fit.

 

[Firetypestarter]

I am a low stat applicant with great ECs and got an interview last week so I dont think it's totally true. They sent me the secondary late, end of October, and took a month to send me the II. It was my fastest secondary to interview turn around time. I think they're more interested in mission fit.

What were your EC's by chance?

 

[deleted1132724]

What were your EC's by chance?

Take a deep breathe lol. You can't compare yourself to every single person. You not receiving an interview is not an indictment on your character. Nobody knows exactly why some people get interviews and others don't. This process is very taxing as someone who has been through it twice. Try not to make it harder on yourself.

 

[koalafied_biologist]

What were your EC's by chance?

I dont think you'll have anything similar to mine because i'm a non-trad. I have been an advocate for people with disabilities for the last ten years. I have 1000 hours of clinical volunteering because I was an amputee peer support specialist for 3 years at two different hospitals. I helped establish a scholarship program for people with disabilities who want to pursue STEM degrees. This is in addition to my research and non-clinical volunteering. My experiences are incredibly unique and as others have said, it doesn't benefit you to compare your application to others. I always feel like garbage when I look at my metrics and compare them to everyone else on reddit and SDN.

 

[randompremed457]

I dont think you'll have anything similar to mine because i'm a non-trad. I have been an advocate for people with disabilities for the last ten years. I have 1000 hours of clinical volunteering because I was an amputee peer support specialist for 3 years at two different hospitals. I helped establish a scholarship program for people with disabilities who want to pursue STEM degrees. This is in addition to my research and non-clinical volunteering. My experiences are incredibly unique and as others have said, it doesn't benefit you to compare your application to others. I always feel like garbage when I look at my metrics and compare them to everyone else on reddit and SDN.

easier said than done but don’t feel like garbage. You’ve obviously done some AMAZING things and probably helped hundreds of people on your journey here. Who cares what your stats are. Your story is probably great, and that’s what the admissions committee will recognize you based on. IMO someone with unique experiences and a drive to help someone like that will likely be a much more productive member of the medical community than a 528 4.0 person with 50 hours of volunteering.

 

[texasvandy]

UH is a very small school and can interview half or less than half of what a regular school like Long, McGovern or UTSW do in terms of interview volume. They are also focused and prefer people who are interested in working in underserved communities and can show that in their ECs.

Expecting a secondary/interview from UH by comparing oneself to another is not healthy for an aspiring physician.

 

[Firetypestarter]

Take a deep breathe lol. You can't compare yourself to every single person. You not receiving an interview is not an indictment on your character. Nobody knows exactly why some people get interviews and others don't. This process is very taxing as someone who has been through it twice. Try not to make it harder on yourself.

You are right ....

UH is a very small school and can interview half or less than half of what a regular school like Long, McGovern or UTSW do in terms of interview volume. They are also focused and prefer people who are interested in working in underserved communities and can show that in their ECs.

Expecting a secondary/interview from UH by comparing oneself to another is not healthy for an aspiring physician.

Sorry I let the neuroticsm get to me.... I shall take a break from forums and reddit.. thanks for the advice though

 

[texasvandy]

You are right ....

Sorry I let the neuroticsm get to me.... I shall take a break from forums and reddit.. thanks for the advice though

@wysdoc has a very nice footer on her messages. It is very appropriate for all forums!

 

[skeptastic]

@wysdoc has a very nice footer on her messages. It is very appropriate for all forums!

Indeed! I find it to be very appropriate for life in general. My family and I talk about it quite often, as it is one of those wise truths we should all revisit frequently.

 

[skeptastic]

I just wanted to add a note for folks who will visit the thread in the future, looking for info about the curriculum. I believe it is widely known that Fertitta COM has true P/F preclerkship grading, meaning no internal reporting. Clerkships are graded H/P/F. One major bit of info that I was unaware of prior to interviewing is that all block exams are NBME. That is a huge deal, as this makes Fertitta one of very few TX schools offering more than an end-of-preclerkship NMBE exam, and one of two to have all exams in NBME format (UTMB is the other). I think this is an important thing to note, especially considering that all lectures and activities are mandatory. If it is on the calendar, attendance is required. At least with NBME exams, you're already prepping for Step 1 and may not have to spend as much extra time prepping for the exam as students attending schools with in-house exams that don't track Step 1 3rd party resources.

 

[DirtBike]

I just wanted to add a note for folks who will visit the thread in the future, looking for info about the curriculum. I believe it is widely known that Fertitta COM has true P/F preclerkship grading, meaning no internal reporting. Clerkships are graded H/P/F. One major bit of info that I was unaware of prior to interviewing is that all block exams are NBME. That is a huge deal, as this makes Fertitta one of very few TX schools offering more than an end-of-preclerkship NMBE exam, and one of two to have all exams in NBME format (UTMB is the other). I think this is an important thing to note, especially considering that all lectures and activities are mandatory. If it is on the calendar, attendance is required. At least with NBME exams, you're already prepping for Step 1 and may not have to spend as much extra time prepping for the exam as students attending schools with in-house exams that don't track Step 1 3rd party resources.

This is very true! Just like the AAMC language with the MCAT, there is a language with NBME and STEP. The NBME style IS difficult for exams but my class has already dug into step 1 studying with anki/questions to help. It’ll be a subtle little advantage when transitioning to STEP 1 study.

 

[skeptastic]

This is very true! Just like the AAMC language with the MCAT, there is a language with NBME and STEP. The NBME style IS difficult for exams but my class has already dug into step 1 studying with anki/questions to help. It’ll be a subtle little advantage when transitioning to STEP 1 study.

You bring up a topic I've never seen or heard discussed: are NBME exams more difficult than in-house exams?

 

[chicandtoughness]

Didn't realize UH was full attendance required. This is good information.

 

[DirtBike]

You bring up a topic I've never seen or heard discussed: are NBME exams more difficult than in-house exams?

Due to the extreme variability of in-house exams, it’s hard to say. Any given program that uses in-house may have harder than NBME or easier. Probably doesn’t matter- it’ll be challenging either way lol. On our test, there are some questions that are “you know it or you don’t” then some that require 2-3 logic jumps if you will. I think the key point is it’s coming from NBME. The questions chosen vary in intensity!

 

[DirtBike]

Didn't realize UH was full attendance required. This is good information.

Yes! There are ways to get your absences approved- and you can watch lecture live or a recording. These are limited per semester so those should be reserved.

 

[skeptastic]

Didn't realize UH was full attendance required. This is good information.

Independent time is scheduled into the each week, so every day doesn't have lecture and/or skills and so forth, but when a lecture or activity take place, it is required. Liked like somewhere around two full days worth of independent study time for the example week they showed.

 

[skeptastic]

Due to the extreme variability of in-house exams, it’s hard to say. Any given program that uses in-house may have harder than NBME or easier. Probably doesn’t matter- it’ll be challenging either way lol. On our test, there are some questions that are “you know it or you don’t” then some that require 2-3 logic jumps if you will. I think the key point is it’s coming from NBME. The questions chosen vary in intensity!

Good point! It's gonna be challenging no matter what. At least NBME is prepping you early for the style and format of questions on board exams.

 

[skeptastic]

Yes! There are ways to get your absences approved- and you can watch lecture live or a recording. These are limited per semester so those should be reserved.

Yep, they said you an have up to four absences per semester. I'm assuming these were unexcused absences, but I suppose they could mean total absence for any reason.

 

[deleted1143496]

I just wanted to add a note for folks who will visit the thread in the future, looking for info about the curriculum. I believe it is widely known that Fertitta COM has true P/F preclerkship grading, meaning no internal reporting. Clerkships are graded H/P/F. One major bit of info that I was unaware of prior to interviewing is that all block exams are NBME. That is a huge deal, as this makes Fertitta one of very few TX schools offering more than an end-of-preclerkship NMBE exam, and one of two to have all exams in NBME format (UTMB is the other). I think this is an important thing to note, especially considering that all lectures and activities are mandatory. If it is on the calendar, attendance is required. At least with NBME exams, you're already prepping for Step 1 and may not have to spend as much extra time prepping for the exam as students attending schools with in-house exams that don't track Step 1 3rd party resources.

UTRGV I Believe also has NBME style exams. That is what an MS2 told me on interview day

 

[Diabolic-Acidosis]

Yes! There are ways to get your absences approved- and you can watch lecture live or a recording. These are limited per semester so those should be reserved.

Hi AthleteInMedicine. Are you currently a UHCOM student? I’ve emailed admissions and faculty members multiple times now…. Trying to get some info on HPSP (military scholarship). I know of one person at UHCOM doing a military scholarship. Just curious if the curriculum is flexible enough to accommodate taking step1 a bit early and step 2 a bit early? One of the requirements of the scholarship is to take step 1 by sept 15th of MS3 and step 2 by Oct 15th of MS4 (this is due to the military match being earlier than civilian). I’ve looked at the curriculum pretty extensively, just curious if this is something that would be possible.

 

[texasvandy]

I just wanted to add a note for folks who will visit the thread in the future, looking for info about the curriculum. I believe it is widely known that Fertitta COM has true P/F preclerkship grading, meaning no internal reporting. Clerkships are graded H/P/F. One major bit of info that I was unaware of prior to interviewing is that all block exams are NBME. That is a huge deal, as this makes Fertitta one of very few TX schools offering more than an end-of-preclerkship NMBE exam, and one of two to have all exams in NBME format (UTMB is the other). I think this is an important thing to note, especially considering that all lectures and activities are mandatory. If it is on the calendar, attendance is required. At least with NBME exams, you're already prepping for Step 1 and may not have to spend as much extra time prepping for the exam as students attending schools with in-house exams that don't track Step 1 3rd party resources.

This will be first year UH will have a residency match. It will be interesting to see how many will stick to primary care. Unfortunately people will need to accept a match before knowing how the first match list looks!

 

[texasvandy]

Hi AthleteInMedicine. Are you currently a UHCOM student? I’ve emailed admissions and faculty members multiple times now…. Trying to get some info on HPSP (military scholarship). I know of one person at UHCOM doing a military scholarship. Just curious if the curriculum is flexible enough to accommodate taking step1 a bit early and step 2 a bit early? One of the requirements of the scholarship is to take step 1 by sept 15th of MS3 and step 2 by Oct 15th of MS4 (this is due to the military match being earlier than civilian). I’ve looked at the curriculum pretty extensively, just curious if this is something that would be possible.

MD Program

MD Program

uh.edu

The schedule here says people who started this year will be taking step 1 in their 21st month, 6 months earlier than your timeline. Cant say when they are required to take step 2 since the rest of the calendar is not available but my guess would be anytime after required clerkships are complete which should be April of MS3.

 

[DirtBike]

Hi AthleteInMedicine. Are you currently a UHCOM student? I’ve emailed admissions and faculty members multiple times now…. Trying to get some info on HPSP (military scholarship). I know of one person at UHCOM doing a military scholarship. Just curious if the curriculum is flexible enough to accommodate taking step1 a bit early and step 2 a bit early? One of the requirements of the scholarship is to take step 1 by sept 15th of MS3 and step 2 by Oct 15th of MS4 (this is due to the military match being earlier than civilian). I’ve looked at the curriculum pretty extensively, just curious if this is something that would be possible.

This is an ongoing discussion. We had a meeting about this last week actually. Faculty are receptive to being flexible in the dates, however it’s not set in stone yet. I will PM you!

 

[DirtBike]

This will be first year UH will have a residency match. It will be interesting to see how many will stick to primary care. Unfortunately people will need to accept a match before knowing how the first match list looks!

I’m very interested to see too lol. Theres a pretty good amount variability!

 

[texasvandy]

I’m very interested to see too lol. Theres a pretty good amount variability!

Are you in this pool or you have more years to go?

 

[DirtBike]

Are you in this pool or you have more years to go?

I’m just a lowly MS1. The majority of the inaugural class is IM/FM centered. Im not sure if sub-specializing in cardio/GI Is still considered “primary care” tbh. I know a few who are doing that. I can probably count on 2 hands the surgical, EM, neuro peeps! My class is larger (60) so a larger number of non PC are present. It will be interesting to see definitely

 

[skeptastic]

UTRGV I Believe also has NBME style exams. That is what an MS2 told me on interview day

Oh nice! I withdrew before the in-person interview, so I missed their presentation. Great to know. Thank you!

 

[premed226]

I just got an email this morning from UH self service saying that the UHADCOLLOFMED , SYSTEM updated my email within the system. I am not sure what this means. I did not get any pre-match offer or any other updates, neither did I request this update.

 

[nedena]

I just got an email this morning from UH self service saying that the UHADCOLLOFMED , SYSTEM updated my email within the system. I am not sure what this means. I did not get any pre-match offer or any other updates, neither did I request this update.

me too. I applied to UH for undergrad under a different email so I guess that's why my email was changed in the system but I'm wondering why it was changed today all of a sudden haha

 

[randompremed457]

me too. I applied to UH for undergrad under a different email so I guess that's why my email was changed in the system but I'm wondering why it was changed today all of a sudden haha

pretty sure it’s from undergrad, I got the same email and my mom was cc’d.

 

[Eleanor9]

Has anybody that interviewed on 12/1 heard anything back? Also, is this school match heavy?

 

[wysdoc]

Has anybody that interviewed on 12/1 heard anything back? Also, is this school match heavy?

Nobody on SDN has shared an acceptance from this school so far.

 

[Eleanor9]

Nobody on SDN has shared an acceptance from this school so far.

Thank you for letting me know. Hopefully we hear something soon.

 

[Doctor.apply]

Any news or updates from the tours, emails, etc? Someone said we could hear something before the 23rd. Has that changed? Does anyone know?

 

[pnaupnau123]

does this school accept update letters pre-ii?

 

[wysdoc]

does this school accept update letters pre-ii?

They do not.

 

[wantstobeaphysician]

Any news or updates from the tours, emails, etc? Someone said we could hear something before the 23rd. Has that changed? Does anyone know?

Yes I am wondering the same thing. Have they sent out any pre-matches yet?

 

[texasvandy]

Yes I am wondering the same thing. Have they sent out any pre-matches yet?

None

 

[Diabolic-Acidosis]

Neurotic question inbound lol. Does anyone else have a document upload tab in their portal? If so, what is in it? I just noticed a bunch of documents to upload that I don’t recall seeing previously… things like handbook acknowledgement, HIPAA certification, etc. In my other AMP ports, the document upload tab has things like updates and letter of intent (IE pre acceptance items). Anyone able to comment? Again I am aware this is a very neurotic thing but I have to ask for my own sanity lol.

 

[Numpostrophe]

I have that too and I’m pretty sure it’s been like that since the start.

 

[pnaupnau123]

Neurotic question inbound lol. Does anyone else have a document upload tab in their portal? If so, what is in it? I just noticed a bunch of documents to upload that I don’t recall seeing previously… things like handbook acknowledgement, HIPAA certification, etc. In my other AMP ports, the document upload tab has things like updates and letter of intent (IE pre acceptance items). Anyone able to comment? Again I am aware this is a very neurotic thing but I have to ask for my own sanity lol.

post or pre-ii?

 

[pnaupnau123]

I have that too and I’m pretty sure it’s been like that since the start.

i dont have it? but also OOS and not yet invited for II