TCOM vs UTRGV

[christine512]

I need help ranking these 2 schools! I’ve pre-matched to TCOM.

TCOM
Pros:
- established
- good DO school

Cons:
- DO (less possibilities available for residency?)
-big class size

UTRGV
Pros:
- MD and part of a larger university
- small class size
- more options for residency (not sure what I want to go into so I want as many possibilities as possible)

Cons:
- don’t like the area
- H/HP/P/F

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[123OkayGoogle]

MD

 

[wysdoc]

Check out last year's match list for TCOM to help you decide #76

 

[californiadreamin23]

TCOM is the only DO school I ever recommend over MD schools. TCOM is respected to the point that you’ll match in what you want as long as you put in the work (a derm attending at my institution is a recent TCOM grad). Ft. Worth >>>>> the Valley.

 

[deleted1143496]

for what its worth, I'd say UTRGV is also an established school... an unestablished school doesn't match its students into Harvard 2 years in a row. but as mentioned earlier, TCOM is the only DO school I would go to over some MD programs.

I also interviewed at UTRGV and would love to match there. As a single person, I'd say the only (big) con is the lack of dating opportunities versus Forth Worth lol. The Valley just doesn't seem like a very vibrant area for funnzies.

 

[hadv3r]

for what its worth, I'd say UTRGV is also an established school... an unestablished school doesn't match its students into Harvard 2 years in a row. but as mentioned earlier, TCOM is the only DO school I would go to over some MD programs.

I only say this because I think it's something important to keep in mind, but UTRGV is a very heavy URM school, and all those students who did match to top tier residencies were also URM. Not trying to start any debates here, but if OP is ORM I would probably not expect to match into a place like Harvard if they went to UTRGV. Just something to keep in mind when looking at their match list.

 

[deleted1143496]

I only say this because I think it's something important to keep in mind, but UTRGV is a very heavy URM school, and all those students who did match to top tier residencies were also URM. Not trying to start any debates here, but if OP is ORM I would probably not expect to match into a place like Harvard if they went to UTRGV. Just something to keep in mind when looking at their match list.

My earlier comment still stays…Harvard wouldn’t take any “URMs” from an unestablished medical school

 

[MercifulCamper]

My earlier comment still stays…Harvard wouldn’t take any “URMs” from an unestablished medical school

Also I know for a fact that ORMs at UTRGV matched to Hopkins in the past so I really don’t care for this argument as it’s not based in fact.

One thing to consider OP is that UTRGV does not have a department for every specialty so you will likely need to do away rotations to get experience and collaborate with away faculty to get research experience in those specialties. Idk about TCOM at all but that should also be another thing to consider.

 

[hadv3r]

Also I know for a fact that ORMs at UTRGV matched to Hopkins in the past so I really don’t care for this argument as it’s not based in fact.

One thing to consider OP is that UTRGV does not have a department for every specialty so you will likely need to do away rotations to get experience and collaborate with away faculty to get research experience in those specialties. Idk about TCOM at all but that should also be another thing to consider.

You're right, I haven't gone through every single student to see where the matched nor will I ever. It's just food for thought. The reason I bring it up is that it's important to be careful by just looking blindly at a match list and assuming that you could also match at those programs.

Side note: only one person matched to Hopkins and they matched to the primary medicine track, which is less competitive than their categorical track.

 

[deleted1143496]

You're right, I haven't gone through every single student to see where the matched nor will I ever. It's just food for thought. The reason I bring it up is that it's important to be careful by just looking blindly at a match list and assuming that you could also match at those programs.

Side note: only one person matched to Hopkins and they matched to the primary medicine track, which is less competitive than their categorical track.

I agree. But I also wasn’t trying to convey OP/anyone else would be able to match at Harvard.

I was just noting that a place like Harvard/Hopkins wouldn’t take ANYONE, URM or not, from an unestablished medical school. The UT system has some weight to it.

(Not big enough for me to rank them above TCOM but TCOM didn’t want to Interview me LOL)

 

[hadv3r]

I agree. But I also wasn’t trying to convey OP/anyone else would be able to match at Harvard.

I was just noting that a place like Harvard/Hopkins wouldn’t take ANYONE, URM or not, from an unestablished medical school. The UT system has some weight to it.

(Not big enough for me to rank them above TCOM but TCOM didn’t want to Interview me LOL)

Yeah totally fair. I think the UT name makes it on a higher playing field vs a brand new MD with no associated system like UT's. And I'm not even saying OP couldn't match those programs.

If I were OP, when comparing TCOM and UTRGV I wouldn't focus too much on their match lists. If you only looked at UTRGV's, you would choose them in a heartbeat. But they have had an unfortunate string of admin changes, loss of their main teaching hospital, etc. The school is not on a particularly strong trajectory versus TCOM which is well established. I think the more important factors would be things like location, curriculum, clinical opportunities, etc when comparing the two.

 

[deleted1143496]

Yeah totally fair. I think the UT name makes it on a higher playing field vs a brand new MD with no associated system like UT's. And I'm not even saying OP couldn't match those programs.

If I were OP, when comparing TCOM and UTRGV I wouldn't focus too much on their match lists. If you only looked at UTRGV's, you would choose them in a heartbeat. But they have had an unfortunate string of admin changes, loss of their main teaching hospital, etc. The school is not on a particularly strong trajectory versus TCOM which is well established. I think the more important factors would be things like location, curriculum, clinical opportunities, etc when comparing the two.

Well said. I agree

 

[skeptastic]

Interesting dialogue. Do you all think the UT name carries more weight than the name of other well-established TX med schools, such as A&M or the two Tech schools? Or is it just that the UT name might carry more weight when a new school bears the UT prefix versus a new school that doesn't?

 

[wysdoc]

Interesting dialogue. Do you all think the UT name carries more weight than the name of other well-established TX med schools, such as A&M or the two Tech schools? Or is it just that the UT name might carry more weight when a new school bears the UT prefix versus a new school that doesn't?

I don't think the "UT Name" is something to place your bets on. The administration of the school, support of medical community, and availability of solid rotation spots are all factors to consider.

 

[skeptastic]

I don't think the "UT Name" is something to place your bets on. The administration of the school, support of medical community, and availability of solid rotation spots are all factors to consider.

I agree. I'd never heard anyone mention the UT name carrying extra weight, so thought it was interesting to see it mentioned in this thread. I figured maybe I wasn't aware of some unwritten rule lol.

 

[hadv3r]

I agree. I'd never heard anyone mention the UT name carrying extra weight, so thought it was interesting to see it mentioned in this thread. I figured maybe I wasn't aware of some unwritten rule lol.

When people say that the UT name carries extra weight, they mean that compared to a stand alone new MD school, the UT system is vastely wealthy and has more resources and less accredidation concerns compared to other schools (such as Cal Northstate). In other words, a student at a new med school (just look at Dell with its first class), would have a likely easier time finding opportunities than someone at another new school. Even UT Tyler is getting hundreds of millions funneled to them through the UT board of reagents and state funding.

With all that said, UTRGV has dropped the bag multiple times somehow despite all this.

 

[deleted1143496]

I was just trying to say the UT System wouldn’t have much trouble establishing a medical school and most programs are aware of UT’s power/resources. but of course nothing is black and white as that

 

[skeptastic]

When people say that the UT name carries extra weight, they mean that compared to a stand alone new MD school, the UT system is vastely wealthy and has more resources and less accredidation concerns compared to other schools (such as Cal Northstate). In other words, a student at a new med school (just look at Dell with its first class), would have a likely easier time finding opportunities than someone at another new school. Even UT Tyler is getting hundreds of millions funneled to them through the UT board of reagents and state funding.

With all that said, UTRGV has dropped the bag multiple times somehow despite all this.

Great insight! Thanks hadv3r! That makes a lot of sense.