Texas A&M Accepted for Class of 2013

[AggieSean]

How often are tests? Are there multiple tests in a designated test week OR is it all one big test every 3 weeks OR is there a test every week?

During Anatomy and Biochem, you'll typically have a test in each class every 2 weeks. We never had an anatomy and a biochem test during the same week, but sometimes we'd have a test on Thursday then a test in Biochem on Tuesday (Biochem tests are always on Tuesday and there is NEVER class on the preceding Monday). During Organ Systems (Histo & Phys) it's about the same frequency of a test every 2 weeks. There are no hell weeks of nothing but tests as far as I know.

Are there ever quizzes?
This is class-dependent. In Anatomy you will have lab quizzes on the frequency of 1 every 2 weeks. As well you will have what are called "BBQ's" that are tests over the clinical correlations in the anatomy book (Moore's). In organ systems we have scheduled quizzes.

How are students graded in the first and second years?
Numerical grades on an A,B,C,F scale. Standard rules apply and there is NO rounding of any kind. You get exactly what you get. 89.9 = B.

And in first year and second year, how often did you go to class? Is going to class mandatory? How many people actually go to class?
This is person-dependent and class-dependent. A&M officially does not have an attendance policy for the basic science classes. Attendance is required at clinical correlations, gross anatomy lab, any of the Becoming a Clinician courses/small groups, and for special panels in biochem. And while going to class isn't mandatory they say it's "expected" and that not going could affect your professionalism evaluation. Whatever. I still mostly don't attend class unless I think going to class will be less painful than watching the lectures later. Again, as a whole, I'd say maybe 70-80% go to class, but don't quote me.

And do first and second year students get a syllabus with all the material? And if you use a syllabus, does that forgo the need to buy/ use text books?
There are no formal syllabi, but professors make handouts in the form of outlines (Anatomy) or PDF files of powerpoint slides (everything else). Tests come from these handouts, so textbooks are for your supplemental purposes (except for the BBQ things I told you about earlier, but you can just go to the LRU and Xerox the pages you need, or people will make notes and send them out to the class).
The only textbooks I'd recommend are Netters, Lippincott Biochem, and BRS Physiology. I also found Rohen's Color Atlas of Anatomy extremely helpful in preparing for lab/practical exams.

Is there a SCRIBE service? and if so, is it reliable?
No as there is no need. All notes are posted online.

Are powerpoints posted online?
Yes.

How did you study for USMLE Step 1? Any books that you might suggest?
Not there yet.

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[maggie08]

great info and great question list... i think we should compile one of these for each of the texas schools... either in the XXII REp of Tx thread or in each of the respective class of 2013 threads.

How often are tests? Are there multiple tests in a designated test week OR is it all one big test every 3 weeks OR is there a test every week?

During Anatomy and Biochem, you'll typically have a test in each class every 2 weeks. We never had an anatomy and a biochem test during the same week, but sometimes we'd have a test on Thursday then a test in Biochem on Tuesday (Biochem tests are always on Tuesday and there is NEVER class on the preceding Monday). During Organ Systems (Histo & Phys) it's about the same frequency of a test every 2 weeks. There are no hell weeks of nothing but tests as far as I know.

Are there ever quizzes?
This is class-dependent. In Anatomy you will have lab quizzes on the frequency of 1 every 2 weeks. As well you will have what are called "BBQ's" that are tests over the clinical correlations in the anatomy book (Moore's). In organ systems we have scheduled quizzes.

How are students graded in the first and second years?
Numerical grades on an A,B,C,F scale. Standard rules apply and there is NO rounding of any kind. You get exactly what you get. 89.9 = B.

And in first year and second year, how often did you go to class? Is going to class mandatory? How many people actually go to class?
This is person-dependent and class-dependent. A&M officially does not have an attendance policy for the basic science classes. Attendance is required at clinical correlations, gross anatomy lab, any of the Becoming a Clinician courses/small groups, and for special panels in biochem. And while going to class isn't mandatory they say it's "expected" and that not going could affect your professionalism evaluation. Whatever. I still mostly don't attend class unless I think going to class will be less painful than watching the lectures later. Again, as a whole, I'd say maybe 70-80% go to class, but don't quote me.

And do first and second year students get a syllabus with all the material? And if you use a syllabus, does that forgo the need to buy/ use text books?
There are no formal syllabi, but professors make handouts in the form of outlines (Anatomy) or PDF files of powerpoint slides (everything else). Tests come from these handouts, so textbooks are for your supplemental purposes (except for the BBQ things I told you about earlier, but you can just go to the LRU and Xerox the pages you need, or people will make notes and send them out to the class).
The only textbooks I'd recommend are Netters, Lippincott Biochem, and BRS Physiology. I also found Rohen's Color Atlas of Anatomy extremely helpful in preparing for lab/practical exams.

Is there a SCRIBE service? and if so, is it reliable?
No as there is no need. All notes are posted online.

Are powerpoints posted online?
Yes.

How did you study for USMLE Step 1? Any books that you might suggest?
Not there yet.

 

[s2452]

Thanks a lot AggieSean! This is really helpful. Good luck on your upcoming tests

 

[bobsagat]

Hey Sean, are you graded on a curve, for your final grades or for your tests? How does the class ranking system work? How would you describe the competition between students?

 

[AggieSean]

Hey Sean, are you graded on a curve, for your final grades or for your tests? How does the class ranking system work? How would you describe the competition between students?

1. We are not graded on a curve for any of our tests or final grades except for the NBME shelf exams. As I understand it, grades are assigned by the NBME company based on your performance compared to the rest of the country. Other than that, no curves whatsoever.

2. Rank is assigned based on the average of all numerical grades. We aren't on a strictly A,B,C,F system. It's kind of a hybrid between college and high school. If I have a 92 average in a 7 hour class (gross anatomy) and a 90 average in a 13 hour class (organ systems), you figure it the same way you would for college, except instead of 4.0 or 3.0 you use 92 and 90. Get my drift?
As well, I believe that rankings are released during third year, either at the end or the beginning, and I can't remember which.

3. Before I answer, keep in mind that I am a student in Temple with a class size of 37, not in College Station where there are ~100 students, so my sample size is smaller, though I do believe it is probably reflective of the general attitude of my class.
So to answer your question, I think competition is almost non-existent. If I could look you in the eye and tell you this, I would. I know EVERY (well almost) school says this, and maybe some are blowing smoke. I'm not. I can with 100% honesty tell you that I have never felt the spirit of gunnerism, oneupsmanship, competition, or backstabbing-to-get-ahead-ness at ANY point with ANY of my classmates. I genuinely like every single person in my class and it's a joy to get to work with them and study with them on a daily basis. Yes there is a fair share of non-academically related drama, but everyone is very helpful and we all share notes, resources, reviews we've made, etc. I think Mullie can attest to this too. They truly do not attempt to breed an atmosphere of competition here. I say it like that because I wouldn't say that the faculty is constantly telling us to work together, because they know that some people study better by themselves. But they absolutely don't do anything to encourage competition. Are there gunners/hard-workers? You bet. Those will be everywhere, you can't avoid them. Am I friends with some of them? Yes, and they're nice people and they are not the kind to stab you in the back.
So all-in-all, I would submit that I have yet to feel any spirit of competition from my classmates. We rarely talk about the grades we make on tests and we don't sit around and speculate (usually).
Hope that helps.

 

[MullieWins]

Hey Sean, are you graded on a curve, for your final grades or for your tests? How does the class ranking system work? How would you describe the competition between students?

Like Sean said, there's a big difference between being a gunner and hard worker. Our class has never been competitive in the gunner way, but an 86 puts you in the 3rd quarter. We have a lot of people interested in competitive specialties, and most realize they need to be doing well in class to achieve these goals.

You will find all over SDN that grades in your first 2 years are of little consequence to residency, and this is true. BUT, it is very rare that someone will do poorly in the basic sciences, then do really well on step 1. If you don't have a solid understanding of all the basic science concepts before spring break of second year, preparing for step 1 will be MUCH more difficult than it already is. It's hilarious for me to hear someone in the bottom quarter of our class say "All I want is a 230"...it's not going to happen.

In summary, work really hard your first 2 years AND don't worry about your grades. Your grades may not matter in the end, but the work you put in will make the difference.

 

[briton]

I'm hoping someone can help me with a question regarding Financial Aid.

How much money are first year students able to borrow and from which sources (Stafford Loans etc)?

 

[AggieSean]

You will find all over SDN that grades in your first 2 years are of little consequence to residency, and this is true. BUT, it is very rare that someone will do poorly in the basic sciences, then do really well on step 1. If you don't have a solid understanding of all the basic science concepts before spring break of second year, preparing for step 1 will be MUCH more difficult than it already is. It's hilarious for me to hear someone in the bottom quarter of our class say "All I want is a 230"...it's not going to happen.

Some of the best advice you will hear on studentdoc.

P=MD is technically true. But all P =/= radiology or neurosurgery or ENT or plastics or derm or whatever. Maybe it could if you rock Step 1, but like Mullie said that is likely to not happen if you've just been scraping by in your basic science courses. Please please don't come to medical school and be one of those tools who says "I'm gonna do just enough to get by because C=MD." You worked your butt off to get here, just do it for a little longer. And while it may be true, you could find yourself in a world of hurt come Step 1 and residency application time.

 

[AggieSean]

I'm hoping someone can help me with a question regarding Financial Aid.

How much money are first year students able to borrow and from which sources (Stafford Loans etc)?

Uh I couldn't give you an exact figure, but they're pretty generous here. Like even as a married student they were willing to give me more than double what I needed. Trust me, banks will have no problem lending you money and charging you, a future doctor, interest on it.

FYI for the rest of the forum: Student loans are not for buying flat screen TVs and iPhones.

 

[maggie08]

Some of the best advice you will hear on studentdoc.

P=MD is technically true. But all P =/= radiology or neurosurgery or ENT or plastics or derm or whatever. Maybe it could if you rock Step 1, but like Mullie said that is likely to not happen if you've just been scraping by in your basic science courses. Please please don't come to medical school and be one of those tools who says "I'm gonna do just enough to get by because C=MD." You worked your butt off to get here, just do it for a little longer. And while it may be true, you could find yourself in a world of hurt come Step 1 and residency application time.

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

letting them be fools makes it just a teensy-weensy bit easier on the rest of us!

 

[bobsagat]

1. We are not graded on a curve for any of our tests or final grades except for the NBME shelf exams. As I understand it, grades are assigned by the NBME company based on your performance compared to the rest of the country. Other than that, no curves whatsoever.

2. Rank is assigned based on the average of all numerical grades. We aren't on a strictly A,B,C,F system. It's kind of a hybrid between college and high school. If I have a 92 average in a 7 hour class (gross anatomy) and a 90 average in a 13 hour class (organ systems), you figure it the same way you would for college, except instead of 4.0 or 3.0 you use 92 and 90. Get my drift?
As well, I believe that rankings are released during third year, either at the end or the beginning, and I can't remember which.

3. Before I answer, keep in mind that I am a student in Temple with a class size of 37, not in College Station where there are ~100 students, so my sample size is smaller, though I do believe it is probably reflective of the general attitude of my class.
So to answer your question, I think competition is almost non-existent. If I could look you in the eye and tell you this, I would. I know EVERY (well almost) school says this, and maybe some are blowing smoke. I'm not. I can with 100% honesty tell you that I have never felt the spirit of gunnerism, oneupsmanship, competition, or backstabbing-to-get-ahead-ness at ANY point with ANY of my classmates. I genuinely like every single person in my class and it's a joy to get to work with them and study with them on a daily basis. Yes there is a fair share of non-academically related drama, but everyone is very helpful and we all share notes, resources, reviews we've made, etc. I think Mullie can attest to this too. They truly do not attempt to breed an atmosphere of competition here. I say it like that because I wouldn't say that the faculty is constantly telling us to work together, because they know that some people study better by themselves. But they absolutely don't do anything to encourage competition. Are there gunners/hard-workers? You bet. Those will be everywhere, you can't avoid them. Am I friends with some of them? Yes, and they're nice people and they are not the kind to stab you in the back.
So all-in-all, I would submit that I have yet to feel any spirit of competition from my classmates. We rarely talk about the grades we make on tests and we don't sit around and speculate (usually).
Hope that helps.

Thanks for taking the time to respond to these. So just to clarify, tests are NOT curved, but the class IS ranked after final grades are averaged? Seems like that could still give rise to some competition, but I guess if the rankings aren't released until the third year anyway there can't be all that much pressure.

 

[AggieSean]

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

letting them be fools makes it just a teensy-weensy bit easier on the rest of us!

(Gunner!)

 

[AggieSean]

.So just to clarify, tests are NOT curved, but the class IS ranked after final grades are averaged? Seems like that could still give rise to some competition, but I guess if the rankings aren't released until the third year anyway there can't be all that much pressure.

I guess it could. But yeah, I have yet to notice any.

 

[bobsagat]

I seem to remember this being answered either here or on the Texas thread, but I can't find it. What would living expenses be like for living a few miles from campus at College Station and at Temple?

 

[s2452]

I seem to remember this being answered either here or on the Texas thread, but I can't find it. What would living expenses be like for living a few miles from campus at College Station and at Temple?

From the quick searches that I have made, it looks like you can live in a recently built 1 bedroom apartment in CS for around $600. there is a range from 400-750 depending on how new the place is.

 

[DRTLA]

I seem to remember this being answered either here or on the Texas thread, but I can't find it. What would living expenses be like for living a few miles from campus at College Station and at Temple?

Definitely depends on what you are planning on doing. You want to rent or own a house...or are you going to rent and apartment. I'll try to break down Temple for you the best I can.

Renting an apartment: There are a few apartments close to Scott and White. While I am not 100% positive what the rate is, I am assuming a 1 bed/bath will rent for 500-600 at a decent apartment. There are many more options in other parts of Temple that are still plenty close, and even Belton that are in that range as well. If you wanted something a little nicer than the ones close to the hospital, that option is available.

Renting a home: Most homes/duplexes around here are renting for 800-1000 a month. These are generally for a 3 bedroom/2 bath type of set-up. If you had a roomate...this would definitely be the best route to go. There are of course parts of town you would want to steer away from, but I would be more than happy to help you out with that.

Buying a home: You can buy a decent house here for 75,000 or so, and a pretty nice house for under 150,000. There is a neighborhood about 5 minutes from S&W that a bunch of residents live in. It is very nice and quite...and an added bonus would be the high rate of turnover in that area. This would make selling your house much easier than it would in other parts of town.

I hope this helps you out. If you have any other questions about the area, I am more than willing to give you whatever info I know. I've lived here for almost all my life, so I think can answer almost anything. One thing I failed to mention is you can pretty much live anywhere you like. No part of town is too far from the school...even living in Belton or out by the lake is an easy commute (under 10-15 minutes)....just something to think about.

 

[bobsagat]

Definitely depends on what you are planning on doing. You want to rent or own a house...or are you going to rent and apartment. I'll try to break down Temple for you the best I can.

Renting an apartment: There are a few apartments close to Scott and White. While I am not 100% positive what the rate is, I am assuming a 1 bed/bath will rent for 500-600 at a decent apartment. There are many more options in other parts of Temple that are still plenty close, and even Belton that are in that range as well. If you wanted something a little nicer than the ones close to the hospital, that option is available.

Renting a home: Most homes/duplexes around here are renting for 800-1000 a month. These are generally for a 3 bedroom/2 bath type of set-up. If you had a roomate...this would definitely be the best route to go. There are of course parts of town you would want to steer away from, but I would be more than happy to help you out with that.

Buying a home: You can buy a decent house here for 75,000 or so, and a pretty nice house for under 150,000. There is a neighborhood about 5 minutes from S&W that a bunch of residents live in. It is very nice and quite...and an added bonus would be the high rate of turnover in that area. This would make selling your house much easier than it would in other parts of town.

I hope this helps you out. If you have any other questions about the area, I am more than willing to give you whatever info I know. I've lived here for almost all my life, so I think can answer almost anything. One thing I failed to mention is you can pretty much live anywhere you like. No part of town is too far from the school...even living in Belton or out by the lake is an easy commute (under 10-15 minutes)....just something to think about.

Thanks. I'd definitely want to pair up with someone, and that sounds very reasonable.

 

[AggieSean]

Thanks. I'd definitely want to pair up with someone, and that sounds very reasonable.

Just for the record my wife and I are at a very nice place near the hospital, 2 Bed/1 Bath apartment for 610 a month. You can find very cheap housing around here.

 

[cpa2md]

Just for the record my wife and I are at a very nice place near the hospital, 2 Bed/1 Bath apartment for 610 a month. You can find very cheap housing around here.

I live in a 2 bed/1 bath house with 1 car garage and a great yard very near the hospital that I bought for $63k.

Housing is very cheap.

 

[houstonoilers]

Can someone tell me what they would choose, and include the pros and cons of each? No offense to A&M people, but the patient base in El Paso is sooo much larger, and it's a big city relative to college station and temple. Then again, Foster is brand new (ah, but also state of the art, with claims of being the most advanced medical school in North America). Scott and White is amazing, but who DO they treat? Right, largely rural east Texas, which seems so uh rinky dink, but eh,i'll be close to houston and dallas. At the same time, west texas is actually the fastest growing region of the state.

Now if TTU-El Paso were not offering scholarship money, I'd go to A&M hands down because it's more established. Texas Tech- El Paso is also pass/fail, which is important to me. That said, I'm torn. For me, it's difficult to turn down a scholarship from Texas Tech because I don't think Texas A&M is that much better (if at all; in fact, primary care residency directors give TTU-LUBBOCK a 3.1 and A&M a 3.0 according to US NEws)? Then again, TTU-El Paso is brand new, which could hurt if I want to do something like emergency medicine? Please tell me what to do.

P.S. Since most of you are from east Texas, I expect a healthy bias towards A&M because it's more 'known,' but having lived outside Texas for a little bit, let me assure everyone that both Texas A&M and Texas Texas Tech are 'known' about equally.

 

[AggieSean]

Can someone tell me what they would choose, and include the pros and cons of each? No offense to A&M people, but the patient base in El Paso is sooo much larger, and it's a big city relative to college station and temple. Then again, Foster is brand new (ah, but also state of the art, with claims of being the most advanced medical school in North America). Scott and White is amazing, but who DO they treat? Right, largely rural east Texas, which seems so uh rinky dink, but eh,i'll be close to houston and dallas.

Don't let bells and whistles trick you. Fact is they're a first year medical school, there WILL be problems that you WILL NOT have to deal with at any other medical school.
If Scott & White doesn't treat anyone, how are they so amazing? The patient population that Scott & White serves is > 2,000,000 (http://www.sw.org/web/researchAndEducation/iwcontent/public/gme_int_med/en_us/html/gme_intmed.html). El Paso's population is ~600k. I'd say the patient populations are pretty similar, number-wise.
So, if 2,000,000 people seems rinky dink, I don't know what to say.
Also Scott & White is Central Texas, not East Texas.


Now if TTU-El Paso were not offering scholarship money, I'd go to A&M hands down because it's more established. Texas Tech- El Paso is also pass/fail, which is important to me. That said, I'm torn. For me, it's difficult to turn down a scholarship from Texas Tech because I don't think Texas A&M is that much better (if at all; in fact, primary care residency directors give TTU-LUBBOCK a 3.1 and A&M a 3.0 according to US NEws)? Then again, TTU-El Paso is brand new, which could hurt if I want to do something like emergency medicine? Please tell me what to do.

First, US News & World Report rankings are bogus from what I've heard. If you want to do primary care, either school will be great. A&M has a large primary care push, but by no means are students discouraged from looking at specialties.
If you want to do emergency medicine, either school would suit your purposes fine. Both El Paso and Temple have excellent EM residencies and you would get good experience at either.
Regarding money, hey, free money is hard to turn down. It's that much less in loans that you'll have.
Regarding the name recognition of either institution, I'd say Tech and A&M are on equal footing (well, not regarding football ).

For you:
Pros of El Paso
1. Free money
2. Special patient base (lots of indigents)

Cons of El Paso
1. First year medical school. There will be problems.
2. You're further away from Dallas and Houston (sounds important to you because you mentioned it)

Pros of A&M
1. Scott & White is an excellent training facility, our students Step 2 (clinical skills) scores are well above national average
2. College Station (if you live there) is a cool place to live with easy access to Houston
3. Larger, more established program than El Paso

Cons of A&M
1. Uhhh....none

 

[bobsagat]

US News & World Report rankings are bogus from what I've heard.

Definitely true. Check out the link in my first post on this page. According to the study, the US News rankings lack journalistic integrity.

 

[houstonoilers]

Can someone tell me what they would choose, and include the pros and cons of each? No offense to A&M people, but the patient base in El Paso is sooo much larger, and it's a big city relative to college station and temple. Then again, Foster is brand new (ah, but also state of the art, with claims of being the most advanced medical school in North America). Scott and White is amazing, but who DO they treat? Right, largely rural east Texas, which seems so uh rinky dink, but eh,i'll be close to houston and dallas. At the same time, west texas is actually the fastest growing region of the state.

Now if TTU-El Paso were not offering scholarship money, I'd go to A&M hands down because it's more established. Texas Tech- El Paso is also pass/fail, which is important to me. That said, I'm torn. For me, it's difficult to turn down a scholarship from Texas Tech because I don't think Texas A&M is that much better (if at all; in fact, primary care residency directors give TTU-LUBBOCK a 3.1 and A&M a 3.0 according to US NEws)? Then again, TTU-El Paso is brand new, which could hurt if I want to do something like emergency medicine? Please tell me what to do.

P.S. Since most of you are from east Texas, I expect a healthy bias towards A&M because it's more 'known,' but having lived outside Texas for a little bit, let me assure everyone that both Texas A&M and Texas Texas Tech are 'known' about equally.

Thanks, AggieSean. If anyone else has advice as I make this decision, then feel free to let me know. Thanks again.

 

[DRTLA]

Can someone tell me what they would choose, and include the pros and cons of each? No offense to A&M people, but the patient base in El Paso is sooo much larger, and it's a big city relative to college station and temple. Then again, Foster is brand new (ah, but also state of the art, with claims of being the most advanced medical school in North America). Scott and White is amazing, but who DO they treat? Right, largely rural east Texas, which seems so uh rinky dink, but eh,i'll be close to houston and dallas. At the same time, west texas is actually the fastest growing region of the state.

Now if TTU-El Paso were not offering scholarship money, I'd go to A&M hands down because it's more established. Texas Tech- El Paso is also pass/fail, which is important to me. That said, I'm torn. For me, it's difficult to turn down a scholarship from Texas Tech because I don't think Texas A&M is that much better (if at all; in fact, primary care residency directors give TTU-LUBBOCK a 3.1 and A&M a 3.0 according to US NEws)? Then again, TTU-El Paso is brand new, which could hurt if I want to do something like emergency medicine? Please tell me what to do.

P.S. Since most of you are from east Texas, I expect a healthy bias towards A&M because it's more 'known,' but having lived outside Texas for a little bit, let me assure everyone that both Texas A&M and Texas Texas Tech are 'known' about equally.

I feel like I shouldn't be on this thread since I haven't been accepted to A&M (yet), but I will give you my opinion. I interviewed at both schools, and honestly came away impressed by both. I am hugely biased towards A&M, but I can honestly say if El Paso threw a full ride at me, there is no question in my mind I would start learning to speak spanish and head west. Speaking from experience, I already have a professional degree which is accompanied by 150,000 in debt. I cannot even begin to tell you how much different my life would be if I had no student loans. While you will be making enough to pay back your loans without having to sacrifice too much...just think, that is 15-24,000 more a year (at least..and for a lot of years) that you could spend on your family, taking vacations, etc. My honest opinion is at most schools in this state you are going to receive a fantastic education...why not go to a school that is going to pay for you to do so. That is a lot of money we are talking about!

Ok, I'll go back to my Republic of Texas thread now.

 

[houstonoilers]

1 Is it true that the A&M College of Medicine assigns each of its 170 (or is it 140?) students in a class a numerical rank?

2. If so, do residency programs see this numerical rank (i.e. how you fare among your med. school classmates)?

3. Also, does A&M submit the GPA you earn during your basic science years to residency programs to which you apply?

4. Does any other Texas medical school, specifically Texas Tech-El Paso, assign numerical ranks within a medical school class?

Anyone able to answer these questions is greatly appreciated!

 

[MullieWins]

1 Is it true that the A&M College of Medicine assigns each of its 170 (or is it 140?) students in a class a numerical rank?

Yes

2. If so, do residency programs see this numerical rank (i.e. how you fare among your med. school classmates)?

Your transcript and dean's letter are sent to residency programs and both indicate how well you did in school. Some schools only have quarters, so this is likely what is used for evaluation.

3. Also, does A&M submit the GPA you earn during your basic science years to residency programs to which you apply?

Yes, but the number itself means nothing. It's just something on the transcript.

4. Does any other Texas medical school, specifically Texas Tech-El Paso, assign numerical ranks within a medical school class?

Not sure. No one probably knows about TT-EP. The school may not even know yet. Every school in Texas at least ranks you by quarter, so in the end this is what matters. Even in my class, the only people who care about anything other than what quarter they are in are those who want to be top 1/6 (~16 for my class) for AOA.

 

[bobsagat]

Every school in Texas at least ranks you by quarter, so in the end this is what matters.

At my Houston interview, Dr. Kelleway was clear in saying that Houston does not calculate any sort of GPA and does not rank students. That's the only one I know of, though.

So you're saying that class rank is only expressed to residencies by saying which quarter of the class you're in? Or is it the actual numerical ranking?

 

[houstonoilers]

1 Is it true that the A&M College of Medicine assigns each of its 170 (or is it 140?) students in a class a numerical rank?

Yes

2. If so, do residency programs see this numerical rank (i.e. how you fare among your med. school classmates)?

Your transcript and dean's letter are sent to residency programs and both indicate how well you did in school. Some schools only have quarters, so this is likely what is used for evaluation.

3. Also, does A&M submit the GPA you earn during your basic science years to residency programs to which you apply?

Yes, but the number itself means nothing. It's just something on the transcript.

4. Does any other Texas medical school, specifically Texas Tech-El Paso, assign numerical ranks within a medical school class?

Not sure. No one probably knows about TT-EP. The school may not even know yet. Every school in Texas at least ranks you by quarter, so in the end this is what matters. Even in my class, the only people who care about anything other than what quarter they are in are those who want to be top 1/6 (~16 for my class) for AOA.

Thanks, Mullie. In reference to Question Two above, is it possible to get clarification from anyone on whether Texas A&M medical school submits your numerical class rank to residency programs, in addition to the quartile in which you place?

 

[MullieWins]

At my Houston interview, Dr. Kelleway was clear in saying that Houston does not calculate any sort of GPA and does not rank students. That's the only one I know of, though.

So you're saying that class rank is only expressed to residencies by saying which quarter of the class you're in? Or is it the actual numerical ranking?

Both are there, but your quarter is what they would look at. They mean the same thing and other schools may only have quarters. I think Houston still puts people in quarters, but they never tell you a rank or GPA. They definitely calculate them because of AOA.

 

[MullieWins]

Thanks, Mullie. In reference to Question Two above, is it possible to get clarification from anyone on whether Texas A&M medical school submits your numerical class rank to residency programs, in addition to the quartile in which you place?

Answered above. If you are worried about what programs would think because you barely made it in a quarter, you shouldn't be. The whole class rank thing is not a big deal in the end.

 

[AFSmiley]

...clarification from anyone on whether Texas A&M medical school submits your numerical class rank to residency programs, in addition to the quartile in which you place?

I have to ask..............Why....o sweet why.........does this make a difference for what school you decide to go to? I've been staring at this question for about ten minutes and I can't come up with a coherent explanation.


I'm desperately trying to control my cynical a-hole side, but holy hell you're making it difficult.

 

[houstonoilers]

For my own edification, did anyone get a "student admissions committee member" interviewing them at Texas A&M? The website says this is a possibility...funny


ok, here's why. if five kids from TAMU want to do a ___ residency at a competitive program, but the program can only take maybe 1 or 2 at the most from TAMU, then it might come down to who ranks higher, all other things being equal. Like it or not, you will be compared with other students at your school, especially at the more competitive residencies, and if your a bottom feeder or mediocre student (never know how you'll fare), you could be screwed if a school ranks in addition to putting you in a quartile.

 

[MullieWins]

I have to ask..............Why....o sweet why.........does this make a difference for what school you decide to go to? I've been staring at this question for about ten minutes and I can't come up with a coherent explanation.


I'm desperately trying to control my cynical a-hole side, but holy hell you're making it difficult.

 

[MullieWins]

ok, here's why. if five kids from TAMU want to do a ___ residency at a competitive program, but the program can only take maybe 1 or 2 at the most from TAMU, then it might come down to who ranks higher, all other things being equal. Like it or not, you will be compared with other students at your school, especially at the more competitive residencies, and if your a bottom feeder or mediocre student (never know how you'll fare), you could be screwed if a school ranks in addition to putting you in a quartile.

For what it's worth, 1 point on Step 1 or 2 has more weight than 20 spots within your quarter of a class. So does a single research experience, a single LOR, or 5 minutes of your interview. This is how little a rank in your class would matter relative to the quarter.

A residency ranking you is more of a feel on their part and who they like for their program. Even if you have everything better than your classmate, they might just like him/her better and rank them higher. Remember, you are actually a person and not just a paper with numbers on it.

This might be a good question for one of the resident forums. They might eat you alive, but you will get plenty of answers.

 

[AFSmiley]

For my own edification, did anyone get a "student admissions committee member" interviewing them at Texas A&M? The website says this is a possibility...funny

I got interviewed by a student when I got interviewed. It seems to have worked out ok....

ok, here's why. if five kids from TAMU want to do a ___ residency at a competitive program, but the program can only take maybe 1 or 2 at the most from TAMU, then it might come down to who ranks higher, all other things being equal. Like it or not, you will be compared with other students at your school, especially at the more competitive residencies, and if your a bottom feeder or mediocre student (never know how you'll fare), you could be screwed if a school ranks in addition to putting you in a quartile.

I understand your reasoning, really, I do, but it just seems like you're focusing on really minute aspects of a school's program.

Equivalent analogies I can come up with:

• Deciding which house to buy based on how prestigous the street name looks on an envelope.
• Deciding which car to buy based on the number of letters in the automobile's title to save time when applying for auto insurance.
• Picking out a suit based on the thickness of the inner breast pockets. Ideally, the pockets should be tough enough to hold several ninja stars (you never know...)

I'm sure this site, and probably the first 5 pages of this thread are dotted with better facts to decide which school to go to.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE LITTLE STUFF MAN!

 

[AggieSean]

I got interviewed by a student when I got interviewed. It seems to have worked out ok....




I understand your reasoning, really, I do, but it just seems like you're focusing on really minute aspects of a school's program.

Equivalent analogies I can come up with:

• Deciding which house to buy based on how prestigous the street name looks on an envelope.
• Deciding which car to buy based on the number of letters in the automobile's title to save time when applying for auto insurance.
• Picking out a suit based on the thickness of the inner breast pockets. Ideally, the pockets should be tough enough to hold several ninja stars (you never know...)

I'm sure this site, and probably the first 5 pages of this thread are dotted with better facts to decide which school to go to.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE LITTLE STUFF MAN!

 

[s2452]

I got interviewed by a student when I got interviewed. It seems to have worked out ok....




I understand your reasoning, really, I do, but it just seems like you're focusing on really minute aspects of a school's program.


Equivalent analogies I can come up with:

• Deciding which house to buy based on how prestigous the street name looks on an envelope.
• Deciding which car to buy based on the number of letters in the automobile's title to save time when applying for auto insurance.
• Picking out a suit based on the thickness of the inner breast pockets. Ideally, the pockets should be tough enough to hold several ninja stars (you never know...)

I'm sure this site, and probably the first 5 pages of this thread are dotted with better facts to decide which school to go to.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE LITTLE STUFF MAN!

lol!!!!!

 

[iMD]

i apologize if this has been answered before but ive pretty much put the brain in hibernation and was wondering what it would take to have my acceptance rescinded. i gave filo an email but his response was vague. ive been accepted to utmb as well and all it says to have a C or better in the remaining classes but a&m didnt mention anything in their packet.

now im not planning to go completely brain dead but i told myself if i were accepted, i would make plans with family in the states and out of the country. so traveling is in order next semester and making an "A" is not too far up my list of things i want to do before med school.

so can current medical students shed some light on this or even tell us what their grades were following their acceptance

 

[MullieWins]

i apologize if this has been answered before but ive pretty much put the brain in hibernation and was wondering what it would take to have my acceptance rescinded. i gave filo an email but his response was vague. ive been accepted to utmb as well and all it says to have a C or better in the remaining classes but a&m didnt mention anything in their packet.

now im not planning to go completely brain dead but i told myself if i were accepted, i would make plans with family in the states and out of the country. so traveling is in order next semester and making an "A" is not too far up my list of things i want to do before med school.

so can current medical students shed some light on this or even tell us what their grades were following their acceptance

just pass your classes and no one will care.

 

[rockets]

1. Just wanted to ask: how familiar do interviewers at A&M seem to be with your application when you interview (dothey just read it right before or does it appear that they read it the day before the interview and actually prepare)?

2. Do they tend to ask questions about your extracurricular activities etc or more broader, general questions about you and your interests?

3. Finally, is it true that a&M distributes information during interview day about all the other interviewees (like where they went to school, their names etc)?

 

[rockets]

1. Just wanted to ask: how familiar do interviewers at A&M seem to be with your application when you interview (do they just read it right before or does it appear that they read it the day before the interview and actually prepare)?

2. Do they tend to ask questions about your extracurricular activities etc or more broader, general questions about you and your interests?

3. Finally, is it true that a&M distributes information during interview day about all the other interviewees (like where they went to school, their names etc)?

 

[MullieWins]

1. Just wanted to ask: how familiar do interviewers at A&M seem to be with your application when you interview (dothey just read it right before or does it appear that they read it the day before the interview and actually prepare)?

2. Do they tend to ask questions about your extracurricular activities etc or more broader, general questions about you and your interests?

3. Finally, is it true that a&M distributes information during interview day about all the other interviewees (like where they went to school, their names etc)?

1. They usually have a week to review your application, so they should be prepared.

2. Depends on the interviewer, but usually they have some general questions they ask everyone and then some more specific to your application if something is interesting or needs clarification. Know your application well and be prepared for anything.

3. This is true.

 

[iMD]

1. Just wanted to ask: how familiar do interviewers at A&M seem to be with your application when you interview (do they just read it right before or does it appear that they read it the day before the interview and actually prepare)?

2. Do they tend to ask questions about your extracurricular activities etc or more broader, general questions about you and your interests?

3. Finally, is it true that a&M distributes information during interview day about all the other interviewees (like where they went to school, their names etc)?

1. it was hard to tell. both of my interviewers seemed like they knew my application to a certain degree. when they asked questions, and i answered with answers involving details from my PS or EC's, they said "i knew you were gonna say that."

2. Both of my interviewers asked questions that tied my EC's and PS to medicine and its applications. Some specific, some broad. Prepare for it all. There wasn't many personal questions but there were a few. It was conversational so it's hard for me to remember it all.

3. Yes.

 

[seelee]

1. Just wanted to ask: how familiar do interviewers at A&M seem to be with your application when you interview (dothey just read it right before or does it appear that they read it the day before the interview and actually prepare)?

2. Do they tend to ask questions about your extracurricular activities etc or more broader, general questions about you and your interests?

3. Finally, is it true that a&M distributes information during interview day about all the other interviewees (like where they went to school, their names etc)?

I was interviewed by Filo and by some professor. Filo clearly had read my PS and had several specific questions about both the PS and about my interests and views on several topics. A very good, thorough interview.

The other interviewer had not read my packet and asked me some really pointless questions about transcript issues that were not issues and that no other interviewer had even noticed. Bottom line, it varies from person to person.

We had nametags with our school on it, but not a list or a bio or anything. Does it honestly matter???

 

[andon]

Hey,

I was just wondering if the reputation of the school matters that much? For example, when speaking to a doctor who graduated from SW, he said that should I choose A&M over another school (specifically uthsc-sa), that I would have to be higher in the class to be as competitive. True? False? BS?

Also, I'll be in CS for all four years. Any reports about how rounds are in CS instead of temple? This is probably my primary concern, so any light that can be shed, please help me out.

And also, sweet album cover, Sean. Do you think all doctors are Equally Skilled? haha

 

[AggieSean]

Hey,

I was just wondering if the reputation of the school matters that much? For example, when speaking to a doctor who graduated from SW, he said that should I choose A&M over another school (specifically uthsc-sa), that I would have to be higher in the class to be as competitive. True? False? BS?

Also, I'll be in CS for all four years. Any reports about how rounds are in CS instead of temple? This is probably my primary concern, so any light that can be shed, please help me out.

And also, sweet album cover, Sean. Do you think all doctors are Equally Skilled? haha

Meh, I don't think the class rank thing is a really good criterion to consider when choosing a med school. Medical schools across the nation are filled with SMART, hard-working people. Remember only 10% can be in the top 10% of the class, so such success is very difficult, no matter where you go.

I couldn't tell you about the CS rounds, as I'm a Temple student.

And no, not all doctors are equally skilled.

 

[DRTLA]

I'm sure most of you read the ROT thread, but just wanted to say I'm fired up to be an Aggie as of today. Hopefully I will get my first choice of campuses and can stay in Temple. I look forward to meeting yall!

 

[AggieSean]

I'm sure most of you read the ROT thread, but just wanted to say I'm fired up to be an Aggie as of today. Hopefully I will get my first choice of campuses and can stay in Temple. I look forward to meeting yall!

You should have no problem getting your first choice of campuses.

 

[s2452]

I'm sure most of you read the ROT thread, but just wanted to say I'm fired up to be an Aggie as of today. Hopefully I will get my first choice of campuses and can stay in Temple. I look forward to meeting yall!

Congrats future classmate!!

 

[armybound]

I'm sure most of you read the ROT thread, but just wanted to say I'm fired up to be an Aggie as of today. Hopefully I will get my first choice of campuses and can stay in Temple. I look forward to meeting yall!

I'm excited to have you as a future classmate. Congrats again.