UNTHSC M.S. in Medical Sciences (Texas)-SMP 2016-2017

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TexasMedic15

TexasMedic15

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While you're waiting, make sure that you've got everything ready to submit so that by the time the application opens up you're without stress. If you've already got everything ready, then you're on top of the game.
 
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My application wont be complete at least until late February. I hope I will still have a chance.
 
There are several people who applied that late and were accepted in previous years. That said, I would still try and aim to get your application in as early as possible.
 
Do community college credits and dual enrollment credits we did in high school count towards our gpa for this program when applying?
 
That's a very technical question that I don't know the answer of for sure. I would assume community college credits count towards your GPA. Really no idea about dual enrollment. This is something you'll have to call or email to inquire about.
 
Is there a minimum GPA requirement to be admitted?
 
I received an email saying the minimum GPA and MCAT cutoffs were 3.0 and 490. She put emphasis on the GPA of the last 60 hours of credits. And explained competitiveness is "well above the minimum cutoffs"
 
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Anyone knows the actual start date is? I only know the MCAT course start beginning of June. I just want to know whether I have time to plan anything before it starts. Thanks.
 
What is the word count for the essay prompts? Also when will the application open? Thanks .
 
My gpa's barely above the minimum cutoff (3.1) and my gpa for the last 60 hours is a little below 3.0, but my MCAT is 517. Do y'all think I have a shot if I apply?
 
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bioman_15 said:
My gpa's barely above the minimum cutoff (3.1) and my gpa for the last 60 hours is a little below 3.0, but my MCAT is 517. Do y'all think I have a shot if I apply?
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Congrats on the MCAT! That's a really good score. Even if your last 60 hours is below a 3.0, maybe you could write about what caused it to dip down so low in one of your essays. I think in combination with your MCAT you'll have a fair chance at getting admitted. There are more than a handful of people in the program now and in previous years who have had low GPAs, yet were able to turn it around in this program and get into medical school somewhere. Not saying that it works out for everybody with such a low GPA, but everybody realizes that this program is a second chance for them to redeem themselves. Work hard and you'll see the fruits of your labor.

Anyway, definitely apply. You don't hardly lose anything by applying. Good luck!
 
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I'm applying to TX med schools right now, but am taking a hard look at this program because I don't think I'll be getting an acceptance from the two interviews I've received. I could use some guidance from some current or former students! I'm graduating this December (BS in Biomedical Sciences minor in neuroscience) with uGPA 3.52, sGPA 3.48, and 31 MCAT, and really good ECs, research, etc. I got interviews at San Antonio and Lubbock only, and have been getting mixed feedback on why I haven't heard from more places. I'm graduating a year and half early, so I'm really young (a lot of people have told me admission committees may not like this). I also have a lot of AP and Dual Credit (wish I hadn't done this, but too late now). The way I look at it, I either am not getting in because of age or GPA.

Anyway, I'm looking here because I figure if GPA is the culprit, this program could help me out a lot. But I'm really confused on how it all works, because when you're applying to schools wouldn't you only have your summer grades to report from UNT? Or do most people end up applying the summer after they graduate this program,? If a current student could help me out with advice, and whether or not the program could actually help me that'd be wonderful. Thank y'all for reading and helping out!
 
baconator777 said:
I'm applying to TX med schools right now, but am taking a hard look at this program because I don't think I'll be getting an acceptance from the two interviews I've received. I could use some guidance from some current or former students! I'm graduating this December (BS in Biomedical Sciences minor in neuroscience) with uGPA 3.52, sGPA 3.48, and 31 MCAT, and really good ECs, research, etc. I got interviews at San Antonio and Lubbock only, and have been getting mixed feedback on why I haven't heard from more places. I'm graduating a year and half early, so I'm really young (a lot of people have told me admission committees may not like this). I also have a lot of AP and Dual Credit (wish I hadn't done this, but too late now). The way I look at it, I either am not getting in because of age or GPA.

Anyway, I'm looking here because I figure if GPA is the culprit, this program could help me out a lot. But I'm really confused on how it all works, because when you're applying to schools wouldn't you only have your summer grades to report from UNT? Or do most people end up applying the summer after they graduate this program,? If a current student could help me out with advice, and whether or not the program could actually help me that'd be wonderful. Thank y'all for reading and helping out!
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BIMS student from a certain little town on the Brazos? ;)

Sorry you're not really hearing much back right now. The cycle still isn't over yet though so keep your head held up high! You never know how the next few weeks might turn out for you. I had a friend last year who received a few interview invites but didn't hear anything back until match date and he still got in. You've got pretty good stats. The MCAT is solid, but as far as Texas MD schools go that GPA might be just slightly on the lower end of applicants that get in (from what I've witnessed anyway). You've already been through two interviews though so I'm not really sure how they take into consideration your numbers past that point. Also, I doubt your age is something that admission committees would really hold against you. If you rocked your interviews and represented yourself like a responsible adult, I don't see why you would get a straight rejections.

If GPA is the culprit like you suspect then this program could definitely help you out provided that you stick to a pretty good study routine. I've had several friends enter this program with anywhere from a 3.1-3.8 and they got/are getting interviews to both out of state and in-state schools. It's mostly the students that came in with decently high numbers already that are the ones getting several interviews in-state. A handful of people I know have already prematched to Texas schools too which is amazing to see.

It's interesting how the application season works while you're in this program. If you choose to apply the Summer that you start, you'll basically only have one or two classes to update the application services with (Biostatistics and maybe Biochemistry). The classes you take here aren't like what your college classes are like. We're on a rotating block schedule sort of like the med students. Most of your core science classes will be about 5-6 weeks long whereas some other ones will be all semester long. It's up to you whether or not you want to apply during the summer that you start or after you graduate.

A good number of students apply the summer they start in Med Sci while others wait until after the program to apply. It really just varies from person to person and situation to situation. Anyway like I was saying about the rotating courses... Biostatistics is the only summer course that you take. It does last all summer, but you're able to update application services like TMDSAS/AMCAS/AACOMAS with your grades whenever it's over and grades are submitted to the registrar's office. You can do the same thing after each course you finish so you're technically able to update med schools you're applying to a couple of time throughout the Fall semester.

It's up to you whether or not you apply to this SMP. There are students every year who were waitlisted and applied to this program as a backup to stay busy after graduation. It certainly looks good to have it on your application. If you don't get into either schools that you interviewed at, Med Sci is a very feasible one year backup plan.
 
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Thank you so much for taking the time to write all that! So basically what you're saying is at the end of summer you've really only got 1-2 more courses to prove your post-bacc GPA shows improvement, and by mid-fall there's maybe 1-2 more? Doesn't sound like much, but I guess it's better than nothing. And you're certainly right, I guess it's a good one-year backup plan. Now to wait... and decide if I should work for a year or look at bumping the GPA, lol
 
You'll have 2, maybe 3 grades that you can send to med schools in the Fall. If anything, this program really teaches you the skills that you need to do well in med school for sure. I'd apply and see how it goes. If you decide in a couple of months that it's not for you then you can just turn down the acceptance and move forward with other plans, but at least you'll have the option open to you. Good luck with everything!
 
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Anyone knows the actual start date is? I only know the MCAT course start beginning of June. I just want to know whether I have time to plan anything before it starts. Thanks.
 
XZeusXII said:
Anyone knows the actual start date is? I only know the MCAT course start beginning of June. I just want to know whether I have time to plan anything before it starts. Thanks.
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There is a Biostats course that starts at the beginning of June as well. Class usually starts on Jun. 1st alongside the mcat class.
 
My cgpa was about a 2.5, science as well. I'm in the process of studying to retake my mcat and was just wondering if I should bother to apply now?
 
MedorBust23 said:
My cgpa was about a 2.5, science as well. I'm in the process of studying to retake my mcat and was just wondering if I should bother to apply now?
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I can't hurt to try your chances and apply, but honestly I think it would be more beneficial for you to retake some of those classes at a community college and to try and raise up your gpa that way. A 2.5 in both gpas is pretty alarming. Once you get your gpa above a 3.0, it might be worth your while to then start looking at SMPs. Afterwards, apply DO schools early and broadly.
 
TexasMedic15 said:
I can't hurt to try your chances and apply, but honestly I think it would be more beneficial for you to retake some of those classes at a community college and to try and raise up your gpa that way. A 2.5 in both gpas is pretty alarming. Once you get your gpa above a 3.0, it might be worth your while to then start looking at SMPs. Afterwards, apply DO schools early and broadly.
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Thank you for your reply. I'm going to give it a chance and try to apply. With the whole studying for my mcat and working on more clinical experiences, I'm hoping that it can show me as being well-rounded and improving despite my gpa.
 
For the documents what else are you guys uploading beside your personal statement and resume? Also it seems there are no essays required for this application. I was under the impression that there were quite a few essays besides the personal statement?
 
solo-king said:
For the documents what else are you guys uploading beside your personal statement and resume? Also it seems there are no essays required for this application. I was under the impression that there were quite a few essays besides the personal statement?
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There are essays, about 5 under supplemental questions.
 
Anybody here taking the MCAT soon?
 
I'm new to the site. I just have a quick question. I know that the max for the essays is 750-800 words, but does anyone know the minimum?
Thanks.
 
@longhorn20: LORs are definitely looked at in detail. Make sure you get the strongest letters possible... or get whatever you can.
@Dr.Hollywood: It's not a school assignment. You won't have a minimum. Think of it as if you are applying to medical school. Writing too little can hurt you, but so can writing too much as it can get too verbose and convoluted. Write what you think is a fair amount - enough to clearly get the point across.
 
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If I don't get accepted (most likely due to my GPA), then what do y'all suggest I do?
 
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TexasMedic15 said:
@longhorn20: LORs are definitely looked at in detail. Make sure you get the strongest letters possible... or get whatever you can.
@Dr.Hollywood: It's not a school assignment. You won't have a minimum. Think of it as if you are applying to medical school. Writing too little can hurt you, but so can writing too much as it can get too verbose and convoluted. Write what you think is a fair amount - enough to clearly get the point across.
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3 of the questions seem like they only require no more than one or two sentences..but then again I'm worried if I'm writing too little.
 
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bioman_15 said:
If I don't get accepted (most likely due to my GPA), then what do y'all suggest I do?
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Here's a couple of options for you:
1) Retake the C's you got at a community college (if you're open to applying DO). This could really help out your GPA a lot with the grade replacement policy.
2) Take some upper level science courses at other universities. This would sort of be like a DYI post-bacc. I've had friends in the program take upper level science courses from UT, UofH, UTD, etc. You would just have to enroll as a non-degree seeking student.
3) Look into doing other post-bacc programs. Texas Tech has a two year program where you are literally in class with the med students. It's a very very small program though and also a lot of commitment. Texas A&M has a master's program in Biomedical Science that's relatively easy to get into. There's not a whole lot of information about that program, but if you want you can PM me for more information. I have several friends that are in it now. You're able to get in and out in about three semesters (including a summer). Looking at their website, it seems that UTD also has post-bacc Biomedical Sciences certificate program.
4) If you're not looking to do any schooling for now, definitely look into scribing or doing research. It'll help out your resume some more and make you look like a stronger applicant. This will really only help out if you're open to DO schools out of state. If you're trying for in-state MD schools then I'd definitely look into doing GPA repair. Your MCAT is already quite a bit above average for getting in so you needn't worry about messing around with that anymore.

rsrs3739 said:
3 of the questions seem like they only require no more than one or two sentences..but then again I'm worried if I'm writing too little.
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Well you don't need to write essays for all of them. If the questions aren't asking for much then you probably shouldn't write much. I can't remember what the questions were off the top of my head.
 
TexasMedic15 said:
Here's a couple of options for you:
1) Retake the C's you got at a community college (if you're open to applying DO). This could really help out your GPA a lot with the grade replacement policy.
2) Take some upper level science courses at other universities. This would sort of be like a DYI post-bacc. I've had friends in the program take upper level science courses from UT, UofH, UTD, etc. You would just have to enroll as a non-degree seeking student.
3) Look into doing other post-bacc programs. Texas Tech has a two year program where you are literally in class with the med students. It's a very very small program though and also a lot of commitment. Texas A&M has a master's program in Biomedical Science that's relatively easy to get into. There's not a whole lot of information about that program, but if you want you can PM me for more information. I have several friends that are in it now. You're able to get in and out in about three semesters (including a summer). Looking at their website, it seems that UTD also has post-bacc Biomedical Sciences certificate program.
4) If you're not looking to do any schooling for now, definitely look into scribing or doing research. It'll help out your resume some more and make you look like a stronger applicant. This will really only help out if you're open to DO schools out of state. If you're trying for in-state MD schools then I'd definitely look into doing GPA repair. Your MCAT is already quite a bit above average for getting in so you needn't worry about messing around with that anymore.



Well you don't need to write essays for all of them. If the questions aren't asking for much then you probably shouldn't write much. I can't remember what the questions were off the top of my head.
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I think they changed the questions entirely this year, based on what I read on the 2015-2016 forum

aimhigh007 said:
Were you able to submit your application ? I am having difficulty submitting it. Not sure whats going on !! Cannot wait to submit my application, i really want to get in this program.
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I havent tried to submit it yet.
 
rsrs3739 said:
I think they changed the questions entirely this year, based on what I read on the 2015-2016 forum


I havent tried to submit it yet.
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Is anyone having any trouble with the application in terms of bugs/errors? I can't select relationship to my emergency contact.
 
TexasMedic15 said:
@longhorn20: LORs are definitely looked at in detail. Make sure you get the strongest letters possible... or get whatever you can.
@Dr.Hollywood: It's not a school assignment. You won't have a minimum. Think of it as if you are applying to medical school. Writing too little can hurt you, but so can writing too much as it can get too verbose and convoluted. Write what you think is a fair amount - enough to clearly get the point across.
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Thank you, @TexasMedic15

Also, I'm not taking my MCAT until January 23rd. It takes like a whole month to get the scores back. So we are looking at the end of February and the deadline for the program is March 1st. Given that they operate on a rolling admissions, how much does that set me back?
 
Dr.Hollywood said:
Thank you, @TexasMedic15

Also, I'm not taking my MCAT until January 23rd. It takes like a whole month to get the scores back. So we are looking at the end of February and the deadline for the program is March 1st. Given that they operate on a rolling admissions, how much does that set me back?
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You either get in, or you don't. I can't answer your question for you because I don't know. You're just gonna have to apply to find out. I will tell you though that there are several students every year who apply late and still get in. There's a lot that goes into the decision making process. Just depends on your overall application I guess. Focus on your MCAT for right now and on doing the best that you can on it. That's in your ballpark; the rest is up to luck and chance. Good luck!
 
Hello,

Is there anyone who went in with the intent of going on to PA school? I noticed most of you want into medical school. What were the GRE score range does anyone know?

I have a Bachelors of Science in Social Science, I'm an x-ray tech for the Army and a Science teacher on the civilian side, I have a 3.58 GPA Is there something more I should do before I apply? Outside of the military and teaching I don't have anything that really sets me apart from some of these awesome stellar applicants.

I also don't want Medical school just PA. Any advice?
 
PAistheplan said:
Hello,

Is there anyone who went in with the intent of going on to PA school? I noticed most of you want into medical school. What were the GRE score range does anyone know?

I have a Bachelors of Science in Social Science, I'm an x-ray tech for the Army and a Science teacher on the civilian side, I have a 3.58 GPA Is there something more I should do before I apply? Outside of the military and teaching I don't have anything that really sets me apart from some of these awesome stellar applicants.

I also don't want Medical school just PA. Any advice?
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I don't believe that they ever release the admission statistics. I'll tell you though that there are a handful of students in every class who are Pre-PA - same with Pre-Dental. If you haven't taken the GRE yet, focus on doing well on it for now. If you've already taken it, then you'll just have to apply and test your chances. I'll tell you now that not everybody is an "awesome stellar" applicant. Many of the students (believe it or not) are just average, but the admissions people see potential in them. That's kind of the point of this program... to bring out that potential and give a second chance to anybody that's willing to work to get to where they want to be.

There are lots of non-trads in the program by the way. Several former military people as well as people without a background in the sciences. Don't feel like your background will keep you from getting looked at. There are people from all walks of life in Med Sci.

Good luck applying!
 
I know you need at least 2 LORs but can we send in more? Is there a limit on how many to send in? And is there any requirement on who the letters are from (professors, doctors, etc..)?
 
ponies2015 said:
I know you need at least 2 LORs but can we send in more? Is there a limit on how many to send in? And is there any requirement on who the letters are from (professors, doctors, etc..)?
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They prefer two science professor letters for the first two and you can submit additional ones written by an employer, non-science professor, etc
 
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So it's been radio silence this application cycle, and I'm considering applying to this program to help strengthen my application for next year. My gpa is 3.29 and that includes 23 credits of DIY post-bacc (3.83 during that time). DIY post-bacc just doesn't seem practical for a GPA repair since 1) my local university has a very limited course catalog and 2) I'd need 34 credits to get up to a 3.4 and I don't have the time for that since I work full time. I have a 34 MCAT which is my saving grace and my EC's are solid if unspectacular (scribing, community service, college lab work but no publications).

I guess my question is I know many people apply the same summer that they start, meaning you'll only have two classes under your belt by the time you submit apps. Is this enough to convince adcoms that you're on the right path? Is being associate with the program enough to give you a boost? I made the mistake of applying late (August) and would like to have everything in by the end of May next cycle. Anybody with similar experiences?
 
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jsalman412 said:
So it's been radio silence this application cycle, and I'm considering applying to this program to help strengthen my application for next year. My gpa is 3.29 and that includes 23 credits of DIY post-bacc (3.83 during that time). DIY post-bacc just doesn't seem practical for a GPA repair since 1) my local university has a very limited course catalog and 2) I'd need 34 credits to get up to a 3.4 and I don't have the time for that since I work full time. I have a 34 MCAT which is my saving grace and my EC's are solid if unspectacular (scribing, community service, college lab work but no publications).

I guess my question is I know many people apply the same summer that they start, meaning you'll only have two classes under your belt by the time you submit apps. Is this enough to convince adcoms that you're on the right path? Is being associate with the program enough to give you a boost? I made the mistake of applying late (August) and would like to have everything in by the end of May next cycle. Anybody with similar experiences?
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From what I heard I believe the 2 classes are enough if you can make an A in them, and I heard that med schools (Texas med schools) will "hold your app" to see how you do in the later classes and if your still doing great in them will offer interviews..ESPECIALLY since your MCAT is great and you have solid EC's. I def do not see any downside of this program for your particular situation, and would recommend that you apply!

I am basically in your current situation which is why I am convinced in applying as well.
Although everything I am saying is what I have only heard not experienced myself, but I believe you can really benefit from this program.
 
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