So as you may know, the curriculum is more on the traditional side. You have biochemistry, embryology, gross anatomy, histology, and some intro to clinical classes during your first semester. They do a pretty good job of trying to align all of the classes. For example, you will be dissecting the heart in gross anatomy when you are learning about how the heart forms in embryology, etc. I didn't find anything wrong with this curriculum. I know that there are schools out there that have systems-based curriculum but since I haven't been exposed to it, I can't say if that would have helped or hindered my learning. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think that our curriculum adequately prepared me for Step 1 and rotations.
I loved it! It was so nice having some afternoons off to study. I don't think it hurt me not being in every dissection when it came to exams. Besides, I think 6 people dissecting one cadaver at the same time would be way too many. Three people dissecting at a time is just right.
It depends. During 1st semester of 1st year, you'll have a week of tests 3x during the semester plus final exams. During 2nd semester, you will have a week of tests 4x during the semester plus finals. In second year, you only have a week of tests 2x a semester and then the final exams are at the end of the 2nd semester. During 3rd year, you have an exam at the end of each rotation.
I wasn't a big fan of PBL. To me, it was just like reading a textbook. They tried to make it clinically relevant, but it seemed like it was lacking something... It also depends on who your faculty facilitator is. But this is just my opinion. I know some people who LOVED PBL. Different strokes for different folks. This is why I did not go to UTMB.
Yeah. If you study hard throughout your 1st and 2nd year, you will be adequately prepared for Step 1.
Honestly, it's hard to say. We'll have to wait and see how the class of 2012 does on the test. However, for my class (c/o 2011), the school tried something new for us. During March, we had to take a practice Step 1 test. If we didn't pass it, we had to retake it later in the year. And if we didn't pass that one, we had to take another practice one. Basically we weren't encouraged to take the real Step 1 until we had passed one of their practice ones. I don't know if they're doing this again for the class of 2012 (maybe someone here knows...?). I did appreciate the practice test. I think it helped me figure out where I was and how much I needed to study to achieve my goal.
Are you referring to volunteering in hospitals? If that's the case, I'd say most go to Memorial Hermann Hospital. But most don't volunteer; rather they shadow physicians. There are plenty of opportunities to shadow doctors as a medical student. I know a lot that shadowed in the ER and love it. I also have some friends that shadowed surgeons and were able to scrub in on some surgeries. It just depends on what you want to do!
Good luck with those rankings!!! 
I liked it. The week of tests was kind of grueling but it was nice to have the weekend afterward to chill and not worry about any school. During the first couple of weeks after the tests, I would usually take it easy and not study as much. As the week of tests aka block exams approached, I would gradually study more and more.
I'm not sure why. I haven't heard that. Maybe it's because at UTMB, they only have half days. But otherwise, I don't think that is an accurate assessment. Unless you've taken classes at UTMB, UTHSCSA, and UTH, then you really can't say with 100% certainty that one school is harder than another.
Congrats!
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would you mind telling me around what neighborhood you found a place to rent? It seems like maybe Meyerland or Westbury might have some houses to rent that are semi affordable, and yet still be close enough to campus.....
The Valencia seems reasonably close, but I've always heard you had to purchase them, as they're new and nobody is really leasing them out yet. Maybe this has changed. I know that at least a few of my classmates and upperclassmen are living there. It looks to be close to a rail stop: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...847,-95.404211&spn=0.001771,0.003237&t=h&z=19
Yes, I'm married, as are quite a few of my classmates -- you shouldn't be afraid of being the only one, if my class is any indication. You're probably going to have to debate how much you can afford to spend on a place and how comfortable you are -- the nicer parts of town that are still close enough to get to school can be quite expensive.
thumbdown).
A couple of other places that have shuttles/vans are Archstone and Brompton Court. Brompton Court and Kirby Place are both in nicer and safer areas compared to Archstone. However, Archstone is right across the street from a rail stop so there is an added convenience.
This is true! You have to plan your schedule around the Texans home games. I've learned though that driving down Cambridge is a decent alternate route. Still sucks though.
I haven't heard of anyone leasing the computers from school, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I imagine pretty much everyone has purchased their own, though, especially since it basically costs more to lease them than to buy your own.
I can answer this question for you. Yes, there are outdoor things for you to do in Houston, but it does not compare to Austin so don't get your hopes up. There's a track around Rice University that a lot of my classmates utilize. There's a path along Brays Bayou where people jog, walk their dogs, ride bikes, etc. There's Memorial Park and Hermann Park, where you can do all sorts of stuff. There are also some nice parks outside of the city. Unfortunately there's nothing here that can compare to the Greenbelt but there is a handful of outdoors stuff. PM me for any additional info; I'm an outdoorsy person myself.
yeah, you can just fill out the app and send it in. At this point I would tell them you want to move in in June or July if you're really set on getting student housing. They do a weird system for letting people in, so it would be best to put an earlier date if you really want it.
Yeah, he is pretty old.
i live in clear lake (about 20 min south) but will move to htown when classes start, but i come down to memorial park often and go mountain biking. I think mem park is one of the best spots for that, its really amazing thats its right inside the loop but looks like it belongs in austin! it has everything from beginner to decently technical. great for running too. Also, houston has a ton of running events form 5ks to marathons. Im doing the mardi gras beach run 5k this weekend in galveston.
yeah, the list is on the admissions office glass
Must stop by, thanks
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My guesstimate is sometime in the next few weeks! I think I received mine in early Marchish. There will be a ton of papers in it including all the stuff you have to have done before school starts, Welcome Weekend info!, info about computers, white coat ordering, etc. Lots of good stuff
There is crime. I wouldn't say it's entirely rampant, but nowhere really seems to be immune. There was a rash of car break-ins in some gated, nicer apartment complexes with parking garages. I had some sort of armed robbery in my gated community. A lady was shot at the grocery store. These are all places right near UT student housing.
I was watching the available units at somewhere like Archstone as the summer progressed. Every day you could see some options get rented out and the cost of the available units go up. If that's an issue to you, you may wish to find a place sooner.
