UTMB vs UTSW

[Rite1234]

Hello everyone! At this point in the cycle, I am pretty set on how I want to rank my schools for the upcoming TMDSAS match. However, one area I am still struggling with is how to rank UTSW and UTMB (pre-matched). I think my circumstances require a deeper dive into this question so any advice, guidance, or thoughts are greatly appreciated!

UTSW
Pros

• Strong resources for competitive specialties (which I am interested in pursuing)
• Condensed campus that does not require too much further traveling
• More prestigious and nationally/internationally known
• In a big city, Dallas, with more access to opportunities
• I have a few family friends who have gone here
• Condensed pre-clinical curriculum
• Academic mentoring with the college approach

Cons

• Potentially competitive and toxic students
• Seems to be incredibly scientifically focused and is lacking in medical humanities and social determinants of health in terms of their medical education
• Personally extremely unfamiliar with Dallas and the surrounding area
• Further from home

UTMB
Pros

• Extremely familiar with the area, especially Galveston, League City, and Clear Lake
• Lots of family and support really, really close to the school
• Very Familiar with UTMB and the institution
• P/F all 4 years
• Relaxed student environment
• Still good options for competitive specialties
• Pre-Clinical Curriculum allows for more free time (only mornings are usually filled with required activities)
• Strong medical humanities option

Cons

• At the interview, the med students seemed a little wary about the lack of opportunities for students pursuing competitive specialties (a med student interested in plastic surgery said they took a research year to strengthen their application)
• Galveston is a little more secluded compared to Dallas

Summary: Overall, either school will be a great option, but it really comes down to location vs opportunities for me. UTMB and Galveston are much better location-wise for me, but they simply lack some of the opportunities that UTSW and Dallas hold. I could also rank UTSW above UTMB and let the match process play out since there is a low chance of matching to UTSW without a pre-match. Sorry for the long post; any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

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[obiwan]

I always favor aiming for the program that gives you the best chance at your goals if all other things equal like cost of attendances/no extenuating circumstances tying you to one place. So for instance, if your aim is to do (insert competitive specialty at top tier program i.e. ophthalmology residency at Bascom Palmer) then you'd probably want to rank UTSW above UTMB