WOW! I just went to SanAntone to check out some real estate. I was shocked at how inexpensive it is. Housing bubble is just getting started there. Don’t expect it to get like the east coast due to rising interest rates…
Anyway, I have my chem, orgo, phy, & calc to do. I was thinking of taking the next year off and moving out to TX, buying a house, and then begin the prereqs…Any thoughts?
I’m thinking I’ve waited long enough and there’s no guarantee I would get accepted to a TX school either, especially not in SA. I’ve been told by some docs that as long as I get "A"s in my remaining prereqs and bust out over a 30 MCAT 
that I should not have a problem with getting accepted. The URM status was brought up and the fluency in Spanish. Not sure how much that matters but looking for input.
Any recommendations would be great.
Hey Sam,
I’m actually in San Antonio now and am also applying to the med school here. I just finished my degree at a local university (FINALLY! :-)) so I can tell you a little about UTSA (it’s actually the UT Health Science Center). They do “prefer” that you speak Spanish but if not, what they will look for is that you are showing some sort of committment to learning the language. They also want to see that you have a desire to stay in South Texas and contribute to the community (which is one of the reasons they favor Texas residents. So make sure you find a way to incorporate your family ties to the area into your application/essay).
One BIG plus is that we are non-traditionals! 
I spoke to the Dean of Admissions last year and learned that they REALLY like older applicants. One of the main attributes they look for in candidates is whether you have faced and overcome obstacles…so he said older students always have a major advantage with this; he said that you can’t face a bigger obstacle and show more persistence than giving up a career to return to school. I think he said that last year they had 13 non-traditional applicants and all 13 were accepted.
As far as residency, you can declare Texas residency if you spend one year prior to your date of enrollment working in Texas. So I don’t know if that’s a possibility for you but it may be worth it if you really are interested in Texas schools…plus hey you can’t be resident-tuition rates!
Anyways, I hope some of this helped! Feel free to keep in touch!
Good luck,
Bea
UTHSC’s med school has a new dean but hopefully their admissions philosphy will remain the same as far as appreciating older applicants. The new dean hails from the University of Maryland Medical Center- Dr. William Henrich was the Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine.
- Bea Said:
Wow. Can anyone elaborate on "prefer?" Is this code for "if you don't know it and are not learning it, this may as well be Harvard for you."
I guess I shouldn’t say “prefer”, but it is one of the factors they consider. Their words exactly are “…bilingual language ability…are considered.” I don’t think it’s a necessity for acceptance but rather a one-up if you have it. The school really looks for applicants who want to serve the “underserved areas”, particularly South Texas which to do so would require the ability to speak some Spanish. However I know plenty of people who have gotten in who don’t speak any Spanish. So I wouldn’t worry about that too much.
Bea