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Hi! My name is Liz and I'm a first year student at  the TTUHSC PA program in Midland. I would like to use this thread as place to answer any questions about the school and about student life. Please let me know if you have any questions and I or some of my classmates would be happy to get back to you!

 

Congratulations on all those who are receiving interviews :) You earned it.

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Hi! My name is Liz and I'm a first year student at  the TTUHSC PA program in Midland. I would like to use this thread as place to answer any questions about the school and about student life. Please let me know if you have any questions and I or some of my classmates would be happy to get back to you!

 

Congratulations on all those who are receiving interviews :) You earned it.

 

 

Hi Liz my name is Joshua and I have an interview on the 13th of Nov. I was wanting to know what do you enjoy most about the program at Texas Tech and what are some things that you would possibly change?

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer any other questions we may have.

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Hi Liz my name is Joshua and I have an interview on the 13th of Nov. I was wanting to know what do you enjoy most about the program at Texas Tech and what are some things that you would possibly change?

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer any other questions we may have.

 

There are so many great things I can say about this program, and there have already been a bunch of good changes.

 

I may be biased, but I think I have a particularly great class. The professors have been very impressed with our involvement in community service and extra curricular activities which really helps bring the class together. As far as curriculum goes, all the professors make the information easy to understand and they are fun and relatable. There is a ton of information, but they make it doable.

 

Currently the class above us is on their clinical rotations, so we have the building to ourselves for the rest of this semester and the spring semester. I really like having a building to ourselves. Since you are just around YOUR class, I think that really adds to how close we are.

 

It used to be the case that we did not have cadaver lab. That is no longer the case. In your gross anatomy class in Summer I, you will be traveling to Lubbock a few times to study with the pre-dissected cadavers. While we do not get to dissect ourselves, I find that this is more beneficial in that everything is already beautifully displayed (in addition, dissecting takes many hours, hours that I believe can be put to better use simply studying and applying the information clinically). We also recently got an Anatomage, which is a virtual cadaver table. It has CT images of real people that are digitally colored. The program allows you to break down the body into systems like the circulatory system, GI system, reproductive system, nervous system, etc... It also has a digital library of various pathology scans. You can also "cut" different muscles and organs and enables you to look inside of them. I have also recently spoken with our director who now says that the contents can be displayed on a projector (which will be a great teaching aid). About a month ago, we had our neuroscience professors bring a brain and spinal cord lab to campus which was really great. So, the fact that we don't have cadavers on site in no way hinders our learning.

 

I hope this bit of information helps, best of luck on your interview!

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  • 2 weeks later...

We actually had a few brains and spinal cords, some of which had pathology. Like Liz said our class is very close. Everyone is very helpful. We share reviews, charts, knowledge, etc. The class above us was the same way with each other and just as helpful to us. Everyone, including the professors, is very friendly and supportive of one another. The only negative is the cost of living in Midland, but last I heard oil prices were falling fast so that should alleviate some of the housing issues in the future classes.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Liz, I have a class I need to complete this spring. Did you or any of your current classmates have any issue providing the transcript in time for matriculation? Thank you!

Hi! My name is Liz and I'm a first year student at the TTUHSC PA program in Midland. I would like to use this thread as place to answer any questions about the school and about student life. Please let me know if you have any questions and I or some of my classmates would be happy to get back to you!

 

Congratulations on all those who are receiving interviews :) You earned it.

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I actually took 2 classes the spring before matriculation, and I found it helpful to do so right before classes started because the information was so fresh! As it turned out, one of my transcripts was not going to make it to Lubbock in time to be picked up before orientation day (it is required that they have all transcripts prior to this day, or they will not allow you to do the orientation). I ended up getting a call from the admissions office that they hadn't received one of my transcripts (like 2 days before orientation) and they told me just get one overnighted to myself and bring a hard copy to the orientation. I gave it to the appropriate person and that was fine.

 

I would make sure you have at least 3 weeks between mailing out your transcript and when orientation starts (as it takes schools sometimes a few days to process the transcripts). If you are crunched for time, pay the extra money to get it overnighted to Lubbock (its not that much and in the grand scheme of things doesn't matter the cost).

 

Remember, there are always things that go wrong and that are out of your control. It is always good to be prepared and think and plan ahead.

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I am also in the class of 2016 and I agree with Liz our class is very close and did get A LOT of help from the class above us.  It is extremely nice to have our own building.  I think a lot of times we take for granted the benefits it allows us: from having a quiet study environment to taking tests without any outside distractions.  The faculty is amazing and very helpful.  I would agree with Gillz, that the only real negative is living expenses here in Midland but hopefully prices will lower for the future classes.

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Thank you for info. I will give them a call Monday to get the date of orientation. Most schools' finals are around mid may.

I actually took 2 classes the spring before matriculation, and I found it helpful to do so right before classes started because the information was so fresh! As it turned out, one of my transcripts was not going to make it to Lubbock in time to be picked up before orientation day (it is required that they have all transcripts prior to this day, or they will not allow you to do the orientation). I ended up getting a call from the admissions office that they hadn't received one of my transcripts (like 2 days before orientation) and they told me just get one overnighted to myself and bring a hard copy to the orientation. I gave it to the appropriate person and that was fine.

 

I would make sure you have at least 3 weeks between mailing out your transcript and when orientation starts (as it takes schools sometimes a few days to process the transcripts). If you are crunched for time, pay the extra money to get it overnighted to Lubbock (its not that much and in the grand scheme of things doesn't matter the cost).

 

Remember, there are always things that go wrong and that are out of your control. It is always good to be prepared and think and plan ahead.

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Hey class of 2016, could you guys give some advice on what apartments are ideal for the incoming class?

I know that the cost of living in Midland is high so I'll be willing to pay around 1,500-1,800 a month.

But all the reviews for apartments sound negative... I guess I'm just lost in the sauce.

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Hey class of 2016, could you guys give some advice on what apartments are ideal for the incoming class?

I know that the cost of living in Midland is high so I'll be willing to pay around 1,500-1,800 a month.

But all the reviews for apartments sound negative... I guess I'm just lost in the sauce.

CONGRATULATIONS!

I'm living at the Dakotas with my roomate. We're paying about 16 hundred a month that's not including utilities. I can't say my experience here have been amazing, but after what I hear from other classmates, I can't really complain. We have minor roof leaks when it storms, but they've fixed it since then.. still waiting for rain to test it out. :X I hear that living on the second floor is usually better. AC/Heater works amazingly. The apartment is pretty spacious and it's only about 5 minutes from campus so we literally leave 10 minutes before class starts, which is great! Our neighbors are pretty friendly, there's a lot of kids, so it makes it feel a lot safer. Big negative is that maintenance takes FOREVER to get back to us in terms of fixing things, so you learn to either suck it up or become very handy! :) We got lucky with our apartment since there were only minor issues.

I'd recommend that you start calling multiple complexes to get on the waitlists since there's very limited spaces open. Best of luck!

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Hey class of 2016, could you guys give some advice on what apartments are ideal for the incoming class?

I know that the cost of living in Midland is high so I'll be willing to pay around 1,500-1,800 a month.

But all the reviews for apartments sound negative... I guess I'm just lost in the sauce.

 

Like Romy said, definitely start looking early and put yourself on waiting lists. I currently live in The Palms on Briarwood which is about a 5-10 minute drive from campus and right down the street from a Walmart which is nice. Rent for my two bedroom is 1705 per month and I don't have any complaints. Its one of the newer apartment complexes. It has been a great place to live for me and my roommate. Good workout room open 24/7 and club house with great study areas and free coffee and water. I got myself on their waiting list in December-January and heard back in March, so it can take a while for many places. If you do put yourself on wait lists, call monthly to keep in touch and check on the process (it never hurts to be persistent).  

 

yes living is expensive in midland but don't dwell on it because if you attend the program, that's just the way it is.  In the grand scheme of things, its not terrible and you will be attending an outstanding program. 

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Thanks to you both! I found some good apartments from the postings about apartment information as well. The information about tier 1, 2, and 3 apartments was helpful as well. 

 

another question: Is there anything different you would have done right before entering the program? Like brush up on a particular subject for instance before starting school?

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Thanks to you both! I found some good apartments from the postings about apartment information as well. The information about tier 1, 2, and 3 apartments was helpful as well. 

 

another question: Is there anything different you would have done right before entering the program? Like brush up on a particular subject for instance before starting school?

 

You don't need to start studying before school starts, as they do an awesome job refreshing you on some of the basics. Of course if you still have pre-requisites to fulfill this spring, that information will be very fresh when you start school (i took another a psych and nutrition class the spring prior to matriculation and some of that same information I would see in current classes).  

 

In addition, its always nice to be able to refer to old college notes (like if you have good anatomy notes or cell bio, immunology or genetics notes etc...). I brought with me some of my upper level bio class notes and I have used them as references every now and then.

 

My best advice is to get good sleep and have fun/ take trips prior to entering the program, because once you start, studying will take up the majority of your time. You worked hard on getting into school, so now is the time to treat yourself before you start a very rigorous yet rewarding journey.

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You don't need to start studying before school starts, as they do an awesome job refreshing you on some of the basics. Of course if you still have pre-requisites to fulfill this spring, that information will be very fresh when you start school (i took another a psych and nutrition class the spring prior to matriculation and some of that same information I would see in current classes).  

 

In addition, its always nice to be able to refer to old college notes (like if you have good anatomy notes or cell bio, immunology or genetics notes etc...). I brought with me some of my upper level bio class notes and I have used them as references every now and then.

 

My best advice is to get good sleep and have fun/ take trips prior to entering the program, because once you start, studying will take up the majority of your time. You worked hard on getting into school, so now is the time to treat yourself before you start a very rigorous yet rewarding journey.

Thanks on the advice about spending time with my family/ friends. I will definitely make sure of that! 

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I have a question for anyone who has attended or is currently attending the program.. Does anyone in the program have animals? I know some people have families and are married but are there any students who would be attending as a single student with animals? Is this feasible?

 

One of our classmates has two Yorkies and she lives in an apartment by herself. My understanding is that she just leaves them in the apartment while at school. She hasn't said this has been difficult for her. And I know of a couple others who have cats. My roommate has become the unofficial animal watcher for some of our classmates so she does this when they go out of town (provided that she is still in Midland that weekend). So if you have animals and do go out of town, I'm sure one of your classmates could watch them (sometimes we all need a little animal therapy :)

 

So the answer to your question is yes, I know plenty of classmates with animals and this does not seem to interfere with anything.

 

Many apartments here are animal friendly. Even the apartment we live in (relatively new-The Palms) allows animals.

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One of our classmates has two Yorkies and she lives in an apartment by herself. My understanding is that she just leaves them in the apartment while at school. She hasn't said this has been difficult for her. And I know of a couple others who have cats. My roommate has become the unofficial animal watcher for some of our classmates so she does this when they go out of town (provided that she is still in Midland that weekend). So if you have animals and do go out of town, I'm sure one of your classmates could watch them (sometimes we all need a little animal therapy :)

 

So the answer to your question is yes, I know plenty of classmates with animals and this does not seem to interfere with anything.

 

Many apartments here are animal friendly. Even the apartment we live in (relatively new-The Palms) allows animals.

 

Good to know!! Thank you, thank you. I'm more nervous for the clinical year and definitely worried about times that I may be traveling back to AZ. The apartment complex I'm moving into has an INSANE animal pet deposit (600 refundable, 600 nonrefundable) because it's brand new- another one of my concerns haha but you are completely right, animal therapy works like a charm :) Especially when feeling a little homesick!

 

Thanks for your insight.

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Good to know!! Thank you, thank you. I'm more nervous for the clinical year and definitely worried about times that I may be traveling back to AZ. The apartment complex I'm moving into has an INSANE animal pet deposit (600 refundable, 600 nonrefundable) because it's brand new- another one of my concerns haha but you are completely right, animal therapy works like a charm :) Especially when feeling a little homesick!

 

Thanks for your insight.

 

There may be times that you have to make arrangements for your animals during clinical year. My understanding is that some of the rotations can be up to or more than an hour away from the major city you are located in. In that case, I have heard of students either living in a hospital room for those 6 weeks or living with their preceptor if that is something they offer.

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