Premed UH or TTU

[u/potatoheadsss]

im currently a high school senior and am applying to UH and TTU as molecular biology major on the premed track. I heard the premed programs are really good for both these schools so i wanted to know student life, academic rigor, campus culture, and opportunities they offer.

I know more about TTU than UH, and only recently started looking into what UH offers and lowkey they seem pretty cool. Here's a list of pros and cons with my limited knowledge:

TTU

Pros:

- day 1 paid research

- unique agriculture+biotech combo for molecular bio major

- honors admissions person knows me cuz i visited the campus and him during summer (he also seems to like me and we've been emailing a few times when i was submitting my apps)

- connection with large hospital

- MCAT waived: EAP, UMSI (hard to get in tho)

- JAMP (i feel like getting into jamp will be easier for TTU than UH)

Cons:

- middle of nowhere

UH

Pros:

- TMC (this one is the biggest. Leads to internships, shadowing, research with prestigious partners)

- smaller class size

- BSMD (including pathway to Baylor)

- JAMP

sorry, dont know much so pls let me know more pros

Cons:

dont know much to list any cons

[u/warzaya]

UH is better objectively for premed but academically more rigorous when it comes to its STEM department. You might have a slightly easier academic experience at TTU

[u/not_asleep_yet]

I feel like living in Lubbock comes with less of life’s stresses compared to living in Houston. So if you’re wanting to commit to studying and working I would say go to TTU. It has a much prettier campus. It is way more conservative (don’t know if that’s a pro or con to you).

But if you want more urban environment go UH. I don’t know anything about its campus life or culture (and I can’t help you with these specific programs). I work with some proud UH alumni. They liked it.

[u/Terrible-Hawk-407]

Hey im a mech e at UH rn im commuting to school and if your not commuting, I would say go UH. I feel getting research is not that difficult but dont on my word on that. But if your commuting I would not go. Do not make the mistake like i did. I personally value my social life and my education and I feel like im a social person but its next to impossible to make "new" friends as a commuter and you kinda miss out on alot of things.

I would go TTU if you were to stay on campus, enjoy college and life and youll get a job regardless. I truly feel its based upon on how hard your gonna work, how much time will you spend making your self a good applicant for research and internships. ( etc learning skills required for your job).

Take it with a grain of salt tho, this is js my idea. If I were in your shoes I would go TTU.

[u/ohitsthedeathstar → u/Terrible-Hawk-407]

I think your experience is self inflicted. Not sure if sending OP to tech’s campus is the right way to go either.

It’s hit or miss with tech. You either love being in the middle of nowhere or you hate it and it sends you into a spiraling depression. I’ve heard multiple of both accounts.

At UH you can experiment with both living on campus and commuting from home and see what works best without living in the middle of nowhere.

UH is also the best school in the state to go to for premed.

[u/Terrible-Hawk-407 → u/ohitsthedeathstar]

That is also true, not sure abt UH in premed so yet again another bonus for UH.

[u/potatoheadsss → u/Terrible-Hawk-407]

thank you so much for this perspective!

i haven't thought about the problems that come with commuting. I plan to stay in dorms for first year then move out. I will def think about this

[u/Terrible-Hawk-407 → u/potatoheadsss]

If that’s the case, UH seems probable because I know a couple people who stayed on campus one year and made good friends and connections. But if connections is all your looking for go UH. I would advise you go to TTU more fun and I know people that are loving it there.

[u/ls0902]

just PM’ed you! I am a med student now that graduated from UH

[u/ohitsthedeathstar]

UH. Hands down. Best school in the state to go to for pre meds outside of rice because of one of the reasons you listed, being next to the med center.

And I’m obviously biased, but I prefer a good urban experience for college versus the college town vibe. I went to school in a college town for my first 3 semesters of college and it gets very stale super fast. Only thing that kept me sane was the people. And I lived in a college town that was relatively close to a city so I could still do city stuff. Lubbock is in the middle of nowhere and the closest city is Dallas which is 5 hours away. You’re truly stuck. I definitely couldn’t handle that.

Live on campus your freshman year at UH and you’ll love it.

[u/No_Fee9799]

As someone who transferred from TTU to UH, TTU if you can get clinical hours in Lubbock. The only thing Houston has over Lubbock is TMC. That's it. Everything else premed related, TTU clears UH, at least in my opinion.

[u/Smooth-Fall-4644]

The BSMD program at UH (honorsmed) is competitive. Also, the pathway to Baylor is only for Debakey HS students, butt if u get into either one of these then yesss choose UH!

[u/Isoskskd_0]

Nahhhh these peeps lyin to u, DO NOT come to UH if u trynna do pre med… the entire science department is out here to fail you and if any one says otherwise they jus lying lol. The physics and ochem labs literally only give it out 1/2 A’s PER section… literally in my physics 2 lab yesterday ik a guy that asked the TA why he got points taken off for one of his lab experiments and the TA literally had a hard time figuring out a reason and said “the slope on the graph is barely visible so draw it darker next time” even tho u can CLEARLY see it 💀… there’s no real point of coming to UH unless u r ready to self study for ur next 4 years. The only upside to UH is that u save money commuting and it’s next to the med center… but IMO it’s not worth the trade off and the trade off being ur GPA.

[u/gitree22 → u/Isoskskd_0]

“Don’t come to UH because it’s too hard!”

[u/No_Fee9799 → u/Isoskskd_0]

Exactly!!! It's not "too hard", the teaching here just suck! Alot (NOT ALL ) of them act like they literally get paid to make you fail. At TTU they actually take the time to teach, at UH they want you to teach yourself before coming to class so they read off slides and act like they're doing something...