How to get into Baylor College of Medicine?

Baylor College of Medicine is one of the best kept secrets in medicine an excellent education at a relatively affordable price. It offers a rigorous basic science program with strong clinical foundations.

Admissions/Financial Aid 

Baylor is a private school but has an agreement with the state of Texas to accept 70 percent of in state students in order to get state funds that keep it the same price as the University of Texas schools. It is probably a toss up as to which is the best school in the Texas Oklahoma Louisiana Arizona area Baylor or University of Texas Southwestern. For the past thirty years, Baylor College of Medicine has had no affiliation with Baylor University in Waco and is entirely secular. While there is no official university affiliation, there are close ties with Rice University, which is located across the street. 
The class size is approximately 170 students per year, with the bulk of students coming from the University of Texas, Rice University, Texas A&M University, Baylor University, Stanford, and University of California at Berkeley. Forty percent of those who matriculated were women. Baylor interviews are unique because they typically consist of four or five interviews and include both students and faculty members. While there is less emphasis placed on numbers than on overall quaUfications and personality, the average student has a GPA of 3.9 and an MCAT average of 518. (Changes every year) 

Tuition is about $8,500 for in state residents and $21,500 for out of state residents. Out of state applicants are able to establish residency after one year if they buy property in the state, which is very affordable, and they also receive a $4,000 scholarship in the initial year. Financial aid typically consists of federally sponsored educational loans, but the College has its own scholarships that are both need based and meritbased. If all tuition is borrowed from the beginning, the average student leaves with between $75,000 and $80,000 of debt.

Preclinical Years 

One of the most unique aspects of medical education at Baylor is that all basic science is completed in 1 years, which leaves the remaining 3 years for clinical rotations. However, Baylor does not have a truncated schedule of academic requirements and has a rather grueling basic science course load. Students take five classes per term and have a month of summer vacation after the first term. Most students feel this is adequate and actually appreciate the condensed schedule, which leaves more time for the fun part of school: clinics. 
It is difficult to say which classes are the best in the first few years, because nearly all of them are well taught, well attended, and even reasonably interesting. The standout classes tend to be those taught by the most dynamic professors and include biochemistry, histology, anatomy, and pathology. All of the classes are considered rigorous but leave one well prepared for residency and national board exams. Baylor is one of the few schools that still requires subject boards at the end of the major basic science and clinical rotations. The board exams serve as the final test in most rotations and allow the school to gauge student performance on a national lev l. Baylor students typically shine on these standardized tests and average about 700 (on an 800 scale) on anatomy. 

The average Baylor student is competitive, though not cutthroat. Most students actually attend class every day, so there is no formal note taking service. Each class comes with a detailed syllabus that goes through most lectures in enough detail that if you decided to take a day trip to Galveston, you wouldn't be too lost the next day. Though the subject matter of some lectures can sometimes be less than enthralling, the teachers are enthusiastic and make even biochemistry or histology come alive. Professors at Baylor take their teaching seriously and are not only leaders in their respective fields but are also extremely accessible to students. 

Baylor has a clinically oriented curriculum. Students have exposure to clinical medicine as early as the first week of school and are assigned to follow a practitioner on Friday afternoons. There is also a wellintegrated introduction to a clinical skills class taught by third year students, as well as a rather rigorous history taking class. By the time students enter clinical rotations, they are fairly well prepared and tend to founder a bit less than some students at other schools. 
Grading is honors pass marginal pass fail, and everything is scored on a curve so that only 10 percent of students receive honors and very few fail. The system fosters a less competitive environment than might otherwise be expected. There are formal tutors available. For those unable to keep up with the accelerated program, there is also an option to extend the basic science segment to 21: years. However, this means an exira year of tuition. 

There is time for electives even during basic sciences and these range from sports medicine to the history of medicine to nutrition to the well received medical ethics program (taught by one of the most dynamic professors you will ever work with). 

Clinical Years 

Baylor's strength is the clinical experience. Baylor shares with the University of Texas at Houston the world's largest medical center and students train at one of six major hospitals, including the lavish Methodist Hospital and the busy Ben Taub County Hospital. Houston has the second largest Veteran's Administration (VA) hospital in the country, and it is known as one of the finest among the VA hospital system. Texas Children's Hospital is the second largest pediatric hospital in the nation and houses one of the top five pediatric residency programs. Though Dr. Michael DeBakey's continued presence often leads to the perception that Baylor is a shrine to cardiothoracic surgery, it is also well known for its pediatrics, neurology, and internal medicine. Because of the diverse population of Houston and the proximity to the Mexican border, the variety of patients and clinical pathology is vast. 

With the 1/2 years Baylor students spend in clinics, there is ample time not only to explore the basics, but also to have several electives in subspecialty fields prior to choosing a residency track. Students can take electives at any time during the clinical years, which allows students who are certain that they want to go into internal medicine to take several electives as well as the core rotation before they apply for residency. There is also time to do research, without compromising the core clinical electives. Baylor has a plethora of research opportunities, and if students can't find the opportunity they are looking for at Baylor (e.g., public health), they can find it at University of Texas Houston or Rice University, both of which are within blocks of the Texas Medical Center. 

The educational e.xperience is hands on at Baylor. As a result of working at public facilities, such as the VA and Ben Taub, students become proficient at procedures and other aspects of patient care. There is also a good balance of didactic information presented during clinical rotations, from noon conferences to academic morning reports. 

Social Life 

Houston is the nation's fourth largest cit, and there is usually something for everyone (except for those who like to snowboard). There's a surprisingly good cultural environment, with three art museums, a great symphony, a Tony Award winning local theater, and a fine ballet. Though the Houston Oilers moved away, tickets can still be purchased for Astros and Rockets games. There are many fabulous restaurants, all of which are relatively affordable, and numerous clubs, bars, and cafes. Baylor is centrally located within the city and is close to the Rice Village area as well as the charming and artsy enclave of Montrose. Visitors are always surprised by the ethnic diversity in Houston, where they can get some of the best Indian, Vietnamese, and, of course, Mexican food annvhere.
Housing is cheap, with a nice one bedroom condo for about $400 per month in condoland, which is located near the medical center. Students can purchase a two bedroom/two bath condo for about $35,000, which is truly a bargain for out of state students, who then qualify for in state tuition. There are nearby suburban areas such as Bellaire, which are better for students with families and are still fairly affordable. 

Crime is always a problem in the urban setting, and Houston is somewhat infamous for its rate of violent crime, but the dangerous parts of town are removed from the school's location. In general, it's always best to be streetwise. 

The main problem with Houston is the weather: hot and humid with little natural beauty. Californians initially will be miserable, but will probably get used to always having bad hair days and never seeing a hill until they go home for vacation. Baylor is not as Texan as most people imagine it to be and is a fairly cosmopolitan place. 

Why Baylor College of Medicine?


Baylor is a good place for a great education. It's definitely intense, but the teaching is excellent, the role models are plentiful, and you'll be very well prepared for whatever residency you go into.
Web https://www.bcm.edu/

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