Is Baylor A Good Medical School

91% of Baylor students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching.

Is Baylor A Good Medical School? (Major Pros and Cons)

Baylor College of Medicine situated in Houston, Texas, is the largest private Christian university in the world.

With the lowest average student debt upon graduation compared to any of the other private medical schools in the US, Baylor med’s mission is to “improve health through science, scholarship, and innovation.”

Let’s see if it delivers.

Is Baylor A Good Medical School?

Baylor is a good medical school. With over 2500 full-time faculty staff dedicated to the teaching and well-being of all students, it is no surprise that student satisfaction rates are high. Disadvantages such as the low acceptance rate and the competitive nature of the study environment can, however, be deal breakers.

Read on to find out more about Baylor.

Interested in learning more about specific medical school pros and cons? Check out our Medical School Guides here – we cover all osteopathic (DO) and allopathic (MD) schools.

Why Baylor Medical School? Major Pros

Track record

94% of Baylor’s medical graduates were employed within 2 years after graduating.

The average Step 1 USMLE score is 239.

100% of students passed on their first attempt in the Class of 2014.

Research intensive

Baylor is classified as a “Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity” according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

There is also the “Medical School Research Track” which provides students with an opportunity to take a year between 2nd and 3rd year purely for research.

This emphasis on research and keeping up with current affairs ensures graduates are up to speed with medical progressions and advancements.

Sustainability commitment

Baylor is renowned for their emphasis on sustainability on campus.

They were one of the top performing colleges and universities in the 2019 Sustainable Campus Index.

Curriculum and Early Clinical Exposure

The clinical integrated curriculum begins in January of the second year. This is focused on patient centred learning techniques such as history taking and reviewing lab results.

Training is in the facilities of the Texas Medical Center (TMC) offering early patient exposure. Students are split into smaller groups from orientation for the duration of the course.

The preclinical curriculum (Foundational Sciences) is shorter at 18 months and adopts an organ based approach. Labs are built into the classroom as opposed to having them later in the afternoon.

Lectures only last from 8am to noon, allowing students to maintain a good work life balance.

During the 3rd and 4th year is when students have clinical rotations.

To view a full breakdown of the curriculum, see here.

Notable Alumni

There are countless notable figures who have graduated from Baylor.

One such example is Carolyn Huntoon who was the first woman to be director of the Johnson Space Centre.

Anurag Agrawal went on to become a medical researcher and renowned pulmonologist.

High student satisfaction rates

91% of Baylor students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching.

60% of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want and a further 52% agree that the workload is easy to manage.

Location

Baylor is situated in Houston, Texas.

It is close to other popular large cities like Austin and Dallas.

There are a ton leisure activities in the area such as hiking in Cameron Park and kayaking on the Brazos River.

There is also a local community service program where students can feed and provide aid to the locals as the area has high poverty rates.

Texas also has lower costs of living compared to elsewhere in the US.

Early decision program

There is an option for students to opt for the early decisions program at Baylor.

You would need to apply by August 1st in the year before you would be matriculating.

Applicants usually require a GPA over 3.6 and an MCAT score of 33 and above.

Why Baylor Medical School? Major Cons

Tuition Expense

Despite Baylor having the lowest debt post graduation, it is still expensive.

Total costs of attendance can exceed $60,000 in most cases.

Students from outside of Texas pay under $41,192 each and in-state students pay under $30,000.

There are many financial aid options such as scholarships that are readily available to the vast majority of students however.

Grading system

The grading system at Baylor can be seen as either a positive or a negative.

Students are graded simply with a pass or fail for the year.

This can sometimes make for a competitive learning environment and a difficult differentiator in ranking match competition.

Low acceptance rate

Baylor Medical School has an acceptance rate of 3%.

It is one of the most competitive medical schools in Texas.

Parking

This may not seem too big of an issue but, based on research, it is very difficult to find parking on campus.

Contract parking is one option that some students opt for at a costly 175 dollars per month!

Important Baylor College of Medicine Data

What is Baylor’s Match List Like?

On Match Day 2021, 83 out of 188 students went on to become primary care residents, 55 matched with Baylor and 83 matched in Texas programs.

Check out the infograph below for more data…

How Many Applicants Does Baylor Get?

Baylor medicine gets approximately 6000 applications for around 200 matriculation spots each year. That works out to an acceptance rate of about 3%.

The data from the class of 2021 shows 200 graduates from the School of Medicine, with 31 completing dual degrees.

When is the application deadline for Baylor?

The application deadline for Baylor is November 1st.

What are the entry requirements for Baylor?

Baylor requires a score on the Computer Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics CASPer test which consists of 12 sections that examine student personality traits.

Students also require letters of recommendation and must fill in an application form.

The median GPA is 3.87 and MCAT score is 517.

Undergraduate course requirements include the following:

• Math (3-4 semester hours) – Biostatistics (preferred), but any course with quantitative math. Examples: statistics, physics, calculus
• Expository Writing (3-4 semester hours)*
• Humanities-Social/Behavioral Sciences (12 semester hours) Examples: psychology, sociology, anthropology, foreign languages, ethics, philosophy, theology, literature, art history
• Organic Chemistry (2 semesters; 6-8 semester hours) – lab is NOT required
• Biochemistry (3-4 semester hours) – lab is NOT required
• Advanced Biology (3-4 semester hours) – lab is NOT required. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: genetics, cell/molecular biology
• RECOMMENDED: Spanish

Is Baylor A Good Medical School? Internet’s Opinion

This is what Reddit has to say concerning Baylor med’s pros and cons…

Positive opinion on Baylor

Teaching affiliation with TMC

Baylor’s affiliation with the Texas Medical Center in Houston is probably one of its biggest draws. Biggest medical center in the nation and you get to see people from all over the place. The cancer center is one of the best in the world (coming from a baylor grad). Their match scores are some of the top in the nation and its super cheap to not only go to school, but to live there.

– u/anonymous

I’d def go for Baylor. TMC is one of the biggest medical centers in the world. Plus Houston is AWESOME.

– u/woohoig (2022)

Baylor is in the largest medical complex in the world. TMC is in a great location with Hermann park right next to it if you enjoy jogging or going for a nice walk in a beautiful park that has an outdoor theatre and museums surrounding it.

– u/MySFWacc93

I think that you really have to heavily weigh the fact that BCM offers unparalleled opportunities in the TMC. Even UT-Houston does not have the same diversity of rotations in the TMC.

-u/delasmontanas

Prestige

I would agree with you that Baylor’s name holds more weight than UTSW. And I don’t necessarily think that’s childish! Name recognition and reputation are very real things to factor in.

– u/Adenosinetripoop

Negative Opinion on Baylor

Unfavorable to out-of-state

It’s never really been OOS friendly. It had like an 85% in state matriculation, so it’s really only going to increase about 5%

– u/TeamMLRS

Conclusion: Is Baylor A Good Medical School?

Baylor is a great medical school choice for those wanting early patient exposure or want to dive into research as early as possible. It’s Houston location and affiliation with Texas Medical Center makes its rotation offerings hugely desirable. It’s 3% acceptance rate make it very competitive however, and its tough for out-of-state students to matriculate.

For a closer look at med school life at Baylor, check out the video below…

Baylor University Medical School Review

Baylor University Medical School is one of top medical schools in Texas and one of the top medical schools in the US . It is a great choice for your medical education and one of the more respected schools in the country.

If you are interested in getting accepted to Baylor Medical School, one of the top medical schools in the US, there are a lot of things that will need to be in your application to make you a competitive applicant.

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Now, back to information about this top medical school in the US!

Basic Information

• Name: Baylor College of Medicine (Baylor Medical School)
• Location: Houston, TX
• Public or Private: Public
  
• Ranking: #22 (US World and News Report, Research Rankings)

Admissions

• Very Competitive. As with any of the Texas medical schools, Baylor medical school admissions are very competitive. Baylor’s ranking is tied with UT Southwestern as the most competitive medical schools in Texas. You will need to stand out in every way to be accepted here. There were 4,685 applications for the 185 available seats.
• Average MCAT : 35
• Average GPA: 3.87, 3.87 science

Financial

• Tuition: $16,537 to $22,243 (depending on year) In-State, $30,847 to $35,343 (depending on year) Out of State
• Loans : Federal loans are available as with other US medical schools.
• Scholarships: As with many of the medical schools in Texas, there are not a whole lot of scholarships available. The huge benefit to this medical school in Houston Texas is that tuition is relatively low, meaning that you don’t really need a scholarship as much as you might somewhere else. One exception to this is the $80,000 Baylor2 program scholarship, discussed below. If you’re still looking for programs that will cover your tuition, click here to learn more about
  scholarships.
• Cost of Living: The cost of living is very affordable, another benefit to attending medical school in Houston Texas. You can pay around $600 for a nice one bedroom near campus. You can also rent a 4 br house close to campus for $1200. Now that’s a great deal!

Insider Information

• Innovativecurriculum. During your first two years at this medical school in Houston Texas, you will get early exposure to patients. You will also only have 18 months of pre-clinical curriculum instead of 24 months. The curriculum is organ-systems based. During your third and fourth years, you’ll be able to set your schedule of rotations, which is a nice bonus. Also, your grades will be
  pass/fail throughout medical school. This is nice because you will likely feel a little less competition.
• High averageStep 1scores. The average Step 1 score for Baylor students is a 239 with 100% of students passing on their first attempt (class of 2014). That score is high enough for the average of almost any specialty. The national average for Step 1 is 222.
• Work-Study Available. One thing that’s great about Texas medical schools is their affordability. Baylor university medical school takes this a step farther by offering work-study programs for medical students. These are jobs like working at a library where you can study while you work. This will help you cut down the cost of an already very affordable education at this medical school in Houston Texas.
• You live in Texas! Living in Texas has great benefits. No income tax and low cost of living for starters. Plus you’ll find out why it is that everyone from Texas is so proud of it!

Summary

Baylor University Medical School is one of the most respected medical schools in Texas and in the country. It is a very competitive school to get into, but has a pass/fail grading system once there, which generally lessens the competitive spirit. The school’s reputation is excellent and you will have many opportunities open to you as a graduate of Baylor. One thing that impresses me about Baylor are the many available tracks so that you can pursue many different interests in medicine. If you can get accepted to this top quality medical school, I believe you would be very happy with your choice. For more on choosing your best medical school, click here.

Get Accepted to Baylor University Medical School

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