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Thanks! I hope ! And I'll let you guys know
2014-2015 Baylor College of Medicine Application Thread
- Thread starter gettheleadout
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rooting for you!
I believe so.
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Waitlisted today as well
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+1 wait list.
🙁
🙁
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I believe no one gets rejected outright. So wait list is basically no acceptance = rejection T__T
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Not sure what you mean here but people do get accepted off the waitlist.
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In the File Completion/Status Check-2015 I got "There was a problem retrieving your record."
I don't know if I'm looking at the wrong place or if there is something wrong with my record
Same hereIn the File Completion/Status Check-2015 I got "There was a problem retrieving your record."
I don't know if I'm looking at the wrong place or if there is something wrong with my record
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Withdrew today.
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I guess I just mean that there's no difference between getting wait listed and being rejected since they don't send rejection letters.
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Same here
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Unless they only interview people they can see as possible acceptances 🙂 There is still significant waitlist movement through May as far as I know.
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Don't think it's a Texas thing. Your argument is logical and what I expect as well.
I'm not sure if this is the right thread to ask this question, but is anyone still deciding between UT Southwestern and Baylor/ have decided on Baylor over UTSW? I would really appreciate anyone's input on choosing Baylor! 🙂
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Same here 😕
It's a tough call, but I'd choose Baylor simply because UTSW is launching a brand new, truncated curriculum whereas the Baylor curriculum was implemented years ago and has since been refined and perfected. Even though the UTSW curriculum looks great on paper, I'm concerned there will be some issues for the class of 2019 (and perhaps 2020). UTSW has put a lot of hard work into building their new model, but it would be naive to assume that there won't be any kinks to work out for the first year or two.
Another thing I noticed in reviewing the respective pre-clinical curricula is that Baylor gives students a one-month summer between MS1/MS2 while UTSW students get three months. That means that UTSW students will only have ~ 14 months of pre-clinical instruction. That seems like quite a time crunch. Is it doable? Maybe -- but I would be apprehensive about being a Guinea pig.
I'm also really impressed with Baylor's pre-clinical curriculum simply because their students consistently average 240+ on Step 1, which says a lot about the quality of the instruction. And, in terms of competitive specialties, Baylor's match list is about as good as it gets.
Having said all of that -- I think UTSW probably has a slight edge in terms of research opportunities. Not a lot of schools can boast having seven Nobel laureates on faculty, which is pretty cool (IMO). If you want to go into academics, that is certainly something to consider.
Best of luck with your decision!
-Bill
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Both are excellent institutions, clinical facilities should be a very important consideration for anyone choosing between these school. Both schools have a large county hospital ( Ben Taub and Parkland), the shifting sands of private institutions affiliated with Baylor should be a consideration, as well as the probationary status. Both schools have stellar research opportunities. The transition to a new curriculum should not be an issue for the level of students UTSW attracts. Re the STEP scores, it's very impressive , just realize there is much more to being a good physician than test scores. Some of the best doctors I have encountered in my training and career at both institutions were not necessarily the highest scoring on tests. I graduated from UTSW, residency at Baylor. Both schools produce good doctors, I think UTSW has an edge with HANDS ON clinical experience. I felt superbly trained when I started residency. Just one opinion, and again both are excellent choices, Congratulations to you for having such great choices!!
Regarding which has better research opportunities, I think one should consider that a lot of the Nobel laureates worked on research in the cellular/molecular side of things. And that to get properly in-depth with that type of research, you might be better off doing the MD/PhD route unless you have tons of experience already. If that's what you're into, go for it. As far as breadth and sheer volume of opportunities that would be realistically available (considering how much time and energy you'd have to devote to it while in school) to most students, I'd imagine Baylor would have just as many (if not more) options at the Texas Medical Center. It's impressive, but I wouldn't choose a school just because they have Nobel laureates in areas that you may not interested in. Just my two cents.
I think I'm going with Baylor because there is just so much going on down there. Whatever you are into, the TMC will have it. And if curriculum matters to you, Baylor probably has an edge there if only because they have a proven track record.
Also, I'm still waitlisted at UTSW so that helps with the decision. 😉
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If you're not researching for one of the Nobel laureates why does it matter?
Also, unless you're md-phd it shouldn't matter either.
Also, unless you're md-phd it shouldn't matter either.
That's a very good point.
I'll preface this by saying that they're both great schools, but I think Baylor -- at least for the class of 2019 -- is hands down the better choice. Another thing that is important to consider is class size. Since UTSW is moving to a 1.5-year pre-clinical schedule, there will be a six-month period in which nearly 700 students are on clerkships at the same time. I'm not sure how they're going to accommodate that, but it would be kind of a bummer to be on a team with an attending, three residents, and five medical students.
-Bill
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+1 Although I'm treating the decision as if I've gotten into both... Would really prefer to be in Dallas due to the huge support system I have there, but literally in every other regard I prefer Baylor. Wish I could transplant Baylor to Dallas!
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That's funny because Baylor was founded in Dallas
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I also want to throw in one thing. While I really loved UTSW and everyone there seemed really nice, they did kind of bash Baylor on multiple occasions, at least during my interview. In fact, a lot of the other Texas schools did that. Then, once I went to my interview at Baylor, a) I found none of the attitude that the other schools talked about and b) Baylor was the only school I interviewed at that didn't take an opportunity to bad-mouth any other schools. Personally, I really liked that. Also, I'm renting the place that I'm going to live from a 4th year and in talking to him in a completely neutral setting, he told me how incredibly happy he was at Baylor and how well prepared he felt, heading into his residency. Obviously both schools are great and you're going to get a great education either way. Good luck with the decision!!
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The only thing that makes me squeamish about Baylor is it's financial standing. From the research I've done it seems like it is cutting back and being conservative and it's taking a hit on its reputation. Meanwhile UTSW is in good financial standing, is about to open two brand new hospitals and is up and coming in terms of reputation. At this point in time, I don't have the ability to choose between the two but I am pretty set on Baylor. Like people mentioned the new curriculum at UTSW is a big reason.
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Hmm i haven't really looked into it so I don't really know about their financial standing, could you elaborate a little bit. I have about 12 hours to choose haha so it would be really appreciated to know a little more about that. Thanks!
Baylor has had some financial issues over the past 5-8 years associated with the loss of association with the Methodist hospital which they had been affiliated with for over 50 years. They had begun construction on a new hospital which they abandoned during the recession but have resumed. It is scheduled to open soon. This " divorce" from Methodist was the start of the " shifting sands" of hospital affiliation to which I referred before. Baylor has maintained its reputation through these struggles , however it was a big problem for them which I'm sure they are glad to be working out with the new hospital. UTSW has not had those particular issues and has an abundance of clinical facilities in which to train its students and residents with more coming online. Again, both are superb institutions which produce excellent physicians. Congratulations on your success to be in the position to choose.
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Given a completely unbiased opinion I think you should choose Baylor
Edit: Sarcasm on the unbiased part heh....let us know when you choose!!
The financial issues were discussed in previous years threads. From what I understand, they have largely been resolved and have not affected students in any way.
IIRC - there is a pretty comprehensive discussion in the 2011-2012 thread in case you're interested.
-Bill
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Given a completely unbiased opinion I think you should choose Baylor
Edit: Sarcasm on the unbiased part heh....let us know when you choose!!
Thank you so much for the info! It really helped 🙂 yeah so i think baylor it is
How much of a concern will UTSW's new curriculum really be? It seems to me like they have been working really hard to implement it for the past 2-3 years, and successful models already exist at other schools. I'm torn between the two, considering that I also have a support system in Dallas and that I think UTSW provides a bit more responsibility to med students. At the same time, I struggle to understand if Baylor's curriculum is really that much superior to Southwestern's.
The other concern for me with Baylor is the how huge the TMC is. I feel like med students would get lost in the shuffle of everything else that's going on the medical center, whereas at UTSW, students are more in the limelight and therefore get more personalized attention. This is not to favor one over the other, I just wanted to spell out some of the issues I'm struggling with.
The other concern for me with Baylor is the how huge the TMC is. I feel like med students would get lost in the shuffle of everything else that's going on the medical center, whereas at UTSW, students are more in the limelight and therefore get more personalized attention. This is not to favor one over the other, I just wanted to spell out some of the issues I'm struggling with.
UTSW's new curriculum is a major concern, IMHO. From what I understand, the only aspect that they phased in over the past year or two was P/F grading for the first pre-clinical semester. Other than that, they are pretty much starting from scratch.
I think UTSW made the right choice in launching a new curriculum, as the previous model was a little bit outdated. However, there will undoubtedly be some growing pains this coming year. I think ultimately they may need to shorten the summer break, for instance, and I worry that many of the PhDs will have trouble creating new lectures to focus on the more clinically relevant material.
Regarding your second concern: you will be doing rotations in large medical centers whether you go to UTSW or Baylor. I have heard both schools offer top notch clinical training. UTSW has a larger class size and there will be more students on clerkships at any given time. However, I still think you will receive exceptional hands-on training at either institution.
-Bill
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Double like!
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Lol I love how we have hijacked the Baylor page for a UTSW discussion. For me, the pre-clinical curriculum changes are not that concerning. While there will likely be kinks, the grading system being unranked pass/fail should make it not too stressful dealing with any problems.
My main concern is the six month overlap in the core clerkships with the class of 2018. I never got a clear answer from the school on how they planned to accommodate the surge in students other than that they had a plan. I don't know how huge of a deal this will be. I could see it being not major or pretty disastrous. An MS3 told me that I should be concerned about being compared with students who have been doing clerkships for six months while I would be on my first (idk what to think of that).
My main concern is the six month overlap in the core clerkships with the class of 2018. I never got a clear answer from the school on how they planned to accommodate the surge in students other than that they had a plan. I don't know how huge of a deal this will be. I could see it being not major or pretty disastrous. An MS3 told me that I should be concerned about being compared with students who have been doing clerkships for six months while I would be on my first (idk what to think of that).
The two new hospitals at UTSW doubled in their sizes as well, so I think they will have enough spots for everyone (also, they planned this out carefully for a long time, so I don't think that will be a problem).
For residency, which school would be more beneficial? I'd like to go out of Texas for residency. I know Baylor has higher avg step score, but looking at UTSW and Baylor's match lists, it seemed like they were pretty similar (or maybe I don't know enough to compare the two?).
For residency, which school would be more beneficial? I'd like to go out of Texas for residency. I know Baylor has higher avg step score, but looking at UTSW and Baylor's match lists, it seemed like they were pretty similar (or maybe I don't know enough to compare the two?).
Just to be more clear, Baylor moved into the black in ~2012 so the operating deficit is well behind us. Also, the new hospital will be a big cash cow. They've been slowly transitioning into it for a few months and students have already begun rotating through there. It'll be a great source of income and growth in the near future. I'll admit that Baylor's recent financial struggles were also a concern for me when I was applying. I'd like to confirm that, as a student, you can't tell at all. Baylor's endowment is sitting just over $1 billion now. That's enough cushion to weather a storm (and we're past the storm anyway). If you look at the graph on that link, you'll also get a sense of our trajectory. Things were fantastic in '07 when we were certainly healthy enough to build our own hospital. Then the housing crisis struck. Our financing for the hospital, which was heavily invested in the real estate market, took a dive along with it. Combined with a failed merger, this hurt, but you'll see that we've made steady progress back to where we were. The new hospital will only accelerate that climb. All said, I would consider our recent history of financial struggles to be just that -- history.
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I'd recommend going with your gut feeling from interactions with students and teaching faculty (if any) that you had on your interview day. In the end, they are comparable institutions with extremely similar resources. All the worry and speculation about a new curriculum or too many students in clerkships or financial problems or probation is just speculation. No one will ever know what it's like to attend both schools so comparison is highly subjective. Both are great choices. I have been in similar situations many times and recommend watching the TED talk about decision making by Ruth Chang if you still feel stuck.
(But I'd personally say go to Dallas so we less lucky ones have a better chance to get off the wait list here 😛)
(But I'd personally say go to Dallas so we less lucky ones have a better chance to get off the wait list here 😛)
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Baylor's match list is definitely > UTSW's gathered from discussion with several medical students/residents
