2016-2017 Baylor College of Medicine Application Thread

[720606]

I took a quick look at the class of 2021 members and yes strangely a lot of members also appeared in 2020 class. That is lame - why make individual groups every year if they want to mix everyone up? Also, I noticed a few appear in both UTSW and Baylor. May be they haven't decided which one to pick yet? Looking at these numbers, it seems that both UTSW and Baylor have filled only their class size so far. For some reason Baylor class of 2020 has 760 members. Hmm I wonder why?

I think they do it so higher level students can answer questions for students deciding on where to go.

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[pasc0751]

I took a quick look at the class of 2021 members and yes strangely a lot of members also appeared in 2020 class. That is lame - why make individual groups every year if they want to mix everyone up? Also, I noticed a few appear in both UTSW and Baylor. May be they haven't decided which one to pick yet? Looking at these numbers, it seems that both UTSW and Baylor have filled only their class size so far. For some reason Baylor class of 2020 has 760 members. Hmm I wonder why?

@O.T.I. is correct. Many upperclassmen are members of other class pages so that we can post study resources, let MS1s know about student organization events, and answer any questions.

I know I joined a few other CO2019 groups for other schools before I decided on BCM. As people start making their choices they will usually leave the groups.

We have separate class pages so that MS1s aren't getting bombarded by questions about clinics (what my class page looks like right now) and MS2s aren't getting bombarded about the logistics of the neuroanatomy practical this week (what CO2020 page looks like right now), etc. etc. The MS1s also get especially post-happy (understandably) right at the beginning of school, so it's nice for them to have a designated page. I know my class really likes posting memes on ours...

I know it's not very fun right now because you can't use it to gauge class size*, but it will be very useful eventually. Basically 500+ upperclassmen were so excited that you might/did choose Baylor that they have joined your class page to help make that choice/transition as easy as possible!

That being said, I encourage you to use the page for any questions you have. That is really what it is there for right now! If you have questions about where to live, what it's like to be out of state, what it's like to live with your parents during med school, what it's like to go to med school after taking time off, etc. I guarantee you will be able to find an upperclassman to answer your questions on there. I used my class page to find other MS0s that would be in Dallas the summer before school started, and we were able to get together a few times before school started!
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*Addendum: As far as an accurate count goes, even if the upperclassmen were not on the page, there are many members who join but have not actually been accepted yet to BCM. This is because the list of accepted students is kept strictly confidential (even from current students), so there's no way we could monitor only allowing accepted students even if we wanted to. I think it's still valuable for applicants who have not been accepted to be allowed to ask questions, so even if I did have access to an accepted list, I'd probably still let everyone in at this point

 

[namsan]

@O.T.I. is correct. Many upperclassmen are members of other class pages so that we can post study resources, let MS1s know about student organization events, and answer any questions.

I know I joined a few other CO2019 groups for other schools before I decided on BCM. As people start making their choices they will usually leave the groups.

We have separate class pages so that MS1s aren't getting bombarded by questions about clinics (what my class page looks like right now) and MS2s aren't getting bombarded about the logistics of the neuroanatomy practical this week (what CO2020 page looks like right now), etc. etc. The MS1s also get especially post-happy (understandably) right at the beginning of school, so it's nice for them to have a designated page. I know my class really likes posting memes on ours...

I know it's not very fun right now because you can't use it to gauge class size*, but it will be very useful eventually. Basically 500+ upperclassmen were so excited that you might/did choose Baylor that they have joined your class page to help make that choice/transition as easy as possible!

That being said, I encourage you to use the page for any questions you have. That is really what it is there for right now! If you have questions about where to live, what it's like to be out of state, what it's like to live with your parents during med school, what it's like to go to med school after taking time off, etc. I guarantee you will be able to find an upperclassman to answer your questions on there. I used my class page to find other MS0s that would be in Dallas the summer before school started, and we were able to get together a few times before school started!
.
.
.
*Addendum: As far as an accurate count goes, even if the upperclassmen were not on the page, there are many members who join but have not actually been accepted yet to BCM. This is because the list of accepted students is kept strictly confidential (even from current students), so there's no way we could monitor only allowing accepted students even if we wanted to. I think it's still valuable for applicants who have not been accepted to be allowed to ask questions, so even if I did have access to an accepted list, I'd probably still let everyone in at this point

Thank you! This is very insightful. I thought the group is exclusively for accepted students. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[plinkko]

So based on previous posts, I'm assuming that Baylor has offered less admissions than their maximum number of offers. For anyone who has gotten one, were you given a "must respond by" date?

 

[fzl0608]

Does anyone know when the next round of calls is going to be made?

 

[wysdoc]

Does anyone know when the next round of calls is going to be made?

best guess at this point is after April 30.

 

[namsan]

best guess at this point is after April 30.

April 30th is the AAMC deadline for those holding multiple offers to choose one school. I'm assuming this also applies to TMDSAS schools also as I got an email from UTSW telling me I had to decide by then in accordance with AAMC rules.

Based on this more acceptances if any must come before 4/30, and waitlist notifications after 4/30.

 

[wysdoc]

Based on this more acceptances if any must come before 4/30, and waitlist notifications after 4/30.

That's true, but it has been pretty quiet so I would bet that most applicants are waiting until the deadline to decide between schools if they have more than one offer. There will be a flurry of WL offers in early May when some people drop schools.

 

[americanm00se]

I'm a physician in combination academic/private practice medicine in Houston. I went to Med school at UTSW and residency at Baylor. No question both excellent schools. I will say that nothing compares to the hands on clinical experience at Parkland, we all felt confident and well prepared when we started internships. We were not afraid of the work and have always felt we were less overwhelmed than many of our peers regardless of specialty. I agree with the opinion that you should go with your gut and choose the school you felt is the best fit for you. Nothing will ever compare to the shared experiences you will have with your classmates and you want to feel comfortable and at home. Congratulations on having such a great decision to make !


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Thank you for sharing your experience. Do you think that the clinical experience at Parkland was stronger than what Baylor would be able to offer at the TMC?

 

[GotIronKnee]

Just for the sake of perspective, I interviewed in October and wasn't accepted until late April (the 23rd or so...) so don't lose hope! I had also mentally committed to another school at that point.

Did you get in off the waitlist or were you directly accepted? Late April seems a really late time to still be accepting people. Since the interviews are long over and the applicants are ranked, shouldn't they know exactly who they will be accepting before waitlisting by now?

 

[chipsnqueso]

Did you get in off the waitlist or were you directly accepted? Late April seems a really late time to still be accepting people. Since the interviews are long over and the applicants are ranked, shouldn't they know exactly who they will be accepting before waitlisting by now?

I was directly accepted. Yeah, I really don't know what Baylor's process is.

 

[fightthatebola]

In the last couple years, Baylor accepts quite a few people the week right after second look weekend (yesterday, so possibly this week!). It appears that people drop their acceptances after they check out the campuses they receive offers to. I have several friends in my class who got in after second look! Some of them are actually near the top of the class too, even though they got accepted later than most people. Keep up the hope.

 

[prince0fpersia94]

That's true, but it has been pretty quiet so I would bet that most applicants are waiting until the deadline to decide between schools if they have more than one offer. There will be a flurry of WL offers in early May when some people drop schools.

If I prematched to a school and accepted, but then matched to a higher ranked school and accepted, do I have to let the prematched school that I will not be attending?

 

[HMOC]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Do you think that the clinical experience at Parkland was stronger than what Baylor would be able to offer at the TMC?

It was very strong and very hands on- we were given a lot of responsibility and were expected to know EVERYTHING about our patients. A good example is that we were expected to have actually looked at the X-rays ourselves. It seems that now interns just tell you what the radiologist said. This is just one small example. I will say I felt very well prepared, my fellow interns that were from Baylor were also prepared, but it was just a feel that my clinical experience was more hands on, detail oriented and that the Med students were given and expected to take more responsibility. Again- neither school will be a bad choice- very nice spot to be in!!!


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[fzl0608]

Has anyone gotten accepted today yet?

 

[prince0fpersia94]

What you're saying doesn't really make sense. Assuming you're talking about TMDSAS schools, you can only hold one match/prematch acceptance at this stage. If you matched at a higher ranked school, you already lost the prematch.

yeah sorry. Meant to say TMDSAS. But thanks for the reply.

 

[fzl0608]

I'm becoming so desperate! Please share if you're accepted any of these days so I can know when they're making calls. Thank you people in advance

 

[iluvbeingpremed]

anyone care to share how SLW was??

 

[someone28]

Is there still hope left?

 

[marieclarie224]

Last I saw BCM and UTSW were tied at 8th for best medical schools for primary care. BCM was 21st and UTSW was tied 25th for best medical schools for research. Is there a combined rank that I missed?

Both schools are very prestigious and have great brands, so I wouldn't put too much weight on perceived reputation differences. In my experience (which granted, is limited) most people consider them about equal at this point.

I really love BCM, but I can't say that I wouldn't have loved UTSW. Things I love about BCM: my classmates, 1.5yrs pre-clinicals, P/F preclinicals, cost of tuition, taking Step 1 late (with protected time off), high Step 1 average (gives me hope), ample research opportunities, many residency spots if I wanted to stay at BCM, proximity to Rice U, and being in the Texas Medical Center. I also think it was a good thing for me to go to med school away from my family/friends (I grew up in Dallas). Houston is a great place to live but pretty much the same as living in Dallas to me. I do think Houston has better/safer public transport. A few of those items are starting to overlap with UTSW as the curriculums are becoming more similar each year.

To be honest, classmates can really make or break your experience, and I'm so grateful for the ones I ended up with. All of that is to say, there are pros/cons to each school. If your pros/cons lists are looking pretty similar, go with your gut!

You're right that Baylor isn't "ranked" as highly as it used to be but I'd like to assure you that it's not in an active descent like you've described. Up until the early 2000s, Baylor was a "top 10" school and they'd held this ranking long enough to earn the prestige you mentioned. A couple of events, however, triggered the perceived drop. The first was a pure technicality having to do with how rankings are computed. A major factor is the total research funding a school and its affiliates receive. Although we are affiliated with MD Anderson, other schools in Texas successfully lobbied to exclude their (massive) research production from counting towards Baylor's rankings. That made a sizeable dent. (To be clear, many Baylor students, residents and faculty do research at MD Anderson and have clinical rotations there. We are definitely affiliated!)

The other major contributor was our divorce from the Methodist hospital system. They were becoming increasingly profit-driven and this pushed Baylor to cut its ties in an effort to preserve our academic purity. Baylor's big exit plan was to build our own private hospital instead, making for an ambitious but viable strategy given our hefty endowment at the time. Significant funding issues evolved, however, when the housing market crashed. Baylor had much of its wealth stored in related markets and the crash tanked our ability to fund the new hospital. This stroke of bad luck left Baylor heavily invested in a partially constructed hospital -- but stranded without the funds to complete it. Operating without a major hospital affiliation, Baylor then found itself without one of its greatest sources of revenue. It was poop situation to say the least!

Clearly, that hurt. But that was about 10 years ago and we've come a long way. A few years back we secured a new affiliation (CHI St. Luke's) and with that partnership we solidified our ability to complete -- and double the size of -- the new private hospital. We're operating with positive profit margins and have been for several years now. Consistent with that, our rankings have been stable around #20 for at least the past 5 years. Again, to be clear, there has not been a "drop in rankings almost yearly." By and large, the ship has been righted and the outlook is very positive here.

As current students, could either of you comment on when medical students usually get involved in research at Baylor? It seems at most other schools, students tend to do it the summer after MS1, but Baylor offers only 1 month of break as opposed to Southwestern's 3 months. Do they start in the summer and continue on in MS2, or do they begin research in the middle of their MS1 year?

Also, would you mind elaborating on how AOA is established at Baylor? I've been seeing conflicting information whether Baylor's preclinical years are ranked or not. Thanks.

-Marie

 

[pasc0751]

As current students, could either of you comment on when medical students usually get involved in research at Baylor? It seems at most other schools, students tend to do it the summer after MS1, but Baylor offers only 1 month of break as opposed to Southwestern's 3 months. Do they start in the summer and continue on in MS2, or do they begin research in the middle of their MS1 year?

Also, would you mind elaborating on how AOA is established at Baylor? I've been seeing conflicting information whether Baylor's preclinical years are ranked or not. Thanks.

-Marie

Research involvement obviously varies from student to student, but I can tell you about my experience. I've found that most people get involved with research during the spring of MS1 or fall of MS2 once they have a better handle on classwork. Upperclassmen usually post research opportunities on the class Facebook page, so it's pretty easy to find a study to get involved with. Because our summer is only one month, most people travel or relax instead of doing research. If you really wanted to, you could start a project and then continue through the rest of preclinicals. However, most students find sufficient time for research in addition to schoolwork. This is largely possible due to the fact that preclinicals are true P/F without rank. I worked on a project from the spring of MS1 to fall of MS2, and I am now going around to different conferences presenting my research.

There are a few different avenues for "protected" research time if you are really interested in research. You can do a clinical research elective, which is a month long, and you will start your own project, find a mentor, etc. You can take this as a general research month or through something you are interested in. For instance, I am enrolled in the Medical Ethics track, so I will spend a month doing research in medical ethics during my 4th year. There is also a Research track which I believe includes an extra year of research, or there is the MD/PhD program. Disclaimer: I know very little about the Research track or the MD/PhD program.

To learn more about the track options at Baylor:
Specialized Tracks

Starting with the Class of 2019, preclinical courses were no longer ranked or included in AOA. To reward students who still go above and beyond the P/F requirements, there is a "Top 10%" award for preclinicals. This is basically just something to put on your resume. The rankings used to establish that award are then discarded for all future rank/award purposes.

Hope this helps!

 

[iluvbeingpremed]

Research involvement obviously varies from student to student, but I can tell you about my experience. I've found that most ..... Hope this helps!

Wow that is super helpful! Could you speak to the daily schedule of a preclinical student? Like what hours are classes, is there case based learning (team based learning?), etc.? And also is lecture mandatory/do people go?

 

[pasc0751]

Wow that is super helpful! Could you speak to the daily schedule of a preclinical student? Like what hours are classes, is there case based learning (team based learning?), etc.? And also is lecture mandatory/do people go?

Sure! You have class from 8-12 every day (anatomy lab on Tuesdays). Sometimes Friday classes will be required if they are labs, but for the most part lectures are streamed online and attendance is not mandatory. The afternoon classes (see below) are mandatory. Some people prefer to attend lecture in person, others prefer to stream. There are pros/cons to each obviously.

On Monday or Tuesday (class is split) afternoons (1-4pm) you have team/case-based learning, which is where a group of 8 students gets together with a physician and goes through a patient case. You come up with a differential, which tests you want to order, etc. as the case progresses. The next week you get the results from the previous case, come up with a treatment plan, and then start on a new patient. They usually assign cases relevant to the lecture material from the previous week, so it's actually a great time to practice what you've been learning!

On Wednesday or Thursday afternoons (again class is split) you alternate each week between either a lecture on history/physical exam skills or going to a preceptor site. Preceptors are basically community or hospital physicians that help you refine your H&P skills. You will be performing histories on every patient, and then whichever physical exam (cardiovascular, lungs, abdominal, etc) you learned the week before.

On Friday afternoons, upperclassmen hold optional "practice pinnings" for anatomy lab. Our anatomy instructor selects 5 MS2s, called "Pinky Pinners" for their pink scrubs, to set up pins with questions that simulate the real anatomy exam so that you can practice. This is a great way to test your knowledge of the anatomy from the week and get a feel for the types of questions on the exam. The Pinky Pinners are a great resource, and the selection process is actually pretty intense, so they definitely know their stuff! If you prefer a more teaching type of environment or want additional practice, MS2s form groups called "Anatomy Buddies" that meet throughout the week and review the high yield or confusing topics from anatomy lecture that week. You can go to any session you like.

I've tried to include an example of a regular week for preclinicals

Not sure if the pic will work.

 

[iluvbeingpremed]

Sure! You have class from 8-12 every day (anatomy lab on Tuesdays). Sometimes Friday classes will be required if they are labs, but for the most part lectures are streamed online and attendance is not mandatory. The afternoon classes (see below) are mandatory. Some people prefer to attend lecture in person, others prefer to stream. There are pros/cons to each obviously.

On Monday or Tuesday (class is split) afternoons (1-4pm) you have team/case-based learning, which is where a group of 8 students gets together with a physician and goes through a patient case. You come up with a differential, which tests you want to order, etc. as the case progresses. The next week you get the results from the previous case, come up with a treatment plan, and then start on a new patient. They usually assign cases relevant to the lecture material from the previous week, so it's actually a great time to practice what you've been learning!

On Wednesday or Thursday afternoons (again class is split) you alternate each week between either a lecture on history/physical exam skills or going to a preceptor site. Preceptors are basically community or hospital physicians that help you refine your H&P skills. You will be performing histories on every patient, and then whichever physical exam (cardiovascular, lungs, abdominal, etc) you learned the week before.

On Friday afternoons, upperclassmen hold optional "practice pinnings" for anatomy lab. Our anatomy instructor selects 5 MS2s, called "Pinky Pinners" for their pink scrubs, to set up pins with questions that simulate the real anatomy exam so that you can practice. This is a great way to test your knowledge of the anatomy from the week and get a feel for the types of questions on the exam. The Pinky Pinners are a great resource, and the selection process is actually pretty intense, so they definitely know their stuff! If you prefer a more teaching type of environment or want additional practice, MS2s form groups called "Anatomy Buddies" that meet throughout the week and review the high yield or confusing topics from anatomy lecture that week. You can go to any session you like.

I've tried to include an example of a regular week for preclinicals

Not sure if the pic will work.

Thank you SO much!

What year are you? Just wondering if you could also speak to your clinical experience if you are a second semester MS2?

 

[pasc0751]

Thank you SO much!

What year are you? Just wondering if you could also speak to your clinical experience if you are a second semester MS2?

I am an MS2, so I have been in clinics since January. I'm more than happy to answer questions about clinics as well, but keep in mind that I'm only on my second rotation!

 

[GotIronKnee]

I think I remember someone saying in this thread a while back that everyone would know the outcome before April 30th, right? So for those of us still waiting, most likely we'll hear something this next week?? Was a specific deadline given?

 

[wysdoc]

I think I remember someone saying in this thread a while back that everyone would know the outcome before April 30th, right? So for those of us still waiting, most likely we'll hear something this next week?? Was a specific deadline given?

April 30 is the day that all applicants holding more than one spot have to make their decision and drop their other schools. This often sparks some open spots and some offers to folks on the WL

 

[Skittsie13]

I think I remember someone saying in this thread a while back that everyone would know the outcome before April 30th, right? So for those of us still waiting, most likely we'll hear something this next week?? Was a specific deadline given?

Last year's waitlist email didn't go out until May 2 Previous years apparently it's gone out more around April 25.

 

[fzl0608]

Has anyone been recently accepted? Does anyone know if they have made any calls in April yet?

 

[dragonfire9]

Has anyone been recently accepted? Does anyone know if they have made any calls in April yet?

I just got the call that I was accepted today. Interviewed in September. LizzyM 77, IS

 

[LivingLikeLarry]

Accepted today as well; LizzyM 78, interviewed in august

 

[fzl0608]

Accepted today as well; LizzyM 78, interviewed in august

I just got the call that I was accepted today. Interviewed in September. LizzyM 77, IS

Congratulations guys!!!

 

[fzl0608]

I just got the call that I was accepted today. Interviewed in September. LizzyM 77, IS

Accepted today as well; LizzyM 78, interviewed in august

Do you guys remember around what time of the day they called you?

 

[dragonfire9]

Do you guys remember around what time of the day they called you?

It was about 3:30 pm

 

[Mangomelee]

I hope they send out another round of calls before the waitlist goes out... but I am feeling pretty doubtful now :/

 

[fzl0608]

I hope they send out another round of calls before the waitlist goes out... but I am feeling pretty doubtful now :/

Same here I'm at a point where I'm just telling myself that at least it's going to be overs soon because waiting like this is both depressing and paralyzing in a way.

 

[soccer26]

Accepted this morning, call was at 8:10 am (she told me she almost called at 6 and I was like really? haha). LizzyM 71, interviewed October 21st

 

[emphysis]

Also accepted today around 9 AM. LizzyM 71, interviewed in September

 

[EbullientChild]

Congrats to you guys today! Any hope for the rest of us?

 

[plinkko]

ACCEPTED. Got the call at around 8:30 this morning! 71.5 Lizzy IS!

 

[kcice22]

Has anyone received their financial aid info? And congrats to all those who got calls today! It's a good feeling

 

[DavyJonesDoctor]

Has anyone received their financial aid info? And congrats to all those who got calls today! It's a good feeling

CONGRATS to all the recent calls as well
I have not received my financial aid info as of yet. Do you know if they'd e-mail or snail mail it?

 

[Chardfoxfire]

CONGRATS to all the recent calls as well
I have not received my financial aid info as of yet. Do you know if they'd e-mail or snail mail it?

Did you fill out the financial aid form? You have to do that first. I filled it out in like January or February and received my financial aid reward though email at the beginning of April.

 

[DavyJonesDoctor]

Did you fill out the financial aid form? You have to do that first. I filled it out in like January or February and received my financial aid reward though email at the beginning of April.

I did. Still waiting, but that's fine. I'm going either way x)

Also, I bet that there will be more waitlist movement after April 30. I imagine the recent movement is from people responding before the National Reply Date and that there will be way more after. I know specifically of a couple of students that held on to their BCM acceptance while they waited on other schools. They were accepted and plan to matriculate there, but I don't know whether or not they've let BCM know ahead of time. There were a ton of students still deciding as of mid-April.

 

[medschoolappssux88]

Did you fill out the financial aid form? You have to do that first. I filled it out in like January or February and received my financial aid reward though email at the beginning of April.

I did. Still waiting, but that's fine. I'm going either way x)

Also, I bet that there will be more waitlist movement after April 30. I imagine the recent movement is from people responding before the National Reply Date and that there will be way more after. I know specifically of a couple of students that held on to their BCM acceptance while they waited on other schools. They were accepted and plan to matriculate there, but I don't know whether or not they've let BCM know ahead of time. There were a ton of students still deciding as of mid-April.

You guys just did the online form and attached all the required documents right? Do we need to send copies of the forms independently in addition to attaching it to the online form?

 

[medschoolappssux88]

To double check with y'all:

Immunizations
Online Financial Aid Form w/ Attachments
Preliminary Registration Form
Transcripts

Is that all we have to be doing? Am I missing anything?

 

[DavyJonesDoctor]

You guys just did the online form and attached all the required documents right? Do we need to send copies of the forms independently in addition to attaching it to the online form?

That, pay the deposit and complete the background check form. I got an e-mail back immediately letting me know they'd received my acceptance acknowledgment. This was all in the first e-mails I got. If you want to make sure you're good to go, just call em!

To double check with y'all:

Immunizations
Online Financial Aid Form w/ Attachments
Preliminary Registration Form
Transcripts

Is that all we have to be doing? Am I missing anything?

You guys just did the online form and attached all the required documents right? Do we need to send copies of the forms independently in addition to attaching it to the online form?

That, pay the deposit and complete the background check consent. I think it's the deposit that officially holds your spot. I got an e-mail back immediately letting me know they'd received my acceptance acknowledgment. This was all in the first e-mails I got. If you want to make sure you're good to go, just call em!

 

[medschoolappssux88]

That, pay the deposit and complete the background check form. I got an e-mail back immediately letting me know they'd received my acceptance acknowledgment. This was all in the first e-mails I got. If you want to make sure you're good to go, just call em!



That, pay the deposit and complete the background check consent. I think it's the deposit that officially holds your spot. I got an e-mail back immediately letting me know they'd received my acceptance acknowledgment. This was all in the first e-mails I got. If you want to make sure you're good to go, just call em!

Thank you!

 

[Chardfoxfire]

You guys just did the online form and attached all the required documents right? Do we need to send copies of the forms independently in addition to attaching it to the online form?

I didn't attach any forms but I'm pretty sure there was a place in the form itself where you can attach docs. But there are pretty explicit instructions in one of hose links near the form

 

[plinkko]

Does anyone know if financial aid is mostly grants? Loans? Both?