- Joined
- Apr 25, 2020
- Messages
- 47
- Reaction score
- 75
Hi everyone,
I know this question gets asked every year but I think the schools change enough year-to-year that the consensus might change too. I really enjoyed my interview experiences at both schools and even though everything was virtual this year I think that the cultures of the schools are great and I would be happy at either one. The match lists to me look very similar, the cost of attendance is about the same, and the curriculums are both designed similarly so I'm having a difficult time choosing one over the other.
About me:
- I'm not from Dallas or Houston so I don't really have a strong location preference
- Would like to practice in Texas eventually (possibly private practice but not sure yet)
- Might be interested in a surgical subspecialty (ENT, Ortho, etc)
- Don't really care about the "prestige" of residency program I match to, but I want to be at a med school that has enough clout and resources where the risk of going unmatched isn't going to be a big concern (and I obviously want to go somewhere with a reputation for strong training)
BCM Pros:
- In the TMC, heard it's in a super nice part of Houston
- Very strong national reputation
- Slightly smaller school, more individual attention from admin/faculty?
- Loved the faculty and student interactions that I had during the interview process
BCM Cons:
- Very high cost of living compared to Dallas
- I've heard the in-house residencies haven't been the best since the split from Memorial which might be a liability come match time
- I haven't really been impressed with their limited communication throughout the application cycle
- Heard back from them later in the cycle and I was mentally ready to go to UTSW so not super enthusiastic to go here at the moment (though this will probably change)
- Not sure how strong their programs/faculty/mentorship are in the specialties that I'm interested in
UTSW Pros:
- Administration seems very progressive and responsive to student feedback
- Protected research time built into the curriculum which would probably be helpful for the specialties I'm interested in
- Extremely strong clinical training at the med student level
- Student culture (colleges system) seems great here and the GroupMe/Facebook group feels a lot more live than the BCM one
- Many of the in-house residencies are nationally recognized for their strength of education and resident autonomy, especially in the fields that I'm interested in
- I've gotten constant communication since prematching here in the fall (and I guess I feel a little more "wanted" here)
- Also loved the interviews and student interactions
UTSW Cons:
- I've heard this part of Dallas is kind of sketchy and might not be the safest to be alone in
- Bigger school, might feel less personal than a private school
- Baylor has historically been higher ranked and had better match lists, but my personal opinion is that UTSW is making huge improvements to their curriculum/training every year and the match lists this year were virtually indistinguishable (UTSW was even better in my chosen specialties)
Overall: At the moment, I'm leaning slightly towards UTSW based on their strong in-house residency programs and the overall vibe of the school, but I'm well aware of Baylor's historical reputation and I want to make sure that I'll be best positioned to accomplish my goals for the future. Any advice would be appreciated!
I know this question gets asked every year but I think the schools change enough year-to-year that the consensus might change too. I really enjoyed my interview experiences at both schools and even though everything was virtual this year I think that the cultures of the schools are great and I would be happy at either one. The match lists to me look very similar, the cost of attendance is about the same, and the curriculums are both designed similarly so I'm having a difficult time choosing one over the other.
About me:
- I'm not from Dallas or Houston so I don't really have a strong location preference
- Would like to practice in Texas eventually (possibly private practice but not sure yet)
- Might be interested in a surgical subspecialty (ENT, Ortho, etc)
- Don't really care about the "prestige" of residency program I match to, but I want to be at a med school that has enough clout and resources where the risk of going unmatched isn't going to be a big concern (and I obviously want to go somewhere with a reputation for strong training)
BCM Pros:
- In the TMC, heard it's in a super nice part of Houston
- Very strong national reputation
- Slightly smaller school, more individual attention from admin/faculty?
- Loved the faculty and student interactions that I had during the interview process
BCM Cons:
- Very high cost of living compared to Dallas
- I've heard the in-house residencies haven't been the best since the split from Memorial which might be a liability come match time
- I haven't really been impressed with their limited communication throughout the application cycle
- Heard back from them later in the cycle and I was mentally ready to go to UTSW so not super enthusiastic to go here at the moment (though this will probably change)
- Not sure how strong their programs/faculty/mentorship are in the specialties that I'm interested in
UTSW Pros:
- Administration seems very progressive and responsive to student feedback
- Protected research time built into the curriculum which would probably be helpful for the specialties I'm interested in
- Extremely strong clinical training at the med student level
- Student culture (colleges system) seems great here and the GroupMe/Facebook group feels a lot more live than the BCM one
- Many of the in-house residencies are nationally recognized for their strength of education and resident autonomy, especially in the fields that I'm interested in
- I've gotten constant communication since prematching here in the fall (and I guess I feel a little more "wanted" here)
- Also loved the interviews and student interactions
UTSW Cons:
- I've heard this part of Dallas is kind of sketchy and might not be the safest to be alone in
- Bigger school, might feel less personal than a private school
- Baylor has historically been higher ranked and had better match lists, but my personal opinion is that UTSW is making huge improvements to their curriculum/training every year and the match lists this year were virtually indistinguishable (UTSW was even better in my chosen specialties)
Overall: At the moment, I'm leaning slightly towards UTSW based on their strong in-house residency programs and the overall vibe of the school, but I'm well aware of Baylor's historical reputation and I want to make sure that I'll be best positioned to accomplish my goals for the future. Any advice would be appreciated!