Baylor COM vs Long SOM?

[caudipteryx]

Hi everyone, I was hoping for some feedback- I was accepted into Long SOM and Baylor COM, and I'm struggling to decide which school would be a better fit for me. I'm angling towards a surgical residency, and I realize that school name and the opportunities available are very important. I'd appreciate anyone's perspectives!

Baylor pros:

• rank
• pass/fail grading
• TMC opportunities

Baylor cons:

• Houston- I grew up in the area and while I love it in some ways, the sprawl and humidity get to me
• more expensive- at the end of the day, about $25k more or so (maybe more depending on Houston COL)
• I have not been able to tour the school (and sadly need to make a decision by the end of this week)

Long pros:

• Really liked the campus, students, faculty, and overall vibe when I visited
• Less expensive, and I already have living arrangements sorted
• love San Antonio and surrounding Hill Country
• students seemed very happy and motivated to learn- could also be the case at Baylor, but I just haven't had the chance to see
• students emphasized that faculty and administration were very invested in their futures/residency ambitions

Long cons:

• preclinical grading system is more stratified- none of the students I talked to seemed overly nervous about their system (and perhaps the system would allow me to really demonstrate my interest in particular topics?)
• lower rank

in total, I think I might be happier at Long and I think both schools would prepare me well for my residency goals, but there are also such incredible opportunities to offer at Baylor and TMC that I do not want to choose only based on my emotions and gut instinct.

Thanks for reading, and for any advice/perspectives you have!

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[ese2]

I think a lot of your hesitancy about BCM stems from your lack of familiarity with the school. Have you talked to current students from BCM yet? Maybe schedule a last-minute unofficial tour if possible?

 

[caudipteryx]

I think a lot of your hesitancy about BCM stems from your lack of familiarity with the school. Have you talked to current students from BCM yet? Maybe schedule a last-minute unofficial tour if possible?

Yeah, I think so too. Unfortunately I can't schedule a last minute tour (I'm on the West coast currently), but I'll see if I can talk to some students today or tomorrow- that's a great idea

 

[Kracin]

As someone that just went through 4 years of Baylor, I'd recommend Baylor over Long for your aspirations.

 

[TxMed55]

For Baylor keep in mind that you may be put at the temple location nd not actually in Houston

 

[GoSpursGo]

While I could imagine you being tired of living in Houston, and you can generally get into any specialty of your choosing from any US MD school, the difference in perception between these two schools is large enough that I think it would be a mistake to attend Long over BCM. "Rank" is somewhat overused as a way to differentiate schools--ie there is no functional difference between whatever school is 24 vs, say, 42--but there is a big enough difference between these two that the name value of BCM is quite meaningful.

 

[wysdoc]

Hey 2 good choices, please update here when you decide and I can add it to my list of WL offers and withdrawals on the Texas forums, like this one #891

 

[texaspete123]

For Baylor keep in mind that you may be put at the temple location nd not actually in Houston

I believe that OP already has a campus placement.

 

[caudipteryx]

thanks for the feedback everyone! Baylor it is!

 

[texaspete123]

Congrats on making a decision. So did you rank Baylor above San Antonio originally for the TMDSAS match? But then got more attached to San Antonio after matching there?

 

[caudipteryx]

Congrats on making a decision. So did you rank Baylor above San Antonio originally for the TMDSAS match? But then got more attached to San Antonio after matching there?

I was an OOS applicant, so I just received acceptances