Hello everyone,
I am a recent UTSW graduate who is now in Chicago for my residency. I used to visit this website while I was applying to medical schools, and I am humored to see that there is still a debate as to which is the best choice between these two fine institutions. I never felt inclined to speak on these issues at that time, because I did not feel qualified to do so given the fact that I had minimal experience to draw upon; i.e., interview days at a variety of schools across the country, all of which consisted of of the faculty and students putting on their best faces (just like the applicants).
However, after completing medical school at UTSW I believe I do have enough evidence to write confidently about UT Southwestern, and perhaps medical school in general. In reality, my motivation to finally write my first post was because I feel obligated to uproot texaslily's previous comment (no pun intended). That is, her implication that UTSW students are by and large focused on prestige and less so on their fellow classmates and/or a good time.
During my time at UTSW, I met numerous great friends and started dating my long-term girlfriend; furthermore, there were truly diverse personalities and therefore opportunities to gravitate to a group of people you feel are similar to yourself. Not to mention, this diversity affording new avenues of personal growth and exploration. To be fair, I certainly believe that Baylor offers a comparable diversity. Perhaps the only significant distinction in this regard is that UTSW is a larger class which creates more chances for great friendships and fun times. Such a distinction is speculative and is unimportant to the point I am trying to make. Once more, my point is that I had great times with the people at Southwestern, and these friends were not rigid, pompous, or focused on "prestige." Whether it was going to parties, movies, riding bikes around the lake, or just hanging out, my time with them was all very enjoyable. I should add that I met some cool guys and gals in the classes below me during the IM sports.
At the risk of being redundant, UTSW is a fun and social environment when it comes to the medical students. Did I encounter a malignant attending on occasion? Sure, but I think that speaks to the system more so than my classmates, and these kinds of people exist everywhere. On that note, I noticed the system itself was evolving in a more productive and benign direction during my time there. The administration was quite responsive to complaints, and treated the comments as constructive criticism. I only expect further progression in the future.
All of the above said, it is important to keep in mind that medical school is not easy. As far as I am concerned, a great work ethic and memory are more valuable than "intelligence." Therefore, expect to work hard even if college was relatively easy. Don't get me wrong, passing and getting average grades is generally not too difficult, but if you do want to excel it takes some solid determination. I mention these things because if you do not have appropriate expectations, then the inherent stresses of medical school are amplified unnecessarily. If I remember correctly, Baylor had a suicide within the last year or two, and one of my friends at UTSW took a year off because of the stress. Obviously a suicide is a much more heartbreaking event, but I am trying to communicate that BOTH schools are by no means a walk in the park. Needless to say, I am sure there are multiple aspects of life that ended up overwhelming these individuals, but the point remains that is important to stay grounded with your expectations for these four years of medical school.
I apologize if I am becoming a downer, but I notice these forums often seem to be current students or applicants cheering for a school as if it were UT vs Texas A&M in football. I have done my best to be honest and unbiased by stating that 1) UT Southwestern is NOT made up of students that only focus on prestige and 2) Medical school is hard, and although getting into a (high-caliber) medical school is difficult, it's usually more work to excel and learn all of the volumes of material at hand during medical school itself.
In closing, I wish everyone the best, and rest assured that either school/institution is great. To add further to the positive news, you all should know that I met a lot of people from other Texas medical schools (outside of UTSW or BCOM) that were still receiving interview invitations at competitive residencies. Put another way, just getting into medical school is an achievement in and of itself, at which point you should focus on becoming a great physician while also maintaining a balanced life.
