I'm a current MS1 at UNC. Congrats on your acceptances - both are great schools. My disclaimer: I have no experience with Baylor; therefore, I cannot compare Chapel Hill's product to Baylor's.
1. Class Composition. The aspect about UNC that sold me most is its student body. During the interview day, UNC talks about 'picking nice people' and it's true. Our student body is probably the happiest of the schools I interviewed at (of similar caliber/ranking as UNC). People are relaxed, there is tremendous level of camaraderie and collaboration, and there is no self-aggrandizing. It was quite a refreshing discovery, particularly considering the quality of student UNC admits. Coupling this disposition with the P/F system and no class rank, students are very happy. I'm not sure there is any medical school in which its students don't stress over tests, but that is not a prevailing issue here. Ultimately, it was important to me to be in an environment in which I'd be happy, with people I enjoy working with and being around academically and socially. I feel that aspect of medical school is considerably more important than whether class time is 40% or 60% small group learning vs. lecture. I cannot say enough about the collegial environment here.
In terms of geographic diversity, it's important to understand UNC's in-state requirements can be satisfied in one year...even before beginning school. Accordingly, many of the students admitted IS are not born and bred North Carolinians. In fact, during orientation they told us 20% of the class was born in North Carolina. UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, NC State, Davidson, Stanford, Michigan, Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, UVa, and UCLA are schools represented by multiple students in our class. People attended schools across the country and many worked between undergrad and med school domestically and internationally - diversity is not an issue.
2. New Curriculum. My class is actually pilot testing how the new curriculum will be administered next year. So far, so good. The approach will generally be: the student learns the basic information (e.g., the principles of cardiac physiology; excitation-contraction coupling, receptors, pharm) on their own time through video modules and readings while class time is spent with faculty who reinforce those concepts via sim labs, case studies, and Step 1-based questions.
Most importantly, however, is the willingness of our faculty to turn student feedback into immediate change. This year we've told them issue X, Y, or Z could be improved and it is within a week. I cannot promise anything regarding how smoothly the new curriculum will be unveiled; however, I can guarantee your course directors will be willing and able to resolve any issues. In fact, I'm sure they will implore you to tell them what you think.
3. General Curriculum. These aspects of the curriculum will not change next year. The amount of clinical training and exposure we receive as MS1s and MS2s is absurd. Absurd and awesome. Every other week you have clinical skills sessions with a designated physician and five other classmates. During this time, you learn how to take a history, perform the physical exam, think through cases and create differential diagnoses, etc. Those weeks you're not with your physician tutor, you are performing the patient history and exam on standardized patients. So, every week you are either learning new clinical skills or practicing what you have learned on standardized patients.
Additionally, you are required to be rotate with clinical services (family medicine outpatient or internal medicine inpatient) at least five times/year - and not to shadow but to interview patients and work through problem solving with the physician. You are also required to draw blood at our family medicine outpatient phlebotomy lab. And those are just minimum requirements - you can work as much as you want. We have numerous clinical skills workshops in which you learn to suture, perform lumbar punctures, take arterial blood gases, place IVs, draw blood, intubate, etc. And to top it off, you have a community week each semester with a provider somewhere in NC.
This leads me to an important point. I've lived with two generations of MS4s and knew many people in their classes. UNC is known among residency directors for having one of the best clinical medicine training programs in the country - UNC's students make very good interns and residents. This was brought up at nearly every one of my friends' interviews. Most of the people I know matched to their 1st or 2nd residency program choice. Knowing that UNC puts its students in the position to compete for - and receive - spots at any program in the country was a huge draw for me.
4. Miscellanea.
- Though UNC is #1 for primary care, students are not 'persuaded' to pursue family medicine, OB/GYN, internal medicine, pediatrics, etc. Speciality and subspecialty medicine is a major component of UNC medicine and students interested in these fields can get all the mentorship, shadowing, research, and clinical exposure they want.
- There a ton of opportunities for research here, from public health to basic science.
- The UNC School of Public Health is one of the two best in the world. The MPH track is pursued by about 25-30% of each class. It is very easy to take an additional year to earn your MPH or MBA. Or you can go earn your MPP or anything other degree at another university of your choosing. Or you can take the year to do research in a field that interests you. The flexibility is pretty amazing.
- Chapel Hill/Carrboro is a great place to live, though a car is helpful to frequent Durham (great food, beer, and arts; and not-so-great Duke) and Raleigh (more food, plenty of museums). I've lived in several major US cities and do not feel cramped or limited. As previously mentioned, UNC is located just hours from the mountains and the beach as well as DC and Atlanta.
I'm not sure how helpful this is as I cannot speak to what Baylor offers. Nevertheless, as a student who went to school in California, I have been thrilled with UNC. Amazing faculty and support for students, a really great group of people, and a program that will prepare you to succeed. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Best of luck with your decision.
