Baylor vs. UTHSCSA

[bigfrank]

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Hi, I have reviewed these 2 programs on Scutwork.com but I was curious if any SDN posters had any ancedotal stories, etc.

How do these 2 stand on a national level?
Which one is stronger in which areas?
What is a strong Step I score for each program?
How competitive is each program?

Any other comments would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Bigfrank.

 

[DigableCat]

Didn't interview at Baylor. Current resident at UTHSCSA. If you have specific questions about UTHSCSA PM me, or ask here.

 

[indytravl]

hey, we'd also appreciate it if you could share your experience/insight with us. please write here and not just pm. thanks

 

[DigableCat]

1. How competitive is this program for someone who does not go to medschool in Texas?
I think you'll find that although there are on average more residents from Texas or have ties to Texas in some way, it's by no means exclusive. This past match for example, we had no one from Texas.

2. Do you know what Step I score is important?
As with most other PM&R programs, the STEP 1 score is not so much as an issue. That is not to say that you shouldn't have a competitive score however. Over the last few years, PM&R in general has experienced an increase in applications. The nationwide match rate when I applied was in the 70's. This past year, it was in the 90's. With a more competitive score, you'll have more options, making it more easier for you to go where you want to go.

3. How "good" of outpatient pain management exposure is there?
I'd like to say that I had more info on this, but I don't as I haven't done my pain mgmt rotations yet. However, from talking to the upperclassmen, there is plenty of exposure. We work closely with ANES, and actually do a few rotations with them in their Pain Mgmt clinic. One of our residents is seriously pursuing the ANES pain mgmt fellowship here. Our Chairman, Nick Walsh, is well known and respected in the areas of acute and chronic pain. Writing numerous papers in the area. If there is anybody who knows about pain mgmt, it's him...

this is of course not an all inclusive list of his publications, as our web page hasn't been updated in a couple of years(something I have to work on I see) 🙂

http://daffodil.uthscsa.edu/faculty/walsh/pub.html


4. Is an outside rotation at UTHSCSA very helpful?
Only a few of our residents actually did a rotation here before coming. Doing a "dress rehearsal" rotation can sometimes work in your favor or against you, depending on your experience. And that's for any program. I think doing a rotation here, may be helpful to find out if
1. You like the residents that you would be working with
2. You like the city you would be living in


any other questions you have, I'd be happy to answer.

 

[guinness]

Hello everyone, this is my first post.

Last year, I interviewed at both programs, among 14 total PM&R interviews I went to last year around the country. Hopefully I can provide some insight.

1. How do these 2 stand on a national level?

They both are outstanding programs. In and of itself, I believe that Baylor has a bigger name (a lot to do with its size). As far as I classify it, Baylor is one of the big five in the PM&R. The others being RIC, Kessler, Mayo, and UW. (I'm not saying these are the best programs, but they have a lot of influence in academics and research). When I went to other programs, a lot of the other program directors knew of Baylor.

As mentioned before in another program, though UTHSCSA is a smaller program, it has two big shots in PM&R. Dr. Dimitru (sp?), the program director, wrote the book on EMG. I believe he is or will be president of the AAPMR, or at least one of its leaders. Dr. Walsh is also a big shot who is involved nationally. Having them in your corner I am sure can open doors.

2. Which one is stronger in which areas?

Baylor is top-notch in spinal cord, TBI, and in general strong in inpatient (peds, etc.) areas. A lot of this is because of TIRR, the rehab hospital, is one of the best in the country (ranked 2 according to reputation in US News and World Report). Apparently, the program has been envolving, like the rest of the country, to include more outpatient exposure.

San Antonio is great in EMG and pain for sure. It appears solid in other areas also.

What is a strong Step I score for each program?

Who knows. Impossible to tell. I had a good score on step 1, but I felt that step 1 scores were not that big of a deal.

How competitive is each program?

I would guess similiarly not too competive. Evaluating the numbers, I would guess that Baylor gets more applications, but has a lot more slots to give. From memory, Baylor interviewed around 96 for 14 slots (including UT-Houston); whereas San Antonio interviews 35 or so for 4-6 slots (not really sure). I know that some of Baylor's previous residents were FMGs, but both programs filled last year and will in the future.

Here is my break-down of the differences. Size: Baylor is a big program with a big-name. SA is smaller yet more personable. Length: SA is a four-year program, Baylor a three-year (a discussion in and of itself). San Antonio is in a smaller city, yet in a nice part of Texas (hill country, close to Austin). Baylor is in the 4th largest city in the US. Baylor: strong tradition in inpatient with well know free standing rehab center. SA: strong in outpatient, with strong medical school ties.

Compared to other programs, residents work harder during residency.

Hope this helps. These are only my observations, I am still learning about the field myself.

 

[Stinky T]

I don't really have much more to add because I thought all the above responses were extremely informative. When I was ranking programs a couple of years ago, I ranked both programs at roughly the same position. The strengths of the Baylor program was the reputation and the wealth of resources. I think that the Baylor program is more prestigious and would probably open more doors for you. However, I felt that the training (especially in outpatient physical medicine) at UTHSCSA was better. The main drawback for me (and probably everyone else not from San Antonio 🙂 ) was the location. Also, many peope do not know about the excellent training you receive at San Antonio -- this includes Physiatrists as well.