I guess...
So Spurs, what up?
jgberken said:
Yay! So, what's new Spurs?
Lol, sorry guys, I'm busy writing my huge term paper for History of China, so I'm on-and-off here
😛 Yeah, supposedly, I got accepted to Baylor on Thursday, though it was such a short 45 sec conversation w/ Dr. Greenberg that I'm still kind of in shock, and I don't think I'll truly believe that I got in until I get the physical package in the mail! Also, I must say that acceptance is making me pretty lackadaisical when it comes to writing this paper...
😛
pianola said:
But you know what's weird? All these random people keep advising me not to go to Baylor. I'm still officially undecided but was leaning toward Baylor. But then all these random folks keep saying it's all name and no substance.
But for someone who's relatively self-directed (like me) I feel like it might just be a great option. So I'm still kind of undecided and I'm not sure who I'm supposed to listen to or believe.
Spurs, do you have any thoughts on the matter? You can PM me if you'd feel more comfortable doing so.
OK, keep in mind I just got in like 2 days ago. So I'm FAR from any authority on the matter, as the extent of me looking into the school any further has consisted of me jumping up and down with my family Thursday and then going to the Cheesecake Factory with my girlfriend last night
🙂
First of all, there are some definite advantages to going to a "name school" that simply can't be denied. For those who are interested in medical research, more NIH money comes to the schools with the big names- that's just a fact. Furthermore, you know the faculty will be some of the most esteemed and knowledgable in the entire country. It's not as if going to a "non-name" school means that the faculty there WON'T be knowledgable, but the faculty at a "name school" are often people who are truly at the forefront of medicine in the country-there has to be some advantage to learning directly from these people. I personally went to some of the MS2 lectures with my student host when I was at Baylor for my interview, and I was blown away by how great and interactive one of the instructors was- and the other two I saw weren't bad either. I know attending lectures isn't required at most med schools nowadays, but some of the instructors I saw made me feel like I would WANT to get out of bed in the morning to go hear them lecture!
But more importantly, I've never understood how a school could be "
all name no substance." Obviously a school must have done some awesome stuff to ascend to its status level. In Baylor's case, I think there are two things that really stand out about Baylor, and they're connected: 1) The condensed pre-clinical curriculum, meaning we'll be getting an extra half-year in the hospital to help us iron out exactly what kind of residency we want to go into; and 2) We get to do the clinical years in the Texas Medical Center, with connections to a bunch of the absolute top hospitals in the country. Being affiliated with so many excellent hospitals really seems like it gives students ways to tailor their medical education in a truly unique way. I'd really like to hear how those two factors can be seen as "no substance."
I'd really struggle with going to a school JUST because of a name... but I really think Baylor's got a lot more going for it than that. Beyond what I said above, every single member of the faculty was extremely friendly while I was there, and each student seemed to be unique and welcoming throughout the entire weekend. Every single person I met seemed to love being where they were, and I get a similar feeling from my friends who have gone there-they all LOVE the environment there. Between all of the concrete reasons and the friendly environment, I can see a TON of ways that Baylor could be a great place for me.
That said, right now I think that Baylor has a few question marks. I think most people would be a little wary about a place that just dismissed its president, and that the construction for its new main teaching hospital is running into some problems. I'll definitely be keeping a close eye on any news surrounding Baylor, as it seems like there's a bunch of political BS going on in the administration right now. I hope that wouldn't affect the med students, but like I said, I'll be paying close attention.
OK! If you made it this far through this mammoth post... congrats, you deserve a cookie!
🙂 In the end, while I'm a little concerned about the environment surrounding Baylor right now, I really do love everything the school has to offer. There are certainly other very good schools around the country, but Baylor's certainly a great option compared to just about any other school in the country as well, IMHO
🙂
EDIT: btw, funkmonk, in case you're wondering, I'm still very much considering UT Southwestern if I get accepted; both schools are top-notch in my opinion, and it'd be hard to sever my connections with UT Southwestern... I'd have a very tough choice if I got lucky enough to get into both schools!
🙂
Woot blues, wjetty and long story!
I keep telling my friends about Southwestern, and everyone keeps looking at me, and then I have to explain that it is in Dallas, and then they lecture me on how Texas sucks... I have almost given up on humanity...
