Dell vs Baylor vs UTSW

[anon1317]

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Incredibly grateful to have received pre-matches from Dell and UTSW and an interview at Baylor! I went in thinking Baylor was going to be my #1 choice but ended up connecting really well with my Dell and UTSW interviewers! After reflecting on my interview experience and looking over the schools, Dell seems to match my vibe and goals a bit more than UTSW, and I'm uncertain about where Baylor falls in the mix. It is very important to me that the school I go to has opportunities to continue my work in medical humanities and equity (broad, but don't want to reveal too much about myself lol). I am highly interested in dermatology and pediatrics but am open to others, too.

Dell's Master of Arts in Humanities, Health & Medicine looks right up my alley, but I'm conflicted about whether I should rank UTSW/Baylor higher for the prestige/research opportunities/hospital system since I am seriously considering a competitive specialty. Based on my interviews, Dell and (surprisingly) UTSW seemed the most "artsy." I feel like my interview day wasn't representative of what I've heard about Baylor's culture, so I'd love to hear input from others!

TLDR: I'm passionate about art and equity and derm and don't know how to rank

 

[thiophorase]

.

 

[pulsatilepony]

Agreed that med hum/equity DOES NOT always need to be a masters (also see this Video on masters degree outcomes in 2024's match Interesting data around 26:42 *Not Definitive Just Food for Thought* :
).
Baylor does have a Medical Humanities pathway as well to allow you to still concentrate on these interests beyond the general curriculum. If Temple would be a deal-breaker for you then don't rank Baylor #1.

 

[anon1317]

Made a post earlier but have narrowed down to two options in Texas!!

Incredibly grateful to have received prematch offers from UTSW and Dell! I am really torn between the two and would love some outside perspectives. For some context, I'm interested in dermatology and pediatrics, and a large part of my med school application (and future goals) is creating inclusive medical illustrations! It's really important to me that the school I go to has programs, mentorship, and culture to support this kind of work alongside clinical training.

UTSW:
PROS:

• Dallas
• Prestige, established reputation
• Strong derm residency program
• Near family
• Huge hospital system

CONS:

• Competitive/gunner reputation––but have received mixed thoughts on this point. Anectodal stories from friends-of-friends in med school that some students are quite unhappy there
• Large class size but has the college system
• Couldn't find much about their med humanities/art integration online, so if anyone else has more info, happy to hear it!

------

DELL:
PROS:

• MA in Humanities, Health, & Medicine
• Austin
• Smaller class size
• Seems to be more equity-focused? That's the impression I got on interview day
• Long-term partner would likely be able to move here
• Seems more chill (no class ranking and also just by vibes)

CONS:

• Less established reputation but match list is impressive
• Less established hospital system nearby

 

[wysdoc]

Moderator note: I merged the second thread you made with your original to keep comments in one place.

 

[wysdoc]

I'm puzzled by 2 of your comments about the schools:
1. would your longterm partner move with you to Austin but not Dallas?
2. Baylor speaks more of humanities than UTSW for sure

 

[anon1317]

I'm puzzled by 2 of your comments about the schools:
1. would your longterm partner move with you to Austin but not Dallas?
2. Baylor speaks more of humanities than UTSW for sure

1. Correct, their work has additional locations in Austin, but not Dallas!
2. Yes, I thought that as well. But in my interviews, I had completely opposite experiences with their perspective on the humanities at the schools. My Baylor interviewer said they didn’t see how the arts and humanities were relevant to medicine, while my UTSW interviewer had a lot to say about the humanities opportunities and their own involvement in them at UTSW. Wasn’t what I was expecting at all!

 

[pulsatilepony]

1. Correct, their work has additional locations in Austin, but not Dallas!
2. Yes, I thought that as well. But in my interviews, I had completely opposite experiences with their perspective on the humanities at the schools. My Baylor interviewer said they didn’t see how the arts and humanities were relevant to medicine, while my UTSW interviewer had a lot to say about the humanities opportunities and their own involvement in them at UTSW. Wasn’t what I was expecting at all!

That's a bit brutal coming from the Baylor interviewer, but glad you got a positive response at UTSW!

For your con on the established healthcare system with Dell, Seton is part of Ascension which has a national system that has been around for decades, and Dell Children’s has found their footing in the peds space for sure (their cards program I think got honor roll this year). Plus with TCH expanding into the Austin area I wouldn't be surprised if you could find some shadowing/elective opportunity there.
I would also not negate the importance of your long-term partner being able to join you in one city over the other! Having that support system could be invaluable.

 

[Frostrow]

Baylor has the Houston/Temple curveball hanging over it. You could technically end up smack in the middle of the Texas Medical Center or be in a mid size city with an Army base. Those are two very different medical school pathways. They should separate the two options. I would take a 100% chance of getting into UTSW over an 80% chance of getting into Baylor UTMC assuming both schools like me.

 

[ApprehensiveCake]

Incredibly grateful to have received pre-matches from Dell and UTSW and an interview at Baylor! I went in thinking Baylor was going to be my #1 choice but ended up connecting really well with my Dell and UTSW interviewers! After reflecting on my interview experience and looking over the schools, Dell seems to match my vibe and goals a bit more than UTSW, and I'm uncertain about where Baylor falls in the mix. It is very important to me that the school I go to has opportunities to continue my work in medical humanities and equity (broad, but don't want to reveal too much about myself lol). I am highly interested in dermatology and pediatrics but am open to others, too.

Dell's Master of Arts in Humanities, Health & Medicine looks right up my alley, but I'm conflicted about whether I should rank UTSW/Baylor higher for the prestige/research opportunities/hospital system since I am seriously considering a competitive specialty. Based on my interviews, Dell and (surprisingly) UTSW seemed the most "artsy." I feel like my interview day wasn't representative of what I've heard about Baylor's culture, so I'd love to hear input from others!

TLDR: I'm passionate about art and equity and derm and don't know how to rank

Hey! I'm in the same situation with prematches and also trying to decide (also interested in medical humanities / similar pathways) I'm not sure how true this is but I heard that if you pre-match there's a lower chance you go to Temple (if that's a potential concern/con for Baylor)

 

[wysdoc]

Hey! I'm in the same situation with prematches and also trying to decide (also interested in medical humanities / similar pathways) I'm not sure how true this is but I heard that if you pre-match there's a lower chance you go to Temple (if that's a potential concern/con for Baylor)

My least favorite source is “I heard that…”
Please read the recent discussion on the Baylor page about when and how the campus location is assigned.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Medical Humanities

Medical Humanities Opportunities at UTSW

www.utsouthwestern.edu

 

[anon1317]

Update! I ended up ranking Dell first 🙂. I visited both schools and did not like the vibes of UTSW at all. It's a wonderful school, just not a great fit for me. When I visited Dell, I immediately felt right at home. I knew it was the right choice!