Help me rank: Dell vs. Baylor

[swimdoc23]

Hi all, I keep going back and forth between what to rank as number 1 for the TMDSAS match, so I wanted to get some other opinions on this. I am currently choosing between Baylor and Dell for my number 1. Ultimately, both are great schools, and I am sure I will be happy at either. I am currently interested in pediatrics as a specialty, however, I'm definitely not set on that.

Baylor
Pros:

• TMC(caveat: would only be if I matched to the Houston campus)
  • World renowned clinical opportunities and great research opportunities
  • Texas children’s hospital (I’m interested in pediatrics)
  • Ben Taub safety net hospital seems really great (underserved Houston populations)
• P/F preclinical and clinical (good and bad? some people have expressed concern about how a P/F clinical would provide less opportunities to stand out/distinguish yourself for residency apps)
• Prestige + name might carry more opportunities
  • More established school and has tons of funding
• Great research opportunities
• Affiliated with Texas children’s
• Great match list
• Intersessions offer more "break" time that could help with feelings like burnout
• Care of the underserved pathways seems really cool with lots of great elective
• STEP study resources provided
  • Pathoma (hard copy and online), sketchy videos, boards and beyond, hard copy of first aid for step 1, uworld for step 1 and step 2 and rotations

Cons:

• Possibility of ending up at Temple. While I'm sure the education is as great at Temple, I am originally from Houston and have lived in big cities my whole life so I would ideally like to be matched to Houston
• Vibes on Interview and visit day weren’t as great (this is my biggest hesitancy right now in regards to Baylor I think)
• While Houston has great food, overall I think Austin is more fun of a city

Dell
Pros:

• Flexible 3rd year to do research or pursue a dual degree
  • I’d be interesting in pursuing a masters of education or healthcare transformation
  • If my specialty interests change, a 3rd year research distinction could help with matching into a more competitive specialty
• Small class size (everyone seems really close to each other)
• P/F preclinical; P/F/HP/H clinical (not really a con for me as long as preclinical is P/F)
• Really great vibes on interview and visit day
• Would get more of a "college experience" that I didn’t get in undergrad with its tie to UT Austin + Austin is a fun city with lots of outdoorsy things to do
• Match list isn’t as strong as baylor but still great success with big names like NYU, UCSF, UPenn, etc.
• 50% tuition scholarship

Cons:

• Clinical sites/research opportunities aren't as robust as Baylor/TMC would be however there is the opportunity to do away rotations during 4th year
• Less established + name might not carry as much weight
• Less elective course opportunities
• STEP resources not provided
• Less break/vacation time (summer between MS1 and MS2 is 10 days, however, a current MS1 said this might be changing to 2.5-3.5 weeks for the incoming class + this is offset by the more "chill" nature of MS3 and MS4)

In summary: The vibes I have gotten from Dell are better than Baylor, but Baylor is more established/prestigious and could offer more connections for residency apps. Thank you for your help!

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[obiwan]

BCM

 

[swimdoc23]

BCM

can I ask what your reasoning is?

 

[colistincanape]

Full disclosure: I interviewed at Baylor and not Dell, so could I have an internal bias, maybe, but this is my opinion**

The only significant difference between these two is clinical strength, especially if you are leaning pediatrics. Texas Children's is one of the top 3 pediatric hospitals in the country, and you could argue #1. BSW Temple is also a better hospital than Ascension, but it's not as wide of a gap as Houston, with an internationally renowned children's hospital.

Both schools have a new, innovative, and flexible curriculum. Both schools (assuming Baylor Houston) are in nice areas in major cities and have plenty of stuff to do outside of class. I think you should decide how much your quality of life would be impacted by living in Temple and if it's worth the risk for a stronger residency app. Dell guarantees you get to be in a major cultural center but at the cost of some potential residency match clout. I say potential because, just like med school admissions, it's ultimately up to the student to take advantage of opportunities and build a strong application regardless of where they are. It's not like Dell Medical School is anything to sneeze at; it's still a great medical school backed up by one of the best public universities in the country. However, keep in mind if you want to do academics or are considering a hyper-competitive specialty, then the difference in prestige matters to some extent.

It sounds like you would enjoy living in Austin more, which would be a pretty significant factor for me. I can vouch for Austin being an awesome place to live, especially as a young adult, and this would be amplified by the positive environment you felt at Dell. I felt like both Baylor Houston and Temple had supportive and fun student bodies when I visited, but I can't compare them to Dell. Any financial considerations between the two?

TLDR: Baylor has better hospitals and prestige, but Austin is a better location for life outside the clinic. Prestige matters, but there's more to life than residency match.

 

[obiwan]

can I ask what your reasoning is?

I'll always favor going to the program that gives you the prestige advantage particularly if your aim is for a hypercompetitive specialty i.e. orthopedic surgery at HSS or ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer (if all else is equal including cost of attendance etc). I can't speak about the whole Temple situation for BMC on the other hand if that is a significant deterrent for you.

 

[swimdoc23]

Bumping this thread as I just received a 50% scholarship to Dell!

 

[MercifulCamper]

Bumping this thread as I just received a 50% scholarship to Dell!

BCM; better residency prospects and P/F clinical clerkships. The scholarship is like 40 K - while nice it’s not that much of a swing to change course unless you are dead set on primary care where you will be able to match just fine at either school

 

[wysdoc]

which one did you match at, @swimdoc23 ?

 

[swimdoc23]

which one did you match at, @swimdoc23 ?

Dell! I chose to rank it first 😊