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Hi all! I recently posted on Reddit asking for the same help on the above. Still searching for more insight + I recently was offered 50% tuition from Dell Med which definitely changes things. Originally I thought I would rank wherever the $$ was, but for some reason I'm still stuck on the opportunities and prestige of UTSW/Baylor which I feel would afford more opportunities if I decided I wanted to match OOS or in something competitive. I've had people mention that Texas schools are so affordable relative to OOS that I should still consider where would be the best fit as opposed to which school gives me a scholarship. However, a half tuition scholarship is definitely nothing to scoff at. I'll recount my pros and cons from my other post:
Dell Med
Pros:
- amazing "free" 3rd year to do research or pursue masters (plus their MPH is online and free aka included in regular med school tuition, which I would be interested in). heard kids leave Austin that year sometimes if they are able to get research opportunities in different cities - which sounds really appealing!
- Love the mission fit and vibe. They really sold me on interview day with their care towards their students and their emphasis on the underserved.
- love Austin as a city, think its very fun and outdoorsey and have a few friends from undergrad there
- 50% tuition scholarship!!
Cons:
- but also have lived in Austin for undergrad already and kind of ready for something new
- small class size. i think this is both good and bad - good in that its a nice intimate setting... but I also wonder if it might feel too small and like everyone knows everyone's business, haha.
- not as many clinical sites as UTSW or Baylor
- less established and less prestigious as Baylor/UTSW because its so new. unsure what speciality I want to pursue (maybe psych?), but may not be as strong for residency apps as the other two
- less cool orgs and options than the other two
Baylor
Pros:
- Houston campus!! Have heard great things about Houston from my Houston med school friends. I think it's a bit more exciting than Dallas and would be a new place to explore!
- TMC aka strong clinical sites + strong research
- Overall had a strong reputation for being collaborative among students and having a chill vibe, plus being able to take exams 2x in their curriculum
- Prestige, strong match list, established school
Cons:
- Temple campus. I know people say it isn't too bad but I would much rather attend UTSW or Dell over BCM Temple. However, I have heard that matching on match day means increased likelihood of getting your first choice in campus, so I'm wondering if I should take the risk since this is my only con. However, "I heard" is only hearsay. Still unsure.
UTSW
Pros
- parents really want me to go as they live in the DFW area. I think being near family would be somewhat nice but I also don't mind getting away from them too so I'm sort of indifferent about this. Neither pro nor con.
- cool college system (like Hogwarts houses)
- Prestige, strong match list + research, established school
Cons
- In Dallas lol. I don't love Dallas from what I've seen but admittedly I haven't explored it all that much (I moved to DFW right before undergrad so Austin is the city I'm most familiar with in TX). Just doesn't seem like my favorite city out of the options.
- The old cut-throat competitive culture kept coming up in interview, but students + faculty really tried to dismiss that and say it wasn't a thing anymore. (I did just call a friend of a friend at UTSW who said that on the contrary she feels that the class is very friendly and collaborative in sharing resources. What she warned about was that the first semester has been really tough curriculum wise. Now I'm a little more concerned about the stress of the curriculum and having less free-time, as opposed to the relaxed happy environment stereotype that people claim Baylor has).
Any insight would truly be wonderful!! Let me know your thoughts.
Dell Med
Pros:
- amazing "free" 3rd year to do research or pursue masters (plus their MPH is online and free aka included in regular med school tuition, which I would be interested in). heard kids leave Austin that year sometimes if they are able to get research opportunities in different cities - which sounds really appealing!
- Love the mission fit and vibe. They really sold me on interview day with their care towards their students and their emphasis on the underserved.
- love Austin as a city, think its very fun and outdoorsey and have a few friends from undergrad there
- 50% tuition scholarship!!
Cons:
- but also have lived in Austin for undergrad already and kind of ready for something new
- small class size. i think this is both good and bad - good in that its a nice intimate setting... but I also wonder if it might feel too small and like everyone knows everyone's business, haha.
- not as many clinical sites as UTSW or Baylor
- less established and less prestigious as Baylor/UTSW because its so new. unsure what speciality I want to pursue (maybe psych?), but may not be as strong for residency apps as the other two
- less cool orgs and options than the other two
Baylor
Pros:
- Houston campus!! Have heard great things about Houston from my Houston med school friends. I think it's a bit more exciting than Dallas and would be a new place to explore!
- TMC aka strong clinical sites + strong research
- Overall had a strong reputation for being collaborative among students and having a chill vibe, plus being able to take exams 2x in their curriculum
- Prestige, strong match list, established school
Cons:
- Temple campus. I know people say it isn't too bad but I would much rather attend UTSW or Dell over BCM Temple. However, I have heard that matching on match day means increased likelihood of getting your first choice in campus, so I'm wondering if I should take the risk since this is my only con. However, "I heard" is only hearsay. Still unsure.
UTSW
Pros
- parents really want me to go as they live in the DFW area. I think being near family would be somewhat nice but I also don't mind getting away from them too so I'm sort of indifferent about this. Neither pro nor con.
- cool college system (like Hogwarts houses)
- Prestige, strong match list + research, established school
Cons
- In Dallas lol. I don't love Dallas from what I've seen but admittedly I haven't explored it all that much (I moved to DFW right before undergrad so Austin is the city I'm most familiar with in TX). Just doesn't seem like my favorite city out of the options.
- The old cut-throat competitive culture kept coming up in interview, but students + faculty really tried to dismiss that and say it wasn't a thing anymore. (I did just call a friend of a friend at UTSW who said that on the contrary she feels that the class is very friendly and collaborative in sharing resources. What she warned about was that the first semester has been really tough curriculum wise. Now I'm a little more concerned about the stress of the curriculum and having less free-time, as opposed to the relaxed happy environment stereotype that people claim Baylor has).
Any insight would truly be wonderful!! Let me know your thoughts.
