TMDSAS Rank - UTSW vs Baylor vs McGovern

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chemist1999

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Hi! I am a TX resident, and have been having a little trouble determining how I want to rank the following schools: UTSW (prematched), Baylor, and McGovern.

I would love to be either in Houston or Dallas - I have family/support systems in both cities. Perhaps leaning slightly more towards Houston.

It seems as though UTSW and Baylor are on par in terms of clinical experience, match lists, and "prestige". (By the way, how much does a school's prestige matter in terms of matching to a good residency program?)

I do feel like the UTSW administration is very supportive, which I really appreciate. My biggest concern with UTSW and Baylor is that the student communities here will be very cut throat. Is anyone here able to provide some input/insight on this? How do these school communities (UTSW/Baylor) compare to McGovern's?

Summary/Main Points/Questions:
1. Happy with either Dallas or Houston, leaning slightly more towards Houston
2. Had the best experience with UTSW administration - really appreciated this!
3. Worried about school atmosphere/communities. Not really wanting to be in a cut throat competitive environment. As cheesy as it sounds, any idea which students (McGovern, Baylor, UTSW) are happiest?
4. How much does a school's "prestige" matter in terms of matching into a good residency program? Is it better to be "average" at a big name school, or "above average" at a great school that has a smaller name?

Thanks in advance for any insight! Sorry if this post is a bit rambling!

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Match is on you for the most part. People who get into prestigious schools usually had high stats and naturally want to continue competing and trying for specialities like ortho, derm etc. If cost and other soft factors aren’t an issue, going for the big name is a good choice.

There was a previous post comparing Baylor and UTSW, it seems like a toss-up between them:

 
Any of the three schools mentioned will get you into a competitive residency, especially within the state of Texas. If you are gunning for something out-of-state on par with Mayo or MGH, the UTSW or Baylor brand carries a bit more prestige than McGovern. Regardless, you are going to have to work hard on achieving a quality resume (Step 2, research, honors on clinical rotations, et al.) no matter where you decide to attend.

Basically, I think the choice comes down where you want to live (Houston vs. Dallas) and going with your gut on which school gave you better vibes on your interview day (sounds like UTSW in your case). You cannot go wrong with whatever you ultimately decide!

I am a McGovern MS2 btw, so if you have specific questions about my school or Houston in general, feel free to PM me.
 
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I'm in a similar position this cycle and decided to rank UTSW above BCM. To be honest though, the academics at both schools are basically equal; you should really just make the decision based on whether you prefer Houston or Dallas more. If you're interested in competitive specialties, it makes sense to go to BCM or UTSW over McGovern though.
 
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Worth noting that both Baylor and UTSW are P/F preclinical, whereas McGovern is A-F. I would choose Baylor/UTSW over McGovern anyday based on that alone. Otherwise, it's up to you if you want to be in Houston or Dallas.
 
Would not consider UTH in the discussion if you have been accepted to UTSW and BCM. If you want to live in Houston, then choose BCM.
 
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