UCI vs Baylor???

[Nainam]

So I'm a CA resident, and I've narrowed down my choices to UC Irvine or Baylor. I plan on getting TX residency my 2nd year onwards (so in state tuition), but even then, Baylor's out of state tuition is roughly the same as UCI's, so the normal answer of "you're from CA so take the cheaper CA school" doesnt really apply.

I'm torn!! 😕 Any feedback you guys have would be really helpful. thanks!!

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[jturkel]

where would you enjoy going to school most? is there an aspect of either school you really like?

I can say that I really love Baylor's 1.5 yr pre-clinical curriculum and the opportunity to use that extra 5-6 month period to do research, study for the boards, do rotations early BEFORE taking Step 1.....

I also love the fact that Baylor is located in TMC....huge medical center obviously. It doesn't get better than that.

I'm not familiar with UCI but I do love California lol.

As far as cost wise and establishing residency, I think you need to purchase property to become a resident of TX and qualify for the in-state tuition. If that is what you would do, I would go to BCM.

 

[MiniMoo]

If you're fine with moving out of state for med school and assuming you're able to get in-state tuition for TX so costs would be relatively equal between the two schools, I would pick Baylor. The way the curriculum is structured (18 month pre-clinical & specialized tracks) sounds awesome and facilities are amazing. I would triple check the requirements to obtain in-state residency after your first year though.

On the other hand, if you have reasons to stay close to CA (family, significant other, etc.) or if you aren't able to get in-state tuition for Baylor, then I would go with UCI which is a solid school as well. Baylor just has a few more bells and whistles, but you can't go wrong with either.

 

[specter]

what exactly are you torn about? equal cost and more resources at BCM...unless you really don't want to leave CA, I don't think there's much debate.

 

[Nainam]

Thanks a lot guys. Yes I fell in love with Houston and the people at Baylor, and really like the 18 month curriculum and TMC. Also, I've looked into all the residency requirements, so I know what I need to do there and I'm planning on following through with that.

@Specter, as to why I'd consider UCI, my family lives 30 mins away, and my brother will be going there as a first year undergrad in the fall too. So my reasons for giving so much importance to UCI have little to do with the school itself. I guess I just need to confirm the school has enough of an academic/professional/etc advantage to override those factors.

 

[jturkel]

Thanks a lot guys. Yes I fell in love with Houston and the people at Baylor, and really like the 18 month curriculum and TMC. Also, I've looked into all the residency requirements, so I know what I need to do there and I'm planning on following through with that.

@Specter, as to why I'd consider UCI, my family lives 30 mins away, and my brother will be going there as a first year undergrad in the fall too. So my reasons for giving so much importance to UCI have little to do with the school itself. I guess I just need to confirm the school has enough of an academic/professional/etc advantage to override those factors.

Baylor is an amazing program. I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to go there unless there is some extremely compelling otherwise. I have family at my state school, but I withdrew because I can't pass up an opportunity like Baylor 🙂

 

[Appless]

Thanks a lot guys. Yes I fell in love with Houston and the people at Baylor, and really like the 18 month curriculum and TMC. Also, I've looked into all the residency requirements, so I know what I need to do there and I'm planning on following through with that.

@Specter, as to why I'd consider UCI, my family lives 30 mins away, and my brother will be going there as a first year undergrad in the fall too. So my reasons for giving so much importance to UCI have little to do with the school itself. I guess I just need to confirm the school has enough of an academic/professional/etc advantage to override those factors.

baylor end of story it shouldnt even be a question really unless you cant stand TX or need to be close to family. You said you like Tx, it will be much much cheaper, and you will be at the better school with more opportunities/prestige/options/whatever else. Theres no area UCI wins at except its close to home (which is a perfectly good reason if its important to you). Theres is no way i would even consider UCI at all if i had better options such as baylor.

 

[canjosh]

Thanks a lot guys. Yes I fell in love with Houston and the people at Baylor, and really like the 18 month curriculum and TMC. Also, I've looked into all the residency requirements, so I know what I need to do there and I'm planning on following through with that.

@Specter, as to why I'd consider UCI, my family lives 30 mins away, and my brother will be going there as a first year undergrad in the fall too. So my reasons for giving so much importance to UCI have little to do with the school itself. I guess I just need to confirm the school has enough of an academic/professional/etc advantage to override those factors.

I'll see you in July!! Uber-high Step 1 scores is something else you can use to further justify coming to Baylor. Good luck with your decision!