Baylor College of Medicine Class of 2010

[Bernito]

Unfortunately, no state or section of this country has a monopoly on ignorance or interference with the rights of others.

This was supposed to make me feel better, but now I feel worse . Thanks though. I get too worked up by politics, I know.

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[lilycat]

You're absolutely right about my first statement (above). It was too extreme for me to write off the state like that. I also appologize for the wording in my next statement, I was not trying to be rude, just continuing the discussion. As you can see I lack social skills

I am from Austin. I guess my statement was made out of frustration. When, for example, a completely useless ban on gay marriage passes by 76% (useless b/c Texas had already defined mariage as between a man and a woman), you might see how I'd be inclined to label the state "conservative." To be fair, portions of Austin and Houston were some of the only areas in the state to have a majority against the ban.

Frustration over that vote is completely understandable, especially since it seemed to be rather mean-spirited (as you said, there was already legislation banning gay marriage -- this just made it super-duper permanent). However, keep in mind that while that ban passed with 76% "support," that was only of the 17% statewide voter turnout!!!. Of that 17%, I believe one article I saw stated that some of the heaviest turnout was from communities that tend to lean more conservative than liberal on social issues (generalization, not blanket statement ), such as rural communities, the elderly, etc. The vote is troubling, but not especially surprising in an off-year election cycle (meaning that there tends to be more voter apathy in off-year elections). If you look beyond the 76% number, things aren't quite as bleak as they initially appear. There is hope.

Also keep in mind that in California in 2000, voters passed a ballot initiative defining marriage as a union that can only take place between a man and a woman. Texas unfortunately is not alone in this sentiment (specifically, there are 17 other states that also have such bans on gay marriage).

Houston Chronicle story regarding heavy minority support of gay marriage ban

Houston Chronicle article on low voter turnout

 

[MED_04]

Well, yesterday I was home sick... lying in bed and surfing the internet all day. At some point someone on SDN mentioned they just got a call from another's school admissions office, so I thought, hey.. maybe someone tried to call me today. I called in to listen to my work voice mail (the number I gave all schools) and sure enough, at around 4pm(Seattle time) Dr. Major Bradshaw left me a message stating he had just written my admission, congratulations and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. !!! !!!

I had a wonderful time at my interview and am super-excited my this acceptance. So far, Baylor is at the top of my list...

I just read through all the comments on this post. They were very helpful, thanks. I have a couple other questions about life at Baylor and in Houston too. Could current students guess about what percent of your class or how many people in your class were older than 25 when they started med school? Also, did any of you move to Houston from the west coast? How do you like it? Is the culture significantly different? And is TX as super-conservative as it has a reputation for being?

(and a side comment for Q: you should look into NIH loan repayment options. My friend entered med school with a PhD and is interested in staying in academic med, and NIH is paying back most of her loans for her.)

there's quite a few ppl in my class that are >25

 

[LadyJubilee8_18]

there's quite a few ppl in my class that are >25

Come on Baylorites! We're letting the other class threads win

 

[QofQuimica]

Come on Baylorites! We're letting the other class threads win

Win at what?

 

[latinfridley]

I still occasionally surf the thread to see whats goin on. If any one has any questions about Houston or BCM, we BCMers are still around to help, starting in a few weeks though, I'll be off for several weeks, so if yall have any pressing questions, go ahead and ask.

 

[LadyJubilee8_18]

Win at what?

Win at posting so recently. When I first got in, this thread was on the top all the time!

 

[QofQuimica]

Win at posting so recently. When I first got in, this thread was on the top all the time!

It seems like they didn't call anyone this week. I think that's why this thread started dropping. But FWIW, I am still excited about Baylor.

 

[Lorrayne]

Bump for Baylor! I take my last final tomorrow, and with no classes next semester, I'm looking forward to taking it easy until med school. Hooray!!

 

[hobbesiscool]

Bump for Baylor! I take my last final tomorrow, and with no classes next semester, I'm looking forward to taking it easy until med school. Hooray!!

I take finals next week, but my motivation to study has taken a severe beating in the last few weeks. I'm definitely looking forward to enjoying 5-6 more months of stress-free undergrad life (not always worrying about med school stuff). How fun it already is and how fun it is going to be!

 

[prettygirl1908]

I have been diagnosed with senioritis

 

[motherofalldrs]

I was away interviewing at Pitt. Today is Thurs, but just got the partial message from my 9 year old son that "some doctor or major "called 2 days ago. Yes it was Major Bradshaw and I am in.(!) Lot's of ecstatic squealing at my house and the kids, husband and I are dining out tonight. Can not wait to meet all you fantastic future classmates.

 

[QofQuimica]

I was away interviewing at Pitt. Today is Thurs, but just got the partial message from my 9 year old son that "some doctor or major "called 2 days ago. Yes it was Major Bradshaw and I am in.(!) I am a re-applicant who was rejected by TCOM and every other public medical school in Texas last year. Pearls before swine I guess.
Filling out the AMCAS this time was very worth it. Lot's of ecstatic squealing at my house and the kids, husband and I are dining out tonight. Can not wait to meet all you fantastic future classmates.

Wow, congrats, mother! Great story.

 

[LaDoctorFutura]

I was away interviewing at Pitt. Today is Thurs, but just got the partial message from my 9 year old son that "some doctor or major "called 2 days ago. Yes it was Major Bradshaw and I am in.(!) I am a re-applicant who was rejected by TCOM and every other public medical school in Texas last year. Pearls before swine I guess.
Filling out the AMCAS this time was very worth it. Lot's of ecstatic squealing at my house and the kids, husband and I are dining out tonight. Can not wait to meet all you fantastic future classmates.

Congratulations!!! When did you interview?

 

[motherofalldrs]

Congratulations!!! When did you interview?

i interviewed at baylor on oct 21st. thanks

 

[gujuDoc]

I was away interviewing at Pitt. Today is Thurs, but just got the partial message from my 9 year old son that "some doctor or major "called 2 days ago. Yes it was Major Bradshaw and I am in.(!) Lot's of ecstatic squealing at my house and the kids, husband and I are dining out tonight. Can not wait to meet all you fantastic future classmates.

I saw this story, and just had to say that this is an AWESOME STORY!!!!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!!!

 

[hobbesiscool]

i interviewed at baylor on oct 21st. thanks

Congratulations! Looking forward to meeting you next year!

 

[latinfridley]

I was away interviewing at Pitt. Today is Thurs, but just got the partial message from my 9 year old son that "some doctor or major "called 2 days ago. Yes it was Major Bradshaw and I am in.(!) Lot's of ecstatic squealing at my house and the kids, husband and I are dining out tonight. Can not wait to meet all you fantastic future classmates.

Nice

 

[potato51]

awww, congrats! cool story

 

[generic]

Congrats everyone!

I don't think many people are over 25 years old in our class...just kind of speculating though. Maybe 10%.

The one thing we know for sure is that the average age is 22.6. But several people (like me) didn't come straight from undergrad, and several more have spouses and/or children.

See you guys in August!

 

[LadyJubilee8_18]

Congratulations!!! When did you interview?

When I read this post, I didn't notice the person you were responding to. I thought "mother" was a short for MF. I thought you were like, "Congrats Mutha Fukka!" Guess not.

In any case, congrats mother hope I'll see you next year.

 

[Lyricist]

i interviewed at baylor on oct 21st. thanks

We interviewed on the same day! Which one were you?

By the way, does anyone know if Baylor accepts CLEP credit for their prereqs?

 

[CerealBox]

well, there were tons of people there. i was the short girl with olive skin and black hair.

 

[motherofalldrs]

When I read this post, I didn't notice the person you were responding to. I thought "mother" was a short for MF. I thought you were like, "Congrats Mutha Fukka!" Guess not.

In any case, congrats mother hope I'll see you next year.

Mother is such a charged word! I laugh everytime I see yourmom25 post, and such a bitchy avatar for a male. There is no mistaking that you are a class act, Lady J, and never to be confused with an insult. Looking forward to meeting you, too!!!!

 

[motherofalldrs]

We interviewed on the same day! Which one were you?

By the way, does anyone know if Baylor accepts CLEP credit for their prereqs?

Um, I was the 30-something candidate with the unfortunate, really short haircut, live in Austin and would not shut up about my kids. And you?

 

[MoosePilot]

Um, I was the 30-something candidate with the unfortunate, really short haircut, live in Austin and would not shut up about my kids. And you?

I was there, too! I think you and I were the only non-trads I saw. I was amazed when they went down the list of schools everyone was from. I made a joke about graduating in 1996, perhaps some of them remembered that year?

 

[MadameLULU]

Congrats Mother!

 

[motherofalldrs]

I was there, too! I think you and I were the only non-trads I saw. I was amazed when they went down the list of schools everyone was from. I made a joke about graduating in 1996, perhaps some of them remembered that year?

Hey guy, there were a few other non-traditionals, but they were a bit quieter than you and I. Not that you were loud, you just stand out from the crowd...in a good way. You will make a fantastic doctor. I would feel lucky to have you with me at Baylor! What a real-world, excellence in action resource you are.

 

[MoosePilot]

Hey guy, there were a few other non-traditionals, but they were a bit quieter than you and I. Not that you were loud, you just stand out from the crowd...in a good way. You will make a fantastic doctor. I would feel lucky to have you with me at Baylor! What a real-world, excellence in action resource you are.

Well, thanks! I don't know if Baylor thinks so, too, though. I wish I knew where I was on their list.

I really enjoyed that interview day up until the point I got sick. I wish I could have stayed. Was the rest of it good?

 

[The Pride]

I suspect many of you will need to decide between UT-Southwestern and Baylor. I am currently a 4th year at UT-Southwesern and grew up in Houston/know some people at Baylor. If you want any advice, feel free to personal-message me. (I just chanced upon this thread and probably won't check it again.) In short, I have no regrets about coming to Southwestern.

 

[The Pride]

This is a response to the following PM:
I saw your post about Baylor and UTSW. It seems to me that UTSW and Baylor are both top tier schools, but a certain "gunner culture" is more prevalent at Southwestern (this is what I've heard, not what I think). Also, i heard that there is a new grading policy for first years that is making things much more competitive at UTSW. Honestly, I don't think I don't think I could really go wrong with either school, but I wanted to see what you think. I've been accepted to BCM and hope to match at UTSW, what would be some factors that you think should make me choose UTSW over BCM? I def. would like your input, especially since you go to UTSW. Alright, take care.

Response:
You're right; there is a new grading policy here . . . and it's an ABC system with a bell curve. In my honest opinion, I think it's an improvement. I'm a 4th year and I wish that that is how I was graded. In my case, in many of our classes, most people made A's or B+'s. That made people try really hard for the A's because if you made a B+, then that meant you were in the bottom half. It also meant that for the people in the middle of the class, there was a lot of luck involved and if you happened to miss the cutoff, it kinda stank. So really, it just helps reward the people who are doing well and takes some luck out of it for the people in the middle. Overall, people will have lower GPAs, but nobody is going to care about your GPA when you apply for residency -- it's class rank that matters, if anything. You should ask somebody from Baylor, but I think (except for the first semester where it is pass/fail), they have H/HP/P/F on a bell curve, and you are ranked on that, so really its the same system. In fact even at exclusively pass/fail programs, Cornell being the one I specifically know about, although you don't get grades along the way, they actually keep track of your test scores and assign come residency application time. So all that is to say, don't worry about the grading system. Whether you like it or not, you are going to be compared against your peers.

As far as the "gunner" culture of UTSW, from the people I've talked to at Baylor, it's really the same. You should ask Baylor people for specifics on that. As for UTSW, many people are indeed gunning for the top grades. It's only natural for that to happen if you've selected people that have made the best grades/MCAT scores in undergrad. However, people help each other out with study aids, and I have never been sabotaged or anything like that. People DO complain a lot here. The amount other people whine about trivial matters would be my main complaint. Personally, I study when I want to study, and when I get tired, I stop. It's pretty simple, and it keeps me happy. But yes, people will moan baout how hard they're working, but trust me, those people arent struggling to pass, their gunning for A's. It's self-inflicted and you can easily escape it. My guess would be Baylor is comparable.

One clear advantage of Baylor is that you get a lot more elective time. Here, you have 1 month elective during third year, and you could take 3 electives to start 4th year before applying. I think its enough, but more electives probably never hurt anybody.

Supposedly, at Baylor, Surgery runs the show, while at UTSW, Internal Medicine runs the show. I'm not sure what to make of that- I'm applying for Psychiatry.

As far as Houston vs. Dallas, although I grew up in Houston, I mush prefer Dallas. They're quite similar except Dallas is more compact, has less traffic, and has better weather. Dallas is less ethnically diverse as far as the population of the city but has plenty of cultural things to do and tons of good food. They are both pretty cheap to live in. Also of note for some of you, Dallas has the most attractive women of any city I have ever been to.

You should ask about the call schedule at Baylor. Here, Medicine is q4 overnight (i.e., you spend the night every 4th night), and half of the Surgery rotation is q3 overnight. The call is light otherwise. Ob-gyn was q4 when I've did it but now you don't really take call any more; instead you take night shifts, but don't have to work the day duting those times. Ob-gyn is a big deal here. Parkland Hosp. delivers more babies than Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon combined. What that means for you is that you get to deliver a lot of babies yourseld.

If you're thinking Medicine or Ob-gyn, here might be a better fit.
If you're thinking Surgery, maybe baylor would match better. These are broad generalizations of course.
Not sure about Psych at Baylor, but it was good enough here to make me want to spend my life in it.
Out childrens hospital is ranked in the top 20, but at Baylor I think you go to Texas childres which is top 5.
Derm and Ophtho are top-notch here, dunno about Baylor.
I believe our Plastic Surgery program is ranked #1 in the country.

As for the out-of-staters, UTSW gives all of the out-of-staters scholarships so they actually pay the instate rate.

As for medschools out-of-state, I would really recommend that the Texans stay in-state. I wouldn't forget Galveston, either-- they have a very laid-back, humane attitude and really gear themselves for board prep. People make stellar board scores their. I heard of two Galvestoners in the 260s this past year. There were four 260+ in my class that I know of. National average is 215 (standard dev of 20). UTSW average is 230.
I don't think out-of-state is worth it; I went to Duke undergrad. I'm glad I returned to TX for undergrad.

I hope all of that helps. I'll check the board again later, but I fly to Cali for interviews Saturday. If you have questions but dont see responses on the board, just PM me, and i'll make sure to respond when I get a chance.

Best of Luck to all of you . . .

 

[The Pride]

This is a response to the following PM:
I don't think out-of-state is worth it; I went to Duke undergrad. I'm glad I returned to TX for undergrad.

Sorry for the typos. What I meant to write above is "I'm glad I returned to TX for med school." To clarify, I LOVED Duke. When I say that out-of-state is not worth it, I'm referring to medical school and the fact that there are great med schools in TX that are dirt cheap.

 

[Miss155]

For those that have interviewed already can you share some interview tips? Thanks.

 

[ClearDay]

Um, I was the 30-something candidate with the unfortunate, really short haircut, live in Austin and would not shut up about my kids. And you?

Hi motherofalldrs... I think I sat next to you. You're the one with Arts background, right? ... and also one that asked lots of questions about school districts, etc? I was the Asian girl.. I wore my hair in a bun that day.

Congrats!

 

[MoosePilot]

For those that have interviewed already can you share some interview tips? Thanks.

I haven't received an acceptance, so I dare not

Ok, I dare. Be yourself. Relax. Tell the truth, but be aware of the impression you're making. Think about your answers, but don't practice them enough to make them sound "rehearsed".

 

[Mrs.S]

Hello! I am a second year at BCM. If you have any questions about Baylor, Houston, daycares, pediatricians for your kids, places to live, etc. please feel free to e-mail me. [email protected] Please pass this along ro anyone with Baylor question as I might not check this site very often.

Congrats to those who have been accepted and Good Luck to those still waiting.

Lindsay

 

[Lorrayne]

For those that have interviewed already can you share some interview tips? Thanks.

Baylor was one of my first interviews, so I was SUPER nervous. But my interviews ended up being really laid-back. At no point did I feel like I was being grilled. Just try to relax (I know that's easier said than done), and try to be yourself. Also I'm not sure if you're familiar with TMC, but it's huge! So if you're going to drive, get there early because I know several people who had a hard time finding somewhere to park (the garages tend to fill up).

 

[Miss155]

thanks about the tip on parking

 

[motherofalldrs]

Having been accepted to Baylor, I was planning to not bother with the expense and pressure of other interviews. But yesterday I got an invite to Columbia. I had thought it just hubris to apply there. Like, why do they want to talk to me and University of Iowa doesn't? Please tell me again why my family and I will be happiest in Houston. Of course I'm just using this thread to brag because most people I know in person do not give a rat's a@$ what's going on with my application process.

 

[QofQuimica]

Anyone know when Baylor's second look weekend is?

 

[hobbesiscool]

Anyone know when Baylor's second look weekend is?

I talked to the admissions office a few days ago about that. They said that usually it is around Feb/March but it could be in April (and they won't contact us about it until late January). They also said they haven't decided if they are going to have one this year . Apparently it is still kind of up in the air at this point. Btw, is it really true they will give us a $300 stipend for travel expenses if we are invited to second look? And who is usually invited, only a select few or everyone who has been offered an acceptance? And have any of you guys started looking for a place to stay in Houston (those who are pretty sure they are going to Baylor)? I was looking to buy a condo and wanted to see if any of you guys have done any homework on this.

 

[potato51]

Think it's in early April. I believe there's a Second Look for URM's in mid-March also.

 

[BaylorGuy]

Supposedly, at Baylor, Surgery runs the show, while at UTSW, Internal Medicine runs the show. I'm not sure what to make of that- I'm applying for Psychiatry.

Best response ever

Thanks a bunch, this will help

 

[motherofalldrs]

Don't know when precisely you left, though I did notice your absence. (too many baby quiches left too long at room temp?) I thought the powerpoint presentation about life in Houston very funny. Such an enjoyable day. At what other interview days do we get to stand up and introduce ourselves to our fellow applicants! Really took the edge off...until I realized that it must be Harvard/Standford day at BCM.

Well, thanks! I don't know if Baylor thinks so, too, though. I wish I knew where I was on their list.

I really enjoyed that interview day up until the point I got sick. I wish I could have stayed. Was the rest of it good?

 

[MoosePilot]

Don't know when precisely you left, though I did notice your absence. (too many baby quiches left too long at room temp?) I thought the powerpoint presentation about life in Houston very funny. Such an enjoyable day. At what other interview days do we get to stand up and introduce ourselves to our fellow applicants! Really took the edge off...until I realized that it must be Harvard/Standford day at BCM.

It *was* Harvard/Stanford day! I was a little intimidated at first, but when it was obvious that those guys were more nervous than I was, it actually became a confidence boost. Not that I wanted them to be nervous or do badly, but knowing that they were nervous too was a relief to me.

I don't know what made me sick. I got there so early and they were just bringing the food in minutes before we started eating. Oh, well. My student interviewer gave me his email and I'm thinking of emailing him just to touch base. I'm curious what his impression of me was. I think the interviews went ok, I think I'm just farther down on the list because of my stats. Hopefully I'm not so far down on the list that I don't have a chance.

 

[QofQuimica]

I just was looking at The Pride's post, and wanted clarification about something. S/he mentions UTSW being graded on a curve, and says that Baylor is graded the same way. My understanding from reading the online student manual is that Baylor is NOT graded on a curve, but rather absolutely. (In other words, if all the students get over a 92%, they'd all get an honors.) Can someone confirm that this is true?

 

[motherofalldrs]

I did not seriously intend to malign the snack banquet. The next week, I interviewed at Colorado and found myself closeted in a smallish meeting room with 30 applicants and not even a bottle of water in sight. Perhaps the spreads at the Texas schools show what happens when schools compete.

It *was* Harvard/Stanford day! I was a little intimidated at first, but when it was obvious that those guys were more nervous than I was, it actually became a confidence boost. Not that I wanted them to be nervous or do badly, but knowing that they were nervous too was a relief to me.

I don't know what made me sick. I got there so early and they were just bringing the food in minutes before we started eating. Oh, well. My student interviewer gave me his email and I'm thinking of emailing him just to touch base. I'm curious what his impression of me was. I think the interviews went ok, I think I'm just farther down on the list because of my stats. Hopefully I'm not so far down on the list that I don't have a chance.

 

[MoosePilot]

I did not seriously intend to malign the snack banquet. The next week, I interviewed at Colorado and found myself closeted in a smallish meeting room with 30 applicants and not even a bottle of water in sight. Perhaps the spreads at the Texas schools show what happens when schools compete.

Even the most well intentioned can end up food poisoning someone by accident. I don't think the admissions office is trained in food handling and it could always be due to whoever they bought the food from, but I doubt it was them, either. How long does food poisoning take to manifest symptoms? I'd think longer than 3 hours or so it took between me eating and feeling miserable. I blame the hotel where I ate breakfast...

 

[MadameLULU]

Response:
You should ask somebody from Baylor, but I think (except for the first semester where it is pass/fail), they have H/HP/P/F on a bell curve, and you are ranked on that, so really its the same system.

Grading here is absolute; its not on a bell curve.
Honors is 91.5 and above.
High Pass is 86.5 to 91.4
Pass is 67.5 to 86.4
Marginal Pass is 60 - 67.4
Fail is below 60.
This is the second year in which FALL 1 has been H/HP/P/F, before that it was P/F and for the class of 2005, ppl had to have an 80% or above to pass

As far as the "gunner" culture of UTSW, from the people I've talked to at Baylor, it's really the same. You should ask Baylor people for specifics on that.

I think you will find gunners wherever you go. I don't find anyone really cutthroat, but there are some intense people here.

You should ask about the call schedule at Baylor. Here, Medicine is q4 overnight (i.e., you spend the night every 4th night), and half of the Surgery rotation is q3 overnight. The call is light otherwise. Ob-gyn was q4 when I've did it but now you don't really take call any more; instead you take night shifts, but don't have to work the day duting those times. Ob-gyn is a big deal here. Parkland Hosp. delivers more babies than Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon combined. What that means for you is that you get to deliver a lot of babies yourseld.

I hear that we have it easy at Baylor as far as rotations go. For example, I think most rotations are q4 and there's no overnight call. Maybe a 3rd/4th year can comment on this one...

 

[latinfridley]

Grading here is absolute; its not on a bell curve.
Honors is 91.5 and above.
High Pass is 86.5 to 91.4
Pass is 67.5 to 86.4
Marginal Pass is 60 - 67.4
Fail is below 60.
This is the second year in which FALL 1 has been H/HP/P/F, before that it was P/F and for the class of 2005, ppl had to have an 80% or above to pass

I think you will find gunners wherever you go. I don't find anyone really cutthroat, but there are some intense people here.



I hear that we have it easy at Baylor as far as rotations go. For example, I think most rotations are q4 and there's no overnight call. Maybe a 3rd/4th year can comment on this one...

...and just to add.....for Fall I at Baylor, you recieve one grade for the entire semester, (Hon,HP,P,MP,or F). And, to reiterate, there is no curve, so you get what you get, which I think is 10x better than a curved system. Nobody should be punished for doing well. Also, some classes are better than other classes gradewise, as our class of 2009 is apparently the best in several years, and the curve would nullify that. I like being in one of the best classes to attend BCM.
Curriculum wise, BCM beats UTSW hands down.