Baylor College of Medicine Class of 2013

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nv45 said:
how long until you think we will know whether we are merging with Rice or not?
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I'm personally thinking it's almost a foregone conclusion at this point...
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MD13 said:
I think it's possible it might get approved before we start school, but who knows..

If they do merge, I wonder what the name will be..I'm hoping for something like Baylor College of Medicine at Rice University..best of both worlds...I don't really like the sound of Rice University School of Medicine, but I guess I could like it eventually..
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"Baylor College of Medicine at Rice University" is a bit of a mouthful, but then I guess you could tell med people "Baylor" and non-med people (who still think Baylor=Waco) "Rice."
 
Below is a joint statement by Bill Butler, the interim president of Baylor College of Medicine, and me announcing that the governing boards of our two institutions have given us the go-ahead to sign a memorandum of understanding about a possible merger.

The MOU lays out a framework for a formal period of due diligence and negotiations that may lead to an agreement to merge. As the statement indicates, no decisions have been made and many complex issues remain to be resolved before we will know where those discussions take us.

My colleagues on Rice's leadership team and I are pleased about this sign of progress. We are also very mindful that there will be a lot of work ahead of us to ensure that a closer affiliation is in the best interests of both institutions. We will count on you to continue to share your ideas about what a merger with Baylor may mean to Rice, including risks we need to mitigate and opportunities we need to explore. And we will be calling on our faculty and staff to help us identify and resolve a wide range of implementation issues on which a successful merger would depend.

Thank you for the input many of you have provided that, in fact, helped bring us to this important, and possibly historic, moment.
I'll be keeping you posted as this next round of discussions progresses.

With regards,

David W. Leebron
President
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That's what Rice president Leebron has said. Basically I think the MOU or whatever they're calling it means they are merging, but slowly. From what I've heard there are no plans to change the name completely, probably something more like "Baylor College of Medicine at Rice University" like MD13 said. But it's going to happen eventually and it can only be a good thing in my opinion.
 
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emewe said:
That's what Rice president Leebron has said. Basically I think the MOU or whatever they're calling it means they are merging, but slowly. From what I've heard there are no plans to change the name completely, probably something more like "Baylor College of Medicine at Rice University" like MD13 said. But it's going to happen eventually and it can only be a good thing in my opinion.
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Maybe its just a question of semantics, and not worth nitpicking...but taken loosely, one could argue that BCM and Rice are already "merged." They have lots of joint programs and have been well connected and associated for years.

One could also argue that the "merging" is in process (kind of like what you're suggesting) in that they are working out the logistics and that we can assume its a done deal because they are, well, "merging" as we speak.

But I take the word "merge" to mean the event horizon, the point of no return when endowments and money get shared, names get changed, and official announcements get made--not MOUs or the like.

Either side probably can back out at any time, and until there are signatures and money, I wouldn't count any chickens yet. Not that I don't doubt it will happen, but I don't consider it happened.
 
MD13 said:
exactly..best of both worlds.
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When I asked that Baylor administrator about the rankings, I also asked that if Baylor and Rice did merge what the name change might be, and she told me it would most likely be "Baylor College of Medicine at Rice University"
So I think thats what it will likely be...

And its not like we will be alone with that kind of name, I know Cornell's med school is called Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Chicago's is Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago and Northwestern's is the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.
Most pple call Cornell's "Weill Cornell or "Cornell Weill," Chicago's "Pritzker," and Northwestern's "Feinberg"
Most pple might just say "BCM Rice" or something
 
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conversationally maybe it'll still just be "Baylor" kinda like it is now. Or do people say "BCM" now? BCMR perhaps?? cornell students referred to themselves more casually as just cornell. weill cornell is kinda awkward.

but formally "Baylor College of Medicine at Rice University" sounds gggreat to me!
 
MD13 said:
Has anyone completed all their financial aid stuff yet? I haven't yet chosen a lender--anyone care to help those who are still looking choose the best one?

According to their website, Discover seems to have no fees whatsoever and 0.25% interest rate reduction is automatic payments are set up (also it says their subsidized interest rate is 6%, but I thought it was fixed by the govt at 6.8...not sure if this is real or not)

On a different note: do we simply just write in the name of the lender, or do we have to talk to the bank(s)/get approved/etc beforehand?

Anyway, I would appreciate input/insight if anyone has any.
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I think for choosing a lender all you have to do is select them on the website and the approval process is taken care of from there. I'm pretty sure all the ones on the list on the website will approve us.

I'm so lost I don't even know where to start choosing a lender, I didn't look at Discover's website but the few I tried were really confusing and I couldn't figure out the difference between them all. Any advice?
 
emewe said:
I think for choosing a lender all you have to do is select them on the website and the approval process is taken care of from there. I'm pretty sure all the ones on the list on the website will approve us.

I'm so lost I don't even know where to start choosing a lender, I didn't look at Discover's website but the few I tried were really confusing and I couldn't figure out the difference between them all. Any advice?
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I went with Discover...there is an SDN thread on it (Discover specifically), worth reading. Just search for it.

Discover is relatively new in the stafford loan game (class of 2012 was first to be offered as I recall), so nobody's has experience with them beyond receiving loans from them, but they appear to be the only ones with no fees this year.

It sounds like any other perks that banks offer have NO guarantee (they can change terms at any time), so you're best with up-front advantages (ie no fees). Not trying to sell you on it, I just couldn't find any good reason to go with anyone else.
 
MD13 said:
Has anyone completed all their financial aid stuff yet? I haven't yet chosen a lender--anyone care to help those who are still looking choose the best one?

According to their website, Discover seems to have no fees whatsoever and 0.25% interest rate reduction if automatic payments are set up...don't know if there is anything better or not..

On a different note: do we simply just write in the name of the lender, or do we have to talk to the bank(s)/get approved/etc beforehand?

Anyway, I would appreciate input/insight if anyone has any.
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Chase and Wachovia have the same 0.25% reduction deal, but I guess Discover is new according to someone above so they might be better?

I am a bit lost on the FinAid stuff too so if anyone knows what is going on please post.....I was not on Fin Aid for undergrad so I am not very familiar with this stuff so any input would be appreciated!
Thanks!
 
MD13 said:
Hi guys--I'm going to go ahead and withdraw from all of my other schools!

I have a question about the Texas schools though--I received pre-match offers from all the Texas schools but chose UTSW on January 15th..do I need to send an email to the other texas schools as well (other than Southwestern), or have I already withdrawn?
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nope, you should already be withdrawn from your other texas schools. after the match, i didn't receive any more emails or anything else from them. congrats on coming to a decision!!
 
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Hey guys, did you hear about our new grading policy? I think its really awesome. Our pre-clinicals will change from honors/high pass/marginal pass/fail to just pass/fail. And even if you fail once, you get another chance to pass.
Check it out:
http://www.bcm.edu/osa/2013/

click on "Grading System Changes Fall 2009"
 
nv45 said:
Hey guys, did you hear about our new grading policy? I think its really awesome. Our pre-clinicals will change from honors/high pass/marginal pass/fail to just pass/fail. And even if you fail once, you get another chance to pass.
Check it out:
http://www.bcm.edu/osa/2013/

click on "Grading System Changes Fall 2009"
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AWESOME. Funny, I was just thinking 2 days ago that if I had any reservations about the curriculum at BCM, it was the grading scale. Not that I got the sense that bcm was a gunner school, but this is great news. Thanks for the heads up, nv45.
 
Hello everyone,

I was just accepted to BCM (off the waitlist), and I'm now trying to decide whether or not to withdraw from UTSW. I'm leaning toward Baylor, but UTSW has offered me ~$7000 a year in scholarships. If I understand correctly, Baylor is about $6000 per year more expensive than UTSW (between living expenses, tuition, and fees), so that would add up to ~$50,000 greater debt after 4 years (4 x [$7000 + $6000]). Is it worth it?
 
I withdrew today. Hope someone else is happy there!
 
Longhorn86 said:
Hello everyone,

I was just accepted to BCM (off the waitlist), and I'm now trying to decide whether or not to withdraw from UTSW. I'm leaning toward Baylor, but UTSW has offered me ~$7000 a year in scholarships. If I understand correctly, Baylor is about $6000 per year more expensive than UTSW (between living expenses, tuition, and fees), so that would add up to ~$50,000 greater debt after 4 years (4 x [$7000 + $6000]). Is it worth it?
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wait how is Baylor $6,000 more expensive without including any scholarship money? They should be the same if you are a Texas resident. Accordingly, you would save $28,000 by going to UTSW over Baylor..In any case, thats a tough decision. I also had to make a decision between UTSW and Baylor (though I had no scholarship money from either). To put it simply for me, I think Baylor has everything that UTSW offers..but it also has a lot more. Name one thing UTSW has and Baylor will have the same thing to counter (e.g. big research, county hospital, etc.), but naming everything Baylor has, UTSW can't counter everytime (e.g. top specialty hospitals-Texas Heart Inst, Menninger Clinic, etc.). That kind of simplified it for me. The cost issue however can complicate things. If your rich enough to where $28,000 is like not THAT big of a deal, then go with Baylor. If $28,000 will be a heavy burden that is unbearable, then go with UTSW. I don't think however you will regret your decision because both schools are Tier 1 medical schools and you absolutely CANNOT go wrong............except if you join us at Baylor you will have pass/fail during all your pre-clinicals, take the USMLE whenever you want, and do your clinical rotations in any order you want...but who is nit-picking?
 
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MD13 said:
Hey just wondering--does BCM still send out bumper stickers / confirmation after you send in your deposit? How long does that usually take? I need to decide when to close my campus mailbox..
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I think I got mine like 2 weeks after they received my deposit, and I live in the Houston area
 
Hey,
I recently got in, and I wanted to ask you some questions. I need to be out of country on June 2nd and will be back close to orientation day. I was going to call bcm on Monday, but I was wondering what are the things that I need to take care of before I leave. Also, where can I go to find out more about the apartments. Any advise would be appreciated! can't wait to see you all!
 
benjjang751 said:
Hey,
I recently got in, and I wanted to ask you some questions. I need to be out of country on June 2nd and will be back close to orientation day. I was going to call bcm on Monday, but I was wondering what are the things that I need to take care of before I leave. Also, where can I go to find out more about the apartments. Any advise would be appreciated! can't wait to see you all!
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Go to http://www.bcm.edu/osa/2013/

I believe the needed instructions and links are all there: having your university send new transcripts, faxing your immunization records, choosing a lender, doing the PRN survey and online prelim registration form, and sending deposit $$ (plus anything else I'm forgetting). Welcome aboard.
 
Hello NEW BAYLORITES!!!!!

Congrats on your acceptance.

If any of you are looking for housing and haven't found it yet, I am a recent graduate looking to rent out my awesome townhouse. It's not in ghetto condoland but in West U/Upper Kirby. It's 2BR 3BA with a pool and 1.5 mi from school.
PM me if interested- The current tennant will be gone by July 1st. She is actually looking to stay but would need a roommate to share costs.

Will go quickly and I will give a discount to BCM students!
 
I think I check this thread at least twice a day (I know, I know, I should just subscribe). I know I should be savoring my relative free time while it lasts, but I can't help feeling like a kid before christmas...let's get this party started already.
 
Karamazov, you're not the only one :) I agree, lets get this going already.
 
I'm doing the exact same thing lol....can't wait to meet you all in July :) I'm out of the country without internet access for most of the summer but I can't even imagine how addicted to this site I'm going to be when I get back! We should try to have a get together in July once everyone is in town before orientation for those of us too impatient to wait :)
 
Hey all, looking for a bit of help here. I recently was accepted into BCM class of 2013 and have to decide if I will be attending or not very soon. As of now, my choices are between BCM and UTHSC- San Antonio. I had a few questions regarding BCM that I was hoping someone could help me with.

1. For 3rd and 4th year students, are you ever on call overnight?

2. I heard that they changed the grading system to pass/fail for years 1 and 2. What kind of implications does this have for future students?

Thank you all for any help which you may give me!
 
Falcon01 said:
Hey all, looking for a bit of help here. I recently was accepted into BCM class of 2013 and have to decide if I will be attending or not very soon. As of now, my choices are between BCM and UTHSC- San Antonio. I had a few questions regarding BCM that I was hoping someone could help me with.

1. For 3rd and 4th year students, are you ever on call overnight?

2. I heard that they changed the grading system to pass/fail for years 1 and 2. What kind of implications does this have for future students?

Thank you all for any help which you may give me!
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I'll bite...
As far as call, we definitely have it easier here at Baylor vs other medical schools. I don't think I ever had overnight call (where I stayed for 24-30 hrs) on any of my core rotations. We do have late call, where you work up a new admit and usually end up staying until 10 - 11, depending on your upper level resident. Even on OB, you work a week of nights, but its just nights, not overnight call. Now as you advance in your clinical years and start to find you interests, you may end up staying overnight on an elective rotation in your chosen specialty, but its your future specialty so it shouldn't be a big deal...right...lol.

The change in the grading system shouldn't have too many consequences, seeing as though Baylor was a very collegial environment with the old grading system. However, I think that it does place more emphasis on you the student as far as how motivated you are. For example, only you can decide if you are happy with a 71% vs 99%, both of which will be PASS.

Any other students feel free to add/correct/criticize anything that I have written. I'm 7 days away from graduation, so my perspective may be a bit skewed. And yes, call is overrated in med school...lol
 
I know students are still ranked at UTSW even with their new P/F policy, on the other hand Baylor students aren't ranked, am I correct?
 
Any OOS people accepted this year get a $1000/yr scholarship in order to qualify for IS tuition? I'm applying for 2010 and Baylor is my top choice and I'd like to know what my chances are for getting a scholarship and qualifying for IS tuition.

Thanks.
 
Ricegrad05 said:
Any OOS people accepted this year get a $1000/yr scholarship in order to qualify for IS tuition? I'm applying for 2010 and Baylor is my top choice and I'd like to know what my chances are for getting a scholarship and qualifying for IS tuition.

Thanks.
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I might be mistaken, but I don't think that Baylor operates by that rule since it's a private school.
 
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Hey guys, thanks for the responses to my questions. I do have two more, however.

1. For MS3 and MS4 students, how have you (were you) treated your 3rd year as a medical student?

2. I am in quite a bind in regards to housing. Are there any good places that you can recommend that are close to BCM which may still have available space?

Thanks!
 
Ricegrad05 said:
Any OOS people accepted this year get a $1000/yr scholarship in order to qualify for IS tuition? I'm applying for 2010 and Baylor is my top choice and I'd like to know what my chances are for getting a scholarship and qualifying for IS tuition.

Thanks.
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yeah, I'm OOS too and I've considered the same thing. I think that Jolie is right. I think the $1000 scholarship and you get IS tuition only applies to public schools in Texas, not Baylor. Which would make Baylor much more expensive for me than a UT school (but oddly still less expensive than my own state school! ;)) As an aside, I believe the word is that very little money in scholarships is available this year at Baylor bc of the economy/endowment etc. anyway.
 
Hey, is the new P/F system a "true" P/F system? Meaning, are internal grades still gonna be used for AOA status and class rankings for residencies?
 
What hospitals do BCM students normally rotate through? By normal i mean hospitals at TCM that are not considered away rotations (so not Md Anderson).

THanks!
 
There are some rotations that aren't 'aways' through MD Anderson - I did a month of psych there, and people have done home electives in ENT, neurosurgery, anesthesia, etc. It's only a medicine-oncology or surg onc rotation that would be aways. Silly that they haven't merged those departments, but oh well.
 
Trying to answer a few of the questions asked:

How are students treated?
I don't feel there is any true malignancy-expect some good natured riffing and some scut work, but that's par for the course. The only thing that bothers me a little is some residents will complain about us being "spoiled"or "lazy" (no overnight call, blah blah). I have found that the residents who say this are a tad bitter, and maybe didn't know what they were getting into with a Baylor residency (very high volumes, a lot of work) and enjoy making blanket statements about people instead of judging their body of work. I just brush them off and make them look silly by always being on top of everything and handling business.

I would agree that our main teaching hospitals are Ben Taub, the VA and TCH; however many of the neurology and psychiatry services you get to choose from are based out of Methodist and everybody does a subspecialty month at St. Luke's during IM, not to mention the other facilities you could rotate through doing standard Baylor electives (Menniger clinic,MD Anderson, Quentin Mease, TIRR, others I can't think of right now...)
 
Hey future classmates!

I have recently been accepted into Baylor :) I am OOS and heard that if I purchase a condo in Texas...it would be easier for me to obtain Texas residency status.

Does anyone have suggestions as to what condo places I should look into?? Preferably not too expensive and very close to the medical center :)


Thanks!!!!
 
exhausted99 said:
Hey future classmates!

I have recently been accepted into Baylor :) I am OOS and heard that if I purchase a condo in Texas...it would be easier for me to obtain Texas residency status.

Does anyone have suggestions as to what condo places I should look into?? Preferably not too expensive and very close to the medical center :)


Thanks!!!!
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Most students I think purchase condos in "condoland" (which is roughly a rectangular area bordered by Old Spanish Trail, Almeda, Holly Holl Street and Knight Road). I got mine there at Montreal Place a couple of months ago. Some other condo complexes I remember are Cambridge Court, Valencia Condos, Fontainbleau, Riverwalk, and some others....
The best way to find a condo is to go to www.har.com
Type in your specifications for what you want (how many rooms, bathrooms, price range, etc.) and find it that way. You can even type in the condo complex name (e.g. "Montreal Place") and see wat condos are available at that complex. They give you pictures and everything. This website is the official one for Houston Real Estate and I think its much faster than hiring a realtor and all that. If you need any help, don't be afraid to ask since I just got done learning about all this a few months ago.
 
Hi guys,

For reasons dark and secret, I am sending in my fin. aid now... I've combed through the online files and there doesn't seem to be a "deadline." Am I late already?

Thx.
 
Well, nothing you can do about it now, so no worries. I doubt you are really "too late." At worst, you will probably miss out on some smaller BCM specialty loans created by donor-types who lend money at a low interest rate. This loan comprises about 10% of my total loan package. Most of my loans are stafford loans. Since stafford loans are government backed, I would assume that the institution has a much greater supply of them. Thus, you might miss out on a good, small loan, but in the long run I bet it won't make that much of a difference.

Really, we will all be in $160,000 in debt together. What's an extra $100 or two?
 
Hey,

I am planning on visiting my family in Korea soon, and it might be a while I could go back and visit them again considering 4 years at bcm plus residency years. Thus, I wanted to get some gifts maybe a coffee cup or some t-shirts for my parents. Does bcm have their own bookstore or gift shop? If so, can anyone tell me where I could find them? Also, is it going to be open this week since I am planning on visiting Houston this Thursday?

Thanks in advance.
 
Hey yall!! I just got my letter a couple days ago and express mailed my deposit and acknowledgment form. Yay! :D I was thinking I would look for a nice 1br apt or find a roommate for my first year, but I was told that virtually ALL the out of staters buy condos to obtain TX residency after a year and the tuition to go along with it.

I don't have much money and neither do my parents, so how would I go about buying a condo to move into as ealry as July 1st? I have no proof of income either, until I get my loan package finalized from BCM and I have no idea when that'll happen since I JUST got accepted.

It just seems like it would be so much easier to just rent for my first year, but I know buying a place would save me thousands in the end, esp being able to sell it back and maybe even make a profit. Please, someone help! I'll be driving or flying up to Houston from New Orleans prolly within the next week or so check things out and hopefully solidify living arrangements. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! :confused:
 
benjjang751 said:
Hey,

I am planning on visiting my family in Korea soon, and it might be a while I could go back and visit them again considering 4 years at bcm plus residency years. Thus, I wanted to get some gifts maybe a coffee cup or some t-shirts for my parents. Does bcm have their own bookstore or gift shop? If so, can anyone tell me where I could find them? Also, is it going to be open this week since I am planning on visiting Houston this Thursday?

Thanks in advance.
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Yep BCM has a bookstore that is stocked with mugs, pens, shirts, and all that good stuff. It's the Majors Bookstore on 7205 Fannin St. Houston, Texas 77030. Looks like their hours on Thursday will be from 10a to 6p. Happy gift hunting! Enjoy your trip and I'll see you at orientation!
 
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