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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 13% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did okay.
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 816 responses
Score Reference:
9โ10 Exceptional8โ8.9 Very Good7โ7.9 Good6โ6.9 Mixed< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the areaโs cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
๐ฌ Interview Questions โผ
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about past failures and learned lessons, observations of negative aspects in the medical field, interests in specific specialties, proud achievements, important traits in doctors, ways to handle stress, reasons for pursuing medicine, and views on current healthcare issues. Some respondents mentioned being questioned in an MMI format with a focus on nondisclosure agreements, while others highlighted a variety of personal and academic topics explored during the interviews, such as research experiences, leadership skills, and motivations for entering the medical profession.
tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it
Tell me what you think about the homeless situation in Austin and how the city has responded. (since that's where I'm from and because I'm been working with the homeless community for a while)
Interviewer 1 (student): why do you want to be a doctor? Why Baylor? Tell me about your senior research thesis. Tell me about your patient interactions. Have you ever shadowed a doctor, or gotten to see what a doctor does on a day-to-day basis? I see that you're a musician; what do you play? What did you do with the musical group you joined? Given all your diverse interests, what happens when, a year into your medical education, you decide that you find something else more interesting? When you were a part of a medical research lab, did you feel like an outsider since you had a liberal arts background/how did you deal with that? Is there anything else in your application that we haven't covered? What are your two biggest strengths and biggest weakness? Do you have any questions for me?
Int#1:Tell me something you're passionate about. (later) How does this relate to medicine? (would have picked a different passion if i knew that was coming)
Int#2:Tell me about a time you were misjudged. (very vague, wouldn't clarify)
What do people in Austin think about Vince Young's cashing in? Surprisingly hard for one who's been somewhat trapped in the local VY lovefest. I also think he was testing if it would stand up to a contradictory point of view.
If you had an ethical problem with what the hospital administration wanted you to do, how would you handle it? (For those of you who are suddenly panicked that the interview is hard, this was as bad as it got. All of the others were very generic and straight-forward).
Do you think you're going to like your daily activities as a doctor? (Weird question because who is going to say, 'No, I'm not going to like the daily activities of a doctor.'?)
Do you have any questions for me? One of the interviewers kept asking me this over and over again. I had a few pre-prepared but ran out after 6 of them and had to think them up on the spot which is a bit difficult when you're nervous.
What person/people have most shaped you, and how has their influence prepared you for medicine? What are your strenghts/weaknesses? How has activity X influenced you? What have you learned from your volunteering?
What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of Baylor that you've noticed? (Everyone I talked to said that a "Why Baylor?" question is almost always asked)
Students said most interesting question asked at Baylor College of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including scenarios about patient care, ethical dilemmas, personal background, and healthcare challenges. Some interviews were in MMI format with questions about research, personal experiences, and hypothetical situations, while others were more conversational and focused on the applicant's motivations and future goals.
specific questions about my research and next steps
I was asked an ethical question regarding a patient who tested positive for HIV. Patient asked you as the doctor to not tell his pregnant wife since he contracted the disease most likely from his prostitutes. What do you do.
During our clinicals, medical school students have to be the last in line when treating a patient. First is the physician, attending,resident , etc. so when it is your turn, the patient is usually tired and grumpy. How would you deal with a non compliant patient in this situation?
After telling my student interviewer about a class that looked at the culture of illegal drug use in the US, he asked me how I would solve the problem. After I gave my answer, he apologized for giving such a hard question.
When you have a patient that has an option for a non-essential treatment (one that isn't a life or death decision but one that would prolong or improve the patient's life), what would you do if the patient had been turned away from Medicare, etc.?
Given your family's vast experience with physicians, what are some attributes you would like to emulate and what are some attributes you would change about those physicians?
"Tell me about your greatest strengths, weaknesses, and challenges you've overcome. What I'm looking for here is about two strengths and weaknesses..." My first interviewer told me how to pattern my answers, which was a little strange.
How would you set up such a medical program? (In my essay I talked about wanting to offer medical aid to the place I've been on several mission trips to)
what is your biggest pet peeve. this was asked by the student interviewer, and it was supposed to be an "ice breaker" question. it kind of caught me off guard, but I guess I did ok, cuz I got in!
How I would balance family life with medical school.
What I thought the biggest problem facing healthcare in America was (you shouldn't ask someone like me that question because I can't talk much science but I can talk recent social and policy issues! took me about twenty minutes to cover that question alone)
Explain your research to me as if I'm a layman, and explain why it should be important to fund....not really that interesting because I saw it on SDN before. Actually, both my interviewers only asked me easy questions for about 10 minutes, and the rest was just me asking them stuff....my student basically told me I would get in.
Can physicians return to governing their own practices with insurance companies, government, pharmaceuticals, and attorneys trying to dictate medical practice?
A series of what the interviewer called "my rapid-fire questions" at the end of the interview. He basically asked me a string of questions that he wanted two-second answers to: what's more important-your values or the patient's, what's the most recent book you read for fun, what would your ideal date be like (what?)
Do you know what the income tax rate is in England? We were talking about nationalized health care and I was asked this question to see if this program would be suitable for the United States. The answer is 60% while ours is 33%.
Which three classes that you took undergrad will help you most in medical school (mostly because everything i guessed he said was wrong - he ended up telling me that my english classes were most important)
Students said the most difficult question asked at Baylor College of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including addressing healthcare problems and solutions, conflict management, diversity in patient interactions, career challenges, significant healthcare advancements, personal failures, and ethical scenarios. While some mentioned specific MMI scenarios and non-disclosure agreements, the questions largely centered around personal experiences, values, future goals, and critical thinking on healthcare challenges and solutions.
what is a problem in healthcare and do you have a solution for it
Questions about current healthcare problems and how to solve them. Both interviewers asked this. It wasn't a problem for the student interviewer, but my faculty interviewer said "any more" after I said 3.
We have a range of hospitals that we work with, public/poor to private/rich, what do you forsee in treating at these different hospitals ? Will you have to do things differently ?
What will you be doing in five years? Only because the interviewer had made me really nervous and I forgot that I'll be starting residency in five years :/ Oh well...
An ethical situation: You area urologist and gave a man a vasectomy a few years ago. His wife is now pregnant and he comes to you to get the vasectomy redone. Once you get started, you discover the first vasectomy is still intact. What do you do?
Tell me one thing you like and one thing you don't like about research. What about medicine or what you have seen in the hospital. --- telling this to a PhD interviewer who clearly has devoted her whole life to research.
What will you do to find a balance between being emotionally connected with patients and being confident in order to provide a source of strength for your patients?
Name one person who has really influenced you and told you something about yourself that you didn't know (the 2nd part of the q. stumped me but that's just me..it should be pretty easy for most ppl)
If you were on a date with yourself, what would be the thing that would bother you most about yourself?
and
If you couldn't go into medicine, what field would you want to work in and why?
I noticed that you had a hard semester during your sophomore year. Med school is going to be just as hard, if not harder, than that semester. How do you plan on coping with that?
Should funding for research only be given to projects with immediate, direct clinical applications or all projects that seek to understand the world around us?
I was asked about a grade I had received in the past. It caught me off-guard because we had been told that the interviwers' copies of our application would have our grades and MCAT scores whited out.
Ethical situation...you are a doctor, you have a patient that is two months pregnant but it is just found out that her child has down syndrome...what you tell her?
Nothing really...I was expecting a difficult question because I got into Rice/Baylor's straight med program before but turned it down, but neither of them asked me about it.
Name a personality flaw that you hold that does not bode well for you and explain how you will go about making sure it does not become problematic in medical school.
Nothing, really... the first interviewer (med student) had only by-the-book questions (problem with healthcare, hardest thing I've been through, etc) while the second one (faculty) was conversational, more about my personality.
My second interviewer asked my why I didn't have very much clinical experience like 5 different times. I know that it's a weak part of my application but what did she want me to say?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for their interviews by engaging in mock interviews, reading over their application materials, practicing typical interview questions, and researching the school via its website, SDN, and student feedback. They also emphasized the importance of self-reflection, relaxed demeanor, and being well-versed in their personal experiences and motivations for pursuing medicine.
mock interview with an MD who's been on an ADCOM, preparing bullets for common interview questions, positive affirmations lol
I took really detailed notes on all of the information available for prospective students on their website, and I made sure I was really aware of BCM was unique among all of other medical schools. I focused not only on why I was a good fit for Baylor but also on why they would benefit from having me in their class. I learned about the school's culture from current students and talked about why I identify with their student body. I looked up typical interview questions and brushed up on current events. I also did many practice interviews with friends and with the career center at my university.
Read every page of their website. Wrote down notes on their strong points. Reviewed my application to make sure I knew what I wrote and could talk about my experiences.
Previous interview, mock interview, researched BCM website, spoke with a BCM student, reviewed the basic questions expected in an interview (e.g., why do you want to be a doctor, why this school), SDN interview feedback.
Practiced interview questions, read over the Baylor website and about their tracks (Underrepresented in Healthcare, International Medicine, etc.), talked to as many students as I could to get a feel for their culture and student life, thanks to my student host.
Read school brochure, looked over AMCAS, checked out the evaluation sheet that you have to give to your interviewers that states the criteria with which they are evaluating you specifically.
SDN, BCM website, personal statement, I would look over the AMCAS application..they give you a copy to give to your interviewers and that's what a lot of my q.s were based on
Read over CDC, WHO, and AMA websites; read over application, articles on BCM website, and recent Supreme Court decisions affecting medicine. Got some good sleep and relaxed
I way over-prepared! SDN interview feedback, read up on topics in healthcare and a medical ethics book, participated in mock interviews and had previous interviews. None of these things came up in my interview. Basically they just had me talk about myself for 30 mins. Both interviews were very conversational.
Read SDN feedback; extensively reviewed school's curriculum, special features, and resources; read through the whole of last year's acceptances thread; PM'ed several current students; read up on my biot ethics. I really want to go to this school, my first choice!
Read the materials Baylor sent in the mail, visited the Baylor web site, read SDN reviews, got to the Texas medical center very early to check things out for myself
Well, I didn't really. I just went in naturally. Mentally, I had gone over my reasons for wanting to study medicine and I wanted to make sure I communicated that with as much passion and credibility as possible and that was the main thrust of my preparation. I sort had a picture of what the interview would be like as I knew a few students from my alma mater who were already there.
I took the time to read over my AMCAS application, Baylor's website, current medical journals (Lancet, NJM, JAMA), and interview feedback on this forum.
I read several books and articles on health care issues in the United States, studied my application materials, and I read the NY Times along with other periodicals (e.g., Atlantic Monthly).
Read through Baylor's website and information that I acquired over the years, studentdoctor.net, interview questions that I downloaded from the internet, MSAR handbook, and USNews.com
Reviewed secondary application and AMCAS application. Read feeback from SDN interviews. Was able to talk to students that provided housing and that was very beneficial.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and enthusiasm of students and faculty at Baylor College of Medicine, as well as the strong sense of community and support. The innovative curriculum, early clinical exposure, extensive opportunities at the Texas Medical Center, and the welcoming atmosphere during the interview day were commonly highlighted as positive aspects that left a lasting impression on applicants.
everyone at baylor is happy and feels like Baylor is receptive to feedback, they have ework life balance, lots of social and emotional support by both faculty and students at Baylor
I was impressed by their openness and their laidbackness. They let us know that with the interview, they were just trying to figure out if we would be a good personality fit with BCM
The interview itself was really laid-back and most of the students at the panels etc. were really enthusiastic. In particular, multiple students went out of their way to stay after the panel to answer questions in the chat for 30+ minutes.
I was impressed with how many current students were involved with the Pre-Interview Social as well as the Interview day even though everything was over Zoom this cycle
BCM is located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, the biggest medical center in the WORLD . The students talked about how the culture of BCM is to really help each other succeed. There is no real competition for grades since it is PF so it would benefit them to work together to learn the material. This type of culture was thoroughly expressed by the students and faculty. My interviewers made me feel very comfortable, and only at the BCM interviews did I feel capable of wholeheartedly expressing what I wanted to do with my career.
The staff, faculty, and students I interacted with were all so kind. I know some people have said that Baylor comes off as rather aloof during the interview day, but that was not the impression I got at all. You could tell they really cared!
Their average Step 1 score is amazing: 243! Shortened curriculum and that they only have anatomy lab once a week. The integrated curriculum seems great too, and I like that they have a lot of time to study for Step 1.
Flexible clinical electives, TMC, research oppurtunities, integrated organ systems curr, half day classes, PPS/IPL, students were laid back, best facilities in TX.
AMAZING, mind-blowing medical center. clinical rotations and experience is just absolutely unbeatable. love the 1.5 year curriculum (that's really how it should be since clinical rotations matter the most!); 240 USLME step 1 scores! ; amazing research experience (a med student was telling me how he was able to have 5 pubs by working on the side); children's hospital is awesome; students seemed genuinely happy
The students, the curriculum, the facilities, the carpeted gross lab, crazy high Step scores, lots of potential for mentorship in any field imaginable. Pass/fail. Abundant clinical opportunities. Tracks. Research everywhere if you're interested.
It's a very expansive campus and everyone was very friendly. Had a great and lively impromptu conversation/interview with an alumni professor who teaches 1st years during the campus tour. There's a lot of opportunity there and things to do. The curriculum is very compatible to my likings.
Pre-clinical facilities were recently renovated and the Texas Medical Center was AMAZING!!! The hospitals and resources there are second to none. It was also in a really convenient area of Houston.
Clinical volume available at the TMC. Inside of BCM is seems very new. Pass/fail grading system in pre-clinical years. Students here have 8 months to do whatever they want (study for the boards, do research, get married..) because they finish pre-clinicals in 18 months. This means you can have tons of time to study for the boards. 20k/yr tuition OOS, and you can very easily get Texas residency from what I gathered. The medical students who helped run interview day were very friendly.
Seven hospitals! Or something like it. I think Baylor is unbeatable for clinical education. The students here are really well-rounded and seem to really like one another. I also love that the school is top ranked in both primary care and research....it's the perfect school for me. The weather in Houston is nice in winter, again perfect since I had cold weather.
Texas Medical Center: not only is it huge, there is yet more expansion to come, including the completion of Baylor's own teaching hospital (to be completed by 2011); the enthusiasm of the students for the resources available at BCM; the flexibility of the curriculum and ability to tailor it to your own interests; the diversity of opportunities for developing academic interests, obtaining faculty mentors, and boosting your residency application, weaved into the curriculum; the attempt to make Houston seem like a very interesting city to be in (I'm from Houston; so I have a bit of inborn skepticism); the humble/jovial attitude of the students (i.e., they were proud/confident of their school and own accomplishments, but no arrogance whatsoever); the atmosphere of cooperation among students; the unbeatable value of medical education at BCM (tuition is almost cheaper than my undergrad).
The students are fantastic. So many of them came by to meet the interviewees during the day, and then they took us out that evening.
The dean of admissions was very warm and friendly, and explained in detail how they would evaluate us after the interview.
Everything. Baylor has everything (AND INDEED, MORE) than the Ivy's and Hopkins have, but without the pretentious atmosphere and with an affordable price.
Baylor College of Medicine is arguably the best school in Texas with amazing resources at the Texas Medical Center. Apparently, you can have a ''handshake'' interview for many of the top ranked residency programs at the TMC (ie all you have to do is shake hands to get the residency). The students were down to earth and my interviewers were really nice.
Excellent teaching resources, very progressive clinical track. Tons of flexibility. Extremely affordable for such a high-ranked school. Strength of fellow interviewees.
Pretty much everything. Public transit more accessible than I expected (and free to students). Clincial facilities are diverse and highly respected. Texas Medical Center is the largest in the world and students can choose where to do rotations (private, public, VA) and in what order. Flexibility of curriculum. Friendliness of student body. Honors/High Pass/Pass/Marginal Pass/Fail scale would in theory engender competition among students but since grades are not curved, they all seem very collegial.
Stay with a student host! This was a really important part of the experience for me; I stayed at a student's apartment the night before and night of my interview. This allowed me to have a better understanding of the school and the cultural atmosphere before the interview took place.
Absolutely everything impressed me: the Texas Medical Center was amazing (the largest medical center in the WORLD!), with tons of opportunities and hospitals all in one huge area; the students were amazing, welcoming, and very well-rounded; they have lots of faculty that work with the underserved and international health initiatives; they reach out to the community and to other countries by creating new programs. It was absolutely amazing and I miss it already!!!!!
The facilities were AMAZING - TMC is huge! The students seemed genuinely happy there and everyone was very down-to-earth. Like how they start clinical rotations a half year early, super flexible clinical curriculum.
Really loved this school. The interview was very low stress. After the welcome speech everyone stood around talking and I instantly met a bunch of nice people, which relaxed me. The interviewers were mostly laid back and asked about items on my application. Lots of Baylor students were involved in the interview day, and they were all enthusiastic and happy with the school. The medical center is amazing, of course. The facilities are nice and all lectures are video recorded. Lecture class time is relatively short, and you start clinical rotations half a year early. The curriculum seems really well thought out. Endless opportunities at this school, including rotations abroad. Students really help each other- for instance the 2nd years were putting on a practice anatomy practical for the 1st years while I was there.
I LOVE LOVE LOVED IT...the best were the students..the curriculum..the board scores, and the clinical exposure and even though they know they are good i thought they presented their school in a really positive light without sounding obnoxious at all!
The students at baylor seemed very friendly. Moreso than some other schools. The interview day is scheduled nicely, giving plenty of time to interact w/ students and other applicants.
The Texas Medical Center is AWESOME! They have all these hospitals all in one area, very nice facilities, etc. What impressed me the most was the friendliness of the current BCM students.
Honestly, everything. I wasn't expecting such an amazing school--BCM's diversity of clinical experiences, both in the Texas Medical Center and in affiliated programs, are second to none; EARLY clinical exposure (starting in Week 2 of MS1); 18 month basic sciences curriculum; opportunities for research; special tracks designed to let you craft the curriculum to what you're interested in; happy happy students that glow about how supported they are by the faculty and administration...oh, and the building itself is gorgeous.
the texas medical center is amazing, students only have class from 8-12, the histology professor was amazing, my student host was incredibly accommodating and helpful
The people. I feel like I'm already part of the family. I also like the curriculum and the fact that you don't have to take you USMLE Step 1 before you start your clinical rotations. I also like how the 8 weeks of free time within the four years to do whatever you want.
The Texas Medical Center is outright amazing. It's the biggest medical complex in the world. You can't beat that. Diversity of experiences, therein, is incredible.
I absolutely loved Baylor. It is a top ten medical school in the country and has the curriculum that must be one of the best in the country. Only 1.5 years of basic sciences; Classes only until 12:00; and opportunities to pursue other interests such as research, international health, and underserved healthcare. Students are very friendly and laid back.
The Texas Medical Center of course. The curriculum(1.5 yrs basic sciences 2.5 clinical). The students and the lecture I sat in on. Students have free access to the light rail that runs from downtown to the medical center--makes transportation easy and cheap.
H/HP/P/MP/F grading--yay for differentiation. also they encourage competitive specialties. these were 2 big pluses. 1.5 yrs of sciences instead of 2, dunno what to think about that. oh baylors super cheap too.
Basic sciences completed in 1.5 years. Students seem very enthusiastic about this as it gives them opportunities for more electives. Extremely friendly faculty.
Everything...the year and a half pre-clinical is something that is really awesome considering it gives you an extra 6-8 months to take whatever electives you want. Clinical doesn't seem too stressful, but what is excellent is that fact you rotate in both public and a private hospital.
How kind the interviewers were: I had an interview with a second-year student who really put me at ease. He was very friendly, and that left me with a good impression of Baylor students.
Wow, just about everything: the size of the TMC, research and educational opportunities, curriculum, facilities, students, and my fellow interviewees. MD Anderson Cancer center is here and is arguably the premier cancer center in this country. The tuition at Baylor is ridiculously cheap, even for OOS residents, and you can become a resident after your first year. I particularly liked the tracks (read about them on the school's website before you go), the early clinical exposure, and that the students seem so happy. I think that Baylor highly values teaching and research backgrounds, and they also seem very open and receptive to non-traditional students. Some students serve on the admissions committee with full voting rights. I have the impression that the administrators care a great deal about student opinion and happiness.
The student seem very nice, the facilities are great. The interviewers make you feel relaxed. They explain in detail their selection process and their curriculum. BCM students are very involved in the selection process.
Baylor really tries to make the interviewees feel at home. Everyone was very friendly and did an excellent job of selling the school. The whole day was well organized.
The diverse patient populations seen at the Texas Medical Center. The many interdepartmental and interinstitutional research opportunities available (ex. Rice University Dept of Bioengineering).
Low cost of living in comparison to DC. Prior to beginning your PhD, you get to do 6 months of clinical rotations because of the basic sciences curriculum being compressed to a year and a half.
the clinical facilities were amazing--texas medical center is probably the hugest medical complex in the US and you have everything available that you may think about entering--from the public hospital Ben Taub to the private St. Luke's to a nearby Children's Hospital
Baylor is an absolutely OUTSTANDING school. If I am lucky enough to get accepted, there is no doubt that I am going here. Facilities in the Texas medical center are amazing--with training at St. Lukes for private health care training, at the VA for government-based national ccare, the Ben Taub general hospital for underserved/county care, AND a new outpatient clinic. The students and faculty here are very collegial, open, and positive--you can tell that the students are VERY happy--one reason may be the early introduction to clinical medicine(within the first two weeks of school starting!) and an emphasis on body system training instead of boring stuff like straight biochem.
The interview day is set up really well--very relaxed, fun, good tours, and great presentations. Even though it is an interview day, I think Baylor does a good job of making it no pressure--which is what it seems like they do for their med students during their time there.
Everyone there was amazingly nice. So much time off for students, yet they continue to be one of the best med schools in the country (9 months off to do whatever you want, such as study for boards, chill on the beach, do research, etc. They have some of the highest board exam scores in the nation. Such a diverse group of people, amazingly friendly and laid back yet hardworking at the same time. Clinical facilities at Baylor are unmatched in terms of their hands on patient care. Nice mix of VA, private, public hospitals, as well as outpatient clinics in the Texas Medical Center makes this an absolutely incredible place to learn medicine. Many faculty are tops in their fields.
The medical center in Houston is the largest one in the world. The student's were extremely happy and the curriculum is wonderful (only four hours of lecture, with most afternoons off); plus, you get to start clinical rotations after one and a half years instead of two! Also, all the applicants that I met were very friendly and enthusiasitc.
I was most impressed by the combination of the excellent curriculum, the friendly student body, and the opportunities available to all types of future physicians.
Everything I <3 Baylor. Seriously I was impressed by the financial aid packages, the 18 month basic science curriculum, the high board scores, the international electives and the international health and underserved tracks, the list can go on and on
Everyone seems really happy and friendly. The facilities are outstanding, and there are a number of opportunities to be had. Furthermore, if you're interested in peds, this is THE place to be. Apparently, you can avoid the match and stay at Baylor if the director of peds likes you, or something to that extent. Also, the tuition here is ridiculously cheap for a private school (or any school for that matter), and you can become a Texas resident after a year if you're out of state. An amazing place.
Size of TMC, enthusiasm of students, warm reception by staff and faculty... I sat in on a pathology lecture and the professor was running all over the place and getting the students really involved in the class. He was great.
how extremely friendly the students, faculty and the admissions staff were. the students were bright yet extremely laid back. amazing financial aid packages. TMC is simply huge yet gorgeous. Definitely one of the best medical centers to obtain medical training.
The school is very accommodating. I missed my flight and arrived at campus at 2:30 in the afternoon. I called ahead of time and the admissions staff was able to reschedule my interviews for later in the day. The lectures are videotaped. There are so many opportunities such as advanced tracks in ethics, world health, caring for the underserved, and research (which requires an extra year on campus). There is a wide variety of patients available. You will see everything from gun shot wounds to little old ladies in no apparent distress to dozens of different languages. Baylor even teaches a course in medical Spanish. Also there are tons of dual degree programs -- feel free to get as large of an education as possible.
Facilities, attitudes and personalities of the students (very dynamic and enthusiastic), flexible curriculum and clinicals, many opportunities outside of the traditional schedule (including abroad experiences and optional tracks)
beautiful facilities, the TMC seems like an inspiring place, students i met were pretty cool and laid back, curriculum is really flexible, clinical part starts spring of second year
everyone was very friendly, interview was really relaxed, students seemed very happy! Also, the curriculum and opportunities at Baylor are really cool. also, the other interviewees were really smart.
The curriculum that allows time for exploring your interests. Also, you can ask about research without them thinking you're trying to get brownie points. You're encouraged to do research here.
pretty much everything! i love their curriculum - it's systems-based, and they only have class from 8-12 most days and still get done in a year and a half! the students seemed to be a really diverse, talented group and seemed genuinely happy at baylor. they were also down to earth and relaxed and seemed like people i would enjoy spending time with. the texas medical center is amazing - there's so much there and you get incredible clincal experience at a variety of hospitals.
Dr. Karen Johnson. My advice to prospective interviewees make friends with her. she's easy to talk to but you will probably only have access to her for 30 mins. She remembers names and she wants that personal contact so she can advocate for particular students during the committee's review
The curriculum, the two med students who "took care" of us all day, the facilities, the texas med center, everything...the interviews are really chill
The students (obviously smart, but still very down-to-earth), the facilities, the curriculum, how med students are treated almsot as equals by attendings, pretty much everything
wealth of opportunities at the Texas Medical Center, curriculum (1.5 yrs basic sciences, clinicals start a semester early), different tracks based on personal interest
The people there were INCREDIBLY nice and personable. Maybe I had false perceptions of how admissions people would treat interviewees or how med students would be in general, but everyone from the students to the admissions staff people to the faculty were all very encouraging and friendly.
The students were all really really happy, and the weather was AMAZING! Think about it, there's no point in going to a place with "better" nightlife like manhattan, boston, or chicago when it's freezing as hell half the year you're in school and you're too damn cold to go out (trust me, i know, i'm from chicago)...baylor students seem to have a better life in that they go out practically every night, even if the clubs and bars arent as ritzy as other places but they're definitely a LOT cheaper!
Everything--I was expecting a really "Texan" atmosphere with mostly UT or A&M applicants, but it turned out to be a really interesting, diverse group of interviewees. The school itself is pretty nice (especially when compared to the other nearby med school). Also I met current students who had chosen Baylor over places like Hopkins and UCSF. Also, throughout the whole day no one at Baylor mentioned any of the other TX schools (or any other med schools for that matter), which was classy and nice.
The Texas Medical Center is amazing, my student interviewer was very friendly, my faculty interviewer talked about how her students come to her for all sorts of things--academic and otherwise, students have three afternoons free per week.
The interview day was coordinated and the respresentatives were polite and informative. I felt that the facilities were up to par and that the hospitals were above average. The curriculum was very much a "hybrid" setup and works well for the students.
the texas medical center is ENORMOUS and beautiful/new. there is every kind of specialty and patient population represented. students were very open and friendly.
I LOVE BAYLOR. it's an amazing place. the curriculm is truly flexible and involves several different electives/tracks students can choose. there is super-early exposure to patients, and with the condensed curriculm you have ~ 10 mos of time which you can structure. the students are so smart, funny and laid back. the clinical exposure is unparalleled--the tmc kicks butt! i loved the interviews and every aspect of the day, including the 12-9 schedule that saved me $ on a hotel (allowing me to fly in the morning of and leave the night of). a great day overall.
The facilities and the curriculum. Baylor is truly a gem in medical education. The facilities are the best that I have seen thus far and the curriculum is definitely geared toward clinical exposure. In addition, the students are genuinely happy.
Patient contact starts day one of medical school. Each student takes a class called Physician, Patient and the Society where you learn how to give diagnoses and take medical examinations. Also, after taking your clinical electives, you have at least 10 months free before graduation to do whatever you want. :)
Clinical experience in first 3 weeks, 10 months off to do electives or study for the boards. Inexpensive housing. A light rail system is scheduled to be finished next year, I think, which will make getting around much easier.
baylors start clinicals after 17 months of basic science. from that time on, they have 10 months free to schedule until graduation- vacation, extra clinical electives, abroad electives. International Health Program seems like a really interesting program.
My student host was incredibly kind and helpful, and she's pretty representative of most Baylor students. IMO, Baylor's greatest strength is the quality of the student body; they are very accomplished, yet still down to earth. The same was true of my fellow interviewees.
Students seemed like a happy crowd, and the curriculum seems very well designed to minimize unnecessary stress and give you freedom to pursue research or other projects.
Everything - the facilities, the opportunities, the students, even the area of Houston was not bad, and last but not least, the quality of my fellow interviewees was simply amazing and assured me that I was at a real top-notch program.
pretty much everything - students, curriculum, facilities. Curriculum provides for a ton of flexibility and/or time off. The students seem incredibly happy here and well-adjusted. They made it very clear that if you're ultra-competitive, this is not the place for you.
The students were very friendly and wanted to talk about their school. They came from ugrads all over the country and have a great diversity of experience.
EVERYTHING: the tour of the Houston Medical Center, the students, the faculty members, and the helpfulness of the admissions staff. The curriculum is also awesome and very unique.
The students were really cool. While waiting for interviews, all the 1st and 2nd years came in and introduced themselves. They were really chill, which made everything a lot less stressful. The facilities were also amazing.
Probably the other applicants being interviewed. I felt they were what I had anticipated my future classmates to be like. They were obviously bright, motivated, intense, and very friendly. The kind of people I want to surround me when in school. I was impressed with the admissions committee's skills at picking who to interview.
The Texas Medical Center including Children's Hospital, St. Luke's, and Methodist. The students did not have the competitive vibe to them that I thought I would find.
the immensity of the medical center - the friendliness of the students and the non-competitive atmosphere. peopel say it is a snobbish competitive place but i didn't get that impression. very impressive.
Applicants commonly expressed negative feedback about the interview day's organization, unstructured time, unimpressive presentations, lack of student enthusiasm, outdated facilities, parking costs and arrangements, as well as the interviewers' varying attitudes. Suggestions included improving the presentation's persuasiveness, addressing parking issues, enhancing the tour experience, and providing more structured interview schedules. Additionally, applicants noted concerns about the school's financial stability, the city of Houston, and the lack of student housing.
my 1st interviewer was grilling lol but tbh nothing was negative i love this school, wasn't expecting it to be my #1 but it is after the presentations!!
Presentation didn't seem like it was persuasive -- they didn't attempt to explain why we should come to Baylor, they just informed us about the school.
The tours that they led to the anatomy lab were somewhat unorganized. There was a tour every ~5 minutes led by different students who were just standing around waiting for something to do. BCM knows that since it's a top 20 school & the #1 school in TX, I felt like it was a matter of the interviewees needing to impress BCM vs BCM needing to win them over. Whereas other schools seemingly broke their backs to win students over (i.e. UTSW has a two-day interview, with the first day ending in a very elegant catered dinner in a high-rise building so you are able to see the Dallas skyline while current students were there with name tags eating and conversing with you), BCM's interview started at 12 and ended around 4; we got take-out from a local sandwich shop and we just ate our lunch while opening remarks were made.
Schedule of the interview day - not well organized. Also, lunch was pre-interviews and was a sandwich in a bag and we had no table to eat it at (so the crumbs went all over my suit)...
They also did not cover parking which I did not like. Almost everyone drove to the interview (Houston is a driving city) so we all paid for parking (in addition to the rental car, air fare, hotel, food, etc.).
Not much to complain about the school itself. I would love to be accepted here, definitely my top choice. Wish the weather weren't so hot/humid though. BCM has also had some negative media exposure in the past few years due to its financial problems, but these issues don't seem to affect the students themselves. Students also seemed to be stressed out (probably because MSI's were just about to have their first major exam though)
The financial instability. The recent instability of clinical affiliations. It seems like administrative types got careless, overconfident, or were just haphazard in their planning. If the Rice/BCM merger happens, I would imagine that tuition would go up significantly to align with the current Rice tuition schedule. Even then, serious financial and credit issues may still be present. Very difficult/expensive to commute to school...simultaneously difficult to find housing nearby that suits families and dogs.
How most people come from UT or Texas anything. It can get really humid there. Interviews were pretty intimidating on my end and had me a bit concerned considering I exited both feeling like I made a bad impression (compared to previous interviews).
The interview day seemed extremely impersonal because they have so many people at once. I was surprised by how much I dislike Houston. Baylor is smack dab in the middle of a huge professional complex, and not the place to go if you want a college environment. No real rec center. I don't think I met a SINGLE MS1 the entire day. They aren't affiliated with MD Anderson or Methodist. Parking is $12/day if you want to drive to the TMC..?!!
Public transport in Houston. The "train" is laughable. Doesn't seem to be much to do in the city. Bad traffic, even on the weekend. Faculty interviewer had a half-smile on her face the whole time. Most boring interview so far.
Poor road design surrounding the school (but what can they do about that?), expensive parking, no BCM-affiliated housing, not a very bike-friendly campus, very metropolitan (nothing outstanding in terms of the natural environment), overly bulky welcome packet from the school.
Houston. I don't know if I could live there. I think it's funny that they put on an hour long presentation showing that it's not that bad to live there. Most of the students are from Texas and stay in Texas to do residencies. A BIG detractor for me.
Weather was perfect, but everyone said they have to minimalize time outdoors during the unbearably hot summer months. I'm not sure how long the school will be shared with Tulane; doesn't seem to cause problems except concerning bodies for anatomy (which may be remedied next year). It is a large class size (168), but they have 2 smaller afternoon session each weak (IPS,PPS) and set up a "PRN" group (don't remember what it stands for) so you get to know students.
Only the fact that the school contains just two lecture halls, one for the first years and one for second years. So, all day you are in classes from 8 to 12 in the same classroom. But, the facilities are beautiful!!
Nearly everyone there is from Texas, goes to school in Texas, or has some kind of affiliation with Texas. I was born in TX but live in CA - wondering if this has any bearing on my application...
Admission seemed so heavily dependent upon the interviews. Mine didnt go well and I got the impression that was all that mattered since they were going to rank you based on your interviewing score.
They seem to lack studying space because they come to Rice (I've seen them here). Lack of parking. Lack of on-campus housing. Oh, and I wish they had fed us more food because you don't get lunch and the thing starts at noon...
I think the only negative thing about Baylor is Houston itself. The weather is HOT and HUMID! This is a huge turn-off for me, but pretty much the only negative thing I can think of
There was a torrential rain storm on my interview day so we only got to tour one of the hospitals, but a hospital is a hospital. One of our tour guides was the least PC person I have every met, albeit funny.
weather, which prevented us from seeing the private hospital + I didn't feel as if I had connected with any of the individuals I met with (fellow interviewees, interviewers, student tourguides, nada). might have been b/c the interview group was so large (~50 people)
From the post-interview mixer at a local bar, how Baylor appears to show sizable favoritism to some otherwise underprepared, underdedicated, and underimpressive Rice applicants. This was exhibited by both some fellow interviewees and current students.
ben taub hospital--poor and sordid. st.lukes and methodist--rich and sweet but we didnt get to go due to rain. tour guide just quickly walked us through in silence pretty much. some rowdy URM interviewees were a big turnoff.
Not much to complain about other than typical interview stuff: lots of walking, Houston in September (hot and humid). Overall the day was well organized, and I liked that the day started at noon.
Hmm, not very much. Maybe I was a little surprised that considering how heavy into research Baylor is, I seemed to be the only person at my interview day who was interested in research. Also, students don't attend class much, but they watch their classes on line and still seem to do well. The school does give grades, unlike many other top schools.
that there is no "on-campus housing" so I feel that students may have a hard time building strong networks at first--but most students do live nearby and housing is very affordable.
The other interviewees were from such prestigious schools that I'm not sure I'd get along. I don't come from a background with a lot of money and I doubt I'd have a lot in common with the Harvard types.
It was extremely hot and humid in Houston. Besides that it would be a wonderful place to live. Baylor excepts mostly in-state residents because they except funding from the Texas state system.
the students, and staff, over-emphasized on the amount of free time that they have: instruction from 8-12 daily and 9 months off (for vacationing or whatever). But the still do amazinginly in their boards and matchings. About 90% of the interviewess (of whom there were 55) either went to school in, or are living in, Texas.
The student tour was very disorganized. The students seemed a bit too laid back and talked about how little time they spent studying and in lab. Their selling point was how much less work their school is compared to others. Also, they kept saying how much better their school is than the one next door (Personally, I was more impressed with UT-Houston than Baylor).
they changed last year from p/f to h/hp/mp/p/f grading - supposedly because students weren't doing as well on the comprehensive exam at the end of their 2nd year. also, the class is bigger than most schools (170), though that's really not too much of an issue. apparently it rains a lot in houston, but at least it's warm!
the first interview- very hostile and confrontational, the ad-com members who were students who basically stayed with us the whole day, and no matter how they try, can't hide the fact that baylor is *still* in houston
Not much. I hate the way high profile schools like Baylor give the red carpet treatment to students from Name-brand institutions almost shunning the rest of us and making us feel intimidated. then again, it's interesting to note that very few Baylor students are actually from those name-brand (better known as Ivy-league schools).
the length of the stinkin' tour, especially since i've already seen it all =0); they also seemed to make a huge deal about the interview, which i know is true, but it would just have put a lot of pressure on me if it was my first interview
Methodist Hospital (the largest private hospital in the nation) and Baylor may be ending their affiliation because Baylor wants to build its own clinic in a few years....it seems like a lose-lose situation to me though, but I guess we'll find out for sure in April once the current contract ends. Also, it seems like everyone was in-state, but I'm not....Baylor just got rid of its $4800 scholarship for all out-of-state students due to lack of funding, starting this year, and they didnt even bother to tell us, I had to ask financial aid.
length of interview day, interviewees weren't as close knit as at other interviews, not very approachable in the beginning interviewer who played devil's advocate with a matching, stony facial expression, high industrialized/urbanized feel of texas medical center, grading is similar to A-F starting from the middle of the first year
Even though the student we talked to played down the competitiveness of the school, there still seemed to be a lot of "gunners" and even "snipers"--a term I hadn't heard before which the tour guide explained was people who pretend not to care about their grades but secretly study all the time.
Houston is a very large city and the medical center area is very congested. Road work and construction seems to be concerns for the students as well as the ever-present parking situation. Transportation also was spoken of on several occasions.
the only negative thing (and it's not really that bad) was that one of my interviewers kept asking new questions before i was done answering the previous one; i think it's just a matter of his interviewing style, but it made me a little nervous; otherwise, nothing
I didn't have any negative impressions, but I did learn that this may not be the school for you if you're interested in primary care. You are given the opportunity to study and practice in a dynamic medical center, but it's primarily specialty based. You have the opportunity to learn from the best doctors and use this information in a primary care residency maybe elsewhere.
although baylor's system is technically open file, it depends on your interviewer. i had two faculty interviewers that hadn't read my applications, and I felt that their questions didn't really supplement my application much.
To be honest, nothing. I will say that most of the students complained about the parking/transportation system, but I could get over that very quickly if I'm lucky enough to get in.
The first interviewer was very nice, but the second made me feel like a piece of crap. She didn't really seem to respect me as a student, but I can't say that she represents the school in that regard. Also the fact that the interview day is 12-8 is quite annoying, especially for west-coast people who have to fly in the night before.
The interview there. I think it was the worst interview setup of all the schools I have visited. I don't think I'd like the weather there and trying to make it around there with no parking in the extremely hot summer doesn't exactly appeal to me.
Applicants commonly wish they had known ahead of time about the relaxed and stress-free nature of the interview process, the use of the STAR method for organizing responses, the afternoon timing of the interviews, the optional TMC tour at the end of the day, the emphasis on current health topics, and the need for comfortable shoes for the extensive walking involved during the interviews. They also mention the significance of the interview in the admissions process and the overall warmth and welcoming atmosphere at Baylor College of Medicine.
I wish I'd known that the interview was going to be in the afternoon. I'm a UGTA and I teach a discussion section Friday mornings. I thought the interview was going to be in the morning, like other medical schools, so I had gotten one of my co-workers to cover my discussion section weeks ago. I wish I had known that I didn't have to get someone to cover for me because they don't give you the schedule until a few days before your interview day
That my entire day would be spent in an auditorium with about 50 other interviewees. But I liked the other interviewees. There are really amazing people at this school.
That there is no paid parking for interviewees. That you need a very good map to get to campus if you're driving in (try to get one from an actual BCM student). To expect traffic to increase your travel time by at least half an hour, if you're heading to BCM for the interview in the morning or at lunch.
That you can get an mph at ut-houston concurrent with your 4-year baylor degree. pretty sweet. do epidemiology at md anderson sounds like a quality experience.
The interviewers receive a sheet with 6 categories in which they evaluate you. These are similar to the "admission criteria" found on the Baylor website.
That Baylor has an agreement with MD Anderson for the PhD aspect of the MSTP program, allowing you to work in any of the top-notch labs there and then return to BCM for your final clinical years.
I should have called ahead to make sure all of my transcripts had arrived so that I could have avoided some confusion early in the day (thankfully, they were all there, just under my maiden name).
put down the research interests you already have experience in...not just the stuff you want to learn--i was quizzed in a subject I was interested in learning about, but had very little experience in
That Baylor has the premier molecular and human genetics program in the country. I want to do translational medicine in some capacity and BCM provides the resources and talent from the ground up to make it happen.
How looong the interview day would be. I sat in on two classes from 10-12, 12 was the intro, 1-4 interviews and basic sci tour, 4-5 curriculum presentation, 5-6 clinical tours (don't recommend heels, my feet were numb), 6-7 dinner and life in houston presentation. I didn't attend the Two Rows Grill social at 7:30 (was ready to put on the jeans and tennis shoes). They feed you well throughout the day though and I really appreciated the thoroughness of the schedule. Also, we were told that the committee members selected applicants for interviews based on essays/activities - MCAT/GPA were whited out (I'm sure there was a certain cut-off for apps to reach the committee though). They meet at 5pm on the interview day to discuss the interviewees and rank them, then there's a program that weights MCAT/GPA along with their rankings and the top tier is called/mailed acceptance within 2 weeks. Rest go into the rolling pool.
I highly recommend staying with a student host! They give really great insight into life at Baylor, because the interviews take place before you hear the student presentations at the school. Also, I think it's important to show how much you are interested in Baylor. Also, my first interviewer was a professor, and my second one was a third-year that was really cool.
Also, the fact that they can learn the curriculum in a year and a half because they learn based on organ systems, not based on separate subjects like physiology, anatomy, etc.
There are also a ton of ways to get clinical experience beginning your second week of MS1! Ben Taub General Hospital is great for getting practical experience even in your first few weeks, because they need staff members and so med school students are a valuable asset to helping provide care.
Furthermore, classes are generally just from 8 to 12 Monday to Friday and the sciences curriculum is taught in a year and a half instead of two years! Which means you start clinical rotations a half year before students at other schools, and thus can have more experience in (and really, be done with clinicals), by the time you apply for residency.
nothing was a real big surprise..everything was standard and meant to just make us comfortable and inform us in the right way...what a great way to attract people to your school!
p.s. I would come extra early or get a really good map of the TMC so as to not get lost which I did!
You can do more than one track (like, international health and medical ethics); Baylor will find a way to let you pursue anything you wan; that it would be 85 degrees on Nov. 17
Admission is so heavily dependent upon the interviews. It appeared that gpa, mcat, extra curricular, and essay were only used to get you an interview and once there everyone was on an even playing field. Had I known this I would've prepared myself with marvelous answers!
No taxi drivers knew where Baylor is; if you say the Texas Medical Center, everyone knows where to go, and Baylor is right there. Maybe that sounds stupid if you're from Texas, and the TMC is kind of important but, coming from Michigan, I was completely lost.
That you gotta send your transcripts right when you get the offer to interview. Also, it's a pretty long day which ends with two hours of powerpoints. Also they have grades.
it was raining so we only got to see the crappy county hospital and not the nice private ones. you can leave right after your 2nd interview. day starts at noon and ends late.
Well, I was a little confused about which bldg the interview was in b/c they specify it in the interview invitation. So for those of you going there it's at One Baylor Plaza.
Houston has a large Hispanic population, so if you speak Spanish, you should definitely let them know that. Don't try to exaggerate your fluency, though. One of my interviewers did test me!
The admissions committee gathers at 5PM on the day of the interview to review and rank the candidates. If you are one of the top people in your interview group, you will be phoned in two weeks. If you aren't one of those lucky people, you may have to wait up until June. About 650 people ae interviewed, roughly 300 are offered spots, and 168 matriculate each year. Of the people being interviewed on the same day as me, about 1/2 had already graduated from college.
That their anatomy professors are awesome. I was a little hesitant after one past review on SDN, but after talking with students--that is completely the opposite of what is really true--students went on and on about how awesome they are and how they make the first year anatomy classes fun and MANAGEABLE.
12-1 PM-Introductory Statements
1-4 PM-Interviews, Basic Science Tours
5-7 PM-Clinical Tours, Life in Houston and Curriculum Presentation
7:30 PM-Optional Student/Applicant Gathering at Two Rows Bar and Grill
That they truly over-feed you. That 50-60 other people are to be interviewed on the same day, and that 90% of them are either Texan or go to school there.
Baylor College of Medicine is NOT affiliated with Baylor University at all! They may have the same name, but don't make the mistake of believing that they are the same.
That the day would be so exhausting. It was 12-8 pm...which was nice cause it didn't start so early...but it was still so tiring. Also, on the program of the day's events, nowhere did it indicate food would be there...it would've been good to know we'd have food (I wouldn't have lugged around snacks all day).
I had a great time during the whole interview day. I wish I had known it would be so relaxed, maybe I wouldn't have stressed so much. Ooh, also, the interviewers have these sheets that they use to rank you... I realized by looking at this that the interview isn't weight that heavily, it is really all about grades and coursework and experience.
That the most Baylor has is its name. There really is nothing wrong with this school and is probably a great place for some people but not right for me. The laid-back conceited types are not who I want to spend 4 years with.
I had an inclination that they were going to hold the admissions committee was going to make the decision the night after our interview, but I didn't know that it was while we were on our tour. By the time we went to the social, they were already done!
There are so many times to ask questions, so think of a LOT! Also, you get to meet tons of students and talk a lot. The whole day ends up being pretty long because you start at 12:00 but go until about 7... and then everyone goes to Two Rows afterward, which is pretty fun, so if you can you should go.
don't go on the tmc tour if you've had *any* kind of remote contact with any of the hospitals- because that's all you're going to get on the HOUR-LONG walking tour
Well, I already knew that they didn't really give you lunch, but I forgot to eat anyway. Make sure you eat enough and have a granola bar or something to keep your energy from dropping later in the day
That the admissions committee convenes the same afternoon to decide on applicants. Also that Baylor is planning on building their own outpatient clinic that will probably replace The Methodist Hospital for clinical rotations (~2007 completion). BCM interviews 600 people every year and accepts about 300.
That "looong" tour that they tell you to bring shoes for isn't so long. I felt stupid carrying a huge bag around all day with my shoes in it & ended up not even using or needing a change of shoes.
They decide whether to offer you acceptance or not that very same night! So I guess you are at somewhat of an advantage in interviewing so late actually, because you are so damn fresh in their minds. I guess you wouldn't really have to bother with thank you notes then. Also, I just learned about the Methodist rift, and the elimination of the out-of-state scholarship.
Ten months of vacation/study/research time to plot strategy or recreational venue. The students can do electives at any time during their clinical years as long as they meet the pre-requisite for the individual clerkship. The grading system was clever yet deceiving. You had to dig a little to get the real scoop on rankings. The adcom makes the decisions during the clinical tours but I do not recommend skipping out. Patrick (student adcom rep) is very observant and will notice.
nothing. the students gave a presentation on baylor curriculum, life in houston, and also the "10 months free" concept where if you plan your schedule a certain way, you could have several weeks of a break. also, they finish basic sciences in 1.5 years and the boards are not required to begin clinical rotations.
Texas residency seems fairly easy to get- get driver's license, voting, and own property for one year. many baylor students buy condos in Condoland- range from $60k-$150k, and since property values are increasing, can often sell back for a profit 4 years later.
Bring comfy shoes for the tour afterwards, they let you change and they dont have any official functions after. They make their decision on you the evening of the interview day while you are touring/eating.
Be prepared to be impressed. Also, you may want to eat a large breakfast right before you go because you don't get fed until around 6 pm, and even then you just get a sandwich and some chips.
Members of the admissions committee go out to Two Rows afterwards with everyone. Although you're already ranked based on that day's interview, you will still be ranked against upcoming interviewers. The point is, behave while you're there and know that pretty much anyone you talk to could be on the admissions committee.
You can get Texas residency by buying a condo in Condoland.
Also, it's a $60 cab ride between the school and the airport so make sure you take the shuttle or get your nice student host to drive you.
The admissions committee decides your "fate" that same night! after the interviews, the committee meets that night to vote on your status. baylor has a variety of degree programs available- you could do MD with an International Health focus or Ethics focus or research focus (1 year) and other areas related to the field of medicine.
They're very open about the way the admissions system works, with all members of the admissions committee voting in secret and a computer tallying up the results.
Wear comfy shoes for lots of walking (they warned us though).
How easy going the students are compared to what I was told to expect, such as cutt-throat. They are serious about what they are there to do, but still like to have fun in their free time. I also didn't expect the admissions committee to spend the first hour trying to make us feel comfortable and relaxed.
Applicants generally found Baylor College of Medicine to have a relaxed and enjoyable interview day, with some noting the interviews were conversational and not too stressful. Students appreciated the school's open and welcoming environment, impressive facilities, and opportunities for hands-on clinical experiences. Some applicants mentioned the long interview day, the friendliness of the students, and the quality of the curriculum as standout features of Baylor.
Decently conversational and chill interviews, but highly depends on your person, 1st was statis and emotionless while 2nd was super expressive and happy lol
Don't stress too much. Prepare/think about general answers, but don't try to construct and spit out answers word for word. You want to try to seem genuine.
This school was a completely different experience that I expected. I liked the students and curriculum a lot more than I thought I would, but I dislike the location, the ties to local hospitals, and its "past" financial problems. The cost is a big unexpected plus though.
BCM is an amazing place, and I would love to go there. Unfortunately, no matter how much they try to convince you, Houston is kind of a lame place to live.
It seems that a lot of people feel that their BCM interviews are a little impersonal. I'm not sure that's the best descriptor...but my interviews did feel pretty generic. And I would imagine that's by design.
One of my interviews here was the most stressful thus far (and I've been to higher-ranked schools). But that doesn't change my opinion of Baylor. If I get in, I'm 90% sure I'm going.
Student chairs for the interview day are extremely friendly. The day is long but well-planned, and BCM feeds you both lunch and dinner, as well as paying for snacks at Brian O'Neill's pub afterward, to compensate. Make sure your boots are made for walking, 'cause that's just what they'll do. Like the rest of Houston, TMC is absolutely sprawling.
Exceptional facilities. I think the strong point for Baylor is their clinical offerings. The fact that several of Baylor's programs have direct affiliations with MD Anderson (e.g. neurosurgery chair is head for both BCM and MD Anderson) and that Texas Children's will probably be the best pediatric hospital in the country in the next few years, it really a phenomenal breadth of experience to be had.
I had a student interviewer and a PhD interviewer. Be prepared to talk about what is relevant to your application even if you're being asked about irrelevant things.
My student interview was fantastic; he gave me about 10 minutes of questions and then said that he had a good sense of who I was and that I would be a good fit at the school. I got to ask him questions, it was very relaxed.
My faculty interviewer was very formal, took lots of notes.
I strongly recommend going to the social event that the school sponsors at a local bar, I talked with M1-M4s for several hours.
Phenomenal. The Medical Center is by far the nicest place to be a medical student at relative to the other top 10's I have interviewed and received acceptances to.
Actual interviews were very laid back/conversational and the interviewers discussed their experiences with medicine, which was interesting and informative. One was a ped er doc on faculty (she had read my app) and one was a 4th year med student (hadn't read my app). Interviews seemed really short.
Hm. First interview went very well, and was a nice conversation. Second interview was tough as all hell. Not sure if I did well or not; I was asked if my strength and weakness was contradictory. A bit worrisome.
Overall, I liked the school and its students. One of my interviewers was super weird, but I liked that both interviewers really read my application. I interviewed with ~50 people, which I didn't care for.
The day was pretty long, but everyone is so genuinely interested in you and wants you to come, that the time flies. It was an overall good experience and Baylor has become one of my top choices.
overall very pleasant experience. During the day you spend most of your time in one lecture room which is your home base. You'll talk with students, other interviewees, and go on a brief tour of the student facilities. In between, you have your two interviews.
Like most MD/PhD interviews, very low stress, a lot of them recruiting you. Its a pretty large program but the directors are very involved. Quite well organized. Just prepare for a VERY long day, since presentation, all 6 interviews (3 md/phd and 3 md) interviews, and tour are all on one day.
Great day - they keep you well fed too. Started at 12 with a light lunch (wraps) and an introduction. Two 30 minutes interviews sometime between 1-4pm, if you're not interviewing then you're hanging out in the auditorium which is your ''home base'' for the day - you can elect to go on a tour of the school while you wait/when you're done with interviewing. Curriculum overview at 4, the clinical tour (Ben Taub's, TCH, St Lukes - depends on where your tour guide takes you), dinner (sandwiches) at 6 with a funny presentation about life in Houston and a student panel (slightly disorganized). Day's over at 7pm, but you can go to an optional hangout afterwards at a local pub (I didn't attend)
The school emphasized that we should be relaxed, that they didn't want the experience to be stressful. My interviewers were friendly and asked straight-forward questions. They were both very familiar with my essays and experiences.
There were introductory remarks and lunch, time to chat with first years, two 30 minute interviews with either faculty or students, basic science tour, curriculum talk, clinical tour, funny presentation about Houston, and a student panel for questions.
I got the impression that students at Baylor are a nice blend of smart, kind, and down-to-earth. It's a great school without the Ivy League feel, which I appreciate. And for those of you who may want to go to Baylor out of state and have not yet applied: the best way to get an interview is to let admissions know you are interested REPEATEDLY! That's how I got my interview.
I had an absolutely wonderful experience..this was my #1 choice and the interview just confirmed it..everyhting from the presentations, students, interviews, tours were really laidback and aimed at informing and getting to know each other rather than grilling or boring!
I went in to this interview with less prep than I had gone in to with any other interview and didn't think I performed any less if not better! Just one note: send in your official transcripts to BCM if you are interviewing!!! I did not know this and it's quite imp.!!!
Aside from the interviews themselves, everything was quite impressive. The students seem great, the curriculum is awesome, etc. However the interviews (my first) were probably the toughest I've had. Neither interviewer was abrasive or anything, but Int#1 was quite stand-offish. Difficult to tell how he was reacting to what I was saying. Int#2 was a student, and much more open/encouraging. Still posed some hard questions, however.
I was really impressed by BCM, the students and the faculty were extremely nice and helpful, I'm excited to start there next July (I've been accepted).
Few into Hobby via Southwest (this is probably the best airport to arrive in since there are multiple methods of transportation from the airport to the medical center and surrounding hotels. From Hobby airport here is a Texans Shuttle ($18) and an Airport Shuttle America ($15) that will get you to your hotel or the medical center. Problem is, you might have to wait just a little bit (I waited 10 min) but it's worth not spending the $30 (given price) for a taxi. You can also take the 88 bus to downtown Houston and catch the Metrorail south to the Medical center (expect to wait for the bus though, it will take about an hour to get to the medical center but it only costs $1). I took the rail/bus to the airport on my way back and it definitely takes you through some shady Houston neighborhoods. I stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn which is about a mile south of the medical center. I highly recommend it. They have a deluxe breakfast to get you started and, if you arrive early enough the night before, there is a hospitality hour with free drinks & food. The price was $79 a night at the Baylor rate (be sure you ask for that rate) and was the cheapest of any of the hotels that Baylor sent me. There is a shuttle from the hotel that takes you right to Baylor (you can also call the shuttle to take you from anywhere in the medical center to the hotel. I met a student in the morning (8am) to sit through classes (biochem, endocrine, & histo). The last two lectures were quite amazing and the histo professor was quite hilarious throughout. At noon there is a intro session for the applicants accompanied by food after which there is a 3 hour period of interviews (you only have 2 30min interviews) and the rest of the time you can either chat with med students (who come in and get free food) or go on the basic science tours (about 20min long). At 4pm there is a description of how the ranking/invitation process works after the interview and a presentation on the curriculum. At 5pm there are clinical tours where we got to see Ben Taub's ER & Neonatal care, the Commons, and St. Lukes Hospital (Texas Heart Institute). Finally there was a very funny presentation on life in Houston followed by a student panel. Many of the applicants left after this, but in an effort to make the most of my day (I still wasn't tired), I went to Two Row's for the social event. Most of the med students @ Two Rows just showed up for some food and left to go bar hopping but the main guys such as the class president stayed around to entertain questions and give his criteria for choosing a med school. I stayed an extra night and spent some time on Saturday taking pictures of the medical center and exploring Houston.
What I loved most about the school was the obvious clinical experiences that the students were able to have. Even though they don't have sim labs, there are more than enough hands-on opportunities with real patients. It seems as though the med students have a good opportunity to get their hands dirty in medicine and act as interns would elsewhere (not just on the sub-I).
I really enjoyed Baylor...the whole interview experience is very low-key, you arrive at noon, which I appreciated, but it does make for a long day. There were about 50 or 60 interviewees there, based out of a large auditorium like room, that's fully stocked with food and lots of med students circulate through to answer questions and chat up the interviewees. After a brief introduction, you either go on a basic science tour or to your scheduled interviews, and hang out in the base camp in between. Then around 4 pm students come in to give the curriculum and clinical facilities intro, then you split off into groups to tour the medical facilities. Then you meet back for dinner and an informal student panel, and off to Two Rows for more socializing if you want. I bowed out of the Two Rows event, it was 7:30 pm and I was exhausted. I stayed with a medical student, which I would also highly recommend.
Lunch (mmm was good) at noon, introductions/icebreaker and short intro speech, interviews and basic science tours, more presentations, tours of the hospitals, dinner and more presentations
overall the experience was great. it was far more stress-free than i expected and had a fun time meeting students and fellow interviewees. i really enjoyed how structured the day was and how everyone went out of their way to make you feel truly welcome.
The interview day is long but very relaxed. You start off with icebreakers and hear about the school in general. Then tour the school and go on your interviews. After lunch, you tour TMC (which is a long walk but not awful on the feet ladies) listen to a student panel, and then go home. There is plenty of downtime between events and lots of students around to answer questions.
The night before there was a dinner at a doctors house. The food was good and lots of schmoozing occured. It wasn't my sort of thing but I just tried to be friendly and talk about my interests. It went well.
The next morning I have 3 MD/PhD interviews. One of these interviews was with an MD/PhD student; surprisingly, this was by far the most difficult one.
The MD interviews and tours were in the after noon. There were only two of these and they were pretty casual. They went well.
Compared to other schools, the tours at Baylor were quite boring.
Baylor is a wonderful place. Even though I am an MD/PhD applicant, I will still go to Baylor if I just get into MD. They have many wonderful programs at Baylor. Besides the Houston weather and the parking at the medical center, I feel very comfortable spending the 8+ years at Baylor. For the MD/PhD applicants, the interview day is longer than the regular MD folks. The night before you're invited to Dr. Plon's house (the director of the MSTP) for a little pre-interview dinner. The next day at 8AM, you go to the MSTP office, get breakfast, and listen to a short presentation about Baylor MSTP. From 9-11:45AM, that's the interview with two faculty members and a student (or two). Immediately after the MSTP interviews, you go straight to the medical school and Dr. Karen Johnson will start and welcome the applicants. After a brief talk about the day's events, you then go to your two interviews or basic science tours. After the interviews and the basic science tours, the applicants gather and hear the brief presentation about Baylor and Houston. After that, the applicants split into groups for the clinical tours... walking around the medical center. This is the hottest part of the tour because you have to walk outside. Finally the MD applicants come back for the student panel while the MD/PhD applicants go upstairs and have the end of day social with the MSTP folks. Afterwards, both the MD and MD/PhD applicants go to Two Rows for another social.
Baylor is a great school with outstanding resources and students. One thing that affects my opinion of the school (so take the opinion considering this) is that I am from Rice, so I can just walk to Baylor. I knew 2 out of the 3 tourguides, and there seem to be so many Rice kids it's crazy. Baylor, as a school, is very good and has some good opportunities. The flexibility of the schedule and large amount of free-time make Baylor a bit unique.
Awesome! Everyone was laid back. They give you a copy of your AMCAS primary with the MCAT and GPAs removed; your interviewers have the same thing, so no one who interviews you will know your MCAT or GPA.
I stayed with a 1st year student, which I recommend since you get to know the school and the students on a more deep/personal level. She was so sweet and accomodating. Morning of the interview I went with her to school and had a few hours to chill/relax before the interview, during which I watched Alias in their student lounge! The interview began at 12:00 with a introduction from one of the nicest individuals I have ever met in my life. The first interview was with a faculty who was hard to read and related to, but I made the best out of the situation. I really couldn't tell if he had read any of my file before coming in, which was a bit frustrating. The second interview was with an MD/PhD student and it was fabulous! He was so nice and easy to talk to, and I felt that the whole session flowed really well. Overall, Baylor is amazing with just one flaw which is Houston itself. If you can get passed that, you will love Baylor!
I loved this school! Well set up interview day...very little down time like at other schools and you have the option to leave after interviews are over for flights etc. The Texas Medical Center is the largest med center in the world(bigger than the NIH). It would be an amazing place to study and is brimming with opportunity.
One of my interviewers was a 4th year med student and the other was a faculty member. My student host invited me to one of her morning classes. In the past I was advised not to sit in on a class b/c it would have no bearing on my decision. I totally disagree. Not only did the class get me excited about Baylor, but also medical school in general. The professor was the most dynamic lecturer I have ever witnessed and the students loved him. I also got to see how the class interacted with one another.
50 interviewees in a lecture hall, all trying to describe how much they love Houston. Tours of the halls of the public hospital - look just like the halls of the other hospitals. Med students who were jittery from the test that they just had..
First interview was with a Ph.D. and was weird only because he wanted me to pattern my answers. I didn't know how to take it: was he just very pedantic and desirous of structured responses or was he trying to hint for me not to worry so much (for whatever reasons)? {I can only wish....) Second interview was wonderfully conversational. It was pushed up a half-hour because the person in front of me didn't show, but it gave me a chance to break the ice on the walk to his office. My interviewer was a pediatrician with special training in the business side of medicine (he teaches some of the MD/MBA courses) and we shared a connection about the cultural components of healthcare. He was also very receptive and non-judgmental about the minor disciplinary action I have on my recordââโ¬âโฌยvery reassuring that the school values applicants holistically. Overall, these were the most personable, laid-back interviews I experienced.
good option for texas students. best school in the region and in the south. i interviewed at some other good schools that had superior candidates. the out of state interviewees at baylor are markedly sharper than the in staters. competition among them for admission is much stiffer. medical center is a pretty impressive place, a good location to learn medicine. high tech and renowned, big buildings. parking is a chore though. 1 doc and 1 student interview. a lot of ppl dont like houston, summers are wretched too.
At first very intimidating. My first interviewer was very very serious. But at the end of the interview he finally cracked a smile and told me I gave a good interview so if it happens to you, don't stress, might just be the person's interview style. The second interviewer was also known for being serious but I didn't find that to be the case. He was pretty laid back and very nice.
Kind of a long day...12pm-7pm. Intro was decent, kind of useless though. the interviews were kind of laid back and very conversational. One was with a student and the other was with an MD. Everyone there seems to like what they do and are happy with the choice that they made. All the other applicants seemed a lot more competitive than me (I.E. they had a lot more ECs and life experiences than I did). After the 2 interviews, there was a curriculum overview, then residency overview, clinical tours, followed by dinner and then life in houston. The end of the day was an optional chance to hang out with med students at a bar & grill
Baylor is a top tier school, and it's easy to see why. See positive impressions for more about what specifically impressed me. The interview day was well-structured, with plenty of time to ask questions and talk to fellow applicants. It also starts later than most other interviews (12 PM), so if you're coming from the East, you can take an early flight in that morning rather than having to stay there the night before. The interview group here is VERY large, on the order of 60 students. But I actually liked that, because it gave me an opportunity to meet some of my potential future classmates. I had two interviews: one with a PhD researcher, and one with a student. The med students will talk up the trip to Two Rows, but I don't think that it lives up the hype. It's basically just a bar where you can hang out and talk to students and fellow applicants some more. But considering how long and tiring the day was, I should have just passed on going.
My interview was great. I connected with both of my interviewer. My second interviewer told me they would love to have me at BCM but it is past two weeks now and I am still waiting for the call.
Baylor is an incredible school with great faculty and clinical opportunities. The interview day was well-organized and allowed you to get to know the school and its curriculum better than some of the other schools I have interviewed at. The actual interviews weren't very stressful and seemed to be designed to let the interviewer get to know you as more than an MCAT score or list of accomplishments. Baylor is my number one choice :)
MSTP applicants begin at 8 am with a welcome by one of the co-directors, and then have 3 interviews back to back from 9-11:40. Two of these interviews are faculty, one is student. In my case, my student interview was actually done by two current MSTP students. The MD portion of the interviews begins at 12, where the MSTP students join the MD applicants. There's a welcome where everyone introduces themself (all ~50 applicants), and then there are two MD interviews, one faculty, one student (or another faculty in my case). Interspersed between interviews is a tour of the med school. Following interviews, there is a presentation on the curriculum. Then, there is a tour of some of the Medical Center. Following the tour, MSTP students go to an MSTP social for an hour, and then can rejoin the MD applicants for the MD social. This unfortunately means you miss the presentation on Houston, which is supposed to be really funny. It's a long day; I went to the social events and my day lasted from 8 am to 9:30 pm.
Good. Arrived at 11 for a 12 start. Had introductory briefings, introduced ourselves, and then started interviews between 1-4. More briefings after 4, then tours, which I missed because I was sick.
Impressive. You are treated well and the day is very organized. Interviews are early in the day so that you can relax afterwards. The walking tour is in the early evening to avoid the heat.
It was great. My student interviewer was awesome. She was very easy going and made the interview very conversational. My faculty interviewer was a little more uptight and at times I felt like she didn't like my answers.
Pretty lax and straightforward. My student interviewer didn't read my app until I got there while my faculty interviewer had some specific questions from me. They were both very nice and left me with a very positive feeling. Seriously, if I leave Cali, this is where I would go (if I get in).
Great school. Lovely atmosphere that nurtures medical knowledge and training. The students are very HAPPY to be there. A highly-ranked school in a great city, at a cheap price, and within the largest medical center in the world. Baylor just jumped up my rankings.
Baylor was my first choice before I visited and the interview only cemented that. I especially like the curriculum (the accelerated lecture time and individual tracks), and the people really impressed me.
The day starts at noon. You'll get lunch, presentations, tours, two interviews, then more tours and presentations, dinner, and finally a meal at Two Rivers Grill. Also, there is a lot of down time to meet other people. Since I spent Friday night in the city, my host and I went downtown to the bars and clubs --- definitely the most fun I've ever had with a host.
Neither interviewer had read my file. We got to look at the criteria used to "evaluate" us on the interviewer evaluation sheet...and the criteria seemed very specific and in-depth--requiring the interviewer get to know the applicant in a way deeper than the interview time allowed...especially when the interviewer hadn't read the file beforehand and was just asking questions that could be answered from a glance at the file.....so instead of getting to in-depth questions about activities and such, we talked about factual things on the application. OK, the bottom line is that I felt the interviewer was required to make decisions about the appliant's maturity, leadership, etc. that the interview structure did not really allow the interviewer to reveal (relatively).
This school makes you excited, and the innovative atmosphere was very evident. The afternoon interview was kind of nice, because you're not being quizzed while half asleep, but you get them over with before the tours, etc.
Baylor is an awesome school, and really one of the friendliest and most relaxed interview days of all the schools. The other applicants I met were extremely impressive. The whole experience was much better and more impressive than any other medical school I've been to, even those that are more prestigous.
i had a great time at baylor and really fell in love with the school. the interview day is pretty laid-back, and you get a lot of opportunities to talk with students and the other interviewees. the committee meets the same day after the interviews are over, and then the waiting begins...
Baylor College of Medicine is an amazing school that I knew that I would like and I came out liking it even more. The students are calm, are great presenters, and are obviously all intelligent. Being from a non-ivy league school, seeing lots of high tier institutions represented at the interview session was a little intimidating, but everyone's in the same boat. No extensive walks to interview locations, but eat beforehand - the refreshments they serve can in no way shape or form replace lunch. The day starts at noon, which is nice (you avoid a lot of morning rush-hour traffic), but everyone is just tired by the end of the interview and a lot of people left early after their interviews. My interviewers were both really nice, and my second interviewer told me that I would fit in really well at the institution. What a great compliment, so I'm hoping for the best!
I was interviewed by two physicians, both were very friendly and the students, faculty and staff were very welcoming. The student host program was stellar, too. Definately go to Two Rows afterwards if at all possible - this will help you get to know the students more personally and get a feel for how Baylor would fit your wants/needs.
It was great... besides the fact that I got a flat tire on the way to the airport... It was very laid back. I don't know if the faculty member had previously read my file, we ended up just talking about family and studying abroad. My student interviewer had a lot of very specific questions about my file.
the day started a little disorganized and frazzled, but baylor has many things working in its favor. students are very very happy and relaxed. interviews a little spread out. tours are not too helpful but does just how expansive the tmc is.
It was great. It would have been nice if they didn't mention some of the points on other students' applications that would probably make their applications seem superior (for instance that one of the interviewees was a published writer). Baylor wants to maintain (or attain) a certain status so the undertones of snubbery are only very thinly veiled- I was not deceived. Every other thing was nice. The students were great and the financial aid is out of this world!
it was great! i had a fourth year med student who was really friendly and asked good questions. my faculty interview was awesome. Dr. Dale Brown is great! we just had a great conversation and went over our time
I loved Baylor! I'm totally going here if I get in. Unfortunately, I was more nervous than at my other interviews, and I kinda messed up on one of them. I had a student (who was very cool) and a physician (who hadn't read my application before I walked in). All in all, I felt a little mixed about how the interviews went, but very certain about how wonderful the school is.
I had a great time at Baylor. The day starts at 12 noon which was nice. One of the deans makes an intro speech at the beginning and we introduced ourselves as well. The day was pretty organized though it seemed they were cramped for time. The clinical tour wasn't that extensive and didn't really show their facilities in depth. Luckily my cousin is a 4th year at Baylor and he showed me more of the TMC the next day. Interviews were fairly laid back, but I found them to be a little more stressful than my others. Baylor is a great school and the clinical curriculum is outstanding at the TMC (Ben Taub, St. Luke's, TX Children's...). If I get in, I will most likely go there. Can't beat the $6550 tuition, especially for a private school.
I was nervous at first because this was the absolute LAST interview day of the year, and there were about 50 students there, the most I've ever had. But it wasn't a big deal at all. THe interviews are technically open-file, but my second interviewer did not discuss my application at all, and my first asked only maybe one or two specific questions. My student interviewer was VERY chill and laid-back, which often isn't the case with some student interviewers who are up on their high horse. He was very relaxed and shared a lotta helpful advice, both in the interview and throughout the whole day as we talked (I noticed his nametag early in the day, and that he was my interviewer.) Ask your tour guide LOTS and LOTS of questions! They're not on the committee, so don't be afraid to ask what's on your mind. The food wasn't so great for lunch or dinner, so eat up ahead of time....but going to Two Rows Grill afterwards was GREAT!!!! Make sure you go, it's a lot of fun....but once again make sure you eat a lot somewhere in between, cuz I got pretty fucking drunk by 1 am not eating the whole day....(either that or don't be an idiot and have 10 drinks like me) also, i didn't stay with a student host, but i wish i did, it would make everything a lot easier, and a lot more fun....houston was great, and is in a much better city than duke, washu, hopkins, umich etc., whatever you do, make sure you fly out saturday night so you can go shop (and ice skate!) at the galleria the day after your interview, or just wander around the hospital if you're a dork like that =) so to summarize, baylor was GREAT!
baylor is a great school. extremely high board scores and prestigious hospitals pluses. however, it is now my last choice. maybe had a bad interview experience but the summers are killers and there does not seem to be any natural habitat left.
Both interviewers were befuddled by the fact that I didn't fit neatly into their conception of what a pre-med is. My grades and scores are very good, so I've spent my time exploring other fields, i.e. political science, education, environmentalism. Instead of being interested in my experiences, they wanted to know why I hadn't spent the last four years behind a bench doing research. Baylor is not a place for people with an interdisciplinary view of medicine or who are interested in being anything more than a researcher with an M.D. or, at most, a surgeon.
The day began with a rather long and pointless introduction. This was followed by two interviews and some free time to tour the academic facilities and chat with students and other applicants. There were some presentations about special academic tracks and life in Houston and a tour of the gigantormous Texas Medical Center. Everyone seemed very nice, although some of the admissions reps (both student and faculty) seemed especially fake.
I felt the overall day was positive. I had one interviewer that did not want to be there and did not ask any interesting questions. He was a clock-watcher and ended exactly in 30 minutes. He showed no emotion and had a good "poker face". He clearly had not read my packet and was late to the interview. The second interviewer was on top of his stuff. He had read my packet in detail and asked appropriate questions. Park in lot 6 when you get there. It is adjoined directly to the basic science building. You go down corridor A to corridor M. Ask for Kleberg auditorium and someone will point you in the right directions. Bring $9.00 if you drive and park in the garage. Be sure to turn in your interview folder by 5pm.
Baylor is the best school ever! You start patient contact after the 3rd WEEK of your first semester. First semester is pass/fail only, so no pressure. One of the interviewers was a student, and he basically told me he'd do his best to help me get in. The other was a young psychiatrist, and she was very nice.
it was fun! about 40 students interview each session, and there is plenty of downtime to mingle with other students and applicants. don't miss the student-applicant gathering in the evening.
Baylor is my first choice, the interview only confirmed that, everyone was very happy and very enthusiastic about the school, Most people get 1 faculty and 1 student interviewer but I ended up with 2 faculty interviewers
This school is great. The whole day was going fine until I got my second interview with a pediatrician. It seemed like I gave 5-7 problems facing medicine and how to solve them. Later I was asked about 10-12 question on genetic engineering, where he informed me of how wrong my answers were. With the exception of this interview the day could not have gone better. It was very organized, overall the school is outstanding.
See below. I loved the day, and baylor is my top choice. It's an amazing school and I had a great time--for the first time i was truly sold on a school.
My first interview was with a 3rd year med student and it went very well. The interview was conversational, friendly, and stress-free. I didn't get any ethical questions; most of the questions dealt with my personality or background. My second interview was conducted by the director of pediatric oncology at Baylor--an MD/PhD from Harvard. He asked me to trace the process of elimination (in detail) that led me to pursue a career in medicine, a process that spanned nearly 7 years. That question really sucked. After I answered the question, he told me that I still hadn't explained why I wanted to become a doctor. So I opted for a different approach. Not much luck that time either. So much for Baylor! I hope that I gain admission, but I'm not that optimistic in light of the second interview. Wonderful school, though. My first choice, without a doubt.
I felt very prepared for the interview sessions. I had a 1:30PM and 2:30PM. My first interviewer was strictly by the book. Seriously, my first question that I was asked was, "Why do you want to go to medical school?" Even though my answer why physiologically based he still asked, "why not social work, psychology, if you want to help people?" I already knew not to say "to help people," because I knew that would be the next question. He then asked me, "what challenges are facing the healthcare industry today?" I informed him of healthcare costs, the cuts in the CHIPS medicaid program, and health insurance. This is how we got on the nationalized health care topic. When we were talking about how cut throat insurance companies were, he cursed! I was shocked, but I knew then the interview was more relaxed and he then asked me questions regarding my application. I felt the interview was closed rather than open since he informed me once I stepped in that he only had time to glance at my application. The interview turned out pretty well and I was able to complete it and the next on a good basis.
there is absolutely nothing wrong with this school. in fact, the facilities are amazing, the curriculum seems pretty nifty, and you get into clinical rotations early. there was just something about the school that i didn't like. didn't get a good vibe from it. my interviews were with a pediatrician and a dean. the dean basically asked me questions about healthcare, waited for my answer, then told me i was wrong and brought up some completely unheard of problem in healthcare (things that are probably only important to him. for example, the disparity of healthcare received by the wealthy and poor is not a problem at all. however, if we could only make our healthcare system more like mexico's then everything would be fine. you figure it out). there were almost 50 people interviewing there, most of them from texas. at the other places i've interviewed, there's been less than 15. i knew after ten minutes that i couldn't spend four years of my life in houston. don't know why. i'm sure that i'd get a great education there, but the place isn't for me. that's what interviews are for, i guess, figuring out where you'd be happy...
The whole day was very relaxed. We arrived at 12.00 and went through introductions, then the whole process started at 1.00 with interviews. The interviews were very relaxed and conversational - nothing to worry about. When you weren't being interviewed, you had the option of going on a basic science tour, although mine was very quick. More presentations at 4.00 followed by a clinical tour and a student Q&A panel. Baylor sounds and looks like a great school - students are friendly, plenty of resources available, and an amazing tuition.
*Official Interview Day doesn't start until 12pm so if you stay with a student host, they can take you to class with them in the morning.
*There's a welcome from Dr. Johnson and a member of the admin staff, Ms. Miller-Wasik
*Break off for interviews
*Regroup at around 4pm, go for clinical tour
*Regroup at 5pm, eat dinner (sandwiches), learn about the curriculum, student panel talks, hilarious slide show on Life in Houston.
*7pm interviewees and students head on over to Two Rows to eat, drink, and be merry.
Basically, if you interview at Baylor, it's a real treat.
Baylor is the best school Ive seen so far, and if I get in I am 95% sure I will be going there, especially since Im from Houston. Its a fantastic school in one of the great academic medical centers.
Quite simply the best school I have interviewed at. During my time there, I felt like I was in the presence of the best pre-med students in the country. If you're lucky enough to get an interview here, then you will be going to medical school somewhere. The interview day itself is long, so prepare by eating a large meal before you go and review any research you have done and anything else that might stand out in your application. They accept 70% of their class from Texas and 30% from out of state, and it was about a 50-50 ratio of in-state to out-of-state students on this, their first day of interviewing.
Baylor is extremely impressive. This is my first interview, and they set an incredibly high standard for other schools to try and match. Plus, the tuition is incredibly low. This is a top-tier school and you could come out of here with less than $100K in debt very easily. If they accept me I'll very likely be coming.
The interview day was pretty good overall. They get you there at 12 then make you sit around for an hour without eating (we even had to walk by a table of pizza that wasn't for us). But then they feed you lunch and, later, dinner, and later at Two Rows you eat again. Definitely go to Two Rows, it was the best part of my interview day.
Unlike most midwest MSTPs, they do not pay interview expenses. In fact, they didn't pay for hardly anything. I had a student host, a student to pick me up and drive me to the airport, etc... There were a number of interviews, all of which were crammed into one insane long day, instead of two like most schools. One of my MD interviewers could barely speak English and wasn't much of an interview. My student interviewer was pretty... stuffy... and I hear from a current student there that he is a real a**hole in general. In general the faculty, the applicants, and the current students seemed more stuffy than anywhere else I interviewed, and this was backed up by those I know at the school.
Regardless, it's still a top med school with a huge medical center and alot of great faculty.
I knew coming in to the interview that Baylor was an awesome school but now I am just taken back by how well rounded the school really is. The students are so friendly also!
Be prepared to be blown away! Baylor will set the standard for all your other interviews. Also, if you get an interview here, odds are >90% that you will get into medical school...a comforting fact. The admissions committee makes the decisions on your application that very evening, so it likely won't help to send supplemental materials post-interview.
If I can say one thing about the interview: just relax! It's very low-key.
its a super long day - from 7:30-7:30 - so get some serious rest. the phd interviews vary with what faculty you get, but the studnt interview was awesome and the faculty ones were really good too. the md interviews are cake in comparison - one studnet and a faculty. my student interviewer super friendly, so was my faculty one but i couldn't read them. they seemed like the perpetually encouraging type to whatever riff raff they would be interviewing ;-) so i'm sure. nevertheless i loved the school and was really impressed. texas wasn't nearly bad as i imagined either.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested improvements such as better communication, friendlier interviewers, more detailed tours, earlier end times for events, providing parking for interviews, and more online resources to reduce paper usage and increase information accessibility. They also mentioned the desire for quicker admissions decisions and a more impressive food selection during events.
More thorough tours of the medical facilities would be nice. The tour at Ben Taub was only down a single hallway near the emergency room, nothing more.
A little more communication between the interviewees and the office. Interviewees had to search for info through the website whereas other places personally sent out emails detailing how the interview day was going to go & made me feel more comfortable/prepared.
