Baylor College of Medicine is a great educational opportunity if you are thinking of applying to a world-renowned university with a long-standing history in research, community service, and clinical medicine. As a Baylor medical student, you will attend the world's largest medical school, where you will move to many various patient care settings, including the Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center and the Texas Children's Hospital.
Baylor College of Medicine is exceptional in a number of respects. It is one of the only medical schools in Texas and in the world to have an accelerated curriculum of less than two years, as well as one of the few schools to have its own hospital and medical center. BCM is also one of the few colleges globally to offer a degree dedicated to the study of tropical medicine.
If you are hoping to get a spot in the upcoming class, we are here to guide you. This article covers the school's programs, admissions statistics, selection factors and interview information so you can improve your chances of admission.
Disclaimer: BeMo does not endorse or affiliate with any universities, colleges, or official test administrators. The content has been developed based on the most recent publicly available data provided from the official university website. However, you should always check the statistics/requirements with the official school website for the most up to date information. You are responsible for your own results.
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Mission Statement
Baylor College of Medicine is a health sciences university that creates knowledge and applies science and discoveries to further education, healthcare and community service locally and globally.
Available Programs
At the Baylor College of Medicine, there are multiple ways to earn an MD. You may either follow a standard 4-year MD program or one of four dual-degree options to merge the MD with a second graduate degree. The following is a list of dual degree programs:
Academic Curriculum
The Doctor of Medicine program at Baylor University lasts four years. The foundational sciences and clinical parts of the program's curriculum are separated. Year 1 Fall, Year 1 Spring, and Year 2 Fall are the three stages of the foundational sciences program, otherwise called the pre-clinical years, which run from August of the first year to December of the second year.
The foundational sciences curriculum covers the first 18 months of the program with a focus on basic theoretical principles that are essential to the study of medicine as well as patient engagement. At the beginning of the second year, students learn about major body organs, including cardiology, respiratory, renal, hematology/oncology, radiology & lab medicine, gastroenterology, endocrinology, GU/GYN, anatomy, and age-related subjects.
Clinical Year Curriculum:
Clinical rotations begin during the second year of medical school. The core clinical curriculum consists of medicine, surgery, psychiatry, OB/GYN, pediatrics, neurology, family, and community medicine.
Students have plenty of time in their fourth year to pick electives or continue their research. A few clinical courses are required, including emergency medicine Sub-Internship in Medicine, Neurology, OB/GYN, Surgery, Pediatrics, or Family Medicine, and Two 2-week courses in Ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, ENT, and urology.
A recap of Baylor's most important info:
Application Timeline
This is the general medical school application timeline for students applying to Baylor College of Medicine, but make sure to check out the school’s official website for the most up to date information.
Admissions Statistics
Baylor College of Medicine is one of the nation's most competitive medical colleges with about 3% acceptance rate. Last year, 804 of the 6260 applicants to the College of Medicine made it to the interview level, and only 186 matriculated.
Overall acceptance rate: 3%
In-state acceptance rate: 8.3%
Out-of-state acceptance rate: 1%
Average MCAT score: 518
Average GPA: 3.93
Baylor College of Medicine Overall Acceptance Rate:
Recommended Courses
Before enrolling for medical school, a candidate must complete at least 90 undergraduate semester hours (or an equal number of quarter hours) at a fully accredited college or university in the US to be considered for admission.
Students need to have completed the following medical school prerequisites satisfactorily:
All candidates can consult with their Pre-Health Advisor to ensure that the prerequisites are fulfilled. Check the course listing page on the official TMDSAS website to see if a course at your undergraduate institution will fulfill Baylor's criteria.
Are you preparing your TMDSAS personal characteristics essay? Check out some tips:
Tuition and Debt
The medical school tuition cost of attending Baylor College of Medicine varies depending on whether you are a Texas resident or not. Tuition for Texas residents is $22,703 for the first year, and tuition for non-Texans is $35,803 for the first year. Besides tuition, students can expect to spend around $33,000 a year on indirect college expenditures, including room and board, lodging, and other miscellaneous costs. Baylor College of Medicine is considered to be one of the cheapest medical schools in the US for both in-state and out-of-state students. The average debt of Baylor graduates is $119,614.
Funding Opportunities
Every accepted applicant to the medical school is eligible to be considered for merit medical school scholarships. Graduate and medical students are often eligible for unsubsidized student loans that accrue interest while the students are enrolled in their program. Students can also look for grants from private and public organizations. Per year, these groups offer millions of dollars in scholarships to students. Financial aid advisors at BCM will advise applicants about when to look for grants, how to apply, and how much they may be eligible for.
Selection Factors
Baylor College of Medicine is dedicated to selecting highly-skilled candidates each year through a thorough review process, especially those committed to excellence in health care, science, education, and community service. Baylor College of Medicine values diversity in its students, trainees, professors, and personnel as a necessary component of achieving their institutional mission and setting benchmarks for excellence in training healthcare practitioners, technological advancement, and patient-centered treatment.
Looking for inspiration? Check out TMDSAS personal statement examples:
Students are also expected to submit letters of recommendation through TMDSAS. The school accepts committee packets from schools that provide this service. There are three basic formats for these packets: committee letter with supporting letters attached, a written committee letter with quotes from numerous evaluators, which may or may not have supporting letters, personal appraisal notes, perhaps accompanied by a cover letter from an advisory office or a school letter service. Students can also submit a maximum of four individual letters from evaluators. Every letter and committee packet must be dated within the calendar year preceding the planned application. For more details, go to the TMDSAS letters of evaluation website.
All applicants to the Medical School and Medical Scientist Training Program are expected to complete CASPer (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics), an online situational judgment test which is a part of the Altus Suite assessment. No Duet or Snapshot is required. Baylor College of Medicine demands a supplemental application from every candidate. An invitation is not required for application.
For the Baylor Medical School secondary application, there are three essays. While two of these seem to be optional, we suggest that you complete all three essays to give the admissions more opportunities to get to know you.
Secondary Application Essay Prompts:
- Essay Prompt #1: Indicate any special experiences, unusual factors or other information you feel would be helpful in evaluating you, including, but not limited to, education, employment, extracurricular activities, prevailing over adversity. You may expand upon but not repeat TMDSAS application information. (2000-character limit).
- Essay Prompt #2: If you took a gap year, "What did you do during your gap year." (2,000 characters)
- Essay Prompt #3: Is becoming a physician a second career for you? If so, what was your first career choice? (2,000 characters)
Sample Baylor College of Medicine Secondary Essay
Sample for Essay Prompt #1:
My Hispanic background has always been a critical part of who I am. During my childhood, my mother did not want my siblings and me to learn Spanish because she did not want us to have a Spanish accent while speaking English. My mother was trying to protect us because she was teased in school after moving back to America from Venezuela. However, my Abuela wanted to teach us as much Spanish as she could before being caught by my mother every time we visited her in Baton Rouge. After I moved to Baton Rouge for college, I began learning Spanish both to connect with my Abuela and for its utility in the future. I plan to continue learning Spanish during medical school, hoping to build trusting physician-patient relationships with patients who may typically feel misunderstood by physicians.
In addition to my Hispanic background, my unique combination of life and work experiences differentiates me from other students. These experiences embrace clinical, volunteer, business, and political settings. The lessons learned while completing these activities have forged my career ambitions in healthcare. Starting a company and testing distinct advertising campaigns taught me collaboration and data analysis skills, which whet my appetite for applying these skills to clinical medicine. My experience in the capitol unveiled more intricate details about politics. For example, I saw firsthand the necessity of selecting the correct lobbying firm to advocate for legislation. I also developed an appreciation for the instrumental role physicians play in advocating for patients through legislation. This experience showed me what is possible for zealous physicians who aspire to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health care systems. I appreciate the inherent link between medicine and these different fields, and I look forward to exploring this further during medical school and my career. I believe my uncommon outlook will add a vivid tile to the mosaic of Baylor School of Medicine. (1998 characters)
Interview Formats
The interview is a chance for the admissions committee to see if the candidate is a suitable fit for Baylor College of Medicine. Interview invites are sent by email. This application cycle, virtual interview sessions will be held using ZOOM for the current admission year. The interview team, which may include one or two faculty members and one member of the Admissions Interviewing Subcommittee will conduct two 30-minute virtual live conventional interviews for each candidate.
Friday afternoons will be reserved for interviews. The Admissions Deans will greet the applicants first, after which current BCM students will present the day's schedule. Since the interview is conducted conventionally, you should have well-thought-out responses to the following questions: "Why Baylor," "What are your most important moments that highlight your commitment to medicine," and "What makes you stand out from the other interviewees."
The interview session will end with a few lines from the Admissions Deans, a live student forum for Q&A, virtual tour and an optional live presentation on "Life in Houston." You can learn more about studying in Baylor during the virtual tour and presentation from current BCM students.
Acceptance and Waitlist Information
Baylor College of Medicine sends admission notifications between November and May. Matriculation is dependent on the student completing all undergraduate course requirements satisfactorily. Accepted students are expected to pay a non-refundable tuition deposit of $300 by April 30th to secure their position. Individuals who already have admission at another medical school in Texas will not be given a spot after June 1st in order to give priority to waitlisted applicants.
The school leaves an average of 500 students on their waitlist per cycle and it is hard to tell the number of students that will get admission from the list. If the class is not filled by April 30th due to withdrawals or declines, a vote is taken to open the waitlist. The institution's diversity priorities will guide the selection process.
It is recommended that students review the TMDSAS Application and Acceptance Website.
Contact information
EMAIL: [email protected]
FAQs
1. What makes up a complete Baylor application?
The Admissions Committee will not assess a candidate's file until they have gotten the following: a validated TMDSAS submission, a Baylor supplementary application and fee, letters of recommendation, MCAT scores, and CASPer scores.
2. What are the requirements for MCAT and GPA?
There is no minimum GPA or MCAT requirement for admission to Baylor College of Medicine. Check out the Admissions Statistics info in our blog to see last year’s matriculants’ data.
3. Is CASPer needed for admission to the MD program?
Yes, all entrants to the Medical School, including those applying to the Medical Scientist Training Program, must take the CASPer online situational judgment exam. CASPer complements other tools for candidate screening that measure noncognitive abilities and behavioral qualities that are essential for successful students and graduates of the program.
4. Does the school accept AP credits?
If you have AP credits from an accredited undergraduate school on your transcript, Baylor College of Medicine will recognize them. Students are strongly advised to take additional upper-level courses in the areas where they received credit for introductory-level courses. For Baylor's required coursework, AP credits are not considered.
5. What is the oldest MCAT score accepted?
The MCAT score should be no more than three years old as at the time of application . If you have retaken the MCAT multiple times, the Admissions Committee will review the most recent score.
6. Is there a preference for Texas residents at Baylor College of Medicine?
Applicants are evaluated by the admissions committee with the same criterion, whether they are in-state or out-of-state residents. However, Texas law stipulates that no more than 10 percent of the class can be non-residents.
7. Can I send updates to my application?
Yes, you can submit updates via the application portal if you have not gotten an invitation to interview at Baylor. Updates to your submission will not be approved if you get an invitation to interview. Interviewees may submit medical school letters of intent through the application portal, but not modifications to their applications.
8. Is Baylor College of Medicine open to transfer students from both domestic and international medical schools?
Baylor College of Medicine does not accept transfer students.
9. Does the School accept International students?
The school does not accept international students for its MD program, except Canadian students. However, international students can apply for the MD/Ph.D. program.
10. What is the interview format?
Baylor College of Medicine uses the traditional interview format. Candidates will have two interviews, each spanning thirty minutes with a faculty member and a medical student in the interview subcommittee. Interviews are held on Fridays virtually via Zoom following an invitation.
11. What programs are available?
Baylor College of Medicine offers four dual degree options along with the MD program. These include MD/PhD, MD/MBA, MD/MPH and MD/JD.
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