Posted by Mark McFail on August 26, 2008 12:45
Wanna know how easy it is to go to Med School while living in a Houston apartment? It's simple! Baylor College of Medicine is the answer.
The roots of the Baylor College of Medicine go back to 1900, when a group of doctors and community leaders created a medical school in Dallas to help the local community. They called it The University of Dallas Medical Department, although there was no
such University at the time. In 1903, these same doctors, realizing that they needed a University affiliation in order to survive, worked with Baylor University and the UDMC became Baylor College of Medicine. In 1943, the College was moved to Houston and became an independent institution in 1969, keeping only the name as a reminder of it's past affiliations.
Getting admitted to the Baylor College of Medicine can be challenging. Like all medical programs, the College wants only the best and the brightest. One way that you can be admitted is by Early Decision. Under Early Decision, you would only apply to BCM. The advantage of this program is that you are notified ahead of everybody else as to whether you are an acceptable candidate or not of the program. Your requirements for the Early Decision program are a 3.6 on a 4.0 scale.
You must also have at least a 33 or better on your MCAT. If you do not meet the criteria for Early Decision, then you will remain under consideration for regular admissions. However, you are strongly encouraged at this point to apply to other medical schools. Only 10% of the students in the College are admitted this way.
If you end up being accepted by following the regular admissions route, you must have a GPA of at least a 3.5. Other factors that might considered are, the courses you took in college, or how challenging your curriculum was. The College will also look at your extracurricular activities and employment outside of school, to determine the extent to which this may have hindered your academic achievement. In general, BCM looks for well rounded individuals with a broad variety of interests, who can demonstrate the ability to handle scientific concepts. Therefore, the College recommends that you get a least a B in Organic Chemistry. You must also pass the general Chemistry courses with an A or B. You must have taken at least year of general Biology with an A or B. Finally, You must submit letters of evaluation from three of your professors.
Unlike a traditional college where you pay as you go, a lot of medical schools including BCM choose to bill their students in their last semester of enrollment. Traditionally, the medical school will pay part of your tuition and fees and you must pay the rest back. Financial aid and scholarships are recommended and sought by the majority of medical students to defray the cost of the school.
Baylor College of Medicine does not have residency halls on its campus. However, the college is very close to Rice Village and several other hot areas of Houston with a wide selection of great apartment communities within a short distance to Baylor College of Medicine.
A good affordable medical school, where any Houston Apartment-ite can become the Doctor of our future!