<p>How do the pre-med programs at Duke and Baylor compare with other top pre-med programs?</p>
<p>well, Duke produces people like bluedevilmike, so, I think we can all agree you shouldn’t go there. :)</p>
<p>Duke does juuuust fine, but I’ve heard the weeding out is pretty intense due to the student body. Are you referring to Baylor University or are you thinking Baylor medical school (which doesn’t have a university except for a rotten love affair with Rice). BU probably has a good pre-med program. Ask that thread</p>
<p>Haha then which is better?
Baylor’s pre-med or Duke’s</p>
<p>Don’t really know anything about BUs, but frankly I never made use of the pre-med program at my school. Go to the school that suits you best if you have that option. Going to Duke does not inherently make it easier to get into medical school unless you take the initiative and do things to get yourself there. I’m sure Duke has a higher acceptance rate, but that’s mostly due to more kids taking time off and a generally more motivated student body.</p>
<p>I’d go with Duke. I’ve read Bluedevils posts about how Duke has one of the best advising centers in the nation. They guide you, give you advice, and present you with many opportunities as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>I know a lot about Baylor (it’s only 30 miles from me and I spent a little time there an eon ago). If you can afford Duke + med school, go there. If the $ is too good at Baylor to turn down, you can get to med school quite easily from there, too. Baylor does a great job getting kids into med school and has nice science facilities…but it’s not Duke.</p>
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<p>Yeah, they’re like friends with benefits. They tried going steady recently but it didn’t work out. :P</p>
<p>BU usually stands for Boston University though. I’ve heard some confused people use it for Brown, not sure if Baylor is often called BU too.</p>
<p>I’m aware, but in the context of this Baylor thread, I think people will understand ;)</p>
<p>You can’t compare Duke Pre-Med to Baylor Pre-Med. Duke’s Pre-Med program is WAY BETTER than baylor pre-med.</p>
<p>Baylor Medical school and Baylor Undergrad are not connected (other than in name), Baylor Undergrad is really easy to get into and it is not a very selective school. Duke is one of the most selective/best schools in the country.</p>
<p>I am shocked you even asked this question.</p>
<p>So more selective admission of students automatically equals better programs and staff in every field and interest?</p>
<p>Baylor Medical school and Baylor Undergrad are not connected (other than in name)</p>
<p>Check your facts. While BCM is an autonomous entity, Baylor still names a good portion of BCM trustees.</p>
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<p>^^^Generally there tends to be a strong correlation between the two, with few exceptions. (Baylor is not one of those exceptions)</p>
<p>Can you give examples or proof of how pre-med programs at Duke are superior to Baylor? Please don’t cite acceptance rate to medical school…</p>
<p>The only way I can prove my argument is by using quantitative data. The only quantitative data provided in these types of arguments, are pre-med acceptance rates. How do you expect me to provide proof for this argument using qualitative data?</p>
<p>I mean sure I can talk about the great advising, the research experiences, the fantastic professors at Duke, but this will be subjective and won’t prove anything. I need to be able to use quantitative data to provide a reasonable argument.</p>
<p>Pre-med acceptance rates are not quantitative data showing the success of pre-med programs. They show the success of applicants. I didn’t use my pre-med office except for clerical matters so how could they be responsible for my success? Since they weren’t responsible for me, meaning at least one data point, there is clearly confounding involved in the measurement of pre-med program quality from acceptance rate.</p>
<p>Quite honestly, I’m sure that there are more likely than not some advantages to Duke’s program, though I wonder if the large numbers pre-meds and the inherent competition doesn’t negate that some. My point is that you are making it seem factual when it can not truly be proven; that a student choosing to go to Baylor for pre-med will be at a disadvantage compared to himself going to Duke and will not be as competitive during his or her application cycle.</p>
<p>And,yes, it also can not be disproved either (hence this endless debate that rages here and on SDN). However, I have the benefit of having gone through the cycle as a student from a school not of Duke’s repute and still succeeded when I am truthfully no better than any of my classmates from more prestigious schools (which would be expected if it was true that going to a top school made such a huge difference. I would have to be so far beyond the students with those ‘edges’ that I made up for my university’s deficits). I have also been able to compare the opportunities and activities of my classmates with those that were open to me, and I have not seen anything that I didn’t have access to (or its equivalent) that their program offered.</p>
<p>mmmcdowe’s right, selectivity and prestige don’t necessarily equal a good premed program. Not only that, but quantitative data can easily be manipulated. That % you see for acceptance rate to medical school, for every college, is of the students who made it through the entire premed program, not of all the students who came in as freshmen with a premed intent. Plenty were weeded out before they ever applied.</p>
<p>Hmmm… it depends. I’m contemplating Baylor as well. Baylor will take just about anyone who graduated from high school, as long as they can pay. So you run the high risk of being surrounded by spoiled idiots (maybe you’ll bump into me.) On the bright side, if you aren’t a terrible tester they’re willing to pay about half+ in grants. Okay, I’m not sure how you’re going to take this, but how do you feel about taking four courses on religion? Even the philosophy classes I’ve sat on there involved a remarkable amount of Jesus. On the flip side, I’ve seen the new science building they just spent 100+ million on. It’s both tacky and <em>beautiful</em> all at once. Oh. By the way. KENNETH STARR. He’s the new president. Helpful?</p>
<p>… I realize now that probably has little to do with your question… Hmm… let me add… I’ve met about a dozen pre-med freshmen at Baylor so far, and a handful of seniors. The seniors were pretty cool, but they were seriously self-motivated (one having studied in five countries in the three prior years) when the freshmen just came off as… well, like I said, Baylor’ll take anyone who pays.</p>