Hello everyone,
I have recently been admitted into Rice and also received an invite to interview for the Rice/Baylor BS/MD program. I have also been admitted to an in-state BS/MD program, which offers a plethora of opportunities for the 10+ students that are accepted. Unfortunately the Rice/Baylor website is very sparse and does not indicate whether the program offers similar advantages.
The basic benefit of the program seems to be that I would be assured a spot in Baylor’s Medical School (if I maintain a certain GPA/MCAT). I was wondering if any parents/current students had any insight as to what other benefits this program offers. Is the program structured (with special events and opportunities for Rice/Baylor students)? Do Rice/Baylor students get specific research/volunteering/networking advantages?
Thank you in advance.
In my opinion the R/B MSP is the best BA/MD program (arguable exception of WASH U) based on the quality of Rice’s undergraduate education, experience, and merit F/A and based on BCM’s Top 20 ranking and lowest tuition, especially instate for Texas residents. Student’s in the R/B classes get together socially as a whole quarterly with a R/B representative and can correspond with them about classes that fulfill BCM pre-requisite requirements. There is comradarie among R/B in each class and somewhat less between classes. Rice students are assigned a “college” or dorm that they stay with for all 4 years. R/B’s within a college also tend to get guidance from upper classmen R/Bs. Being an R/B gives you cred with some faculty, researchers, and some administrators at Rice, BCM, and other institutions in the Texas Medical Center across the street. This indirectly opens opportunities for research positions, but opportunities are not pushed to R/Bs. Instead you have to seek them out. The current GPA requirement (3.5 science and overall EVERY semester) is not a cake walk. Rice does not have grade inflation like many Ivies and other schools. Science classes are hard and other students are very bright. Since the R/B requirement was raised to 3.5, some R/B with those requirements have gotten 1 or 2 strikes in a 3 strike system. The added requirement for the last two classes of matching the incoming BCM class MCAT score (currently at 38) makes the R/B program the second toughest to get through behind WASHU.
1 Like
I would argue one point you made. Rice does have a grade inflation problem, but the administration started a campaign to combat it last year and it’s also a lot more pronounced in the Humanities and Social Sciences if I remember correctly. From about a year ago: http://www.ricethresher.org/news/faculty-senate-passes-grade-inflation-legislation/article_67973b98-cc12-11e3-99c6-0017a43b2370.html
Also @rororoyourboat if you’re not familiar with what @jandjfishing was talking about with regards to residential colleges for undergrads, here: http://www.students.rice.edu/students/Colleges.asp. I often cite the residential college system as one of Rice’s strongest draws, because it creates a bunch of kickass communities without what I perceive as the negatives of a greek system.
My son got admitted to the program. We are looking for help in any other additional information. I believe the new MCAT requirement for the incoming class is 500.
@Mysnkisck, what other schools is your son considering?
The new MCAT requirement is a bit high, but supposedly average for the entering class (according to https://www.aamc.org/students/download/378098/data/mcat2015scorescaleguide.pdf).
sorry to bring this thread back up but i need some urgent help. i just finished the rice/baylor application but, where do i submit it? there is no area on common app to attach the file. can someone help me please?
@rororoyourboat @Mysnkisck or anyone else help is appreciated! thank you!
@alphabetatrig If you don’t get an answer, call the admissions office! They don’t bite