Baylor College of Medicine 2025 Applicant Guide: Requirements, Deadlines, Costs, and Tips

Why Baylor stands out

Baylor is in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, giving students early and broad clinical exposure across major partner hospitals. The M.D. curriculum runs an accelerated 18-month Foundational Sciences phase followed by 2.5 years of clerkships and advanced clinical work. 

Programs you can pursue

• M.D.
• Dual degrees: MD/JD, MD/MPH, MD/MS, MD/MBA (Rice or Baylor).
• MD/PhD via the Medical Scientist Training Program. (MD/PhD applicants use AMCAS, not TMDSAS.) 

Looking for a premed internship or medical elective abroad? Inquire here.

How Baylor evaluates applicants

Baylor uses a holistic review that weighs academics, experiences, attributes and fit with its mission. There is no published minimum GPA or MCAT; the committee reviews the most recent MCAT taken within the accepted window.

Your Baylor application checklist

1) Primary application

Apply through TMDSAS for the M.D. program. MD/PhD applicants apply through AMCAS. 

2) MCAT timing

Baylor considers only the most recent MCAT. Scores must be within three years of matriculation. 

3) Letters of evaluation

Submit either one Health Professions Committee packet or three individual letters, with a maximum of four total letters considered. Letters are submitted via TMDSAS, and Baylor lists Nov. 1 as the deadline. 

4) Supplemental application

After TMDSAS verification, complete Baylor’s supplemental. For the regular M.D. program the stated deadline is Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. CST. 

5) CASPer requirement

All M.D. and MD/PhD applicants must complete Casper. Duet and Snapshot are not required. A Casper score is required for interview consideration. 

6) Interviews

Interviews are virtual. Each applicant completes two live conversations of roughly 25–30 minutes with faculty and or a trained student interviewer, typically between August and January. 

Required coursework before you enroll

Baylor lists these prerequisites:

• Math 3–4 semester hours
• Expository Writing 3–4 semester hours
• Humanities and or Social Behavioral Sciences 12 semester hours
• Organic Chemistry 2 semesters or 6–8 hours
• Biochemistry 3–4 hours
• Advanced Biology 3–4 hours
• Spanish is recommended. Baylor notes flexibility for Spring 2020 courses taken pass or fail due to COVID-19
  
  

Curriculum snapshot

• Foundational Sciences: August of MS1 to December of MS2
• Clinical Curriculum: begins in the second year and runs through MS4 with core clerkships, selectives and sub-internships at Baylor’s affiliated sites. 
  
  

Costs to plan for

Baylor publishes detailed 2025–2026 costs by campus and residency. Examples of total direct charges for tuition, fees and insurance:

• Houston, Texas residents: $30,213.10
• Houston, non-Texas residents: $43,313.10
• Temple, Texas residents: $30,213.10
• Temple, non-Texas residents: $42,670.80

See Baylor’s tables for insurance and other required fees. 

Tips to be a competitive applicant

• Show meaningful clinical exposure and patient-facing service.
• Highlight leadership and teamwork in research, campus roles or community work.
• Use letters to reveal different angles of your profile, not repeats of your resume bullets.
• In essays, connect your experiences to Baylor’s training environment and resources you intend to use.
  
  

Global health and electives

Baylor offers a Global Health Pathway and hosts visiting students through the AAMC VSLO program, which replaced the older GHLO platform. If international health is part of your long-term plan, note these options for electives during MS4. 

Build experiences that strengthen a Baylor application

If you are pre-med or early in your clinical journey, add verified hours and diverse patient exposure:

• Explore Medical Electives Abroad
• Browse destinations in Kenya and Tanzania
• Start your application at goelective.com/apply
  
  

FAQs

#1. Do I apply through TMDSAS or AMCA

M.D. applicants use TMDSAS. MD/PhD applicants use AMCAS. 

#2. Does Baylor accept multiple MCAT scores

The committee reviews the most recent MCAT only, within the stated time window. 

#3. Is Casper required

Yes. Casper is required for interview consideration. 

#4. Where can I confirm deadlines

Baylor lists Nov. 1 for the TMDSAS, letters and supplemental deadlines for the regular M.D. program. TMDSAS also publishes system-wide dates. Always verify current cycle pages. 

Article Details

Categories

Recent Articles , Pre-health, MCAT/MSAR/USMLE, Med Schools,

Author: Go-Elective Abroad

Date Published: Sep 15, 2025