Looking to get your medical degree in Houston? Finding the best study destination that offers your specific M.D. degree specialty and clinical experience can be a challenge. Selecting the right school for your medical education will be one of the most critical decisions of your medical career.
Fortunately, we’ve done all the hard work by sifting through the best medical schools in Houston. We’ve ranked them based on their M.D. program offerings, quality of education, and affiliated hospitals.
1. Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor Medical School is an excellent choice if you’re looking to apply to a world-renowned institution. As a Baylor medical student, you can rotate to many patient care sites, such as the Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.
While only around 3-4% of students get accepted, Baylor medical students are certainly high-performing. Ranked as a top 15 school in the nation, they have a 95% graduation rate, 98% licensure pass rate, and 98% of them receive job placement.
Programs Offered:
- M.D. Physician – Doctor of Medicine
- Environmental Sciences
- Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Health Policy and Management
- Development and Disease
- Immunology and Informatics
- Masters in Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Epidemiology and Global Health
This medical school is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). Students who graduate from LCME-approved institutions access federal grants, medical licensure, and programs. Not to mention, the educational experience prepares students for internship programs.
Admission Requirements:
Applicants complete 90 undergraduate semester hours at an accredited university. You must also pass the courses like:
- Math
- Expository writing
- Humanities
- Organic chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Advanced biology
The complete list of prerequisites and recommended extracurriculars is available here. It’s subject to change year on year.
Related: Is Baylor A Good Medical School? (Major Pros & Cons)
2. University of Houston College of Medicine
University of Houston College of Medicine is designed for students looking to get into primary care. Their focus in the field is largely due to the small number of primary care physicians in Texas.
Their Doctor of Medicine degree is divided into three phases:
- Pre-Clerkship,
- Core Clerkship,
- Advanced Clerkship
The Pre-Clerkship is a broad and intensive 11-month program. Students study biomedical sciences and physicians, patients, and populations classes.
Next, the Core-Clerkship phase is where medical students get into four immersive studies. This includes internal medicine, surgery, OB/GYN, and pediatrics rotations. Students will experience the life of a primary care clinic through a simulation where they can interact with patients.
Finally, the Advanced Clerkship is a 15-month phase that goes into advanced rotations. This includes ICU, surgical, medical, newborn ICU, and neurological. Students receive sub-internships in their desired field to receive more hands-on experience.
Programs Offered:
- Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
While they only offer one program, they offer a strong selection of departments. Students interested in other health-related courses can choose from:
- Behavioral and social sciences
- Biomedical sciences
- Clinical sciences
- Health systems, and population health sciences
Admission Requirements:
Applicants must have 90 undergraduate hours from an accredited university in the U.S. or Canada and have passed the MCAT. Also, they needed to have pre-requisite coursework like:
- General and advanced biology
- General and organic chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Physics
- Statistics
- English compositions
- It’s also recommended to have completed a foreign language and other biology courses
The full list of prerequisites and admissions requirements is available here.
3. University of Texas McGovern Medical School
The McGovern Medical School offers a four-year M.D. program that gives students diverse studies, research, and clinical work. With their new curriculum, medical students can start gaining clinical exposure by their first year.
They are affiliated with six primary teaching hospitals, including:
- Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital
- Harris Health LBJ General Hospital
- Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center
- TIRR Memorial Hermann
- UTHealth Harris County Psychiatric Center
- U.T. MD Anderson Cancer Center
The McGovern Medical School’s wide diversity of dual-degree programs stands out. Whether they have a passion for scientific research, dentistry, or public health, they can choose to follow their passions. The field of medicine is interconnected with other fields, making dual-degree programs practical.
Programs Offered:
- Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
- Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
- Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Masters in Public Health (MPH)
- Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS)
- Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Masters of Biomedical Infomatic (M.S.)
- Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Masters of Bioengineering (MBE)
Admission Requirements:
Applicants must have completed 90 undergraduate hours at a university in the U.S. or Canada and must be U.S. citizens. Also, they need complete the pre-requisite coursework in
- Biological sciences
- General and organic chemistry
- Physics
- English
Texas McGovern’s complete list of admissions prerequisites are available here.
4. Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine
Founded in 1977, the Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine is one of Texas’s most prestigious medical schools. They rank number 18 among the best family medicine programs.
Texas A&M College of Medicine takes a unique approach to its curriculum by only having the pre-clerkship phase last one and half years. This allows students to receive early clinical training before taking the USMLE. With the help of affiliated hospitals nearby, students get the clinical experience needed to succeed.
Texas A&M offers unique programs that other schools can’t offer. For example, there aren’t too many medical schools in Texas that offer a degree in medicine and engineering. If you’re aspiring to create innovative technology for healthcare, the EnMed degree is a great choice.
Programs Offered:
- Dental Hygiene (B.S.)
- Oral Biology (M.S.) or (Ph.D.)
- Medical Science (M.S.) or (Ph.D.)
- Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
- Education for Healthcare Professionals (MS)
- M.D. and Business Administration (M.D. and MBA)
- M.D. and Public Health (M.D. and MPH)
- P.D. and Masters of Science (M.D. and M.S.)
With nearly 30 different degree programs, students can find the right program that meets their career objectives.
Admission Requirements:
Texas A&M college of medicine requires 90 semester hours from an accredited university. Students must also complete courses like
- general and advanced biology,
- general and organic chemistry,
- physics
- math
- English
They also require students to take the MCAT (average score 513).
The school keeps its admissions information updated yearly here.
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Born and raised in the UK, Will went into medicine late (31) after a career in journalism. He’s into football (soccer), learned Spanish after 5 years in Spain, and has had his work published all over the web. Read more.