How'd We Do?
by Lori Williams
Each year, medical schools across the nation await word on how they placed on the U.S. News & World Report's listing of America's Best Graduate Schools as well as how they ranked for funding received from the National Institutes of Health. Both are among several indicators that help schools to determine how they are "performing."
National Institutes of Health
BCM consistently ranks in the top 10% for research funding.
The rankings by the National Institutes of Health are an important measurement of an institution's research strength. In other words, when the federal government decides to give your institution money to support research, they believe you have credible programs worth pursuing.
This year, BCM was ranked 11th among the nation's 126 medical schools for research funding from the NIH and in FY 2004, when it received 558 total NIH awards accounting for more than $248 million.
Of these awards BCM received 482 research grants, 35 training grants, 31 fellowship awards, eight research and development awards, and two other specialized awards.
BCM also had several "Top 10" academic departments on the NIH list this year including the following as ranked in their fields:
- No. 1: Molecular & Cellular Biology, Molecular Genetics, and Pediatrics
- No. 2: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- No. 3: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- No. 4: Urology
- No. 5: Other Health Professions
- No. 8: Neurosciences
 U.S. News and World Report
Once a year, U.S. News & World Report surveys the nation's medical schools to gather information in a variety of categories. The rankings are based on several indicators. This year, 123 medical schools responded to the survey for the rankings.
A hefty 40 percent of the total score is based on what others say about the medical schools. Twenty percent is from the scoring of medical school deans, deans of academic affairs, heads of internal medicine or the directors of admissions. They are asked to rate medical schools in categories from marginal (1 point) to outstanding (5 points). The other 20 percent is a similar assessment from residency program directors.
Another 30 percent of the total score concerns research activity. The college supplies data on research grant funding and average research activity per faculty member. Student selectivity accounts for the next 20 percent, which include Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, mean undergraduate GPA and the School's acceptance rate. The final 10 percent is a measure of faculty resources.
This spring, BCM received the following "scores."
- Overall ranking - No. 13
- Overall score - 68/100
- Peer assessment - 3.9/5.0
- Residency directors' assessment - 3.9/5.0
- Average undergraduate GPA - 3.74/4.0
- Average MCAT score - 11.1
- Acceptance rate - 7.3% accepted of those who applied
- NIH research grants - $409.6 million (includes funding to BCM and its affiliated teaching hospitals)
- NIH grants per faculty member - $225,200
- Faculty/student ratio - 2.7
- Out-of-state tuition and fees - $22,658
- Total medical school enrollment - 666 students for this year
In addition, Baylor was ranked in three medical specialties:
- No. 5 in Pediatrics;
- No. 14 in Family Medicine; and
- No. 25 in Internal Medicine.
Two of BCM's academic partners, Rice University and the University of Houston, were listed among the top graduate schools in the country. Rice, which shares a M.B.A./M.D./Ph.D. program with BCM, ranked No. 49 among business schools and the University of Houston, which shares a M.D./J.D. program with BCM, ranked as the No. 2 Health Law program.
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