40
students in Temple
226
total students between Houston and Temple
83%
Texas residents
171
students are first generation in medicine
23.5%
are of traditionally underrepresented groups in medicine
18.5%
are socioeconomically disadvantaged
Baylor College of Medicine has entered an academic affiliation with Baylor Scott & White Health and opened a new regional campus in Temple, Texas. The newly renovated space opened in July 2023 and welcomed an inaugural cohort of 40 students for the 2023-24 academic year. Combined with 186 students at Baylor College of Medicine’s Houston Campus, the Class of 2027 now totals 226 students.
According to Jennifer Christner, MD, Senior Dean of the School of Medicine and the School of Health Professions at Baylor College of Medicine, “Opening a regional medical school campus represents a profound opportunity to redefine health care education through innovation, collaboration and excellence.”
Sanghamitra Misra, MD, MEd, Pediatric Clerkship Director, added, “The opening of our regional campus in Temple fosters strong collaborations between leaders in Houston and Temple, promising impactful experiences for all our students.”
Located midway between Austin and Waco, Temple is at the epicenter of the rapidly growing Central Texas corridor. It is also home to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center’s Temple campus, the Central Texas flagship of Baylor Scott & White Health, Texas’s largest non-profit health system.
The population of this region has increased exponentially over the last decade, increasing the demand for well-trained physicians. Texas, however, faces a physician shortage compared to national averages, with only 200 physicians per 100,000 people, compared to 250 nationally. Texas Department of State Health Services reports shortages across the state, especially in primary care — which includes pediatrics — with many counties lacking sufficient health care providers. Texas, with a population of more than 30 million people, had only 22,610 practitioners in 2020. Thirty-two counties had no primary care physicians, 75 counties had no primary care physician assistants and 28 counties had neither.
Christian Cable, MD, MHPE, MACP, Associate Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs for Baylor–Temple Campus, emphasized the mission to help solve this shortage. Baylor aims to enroll a high percentage of Texas residents and attract top talent to the state. Post-graduation, the goal is to retain these physicians in Texas long term.
Dr. Cable notes, “Establishing this regional campus demonstrates our commitment to training more students in Texas. While we cannot dictate residency and fellowship choices, we hope our graduates will remain in Texas to serve our population.”
Of the inaugural 40-student cohort at Baylor College of Medicine–Temple Campus, 92% are Texas residents. Across both Baylor campuses, 83% of students hail from Texas.
Baylor offers students a dynamic academic environment with an updated foundational sciences curriculum designed to enrich student learning and better align with an ever-evolving modern medical field.
“We shifted away from the lecture format in favor of active learning in real and simulated environments,” Dr. Christner explained. “This early exposure to clinical medicine allows students to interact with patients and learn alongside health care professionals from day one, fostering independent problem-solving and self-directed learning.”
The new curriculum integrates traditional basic science cores like anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and histology organ systems-focused courses over 15 months. This approach enhances students’ understanding of human biology and prepares them comprehensively for clinical rotations. Core concepts are revisited throughout the four-year program.
The curriculum also includes contemporary subjects such as point-of-care ultrasound, big data and population health. A unique feature is a mandatory inquiry project starting in the first year, where students explore a medical topic of personal interest, guided by a faculty inquiry advisor. The project aims to develop metacognitive skills through evidence-based inquiry and presentation of research findings. Projects are broad and may include areas such as medical education pedagogy, bench laboratory research, translational research, clinical research and health systems science research.
Dr. Misra emphasized, “We anticipate that this innovative curriculum will have a long-lasting positive impact on the professional development of well-rounded, competent, compassionate physicians.”
Baylor-Temple Campus medical students complete their clerkship, a six-week clinical rotation, at McLane Children’s Medical Center and have the opportunity to attend Texas Children’s Medical Center Campus for electives.
At both Baylor campuses, learning extends beyond the classroom through a service-learning program giving students the opportunity to volunteer with local organizations.
Throughout the academic year, students commit to at least 21 community service hours at a non-profit organization. In Temple, students engage with organizations such as Temple Community Clinic, Meals on Wheels, Ralph Wilson Youth Club, The Promise House at Family Promise of Bell County, McLane Children’s Medical Center Child Life Department, Feed My Sheep Saturday Clinic and Moms to Moms
“It’s important for our students to get out into the community and get to know the people they’ll be serving as doctors,” Dr. Christner said.
“I could just tell during my interview that Baylor College of Medicine is a really special place. There are definitely a lot of things that make the Temple campus unique…Students really look out for each other. We always ask each other how we’re doing and really mean it. We make sure everyone’s doing okay academically, mentally and socially.
The small class size is the driving force for a lot of it. You feel like you’re important and no one’s letting you fall through the cracks when you’re in school because everyone knows each other.”
Hope Scherger
First-year medical student, Temple Campus
“Temple is a great place to be. You’re going to get the Baylor-renowned academics, you’re getting research and you’re also getting a community. We have some opportunities you can’t get anywhere else because we’re a smaller campus. This means we get more time with physicians. We get more time with residents. And we get to see more patients as students. That’s something I’m so thankful for.”
Joel Umana
First-year medical student, Temple Campus