Baylor College of Medicine: A Legacy of Innovation in the Heart of the Texas Medical Center
Chartered by the State of Texas in 1900, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) began its journey as the University of Dallas Medical Department—a fledgling school founded by a small group of dedicated physicians and community leaders seeking to improve the practice of medicine in North Texas. The school opened its doors on October 30, 1900, with a modest beginning that belied its future prominence. In 1903, it affiliated with Baylor University in Waco and was renamed Baylor University College of Medicine. By 1918, it had become the only private medical school in Texas.
A pivotal moment arrived in 1943 when the MD Anderson Foundation invited the College to join the newly formed Texas Medical Center in Houston. The College opened in Houston that July in a converted Sears, Roebuck & Co. building with 131 students. Four years later, it moved into its present site in The Roy and Lillie Cullen Building—the first building completed in what would become the world’s largest medical complex. In 1969, by mutual agreement, the College separated from Baylor University to become an independent institution, a move that encouraged broader, nonsectarian support and provided access to federal research funding. The institution was renamed Baylor College of Medicine. Buy fake USA diploma online.
Today, BCM is a health sciences university that creates knowledge and applies science and discoveries to further education, healthcare, and community service locally and globally. Located at One Baylor Plaza in Houston’s Texas Medical Center—the largest medical and health care center in the world—BCM is the only private health sciences university in the Greater Southwest. The College is home to 26 departments, 10 academic centers, and four schools, with nationally recognized leaders across its programs.
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Academically, BCM offers a comprehensive range of programs including the M.D. program, dual degree programs (M.D. plus Ph.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., J.D., or M.S.), Ph.D. programs, and a doctoral program in nurse anesthesia. Its School of Health Professions ranks among the nation’s best, with the Occupational Therapy program ranked 4th and the Physician Assistant program 6th in the nation. The College is consistently recognized as a top choice for medical students, graduate students, and health professions students. In the 2026 *U.S. News & World Report* rankings, BCM was ranked a Tier 1 medical school for research and placed 16th nationally among research-oriented medical schools.
Research excellence defines BCM’s institutional identity. The College is the largest recipient of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in the Southwest and first among all medical schools in Texas. Total research funding exceeds $660 million. BCM is also home to the first National School of Tropical Medicine in North America. Its faculty has grown to nearly 5,500, and the institution’s endowment has increased to $1.6 billion. The College’s global programs have expanded to more than 60 countries, where BCM provides healthcare and educational programs in collaboration with local governments.
From its humble beginnings in Dallas to its current status as a globally recognized leader in medical education, research, and patient care, Baylor College of Medicine has spent 125 years shaping the future of healthcare. As it continues to expand—most recently with the topping out of the Lillie and Roy Cullen Tower in 2025—BCM remains steadfast in its mission to improve health through science, scholarship, and innovation.