Dr. Christian Cable looked at the first Open House attendees in the history of Baylor College of Medicine’s School of Medicine Temple Regional Campus, and he smiled.

“Admissions is mutual selection – you were chosen very intentionally [to attend the first Open House],” Cable said. “I’m delighted you have chosen to tour this campus.”

Cable is the associate dean of admissions and students in the Office of Student Affairs at the regional campus in Temple. Along with Dr. Alejandro “Alex” Arroliga, regional dean of the School of Medicine’s Temple campus and chief clinical innovation officer of Baylor Scott & White Health, Cable has worked to establish the Baylor College of Medicine legacy in Central Texas.

Prospective students attend the first ever Open House at Baylor College of Medicine’s Temple regional campus in September 2022.

The open houses in September and October were the inaugural events at the regional campus, which is scheduled to welcome medical students in summer 2023. Overall, 28 prospective students attended the two events.

As the regional campus opens, students in the School of Medicine at both campuses will also learn a new curriculum that was finalized earlier this year. The timing is by design, Cable said.

The regional campus will admit 40 students during the first academic year, so classes will be small and focused. Learners will have opportunities to work with patients at Baylor Scott & White Health early in their medical school careers, as well.

“Though Temple is a smaller community, [Baylor Scott & White Health] is not a community hospital,” Cable said. “It’s the only Level I trauma hospital between Austin and Dallas. The learning space and clinical space are very close.”

Stephen Charles, associate dean of curriculum at the regional campus, echoed the benefits of having teaching spaces close to where students will do their clinical rotations. The new curriculum includes preceptor visits in the first month of school, as well as close connections with students and mentors from the Houston campus.

Following lunch, regional campus staff members brought attendees on a tour of Baylor Scott & White Health to learn more about the hospital’s history and place as a trusted healthcare provider in Central Texas.

Prospective students attend the first ever Open House at Baylor College of Medicine’s Temple regional campus in September 2022.

Cable spoke about the hospital’s partnerships with the Temple Independent School District and Temple College. Temple College’s simulation laboratory will be used by future Baylor College of Medicine students at Temple.

Temple College was partially involved in creating the School’s curriculum and care plans, Charles said, forging new business relationships before the campus is open.

“A big thing is [our relationships with these institutions] give us access to parts of the community we normally don’t have access to,” Cable said.

By Julie Garcia