I truly couldn’t have passed Step without Sean and Sahith’s support. They gave me practical techniques and a clear way to approach questions that completely changed how I think about exams, and it’s something I’ll keep using going forward. They also helped me focus my energy on the most important information instead of getting lost in everything else. Just as important, they were a real support system for me through the whole prep process. I can’t say enough good things about working with them, it was honestly a game changer for me!
Texas has thirteen MD schools and three DO schools, and eight of the sixteen opened in 2008 or later, from Texas Tech's El Paso school in 2008 to UT Tyler in 2022 (list of medical schools). The two oldest, the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston (1891) and Baylor in Houston (1900), have both been LCME-accredited since before 1942 (LCME).
Clerkships run through 98 teaching hospitals on the CMS list, 14 of them in Houston and 11 in Dallas (CMS teaching hospital list). Five MD schools each have 224 to 240 first-year places in 2025-26, Baylor and McGovern among them, while Dell Medical School in Austin has 50 (AAMC FACTS).
Medical schools in Texas
| School | City | Degree | Founded | Type | Exam series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor College of Medicine | Houston | MD | 1900 | Private | USMLE |
| University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine | Houston | MD | 2020 | Public | USMLE |
| McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | Houston | MD | 1970 | Public | USMLE |
| Texas Christian University Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine | Fort Worth | MD | 2019 | Private | USMLE |
| Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine | Bryan | MD | 1973 | Public | USMLE |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine | Lubbock | MD | 1969 | Public | USMLE |
| University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine | Tyler | MD | 2022 | Public | USMLE |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine | El Paso | MD | 2008 | Public | USMLE |
| University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School | Austin | MD | 2013 | Public | USMLE |
| University of Texas Medical Branch | Galveston | MD | 1891 | Public | USMLE |
| University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine | Edinburg | MD | 2015 | Public | USMLE |
| University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio Long School of Medicine | San Antonio | MD | 1968 | Public | USMLE |
| University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas | MD | 1943 | Public | USMLE |
| Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine | Conroe | DO | 2019 | Public | COMLEX-USA |
| University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine | San Antonio | DO | 2015 | Private | COMLEX-USA |
| University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine | Fort Worth | DO | 1970 | Public | COMLEX-USA |
Several of these schools teach students at more than one site: Baylor College of Medicine also lists Temple, Texas; Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine also lists Bryan, Texas, Dallas, Texas, Houston, Texas, Kingsville, Texas, Round Rock, Texas, San Antonio, Texas; Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine also lists Amarillo, Texas, Odessa, Texas, Lubbock, Texas (Covenant Branch).
School list: LCME and COCA accreditation lists, via the list of medical schools in the United States, checked October 2026.
Teaching hospitals in Texas by city
- Houston: St. Joseph Medical Center; Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Cntr; UT MD Anderson Cancer Center; Memorial Hermann Hospital Sys; CHI St. Lukes Health Baylor Med Ctr; The Methodist Hospital; Houston Northwest Medical Center; HCA Houston Healthcare West; Houston Healthcare Medical Center; Womans Hospital of Texas; Memorial Hermann TIRR; Texas Children's Hospital; Harris County Psychiatric Center; University General Hospital LP
- Dallas: Dallas County Hospital District; Baylor University Medical Ctr; UT Southwestern University Hosp; Methodist Dallas Medical Center; Texas Health Dallas; Medical City Dallas; Methodist Charlton Medical Center; UT Southwestern Med Ctr-Zale Lipshy; Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital; Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation; Childrens Medical Center of Dallas
- San Antonio: Baptist Health System; University Health System; Santa Rosa Healthcare; Methodist Hospital; Southwest General Hospital; Methodist Ambulatory Surgical Hospital; Sa Warm Springs Rehab Hosp; Childrens Hospital of San Antonio
- Fort Worth: TCHD D/B/A JPS Health Network; TX Hlth Harris Methodist Hospital; Baylor S&W All Saints Medical Center; Medical City Fort Worth; Cook Children's Medical Center
- Austin: Ascension Seton Medical Center; Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas; South Austin Medical Center; North Austin Medical Center; Dell Childrens Medical Center
- El Paso: The Hospitals of Providence-Memorial; University Medical Center of El Paso; Las Palmas Medical Center; The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus
- Corpus Christi: Christus Spohn Hosp Corpus Christi; Corpus Christi Medical Center; Driscoll Childrens Hospital
- Tyler: UT Health East Texas Tyler; Christus Mother Frances Hosp-Tyler; UT Health Center at Tyler
- Longview: Good Shepherd Medical Center; Good Shepherd Medical Center
- Lubbock: Covenant Medical Center; University Medical Center
- Waco: Ascension Providence; Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center
- Edinburg: South Texas Health System; Doctors Hospital at Renaissance
- Texarkana: Wadley Regional Medical Center; Christus St. Michael
- Amarillo: Northwest Texas Hospital; Baptist Saint Anthonys Hospital
- Denton: Medical City Denton; Texas Health Denton
- Plano: Medical City Plano; The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano
- Wichita Falls: United Regional Health Care System
- Bryan: St. Joseph Regional Health Center
- Galveston: The University of Texas Medical Branch
- Laredo: Laredo Medical Center
- Harlingen: Valley Baptist Medical Center
- Temple: Scott and White Memorial Hospital
- North Richland Hills: Medical City North Hills
- Weslaco: Knapp Medical Center
- Odessa: Medical Center Health System
- Midland: Midland Memorial Hospital
- Victoria: Detar Healthcare Systems
- Weatherford: Medical City Weatherford
- Conroe: Conroe Regional Medical Center
- Garland: Baylor Medical Center at Garland
Plus 15 more Texas cities on the same CMS list.
Facts about Texas
| School | City | LCME accreditation | Next full survey | 2025-26 applications | First-year places | Entering class from Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University | Fort Worth | Full, since 2018 | 2027-28 | 6,273 | 60 | 18.3% |
| Baylor College of Medicine School of Medicine | Houston | Full, since before 1942 | 2029-30 | 6,073 | 224 | 87.5% |
| Dell Medical School – University of Texas at Austin | Austin | Full, since 2015 | 2032-33 | 5,684 | 50 | 98% |
| McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston | Houston | Full, since 1970 | 2027-28 | 6,104 | 240 | 94.2% |
| Paul L. Foster School of Medicine Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso | El Paso | Full, since 2008 | 2027-28 | 4,811 | 130 | 90% |
| Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine | College Station | Full, since 1976 | 2027-28 | 6,086 | 200 | 84.5% |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine | Lubbock | Full, since 1971 | 2032-33 | 5,348 | 182 | 95.6% |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine | San Antonio | Full, since 1968 | 2026-27 | 5,774 | 232 | 87.5% |
| The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine | Tyler | Preliminary (2022) | 2026-27 | 4,990 | 40 | 95% |
| University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine | Houston | Provisional (2020) | 2025-26 | 5,247 | 60 | 93.3% |
| University of Texas Medical Branch John Sealy School of Medicine | Galveston | Full, since before 1942 | 2030-31 | 5,450 | 230 | 90% |
| University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine | Edinburg | Full, since 2015 | 2027-28 | 4,789 | 55 | 96.4% |
| University of Texas Southwestern Medical School | Dallas | Full, since 1943 | 2025-26 | 6,025 | 229 | 87.8% |
Accreditation: LCME directory; applications, places and in-state share: AAMC FACTS, Table A-1.
| City | Internal medicine residency program | First-time takers, 2023-2025 | Passed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Baylor College of Medicine Program | 161 | 99% |
| Houston | Baylor College of Medicine Program (combined medicine-pediatrics) | 26 | 100% |
| Houston | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Program | 116 | 84% |
| Houston | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Program (combined medicine-pediatrics) | 22 | 95% |
| Houston | Houston Methodist Hospital (Medical Center) Program | 51 | 98% |
| Dallas | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Program | 164 | 93% |
| Dallas | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Program (combined medicine-pediatrics) | 12 | 100% |
| Dallas | Baylor University Medical Center Program | 39 | 100% |
| Dallas | Methodist Health System Dallas Program | 38 | 95% |
| Dallas | Texas Health Resources (Dallas) Program | 19 | 95% |
| San Antonio | University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio Joe and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine Program | 99 | 90% |
| Galveston | University of Texas Medical Branch Hospitals Program | 82 | 90% |
| JBSA Fort Sam Houston | San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium Program | 81 | 90% |
| Temple | Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Baylor College of Medicine (Temple) Program | 66 | 92% |
| Austin | University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School Program | 63 | 95% |
| El Paso | Texas Tech University HSC El Paso Program | 43 | 93% |
| El Paso | Texas Tech University HSC El Paso/Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus Program | 18 | 94% |
| Weslaco | University of Texas RGV (Knapp) Program | 46 | 89% |
| Amarillo | Texas Tech University (Amarillo) Program | 42 | 95% |
| Lubbock | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Lubbock Program | 41 | 90% |
| Harlingen | University of Texas RGV (VBMC) Program | 29 | 86% |
| Fort Bliss | William Beaumont Army Medical Center Program | 28 | 86% |
| Round Rock | Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Round Rock Program | 22 | 82% |
| Fort Worth | Texas Health Resources/Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth Program | 12 | 83% |
ABIM internal medicine certification exam by residency program: ABIM residency program pass rates; ABIM says to read rates from under 25 takers with caution.
- Texas Medical Board license applicants must pass the board's jurisprudence (JP) exam with a score of 75 or better; the board sets no limit on JP attempts and charges nothing per attempt. (Texas Medical Board)
- The JP exam covers the Texas Occupations Code and the board's rules in the Texas Administrative Code: licensing eligibility, registration renewal, continuing education, scope of practice, and how complaints are investigated and enforced. (Texas Medical Board)
- In the 2025 Main Residency Match, programs in Texas offered 2,871 residency positions in 32 specialties, the most in internal medicine (856), family medicine (333), and pediatrics (223). (NRMP)
Sources: LCME, directory of accredited U.S. programs (checked October 29, 2026); AAMC FACTS, Table A-1, 2025-2026 (checked October 29, 2026); Texas Medical Board, jurisprudence exam FAQs (checked November 1, 2026); NRMP, 2025 Main Residency Match by state and specialty (checked October 29, 2026); ABIM, residency program pass rates 2023-2025 (checked October 29, 2026).
The Texas jurisprudence exam
Texas adds one exam the national series do not: the Texas Medical Board's jurisprudence (JP) exam, which license applicants must pass with a score of 75 or better. It tests Texas law, not medicine: the Texas Occupations Code and the board's rules in the Texas Administrative Code, from licensing eligibility and registration renewal to continuing education, scope of practice, and how complaints are investigated (Texas Medical Board).
The JP exam does not draw on the three-attempt budget Texas sets for each USMLE Step or COMLEX Level: the board sets no limit on JP attempts and charges nothing per attempt (Texas Medical Board; FSMB). So it belongs at the end of the licensing plan, after Step 3, while the national exams are where every sitting counts.
Residency in Texas
In the 2025 Main Residency Match, Texas programs offered 2,871 positions in 32 specialties: 856 in internal medicine, 333 in family medicine, 223 in pediatrics, 204 in emergency medicine and 201 in surgery (NRMP). Internal medicine alone is close to a third of the state's positions.
The largest internal medicine programs by ABIM first-time takers in 2023-2025 were UT Southwestern's in Dallas (164) and Baylor College of Medicine's in Houston (161), followed by UTHealth Houston (116) and UT Health San Antonio (99) (ABIM). Texas internists from all of them sit the ABIM internal medicine exam after residency.
Which board exams Texas students take
All thirteen Texas MD schools prepare students for the USMLE. In Houston those are Baylor, McGovern Medical School and the University of Houston's Fertitta Family College of Medicine. The rest are UT Southwestern in Dallas, UT Health San Antonio, UTMB in Galveston, Dell Medical School in Austin, Texas Tech in Lubbock and El Paso, Texas A&M in Bryan, TCU in Fort Worth, UT Tyler, and UT Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg.
The three DO schools take COMLEX-USA. They are Sam Houston State in Conroe, the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, and the UNT Health Science Center's Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth. Texas does not split the two series when it counts attempts: its board allows three at each USMLE Step or COMLEX Level (FSMB).
Texas licensing rules that affect your exam plan
Texas puts both exam families under one rule: three attempts at each USMLE Step or COMLEX Level, and a window the FSMB prints as 7 years+ (FSMB). The board names its own exceptions, among them a Texas Physician in Training permit held by September 1, 2005, five years licensed in good standing elsewhere, MD/PhD programs, and limited licenses for an MUA or HPSA (FSMB).
| Rule | What Texas requires |
|---|---|
| Training before first license | 1 year; 2 years IMG |
| Exam attempts | 3 attempts at each USMLE Step or COMLEX Level. (Exceptions may apply for applicants who held a Texas Physician in Training permit on or before September 1, 2005 or who have been licensed in good standing in another state for 5 years. See TMB website for more information.) |
| Time limit | 7 years+ to complete the USMLE or COMLEX. (Exceptions may apply for applicants who are especially board certified or who completed combined MD/PhD programs, or who exceed the time limit but are willing to accept a limited license to practice exclusively in an MUA or HPSA. See TMB website for more information.) |
Source: FSMB state licensure requirements, checked October 2026; confirm with the board before relying on them.
What Texas's rules mean for how you study
- Plan around the state cap, not the USMLE cap. Texas allows three at each Step or Level, one fewer than the four per Step the USMLE itself allows (FSMB, USMLE eligibility rules).
- Each Step has its own budget. Texas counts attempts at each USMLE Step or COMLEX Level, so retaking Step 1 does not spend Step 2 CK or Step 3 attempts, and DO students count each Level separately (FSMB).
- Watch the clock. The window is 7 years+ to finish the USMLE or COMLEX, and exceptions exist for some board-certified applicants, MD/PhD graduates and limited licenses in shortage areas, but plan to finish inside it (FSMB).
Many Texas students rotate, interview or match next door. Texas's neighbors on our list: Arkansas (2 MD, 1 DO), Louisiana (3 MD, 1 DO), New Mexico (1 MD, 1 DO), Oklahoma (1 MD, 1 DO).
How much Texas searches for board prep
Over the past five years Texas ranks 14th of 51 in Google Trends for USMLE searches and 29th for COMLEX, in a state with thirteen MD schools and three DO schools. Interest fades as the search gets narrower: USMLE Step 1 ranks 17th, Step 2 25th and shelf exam 31st, its weakest of the five terms. Of the five terms, only USMLE itself ranks in the top 15.
| Search term | Texas rank of 51 |
|---|---|
| USMLE | 14 |
| USMLE Step 1 | 17 |
| USMLE Step 2 | 25 |
| COMLEX | 29 |
| Shelf exam | 31 |
Source: Google Trends, United States, past 5 years, retrieved October 2026; ranks show relative interest, not student numbers.



