MD 3.99 GPA 523 MCAT

[Thenewguy02]

Hi all,

I'm a white male from a rural background. I've always wanted to go into academia, but also wanted to work in a rural area. Until I got my MCAT back, I was pretty sure I failed it and had to retake it, but now that I have my scores back, the game has changed for me, and I have no real clue how I stand. For now, I'm considering taking an extra gap year to strengthen my gaps to make myself a better applicant for top schools. Right now I'm wondering what my chances are for these schools:

University of Washington
Oregon Health and Sciences University(Oregon Resident)
Yale
Duke
Stanford
U.S.U.H.S.
Baylor


Work Experience:

Worked on a farm since I was 10. For the past four years I've worked during harvest season as one of the crew leaders for hazelnuts, grass seed, wheat, and garlic. Usually push 100 hours a week, and because of this, my summers leave pretty much no time for anything else.

About one year combined of working as a Supplemental Instruction Leader for Physics, and a Learning assistant for Biology.

Volunteer Experience:

About 100 hours volunteering in a nurse run outpatient clinic specializing in wound care.

A term of volunteering at the local Boys and Girls Club.

Two years with a program helping special needs kids with physical activity(a few hours every Friday evening).

Shadowing:

About 50 hours in the Emergency Department

About 15 hours in a Spanish Pediatrics unit.

About 15 hours in Orthopedic Surgery.

Extra Curriculars:

One year playing Club Baseball for my university(about 10 hours per week).

Two years working in a research lab, over half on my own project. Cancer Biology if it matters. Will be over 1000 hours here.

I'm really into intramural sports and weight lifting. I'm at the gym at least 10 hours a week.

I will also have a years experience as an ambassador for our College of Agriculture. This involves meeting with alumni, donors, and future students. Some of it traveling to events around Oregon and the surrounding states, and even some on the East Coast. It's hard to explain in a few sentences. No real way to quantify the hours for this yet, but it definitely soaks up a lot of time.



Will this be enough to be competitive? I am finishing up my senior year, and will be applying spring of 2016 if I am competitive enough for these schools. In my gap year I want to either A) work as a scribe, or B) work for room and board in Latin America on an organic farm

If this isn't competitive, I would want to start considering applying for TFA or the Peace Corps and extending my gap year(s).

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[JibsGuy52]

Troll

 

[Thenewguy02]

I've always assumed I'd get about 80% on the MCAT, so I had planned on only applying to rural focused schools. I have never found a clear answer on what it takes to get into the top ten. I don't know why you're calling me a troll. I've followed every rule, and I'm only asking for advice on what I should do. I figured I would just ask after not being able to decide what I should do.

 

[JibsGuy52]

Dude. You are a virtual lock for medical school. There is nothing more you can do. Sorry if I came off rude.

 

[Thenewguy02]

Dude. You are a virtual lock for medical school. There is nothing more you can do. Sorry if I came off rude.

Its all good. It is really hard to convey emotion over the internet. My advisers tend to steer clear of talking about the top schools, so I don't know much about what it takes. I know my numbers are good enough, but I haven't really done anything "special", and from what I've read that is what it takes to get into the top schools.

 

[625233]

Apply anywhere, starting with Harvard.

 

[Labkid]

You should think about an MD/PhD if you love research enough. Sounds like you do.

 

[Goro]

You're a rock star. Aim high.

You're aware of the service obligation with USUHS?

You're allowed to have a longer list.

Hi all,

I'm a white male from a rural background. I've always wanted to go into academia, but also wanted to work in a rural area. Until I got my MCAT back, I was pretty sure I failed it and had to retake it, but now that I have my scores back, the game has changed for me, and I have no real clue how I stand. For now, I'm considering taking an extra gap year to strengthen my gaps to make myself a better applicant for top schools. Right now I'm wondering what my chances are for these schools:

University of Washington
Oregon Health and Sciences University(Oregon Resident)
Yale
Duke
Stanford
U.S.U.H.S.
Baylor


Work Experience:

Worked on a farm since I was 10. For the past four years I've worked during harvest season as one of the crew leaders for hazelnuts, grass seed, wheat, and garlic. Usually push 100 hours a week, and because of this, my summers leave pretty much no time for anything else.

About one year combined of working as a Supplemental Instruction Leader for Physics, and a Learning assistant for Biology.

Volunteer Experience:

About 100 hours volunteering in a nurse run outpatient clinic specializing in wound care.

A term of volunteering at the local Boys and Girls Club.

Two years with a program helping special needs kids with physical activity(a few hours every Friday evening).

Shadowing:

About 50 hours in the Emergency Department

About 15 hours in a Spanish Pediatrics unit.

About 15 hours in Orthopedic Surgery.

Extra Curriculars:

One year playing Club Baseball for my university(about 10 hours per week).

Two years working in a research lab, over half on my own project. Cancer Biology if it matters. Will be over 1000 hours here.

I'm really into intramural sports and weight lifting. I'm at the gym at least 10 hours a week.

I will also have a years experience as an ambassador for our College of Agriculture. This involves meeting with alumni, donors, and future students. Some of it traveling to events around Oregon and the surrounding states, and even some on the East Coast. It's hard to explain in a few sentences. No real way to quantify the hours for this yet, but it definitely soaks up a lot of time.



Will this be enough to be competitive? I am finishing up my senior year, and will be applying spring of 2016 if I am competitive enough for these schools. In my gap year I want to either A) work as a scribe, or B) work for room and board in Latin America on an organic farm

If this isn't competitive, I would want to start considering applying for TFA or the Peace Corps and extending my gap year(s).

 

[Thenewguy02]

You should think about an MD/PhD if you love research enough. Sounds like you do.

I love research, but I've been doing a lot of reading in the last few days regarding MD/PHD programs. Most people say that an M.D. is enough to do research, and I do not know if spending the next 8-10 years in school is how I want to spend my 20's. My original plan was to apply to schools that have a focus on rural medicine, as I thought this would be my only chance. But now doors are opening up, and I'd really enjoy going to a research oriented medical school, but I can't feel comfortable signing on to four more years in a laboratory at this point(Beyond medical school). I've found you can't ask your cell cultures how they are feeling today.

You're a rock star. Aim high.

You're aware of the service obligation with USUHS?

You're allowed to have a longer list.

Thanks!

And yes, I've always wanted to join the military. It runs in the family. Back in my high school, I told my parents I was going to enlist(17 at the time). My father told me I was going to college - and here I am. I only firmly declared myself as a premedical student when a good friend and roommate of mine was diagnosed with cancer and was forced to drop out after my sophomore year. It changed my perspective. Me being here is the result of a lot of accidents, and I hope I don't convey this in a negative light if I make it to interviews. For some reason 8 years in an M.D. PHD program scares me, but I'd sign on for the four years of medical school, 3-7 years of residency, and then the 8 year repayment for USUHS in no time. If I don't make it into medical school, military is my backup.

So would taking an extra year off not be worthwhile? A big fear of mine is that I won't have good enough EC's to get into top tier schools, and low tier schools will look over me because they see me applying there as a "safety school".

 

[Goro]

Your EC'S are fine...but work on the self esteem!

 

[y123]

Anywhere you like!

 

[Labkid]

I love research, but I've been doing a lot of reading in the last few days regarding MD/PHD programs. Most people say that an M.D. is enough to do research, and I do not know if spending the next 8-10 years in school is how I want to spend my 20's. My original plan was to apply to schools that have a focus on rural medicine, as I thought this would be my only chance. But now doors are opening up, and I'd really enjoy going to a research oriented medical school, but I can't feel comfortable signing on to four more years in a laboratory at this point(Beyond medical school). I've found you can't ask your cell cultures how they are feeling today.

I've asked a few MD/PhDs about this, and the answer I always get is "if your research is taking longer than three years then you aren't working hard enough". So I really doubt it would take you so long as long as you form your thesis around something solid. You've done plenty of it so I'm sure I don't have to tell you.

Either way it's all up to you and there's no reason to think that you'd do less significant research just because you didn't get the PhD.

Reach for the stars man and definitely be confident, you have every reason to be.

 

[Thenewguy02]

I've asked a few MD/PhDs about this, and the answer I always get is "if your research is taking longer than three years then you aren't working hard enough". So I really doubt it would take you so long as long as you form your thesis around something solid. You've done plenty of it so I'm sure I don't have to tell you.

Either way it's all up to you and there's no reason to think that you'd do less significant research just because you didn't get the PhD.

Reach for the stars man and definitely be confident, you have every reason to be.

I haven't talked to anyone who is in an MD/PhD program, but from what I've read AAMC advertises it as a "2-4-2" program. Although finishing in 7 years would be a definite boon for me, I still do not know if it is worth it. M.D.'s can do significant research, and I've heard that when you get an MD/PhD, you generally end up utilizing one much more than the other. Do the MD/PhDs you've talked to tend to find this true? Would they go down the same path if given another chance, or do they think another way is better to get to where they are today?

 

[Labkid]

I haven't talked to anyone who is in an MD/PhD program, but from what I've read AAMC advertises it as a "2-4-2" program. Although finishing in 7 years would be a definite boon for me, I still do not know if it is worth it. M.D.'s can do significant research, and I've heard that when you get an MD/PhD, you generally end up utilizing one much more than the other. Do the MD/PhDs you've talked to tend to find this true? Would they go down the same path if given another chance, or do they think another way is better to get to where they are today?

What you said has some truth to it, some MD/PhDs end up using one more than the other, some actually end up just becoming a professor at a school, and others just end up being like any other MD. That also changes with time so how much they use each isn't always the same throughout their career.

However the ones I talk to have never expressed regret and always recommend it to me as a valuable experience, especially if you are interested in researching as an MD. The opportunity to do research in a top notch institution at such a young age is not an experience I would want to pass up. Rather than see it as more education before I become a doctor I see it as an opportunity I can enjoy while I go on to become a physician, should I be lucky enough to gain entrance that is.

They have mentioned there is this feeling that your colleagues are ahead of you during your PhD research, but that feeling quickly goes away once you finish and have a vast array of options open to you.

The main guy I talked to went off to start his own lab (not very common) and found success there then eventually settled elsewhere doing research with an institution and spends about 3 days of the week in the clinic and 3 in the lab.

The thing about going just MD is you are out of research for a very long time so much so that getting back into it you have to pretty much start over because things advanced so much. Having the PhD under your belt alleviates that and from what I understand you have an easier time starting with the research you want.

Of course it all again depends on how much you work for where you want to end up and it's certainly not impossible to get the same exact research opportunities that a MD/PhD does, however it probably requires a longer time or getting lucky with networking. So if you'd rather go MD than do it, I really would only suggest MD/PhD if it feels like an experience you would love to have which is the case for me. If you only want to do it because you get "MD for free" then I wholly advise against it because research is torture if you do not relish in what you are doing, I've seen it happen.

I've been told they are "never home" but what doctor these days has any normal amount of time at a home anyways?