Can my extras put the stats on their back for a run at MD/MBA?

[baksy]

Greetings fellow SDNers,

I would greatly appreciate you reading through the post. Your advice/critiques always welcomed.

Background and stats:

• Undergraduate school: Top 5 (HYPSM)
• Major: Economics (Human Biology minor)
• GPA: 3.4cgpa, 3.3sgpa
• MCAT: 32 (12PS,10B,10V,Q) - am contemplating to retake to compensate for gpa...

Work experience:

• 1 yr - Management Consultant in Health Industries (advised large hospital M&A integration)
• 4 months - Research at a healthcare policy think tank
• 4 months - investment intern at prestigious VC/hedge fund (healthcare group)
• 9 months - Research analyst at top business school acquisitions team (during school)

Research:

• 2 summers high school - 4 publications (1 FA, all bench lab), presentation at international conference
• 1.5 yrs undergrad - 3 publications (2 SA, all bench lab)
• 2 more publications pending (1 bench lab, 1 policy paper)

Clinicals:

• 120 hours volunteering at free clinic as Health Educator (outpatient, but lots of patient contact)
• 80 hours - shadowing physician teams

Leadership roles:

• Founder and Director (2yrs) - a rural migrant health initiative adopted by the major of a nearby rural city
• Founder and President (3yrs) - first student disability group on campus, community outreach to K-12 kids with disabilities, awarded a Google leadership scholarship for impact on community
• President, VP (2yrs) - 300+ member religious organization

Miscellaneous:

• Political refugee from one of the "Stan" countries
• Disability - have been working on my stuttering impediment all my life, getting much better
• Team captain of intramural basketball team - 2yrs
• Played piano and euphonium for 7 yrs each

Can I make it far? Once again, I sincerely appreciate your critiques/advice.

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[Goro]

You're fine for any of the DO schools, but only the lowest of the low-tier MD programs, like NYMC.

I'd play down the MBA stuff...makes me immeditately think "he's in it for the money", which naturally, may be way off base. Emphasize your altruism and health profession experiences.

Greetings fellow SDNers,

I would greatly appreciate you reading through the post. Your advice/critiques always welcomed.

Background and stats:

• Undergraduate school: Top 5 (HYPSM)
• Major: Economics (Human Biology minor)
• GPA: 3.4cgpa, 3.3sgpa
• MCAT: 32 (12PS,10B,10V,Q) - am contemplating to retake to compensate for gpa...

Work experience:

• 1 yr - Management Consultant in Health Industries (advised large hospital M&A integration)
• 4 months - Research at a healthcare policy think tank
• 4 months - investment intern at prestigious VC/hedge fund (healthcare group)
• 9 months - Research analyst at top business school acquisitions team (during school)

Research:

• 2 summers high school - 4 publications (1 FA, all bench lab), presentation at international conference
• 1.5 yrs undergrad - 3 publications (2 SA, all bench lab)
• 2 more publications pending (1 bench lab, 1 policy paper)

Clinicals:

• 120 hours volunteering at free clinic as Health Educator (outpatient, but lots of patient contact)
• 80 hours - shadowing physician teams

Leadership roles:

• Founder and Director (2yrs) - a rural migrant health initiative adopted by the major of a nearby rural city
• Founder and President (3yrs) - first student disability group on campus, community outreach to K-12 kids with disabilities, awarded a Google leadership scholarship for impact on community
• President, VP (2yrs) - 300+ member religious organization

Miscellaneous:

• Political refugee from one of the "Stan" countries
• Disability - have been working on my stuttering impediment all my life, getting much better
• Team captain of intramural basketball team - 2yrs
• Played piano and euphonium for 7 yrs each

Can I make it far? Once again, I sincerely appreciate your critiques/advice.

 

[LaughingMan]

State of Residence?

 

[baksy]

Thanks for the feedback.

I was also initially worried that my business experiences might be off-putting. However, when I spoke to a few medical school admissions officers when they visited my school, I received the opposite impression. They stressed how they find business knowledge increasingly important given the market pressures on doctors and that it would be a unique advantage for my profile. That alleviated my worries and I hope most adcoms see it in a positive light, but yeah, i see how you could get that idea, although not sure why I'd go to medicine if just for money (cause it ain't there, compared to other "easier" options).

And I'm a CA resident.

 

[CrimsonKing]

Thanks for the feedback.

I was also initially worried that my business experiences might be off-putting. However, when I spoke to a few medical school admissions officers when they visited my school, I received the opposite impression. They stressed how they find business knowledge increasingly important given the market pressures on doctors and that it would be a unique advantage for my profile. That alleviated my worries and I hope most adcoms see it in a positive light, but yeah, i see how you could get that idea, although not sure why I'd go to medicine if just for money (cause it ain't there, compared to other "easier" options).

And I'm a CA resident.

Yep, the business training will help you no matter what you end up doing in medicine; it will of course be more helpful in Private Practice, but you will still bring important ideas to the table in academia and hospital practice.

Medical schools offer MD/MBA programs because they value the education; there is nothing detrimental about having business interest and wanting to pursue medicine.

 

[darkjedi]

Don't apply directly for an MD/MBA.

If you are truly interested in an MBA, you can apply for it in medical school. Additionally, as you probably very well know, only a handful of MBA's are actually well respected, and the corresponding medical schools are usually very competitive. You would likely be better served applying as an MD student to another top-tier MBA school.

 

[Economics]

Don't apply directly for an MD/MBA.

If you are truly interested in an MBA, you can apply for it in medical school. Additionally, as you probably very well know, only a handful of MBA's are actually well respected, and the corresponding medical schools are usually very competitive. You would likely be better served applying as an MD student to another top-tier MBA school.

+1 exactly what he said.

 

[baksy]

Thank you guys for the additional feedback.

Darkjedi, Economics - why shouldn't I apply at the same time for MD/MBA? I have called both the medical and business admissions offices, and they say they each make their decision independent of the other school. So technically, it wouldn't hurt if I applied now, knowing that my business credentials most likely won't increase during medical school. Ironically, at the moment, I think my MBA application is stronger than my MD application - so I might do MD and MBA at different locations (which I've seen been done before).

Given that info, I feel like there isn't a detriment to applying to both? I think both MD and MBA admissions will understand the profile better knowing that I am applying to the other school (just better context for why chose certain activities, etc). What do you guys think? Thanks so much, your comments are very insightful and helpful!

 

[113]

Is the thread title a reference to Greg Jennings?

 

[baksy]

Ha, not intended, but now I see it .

 

[darkjedi]

Thank you guys for the additional feedback.

Darkjedi, Economics - why shouldn't I apply at the same time for MD/MBA? I have called both the medical and business admissions offices, and they say they each make their decision independent of the other school. So technically, it wouldn't hurt if I applied now, knowing that my business credentials most likely won't increase during medical school. Ironically, at the moment, I think my MBA application is stronger than my MD application - so I might do MD and MBA at different locations (which I've seen been done before).

Given that info, I feel like there isn't a detriment to applying to both? I think both MD and MBA admissions will understand the profile better knowing that I am applying to the other school (just better context for why chose certain activities, etc). What do you guys think? Thanks so much, your comments are very insightful and helpful!

Applying to both programs at once will not help your application at all. Only until you are an MD student, will you get a bump in your MBA application. As you mentioned yourself, your MBA application is likely significantly stronger than your MD application, as the MD application is much more competitive. Go to whatever MD school you can get into, and apply to the top 5 MBA programs while you are in the MD program. With your credentials and your status as an MD student, it shouldn't be too difficult. Unlike MD's, an MBA from a lower tier school is likely not worth the investment.

 

[baksy]

Thanks DarkJedi. That makes sense. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[skais595]

If you can improve by 3+ points on the MCAT, I'd say retake it. Your GPAs are low but not going to ruin you, especially with URM, good ECs, a well-written and captivating personal statement, etc. USC seems like a good place to look for you! I know they offer MD/MBA and seem to do a nice holistic review not jusssttt focused on scores!

 

[darkjedi]

If you can improve by 3+ points on the MCAT, I'd say retake it. Your GPAs are low but not going to ruin you, especially with URM, good ECs, a well-written and captivating personal statement, etc. USC seems like a good place to look for you! I know they offer MD/MBA and seem to do a nice holistic review not jusssttt focused on scores!

Unless you've been scoring high 30's on the practice AAMC tests, I highly recommend against retaking the MCAT.

A 32 is a perfectly respectable score, especially in consideration of your other experiences.

 

[gyngyn]

You have an ap that will induce many fine schools to interview you. They are mostly OOS, unfortunately. I know you will inevitably apply to all the CA schools (we all do/did). Be sure to use the MSAR to identify the OOS schools that might interview you, though. Don't re-take the MCAT. The chances that you will change a screeners impression with a modest increase is small. The odds that you do the the same or worse is good (and this not only hurts but you have to factor in the opportunity cost!).

 

[baksy]

Thanks so much for the replies everyone. I decided not to retake the MCAT and instead focus on my personal statement and other application materials so that I could apply confidently and very early. A worry I have is regarding letter of recommendations. I think I can get solid letter of recs from my research PI, consulting/think tank work, disability organization, and an economics prof. However, I see that many med schools want letter of recs from science classes. Is that a hard requirement - like can my PI, who is a teaching faculty member, count even though that was mainly research? Can I get by without the standard science class profs?

I can reignite a few relationships, but they probably won't be the most personal letter of recs of the ones I have.