Less Competitive MD/PHD programs and applying late

[CookiesandCannonballs]

Hi everyone,
I'm in the midst of applying to MD/PHD programs. I realize it's a little late, but I have some questions.

Is this too late to apply? Should I wait til next year? I'm worried having to re-apply will hurt my application.

A lot of these schools are really competitive and some of the programs which when I looked at their scores like Georgetown gpa 3.76 MCAT 32 are a lot more competitive than their numbers would suggest. I was hoping some of you could suggest some less competitive schools, or a good way to determine where to apply when my stats aren't quite as high as I'd hoped.

I want to study either Neuroscience or Bioinformatics. My gpa is low, I have a 3.5 in biomedical engineering, but my MCAT is higher I have a 520. My research experience isn't quite coherant. I'm continuing some clinical research at a hospital in my city that I've been working at for a little over a year, though it's mostly looking through patient record data. I'm more involved in a lab at my university. It's a computer science lab, but it's looking at asthma data with machine learning. It's more coding and data analysis. Since machine learning is such a big thing in Neuroscience I've really enjoyed my experience and am continuing there and have been there for a little over a year.

I also worked in a biology lab for 2 semesters, but don't think I achieved anything worth more than the casual mention.

Do you have any suggestions on where to apply? Or if I should wait?

If you think my stats are just too low to consider, do you have any suggestions for what I should to do to beef up my resume and then apply? I really want to continue a career and research and still have a clinical impact.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Fencer]

As I indicated previously, about 2/3 of the applications to the MD/PhD cycle have occurred by 08/31. It is late, but not too late. You MCAT will draw attention to quite a few schools. You need to be broad in your applications and make sure that your LORs get submitted ASAP. If you can get that within this month, your application will verify by mid-to-late October or so. There will be less seats available, but if you apply to the bottom tier of MSTPs and top ten large MD/PhD programs, you should draw enough interest to get in this cycle. Talk to your LORs about the timeline. It is doable... but you need to work hard to complete application, submit transcripts, and get LORs in the next couple of weeks.

PM me if you have additional questions or need clarifications...

 

[Neuronix]

Hi everyone,A lot of these schools are really competitive and some of the programs which when I looked at their scores like Georgetown gpa 3.76 MCAT 32 are a lot more competitive than their numbers would suggest.

This is a fine example of a less competitive MD/PhD program. I'm not sure that you'll find a fully-funded MD/PhD program with average GPA less than 3.6. I'm surprised the Georgetown average MCAT is 32 (I would have guessed 34).

I was hoping some of you could suggest some less competitive schools, or a good way to determine where to apply when my stats aren't quite as high as I'd hoped.

USNews rankings 20+ away from big cities on the coasts are less competitive.

My gpa is low, I have a 3.5 in biomedical engineering, but my MCAT is higher I have a 520.

That's not terrible, and accepted averages are averages for a reason. A high MCAT can compensate for a somewhat lower GPA.

I'm continuing some clinical research at a hospital in my city that I've been working at for a little over a year, though it's mostly looking through patient record data. I'm more involved in a lab at my university. It's a computer science lab, but it's looking at asthma data with machine learning. It's more coding and data analysis. Since machine learning is such a big thing in Neuroscience I've really enjoyed my experience and am continuing there and have been there for a little over a year.

I also worked in a biology lab for 2 semesters, but don't think I achieved anything worth more than the casual mention.

Focus on basic science if you want to do the MD/PhD program. The patient records stuff is not going to help you.

I think it's reasonable for you to apply this year. Just apply broadly (15ish programs) including plenty of the less competitive programs I mentioned before and I think you stand a decent chance. If you don't get in, get more research experience. It'll be hard to bring your GPA up much, but you could consider taking some science classes you could get As in.


Edit: Is it September already? Ugh. Fencer is right. You needed your application in last month. Applying this late will likely hurt you. You could still try, but you need to apply and get everything in ASAP.

 

[CookiesandCannonballs]

Edit: Is it September already? Ugh. Fencer is right. You needed your application in last month. Applying this late will likely hurt you. You could still try, but you need to apply and get everything in ASAP.[/QUOTE]

If I apply now and don't get in, will the failed application hurt my chances next cycle? Would it be better just to sit this cycle out and wait for the next one?

 

[CerseiLannister]

[QUOTE="If I apply now and don't get in, will the failed application hurt my chances next cycle? Would it be better just to sit this cycle out and wait for the next one?[/QUOTE]


Fencer and Neuronix know more than I do, but I think you may be better off waiting. Why not polish up you application a bit with more research and apply earlier next year? You may end up at a better program this way...

I don't think you will be hurt as a reapplicant, other than financially.

 

[Neuronix]

If I apply now and don't get in, will the failed application hurt my chances next cycle? Would it be better just to sit this cycle out and wait for the next one?

I don't know if Fencer has data on this.

My opinion has always been that it's better to get going on the career sooner rather than later. This is a long pathway, and another year as an undergrad won't do anything for you in the long run.

Nobody is going to look at you in a bad light just because you're a reapplicant. If anything, to me it shows determination. If you don't get in, you'll have to tell adcoms that you applied late the previous year so you spent another year doing basic research.

Just know going in that if you get an acceptance, you'll be expected to take it. So only interview at places you'd actually attend.

 

[phonyreal98]

OP, I'm sending you a PM.

 

[Maebea]

I do not know the national data, but half of the applicants to our program have already completed their undergrad degree. You would not be an outlier if you waited until next year.

 

[MYRIAD909]

Hi everyone,
I'm in the midst of applying to MD/PHD programs. I realize it's a little late, but I have some questions.

Is this too late to apply? Should I wait til next year? I'm worried having to re-apply will hurt my application.

A lot of these schools are really competitive and some of the programs which when I looked at their scores like Georgetown gpa 3.76 MCAT 32 are a lot more competitive than their numbers would suggest. I was hoping some of you could suggest some less competitive schools, or a good way to determine where to apply when my stats aren't quite as high as I'd hoped.

I want to study either Neuroscience or Bioinformatics. My gpa is low, I have a 3.5 in biomedical engineering, but my MCAT is higher I have a 520. My research experience isn't quite coherant. I'm continuing some clinical research at a hospital in my city that I've been working at for a little over a year, though it's mostly looking through patient record data. I'm more involved in a lab at my university. It's a computer science lab, but it's looking at asthma data with machine learning. It's more coding and data analysis. Since machine learning is such a big thing in Neuroscience I've really enjoyed my experience and am continuing there and have been there for a little over a year.

I also worked in a biology lab for 2 semesters, but don't think I achieved anything worth more than the casual mention.

Do you have any suggestions on where to apply? Or if I should wait?

If you think my stats are just too low to consider, do you have any suggestions for what I should to do to beef up my resume and then apply? I really want to continue a career and research and still have a clinical impact.

I don't think it's necessarily too late, especially if you have something that makes you really stand out (publications, amazing LORs, awesome essays). Solid GPA and MCAT are not distinguishing features for an MSTP, every serious MSTP candidate has both of those things.

I was complete 9/2, just waiting on MCATs to report 10/12. I spoke with the Admissions Office at Case Western They told me that my timeline is perfectly fine. Of course it's always good to be complete as early as possible, however, I believe this is less crucial for MSTP programs.