Rejected MD 3.8/32, retake MCAT, apply MD/PhD? (details inside)

[56565656]

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[referee3]

Do not retake the MCAT.
Improve your school selection, likely too top heavy.
If you want a 40/60 clinical/research split go straight md. Md/PhD is meant for primarily research.
Apply early.

 

[Stannis_the_Mannis]

I agree with Referee in not retaking the MCAT and school selection. Thats likely not the reason you didnt get in if you applied broadly.

I'd work on interview skills as well. Its possible you may have came off a certain way which may not have been appealing to adcoms.

As far as the research split, most big programs are looking for people striving for 80/20. It's a mistake i made as well during my interview process as well.

On a personal note, i think its ridiculous to put that much stock into a young kid's anticipation of what their career will be like 10+ years before it actually comes to fruition.

Even some of the most staunch 80/20'ers can end up in private practice because in the end no one has a crystal ball to predict what 8 years of schooling and 3-5 years of a residency do to a persons interests.

 

[Neuronix]

Thanks for all responses!!

Nothing wrong with reapplying and applying MD/PhD this time. Late October/early November is quite late for secondaries. You know to do this earlier next time.

I'm plus/minus on the MCAT retake. You may not need it, but getting a 36+ would help. I'm leaning towards a retake given your research experience is decent but nothing extraordinary at this point.

You should now be doing full-time bench research. Clinical research doesn't count for much if your goal is a basic science MD/PhD program. I don't know why you want to do a master's. I discuss this frequently. See posts #2 and 4 here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/will-a-ms-degree-help-me-get-in.1125658/

It is okay to apply MD-only to some schools and MD/PhD to others. Try not to tell them. Both sides will question your commitment if they know about the other side. I always advise that you should really decide what you want and dedicate yourself to it. If you retake the MCAT and score in the high 30s, I think you will be very competitive for MD/PhD as long as you keep doing bench research. I never know quite what to say about computational projects with regards to how they compare to bench research. But, if they're being done in a serious dedicated dry lab on a significant medical question with publications or potential to publish in basic science journals, I think it counts the same as bench research. Of course there's no consensus on that point. As always, you need to know how to explain the background, significance, techniques, your contribution, and future directions in layman's terms.

Let me know if I missed any of your questions or concerns.

 

[Datypicalpremed]

It is okay to apply MD-only to some schools and MD/PhD to others. Try not to tell them. Both sides will question your commitment if they know about the other side.

Just to add something to Neuronix's advice: Make sure to also tell your LOR authors that you are applying to both MD and MD/PhD programs. I was chatting with one of my LOR authors the other day who was a MD/PhD himself. I applied to 2-3 MD only programs as "safeties", but he didn't know that and thought he took the advantage by mentioning in his letter how I would be a much better fit for MD/PhD programs than regular MD programs. He even went as far as to write in his letter how he thought applying to MD only programs would be a waste of my potential.

Needless to say, I'm surprised I got any MD only invites. But then again, I did have a committee letter so they might have taken this part out...

 

[56565656]

Thanks everyone for your input! It really helps a lot and I will actively look for lab positions and rock the mcat this round! I want to be as competitive as possible when I apply. Not making the same mistakes again.