What should I do to boost my app?

[Bodysurfer]

Hi everyone

Thanks for taking the time to read:

I'm currently a research technician in the cancer center of a major Boston hospital planning on applying for MD/PhD next cycle for admission in 2018. I graduated from a large state U with a 3.53 cGPA in 2014 with a degree in cell and molecular bio and physics minor, with a strong upward trend (around a cGPA of 3.0 after my freshman year with some C's).

I took the MCAT back in my junior year of undergrad but did not study nearly enough (a few weeks) and got a 26 and am studying to take it in January, where I realize that I need to knock it out of the park.

Other experiences:
-About 50 hrs at a free clinic in undergrad
-Non-clinical volunteering at a homeless shelter in high school and undergrad
-Summer internship at a hospital doing leukemia research
-2 years of research studying DNA repair at my undergraduate institute
-Very little shadowing in undergrad, currently shadowing a med onc
-Both parents passed away from lung cancer, which has given me extra motivation in my research

Is there anything that I start doing to increase my competitiveness? I do plan to start volunteering again, as well.

While I haven't gotten far enough to make an exhaustive list to apply to, I plan on applying broadly to MTSP and funded non-MTSP programs. I've heard that the "coastal cities" tend to be more competitive, but would I have a shot at say Tufts or Einstein? I also plan on applying to schools outside the Northeast, such as the Chicago schools and some mid-West state schools (Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio St). My state also does not have a public med school.

Thanks!

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[Fencer]

The only other major thing (besides knocking the MCAT out of the park) that you need to do, is to make sure that your cancer research activities do not seem just the activities expected from a research technician but rather from a budding investigator. That is, have a project that you are leading. The letter from your PI is what will make or break your competitiveness. Continue shadowing your med onc physician, and ask for a LOR from her/him. Remember that major funded MD/PhD programs will not care for state of residency. PM me if you want to talk closer to your submission...

 

[Bodysurfer]

The only other major thing (besides knocking the MCAT out of the park) that you need to do, is to make sure that your cancer research activities do not seem just the activities expected from a research technician but rather from a budding investigator. That is, have a project that you are leading. The letter from your PI is what will make or break your competitiveness. Continue shadowing your med onc physician, and ask for a LOR from her/him. Remember that major funded MD/PhD programs will not care for state of residency. PM me if you want to talk closer to your submission...

Thank you so much for your advice. My lab is a little different in that it's a high-throughput screening lab, although we have a part of the lab that is more traditional (e.g. running Westerns and PCR) that I have done side projects for.