3.9 cGPA (3.85sGPA, 3.95 non-science), MCAT Unknown. Chances at top MD/PhD?

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NR3A

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Major: Biochemistry
Minor: Music
Cumulative GPA: 3.91
Science GPA: 3.85
Non-science: 3.95
School: Top-50 small liberal arts college

Experience/ECs

-One summer shadowing a doctor in a neurology clinic. 40 hours a week for approximately 6 weeks.

-One year (40 hours a week) (gap year between high school and college) working at a large city childrens hospital, involving clinical research (one first author publication and one acknowledgement from this one).

-Two summers at NIH (awards for my research both summers). 40 hours a week, approximately 10 weeks both summers.

-Doing biochemical research now (10 hours a week) and through the summer (40 hours a week) + senior year---will most likely get a publication out of this but probably after the application cycle.

-General chemistry/organic chemistry tutor for two years. Also a lab TA for organic.

-Member of an honors society on campus. In addition to maintaining a high GPA, members have to do a citizenship project. I am on the committee that coordinates and approves these projects.

Recommendations
-Doctor who supervised me on my year off,
-Head of my NIH lab
-Biochemistry professor (who is also my research advisor)

Non-medical: Music minor, perform regularly in the area and participate in multiple ensembles at school.

Taking the MCAT in July (kind of late in my opinion). Do I need to pull off some kind of miracle there to be really competitive in the top tier schools? I'm also trying to go for the *gasp* MD/PhD track which makes it more difficult. Am I crazy to think I could make it into a top 10?

The only other x-factor is I do have some connections, as it were, to a few high level schools. I by no means think that those will get me in, or even do anything at all for me necessarily (does anyone have experience with this type of thing?). The strongest connection is an immediate family member who is chair of a department at a medical school.

Is there anything I can do to improve my chances? I feel as if I lack community service. I'm going to volunteer at a hospital again this summer, but I imagine my application will be in by then, so it won't be on my application.

Let me know what you guys think, I appreciate all the help!

UPDATE: I've started making a list of schools, and I'd like to know what you guys think. I've been scoring in the mid/upper 30s on my practice tests (Hope for a 35+).

Boston University (MD only)
GW (MD/PhD)
Columbia (MD/PhD)
Harvard (MD/PhD)
Georgetown (MD/PhD)
Tufts (MD/PhD)
Mount Sinai (MD/PhD)
UVM (MD)
UCSF (MD/PhD)
Cornell (MD/PhD)

I know its top heavy, thats why I need some help! Thanks!
 
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You already posted almost exactly the same thing
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=816408
How can you expect anyone to tell you your chances at a top program when you don't have an MCAT score? And you don't list a projected range from practice exams?

Some recommendations:
•Shadow a primary care doctor (FM, IM, Peds, etc)
•Start volunteering at the hospital again and inform schools in an update letter
•Most applicants have nonmedical community service too. Did you have regular community service from your honors society, or just a leadership role?
•You will need more letters of recommendation. Minimum is generally 2 science professors you took a class from and 1 non-science professor you took a class from. It looks like you only listed one professor
•Read the rules and stop starting new threads to say the same thing http://www.studentdoctor.net/sdn-forums-terms-of-service/
 
Thanks for the input. I apologize for starting a new thread, I just thought it might be better to post a better organized version rather than endlessly bumping the old one (needless to say I won't start another!)

On the topic of recommendations: I'll be getting a committee letter that is a composite of those three recommenders I listed. I'll still need to get those extra recs though? In general it has been difficult finding science professors who are not on the advisory committee (they can't write for you if they are on the committee at my school), but if this is the case then I can try and figure something out.

The honors society was just a leadership role, yes. I do believe I need some non-medical community service ASAP, assuming I cannot use things I did in high school.

As for the MCAT, I'm shooting for a 34-36, although part of the purpose of this thread was to see what I need to be competitive.

Thanks for your help!
 
NR3A said:
On the topic of recommendations: I'll be getting a committee letter that is a composite of those three recommenders I listed. I'll still need to get those extra recs though? In general it has been difficult finding science professors who are not on the advisory committee (they can't write for you if they are on the committee at my school), but if this is the case then I can try and figure something out.

The honors society was just a leadership role, yes. I do believe I need some non-medical community service ASAP, assuming I cannot use things I did in high school.

As for the MCAT, I'm shooting for a 34-36, although part of the purpose of this thread was to see what I need to be competitive.

Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Generally, schools will only require a committee letter, although it's useful to check each school's website individually. I thought you were getting individual letters since you had listed them individually, but now I understand better. It sounds like you have it set up fine

There isn't a rule saying you can't include HS community service, but I've seen people recommend that you should only include service done in HS if you've continued doing the same service in college. If you start doing some service now on a regular basis, then you can at least put that on your app as having been started in May 2011 and continued "until present" so that schools know you're planning to keep it up. However, community service is not as huge of a deal if you're only applying to MD/PhD. If you only have time to do EITHER medical community service OR nonmedical community service, I would say (keep in mind that I'm just a pre-med too!) the medical community service is more important. I'm just trying to help you be the best applicant possible, although you seem to be strong already
 
Thanks for your input. Very much appreciated! I'll see what I can fit in while studying for the MCAT in July.
 
Any more thoughts? Catalystic perhaps? 🙂
 
I would not overly worry about your medical experiences. Perhaps shadow another doctor for a few hours if you can, and I would start a clinical volunteer activity this year. It will help you during your MD interviews (as some schools have these). However, clinical exposure is less important for MD/PhD.

In the end, a top ten school will all depend on your MCAT score. Your research experience is somewhat substandard for MD/PhD (for example, I had 2 years full time + 2 years in school + 2 summers when I applied), and that could limit you. Your medical experiences and extracurriculars don't make you stand out. But a high MCAT score + your high GPA could make all the difference.

In short, too soon to tell.
 
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Thanks Raziela. How did you manage 2 years full time? Was it time spent after college? I'm trying to get a handle on the MCAT as we speak, so hopefully it will be high!
 
Raziela said:
In the end, a top ten school will all depend on your MCAT score. Your research experience is somewhat substandard for MD/PhD (for example, I had 2 years full time + 2 years in school + 2 summers when I applied), and that could limit you. Your medical experiences and extracurriculars don't make you stand out. But a high MCAT score + your high GPA could make all the difference.

In short, too soon to tell.
Click to expand...

FWIW, I agree with this. Otherwise see: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=539268. If you apply without taking any time off to do full-time research (and generally I recommend that you do unless you want to burn a year for some reason), you will want your MCAT to be above average for the schools you are trying to reach. So for top-10 we're talking 37+. If you're talking about any MSTP, 34+ will put you in the right range and you'd still have a good shot at top-20.
 
Thanks Neuronix. All MCAT all the time from now on!
 
Sounds better than it is, I'm sure Xk. Don't worry!
 
We can't say anything without an MCAT. A 34+ would put you in good contention for an MSTP, and even with a higher MCAT a top 10 would be possible but not something you should bet on.

I have no experience with a single summer research project- I did all of mine on a contiguous project for 2.5 years at >30 hours/week during school, 40-50h/w during the summer.

Having such a discontinuous lab record on multiple projects has pluses and minuses. On one hand, you have a great idea of different research fields/projects/lab environments, and on the other hand you have not had the chance to go at a single project as you will during your PhD. In my personal opinion- a potential MD/PhD should realize 10 hours/week for a research project is unacceptable- unless you had a compelling reason to donate peanuts of time for what is the crux of your application.

You will need to sell your research and have your letters sell you as a budding junior scientist and an exceptional PhD candidate- and this will get you into an MD/PhD program alongside any reasonable MCAT.

If your research is as you describe- and I do not know you in person, and you do not have an MCAT score yet- you are not crazy (to use your words) to get into a top 10, but you should broaden your horizons and be grateful for any interviews/acceptances that you receive, because odds are you will not get into a top 10. Best of luck.
 
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IMHO your prospects are not bad, modulo your MCAT results. Research sounds fine to me. There is nothing that can assure anyone of a top 10 school and that matters much less than you think anyway. Just do what you were going to do anyway--i.e., do your best.
 
Thanks for the reply Stigma. For the record my research this past semester was limited to 10 hours a week by my institution, not me (with one research adviser for several people and stringent safety policies, this is all they are able to offer). This summer I will be doing the 40-50 hour a week thing.

Again thanks for your input!
 
As an aside, quick question: Most places seem to keep you in contention for medical school only even if you don't get the MD/PhD, but I got the impression that your application is then delayed however long it takes them to reject you. Does anyone have experience with this? I imagine it's school by school, but I thought I might check.

Thanks again!
 
Bump, added a list! Thanks a lot guys..
 
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