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[Thimble]

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[Lambda Phage]

With those kinds of numbers and research experience, you should get plenty of invites. Your clinical volunteering, however, is sparse. Work on getting some more clinical and nonclinical volunteering and update schools with your experiences throughout the cycle.

 

[Radon XP]

The lack of clinical volunteering will hurt you.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

The biggest problem is as Lambda said: a lack of clinical exposure. Your research experience clearly justifies pursuing the PhD route, but one-dimensionality lends very little towards the MD.

I think your numbers will get you looked at, but when it comes to your PS and interviews, you'll have to clearly articulate why medicine - because on paper, it doesn't seem so evident that's the field you're keying in on.

 

[Lambda Phage]

What is a good time to update schools?

And since my clinical volunteering is so little, should I even mention it?

Yes, I would mention it. Because without it, you have zero clinical volunteering and that's not good. I'd update schools in Sept. if you can find a clinical volunteering position before then.

 

[Lambda Phage]

Thanks Lambda! What sort of thing counts as clinical volunteering? Does regular volunteering in a hospital count?

'Clinical' involves patient contact. If you volunteered at the gift shop, then that does not constitute clinical volunteering; however, if you volunteered transporting patients from the ED to radiology dept., that'd be considered clinical. FWIW, I got my clinical experience by volunteering in a local emergency department.

 

[SN12357]

I'm actually applying MD/PhD, but we have to get through the MD committee too, so hopefully this post is still welcome in this forum. I was recently told by a few friends that I don't have a good chance at any of the top-level schools, primarily because I'm too one-dimensional.

- GPA = 3.96; haven't been verified by amcas yet, so not sure about the official numbers. Engineering double major, if that gives me any leeway, from a top-15 university.

- Clinical volunteering: it was only like 12 hours total, so I didn't put it on my application. I volunteered on three 'events' with a group that works with children and at another that needed a translator.

-Physician shadowing: just under 40. primary care, hospice, GE, anesthesiology

-Research: I researched every year and every summer. I'm not worried about this aspect. Concurrent with the more 'traditional' work-in-a-lab research, I also led a student-run research group. I'm almost always in the lab.

- Other activities: maybe unique, but very engineering-heavy.

-Nonclinical volunteer activities: just tutoring-type activity, and organized one outreach event for disadvantaged students

-Employment: outside of research, just grading/TA-ing (one course each)

Schools I'm aiming for
I haven't really built a list, so suggestions would be very much appreciated. The ones I have chosen are primarily based on my research interests.

High Reach: Harvard/MIT, Wash U, University of Washington, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, USC, UCLA

Reach: Vanderbilt, Duke

Target
I'm beginning to suspect even these are a bit out of range though
Case, Emory, UTHSCSA (this is the only one I feel comfortable with I guess, because I'm also applying PhD, to work with a mentor I'm currently collaborating with.)

There are no safeties in the MD/PhD game!

Just a few extra notes

- I haven't submitted my AMCAS yet. Final tweaks to my activities and PS should be done by this Wednesday. Yes, I know it's super-late.

- I'm not sure if it's worth putting the dozen hours of clinical volunteering. Your advice would be appreciated!

- One of my friends recently told me (he's also applying MD/PhD) that my MCAT is low for an MD/PhD from my institution, so despite the assurance from neuronix (the wizard of the MD/PhD thread), this is something that I kinda worry about.

- I'm really worried about my one-dimensionality. It really shows on my course choices and my activities that I really ****ing love engineering. Yet, for the things I want to do in the future, I would need significant training in medicine and engineering research, hence the MD/PhD. I have thought a lot about this and asked many people who are in positions similar to where I want to be, through a variety of different methods (i.e. MD-only or PhD-only) and they tend to get their research criticized by people with a stronger research or medical perspective, respectively. I'd rather pursue the dual training.

- That being said, is there anything I can do right now to improve my chances? I'm working in a more clinically-directed lab that lets me learn how to take bodies apart from surgeons and shadow them. (I don't want to be a surgeon, but it's fun to watch.)

Thanks!

Don't worry about your score. It's fine.

In terms of answering what you can do to improve your chances, the answer is definitely clinical volunteering.

But I think you have a good shot already if your research background is solid. Make sure you customize your application to the programs (and people) at each school and be very prepared for interviews in terms of knowing the specific people and research programs you would like to work with.

 

[jel34]

Our applications are so darn similar haha. My undergrad has also been extremely engineering focused and "one-dimensional" in terms of math, science, and engineering (before applying, I had only taken two humanities classes). I also have friends that told me that because of this, the MD side of the MD/PhD committees might be wary about accepting me. However, I was accepted into one of your "Target" MD/PhD programs. I have very similar numbers as you (36, 3.98), but absolutely NO clinical volunteering or shadowing experience. (btw, your mcat is very competitive for top MD/PhD programs IMO).

I definitely agree with everyone's advice that more clinical volunteering would be helpful. However, I still think you have a really good chance to get into one of the schools that you listed. Just make sure you include some more schools that might be slightly less competitive than the ones you listed (but that you still would want to go to, of course). I would put down all the clinical experience you have on your application, and let the adcoms decide whether it's relevant or not. Most importantly, be prepared to clearly explain in your interviews why you need the MD part of the MD/PhD to accomplish your career goals, and if your explanations are coherent, then you should be fine. Best of luck