Last edited:
Advice on Picking an MD/PhD School List ?
- Thread starter rtn1
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2017
- Messages
- 32
- Reaction score
- 23
I think you will do well in this cycle and I think your list is good. Just one minor point, I don't really think your "reaches" and "matches" categories are all that well defined. For example, UWashington is an incredibly competitive program to get into (I would argue more competitive than some of the schools on your reach list, such as WashU and Chicago). There are also some other schools I can say the same thing about. Anyhow, this is not a major point, as long as you apply broadly, which it seems like you are doing. Just don't think very rigidly about matches/reaches/safeties/etc. This cycle surprised the heck out of me.
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2007
- Messages
- 2,262
- Reaction score
- 4,143
You seem to be a competitive applicant but the application process is much more complex, and sometimes your reviewer might not catch the subtleties of your application ... Keep in mind that schools tend to invite about 60-80 applicants for interview after receiving several multiples of those. Duke is a reach, U Wash is in-between, and Emory is not a safety for anybody. See the data for 2017:
https://www.aamc.org/download/321544/data/factstableb8.pdf
Make a spreadsheet of applicants per matriculating slot.
Check the list of MSTPs: Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Institutions - National Institute of General Medical Sciences (2017-18 list)
https://www.aamc.org/download/321544/data/factstableb8.pdf
Make a spreadsheet of applicants per matriculating slot.
Check the list of MSTPs: Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Institutions - National Institute of General Medical Sciences (2017-18 list)
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2007
- Messages
- 2,262
- Reaction score
- 4,143
Safeties would have a lower number of applicants per slot, while most competitive programs have many more applicants per slot.
Subtleties could be all the way from perfect fit due to prior research with the program, to, we already got too many outstanding cancer applicants, to, you were the last of the pile to review and I still need to re-resubmit this paper for my grant submission. If you don't have skeletons in the closet, there will be a lot of interest on your application. Just keep in mind that is likely that there are another 100 applicants with similar qualifications for those top Ivy MSTPs. You might be placed in the second pile (late interview) in several of them.
Subtleties could be all the way from perfect fit due to prior research with the program, to, we already got too many outstanding cancer applicants, to, you were the last of the pile to review and I still need to re-resubmit this paper for my grant submission. If you don't have skeletons in the closet, there will be a lot of interest on your application. Just keep in mind that is likely that there are another 100 applicants with similar qualifications for those top Ivy MSTPs. You might be placed in the second pile (late interview) in several of them.
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2016
- Messages
- 77
- Reaction score
- 51
My $.02 is that there isn't really a concept of "safety" for MD/PhD programs due to the volume of applications and limited number of seats, but by @Fencer 's definition you'd have a hard time defending "safety" status of the programs you put in that bracket.
However, your application is competitive, so if your essays and LORs are airtight you can expect interview(s) from each of the three categories you've listed. Applying to >20 programs is overkill. To narrow down your options, I'd suggest you start looking at PIs at each of these institutions (if you haven't already, since you will need to do so for secondaries) and find places with at least 4-5 PIs with whom you could envision yourself doing research. I received 13 interview invites but ended up skipping 3 of them because I couldn't find a wide enough array of compelling mentors at those institutions. I think you will get enough IIs that you may realize in hindsight that the current iteration of your list was not selective enough.
However, your application is competitive, so if your essays and LORs are airtight you can expect interview(s) from each of the three categories you've listed. Applying to >20 programs is overkill. To narrow down your options, I'd suggest you start looking at PIs at each of these institutions (if you haven't already, since you will need to do so for secondaries) and find places with at least 4-5 PIs with whom you could envision yourself doing research. I received 13 interview invites but ended up skipping 3 of them because I couldn't find a wide enough array of compelling mentors at those institutions. I think you will get enough IIs that you may realize in hindsight that the current iteration of your list was not selective enough.
