Any M.D./Ph.D. Hopefuls? What're You Doing to Be More Qualified?

[NickMB]

Hello! I'm currently an undergraduate student at Wayne State University and I'm hoping to apply to an M.D./Ph.D. program at the University of Michigan or Wayne State University. The D.O./Ph.D. program at Michigan State is my third choice.

I'll be taking the MCATs this summer

I'm doing many things to make myself more qualified. My undergraduate majors are a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, and a University Honors Co-Major.

I have been volunteering at the Emergency Department at the Children's Hospital of Michigan. It's a great experience, especially since Children's is the only level 1 trauma hospital for children in the region.

This past summer I participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) at the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics at Wayne State University School of Medicine. I worked on the final steps of a project that evaluated the effects of AAV2 vectors to deliver Glial Cell Line Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) to mouse models of CMT1B.

My Undergraduate Research Grant Proposal was recently accepted at the Office of Undergraduate Reasearch at my university. Starting on January 7 and running through August of 08, I will be investigating the use of ultrasound and microbubbles to enhance gene transfer of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) and GDNF to SOD1 mice (animal modles of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). I will be studying the effect of doing multiple vs single intramuscular injections as well as the effect of varying the age at time of first injection. The research will be conducted under the observation of the director of pediatric neurology residency and WSU SoM associate professor Dr. Gyula Acsadi.

In the 2007 Fall semester, I took 20 credits and walked out with 5 A's and 2 B's, and my current GPA is 3.69. Hopefully, with a great MCAT score, I will be a good candidate for an M.D./Ph.D. program.

If I do get into an M.D./Ph.D. program, I hope to continue research on ALS as I have great interest in neurology and gene therapy.

So are there any other M.D./Ph.D. hopefuls? What're you doing to make yourself more qualified? And what kind of research would you like to do should you be accepted?

By the way, I wanted to say that anyone considering applying for an M.D./Ph.D. program should make sure that they make an excellent M.D.-only candidate as well. The reason is that many rejected M.D./Ph.D. applications roll over to the M.D.-only admissions process, but by that time, many positions in the incoming class would have already been filled, so only strong M.D. candidates will get accepted at that point.

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[Picklesali]

Hi there,
I applied for MD/PhD programs this year.

We even have our own forum -
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=32

come join us!

 

[Picklesali]

Just a quick note on MD/PhD admissions

- The most important factor is the research. Schools expect to see a very strong background and commitment (2+ years and not just summers), and awesome letters from your PI(s).

- Because the applicant pool is so competitive, the average GPAs and MCAT scores are pretty high (think 3.7-3.8+ and 35), but these are secondary to the research experience.

 

[FoxTrot12]

I applied this year, and found the biggest factor in my acceptances, as well as my decision of 1st choice was the individual aspects of each school.

Like everyone has said research is by far the most important aspect of your application. And it looks like you have worked in a lab or two, and hopefully have enjoyed it. This means you probably have given at least some thought to the type of research you are interested in pursuing, even if you are not sure of the specifics.
I noticed all your 1st choices were in MI, and while they are good programs, remember tuition is often waved for MD/PhD students and you often receive an additional stipend, so there wont be a real financial incentive to stay in state. All schools have different strengths, research focuses, and atmospheres. And when you interview the schools will be looking to see if you are a good fit in their atmosphere.

Spend some time really thinking about what you are looking for in a school and I'm sure you'll find a great fit, just don't limit yourself.

Best of Luck!!