I was just curious if there is anyone on this forum with a below 3.6 GPA and/or below 32 MCAT on this forum in an MD/PhD program. I know generally at top schools like UCSF/Harvard/etc, the average is 37 MCAT, and 3.8 GPA, but I am sure with significant research there are people with mediocre stats are in the programs that are lower ranked. Also what research field are you pursuing?
Anyone in an MD/Phd Program with a below 32 MCAT and below 3.6 GPA?
- Thread starter Nafis64
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I don't fit exactly into your categories, but I applied with a 32 MCAT and about a 3.75 GPA, and it has always been my impression that my MCAT score at least was one of the lowest among the MD/PhD posters here.
Although I was grilled about my MCAT score at many of my interviews (and not always nicely, either), I think that I came out of application season pretty well and the school where I ended up was an MSTP at the time.
If you are applying with lower stats, here are a couple of pieces of advice:
1) Don't be surprised or offended when the topic comes up during your interviews.
2) If you don't have a good reason for your lower scores (coming down the the plague during the MCAT, poor semester due to family issues, etc), don't try to make any excuses. Just own up to your stats and hope for the best.
3) Kill the rest of your application. Your essays and interviews can either help you or sink you faster than you can imagine. It goes without saying that your research and LORs need to be outstanding as well.
For the record, I'm doing synthetic/organic chemistry research with a focus on infectious disease.
Although I was grilled about my MCAT score at many of my interviews (and not always nicely, either), I think that I came out of application season pretty well and the school where I ended up was an MSTP at the time.
If you are applying with lower stats, here are a couple of pieces of advice:
1) Don't be surprised or offended when the topic comes up during your interviews.
2) If you don't have a good reason for your lower scores (coming down the the plague during the MCAT, poor semester due to family issues, etc), don't try to make any excuses. Just own up to your stats and hope for the best.
3) Kill the rest of your application. Your essays and interviews can either help you or sink you faster than you can imagine. It goes without saying that your research and LORs need to be outstanding as well.
For the record, I'm doing synthetic/organic chemistry research with a focus on infectious disease.
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I also applied with a low MCAT but high GPA and strong research credentials. And like the previous poster, I was asked about the low MCAT at several interviews, particularly because I took it twice and, although I improved by a few points, my score was still low. I wouldn't go so far as to say I was grilled, but at one place I was asked something along the lines of "so, do you think your lack of preparation for the MCAT will be reflected in your start of medical school?", basically suggesting that I didn't score well on the MCAT because I didn't prepare. The only way to respond there is with concrete evidence of what you did to prepare, rather than making excuses for your score. A low MCAT definitely knocked me out of consideration at a lot of schools. But there are schools that are willing to consider the whole application picture. Once you can get a foot in the door via an interview, you are judged much more on your overall qualities rather than specific numbers.
Other than that, all you can do is beef up your application everywhere else possible (not just research but also volunteering, shadowing, etc.) to show the ad-coms that you're dedicated to a career as a physician scientist.
Other than that, all you can do is beef up your application everywhere else possible (not just research but also volunteering, shadowing, etc.) to show the ad-coms that you're dedicated to a career as a physician scientist.
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Some interviewers weren't too bad, and mostly stuck to the, "where do you think you went wrong with MCAT preparation?" line (like PBand, I also took the MCAT twice and only improved by one point). A few others took it a step farther and insinuated that my low score would translate to a weak medical school performance. Only one interviewer got somewhat mean about it - he was the one who informed me that I had the lowest MCAT score of anyone the combined program had chosen to interview, and he told me that he felt like interviewing me was a waste of his time.
At the end of the day though, you have one hand to work with and you deal with it. One way or another, everything works out.
On a tangential note, I currently teach MCAT bio for one of the test prep companies in Portland. After a year in medical school, it was easy to knock the MCAT material out of the water.
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Wow, that's just mean and insensitive...I applied with a 3.9 gpa and a 32 on the MCAT. My research has been great and I had excellent recs.
End of the day I got into 5 MD/PhD programs, 2 of which are MSTPs.
I applied to 6 MSTPs and only 3 of them offered me interviews.
Like others have said, my MCAT definitely closed some doors for me. My best advice to you would be to apply more broadly than I did. Fortunately once you've got an interview, I'm proof that you can change people's mind about the weight of your MCAT score. My sense is that once you've been offered an interview, they begin looking at you more holistically.
I had a bit of an odd interview experience. I was planning (and terrified) of being criticized and put down about my MCAT at pretty much every interview. Oddly, not a SINGLE time did anyone bring up my MCAT score which was a bit confusing to me (I probably interviewed with over 30 people). I was sooooo ready to be grilled. I'm super talkative about my research though so I may have simply been able to direct my interviewers' attention to my strength (research).
Good luck.
End of the day I got into 5 MD/PhD programs, 2 of which are MSTPs.
I applied to 6 MSTPs and only 3 of them offered me interviews.
Like others have said, my MCAT definitely closed some doors for me. My best advice to you would be to apply more broadly than I did. Fortunately once you've got an interview, I'm proof that you can change people's mind about the weight of your MCAT score. My sense is that once you've been offered an interview, they begin looking at you more holistically.
I had a bit of an odd interview experience. I was planning (and terrified) of being criticized and put down about my MCAT at pretty much every interview. Oddly, not a SINGLE time did anyone bring up my MCAT score which was a bit confusing to me (I probably interviewed with over 30 people). I was sooooo ready to be grilled. I'm super talkative about my research though so I may have simply been able to direct my interviewers' attention to my strength (research).
Good luck.
Thanks for all the input. It seems that everyone here though has a extremely high GPA and a 32 MCAT. And I know its difficult, but here: http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/research/mdphd/ it shows there are people that get admitted with low mcat/gpa. Oddly, i feel it might be easier for me to apply to md/phd programs OOS since residency is not looked at when applying.
Anyone from state schools that are not "ranked high"
Anyone from state schools that are not "ranked high"
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