Applying late to MD/PhD programs

[harvman11]

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[Ariodant]

Your list is already a little top-heavy. Even if you MCAT score falls into your predicted range, adding a few top 20-30 schools is always a good idea. Your lack of clinical experience may also hurt you at some places, depending on how much emphasis they put on it.

 

[harvman11]

Your list is already a little top-heavy. Even if you MCAT score falls into your predicted range, adding a few top 20-30 schools is always a good idea. Your lack of clinical experience may also hurt you at some places, depending on how much emphasis they put on it.

Yeah, I do realize that, which is why I was reluctant to add them. I've been looking at some other options, notably Case Western, UNC Chapel Hill and Georgetown, and I've been toying with removing some of the schools on my list, but the fact is I really like all the schools on my list... all of them are great programs where I have at least a few PIs I'd love to work with, and all (except maybe Wash U St. Louis and Hopkins) are in places I'd really love to spend the next ~7 years of my life.

I know the lack of clinical will hurt me, but I'm hoping the fact that I'm applying MD/PhD will actually alleviate that a bit, and focus more on my positives (ie research). Not saying it isn't an issue, but I do think that's the only place where my application isn't at least on par with the average MD/PhD student.

 

[dmblue]

Yeah, I do realize that, which is why I was reluctant to add them. I've been looking at some other options, notably Case Western, UNC Chapel Hill and Georgetown, and I've been toying with removing some of the schools on my list, but the fact is I really like all the schools on my list... all of them are great programs where I have at least a few PIs I'd love to work with, and all (except maybe Wash U St. Louis and Hopkins) are in places I'd really love to spend the next ~7 years of my life.

I know the lack of clinical will hurt me, but I'm hoping the fact that I'm applying MD/PhD will actually alleviate that a bit, and focus more on my positives (ie research). Not saying it isn't an issue, but I do think that's the only place where my application isn't at least on par with the average MD/PhD student.

st louis isn't so bad.

 

[harvman11]

St. Louis isn't necessarily bad, I just haven't spent any time there... my only experience was getting lost driving through St. Louis in the middle of the night, so I'm guessing if I go interview I'll find it's fine.

Back to the question at hand though... how much is it going to hurt me to apply this late?

 

[dmblue]

Getting your primary out now is not so good. If you send it out now, make sure to have your secondaries done within one-two weeks of getting your primary verified. Most of the essay prompts can be found at the schools' websites or on this forum. Do them in advance.

 

[Ariodant]

It's not any single factor, but the combination of late application, unknown MCAT, and lack of clinical experience that makes your bid risky this cycle. Acing your essays and finding some unique selling points besides your stats are some of the things I can think of that may actually help you at this point.

 

[harvman11]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I appreciate the honesty, and know I haven't put myself in the best position. I've already started working on secondaries... I've gotten through 5 essays so far, and I'm going to try to get a bunch more done this weekend. The MCATs only an unknown for about 5 more days... trying to keep my confidence levels up so I keep working.

I've been working on my essays for about 4 months now, I must have gone through at least 10 revisions for each, and I've been having them edited by the MD/PhD adviser at my school. I know at some of the schools I'm applying to, everyone's going to have great GPAs and MCATs in the upper 30s, so I figured they were the real way to differentiate myself. I'm also hoping LoR will help me out a lot... my instructor ones will be alright, but I've had really good relationships with all my PIs.

Assuming I get my average on the MCAT (13 12 13), do I still at least have a decent shot of getting interviews at some of the top schools?

 

[URHere]

Yes, you have a decent shot at interviewing at the schools you've listed, but you are really playing with fire by applying so narrowly.

If anything is going to hurt you this cycle, it isn't going to be applying in august with (assumed) great stats, it's going to be how top-heavy your list is. There is no guarantee, even for perfect candidates, at the schools you have listed...I would suggest adding to your list substantially.

 

[harvman11]

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[orrghead16]

Yeah, you make a good point... I made a similar mistake applying for undergrad, though at least I had a couple of safeties then. It didn't end up hurting me in the end, but I guess I should learn from that. I'm going to give a closer look to some other schools this weekend... UC-Irvine, Case Western, Emory, UNC, and maybe MUSC. do these help balance out my list a bit?

That still makes your list almost 100% MSTP and ~80% best-of-the-best schools. Those really are not safeties (more like just below top), other than MUSC.

 

[Kinocilium]

It's not any single factor, but the combination of late application, unknown MCAT, and lack of clinical experience that makes your bid risky this cycle. Acing your essays and finding some unique selling points besides your stats are some of the things I can think of that may actually help you at this point.

I have a hard time believing this is really that late. I plan on applying this week and I've been told by others that MD/PhD applicants tend to apply later so it's not as big of a deal as MD-only.

If they only have to go through ~300 applicants I would guess they don't make decisions on their spots as soon as the MD-only programs do, but I could be wrong.

 

[dmblue]

I have a hard time believing this is really that late. I plan on applying this week and I've been told by others that MD/PhD applicants tend to apply later so it's not as big of a deal as MD-only.

If they only have to go through ~300 applicants I would guess they don't make decisions on their spots as soon as the MD-only programs do, but I could be wrong.

LOL?

only 300 applicants?

sending in your primaries now?

 

[harvman11]

Just an update, got my MCAT scores just now, 37S (13P 12V 12B). About what I expected (other than writing, which was a nice suprise).

Any recommendations for some strong underlooked programs (either MSTP or just MD-PhD)? I'm definitely starting to agree that I at least need to apply more broadly than I am... looking for programs strong in cellular mechanisms of aging/cancer and neurosci.

 

[Neuronix]

Any recommendations for some strong underlooked programs (either MSTP or just MD-PhD)?

Where do you want to live? Apply to some of the MSTP schools in/near those locations that are not top programs.

 

[fairalexfield]

You're not really in that bad of shape. Sure you're at a disadvantage for applying late, but you're actually following the same timeline that I took when I applied and I got accepted into some stellar MSTPs. I think you should definitely still consider UWash since they tend to do things on the later end of the application cycle and maybe I'd reconsider UCSF since you have to go through their MD committee first before you even get recommended to the MSTP (by the time you get recommended, it'll be way too late).

You are a bit top heavy, but I don't think you're going way out of reach. DEFINITELY do some clinical experience. That really hindered me the first time I applied and even though I had only done minimal clinical work before reapplying, it helped my app TREMENDOUSLY. They will ask you about your clinical experience and if you shrug your shoulders and say you don't have any, that looks horrible (trust me on this one). Even if you shadow one physician, at least you'll be able to talk about that experience. Your research will carry you almost the entire way to the finish line, but clinical work is needed to finish the race. Have you thought of including UTSW? Maybe throw on one or two non MSTP MD/PhDs.