Applying MSTP

[Khanal007]

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What do you think makes a strong enough application to be accepted MSTP? How much research do yall think?

I have some research experience, but more of being the beeotch of the lab and pippetting things here and there. No publications or anything.

 

[chandelantern]

What do you think makes a strong enough application to be accepted MSTP? How much research do yall think?

I have some research experience, but more of being the beeotch of the lab and pippetting things here and there. No publications or anything.

I *think* you need some sort of significant research experience because most of the essays you must write are about your research. If your research isn't super strong, be prepared to tell them other reasons why you are attracted to the mstp program (because you can still do some research as an md too...) My advisor once told me (although I have no idea how much merit it carries) the adcoms want to be sure you're sincere about research, not just trying to look for an easier route to get into med school (I have no clue if it is "easier" or not, but I'm pretty sure you get more interview benefits 🙂)

 

[Phil Anthropist]

Moving to the Physician Scientist forum...

 

[tedrik]

What do you think makes a strong enough application to be accepted MSTP? How much research do yall think?

I have some research experience, but more of being the beeotch of the lab and pippetting things here and there. No publications or anything.

The strength of your application is highly dependent on the strength of your research experience. To be considered at most programs you should have at least a solid year of research or, at the very least, a couple of summers. You don't have to have publications or even presentations of your work, but you will need to know your research project extrememly well. You're going to have to talk about it in your essays and in interviews in a style that is similar to a scientific paper or presentation. This means you should at least have some knowledge of what's going on in your field of study in addition to the daily things you do in the lab.

It sounds like you haven't had the best research experience so far since you were just someone's "beeotch," but then again, we all are at some point. If you do a lot of reading inside your field and are up to date with what other labs are doing, then you will probably get by, but I would be worried that you wouldn't get a very strong letter from your PI. You may want to consider switching labs or doing a summer in a different lab or institution.

Good Luck!