Applying to both mstp and phd

[katymalady]

What would be the pros/cons of applying to both MSTP and PhD in the same cycle? Say I wanted to apply to an MIT or Caltech PhD program in the fall, while still waiting to hear back from MSTP programs.

On that note, if you applied to MSTP programs in July and got rejected/no interview offers by late Nov, would it be allowed to apply to PhD programs from the same schools in Dec?

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[solitude]

What would be the pros/cons of applying to both MSTP and PhD in the same cycle? Say I wanted to apply to an MIT or Caltech PhD program in the fall, while still waiting to hear back from MSTP programs.

On that note, if you applied to MSTP programs in July and got rejected/no interview offers by late Nov, would it be allowed to apply to PhD programs from the same schools in Dec?

You could do it and likely nobody would catch on. The main con apart from the excess paperwork and fees is that if a school does catch on, they will likely reject you out of hand for your indecision. Furthermore, I can't advocate doing a straight PhD in biology at this time, for many reasons discussed here previously. In fact, if you ask around to PhDs/postdocs, most of them say the same thing...

 

[StIGMA]

The main downside is that you won't be a medical student. If you want to be a clinician and pursue a PhD, it is likely you will regret your decision. Do you plan to pursue an MD after this? If so, your training will be longer, not be fully funded, and you will have more years off between PhD and re-initiating research.

Another option you did not list would be to apply MD to additional programs (or simply to many more MD/PhD programs). You could then do a straight MD (possibly with a year off for research) and pursue research during/after residency, which is what MD/PhD's will do anyways who want to stay in research. You also have the possibility to apply for the PhD internally during M1/M2.

If you really want training at places with big names, do it during fellowship/post-doc. Where you pursue PhD training has less bearing than who you train with. Don't limit yourself to top PhD places over similarly good MD/PhD programs. I would have chosen an MD/PhD at all MSTP's and most MD/PhD programs over a #1 PhD program in a heartbeat, and I assume most current/former MD/PhD students would at least agree with the sentiment (at least those who intend to practice medicine).

I have personally seen top MD/PhD applicants rejected everywhere because of the sole focus on top PhD training, which IMO is short-sighted. You can get excellent training at many places- and when the top lab/institution matters most is during post-doc.

If you have no interviews by November and you are a reasonably competitive applicant, suck it up, improve your application, and apply MD/PhD again next year. (If you applied late, some programs continue to extend interview invites into February).

 

[Neuronix]

What would be the pros/cons of applying to both MSTP and PhD in the same cycle?

Pros: None.

Cons: The MD/PhD and PhD cycles do not sync up. Nobody is going to understand why you are applying to both these programs. Do you want to be a physician or not?

On that note, if you applied to MSTP programs in July and got rejected/no interview offers by late Nov, would it be allowed to apply to PhD programs from the same schools in Dec?

Maybe. You need to give us the details of your application so we can really see whether this is going to be an issue for you. The reality here is that you need to make up your mind. Do you want MD/PhD? Is MD/PhD feasible for you? Then make a decision. The backup for MD/PhD, if one is even necessary, is medical school. If medical school is not acceptable to you as a backup, I think you may need to re-evaluate whether MD/PhD is right for you.