Chances at MD/PhD as a Canadian Applicant?

[duckegg]

Hello,

I’m currently on my first gap year, and I plan on applying to American schools this coming cycle. Since fall, I’ve been working in a lab at a T10. Working closely with my PI, an MD/PhD, has made me realize that this long, long journey could be a good fit for me. With that said, what are my chances as an international applicant? What are the schools that even take internationals? Finally, how can I work on improving my application for the rest of the year?


Stats: 3.91, 527

Research: 2 years during undergrad, currently doing research full-time

Publications: 1 second author, hopefully another in the works

Shadowing: 3 months shadowing abroad, 20hrs in palliative care and 20hrs in rad onc in the US

Clinical volunteering: 159 hours (I should try getting more right?)

Non-Clinical volunteering: ~100 hours during school, currently volunteering on weekends

Employment: many hours working as a receptionist at a clinic, a couple of jobs in customer service

Extracurriculars: co-founder of a small club at my school, language tutor

Awards: 2 national research awards, a couple of academic awards from school


My current school list:


MD/PhD: Penn, Wash U, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, UVA, CCLCM, Albert Einstein, Dartmouth?


MD: Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, Mt. Sinai, SUNY Stony Brook, Case Western, Mayo, NYU, UCLA, Boston, George Washington, Jefferson, NYMC, Tulane, SLU, Wayne State


Any help is appreciated. Still very new to this process. Thank you!

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[Maebea]

Your profile is competitive as it stands. You really do not need additional clinical exposure. For a list of which MD-PhD programs accept international students, see https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast..._info_prospective_applicants_table_092116.pdf
Columbia, Harvard, Penn, and Wash U seem to accept a fair number of international students. It would behoove you to contact the programs that are listed as accepting international students and ask how many internationals are currently in their program. (Divide that number by 8, and you can get an idea of the number they enroll every year.) Ask them whether they have any limits on internationals, and whether internationals are given the same funding package.

 

[Fencer]

It's best to also check MSAR.

 

[ClinicianScientist]

Atezo (sdn mame) and I are two fellow Canadian MD-PhD applicants who both had successful cycles this year. Feel free to PM us!

For MD-PhD school list, I suggest the following:

Harvard, Penn, Washu, Weill Cornell Tri-I, Vanderbilt, Emory, Columbia, Northwestern, Mayo Clinic (if you are Canadian Citizen), Yale, Boston University, University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, UT San Antonio, SUNY Upstate, Boston University, and Dartmouth. Albert Einstein has not accepted any of the superb Canadian MD-PhD applicants (perfect stats with multiple pubs and research accomplishments) in the past 5ish years. I would double check with Einstein’s Program Director though just in case.

For MD, I suggest:

Stanford, CCLCM, CWRU, NYU, Johns Hopkins, and Mount Sinai.

Good luck, I think you will have a great cycle

 

[Atezo]

I will add that you may be "yield protected" against at George Washington, Jefferson, NYMC, Tulane, SLU, Wayne State due to stats and lack of ties. I think UTSW may also be Canadian-friendly for MD/PhD. For MD, Columbia and UCLA are definitely Canadian-friendly.

Also, for highly-ranked MD schools, the whole process I felt was a crapshoot and far different than MD/PhD (as it should be). Canadian MD applicants I knew all had a "it factor" that made them stand out (C/N/S paper, Rhodes candidates, national or international level ranking in an extracurricular, exceptional leadership plus undergrad at HYPS, etc). Of course this is not to say it is the standard. Your MCAT score may get some additional looks.

 

[ClimbsRox]

Worry about writing a bomber application and making sure your interview skills are up to par. Your numbers are phenomenal already. Heed the advice about school list from other Canadian applicants.

 

[duckegg]

Thank you everyone for the advice - especially about the school list recommendations. @ClinicianScientist @Atezo congratulations on your cycle! Could I PM you guys with questions as the next cycle approaches?

Also, the consensus is that I don't absolutely need additional hospital volunteering?

 

[ClinicianScientist]

Thank you everyone for the advice - especially about the school list recommendations. @ClinicianScientist @Atezo congratulations on your cycle! Could I PM you guys with questions as the next cycle approaches?

Also, the consensus is that I don't absolutely need additional hospital volunteering?

You are good for hospital volunteering. Just continue pursuing your passions for scientific discovery and do your best to present at some national or international conferences (if time allows).

And absolutely do not hesitate to message us!

I should also mention that MCAT-wise you are much stronger than Atezo and I, so as @ClimbsRox mentioned, do your best to showcase your strengths and accomplishments in an appealing manner.

 

[ClimbsRox]

Thank you everyone for the advice - especially about the school list recommendations. @ClinicianScientist @Atezo congratulations on your cycle! Could I PM you guys with questions as the next cycle approaches?

Also, the consensus is that I don't absolutely need additional hospital volunteering?

Not Canadian, but I had 40 hours less than you and have 6 acceptances... n=1 of course, but I'd say you're okay.

 

[vaticrunner]

Not Canadian but similar academic metrics higher gpa same mcat. I had 72 hours of clinical volunteering spread out over three summers. Lack of clinical experience wasn’t brought up once in my interviews. I don’t know how it works for Canadians but I will say my academic metrics definitely carried me through my interviews. Even though most people would agree that the MCAT isn’t a good predictor of how good a doctor you will become, it is the measuring stick of choice for admissions. I have pretty minimal research experience 1k entering the cycle only from summers in the same lab no school year longitudinal work. I would say you seem to have similar metrics as me but much better research. Assuming you pick international friendly schools, you should have a pretty good app cycle.

I will also echo what others said. Essays can really help your application stand out. I have been asked many times about things in my personal statement that were interesting to interviewers. Likewise, I discussed hobbies a fair bit in my secondaries. Although your stats may separate you, the MD/PhD pool is pretty competitive and I think having some sort of hobby or a potentially interesting essay can really get your app looked at in depth beyond academics and research. Good luck and hopefully things work out.

 

[nonamesleft]

Check and make sure the MD/PhD programs will fund you. Just because the MD program accepts Canadians, or the program is NIH funded/ MSTP does not mean they will fund an international MD/PhD student (unless you're a dual citizen). Unsure how much this has changed over the years, but was a problem for me back in the day.