Does Applying to MD/PhD programs affect MD admission

[Hoooba]

hi Everyone,

I was wondering if applying to an MD/PhD program will affect MD admission if not accepted into the MD/PhD program. In other words, if i don't get accepted into an MD/PhD program at school X, will my chances of getting into the MD program only at school X be affected?

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[jjmack]

it depends on the school. At some schools it has no affect while at others the MD-only won't look at your application.

 

[Hoooba]

it depends on the school. At some schools it has no affect while at others the MD-only won't look at your application.

Thanks for the reply. Let me restate my question:

If I wasn't accepted into the MD/PhD program, would the MD committee view my research interest negatively?

 

[PostalWookie]

It would hurt you at a lot of schools. Only Harvard has no bias, since the MD side takes you first. Other schools may not even consider you for MD after you're turned down MD/PhD. The logic is that if you're really interested in MD/PhD, they'd be wasting a slot on you since if another MD/PhD program accepts you, you'll probably go there.

 

[Hoooba]

It would hurt you at a lot of schools. Only Harvard has no bias, since the MD side takes you first. Other schools may not even consider you for MD after you're turned down MD/PhD. The logic is that if you're really interested in MD/PhD, they'd be wasting a slot on you since if another MD/PhD program accepts you, you'll probably go there.

Thanks for the reply. That was my thinking too. Can anybody verify that?

 

[bluegrass_druid]

md programs are not usually on the lookout for great researchers...that's for grad school. the adcom is less likely to be impressed by a potential doc with research aspirations. So, like the postalwook said, many md programs will not even consider you (unless your stats and essays are phenomenal) after the md/phd rejects you. as i understand it, often the md committee just accepts the list that the md/phd committee offers...unless they think an applicant is a real jackass...otherwise, they don't pay attention to the mudphud applicants. my experience supports this completely...waitlisted for md until accepted md/phd at 2 of 3 schools.

 

[Hoooba]

md programs are not usually on the lookout for great researchers...that's for grad school. the adcom is less likely to be impressed by a potential doc with research aspirations. So, like the postalwook said, many md programs will not even consider you (unless your stats and essays are phenomenal) after the md/phd rejects you. as i understand it, often the md committee just accepts the list that the md/phd committee offers...unless they think an applicant is a real jackass...otherwise, they don't pay attention to the mudphud applicants. my experience supports this completely...waitlisted for md until accepted md/phd at 2 of 3 schools.

Thanks

 

[wisteria318]

I think it's hard to generalize but based on my experience, I don't think the MD will look at your app too negatively unless you are 100% committed to research only...I was rejected from 2 MSTPs post-secondary but offered MD interviews and I declinded 1 MSTP interview but was subsequently offered an MD interview. I'm not sure how things would have turned out post-interview since I declined the MD interviews...Oh and also, I was rejected from 2 MSTPs post interview and then waitlisted MD (which I withdrew from so once again, I don't know how that would have turned out).

That probably doesn't really answer anything...but hope it kind of helps...

Let me know if you have more questions/concerns.

 

[xanthines]

This is kinda, sorta along the same lines...

I formally withdrew from an MD/Phd Program (non-MSTP) after I was accepted by another school. A couple of months later, the med school accepted me. I hadn't realized the two programs were so disconnected and didn't know I was still being considered by the med school.

So my anectdotal experience says sometimes MSTP doesn't hurt your MD-only chances.

-X

I think it's hard to generalize but based on my experience, I don't think the MD will look at your app too negatively unless you are 100% committed to research only...I was rejected from 2 MSTPs post-secondary but offered MD interviews and I declinded 1 MSTP interview but was subsequently offered an MD interview. I'm not sure how things would have turned out post-interview since I declined the MD interviews...Oh and also, I was rejected from 2 MSTPs post interview and then waitlisted MD (which I withdrew from so once again, I don't know how that would have turned out).

That probably doesn't really answer anything...but hope it kind of helps...

Let me know if you have more questions/concerns.

 

[Neuronix]

Over years of experience talking to applicants, I've found that it's completely school dependant. Some schools state explicitly that you will not be considered for MD if you apply MD/PhD (UChicago used to do this), some just really don't consider you for MD (Hopkins rarely does, Penn rarely does), and at others it simply doesn't matter (Baylor and UMich were in this catagory in my year). Some applicants will apply to more MD/PhD friendly MD programs and will say it doesn't matter, others will apply to more schools that don't consider MD/PhDs for the MD program and will say it matters greatly.

 

[tedrik]

Over years of experience talking to applicants, I've found that it's completely school dependant. Some schools state explicitly that you will not be considered for MD if you apply MD/PhD (UChicago used to do this), some just really don't consider you for MD (Hopkins rarely does, Penn rarely does), and at others it simply doesn't matter (Baylor and UMich were in this catagory in my year). Some applicants will apply to more MD/PhD friendly MD programs and will say it doesn't matter, others will apply to more schools that don't consider MD/PhDs for the MD program and will say it matters greatly.

I'll add to the - somewhat anecdotal - list of schools discussed here. An interviewer at Stanford said that if you are not accepted to their MSTP, that the MD committee will still consider you as a normal MD applicant without consideration of your MD/PhD application. Also, I applied to the Wash U MSTP and I turned in the MD secondary, but not the MD/PhD secondary. Naturally, I was rejected by their MSTP, but they still forwarded my application on to the MD people and I was offered an interview for their program. So, I don't think Wash U's MD committee even pays attention to which program you applied to, because I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten an interview request if they though I had changed my mind about their school.

I was under the impression that med schools like it when their students go on to be involved in more things than just a private practice. Wouldn't they want to recruit applicants that have some interest in research?

 

[Neuronix]

Wouldn't they want to recruit applicants that have some interest in research?

This is true for many top-tier schools I think. However, to be perfectly honest, I think alot of MD and MD/Phd admissions offices are separated and it's really alot of bother for them to give serious MD consideration to MD/PhD applicants when there's so many great MD applicants. That's just my speculation though.

 

[wisteria318]

I'll add to the - somewhat anecdotal - list of schools discussed here. An interviewer at Stanford said that if you are not accepted to their MSTP, that the MD committee will still consider you as a normal MD applicant without consideration of your MD/PhD application. Also, I applied to the Wash U MSTP and I turned in the MD secondary, but not the MD/PhD secondary. Naturally, I was rejected by their MSTP, but they still forwarded my application on to the MD people and I was offered an interview for their program. So, I don't think Wash U's MD committee even pays attention to which program you applied to, because I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten an interview request if they though I had changed my mind about their school.

The first two schools I was referring to (rejected MSTP but offered MD interview) are actually Stanford and WashU as well so I guess judging from the posts it doesn't matter at those two schools.

 

[Vader]

As each MD/PhD program works somewhat differently, you have to look up information about each specific school to which you are applying in order to find out the answer to this question.

At UCSF, applicants must be acceptable to the MD admissions committee in addition to the MSTP committee. I actually was admitted to the med school in January and then to the MSTP in April.

Hope this helps.