Does having a Ph.D make you less attractive?

[jadyone]

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To MD admission committees, I mean. I am going to complete my Ph. D in pharmacology next year and am considering applying to MD programs (still very much in the "considering" stage). Problem is, my undergrad GPA was not so stellar (3.4)... haven't taken MCAT. I have heard that grad GPA (3.5) is not really so important to MD application (and for good reason... most grades are given by your advisor or are in "fluff" classes like "biomedical ethics"). Do you think that having a Ph.D would actually work against me, because the committee would expect more of someone with a higher degree, in both undergrad grades and/or MCAT?

 

[marctam86]

i dont see it hurting you. if you were productive during your grad school years and got good letters/did good research, i would expect the md committees to be more inclined to look at your more recent work than your ugrad gpa from years ago. it wont guarentee anything, but i really dont see it hurting. maybe in the interview, they might question you about why the MD more than usual.

good luck!

 

[pseudoknot]

There are numerous threads on this already. If you can't find them, I can try to post the links tonight.

No, it shouldn't make you less attractive, to committees or anyone else. It will probably help to a certain extent at some schools, but won't by itself get you in anywhere. Also, you may be viewed as a career changer and will need to justify that. For a specific example of someone who's done this, you can look at my MDApplicants page (linked off my profile, I think).

Definitely try to read the other threads on this, though, since there's a lot of good advice in there. Also some crap.
Here's a current one:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=436192

 

[Picklesali]

The real question is...does having a PhD make you less physically attractive.

 

[QofQuimica]

The real question is...does having a PhD make you less physically attractive.

Yes, for sure. People start out all young and buff, and then they graduate bald and paunchy. Including the girls. 😛

OP, you need to convincingly explain why you want to go into medicine, same as every other career changer. There are enough of us PhDs-to-MDs around that I would wager that having a PhD in and of itself won't rule you out. And yeah, getting a killer MCAT score definitely wouldn't hurt, b/c your grades are on the low side (though not horrible). to you. 🙂

 

[Mountain Cow]

Yes, for sure. People start out all young and buff, and then they graduate bald and paunchy. Including the girls. 😛

actually, 😱 might be more appropriate because there is a lot of truth to it.

Lets just hope we are all

 

[QofQuimica]

actually, 😱 might be more appropriate because there is a lot of truth to it.

Lets just hope we are all

You think I'm kidding, but you wait and see. It's uncanny how people change through their twenties and thirties, especially when you haven't seen them for a number of years. I'm always like 😱 to see how those gawky kids I used to know are transforming into middle-aged men and women.

 

[jadyone]

I think I can say confidently that I'm just as ugly as I was when I started grad school. Thanks for the responses. I wouldn't catergorize myself as a "career-switcher" though; more of a "career adder". I don't think I would attempt med school if I had to give up research.