Help for a non-traditional student finishing a PhD

[tetaoh]

First off, thank you for reading and for your thoughts. I know my stats are not strong but I present them because I need help figuring out the best course of action.

I am currently a PhD student in Structural Biology. I will be defending in late Dec/early 2014.
GPA undergrad: 3.2s, 3.35 overall (Biochemistry BS)
PhD GPA: 3.4
MCAT (projected from practice tests if I continue to steadily improve) 26
60 hrs volunteering in a local ER
2 MD shadowing experiences
I am currently attending a school well respected for my field

So here are my questions that I would be so grateful for some insight on.

1. I am scheduled to take the MCAT late April and at best I will get a 26. If I move it to a later date I could maybe get a 29. If I continue to study, I will not be able to work on my application (being a full time PhD student trying to finish my thesis takes up a lot of time), and so will have to submit later, like August. Which is better? Studying longer and submitting later or making sure my application is ready as soon as possible? What is the latest I could safely take the MCAT?

2. Is almost having a PhD, along with a couple publications going to buy me anything? Or are schools going to be concerned that I won't be done in time to start med school?

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[mujaman]

First off, thank you for reading and for your thoughts. I know my stats are not strong but I present them because I need help figuring out the best course of action.

I am currently a PhD student in Structural Biology. I will be defending in late Dec/early 2014.
GPA undergrad: 3.2s, 3.35 overall (Biochemistry BS)
PhD GPA: 3.4
MCAT (projected from practice tests if I continue to steadily improve) 26
60 hrs volunteering in a local ER
2 MD shadowing experiences
I am currently attending a school well respected for my field

So here are my questions that I would be so grateful for some insight on.

1. I am scheduled to take the MCAT late April and at best I will get a 26. If I move it to a later date I could maybe get a 29. If I continue to study, I will not be able to work on my application (being a full time PhD student trying to finish my thesis takes up a lot of time), and so will have to submit later, like August. Which is better? Studying longer and submitting later or making sure my application is ready as soon as possible? What is the latest I could safely take the MCAT?

2. Is almost having a PhD, along with a couple publications going to buy me anything? Or are schools going to be concerned that I won't be done in time to start med school?

Perhaps I misunderstood what you are asking here, but it sounds like you might be confused on the application process.

The next round of AMCAS applications opens this June (2013), and will remain open until November (2013). If you are accepted this round, you would then matriculate to medical school in AUGUST 2014. That is eight months after your anticipated thesis defense... so unless you really stuff something up, you should be well and truly finished by then.

Your PhD will obviously still be in progress during the APPLICATION process though, but that doesn't matter. They will just want you to finish before matriculating.

 

[gyngyn]

State of residence?
Your PhD becomes an EC in this process. You don't need to finish it to proceed with your application.
As you have noted, your gpa is low for MD programs and your projected MCAT is very low for MD programs.
You would have a better chance with grade replacement (DO) and delaying your MCAT test date until you can get at least a 30 on multiple practice tests.

 

[eHombre]

Can't do anything about your GPAs, but to make up for them, your MCAT will need to be strong. Your PhD will help a bit as will your publication record, but you'll be academically compared to your peers using your undergraduate/MCAT record. You're going to need to get your MCAT comfortably above 30. This should be doable if you've managed to complete a science PhD program. The MCAT is not rocket science, but it must be respected, and you need to put in the time.

That said, with your record, I would avoid taking the risk of submitting later in the process. Ideally, you would submit your AMCAS app in early June, and sit for the MCAT by late May so that your MCAT results are available at about the same time as your AMCAS app is verified.

 

[Goro]

Finish the degree and study longer. A 26 will kill any chance for MD schools. You want to present the best possible package in your application. In the worst case scenario, you'll have a very bankable skillset to market yourself with once you start job hunting.


1. I am scheduled to take the MCAT late April and at best I will get a 26. If I move it to a later date I could maybe get a 29. If I continue to study, I will not be able to work on my application (being a full time PhD student trying to finish my thesis takes up a lot of time), and so will have to submit later, like August. Which is better? Studying longer and submitting later or making sure my application is ready as soon as possible? What is the latest I could safely take the MCAT?


Nope. Having done a PhD myself, and having taught at medical schools for over a decade, i can tell you that the two have nothing in common. In addition, we'll wonder if your interest in Medicine isn't superficial and wil drop out after you find out you don't like it.

Have you done all the requisite ECs?

2. Is almost having a PhD, along with a couple publications going to buy me anything?

 

[tetaoh]

Thank you for all your replies!

To mujaman- at least in my university, when a PhD student says that they will be graduating by a certain date, most people don't believe it until they see it (because research can go wrong, and you have more experiments to do). That's why I was worried that med schools might also have that concern and not give me a chance. But it's good to hear its not something I need to worry about.

To gyngyn- my state of residence is Michigan

To Goro - I'm for sure going to finish my PhD no matter which cycle I apply for. I am hoping (but maybe its ridiculous to think it'll make that much of an impact) that my PS will help alleviate some fears about me not being serious about med school.

My EC's are nothing special. 60 + hours volunteering in an ER. Shadowing 2 doctors in my specialty of interest (psych). Started and now run a meetup group that is very active and has over 400 members.

Also, I did more investigation of my GPA stats (I was guessing from memory before):
undergrad GPA overall - 3.4
undergrad science - 3.2
PhD GPA - 3.67

No much of a big difference from before, I know. Bottom line, I got to get that MCAT score up.