Help! Planning to get into a MD/PhD program? Completely lost, no help around!

[theshanthan]

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I really want to get a MD/PhD. Right now I am junior in my state college. I did slack a bit for the past two years. I am doing well this semester and I am hoping I will do the same in the upcoming ones. I want to be realistic in my ambitions and get a really opinion. Please help with any suggestions.

I have been doing research since my freshmen year and I was awarded two grants for the last two summers. My PI said he might mention my name in a paper.

Right now my GPA is around 3.5 and I am sure that I can raise it higher as this semester I am expecting a 4.0, and I still did not take the GPA boosting core curriculum (humanities) classes. I also in the honors college and I will be getting a minor in biochem, a minor in chem along with my major in biology.

I am also taking the MCAT this coming march and I already started studying. I am hoping I will do well on the MCAT.

My other extra curriculars have been pretty weak till now but, I am starting afresh, I am signing up for big brothers big sisters, I am also helping local high school AP students, I will be a science partner for teaching elementary kids (quite excited about this, have to wait till next semester). Part of a few clubs but not any leadership positions, I am trying to change this soon.

I am sure I will have pretty good recommendation letters. I also have to mention that my PI also worked as a post doc for 9 years at my dream school, and he knew the admissions committee of MD/PhD and my PI really likes me.

I am also trying to get a shadowing opportunity.

Please help any one, preferably MD/PhD students, tell me what worked for you, and what else I should do. Throw in the names of some schools that you considered during you application process, and anything and everything that you want me to know.

Thanks for the help!

 

[epc11]

for md/phd adcoms... research/publications is almost as important as gpa and mcat, so make sure you have plenty of significant research and try to get a paper out of it.

 

[Knocked Up]

I really want to get a MD/PhD. Right now I am junior in my state college. I did slack a bit for the past two years. I am doing well this semester and I am hoping I will do the same in the upcoming ones. I want to be realistic in my ambitions and get a really opinion. Please help with any suggestions.

I have been doing research since my freshmen year and I was awarded two grants for the last two summers. My PI said he might mention my name in a paper.

Right now my GPA is around 3.5 and I am sure that I can raise it higher as this semester I am expecting a 4.0, and I still did not take the GPA boosting core curriculum (humanities) classes. I also in the honors college and I will be getting a minor in biochem, a minor in chem along with my major in biology.

I am also taking the MCAT this coming march and I already started studying. I am hoping I will do well on the MCAT.

My other extra curriculars have been pretty weak till now but, I am starting afresh, I am signing up for big brothers big sisters, I am also helping local high school AP students, I will be a science partner for teaching elementary kids (quite excited about this, have to wait till next semester). Part of a few clubs but not any leadership positions, I am trying to change this soon.

I am sure I will have pretty good recommendation letters. I also have to mention that my PI also worked as a post doc for 9 years at my dream school, and he knew the admissions committee of MD/PhD and my PI really likes me.

I am also trying to get a shadowing opportunity.

Please help any one, preferably MD/PhD students, tell me what worked for you, and what else I should do. Throw in the names of some schools that you considered during you application process, and anything and everything that you want me to know.

Thanks for the help!

Your acceptance / rejection is contingent on this.

 

[Barcu]

Your acceptance / rejection is contingent on this.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Knocked Up may be right on this one.

For MD/PhD specifically, the MCAT is huge. You need a very good score to be considered because it is extremely competitive. Having a lot of research is great, and hopefully you can get some pubs. Right now, your biggest focus is probably the MCAT. Continue what you're doing and get ready for that.

You may want to do some clinical volunteering too. It's usually not as important for MD/PhD but you need some healthcare exposure.

 

[Knocked Up]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Knocked Up may be right on this one.

You may very well be the very first person on SDN to agree (slightly) with anything I have ever said. Welcome to the dark side...

 

[soundnin]

for md/phd adcoms... research/publications is almost as important as gpa and mcat, so make sure you have plenty of significant research and try to get a paper out of it.

i would second this. research is number one after a certain gpa/mcat threshold (no, not every md/phd is 3.8+/36+). so yes, kill the mcat, keep working harder at doing your best for your classes, but more importantly, be as aggressive as you can with your research opportunities.

 

[kpcrew]

You may very well be the very first person on SDN to agree (slightly) with anything I have ever said. Welcome to the dark side...

It's not like you say more than one thing anyway.

 

[theshanthan]

Thanks a lot for the feedback! I will talk to my PI tomorrow and I will make sure that I will get more than a mention in a paper. MCAT and GPA is the main thing on my mind right now! After this I added getting a paper published to the list! Any more suggestions? How about volunteering and leadership do you guys have any services that you think I should focus on! I also forgot to mention, I never had a job and I might get one just to put work experience on my resume, please give me any input on that please!

 

[AllenSimon]

Tell me in detail the eligibility criteria for MD admission.I am a physiotherapy intern.

 

[Knocked Up]

It's not like you say more than one thing anyway.

man of few words = a man of his word