mouseheartattack
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Hello friends, I was directed here from the Reddit MD/PhD community and I was wondering if I could get some advice on applying to MD/PhD programs.
Basically, I worry that my lower GPA will make many programs overlook my application, and I'm wondering what you guys would advise in terms of choosing the right schools and applying to programs that would be more holistic in their review.
I graduated from college in Sp2018 with a GPA of 3.38. Hindsight being 20/20, there are ways I could have kept my GOA higher. However, I want the committees to understand that in the span of four years, I completed a science and a liberal arts degree, all the while being part of a host of constructive EC activities. I was lucky to publish a paper in a mid-tier journal, spend a summer at a pharmaceutical company, another summer doing research in a top university. I mentored students in our undergrad honors program, and I spent my senior year working part-time with NPR while helping write the journal paper. All this while consistently volunteering at a local hospital and being involved with a medical outreach nonprofit. I was definitely overambitious and believed in doing it all, and so with an overloaded schedule and EC's, my grades suffered. Though I do want to note that my GPA was considerably higher in the last three semesters of college, I graduated Cum Laude.
Currently, I am a tech in a lab at a T15 med school and over the past 1.5 years I have worked on a number of projects independently and with the team. I have designed my own projects and compiled my own reasoning and research to propose experiments that we will be carrying out over the course of the year. Unfortunately, I probably won't have a paper during this year's cycle, but I will definitely be the primary author for two of our projects. I continue to volunteer at an emergency care center regularly and I've mentored summer students and given guest lectures at a local university.
I'm taking the MCAT in March and I'm confident that I will score competitively. My last practice test placed me at 516
All in all, what would you guys think that committees will acknowledge me holistically and what I've been able to achieve? Are there particular schools that weight well-roundedness over metrics? I have friends in med school but I don't have any immediate friends or colleagues currently in an MD/PhD program and I think I just need someone to give me their honest advice.
I've spoken to 2 program directors and my PI who were very understanding and encouraged me to apply, but every time I look at the metrics and make school lists, the anxiety builds up.
Please advise, and thank you for your time guys.
Basically, I worry that my lower GPA will make many programs overlook my application, and I'm wondering what you guys would advise in terms of choosing the right schools and applying to programs that would be more holistic in their review.
I graduated from college in Sp2018 with a GPA of 3.38. Hindsight being 20/20, there are ways I could have kept my GOA higher. However, I want the committees to understand that in the span of four years, I completed a science and a liberal arts degree, all the while being part of a host of constructive EC activities. I was lucky to publish a paper in a mid-tier journal, spend a summer at a pharmaceutical company, another summer doing research in a top university. I mentored students in our undergrad honors program, and I spent my senior year working part-time with NPR while helping write the journal paper. All this while consistently volunteering at a local hospital and being involved with a medical outreach nonprofit. I was definitely overambitious and believed in doing it all, and so with an overloaded schedule and EC's, my grades suffered. Though I do want to note that my GPA was considerably higher in the last three semesters of college, I graduated Cum Laude.
Currently, I am a tech in a lab at a T15 med school and over the past 1.5 years I have worked on a number of projects independently and with the team. I have designed my own projects and compiled my own reasoning and research to propose experiments that we will be carrying out over the course of the year. Unfortunately, I probably won't have a paper during this year's cycle, but I will definitely be the primary author for two of our projects. I continue to volunteer at an emergency care center regularly and I've mentored summer students and given guest lectures at a local university.
I'm taking the MCAT in March and I'm confident that I will score competitively. My last practice test placed me at 516
All in all, what would you guys think that committees will acknowledge me holistically and what I've been able to achieve? Are there particular schools that weight well-roundedness over metrics? I have friends in med school but I don't have any immediate friends or colleagues currently in an MD/PhD program and I think I just need someone to give me their honest advice.
I've spoken to 2 program directors and my PI who were very understanding and encouraged me to apply, but every time I look at the metrics and make school lists, the anxiety builds up.
Please advise, and thank you for your time guys.
