I'm talking about the fellowship for medical students where they will give you support for a year of research at your own medical school and you apply with a mentor's support.
I saw that they require MCAT and undergraduate transcripts. My grades fell in senior year after I was accepted (got a couple of B+s and A-s), will this have a big impact?
Also I saw that they accept applications for any year student, but do you think that it would be harder for a student to be accepted after their first year?
I couldn't find this info online so if anyone could help it would be appreciated. thanks
For clarity, there are two separate HHMI programs:
1) NIH-Cloisters: You are jointly sponsored by HHMI and NIH. You live at HHMI and have a PI at the NIH for a year. I think there are only about 10-20 per year.
2) HHMI Med Fellows: You find your own PI at any institution (they don't have to be an HHMI investigator, though that certainly would help your chances), but you will receive funding from the HHMI to complete the work. It's actually an easy sell to PI's because they get another set of hands without having to pay anything (except lab materials, which they would likely be paying for anway). There are something like 50-60 selected every year.
The chances of getting either position are something like 1/5, but these programs (and all research year programs--Sarnoff, Doris Duke, etc.) are getting more competetive as some med schools are mandating a year of reasearch and as a 5th year has seemingly become a pre-requisite for some residencies.
I did the HHMI Med Fellows program between my 3rd and 4th year. My med school roommate did it between 2nd and 3rd. I'd say that it's a pretty even split between when people do it, but you cannot apply until after 2nd year. There are advantages to doing it both ways, so it's all personal preference.
As for how to get selected, the absolute most important thing (for the Med Fellows program) is to apply with a mentor that has a large lab, adequate funding, and a solid project. When you speak with the people at HHMI, they will tell you that they are careful to select applications that have a high chance of being meaningful. That generally means being part of a lab with a strong publication track record and significant sources of funding. If the menor is himself an HHMI investigator, they will naturally fulfill those requirements, as well as having the edge of being "known" by the selection committee.
After that, your CV is going to be important, but only to show that you are capable of being successful in a research project. They don't require a laundry list of prior publications (in fact, they actually attempt to find applicants who are not already research all stars), but they do want to see that you know your way around a lab. But again, if you don't have a strong project/mentor, your CV isn't even going to matter.
