I'm an idiot, PLEASE HELP ME...

[superdevil]

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salutations, all,

here is my situation:

i was going to apply MD/PhD at every school i applied to, but recently i decided that my heart wouldn't be in the process 100%, as i was having cold feet about a career in basic science research. because of this, i chose to apply MD-only everywhere...except for the dime-a-dozen state school that i currently attend. the reason for this is that our MD/PhD program is only a couple of years old and it is internally funded. when i asked my boss (who is on the adcom), he said that the program didn't have the rigid basic science mission statement that most do--which is cool because i would rather do clinical research anyway. so far, so good, right?

well, maybe not. after asking the peeps in the MSTP forum about applying to both MD and MD/PhD simultaneously, the consensus was: "don't." oops. i guess i just never learn. 🙄

med schools can see where and what type of programs you apply to, correct? if this is so, i am worried that adcoms at the other, MD-only, programs i apply to will see that i'm going MD/PhD at my undergrad school and say, "well, well, well, homeboy here is applying MD/PhD at his school, eh? i guess he's not serious about coming here." this would SERIOUSLY piss me off, as i would rather go MD at some of the schools i applied to than MD/PhD at mine.

so.....am i being paraniod (i really hope that i am)? will my interviewers at other schools hold this against me? am i an idiot? HEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!! 👎

 

[stinkycheese]

med schools can see where and what type of programs you apply to, correct?

Incorrect.

 

[superdevil]

Incorrect.

sweet 👍

 

[!dr_nick!]

Generally though on secondary apps they do ask what other schools you are applying to, but i was never asked if was applying to dual programs or not.

 

[TheRussian]

Generally though on secondary apps they do ask what other schools you are applying to, but i was never asked if was applying to dual programs or not.

I don't remember a single secondary application that asked me to list where else I applied. I even tried to avoid the question when it was asked by my interviewers by giving vague answers.

 

[superdevil]

so is my problem a moot point, then???

 

[Medikit]

Yeah, don't worry about it.

 

[nina512]

Just my 2 cents,

I think the problem of applying to MD/PhD and MD only programs are letters of recommendation. My boss who is an adcom member, specifically asked if I was applying to MD alone or dual degree programs, since a letter recommending someone for MD alone vs MD/PhD would emphasize different qualities.

If you're unsure about dual degree programs, there's nothing wrong with applying to MD alone. Once you've completed your first year of med school, and you still want the dual degree, there's nothing stopping you from applying for MSTP as an MS2.

So the answer is no, schools don't know about the other programs you applied to unless it's specifically stated in your LORs.

Good Luck!
Nina

 

[superdevil]

So the answer is no, schools don't know about the other programs you applied to unless it's specifically stated in your LORs.

hmmmm....

well, at least its good to know that the schools won't know about my situation up-front. the LORs are a good point, though. luckily, our pre-med advisor writes one of those "committee letters" that just highlights certain excerpts from your LORs, so i'm sure she can emphasize the proper attributes without screwing me for the MD-only programs. as far as i knew, lots of schools request the composite letter instead of the individual letters whenever possible anyway, so hopefully i haven't screwed the pooch yet!

thanks, everyone!

 

[bewitched1081]

it seems to me that applying md/phd is a good idea

 

[Medikit]

it seems to me that applying md/phd is a good idea

Don't do it unless your goal is mainly research

 

[!dr_nick!]

I don't remember a single secondary application that asked me to list where else I applied. I even tried to avoid the question when it was asked by my interviewers by giving vague answers.

Well it could have been because i only applied to osteopathic schools. I know OSUCOM for sure asked what other schools I applied to. Pretty sure Kirkesville did too.

 

[Premedtomed]

::am i an idiot?::

It's ok dude realization is the first step. The next step is to accept it

 

[superdevil]

It's ok dude realization is the first step. The next step is to accept it

i've always accepted it, i was merely looking for confirmation.

now that this thread has been bumped, what is the official consensus: can the med schools you apply to find out where else you applied and to what specific programs?

thanks guys---the more input the better!!! 👍

 

[PostalWookie]

I had my Nobel-laureate boss write two different recs - one for MD/PhD and one for regular MD (he actually insisted on it).

If you apply to research-intensive MD programs, the same recs can really work for both types of programs.