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I am an international student (F1) currently studying at an undergraduate institution in the US. I am a sophomore and am trying to get into md/phd.
My freshman year GPA was 3.86. Now I am taking orgo, bio, toxicology, and PChem. I am a little messed up by orgo but I expect my GPA to be not lower than 3.8 by the time I graduate. Still, I feel unsure about my GPA since I am planning to become chemistry major, due to my research interest, which is computational chemistry. Is it a huge disadvantage to have my major GPA lower than GPA outside of major?
Currently I am engaged in two research projects. One is computational chemistry at my home institution. I did it during my freshman summer and continued until now. I am currently writing a paper and expect first publication early next year. Currently I run molecular simulations on nanopores and small gas molecules and next year I am planning to analyze more complex biochemical systems. Since I am planning to continue this research project until I graduate, I expect at least two or three publications as first author.
I am also doing epidemiological research at a ivy university nearby. I am currently engaged in data analysis and might publish one or two papers as first author before I graduate. Also, I am currently writing a review paper and expect to publish this year.
Although I am doing quite a bit of research, since one research project is theoretical and the other epidemiological, I do not have any benchmark research experience in a real lab. Should I find an opportunity to do some research in a real lab? Or it does not matter too much?
Since I am really into research, I haven't spent too much time on volunteering and other extra-curricular activities. However my time schedule is really filled up (more than 20 hours of research and 24 hours of class each week). I really don't know how good I should be in order to get into a MD/PhD program. How much research I should do? How many publications I need to be considered as "competitive" enough? How high my GPA should be? As an international student, these questions really bothers me.
Also, is research experience with a professor at a certain university helpful to the application to that university? I am very interested in the university that I am currently doing research at.
My freshman year GPA was 3.86. Now I am taking orgo, bio, toxicology, and PChem. I am a little messed up by orgo but I expect my GPA to be not lower than 3.8 by the time I graduate. Still, I feel unsure about my GPA since I am planning to become chemistry major, due to my research interest, which is computational chemistry. Is it a huge disadvantage to have my major GPA lower than GPA outside of major?
Currently I am engaged in two research projects. One is computational chemistry at my home institution. I did it during my freshman summer and continued until now. I am currently writing a paper and expect first publication early next year. Currently I run molecular simulations on nanopores and small gas molecules and next year I am planning to analyze more complex biochemical systems. Since I am planning to continue this research project until I graduate, I expect at least two or three publications as first author.
I am also doing epidemiological research at a ivy university nearby. I am currently engaged in data analysis and might publish one or two papers as first author before I graduate. Also, I am currently writing a review paper and expect to publish this year.
Although I am doing quite a bit of research, since one research project is theoretical and the other epidemiological, I do not have any benchmark research experience in a real lab. Should I find an opportunity to do some research in a real lab? Or it does not matter too much?
Since I am really into research, I haven't spent too much time on volunteering and other extra-curricular activities. However my time schedule is really filled up (more than 20 hours of research and 24 hours of class each week). I really don't know how good I should be in order to get into a MD/PhD program. How much research I should do? How many publications I need to be considered as "competitive" enough? How high my GPA should be? As an international student, these questions really bothers me.
Also, is research experience with a professor at a certain university helpful to the application to that university? I am very interested in the university that I am currently doing research at.