Is it possible to get into a md/phd program from a small school even if your stats are very good?

[george1413]

I am at a small state school currently, but have been active in research since freshman year and have multiple posters and one publication. I plan on doing research internship at a larger university and my GPA would be a 3.9 with a science GPA of 4.0. I haven't taken the MCAT yet.

I also have extensive volunteer and shadowing hours.

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[deleted972488]

Yes

 

[george1413]

Even if no one from my school has gotten into a program? There were students with 4.0 cumulative and MCAT of a 520?

 

[george1413]

What would you consider adding to an application to make it more competitive? I currently have been volunteering at a hospital continuously since 8th grade as well as at other organizations. I've worked in departments that work directly with doctors and patients. I have had them offer to write me letters of recommendation.

I have an internship at said hospital is the simulation center. I help draft grants and construct educational programs. I have my own program based on antimicrobial resistance.

Shadowing on top of that with doctors that specialize in ID, anesthesiology, vascular surgery. I also have two positions of leadership as well as work two jobs.

Is there anything I could be doing wrong? Besides being published in a larger journal what make research competitive?

 

[freelancePsychic]

You'll be fine. Speaking from personal experience.

 

[OrganRepo]

No one cares where you went to undergrad.

 

[907914]

It is genuinely possible that no one from your institution has ever wanted to do MD/PhD. There are 20,000 matriculants, only like 1,400 of which at most would be MD/PhD. It is highly probable that no one from your institution has been both competitive enough for MD/PhD and wanted to do it.

 

[george1413]

There are students that applied this year that I know personally and ones from my research lab that have tried to get in and failed. They were very talented researchers.

 

[MyOdyssey]

There are students that applied this year that I know personally and ones from my research lab that have tried to get in and failed. They were very talented researchers.

Were they interviewed and, if so, by whom?

Where did they apply?

Also keep in mind that MD/PhD programs are even more selective than regular MD programs in terms of stats and research experience and productivity.

 

[george1413]

University of Penn, Pitt, Penn State, WVU... That is all that I know of, I am not sure if they even interviewed for MD/PhD. I know they got into their MD programs.

 

[LizzyM]

The medical school wants to know that you are familiar with medicine as a career and with the clinical environment(s) that doctors work in. They also want to be sure that you have the time management skills and the fund of knowledge acquired from the pre-reqs to be able to learn what is taught to medical students.

The PhD program wants to be sure that you have a knowledge of medicine as a career and still want to do PhD in addition. Beyond that, PhD programs want applicants who will be a good fit with their labs... that you have an interest in specific types of work being done at that school or, at the very least, that you have specific technical skills that are in demand in at least some of the labs that have openings.

So, having bench skills, having good hands, having the ability to work with others and to learn new skills quickly are the sorts of things that will make you a more "in demand" PhD applicant and thus a more highly regarded MD/PhD over someone who has less of those experiences and attributes.