Logistics Mess

[dl2dp2]

Since AMCAS has opened, I tried to play with it and so forth. I've discovered some problems particularly relevant to the MD/PHD application.

(1) Usually individual programs have additional applications for MD/PHD programs. Some of them have different recommendation forms. Here is my problem: my premed office organizes a file which contains all the forms, can I use the recommendation letters sumbitted to my pre-med advisor from my faculty members or do I have to request the faculty members to use the new forms? (This may sound long winded...Anybody understand what I'm talking about???)

(2) Since many MD/PHD applications are available very early on, sometimes even before the secondary, when should I send in the application?
Do I need to contact individual schools for MD/PHD applications?

(3) Cornell, for instance, has only two or three interview dates. Does that mean they interview all candidates in these days and basically it's all over after that?

After checking out some of these applications I realized that MD/PHD application logistics is going to be a nightmare... <img border="0" alt="[Pity]" title="" src="graemlins/pity.gif" />

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[jot]

bump and a half, cause i'm quite curious as to these answers. sorry, don't have anything good, just the same questions. looks like there is going to be a decent chance of running into people on the circuit. is this procedure very different from amcas2002?

 

[Hopkins2010]

You are definitely right about MD/PhD application logistics... they are much worse than regular MD programs because you have to coordinate 2 different application pathways for each school.

I ran into the same problem with the prefabricated letter of recommendation forms that are particularly popular with MD/PhD programs. I bit the bullet and gave each different set of forms to my recommenders. None of them complained about it, but it was definitely a hassle and I felt bad about them having to fill out 20 different forms in addition to a written letter for the different schools. Now some schools dont absolutlely require you to use those forms (although nearly all schools that utilize such forms recommend that you use them). So you might want to contact some of the schools that have the prefabricated forms and inquire to see if its an absolute requirement or just recommended. I was clear up front with my recommenders that I would need a written letter that would get sent to all the schools, and then that I would be bringing by individual forms that were required by the schools.

My experience last year was that many of the schools had MD/PhD applications either available online or that could be printed off the web well before AMCAS got processed and the MD secondary applications arrived. I would go ahead and contact each school to make sure that its OK to send off the MD/PhD app before the other stuff gets processed. I think some programs are OK with that, but some are not (e.g. University of Washington will NOT let you do this until they request it from you)

In addition to Cornell, many other MD/PhD programs also have a limited set of interview dates that are fixed ahead of time. So usually you have to make one of those dates to get interviewed for MD/PhD, although last year I think some schools were more flexible due to the AMCAS disaster. I dont know if they are going to be flexible this year however, because supposedly AMCAS is running at 100%.

good luck guys, reading your post reminds me of all the extra time us MSTP applicants have to put into the process. but hopefully it will pay off for you when you get accepted and then you will look at it in a totally different light (just trust me on this for now)

 

[BME02]

I also ran into the problem of having separate recommendation forms. Most of the forms ask for the same things. Mostly they want to know if you agree not to read the recommendation. I don't think that I used the forms from any of the schools most of them said that it really didn't matter. But if you have them and your recommenders do not mind filling them out, go ahead and have them do it. It can only help.

As far as the actual MD/PhD apps go. I agree with Baylor. Unless the school specifially tells you not to, fill them out as early as possible. Some schools encourage this (i.e. Wash U). The earlier you get the app in the earlier a decision can be made.

PM me if you have any questions

 

[momoco way]

Did anyone not ask their recommenders to fill out the extra MSTP recommendation forms and are still invited to interviews?

 

[Bikini Princess]

Bump, I agree. As I research the Md/PhD programs at the ~19 schools I'm applying to, I become more aware of how much time this is going to take.

 

[jot]

i am going to send them non-specific recs ... i really felt bad about asking all 7 people for 23 letters each. also two profs have left for other positions so i don't think that is going to be feasible. oh yeah; how many letters are appropriate for mstp apps? 7 would be obnoxious for md-only apps, but i'm not sure what is the consensus for mstp. any idea?
-jot

 

[vmn2]

we had a pre-med committee at my school that sent out all of our letters, so i didn't fill out any of those LOR forms that the schools gave me. i included the individual forms in the LOR packet that my school sent to each med school, but the only part that was filled out was my part, where you fill out your name and you waive your rights to see your letters. that seemed to work just fine, and no one said anything.

vmn2

 

[none]

I also did not fill out the forms for the 24 schools I applied to. I can tell you that while Iowa absolutely requires their recommendation forms for MD applicants, the MSTP office can excuse you if you don't apply just MD. And it didn't hurt me in the process either, I was eventually accepted. None of the other schools seemed to have problems with me not using them.

Dates are horrible. The second worst part of this whole process after having to ask people to write letters for you. Many schools are not flexible at ALL, especially with MSTP applicants! It was very annoying and I had to turn down four MD/PhD interviews just because I had midterms or other interviews on the day they demanded I came! Get ready for some...unpleasantness. It definitely doesn't end with AMCAS.

 

[SMW]

yeah, but they wine and dine the Md/PhD applicants, and later fund their education! So you all should qwitcherbellyaching! :wink:

 

[Bikini Princess]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by SMW:
•yeah, but they wine and dine the Md/PhD applicants, and later fund their education! So you all should qwitcherbellyaching! :wink: •••••That's completely untrue. You'd best read through the previous posts. Fully funded MD/PhD's are shrinking since the Bush Administration is putting funding holds on NIH. And no, they don't pay for fees or interview costs at all.

 

[Spudster]

Well, maybe not completely true, but there is a lot of truth in it. I had several of my trips paid for (if you hold out on them, you can get even more to pony up the cash), and increasingly, those slots that are offered are fully funded. This past year, for instance, Penn made the change and started funding all of their slots. The downside is that there are fewer slots, but then again I wouldn't necessarily want to pay for 8 years in graduate school.

 

[Hopkins2010]

bush is forcing funding holds at the NIH?

How so? Last time I heard, he doubled the NIH overall budget.

 

[GreenWaveWill]

Bush did not cut funding. Bush is fully behind the plan that has been in place for the past 5 years to double NIH funding, and the extra needed money should be in place in the next month or so to complete it.

Bikini Princess is either misinformed or some anit-Bush troll. I'll assume the former.

 

[jot]

hah you sound like some kind of pro-bush troll :wink:

 

[GreenWaveWill]

The fact that I am pro-Bush has nothing to do with it. The point is Bush has increased funding to the NIH, not cut it.

 

[Doctor&Geek]

&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;And no, they don't pay for fees or interview costs at all.&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

Interview costs are paid by some schools, depending on which one. California schools, for instance, don't pay, while others pay up to a certain amount; still others pay all of your interview costs and food. "Wine and dine" occurs rather often too.

 

[none]

The Midwestern schools are often quite good with the funding of interview trips, but I would go so far as to say that the majority of all schools don't fund much of anything other than maybe hotel rooms.

 

[Doctor&Geek]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by none:
•The Midwestern schools are often quite good with the funding of interview trips, but I would go so far as to say that the majority of all schools don't fund much of anything other than maybe hotel rooms.•••••I think there are a few reasons behind this:

1] Midwest schools are in the middle of the country, they don't have to fund more expensive coast-to-coast plane trips.

2] Schools with great locations are less likely than schools with quality-of-life issues to pay for interview costs, ie UCSF vs. CWRU.

3] Schools with better reputations are less likely than schools with poorer reputations to pay for interview costs, ie Harvard vs. Alabama.

The key point is, applicants will inevitably gravitate towards better reputation and quality-of-life, unless the cost of interviewing at a school with "worse" qualities decreases.

Finally, I was under the impression that for graduate students applying to straight PhD programs that their interview costs were reimbursed up to a reasonable point, regardless of reputation and location. Am I wrong about this?

Yours,

Jason

 

[brandonite]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by JPaikman:
•Finally, I was under the impression that for graduate students applying to straight PhD programs that their interview costs were reimbursed up to a reasonable point, regardless of reputation and location. Am I wrong about this?•••••I was offered free airfare and hotels at a bunch of schools for plain old PhD programs.