Lowest GPA you've heard of that go into an MSTP program?

[neofight]

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Anyone out there who heard of an applicant who got into an MSTP program with a low GPA? What was the lowest GPA you've heard of an applicant who got accepted to an MSTP program?

 

[Neuronix]

Why are you asking? I guess in a strict answer to your question, I remember a post that said someone with something like a 2.9 got in.

HOWEVER, who knows the circumstances of this acceptance. I know a guy who had a 2.8 ugrad GPA then a 4.0 2 year master's GPA, a good MCAT, and a boatload of publications, who still could not get into a MD/PhD program.

Are you asking because you or someone you know has a low GPA and wants into a MSTP? If so, you should let us know more about that person so we can advice about chances and how to proceed. If not... GPAs can be very misleading in some cases, but under 3.0 has happened rarely.

 

[surge]

A guy with a 3.0x I know got in. Keep in mind that this kid got a 36 on the MCAT, was not satisfied (!!!), retook it, and got a 39 (!!!!). His 3.0 was from an Ivy league. He's not at a top institution, but is doing really well.

As neuronix correctly stated, this is a very misleading way to go about it....

 

[neofight]

I shot off the question right before heading out to class (that I was late for) so I left out some background information?

Anyway, this question came about from a discussion with me and a premed buddy?.We?ve heard stories of applicants with 3.7+ GPAs and 35+ MCATs getting rejected everywhere they?ve applied to while also hearing stories of applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA getting multiple acceptances. But we don?t hear too many stories of MSTP applicants who ?slip through the cracks?. It may have more to do with a smaller pool of MSTP applicants and that adcoms of MSTP programs are more numbers oriented than adcoms of MSTP programs.

That said, it?s interesting to hear stories of other MSTP applicants who?ve slipped through the cracks. (Although I?m sure those successful MSTP applicants have stronger areas of their application ie. Research, LORs, MCATs).

 

[edfig99]

mstp's are a completely separate entity then your usual med student applicants. a lot of places could care less about how good a doctor their mstp candidate is going to be (though they advertise differently) -- they want to create scientists, who can publish and who will eventually bring in mucho grant $$$ remember, these guys are basically getting a free ride for 6-10 years to publish.

at a couple of medschools i am familiar with, the whole MSTP application process runs almost INDEPENDENT of the normal admissions... basically the MSTPs tell the adcoms "we need x number of spots for next year reserved for our applicants" and that's about it...it is conceivable that they may let lower numbers slip through the cracks but that person needs to have a $#@load of publications and a kickass faculty recommender... MSTP adcoms like numbers....much like the scientists...

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Originally posted by edfig99
mstp's are a completely separate entity then your usual med student applicants. a lot of places could care less about how good a doctor their mstp candidate is going to be (though they advertise differently) -- they want to create scientists, who can publish and who will eventually bring in mucho grant $$$ remember, these guys are basically getting a free ride for 6-10 years to publish.

at a couple of medschools i am familiar with, the whole MSTP application process runs almost INDEPENDENT of the normal admissions... basically the MSTPs tell the adcoms "we need x number of spots for next year reserved for our applicants" and that's about it...it is conceivable that they may let lower numbers slip through the cracks but that person needs to have a $#@load of publications and a kickass faculty recommender... MSTP adcoms like numbers....much like the scientists...

edfig99,

You're making alot of generalizations here. The goal of the MSTP is to create physician-scientists; thus, the MSTP cares about what kind of "doctors" they will train. Many of the selection members are clinicians themselves. I applied to 13 programs, and all were very specific about inquiring why I wanted to be a physician. Keep in mind that the MSTP candidates must also pass the same medical school courses and clinical rotations that the MDs do. I have many friends who are MD-PhDs, and they are some of the best doctors in their fields. The MD-PhDs who don't like clinical work will skip the residency training, which was about 1 out of 15 or 30 at Hopkins).

In addition, MSTP candidates are not getting a free ride simply to "publish". The MSTP was established by the NIH to produce more physician-scientists for both research and academic institutions. It's main purpose is to train students and teach them how to be both clinicians and scientists. There's no publish or perish policy for candidates. Some only publish 1 or 2 papers during their training. The bottom line is that the funding comes from the NIH, and this funding is a scholarship for training.

 

[pathdr2b]

Originally posted by Ophtho_MudPhud
You're making alot of generalizations here. The goal of the MSTP is to create physician-scientists; thus, the MSTP cares about what kind of "doctors" they will train.

Ophtho_MudPhud,

I hope you can find time to make rounds (no pun intended) in the pre MD/PhD DO/PhD boards. There are so many misunderstandings about this process that could use clarity from someone who has "been there, done that". Also please feel free to correct me in my thinking about the process as well. Thanks in advanced!

Kim

 

[edfig99]

Originally posted by Ophtho_MudPhud
edfig99,

You're making alot of generalizations here. The goal of the MSTP is to create physician-scientists; thus, the MSTP cares about what kind of "doctors" they will train. Many of the selection members are clinicians themselves. I applied to 13 programs, and all were very specific about inquiring why I wanted to be a physician. Keep in mind that the MSTP candidates must also pass the same medical school courses and clinical rotations that the MDs do. I have many friends who are MD-PhDs, and they are some of the best doctors in their fields. The MD-PhDs who don't like clinical work will skip the residency training, which was about 1 out of 15 or 30 at Hopkins).

In addition, MSTP candidates are not getting a free ride simply to "publish". The MSTP was established by the NIH to produce more physician-scientists for both research and academic institutions. It's main purpose is to train students and teach them how to be both clinicians and scientists. There's no publish or perish policy for candidates. Some only publish 1 or 2 papers during their training. The bottom line is that the funding comes from the NIH, and this funding is a scholarship for training.

hey Ophtho_MudPhud,

fair enough. i haven't been there...just had lots of close friends at several med schools who were always trying to crank out pubs... their programs' emphases were in no way in the clinical...it was all about the lab. the md portions had to be passed, but that was sorta more...formality, as the perception is that md/phds have their pick of residency programs... but it is reasonable that my friends would just be part of the group that wouldn't go on to clinical medicine and so they were driven to publishing. thanks for the clarifications. 🙂