Md/ph.d chances/advice

[runningriot90]

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Hey, so here is a little about myself:

Major/Institution: I am a year out of undergrad from a top Ivy League university where I studied applied physics.

GPA: I have a 3.33gpa and and equivalent BCPM

MCAT: I have a 37

EC: 80 hrs in ER, 300+ hours of shadowing across: neurosurgery, neurology, radiology, and ophthalmology. Tutored two months at a detention facility, tutored a semester at an underprivileged inner city high school, president of Global Health club, and now I work with children with autism for a few hours on the weekend.

Research: I did research three out of the four summers in undergrad, at different labs though since I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I have a publication from high school that was submitted into angewandte chemie w/ if: ~13. I currently work at the NIH as an IRTA where I am writing a paper for neuroimage w/ if: ~6. Hopefully I'll have another paper and abstract out before the application cycle, but since that's tentative it doesn't really count.

I know my GPA is horrendous, but will my MCAT and very strong letters of rec mitigate that a bit? Also, how can I improve my application in the next few months?

 

[Neuronix]

Good chance of MSTP acceptance. Apply broadly including less desirable locations and lower on the usnews rankings for best chances. There's nothing else you can do besides the usual: early application, strong essays/letters/interviews.

 

[Maebea]

Make sure you attend the NIH Grad School Fair in July & make it a point to meet with the MD-PhD programs present. Give them a copy of resume amd be prepared to talk about your undergrad experience. Specifically: why the lower GPA (too much coursework? workingyour way through school?); and, if I am reading your post correctly, why no research during the school year? Finally, send two follow-up email to the person you spoke with: one after the event, and second when you submit your secondary application. These things will not guarantee you admission, but will cause a program to have a small degree of investment in you. This might be enough to get you interviews where you otherwise would not.