MD/PhD Advice Needed!

[sammyers_sm]

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[Datypicalpremed]

Don't know how much things have changed, but 3 years ago I applied with a very slightly higher mcat, higher gpa (but yours is sufficient) and FAR inferior research and extracurriculars and got multiple interviews from mid and low tier programs.

If you apply broadly, especially to programs that aren't "top tier" but strong in your field of interest, you should be fine. Your Fullbright might even get "top tier" programs to look closer...but don't count on it.

If possible, you may want to retake the mcat to better your chances. It's def your biggest weakness right now.

 

[tr]

New MCAT scores confuse me but a lot of schools used to have a screening cutoff of 30. I'd call some of the schools you are interested and ask about MCAT cutoffs. I agree the rest of your application sounds stellar but if you don't make it past the MCAT cutoff nobody will ever see or know.

 

[Neuronix]

I'm curious what "very slightly higher" MCAT is.

The op's score is roughly equivalent to a 28 in the old system.

Agree with tr, this will be below most cutoffs. Most schools won't tell you their cutoff or if they have a cutoff.

Retake the MCAT is my advice.

 

[s_med]

I'm curious what "very slightly higher" MCAT is.

The op's score is roughly equivalent to a 28 in the old system.

Agree with tr, this will be below most cutoffs. Most schools won't tell you their cutoff or if they have a cutoff.

Retake the MCAT is my advice.

Agreed - in my experience on the interview trail, I didn't meet anybody, including URMs, with an MCAT below 508. Might have been self-reporting bias but a cursory glance at MSAR corroborates this. Retake.

 

[mrbadgradesbut]

Hey guys! So I'm in a really weird situation and I'm looking for some application advice as I try to game plan! So here's the story...

The Ugly: I just got some MCAT scores back and I got a 505 (126/127/126/126), which is a 67% and equivalent to a 28/29 on the old MCAT. Yes, I know very very very low for MD/PhD.

The Okay: My GPA is a 3.7, with a massive upward trend (3.9+ after sophomore year, and A's in all upper level science electives)

I'm super niche. Biology and Math major, wanting to go into Biomedical/Health Informatics. Research passion is to use statistical techniques to analyze healthcare data and subsequently make new data-driven diagnostics and screening tools for early intervention in pediatrics. It's such a new, but innovative field. High impact faculty seem to all have an MD and PhD and to me, this seems like the best way to get a well-rounded education that will give me all the training and access I need in the future.

I've also been super involved at my school (cofounded 2 organizations, tons of hospital volunteering, shadowing, other service)

The good: I've got 4 years of research experience, with 3 co-author papers and a bunch of posters and presentations under my belt. My shining research achievement was giving a talk at a big neuroscience conference when I was a sophomore. Also wrote a chapter (focused more on the clinical/personal side of a specific pediatric disorder) for a book to be published in September. Been dedicated to this lab for so long, and I have a lot of experience and passion to show for it.

I just graduated from a state school and as a part of my gap year, I won a prestigious fellowship (Fulbright research grant) partially in the field I want to pursue in the future.

Any advice is welcome! I'm trying to finalize a school list and parse out schools that will reject me off the bat versus those who will give me a second glance.

I know someone who got in to a top 10 program with a 29 MCAT this cycle. BUT...

He had more than 10 publications, one of which was a first author paper
A bunch of patents
Lots of conference presentations
And some prestigious fellowships
His GPA with 3.8>