MD/PhD and Class Rank

[OTheHorror]

Anyone interested in sharing how their class rank is determined even though they've left for 3-4 years for PhD in between MSII and MSIII?

Who are MD/PhDers ranked with? The class they entered with?

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[BDavis]

Anyone interested in sharing how their class rank is determined even though they've left for 3-4 years for PhD in between MSII and MSIII?

Who are MD/PhDers ranked with? The class they entered with?

For us the PhD takes between 5-6 years so by the time we return, our medical school class is gone. We are ranked with the class in which we will matriculate with. We go through 1.5 years of basic science, 6 months of clinics and enter graduate school. Our program is set up such that clinical scores count for a higher proportion than basic sciences (by credit hours) so by the time we return to medical school, the rest of our clinical experiences contribute the most to class rank.

 

[Fermata]

For us the PhD takes between 5-6 years so by the time we return, our medical school class is gone. We are ranked with the class in which we will matriculate with. We go through 1.5 years of basic science, 6 months of clinics and enter graduate school. Our program is set up such that clinical scores count for a higher proportion than basic sciences (by credit hours) so by the time we return to medical school, the rest of our clinical experiences contribute the most to class rank.

Do you go to Baylor?

The only other school that I know of that has a schedule like that is UPenn.

 

[BDavis]

Do you go to Baylor?

The only other school that I know of that has a schedule like that is UPenn.

Yep

 

[Neuronix]

My understanding is that it works the same way here as well. Then again we don't actually have a class "rank" per se, but a three tier system of Dean's letter adjectives. Then again, that's new, and that's subject to change by the time I graduate

 

[Fermata]

Yep

Is the genetics program good?

I keep hearing positive impressions about it.

 

[BDavis]

Is the genetics program good?

I keep hearing positive impressions about it.

The genetics program has some strong, established HHMI researchers such as Zoghbi and Bellen. We lost two HHMI (Elledge and Kuroda) to Harvard recently. Lee recently received HHMI funding. There are plenty of other labs as well, but I usually get asked about the HHMI labs. The program is aggresively hiring junior faculty and program is pretty diverse in interests. What fields are you interested in? Here is the faculty list:
http://imgen.bcm.tmc.edu/molgen/faculty/index.html
Feel free to ask any questions although I am not in this department.

 

[Fermata]

The genetics program has some strong, established HHMI researchers such as Zoghbi and Bellen. We lost two HHMI (Elledge and Kuroda) to Harvard recently. Lee recently received HHMI funding. There are plenty of other labs as well, but I usually get asked about the HHMI labs. The program is aggresively hiring junior faculty and program is pretty diverse in interests. What fields are you interested in? Here is the faculty list:
http://imgen.bcm.tmc.edu/molgen/faculty/index.html
Feel free to ask any questions although I am not in this department.

I'm still a bit away from applying. I just know that some of the biochem/bio people here who are applying to genetics graduate programs keep mentioning Baylor so I was curious.

Is HHMI the Howard Hughes funding?

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Fermata, HHMI is Howard Hughes as you guessed.

BDavis, does Bellen still really active in research? I've heard rumors that his lab has slowed down a bit.

 

[BDavis]

Fermata, HHMI is Howard Hughes as you guessed.

BDavis, does Bellen still really active in research? I've heard rumors that his lab has slowed down a bit.

He is very much active in research (he is in lab 7 days a week and I always see him there all day). Recently his publications have slowed because he has focused on disrupting Drosophila genes with a transposable elements (hence each gene almost=1 thesis project). I suspect that you will see a burst of publications soon. He also seems to wait for the "big one" (i.e. Cell, Neuron, G&D). He still manages to take in a couple of MSTP students every other year (although Zoghbi is now the queen of the largest amount of MSTP students).

 

[BDavis]

I'm still a bit away from applying. I just know that some of the biochem/bio people here who are applying to genetics graduate programs keep mentioning Baylor so I was curious.

Is HHMI the Howard Hughes funding?

Sorry about the abbreviation; it is Howard Hughes. In addition to looking at the Genetics website you can search the CRISP database (database of NIH funded projects)
http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/

Type in the faculty member you are interested in and you will get info on NIH grants, length of funding and a brief blurb on what the grant was about (this allows you to see what the "future direction" of the lab may hold).

If you are still an undergrad, you can apply to the Baylor SMART program (I know it is a cheesy acronym) and do a research project with one of the genetics faculty so you can get a feel of the program here.

 

[uproarhz]

The genetics program has some strong, established HHMI researchers such as Zoghbi and Bellen. We lost two HHMI (Elledge and Kuroda) to Harvard recently. Lee recently received HHMI funding. There are plenty of other labs as well, but I usually get asked about the HHMI labs. The program is aggresively hiring junior faculty and program is pretty diverse in interests. What fields are you interested in? Here is the faculty list:
http://imgen.bcm.tmc.edu/molgen/faculty/index.html
Feel free to ask any questions although I am not in this department.

Elledge moved to Harvard? When did that happen?

 

[BDavis]

Elledge moved to Harvard? When did that happen?

He moved with his wife Mitzi Kuroda as well as Wade Harper 1-2 years ago. I guess he was made an offer he could not refuse.

 

[uproarhz]

He moved with his wife Mitzi Kuroda as well as Wade Harper 1-2 years ago. I guess he was made an offer he could not refuse.

That sucks!!! I guess that's one reason it's good to be Harvard; you've got all the money and power you want to pull all the legends. Harvard is like a black hole That's a sad loss for Baylor.

 

[Fermata]

Sorry about the abbreviation; it is Howard Hughes. In addition to looking at the Genetics website you can search the CRISP database (database of NIH funded projects)
http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/

Type in the faculty member you are interested in and you will get info on NIH grants, length of funding and a brief blurb on what the grant was about (this allows you to see what the "future direction" of the lab may hold).

If you are still an undergrad, you can apply to the Baylor SMART program (I know it is a cheesy acronym) and do a research project with one of the genetics faculty so you can get a feel of the program here.

Wow. The Baylor SMART program looks pretty sweet.

 

[BDavis]

Wow. The Baylor SMART program looks pretty sweet.

I think the SMART program is an additional way Baylor recruits medical/graduate and MSTP candidates. Some of the SMART students end up coming back for additional training. It also a way of getting a personal recommendation letter from a professor.

 

[Fermata]

I think the SMART program is an additional way Baylor recruits medical/graduate and MSTP candidates. Some of the SMART students end up coming back for additional training. It also a way of getting a personal recommendation letter from a professor.

Yes. This was explicitly included in the mission statement of the program.

 

[fapt]

Can anyone tell me how many years should i spent studying MD/PhD??

 

[BDavis]

Can anyone tell me how many years should i spent studying MD/PhD??

Our program ranges from 7-11 years with an average of 8-9 years.

 

[agp4]

I think the SMART program is an additional way Baylor recruits medical/graduate and MSTP candidates. Some of the SMART students end up coming back for additional training. It also a way of getting a personal recommendation letter from a professor.

I remember that last year, quite a few people that I interviewed with at Baylor MSTP were previous SMART students. A lot of schools have similar programs - the two that come to mind are Mayo's SURF program and NYU's program. It seems like a great way to get your foot in the door. I wish I had known about it when I was a junior in college.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Can anyone tell me how many years should i spent studying MD/PhD??

At our school the average is ~8 years. Some of us finish in 6.5-7 years. Few finish in 9+ years.

When I first entered the program, we had several folks who spent 10+ total years in the program. They were affectionally referred to as Club X. We fault the mentors more than the program in those cases (they were almost all in the biochem department). However, that was a long time ago. Most of us finish the PhD in 4 years (which makes a total of 7.5 years). The program director here has made considerable efforts to lower the average length of stay in the program since I matriculated.

 

[BDavis]

When I first entered the program, we had several folks who spent 10+ total years in the program. They were affectionally referred to as Club X.

At our school we call them "lifers" if they break 10 years; since so many dropped out of my class, the remaining members of our class have thought about setting up betting pools of which students of the incoming class will quit before they enter graduate school.

 

[stillsmilin]

At our school we call them "lifers" if they break 10 years; .

do lifers still get mstp funding when they go back for md clerkships after all those yrs?

 

[Fermata]

do lifers still get mstp funding when they go back for md clerkships after all those yrs?

I don't see why they shouldn't be able to.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

do lifers still get mstp funding when they go back for md clerkships after all those yrs?

yes they do. i think MSTP funding guarantees pay for the first two years of med school, first year of grad school, and the last 2 years of med school. at least that was the rule at my school

 

[BDavis]

do lifers still get mstp funding when they go back for md clerkships after all those yrs?

During graduate school, most MSTP students are paid by the lab that they are in (unless they apply for a NIH NRSA grant) so regardless of how long they take in graduate school, the lab pays them. At our school, the funding for medical school is guaranteed paid by the MSTP; however they only pay us for ~1 month of vacation. If we return too early to medical school, they will only pay for the time that we are taking electives or core clerkships and an additional month of vacation.

 

[OTheHorror]

thx for the responses

 

[b&ierstiefel]

During graduate school, most MSTP students are paid by the lab that they are in (unless they apply for a NIH NRSA grant) so regardless of how long they take in graduate school, the lab pays them. At our school, the funding for medical school is guaranteed paid by the MSTP; however they only pay us for ~1 month of vacation. If we return too early to medical school, they will only pay for the time that we are taking electives or core clerkships and an additional month of vacation.

exactly. that's why folks like me won't get paid after november. i'll have to go back to selling lemonade on the streets.

 

[Fermata]

exactly. that's why folks like me won't get paid after november. i'll have to go back to selling lemonade on the streets.

Doh!

 

[BDavis]

exactly. that's why folks like me won't get paid after november. i'll have to go back to selling lemonade on the streets.

I make extra cash by enrolling in drug studies/fMRI studies (there was a Coke vs. Pepsi fMRI study in Neuron this month and I earned $40 for a massive headache and drinking coke while entombed in a big magnet). There was an anthrax study a while back that paid $400 and a H. Pylori study too (they infect you with H. Pylori; do an upper endoscopy with a biopsy; and then treat you for it). There is nothing like donating your body to science while you are still in it.

 

[Fermata]

I make extra cash by enrolling in drug studies/fMRI studies (there was a Coke vs. Pepsi fMRI study in Neuron this month and I earned $40 for a massive headache and drinking coke while entombed in a big magnet). There was an anthrax study a while back that paid $400 and a H. Pylori study too (they infect you with H. Pylori; do an upper endoscopy with a biopsy; and then treat you for it). There is nothing like donating your body to science while you are still in it.

I'd much prefer to just sell blood plasma.

 

[BDavis]

I'd much prefer to just sell blood plasma.

I am sure somebody out there would be willing to pay for sperm/eggs of a medical student or MSTP student. Maybe a couple bucks per pop. I see the ads on college campuses a lot.

 

[Fermata]

I am sure somebody out there would be willing to pay for sperm/eggs of a medical student or MSTP student. Maybe a couple bucks per pop. I see the ads on college campuses a lot.

Fat chance.

Most who donate actually already have PhD's.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Yeah maybe I should ... waitaminute... that would be too much information

 

[Fermata]

Locally, it pays $60 a pop to give blood plasma.....just think about it.....all those rolls of duct tape and pop tarts that you could buy with that.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Locally, it pays $60 a pop to give blood plasma.....just think about it.....all those rolls of duct tape and pop tarts that you could buy with that.

"I know the difference between a rainbow and a poptart! Poptarts are frosted!"
-Cartman

 

[Fermata]

"I know the difference between a rainbow and a poptart! Poptarts are frosted!"
-Cartman

TWO AM!

Ugh. Off to be with me.