MD/PHD getting into one but not the other

[Mr hawkings]

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I have heard that a lot of schools consider the phd portion of the MD/PhD application separately and that the phd program has to admit you as well as the MD adcom. A lot of these schools will automatically keep considering you as a straight MD applicant if the PhD program does not like you. So its possible to get into an MD even if you originally applied as MD/PhD.

My question is, what if its the way around. Lets say the MD adcom does not like you, but the PhD people love you based on research. Will they automatically consider you as a PhD candidate or will your entire application be rejected.
Thanks for you help.

 

[philosopherdoc]

Although I've never heard of this situation happening, I do know that the applications to the MD and PhD are completely separate. Thus it makes sense that if the PhD school was willing to admit you, then they still would irregardless of what happens with the MD school.

 

[meowkat444]

I think it depends on the school. If you called and asked them to do that, I bet a lot would, and i *know* some do.

They don't automatically consider you for MD everywhere. Depends on the school, and you usually have to tell them to.

 

[vector07]

Although I've never heard of this situation happening, I do know that the applications to the MD and PhD are completely separate. Thus it makes sense that if the PhD school was willing to admit you, then they still would irregardless of what happens with the MD school.

At ALOT of schools, applications are not completely separate.. one extreme example is Northwestern. We didnt even have an MD-only interviewer, and I interviewed with people in 5 different departments. There, you are truly applying to the MSTP. I'm not sure what they do if you're not accepted though, but I'm *pretty sure* they pass you off to the medical school.

At the other extreme are programs that are completely separate in their admissions decisions... one that comes to mind is Rochester. I didnt realize this until I went there. While there, they essentially pigeonholed me in their Biostat graduate program when I hadn't decided myself which grad dept. I might want to enter 😉 When I interviewed with their director of graduate studies in biostat, he didn't even realize that I was applying MSTP!

Anyway, to answer the OP's question, I would say you're best off exploring each school's admissions process. However, among MSTP applicants, I believe it's rather unusual to (given a choice) prefer the PhD over the MD.

 

[PBandJ]

I have heard that a lot of schools consider the phd portion of the MD/PhD application separately and that the phd program has to admit you as well as the MD adcom. A lot of these schools will automatically keep considering you as a straight MD applicant if the PhD program does not like you. So its possible to get into an MD even if you originally applied as MD/PhD.

My question is, what if its the way around. Lets say the MD adcom does not like you, but the PhD people love you based on research. Will they automatically consider you as a PhD candidate or will your entire application be rejected.
Thanks for you help.

The only school I can think of that operates in the way you described is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Their MD/PhD program works a bit differently from other schools in that you start with your PhD, finish that completely (while working on the first year of med school in a "flex" curriculum), and then do years 2-4 of MD. At that program, you have to be admitted to 3 different groups - the grad dept of your choice, the MD program at UIC, and then finally the MD/PhD program at UIUC. So I guess it's conceivable that you could be accepted by your choice PhD program but not accepted by the MD program. I'm still not sure if that means you could go ahead and do the PhD program after that. I remember reading in my acceptance offer that the MD offer is contingent on you doing the PhD and possibly vice-versa.

As other posters have said, check with individual schools to be sure. At most schools I applied to, once you were admitted to the MD/PhD program, you could choose whichever of their approved grad departments you wanted (and even perhaps a dept that wasn't yet approved).