- Joined
- May 20, 2018
- Messages
- 22
- Reaction score
- 3
So, I have two more years until I graduate in the spring of 2021. I have over a year of research in a neurobiology lab where I know the pi so well I can get a great LOR from them. I'm very realistic. I didn't get the best grades in my sophomore year so I won't have a competitive GPA for M.D./Ph.D. At best, I can graduate with a 3.5 cgpa and 3.3 sgpa. I will take the MCAT next summer where I intend to get a great score. Assuming I can get MCAT 520+, gain clinical experience (currently shadowing an MD/PhD chief resident), and pursue two years of research after my bachelor's I will have a fighting chance at mid-tier or low-tier MD/PhD. (I'm not really interested in applying to top-tier institutions anyway). So right now, I am planning what I'm going to do for my gap years so I have the best shot at getting into an MD/PhD program. If it helps, I'm a biomedical engineering major and a URM.
My options:
What do you guys think?
My options:
- Do a master's program at a public research university in a field of biomedical science. I intend on getting a GPA of 3.8+. I know graduate GPA and undergraduate GPA are calculated differently but it looks good if I get As in these graduate coursework.
- Work as a research assistant either at a medical school or biomedical science graduate school. Take advantage of the employee tuition waiver and take upper-division bio/chem coursework to raise my undergraduate and science GPA. If they don't have an employee tuition waiver then I just take classes at a local university.
- Intern at NIH through the IRTA post-bacc for two years at pursue research in neuroscience. Take advantage of all the workshops to make the best AAMCAS application. I might take classes at the University of Mayland or other local universities in the Maryland or DC area. I know the faes classes at the NIH are cheap but since they aren't accredited nationwide I doubt schools will accept those credits.
What do you guys think?