MD/PhD program suggestions

Started by mdphd?
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mdphd?

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Hi, it was suggested that I look on this forum for additional help. I am interested in attending a program with medical imaging laboratories, which likely would involve a program offering mentorship towards completing a BME PhD.

My background:
3.7 GPA, 522 MCAT
Research experience and productivity:
Experience:
-3 years molecular/cell biology
-2 years medical imaging
Productivity:
>10 posters/presentations at institutional and international conferences
5 publications (1 first author, 2 second author, 2 else), reputable journals
~5 manuscripts completed/in progress (2 co-first author, rest variable contribution), one of the co-first authorships we expect will land in a JAMA sub journal.

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer):
-500 hours as a surgical technician
-300 hours in a community clinic

Shadowing experience and specialties represented
-Family medicine in a community clinic, emergency medicine in a rural hospital setting, dermatology in private practice

Non-clinical volunteering
-1000 hours food bank, lots of responsibility involved
-Various other short-term activities focused on food insecurity and mentorship of disadvantaged students

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
-NIH fellowship, leadership within the program
-Food bank leadership
-Tutoring, TA'ing, mentoring

Anything else not listed you think might be important
-From a medically underserved area (rural) and have experienced some adverse life events... circumstances that influenced my volunteering and research.
 
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Hi, it was suggested that I look on this forum for additional help. I am interested in attending a program with medical imaging laboratories, which likely would involve a program offering mentorship towards completing a BME PhD.

My background:
3.7 GPA, 522 MCAT
Research experience and productivity:
Experience:
-3 years molecular/cell biology
-2 years medical imaging
Productivity:
>10 posters/presentations at institutional and international conferences
5 publications (1 first author, 2 second author, 2 else), reputable journals
~5 manuscripts completed/in progress (2 co-first author, rest variable contribution), one of the co-first authorships we expect will land in a JAMA sub journal.

Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer):
-500 hours as a surgical technician
-300 hours in a community clinic

Shadowing experience and specialties represented
-Family medicine in a community clinic, emergency medicine in a rural hospital setting, dermatology in private practice

Non-clinical volunteering
-1000 hours food bank, lots of responsibility involved
-Various other short-term activities focused on food insecurity and mentorship of disadvantaged students

Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
-NIH fellowship, leadership within the program
-Food bank leadership
-Tutoring, TA'ing, mentoring

Anything else not listed you think might be important
-From a medically underserved area (rural) and have experienced some adverse life events... circumstances that influenced my volunteering and research.
I believe it is UCLA that has a very strong theranostics program. Depending on your interest towards medical imaging, RadOnc (with 'theranostics' being a key buzzword) is a great thing to look at.


From here, if you click on the Radiology tab it should give a decent sorting of level of funding per program towards radiology, which I believe encompasses most medical imaging/rad onc.
 
With that kind of research, you should prepare for “why do you need a PhD?” You would be fine to be a physician-scientist in BME with an MD and your experience, no extra years of school needed. I personally know plenty of MD’s who are successful as clinicians and scientists at the bench or in clinical trials.

I also have a strong publication and research background, so I had to answer the above question in interviews. If you really want to do a double degree, be sure to have a specific goal for how it fits in your career plan. You have strong stats and activities for starting an MD-PhD. I think schools want to also see a plan for how you will use both degrees in a career.