MD-PhD School List Help

[appleenjoyer]

ORM, went to state flagship R1.

cGPA: 3.93
sGPA: 3.92
MCAT: 519

Research: ~5200 hours across two labs. 5 posters, 2 oral presentations (neither posters nor presentations were at national conferences), 1 middle-author preprint in revisions now

Clinical volunteering: 200 hrs

Shadowing: 85 hrs

Non-clinical volunteering: 150 hrs

Employment: ~1800 hours working for family business

300 hours club sports

Taking 3 gap years total (applying this cycle)

School list:

Reach: Northwestern, HMS, Stanford, UCLA, UCSF, UChicago, UPenn, Yale

Target: OSU, UCI, UW-Madison, Minnesota, UCSD, Emory, Rochester, Michigan, UNC, Virginia, Pitt, Tri-I

"Safety" (I am aware there's truly no such thing with MSTP programs): Indiana, UIC, UT Southwestern, UT Houston, VCU

Is this list too top-heavy? I have to be realistic, especially in this current research environment, and I realize that some schools might be concerned about my lack of peer-reviewed publications (fingers crossed our manuscript will be accepted by the time secondaries roll around). However, I am somewhat limited by the fact that I am interested in chemistry, and many of the less-competitive MSTPs that I would gladly attend otherwise do not offer a PhD in chemistry.

Thanks to anyone that is willing to help!!

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[dimplesage]

I unfortunately don't know too much about chemistry research but you could consider Duke (I think they let MSTP students do research in any department and Dr. Lefkowitz commonly takes MSTP students I believe).

I had a pre-print on my application with no other pubs when I applied and was successful this cycle. So pubs are definitely not a requirement but helpful. Good luck with the cycle!

 

[eteshoe]

You don't have to get a PhD in chemistry to do chemistry research. Most chemistry departments let students in other disciplines (esp biomedical sciences) rotate through their labs - this is especially true if the chemistry or biochemistry departments sit within the school of medicine rather than the graduate school or school of natural sciences etc.

I chuckled at you putting Tri-I as a "target" vs "reach". Either way your list looks good (I would add Duke and Sinai to your list)

 

[appleenjoyer]

You don't have to get a PhD in chemistry to do chemistry research. Most chemistry departments let students in other disciplines (esp biomedical sciences) rotate through their labs - this is especially true if the chemistry or biochemistry departments sit within the school of medicine rather than the graduate school or school of natural sciences etc.

I chuckled at you putting Tri-I as a "target" vs "reach". Either way your list looks good (I would add Duke and Sinai to your list)

Yeah, probably a bit of wishful thinking there on my part. Anyways, thanks for the advice! I will add both.