MSTP Boulevard part 01

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FOr those of you who had interviews at Baylor. How long between when your app was complete and interview.

Also is our file "complete" after we fill out the med school secondary as well?
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I just got in to WashU's MSTP.
I can't tell you HOW GOOD it feels..........

Good luck everyone and DON'T EVER, EVER, EVER GIVE UP no matter what!
 
Congratulations academic!! That's FANTASTIC. I'm surely not as fortunate as you or anyone else here on this forum. I have not interviews as of yet. Academic, if you don't mind, I would be grateful if you could tell me your stats. I'm not applying to WashU actually cuz I thought it's way outta my lead.

Vader. It's nice to see you back. A lot of things you say are most helpful. On an admissions stand point I was wondering if you would give an honest comment on my chances at top 30 schools. My GPA=3.9 MCAT :10,10,10. Three pubs, once first authorship in submission, and a possible JCB first author on it's way (I didn't put that part on my CV though). I have about 6 yrs. of experience in the lab (I started in HS) and really wanna do an MD/PhD more than anything. Also, is it too late to start getting interviews?? Furthermore, if i don't get in this time around, what do you think I can do to increase my chances. If I pick a particular school, do you think working as a tech. maybe in a potential thesis advisor's lab is worth it? Or maybe an NIH training grant? Also, if I wanted to apply as an "in-house" what do you think are the chances of getting in on the MD side of things if I get denied MD/PhD?? (By the way, I took the August MCAT, April wasn't too hot, I'm really not the best of standardized testers.) Thanks for any comments anyone may have.
 
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Originally posted by JJ4:
•Congratulations academic!! That's FANTASTIC. I'm surely not as fortunate as you or anyone else here on this forum. I have not interviews as of yet. Academic, if you don't mind, I would be grateful if you could tell me your stats. I'm not applying to WashU actually cuz I thought it's way outta my lead.

Vader. It's nice to see you back. A lot of things you say are most helpful. On an admissions stand point I was wondering if you would give an honest comment on my chances at top 30 schools. My GPA=3.9 MCAT :10,10,10. Three pubs, once first authorship in submission, and a possible JCB first author on it's way (I didn't put that part on my CV though). I have about 6 yrs. of experience in the lab (I started in HS) and really wanna do an MD/PhD more than anything. Also, is it too late to start getting interviews?? Furthermore, if i don't get in this time around, what do you think I can do to increase my chances. If I pick a particular school, do you think working as a tech. maybe in a potential thesis advisor's lab is worth it? Or maybe an NIH training grant? Also, if I wanted to apply as an "in-house" what do you think are the chances of getting in on the MD side of things if I get denied MD/PhD?? (By the way, I took the August MCAT, April wasn't too hot, I'm really not the best of standardized testers.) Thanks for any comments anyone may have.•••


b4 you get all depressed, let us know when you applied, eg. when did u submit your amcas, when did it get verified, and when did you complete the secondaries for the schools you applied to? How many/where did you apply? Give me this info and I'll try to give you more constructive feedback. Don't worry bud you might have just submitted your stuff really late. It's still early in the process
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Originally posted by academic:
•I just got in to WashU's MSTP.
I can't tell you HOW GOOD it feels..........

Good luck everyone and DON'T EVER, EVER, EVER GIVE UP no matter what!•••

Great job academic... I was also accepted by WashU MD/PhD. Right now, I'd say theres a 90% chance I will be going there. What is your top choice school?

Do you know if Brian or Andrew will email us to let us know the MD admissions committee decision (they dont meet until 11/29) or will we get a letter from the MD adcom?
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I looked at Harvard's MSTP website and now they have a FAQ section with details on interview scheduling.

According to their website, the interviews for MD/PhD are on 11/27, 12/19, and then two dates in the spring.

Has anybody gotten an interview invite for Harvard MSTP yet?
 
to all you MSTP hopefuls,
I am considering applying to MSTP programs next year. Here's where I'm at. I just got my MCAT scores back. I scored well enough to compete at any MSTP program. I have the research experience and all the rest, but I haven't taken the GRE's. Here are some questions that I have about them:

Do most programs require them (the general and/or subject versions)? What are some noteworthy MSTP programs that require them?

Or do some schools accept the MCATs as a substitute for the GRE?

What are some of the MSTP programs that don't require the GRE?

Do you know how much GRE scores are weighed compared to the MCAT scores, GPA and letters of rec?

How important is the verbal section? (what percentile is satisfactory?)

How painful/painless were your GRE experiences compared to the MCAT?


I don't foresee having much time to study in the next year for another round of standardized tests. Studying for the MCATs was so painful that i cringe at the thought of taking another one of these tests again. I don't want to memorize a thousand words that i'll never use again just to do okay on the verbal section of the GRE--(I got a 12 on MCAT-V but my vocab is seriously lacking)

Answers to any of these questions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
 
The GRE is often ignored to a large extent at many schools that don't require it. Always, however, the MCAT is given much more weight.
 
hi gizzdogg (nice name),

i don't remember applying to any mstp's that "required" gre scores but they were nice to have on hand when they were asked about. some schools say things like if you have them you should send them, it gives them more information, blah blah blah.

gre is for dummies. yeah, it's annoying, but nowhere near the pain and suffering of the mcat. the math is at a lower level than the sat! (i taught sat, gre, and mcat for kaplan) if you don't have a problem with standardized tests, you won't have a problem with the gre.

some grad departments, i know, could care less about general gre scores unless they are reprehensible. so i was REALLY surprised when an interviewer (an md/phd himself) at an mstp interview commented on how good my gre scores were. i was like, HELLO my mcat scores are much more impressive! go figure. people notice the weirdest things on your application.
 
Michigan MSTP requires the GRE for biomedical engineering, as does Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ohio State strongly recommends it but doesnt specifically require it. I think Hopkins might also recommend it, but dont quote me on that.

I agree the GRE is significantly easier than the MCAT. Unless you are applying, to UIUC, Michigan, or Ohio State dont bother taking it. I did pretty well on it, so I went ahead and forwarded the score report to all the MD/PhD programs I applied to, even the ones that didnt require it.

I dont know if it will help, but it certainly couldnt hurt. I have no clue if the MD/PhD programs will even look at the scores or just throw them away.
 
Loma Linda requires it too, but since no one here has ever been connected with the school in any way, I suppose that doesn't matter. :)
 
Originally posted by JJ4:
•
Vader. It's nice to see you back. A lot of things you say are most helpful. On an admissions stand point I was wondering if you would give an honest comment on my chances at top 30 schools. My GPA=3.9 MCAT :10,10,10. Three pubs, once first authorship in submission, and a possible JCB first author on it's way (I didn't put that part on my CV though). I have about 6 yrs. of experience in the lab (I started in HS) and really wanna do an MD/PhD more than anything. Also, is it too late to start getting interviews?? Furthermore, if i don't get in this time around, what do you think I can do to increase my chances. If I pick a particular school, do you think working as a tech. maybe in a potential thesis advisor's lab is worth it? Or maybe an NIH training grant? Also, if I wanted to apply as an "in-house" what do you think are the chances of getting in on the MD side of things if I get denied MD/PhD?? (By the way, I took the August MCAT, April wasn't too hot, I'm really not the best of standardized testers.) Thanks for any comments anyone may have.•••

It sounds like you have some great experience and publications. Make sure each aspect of your application is superb, including personal statement, letters of recommendation, secondaries, etc. and really know your research inside and out, why you want to pursue the MD/PhD pathway, and what your career goals are. It is definitely not too late to be getting interviews, especially considering that you took the August MCAT and the holdups with AMCAS. Have you completed secondaries and sent in your letters? You can always call up the programs and ask if your file is complete. Have you heard anything from schools yet (i.e. postcards)? It would be helpful if you gave us more information on where you are in the application process.
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Originally posted by gizzdogg:
[QB]
Do most programs require them (the general and/or subject versions)? What are some noteworthy MSTP programs that require them?

Or do some schools accept the MCATs as a substitute for the GRE?

What are some of the MSTP programs that don't require the GRE?
QB]••

Most MSTPs do not require the GRE, but almost all require the MCAT. The MCAT scores are usually sufficient for the admissions committees to get an idea of your academic potential (in combination with grades, GPA, letters, etc). To find out the specifics for each school, you'll have to visit their web sites. You can find a listing at: <a href="http://www.aamc.org/research/dbr/mdphd/programs.htm" target="_blank">www.aamc.org/research/dbr/mdphd/programs.htm</a>

Hope this helps. :D
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Hi guys, thanks for replying. This is the situation:

App Complete notification:
Mount Sinai
NYU
Columbia
Mayo
Einstein
Hopkins
Tufts
SUNY, Stony Brook
Rutgers - Robert Wood Johnson
(Most just received my MCAT scores)

Haven't Heard From:
Pritzker
Harvard
(my letters got delayed at both of these)

Rejected:
Penn
Cornell/Rock/Ski

I do realize I should've applied to more schools, but I ended up making some wrong moves I guess. Anyways, I'll be taking the GRE's soon just in case.
 
Oh yea for all of them, my AMCAS is verified and my secondaries were all mailed out latest by mid September.
 
i just heard from the mstp at case - i'm in ! woohoo! i don't think it's my first choice but OH it's just such a relief. and it's not like it's my LAST choice either :) is anyone else thinking about case? does anyone know anyone in the program and whether they like it?

--sarah
 
congrats sarah,

I applied to Case for normal MD but got rejected.

Glad to hear of your success. Do you know what kind of research you want to do?
 
hey sarah! congratulations!!!
that's so awesome. you must be really excited/relieved. i'm very happy for you!

--lisa
 
baylor21-

hey! is your name baylor b/c you want to go there? i'm a huge fan as well. . . i was there in early nov and loved it. haven't heard anything from them though.

as for research i'm centered somewhere in the realm of neuroscience (molecular basis of behavior, maybe . . .) but could wander into genetics. we shall see :)

what about you?

-s
 
Hey SARA! congratulations! I knew you'll get acceptances all over the place. I just got back from my U of Chicago interview and I thought it was great. They took us to dinner 3 times and loaded us on so much wine we were all buzzing :eek: ; and there's a T.V and a phone in the bathroom at the hotel. It's not a bad place.

Stephen
 
Originally posted by Original:
•They took us to dinner 3 times and loaded us on so much wine we were all Stephen•••

3 dinners? how many days did the damn interview take?
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Originally posted by chef:
•

3 dinners? how many days did the damn interview take?•••

Heh heh heh... sounds like my Northwestern interview last year. :D
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Vader and Chef. I left details of my situation on one of the previous threads. What do you think?
 
Originally posted by JJ4:
•Hi guys, thanks for replying. This is the situation:

App Complete notification:
Mount Sinai
NYU
Columbia
Mayo
Einstein
Hopkins
Tufts
SUNY, Stony Brook
Rutgers - Robert Wood Johnson
(Most just received my MCAT scores)

Haven't Heard From:
Pritzker
Harvard
(my letters got delayed at both of these)

Rejected:
Penn
Cornell/Rock/Ski

I do realize I should've applied to more schools, but I ended up making some wrong moves I guess. Anyways, I'll be taking the GRE's soon just in case.•••

I wouldn't get too worried if schools just received your MCAT scores. It takes time for them to go over your application once it is complete. It looks like you applied to a good mix of schools, so I wouldn't be worried about not applying to enough (most applicants I met during interviews applied to between 10-15 schools). You just have to be patient--the application process is complex and with all the delays this year things are just taking longer. Good luck and let us know when you hear about interviews. :D
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Originally posted by chef:
•

3 dinners? how many days did the damn interview take?•••

The interviews were only on 2 days (Thur and Fri) but we were taken to dinner on wednesday night as well. I left on saturday afternoon but they wellcome you to stay all weekend and checkout Shai-town on their tab.
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Did anyone other than myself apply to Penn State MD/PhD program?
 
i did but i just withdrew my ap and cancelled my interview b/c of case. heh. which is good b/c chicago moved my interview and now i'm going there when i was supposed to go to psu.

i rrrrreeeeeeeally am sick of living in a small town so i figured hershey was probably a bad idea for me.

more and more i'm thinking location is going to play a MAJOR role in where i end up :) !

--s
 
Hi Baylor21,

Sorry I did not reply to your earlier posting. I was out of town for an interview and did not have access to a computer.

I don't know when we are going to hear from the WashU med school. Do you think that there is a chance that we might not get in even though the MD/PhD program has accepted us????????? I am not sure how the MD decision works........
Maybe we should call Brian and ask.

WashU is my first choice. I am 99% sure I will go there. I want to go into Immunology and I know they have the TOP Immuno program, so it makes sense for me to want to go there.
 
academic,

Brian told me that the MD adcom doesnt meet at WashU until Nov 29th. I think the MD/PhD generally has some pull with the MD adcom, but dont quote me on that. But if I remember correctly, Brian or Andrew told our interview group that there has only been one person who was ever accepted to MSTP but rejected for regular MD.

It seems like most of the time, the MD/PhD adcom gets who they want. I would imagine that you should be fine, unless your MD interview just went absolutely horrible. Theres a very good chance I will meet you there next year. WashU is also one of my top choices.
 
Original,

I also applied for Penn State's MD/PhD but was placed on Hold for interview about two weeks ago. I am not sure what that means or what I should do. Any suggestions?
 
Sara:
I think we've been destined to never meet again at any interviews :) . I got a Penn state interview which I scheduled for late Jan but if I get accepted to WashU b4 christmas I might have to cancel. However, Penn State's program is great and I wouldn't mind going there.

Doraemon:
This year is special. Don't panic, every little thing is going to be allright-- Bob Marley.
More seriously though; Pritzker's MSTP director told me that in a typical year they have about 250 applications this time of year; but right now all they have are 100 completed apps. Even the top programs are scrambling to get good classes together in reasonable time. I say if you're really interested in Penn State's program, send a short note to the director expressing your interest and chill out afterwards.
 
Hey all,

I just got back from an interview at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. It was pretty fun, they took us out, and spent a lot of time telling us why Madison is the greatest place on earth. I'm not sure I want to go there, but I still had a good time. I was a little turned off by the fact that they made some derogatory comments about other schools I've interviewed at. I know they were just trying to sell their place but it's kind of unnecessary. I'm really starting to enjoy this whole interview process. You know, go around, chat with some research prof's and you get to hear about lots of very cool research.

Anyhow, I'd love to hear more about U of Chicago for those who interviewed there. What did you think of the program, and what was the area like. I've heard that it's similar to JHU in that it's not very safe if you wander off campus.

Also, has anyone heard from Northwestern or Stanford yet?

Later all,

Adam
 
Oh yeah,

And for anyone who interviewed at U of Michigan this past weekend, what was that like? I'm going there the 29th/30th. What did you think of the school and MST program?

Adam
 
Guys,

I just came back from my WashU interview, and I was absolutely GRILLED by the committee. I didn't think it went well at all... Anyway, I don't think I'll get accepted there.

Has anyone done the Baylor MSTP, and Yale MSTP interviews yet? Could you please let me know what it's like, i.e. - how many interviews, structure, etc.

It will be very helpful.

Thanks everyone!
 
Hey guys,

For those of you who have been to Penn State for interview, what about the program impress you the most/least?
 
Originally posted by Rumit:
•
I'd love to hear more about U of Chicago for those who interviewed there. What did you think of the program, and what was the area like. I've heard that it's similar to JHU in that it's not very safe if you wander off campus •••

The campus is beautiful. It's located in Hyde Park which we really didn't get to see much of. However it has that typical inner city feel to it. You can smell crime, drOugs, and prostitution in the air. Not that there's anything wrong with that but I'm just giving you the break-down :D . This is the price you must pay to get access to all the great things Shai-town has to offer. Another positive aspect to this is that your clinical training will be top-notch due to a very diverse patient population. The interview process is quite informal. The program director is the greatest guy. Really nice and has a brave sense of humor. Everyone interviews with him in addition to 3 or 4 other basic science faculty. They are big on the number of their grads that end up in academic medicine. They are also big on their interdisciplinary nature. You will get a formal lecture on key areas of research focus. This lecture will be given by Dept/committee heads. Most of the MSTP students are great. Dont let 1 or 2 bad experiences cloud your judgement. I wouldn't mind going there at all.
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Sonic,

Sorry to hear about your experience at WashU. They didnt grill me very much. However, I think alot of that had to do with the fact that most of my research is in bioengineering; I didnt notice any bioengineering faculty on the MSTP adcom, so I think that made it difficult for them to ask the really tough questions.

I wouldnt get discouraged about it though. I've heard stories about WashU applicants getting extremely depressed after their interviews, when in fact the adcom really loved them and wanted them to come to school there. You never can tell.

I interviewed for Yale MSTP a few weeks ago. The campus is really nice and I like the location. New Haven is probably not as exciting as a big city, but then again I kinda like the smaller cities anyways.

The people there are very friendly. I think that the individual faculty interviews are not really interviews; that is, I dont think they provide the MSTP adcom with any feedback. I might be wrong about that, but just from the way the conversations went, it seemed like they really werent looking at me in a critical way.

You will have 2 interviews with members of the MSTP committee; I had the director of MSTP and a cardiologist. They are a little more intense of course than the faculty conversations because you are being evaluated, but nothing you havent seen already.

The only thing I dont like about Yale is that bioengineering is not well represented in terms of MSTP students. I asked the director how many were pursuing a PhD in bioengineering and he said "off the top of my head, none" They do have good research in things that I am interested in, but I guess compared to bigger programs I would feel a little more cutoff from the other MSTP people. The attitude of the students is great, and all of them raved about the curriculum.
 
Hey,

Do you guys fill out the questionaires on <a href="http://www.interviewfeedback.com?" target="_blank">www.interviewfeedback.com?</a> I've noticed that there's a real shortage of MD/PhD interview descriptions. If we all did that, it might remove some of the redundancy of all of us asking the same questions about what a particular interview was like.

Just a thought.

Adam
 
Hi Everyone,
This is actually my first post, and let me tell you I am SOOOO happy to have found this site. As a fellow mudphud, it is nice to hear from people who are in a simliar boat as myself. I must say congrats to all of you who have received interviews and acceptances to various MSTPs, that is really great!
After reading some of the other posts, there is not a lot that I could add that would update what has already been said, but here are a few:

Baylor21: Holy smokes, you are the man! In regards to UNC, I briefly talked with program adminstrator and she told me that with the AMCAS mess, the MD/PHD committee will meet all at once in early December to decide who to interview and who to reject. That is all I have heard, and that was back in early October.

JJ4: I am in the same boat as you are, no interviews for MSTP yet. I actually have gotten a couple of rejections, but I guess that comes with the territory. You and I have almost identical stats, although your GPA is higher than mine. All I can say is patience. I was really discouraged last week when I got a rejection from Rochester's MSTP, but then I got an MD interview from a school thought I would never get into the next day. So hang in there!

Unfortunately, a lot of the schools that people have been talking about on this thread are schools that I am not applying to. I think that has to do with the fact that I am applying for a non-bioscience phd(health policy), which I think in some ways makes me less of a priority then all you folks. Here's hoping I guess.

Best of luck to all of you. When all is said and done, I am sure we will all get in somewhere!
 
Shogun! You're wellcome. PhD in Health policy can actually help you stand out and work seriously in your favor. Spice it up and think rigorously about why it is absolutely necessary in the future of medicine. Also, they'll be interested in your research experience in this area. Make whatever you've done look good and relevant.
 
I just got into Duke's MSTP! that's right! I got an email this evening saying they'll hook me up with tuition, 22K/year stipend, and health insurance. I'm really excited cause this is my numero uno choice. It feels unreal; I am yet to believe it. I'll try to be open minded at my WashU interview in early December. YEEEE HA! :D
 
When did you interview at Duke? I interviewed there last week, and they said that they won't be sending acceptances until early March. I also was told their stipend was 20K. Just curious.

BME02
 
OH MY GOD! stephen that is AWESOME! congratulations! well, maybe if i'm superlucky i will see you next year there. although i'm guessing that NOT getting an email when you did get one probably isn't a super good thing :) oh well they probably just took you early cause you're incredible and spectacular :) !!!!

YOU ROCK!

--sarah
 
Hey Sara!
Actually I emailed Pat to thank her for being so nice during the interview. She then replied me with the acceptance email which she said was snail mailed to me a few days earlier. I say make of it what you will but I'm sure you'll get into Duke. If not now, then in March.
 
Originally posted by BME02:
•When did you interview at Duke? I interviewed there last week, and they said that they won't be sending acceptances until early March. I also was told their stipend was 20K. Just curious.

BME02•••

Hey BME02, I interviewed at Duke on Nov 7 and 8. They told us then that all acceptances will go out in late Feb or early March. I am as puzzled (though happy) as you are as to why I received an acceptance less than 2 weeks after interview. The letter said the stipend will be no less than $21,050, and that the health insurance will be $900. Hope this helps.
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HOLY COW STEPHEN!!! you are so awesome, congratulations! i remember the guy i sat next to at dinner said some people get the early response. wow, and they got funding for you too!

okay, so i'm a little jealous 'cuz you found out already :) but i knew you were going to get it!!!

lisa
 
Originally posted by rondo:
•HOLY COW STEPHEN!!! you are so awesome, congratulations! i remember the guy i sat next to at dinner said some people get the early response. wow, and they got funding for you too!

okay, so i'm a little jealous 'cuz you found out already :) but i knew you were going to get it!!!

lisa•••

Hey Lisa thanks. Oh I guess that explains why I got a letter this early. When is your Northwestern interview? I called them today to ask what's up with my application. They sounded kinda shady and really didn't give me any info. Good Luck out there :) !
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my interview at northwestern is 12/12-14.

i can't believe you are still interested in them after getting into DUKE and basically getting an offer from u. chicago.

ha ha.
you're such a jerk. ;)
 
Just got rejected by UT Southwestern's MSTP, sigh....
 
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