NIH Grant and Medical School

[polyploidy516]

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Hi all,

So I work with my PI on a project; As i helped him write a grant, we recently won an NIH grant to do the study. I would like to know how this award will help my application to med school: would it be considered significant as I wrote the grant myself/am primarily responsible for the project? Will it help my app stand out?

My stats are 3.4 with a solid upward trend and a 40 mcat coupled with multiple years of research and strong lors. I am also applying as disadvantaged and will be applying next june .

Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you @Catalystik @LizzyM @Goro

 

[LizzyM]

Most meaningful will be a LOR from the PI a year from now where he can note your contributions to the grant proposal and how you have worked since then. Your GPA could screen you out of some places, it might not be too bad if you were an engineering major or attended a school with soul-crushing grade deflation.

Are you done will college.... Frankly, as hard as it is to move a gpa after 3 yrs of school, if there is any way to bring yours up even 0.1 you'd be in better shape.

 

[Catalystik]

So I work with my PI on a project; As i helped him write a grant, we recently won an NIH grant to do the study. I would like to know how this award will help my application to med school: would it be considered significant as I wrote the grant myself/am primarily responsible for the project? Will it help my app stand out?

My stats are 3.4 with a solid upward trend and a 40 mcat coupled with multiple years of research and strong lors. I am also applying as disadvantaged and will be applying next june .

A narrative Research description that includes taking initiative and having creative control over a project, backed up with a strong LOR from the PI, will be appealing to research-oriented med schools, particularly if you make a lot of progress before you submit your application. If your real question is whether having this experience on your application to highly-selective institutions will compensate for the low cGPA, I'd say, its unlikely.

If this accomplishment happened since you've been with the new lab in the last month, you've made impressive progress, though.

 

[mimelim]

Most meaningful will be a LOR from the PI a year from now where he can note your contributions to the grant proposal and how you have worked since then. Your GPA could screen you out of some places, it might not be too bad if you were an engineering major or attended a school with soul-crushing grade deflation.

Are you done will college.... Frankly, as hard as it is to move a gpa after 3 yrs of school, if there is any way to bring yours up even 0.1 you'd be in better shape.

Do you mean auto screened/application not looked at further than numbers or you mean selected against by adcoms? I'm not trying to imply that this isn't an uphill battle, but research oriented schools (which most of the "top" schools are) seemed to be completely fine with my 3.45. His application sounds a lot like mine, plus applying disadvantaged should help (I didn't). @OP: I think what this really comes down to as far as the experience is what your production was like. You said multiple years/strong LOR. How many publications and what impact factor? How do you know they will be strong LOR? What did you bring to the table that will make you better than everyone else that did research this cycle (which is what you are looking for since you have a lower GPA).

 

[polyploidy516]

@LizzyM

I am grateful for your clarification. I actually graduated from undergrad 2 yearsago with a 3.12 but did a 2 year postbac where I received a 3.89 gpa will all upper division science courses ( multiple A's) . With this, I brought my gpa up toa 3.41 for both cgpa and sgpa.

Do you think this would help me out particularly since there is a very strong difference and the fact that I did a postbac? or would the fact that I do nt have a 3.5 regardless of this very strong upward trend in my postbac still be used against me? im curious particularly since i do have a very strong upward trend with a postbac?The primary reason for my low grades was due to the fact that i was working 35 hrs a week in undergrad to help support my family which was hard early on but helped me tremendously later.

catalystik: im grateful for your clarification. I did a postbac where I brought my gpa up from a 3.12 to a 3.4 with a 3.89 postbac...would this stark contrast help me, particularly at highly selective schools? The primary reason for my low grades was due to the fact that i was working 35 hrs a week in undergrad to help support my family which was hard early on but helped me tremendously later.

I actually did accomplish that much as my new pi is highly impressed with me. My old PI is also writing me a strong lor (shes a top researcher at my top choice med school a top 10) would this be helpful as well?

Thank you once again!

 

[Lawpy]

Do you mean auto screened/application not looked at further than numbers or you mean selected against by adcoms? I'm not trying to imply that this isn't an uphill battle, but research oriented schools (which most of the "top" schools are) seemed to be completely fine with my 3.45. His application sounds a lot like mine, plus applying disadvantaged should help (I didn't). @OP: I think what this really comes down to as far as the experience is what your production was like. You said multiple years/strong LOR. How many publications and what impact factor? How do you know they will be strong LOR? What did you bring to the table that will make you better than everyone else that did research this cycle (which is what you are looking for since you have a lower GPA).

Well, right now the application cycle is a lot more brutal and merciless than it was when you applied few years back

 

[Catalystik]

catalystik: im grateful for your clarification.
1) I did a postbac where I brought my gpa up from a 3.12 to a 3.4 with a 3.89 postbac...would this stark contrast help me, particularly at highly selective schools? The primary reason for my low grades was due to the fact that i was working 35 hrs a week in undergrad to help support my family which was hard early on but helped me tremendously later.

2) I actually did accomplish that much as my new pi is highly impressed with me. My old PI is also writing me a strong lor (shes a top researcher at my top choice med school a top 10) would this be helpful as well?

1) Yes.

2) Yes. I know you asked her if she could write you a strong LOR from a past post, but the response you reported wasn't specific that she stated it would be a strong letter, only that she agreed to write it (as I recall). Can you be reassuring on this point?

 

[mimelim]

Well, right now the application cycle is a lot more brutal and merciless than it was when you applied few years back

I'd like to see some data that actually supports that. More competitive, yes. There are more people applying. But, the number of students with high research production is very limited and that hasn't changed. The number of extremely high MCAT scores has risen, but not by much. There are more cookie-cutter applicants in every application pool, but it doesn't really affect people with a strong production background because they aren't really competing for the same spots.

 

[polyploidy516]

1) Yes.

2) Yes. I know you asked her if she could write you a strong LOR from a past post, but the response you reported wasn't specific that she stated it would be a strong letter, only that she agreed to write it (as I recall). Can you be reassuring on this point?

I really appreciate your response. I did ask her if she could write me a strong letter and she was vague but stated that she would write a letter. I also used her as a reference for a new lab job and ended up getting this new job ( this pi said that she contacted the old pi so I am definite of this). My old pi is also well known for writing good letters and is very blunt if she cannot write a good one.

Do you think I can safely assume now that I will get a strong rec from my old pi? I was very well liked in the lab and was liked by her husband as well who also worked in the lab.

Your thoughts would be truly appreciated! @Catalystik

 

[polyploidy516]

Mimelim: I appreciate your response! I hope that my experiences will help me. Although I didn't get any publications I did present at lab meetings and am promised abstracts and pubs with my new research experience. Overall I should have 3 yrs worth.


Do you think that this coupled with my strong trend in grades, mcat score and lors will help me at top tiers. And other schools too? I also plan on submitting in June..


Thank you once again!

 

[LizzyM]

My experience (to my dismay when I've been backing applicants I know in real life) has been that the adcom never even gets to research productivity, disadvantaged status, etc if you don't make the cut by the numbers. YMMV. Not every school puts so much emphasis on numbers.

 

[polyploidy516]

My experience (to my dismay when I've been backing applicants I know in real life) has been that the adcom never even gets to research productivity, disadvantaged status, etc if you don't make the cut by the numbers. YMMV. Not every school puts so much emphasis on numbers.

Dear LizzyM.

I appreciate your clarification in regards to this issue. Do you feel that my stats would make the cut at your school and other top schools or do you think my gpa is too much of a liability ( i do have a 3.89 in a 2 year postbac)?

What schools do you feel are more stringent with numbers...ive heard that state schools are more stringent?

your further thoughts would be truly appreciated. Thank you once again.

Regards,
polyploidy516

 

[LizzyM]

I know of one school that in the past has required a minimum 3.5. I can't name that school. (Top 20, private).

 

[Lawpy]

I'd like to see some data that actually supports that. More competitive, yes. There are more people applying. But, the number of students with high research production is very limited and that hasn't changed. The number of extremely high MCAT scores has risen, but not by much. There are more cookie-cutter applicants in every application pool, but it doesn't really affect people with a strong production background because they aren't really competing for the same spots.

If it's more competitive, then there are stricter selection standards imposed by schools. Choosing them by stats first helps to narrow applicants down for some schools. For the majority (holistic scheme of things), OP should be fine though

 

[polyploidy516]

Dear LizzyM,

I really appreciate your clarification! Do you know if the cutoffs generally apply to state schools or to competitive private schools as well? I've been told that adcoms at certain schools particularly the top view an application holistically. Is this valid, particularly at your school?

 

[vife]

Hi all,

So I work with my PI on a project; As i helped him write a grant, we recently won an NIH grant to do the study. I would like to know how this award will help my application to med school: would it be considered significant as I wrote the grant myself/am primarily responsible for the project? Will it help my app stand out?

My stats are 3.4 with a solid upward trend and a 40 mcat coupled with multiple years of research and strong lors. I am also applying as disadvantaged and will be applying next june .

Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you @Catalystik @LizzyM @Goro

Have you thought of applying to MD/PhD programs? The grant, MCAT, and years of research (I'm assuming publications) would help you GREATLY. Your post-bac scores being high also would also carry a lot of weight. Even if you don't get into some MD programs, some MD/PhD programs may strongly want you because they know you can successful do great research (and get funding).

 

[Goro]

Definitely apply to Vanderbilt, BU and Case for starters!
The excellent post-bac GPA and MCAT will help. There are schools that believe in reinvention. Concur with my learned colleague LizzyM on the role your PI's LOR will play.

Other schools to think about: Loyola, Tufts, Tulane, your state schools, and those surrounding as well, if they're receptive to OOS applicants.

MSAR Online is your friend. You'll see the floors they have in their GPA range. From what I've seen in posts here on SDN, the top research-heavy schools seem to have so many qualified applicants they can afford to sneer at OP, which is a shame. However, apply broadly and I believe you'll get lots of IIs.

@LizzyM

I am grateful for your clarification. I actually graduated from undergrad 2 yearsago with a 3.12 but did a 2 year postbac where I received a 3.89 gpa will all upper division science courses ( multiple A's) . With this, I brought my gpa up toa 3.41 for both cgpa and sgpa.

Do you think this would help me out particularly since there is a very strong difference and the fact that I did a postbac? or would the fact that I do nt have a 3.5 regardless of this very strong upward trend in my postbac still be used against me? im curious particularly since i do have a very strong upward trend with a postbac?The primary reason for my low grades was due to the fact that i was working 35 hrs a week in undergrad to help support my family which was hard early on but helped me tremendously later.

catalystik: im grateful for your clarification. I did a postbac where I brought my gpa up from a 3.12 to a 3.4 with a 3.89 postbac...would this stark contrast help me, particularly at highly selective schools? The primary reason for my low grades was due to the fact that i was working 35 hrs a week in undergrad to help support my family which was hard early on but helped me tremendously later.

I actually did accomplish that much as my new pi is highly impressed with me. My old PI is also writing me a strong lor (shes a top researcher at my top choice med school a top 10) would this be helpful as well?

Thank you once again!