Nontraditional, looking for advice on where to apply

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citius

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I'm a second year PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh for Biomedical Informatics, but I'm thinking of taking some time off to go to medical school. I'm applying this year, so I'm looking for advice on where you guys think I should consider.

I went to undergrad at Duke University with an engineering major (BME/ECE, for those interested.)

GPA:

Graduate (26 hrs)
BCPM: 3.7/4.0
AO: 3.7/4.0
Overall: 3.7/4.0

Undergraduate (168 hrs)
BCPM: 3.69/4.0
AO: 3.40/4.0
Overall: 3.53/4.0

MCAT: 35R - 10V, 13P, 12B.

I'm looking at applying all over, including Pitt and others. Where do you guys think I should shoot for? My undergraduate GPA isn't as high as I'd like for it to have been. I've done a fair bit of volunteering (probably close to 60 hours this past year, and at least another 150 or 200 hrs in undergrad), and since I'm a grad student, I'm doing a lot of research.

I've applied before, though (in 2007), and I'm trying to also figure out - if they ask 'what's different' - I'm more mature, more experienced, have a *lot* more research coming up (one poster at an international conference, but somewhere around five or six papers coming up in the next year or so)... like - I know I still want to do medicine (...that obviously hasn't changed...) and I've a more mature perspective.

One thing to consider, though, is that I'm only 21, so I'm not sure if my age will count against the experience over most of my age-peers.

Am I overcomplicating this, or do I have a right to be worried?

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Seems to me you'd have a shot at any place you'd like to go, even research-intense, highly selective schools, if you'd like. I don't think your age should be an issue anymore, unless you don't interview well, or your LORs question your level of maturity.

What might be a roadblock for you is the general expectation by adcomms that you need to complete any graduate program you have already committed to. You are generally required to produce a Letter of Recommendation from your current program director. As such, your best bet might be to attend the med school at your current institution, converting to an MD/PhD (if they have this designation), provided your program director will back you.
 
Besides Pitt (which I am considering MD/PhD), do you think I should consider applying to more schools for the MD or MD/PhD?

I'll get my master's before I leave, and hope to do some collaboration with researchers at (or near) the medical school.

Again, I'm not sure if a stronger research profile should make me consider more MD/PhD programs, but I'm also less certain of schools allowing MD/PhD programs with PhD advisers from other schools...
 
All med schools like to see research among the ECs.

A good reason to consider a combined MD/PhD is that there's a good chance you'd get free tuition for med school. I've never heard of such a program coordinated between two schools, and you certainly wouldn't get the tuition break (and stipend for living costs) if you tried to do it that way. Anyone can be an unofficial advisor.

In summary, if the above thoughts bear out when you look into it, I'd stay at Pitt, being the frugal individual that I am (read: cheap).
 
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