Planning on applying next cycle, currently a sophomore.

[PanRoasted]

I'm currently looking into MD/PhD programs, but from what I am reading in the MSAR, positions are few and far between and I'm afraid my stats cannot/will not ever be high enough to get into a program. Here are my current and projected stats:

Current:
- cGPA - 3.65~ (3.94 not counting college courses taken in high school). All As in prereqs taken @ my institution. May or may not retake english courses just so I can say I have all As in all prereqs, period.
- University board member for a committee which decides on certain graduation reqs
- 2 years + 1 summer of research, two papers and a talk with my name + significant contribution/some autonomy.
- Board member for the school choir. Also a member. Really, really into singing. Getting music BA in vocal. Might do summer abroad for music.
- Originated a scholarship fund through my church for a student who goes to a public school in the city in which my church is located (innercity)
- fair amount of community service throughout high school, but so far I have NONE in undergrad. most of what I did in high school was also through my church.
- Not in a lot of student organizations though... (ie clubs, sports, etc). any involvement in the clubs I can say i'm in is minimal. except for the music thing posted above.
- ZERO clinical.
- Will probably get strong LoR from my research professor. Also might get one from my advisor. Neither of them have ever had me in a science class, but they are both "science professors." Should get a good one from a music professor. I'd also like to get one from my grad student that I work with in the lab, but I hear that's frowned upon.

Projected:
- cGPA: 3.8~, 3.85 MAX. I think after all things considered, it will definitely be around 3.8. Not less than 3.7.
- Will continue research but with a different professor, something biology related (currently researching under a solid-state chemistry guy. haven't really been able to apply any of the research to medicine or public health...)
- Will hopefully get EMT cert sometime this winter, and then try to find an EMT position while I'm at school for clinical hours.
- Trying to get more involved with our community outreach program next semester.
- Looking to gain some worldly experiences for a good PS, but at the moment I don't have anything golden to write about unfortunately.
-???

This is also where I need some help.

I'm not sure what else I can do to strengthen my application, given that my GPA will be so weak at the time that I will be applying. I have too many AP and early college courses taken in high school which are hurting my application, due to the huge effect they are having on my GPA. I'm also in the uncomfortable position of (possibly?) having to take an extra english/writing course when my schedule is already quite packed with a rigorous music courseload. Am I going to have to go with a heavily research oriented post-bacc program if I want to be competitive enough to get in? Ideally I want a 3.9, but I don't think that's possible even if I take a year off and apply two cycles from now (so I can apply my senior year grades).

MCAT is also another variable. I only did decently on my SATs (2200~), but my ability to study long term for a test as monstrous as the MCAT is as of yet unknown. I'm trying to buckle down and start reviewing, but I'm having a very hard time.

Schools that I am looking into for MD/PhD ranked from most to least desirable:

Yale (in-state)
UConn (in-state) - current school, opportunity to get to know adcoms at some point.
UF
Loma Linda
Georgetown
Rush
Drexel
BU
Stony Brook
Howard
Morehouse

Dream Schools:

Harvard
Vanderbilt
Any of the UCs (wish i lived in state)
UChicago
WashU
Mayo

Please give me any and all insight you guys have. If you're going to suggest schools, know that I'm looking for continental US, east coast, especially near Connecticut and in Florida. Would love california. Suburban or urban, if OOS must be OOS friendly.

Also, given my current stats and what I could do to improve them, could I also have a brief summary of what my chances are of a.) getting into any accredited MD program in the cont US and b.) getting into a top 20, preferably near my home state. Money is also a concern. I am not interested in having my parents pay more than they do now, and will definitely be taking out loans if I can. I would like to be near my home state so I can have a stable support system and be able to visit home should the going get tough. Also, yale or uconn would be perfect because there is the possibility that I could commute from home.

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[flodhi1]

Thank you for posting a thorough review of your application and current status. Your GPA is wonderful but unfortunately for the MD/PhD programs it's barely touching the average. You will need a very strong MCAT score (> 35) to get into your dream schools and even some of the other schools you listed. Simply put MD/PhD programs are the most competitive due to limited seats. I think one of the major issues in your application is not your GPA but the fact that you have NO CLINICAL EXPERIENCE. Many of the schools you listed have provided wonderful clinicians and even though you are pursuing a degree that is research based they still want you to understand the value of a MD. I personally think that you have enough time to gain some wonderful clinical experience. Get some shadowing and clinical volunteering down. Most importantly try to build a personal relationship with a MD or preferably a MD/PhD and get a strong LOR from them. Also work on actually getting some community service in undergrad because your community service in high school will be of little value compared to your activities in undergrad. Either way you are an excellent candidate and some minor adjustments will make you almost perfect. Keep up the good work and I wish you the best of luck!

 

[PanRoasted]

Do you think it would be more worthwhile to spend my summer this year:

A.) volunteering at a hospital
B.) getting as many clinical hours as possible through an EMT job or
C.) Shadowing

This winter break I planned on doing some community service at a salvation army right near my church... is this going to add anything significant to my application or should it be more of a regular, once a week thing throughout the year?

I also have several options as far as volunteering next semester, including volunteering positions at local hospitals or hospices (mostly transporting patients to and fro, etc), and helping out a local soup kitchen. I was under the impression that clinical hours and community services/volunteering were separate entities, and that it was sufficient to just have experience with patients as either an EMT or someone else who deals with patients directly. I also have heard that hospital volunteer jobs provide virtually no patient contact... Thanks again!

 

[flodhi1]

Do you think it would be more worthwhile to spend my summer this year:

A.) volunteering at a hospital
B.) getting as many clinical hours as possible through an EMT job or
C.) Shadowing

This winter break I planned on doing some community service at a salvation army right near my church... is this going to add anything significant to my application or should it be more of a regular, once a week thing throughout the year?

I also have several options as far as volunteering next semester, including volunteering positions at local hospitals or hospices (mostly transporting patients to and fro, etc), and helping out a local soup kitchen.
I was under the impression that clinical hours and community services/volunteering were separate entities,
Yes they are two separate things and you will need both!
and that it was sufficient to just have experience with patients as either an EMT or someone else who deals with patients directly.
LizzyM an ADCOM stated that if you can even smell a patient then that counts as clinical experience
I also have heard that hospital volunteer jobs provide virtually no patient contact... Thanks again!
Some hospitals don't because they are very scared of malpractice. Your best bet is to hunt down a primary care physician at clinics around your area. Even a walk in medical clinic will suffice. Visit 5-10 clinics, leave your name/number/resume at the clinics and try to speak to a Physician. You will definitely find someone willing to provide you with actual patient contact

As crazy as this may sound why not try to do all of them? In all honesty if you devote even 1 day out of the week you can possibly squeeze in all activities. I remember devoting entire Saturdays just for my ECs and it really did not affect my grades at all. To truly strengthen your application you need to show diversity and commitment. So, try to make all of these things a regular activity even if it's just one day a week. All of the activities you listed are essential in building different dimensions of your application. Keep in mind though you do NOT necessarily need excessive shadowing but if you can get close to or above 150-200 hours of shadowing that would be great. However, in my opinion as I stated before a strong LOR from your shadowing/clinical Physician will strengthen your application a lot!

 

[futuredoc1004]

If a choice is required, I would go with B.

 

[plumhill]

If a choice is required, I would go with B.

Unless you're already licensed as an EMT, this might not work; it takes a while to go through all of the training, and it might not be worth it if you only have time for a summer volunteer experience. I'd recommend looking into hospital/clinic volunteering, and also look into free clinics around your area; the latter will definitely provide patient interaction!

Also...if you're currently a sophomore, I'm assuming you're intending to graduate in 3 years, and starting MD/PhD during what should've been your senior year? I don't want to pass judgement, but if you're really not sure if you're a strong enough applicant for the next cycle, don't be afraid to consider taking an extra year and graduating on time

Also...MCAT score? Its hard to say where you fall without that; MD/PhD programs have a higher MCAT average than straight MD programs, especially for the schools you listed.

Your GPA is definitely in the ballpark for US allopathic schools (for just an MD program), but if you're applying for just a straight MD program they'll expect more clinical experience than from MD/PhD candidates (I read on one of the better-ranked MD/PhD websites that candidates are not expected to have clinical experience, although with the stiffness of competition these days its probably an unwritten rule).

 

[PanRoasted]

Sorry, I was also wondering whether a summer abroad doing a music program would also be worth my while. Is it better to have something like this that I will enjoy and will be something I can talk to my interviewers about, or is it better to just get as many clinical hours as possible with my summers?

EDIT: Also, if I were to go straight MD, how much more limited are my research options? Also, what is the availability of PhD programs for people who have already obtained a MD? Given my projected stats and what I could possibly accomplish in the rest of my undergraduate, could I be a very strong applicant for MD programs at my listed schools and dream schools?

++ Sorry, I must have misspoke. When I say next cycle, I am referring to two cycles from now. As in, not this cycle (starting May~ 2012) but the next one (May~ 2013)

 

[plumhill]

Sorry, I was also wondering whether a summer abroad doing a music program would also be worth my while. Is it better to have something like this that I will enjoy and will be something I can talk to my interviewers about, or is it better to just get as many clinical hours as possible with my summers?

EDIT: Also, if I were to go straight MD, how much more limited are my research options? Also, what is the availability of PhD programs for people who have already obtained a MD? Given my projected stats and what I could possibly accomplish in the rest of my undergraduate, could I be a very strong applicant for MD programs at my listed schools and dream schools?

++ Sorry, I must have misspoke. When I say next cycle, I am referring to two cycles from now. As in, not this cycle (starting May~ 2012) but the next one (May~ 2013)

OK here's the advice I've heard time and time again from adcoms at my school and other people in the field: do what interests you! Adcoms can usually tell if you're doing something just to get into medical school...it would look better (and you'd probably be happier!) if you did something you LEGITIMATELY wanted to do.

Your research options as a straight MD aren't limited at all! Plenty of physicians conduct research, both during med school/residency as well as during their professions. An professor of pediatrics at my school gave a talk about the research she was doing, and she was 2nd author for a paper published in Science a couple years ago. With an MD, you can do research, but with a PhD, you can't practice but you also won't have to go through residency or any of the other trials of med school. You'll have to do a bit of soul-searching to figure out what you really want to do with your time, and if you want to shoot for one degree or the other, or both.

With your stats and the time you have left, you're definitely on the right track to being a strong candidate at many allopathic schools; and your GPA (both current and projected) aren't weak at all! Plenty of people get into med schools with a 3.6-3.7, provided the rest of their application is strong. Your "dream schools" and other top-tier schools are never a sure bet for ANY candidate, regardless of statistics. The best you can do is continue performing as best as you can during your undergraduate years, having a strong performance on the MCAT when you take it (for MD/PhD at your dream schools, aim for high 30s, maybe 40, by the time you get around to applying). But all in all stay true to yourself and your interests, and don't concern yourself too much with doing things to look like the"perfect" medical school candidate. Med schools like students that have followed their passions and display individuality above all else (from what I can gather).

 

[plumhill]

As for looking for a "golden" PS topic, here's a wonderful quote from the director of admissions at a med school in my state who came to give a speech at my school:

"we have read plenty of wonderful, game-changing personal statements about fairly ordinary topics, and we have read some horrendous personal statements about wonderful topics."

So you don't need some life-changing third-world-country experience in order to write the perfect personal statement. Focus more on the quality and insight of your PS as opposed to finding a documentary-worthy topic.

 

[Nymphicus]

Your GPA, especially with the upward trend should be fine. The most important thing now is the MCAT. Also, MD/PhD programs often don't worry as much as regular MD about lots of clinical hours.