Recent MCAT scores --> Letter from UIUC MD/PhD program??

[CaribbeanBlue]

I could be overthinking this... But, I recently received this email from UIUC's Medical Scholars Program for MD/PhD congratulating for my fine performance on the MCAT and encouraging me to apply to their MD/PhD program this fall. Could they have received my scores from the 9/7 exam before I even did???

I tried to look up information regarding their admission stats and it shows a 31 avg MCAT accepted.

What is the possibility that they actually received the 9/7 scores?? I wonder this because my latest MCAT score BEFORE this 9/7 one was back in january, which was a 10/6/11 (27N), which I don't think would raise many (good) flags and the only thing I have received after that score are letters from Ross and the Caribbeans.

Just wondering what others think who have also received this email.

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[CaribbeanBlue]

*drops head*. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who took the MCAT in sept that got this letter!

 

[mcalpi]

Hello Caribbean Blue,

I also received this email. On my first MCAT, I received a 29. I then took my second MCAT on September 6.

 

[ResearchtoMD]

Hello mcalpi,

What does UIUC stand for?

 

[mcalpi]

Hello mcalpi,

What does UIUC stand for?

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

How do people get spam mail from programs after taking the MCAT? I remember getting spammed after taking the SAT, but that was only because I checked off a box that said "yes, please send me info from colleges" or something like that. I never saw anything like that on the MCAT.

Anyway, I've obviously never received any letters like this, and I made a 39. I doubt that the schools received your scores before you did. Considering it's an MD/PhD program with an average MCAT of 31 (which is stunningly low for an MD/PhD program) I wouldn't be surprised if they were just sending that letter out to anyone who is reported as having taken the MCAT within a certain timeframe, regardless of score.

 

[CaribbeanBlue]

How do people get spam mail from programs after taking the MCAT? I remember getting spammed after taking the SAT, but that was only because I checked off a box that said "yes, please send me info from colleges" or something like that. I never saw anything like that on the MCAT.

Anyway, I've obviously never received any letters like this, and I made a 39. I doubt that the schools received your scores before you did. Considering it's an MD/PhD program with an average MCAT of 31 (which is stunningly low for an MD/PhD program) I wouldn't be surprised if they were just sending that letter out to anyone who is reported as having taken the MCAT within a certain timeframe, regardless of score.

Why would a 31 be surprisingly low for MD/PhD? You'd think more people here would prefer to just spend 4 years getting their MD instead of 8 years to also pursue the PhD while being 30 when they begin residency, no?

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Why would a 31 be surprisingly low for MD/PhD? You'd think more people here would prefer to just spend 4 years getting their MD instead of 8 years to also pursue the PhD while being 30 when they begin residency, no?

The average MCAT for MD/PhD programs is 34 IIRC (it might actually be 35, but I'm prety sure it's 34). MSTPs typically have averages in the 35-36 range. The top 10 schools mostly have averages in the 37-38 range (not that I'm suggesting top 10 schools are what matters, I'm just pointing out how extreme the averages can get; contrast this to Harvard's MD program average of 35 to see what I mean).

As for why MD/PhD programs have such higher stats, the key thing to realize is that they're very attractive to both MD and PhD applicants. For MD's these programs offer the prospect of free med school (at least for the first two years before you "realize" that research isn't for you and change to MD-only) and for PhDs they offer the allure of career insurance (if the research career doesn't work it, which it very well may not considering the funding environment right now, you always have a "back up" career as a physician). The latter is very important because that's where most of your competition is coming from. The MD/PhD isn't a degree you get if you want to become a doctor because, like you said, it takes way too long and involves far more work. Rather, it's a degree you get if you want to be a researcher, and for pre-PhD students the MD/PhD's drawbacks aren't too much worse than what you're looking at with the PhD, except that you get the added benefit of being able to practice medicine which makes it very, very alluring if you have the stats to be competitive.

The bigger reason though is that MD/PhD programs are much more practically-minded when it comes to analyzing applicants. While MD programs put an emphasis on well rounded, interesting, person-people candidates, MD/PhD programs really only care about how good of a scientist you're going to be. As a result, like PhD programs, MD/PhD adcoms really only care about your GPA, MCAT, research experience, PS, and LORs from PIs. This means that you don't get a lot else to fluff up an application with, unlike MD programs where lots of volunteering, mission trips, interesting life experiences, etc. can get you points that make up for a low GPA and/or MCAT.

 

[CaribbeanBlue]

The average MCAT for MD/PhD programs is 34 IIRC (it might actually be 35, but I'm prety sure it's 34). MSTPs typically have averages in the 35-36 range. The top 10 schools mostly have averages in the 37-38 range (not that I'm suggesting top 10 schools are what matters, I'm just pointing out how extreme the averages can get; contrast this to Harvard's MD program average of 35 to see what I mean).

As for why MD/PhD programs have such higher stats, the key thing to realize is that they're very attractive to both MD and PhD applicants. For MD's these programs offer the prospect of free med school (at least for the first two years before you "realize" that research isn't for you and change to MD-only) and for PhDs they offer the allure of career insurance (if the research career doesn't work it, which it very well may not considering the funding environment right now, you always have a "back up" career as a physician). The latter is very important because that's where most of your competition is coming from. The MD/PhD isn't a degree you get if you want to become a doctor because, like you said, it takes way too long and involves far more work. Rather, it's a degree you get if you want to be a researcher, and for pre-PhD students the MD/PhD's drawbacks aren't too much worse than what you're looking at with the PhD, except that you get the added benefit of being able to practice medicine which makes it very, very alluring if you have the stats to be competitive.

The bigger reason though is that MD/PhD programs are much more practically-minded when it comes to analyzing applicants. While MD programs put an emphasis on well rounded, interesting, person-people candidates, MD/PhD programs really only care about how good of a scientist you're going to be. As a result, like PhD programs, MD/PhD adcoms really only care about your GPA, MCAT, research experience, PS, and LORs from PIs. This means that you don't get a lot else to fluff up an application with, unlike MD programs where lots of volunteering, mission trips, interesting life experiences, etc. can get you points that make up for a low GPA and/or MCAT.

Hmm, very interesting. Thanks for that post. I was looking up UIUC's MSP and it wasn't giving me nearly as much as you just gave me, haha.

My logic was, because certain OOS applicants are mostly turned down for the MD programs in certain states while their respective MSP's do not favor in state vs OOS (this is apparently the case for UIUC), that I should apply to their MSP programs to broaden my chances of just being accepted to med school PERIOD.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Hmm, very interesting. Thanks for that post. I was looking up UIUC's MSP and it wasn't giving me nearly as much as you just gave me, haha.

My logic was, because certain OOS applicants are mostly turned down for the MD programs in certain states while their respective MSP's do not favor in state vs OOS (this is apparently the case for UIUC), that I should apply to their MSP programs to broaden my chances of just being accepted to med school PERIOD.

MD/PhD programs are a completely different beast from MD programs. They may both get you into medical school, but they're interested in very different applicants. An application that gets you accepted a top 10 MD program may very well not get you accepted to any MD/PhD programs, and vice versa. Trying to increase your chances of getting into med school by applying MD/PhD is a terrible strategy.