School List Help?

[santjg]

Hey Guys! I'm an MD applicant who is planning on applying to MD PhD programs at schools with strong neuro programs. I just want to know how realistic my school choices are based on my stats.
Academic Record: Second Year Master's Student with a BS in Neuroscience from a state university.
Country/state of residence: FL
Social Background: Puerto Rican Male; not declaring disadvantaged
MCAT: 512 (125/129/129/128)
cGPA: 3.57 (3.52 in undergrad, 3.86 grad)
sGPA: 3.49 (3.37 undergrad, 3.86 grad)
Research: 4 years participating in neuroscience research between my undergrad and grad school. Two second author publications. Several posters and oral presentations. One large academic conference.
Volunteering (clinical): Nearly 2 years working for a local medical outreach clinic providing healthcare to underserved communities. (~6h/week).
Physician shadowing: Nearly all of my hours with the outreach clinic had some degree of physician shadowing. In addition, I shadowed plastic surgery and neurosurgery for a combined 45h
Non-clinical volunteering: Volunteered for a semester in the hospital stapling papers before I got the clinic gig.
Extracurricular activities: Undergraduate research, Club Rugby, Club Olympic Weightlifting, Graduate School Diversity Committee member
Immediate family members in medicine?: None
Graduate degrees: Working on a Master's in Medical Science with a thesis focused on neural regeneration after spinal cord injury
Schools I'm Applying To:
MD, PhD:

• Columbia (Long Shot)
• UCLA-Geffen
• USC-Keck
• UFlorida
• UColorado
• Emory
• UMichigan
• Einstein
• OHSU
• UPittsburgh
• UNC-Chapel Hill
• UWisconsin

MD Only:

• UCF
• FIU
• Rosalind Franklin
• Wake Forest
• Temple-Katz
• VCU
• Tufts
• FAU
• Miami
• Loyola
• George Washington

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[jesie]

I'm not going to gauge your chances but I will say one thing. Make sure you have very clear communication with your LOR writers about not mentioning MDPhD specifically (it'd be super awkward and tremendously unhelpful for the MD-only programs you apply to).

 

[s_med]

Without declaring URM status, those stats put you in the below average--average range of matriculants to the MD/PhD programs you selected. In particular, I would put UCLA, Emory, UMich into the long shot category, but your research looks strong so your chances will depend tremendously on the strength of your essays and LORs.

I agree with jesie and will put it into a larger context that frames an MD/PhD application: you must justify why you need and want both degrees and how you will leverage both in your career. The tricky part about applying simultaneously to MD-only and MD/PhD programs is to craft your primary in such a way that it checks the boxes for both types of programs. Your research looks good, but the rest of your application package needs to make the case for the PhD in addition to the MD in an airtight way. Strong LORs from research PIs are a must.

What are your reasons for not declaring URM?

 

[Fencer]

You can declare URM without stating that you were disadvantaged. As stated your stats are below average, but your research experiences my compensate (truly depends of your LORs). PM me, but I think you need to apply broader...

 

[Neuronix]

Is your goal MD/PhD or just getting in anywhere this year? I agree with Fencer's statement. My opinion is that you should pick one of the pathways and apply broadly. Otherwise you run the risk of neither side taking you seriously.

 

[santjg]

Neuronix: My goal is to be a physician scientist, but I also understand that I can participate in research as a physician without the PhD. Its just a less straightforward process with fewer opportunities for in-depth learning and professional development. That being said, after conversations with Fencer, I've adjusted my school list to include fewer MD programs and more MD-PhD programs to increase the chances of that outcome. As of right now, this is how my list stands:
MD-PhD:

• UCLA-Geffen
• USC-Keck
• UColorado
• UFlorida
• Emory
• Michigan
• Mayo
• UNC-Chapel Hill
• Columbia
• Einstein
• OHSU
• Pittsburgh
• Baylor
• UT HSC SA
• UT-Southwestern
• UWisconsin

MD Only:

• UCF
• FIU
• FAU
• Rosalind Franklin
• Wake Forest
• Temple-Katz

I know some of the MD-PhD choices are quite a reach, but I figure its worth a shot. Let me know if you have any ideas of schools I might want to include/exclude.

 

[santjg]

**Correction. Remove USC-Keck

 

[santjg]

.

 

[Neuronix]

Maybe even convert yourself to entirely MD/PhD and add a few more low to mid tier schools to apply to. You're a borderline candidate, but based on your post I think you have a good chance.