School list/MCAT retake?: MD/PhD Applicant, good GPA, mediocre MCAT

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pcsrkkhlt

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These were all the other schools I was considering but I took out for location, not 2-4-2, or too many reaches:
Baylor
Case Western
Columbia
Duke
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mayo
Medical College of Wisconsin (no immuno amcas)
Northwestern
Tufts
University of Chicago - Pritzker
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine

Please let me know if I should include some of these schools (still want 30 max).
 
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You could check the HHMI investigators website under immunology and see which schools are represented.
 
Firstly, congrats on being extremely productive research-wise during undergrad. Two pubs + a handful of poster presentations is nothing to scoff at and will likely be a draw for your application. 4.0 GPA is great as well.

The sticking point as you mention is likely to be your MCAT score. As you know MD/PhD candidates are a notch or two more competitive score-wise than MD counterparts and the median score for many funded MSTPs is above 515. I scored 520+ and most of my interviewee compatriots on the trail at the top institutions had similar scores. While I don't think all of these top programs have an automatic screen-out for applicants with your score, you are likely to get rejections pre-interview because of it. (Note that many of these rejections may be post-secondary, so you may be milked out of $$$ in the process.) If I were you, I would apply to 20-25 programs including 7-8 top-tier, 9-10 mid-tier, and the rest lower-tier (there is no such thing as "safety" with MSTP, so use your judgment). Applying to 30 programs is not easy on the wallet or the calendar. If you apply early and broadly you may have a decent shot this cycle and may even have some options.

While MSAR is not always directly applicable for MD/PhD applicants (and I'm a bit annoyed there isn't an equivalent for us MD/PhD trackers), it is still a good resource to gauge your competitiveness at MSTPs. I happen to know that Wash U has become extremely competitive MCAT-wise (median score this past year was 520) and a 511 may not cut it. I wouldn't want to discourage you from applying, especially if you can get the app out early -- but since your preference is for east coast schools, I don't know if Wash U would be a good fit. However, if you do make it to an interview at Wash U, you will probably shine in the committee interview, where you are grilled about research by the adcom. U Chicago allows you to do the 2-4-2 track but they have recently been strongly pushing a 1-4-3 track and advertised it as a big selling point when I interviewed. Their MCAT range is also very competitive and they are a midwest school too. Based on your interests I think the Tri-I with Cornell is likely to be a good fit, though they are also extremely competitive. I know a few matriculants to the program this year and they are all exceedingly well-spoken but have varying MCATs (515? - 523+ range) and have strong research experiences.

Throughout your application you should be sure to stress your significant research involvement while still demonstrating your commitment to being a physician-scientist. The tough thing you will have to sell, as with any MD/PhD applicant, is that you need both degrees. With a solid GRE score you would probably excel at PhD applications but medical adcoms will not cut you slack because of your solid research experience. You will still take MD classes, boards, and do a residency if you truly want to be a physician-scientist. Without having met you in person, I don't want to read in too deep, but I think your dedication to research will be clear; you may have more difficulty convincing others of the necessity for clinical training. Make it a priority throughout the cycle to emphasize why both are important to you. And of course, know your research inside and out -- every project, every bit.
 
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