Should I give up on MD/PhD and MD dream?

[EWO]

Hello all! I will try to be brief. I am a re-applicant but am not applying this cycle. My stats for 08' were 3.15-cum, 2.94 science gpa and a low MCAT. However, some miraculous way I got accepted into this NIH 1yr program that is to help people of my kind get into biomedical and behavioral science careers. After explaining to the director my desire for both an MD/PhD..I was interviewed and accepted. 3 mos later I am doing clinical research and field research and am a clinical research associate on 3 trials as well as taking grad courses--non-science though.

My question is, with the many ways to get into academic medicine--and whose to say a person wont change their mind or want a more limited role in the future--should I give up on this pursuit? My PhD interest is in medical anthropology--not interested in a PhD in hard, natural science and I see there is only 11 Social Science and Humanities MD/PhD programs out there with WashU being among the only one with guaranteed fully-funding for all 7yrs. This aspect means a lot to me because I already have racked up 50,000 in undergrad debt from an out of state school. As well, I know many people say not to worry about loans but coming from low-income environment, I can not forgo my worrying.

I will need additional hours to raise my gpa and since I have accumulated 163 hours, it is moving at a snail's pace. It would take arguably 111 hours to move the science gpa to a 3.4 and the overall to a 3.5. Generally speaking, the MD/PhD want the 3.8/38 student and/or the 3.6/34-36 student with extensive research--of which I do not "measure" up in neither the gpa, MCAT, nor research--have one yr only. I could do less hours to just raise it to a 3.3 and shoot for SMP but that is more debt and still a lot of hours, between 40 or so hours. (I used an online "raise my gpa" calculator to arrive at these sums).

The other alternative is to focus on getting MD only, raise MCAT significantly and shoot for SMP with linkages and or well known and just do a dual degree in med anthropology/public health---my interests and just find another way to break into academic medicine.

I don't know. So, If you guys and girls can imagine being in an unfortunate situation like mine and you do not want to necessarily give up on your dream, how would you go about this?

Also I am twenty-four, no dependents, but I really do not have the luxury of continuing to stay at home in pursuit of this, so employment is something else that is of worry to me as it is for many low-income students. I just want the next time I apply--whenever that is, to be the last time--prayerfully--and that I can present an application that I would be proud of and can know for myself is competitive and honestly I know my current status is not competitive regardless of my URM status and I refuse to apply until it is better.


Any and all advice will be appreciated.



Thanks


*PS: I noted URM because people play it up a lot on these boards and I know that regardless of this so called "advantage" no US med school will accept me at my present status and I don't blame them!




*Formerly Klassicbeauty*

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[gstrub]

I've seen URMs with stats worse than yours be accepted into MD/PhD programs. Part of NIH funding for these programs is dependent on the # of URMs a program interviews and that eventually matriculate, so interestingly, you are actually more "under-represented" in MD/PhD programs and thus may have an equal or better shot at acceptance. The productiveness (or counter-productiveness) of this policy is a discussion for another forum.

Focus on what you can improve. Your GPA is toast so don't bother. What you can improve is your research experience and MCAT. A candidate who demonstrates commitment to improving their application and who can speak eloquently about their goals can win over a committee in an interview, regardless of URM status (although said status may have gotten you in the door, per se).

Good luck, and never quit.
G

 

[natatat]

gstrub.. what makes EWO's gpa not worth working on? in fact, 'toast'?? if youre able to why not take extra courses to improve a gpa before applying..

 

[EWO]

@ nattat, I do plan on taking more classes to increase my gpa but truth be told it will not budge much. I am possibly going to try to get it to at least 3.3 cum and science as I know this is still low. And I am no longer pursuing the MD/PhD route but thanks for the advice!

 

[dragonfly99]

I think that your research experience is/will be enough for either MD or MD/PhD application, if you can articulate what it is that makes you interested in research/academic medicine. In my opinion, these research programs are more interested in your passion for doing research, versus how many publications, etc. you have accumulated. Also, being a URM makes you an unusual candidate, plus you work at NIH, so all this makes you interesting.

Your GPA is problematic for a med school applicant. However, the schools may be willing to overlook this depending on the overall breakdown (such as, did you get a C or D in classe like organic chem or upper level biology, did you have an upward or downward trend, etc.). Also, you don't say how "bad" your MCAT score was. Do you mean bad like 20, or "bad" mid to high 20's, which may not be as terrible as you think.

I think you would be likely to get into MPH or graduate programs (master's or PhD) with the NIH research under your belt, although then you'd have to take GRE. I think it's important to decide what you want to do - do you want to be a physician or not? If you do, then you need to start looking at all options including DO degree, straight MD degree, etc. You can apply MD/PhD - it doesn't hurt, and it's honestly hard to predict how a candidate like you would do if you had a decent MCAT score like a 30 or something. There aren't that many people applying MD/PhD who want to study anthropology, there are probably relatively few who have done NIH program like yours and who are URM to boot.

The one other comment I have is that medical schools are looking for interesting candidates like you. However, they have to try to assure themselves that the student can do the work. The 3.0 GPA may make them wonder, and coupled with a lower MCAT they may wonder more. I think your quickest path to success in terms of getting into a MD program would be if you could get a decent MCAT score, like high 20's, or even low 30's.

I think worrying about getting into a dual MD/PhD program should be a secondary worry...a lot of med schools will let MD students enter the PhD program further on down the pike (like after 1st or 2nd year of med school, or sometimes people do one during or after residency). It doesn't usually work that way from the PhD side (can't usually easily switch from PhD to dual MD/PhD program). For the MD, you have to make sure you actually want to take care of patients, because even if you end up doing academic medicine, you have to make it through 3rd and 4th year of med school and 3 years of residency, which is 5 intense years of taking care of patients.

 

[djtiesto14]

Do not forget that despite your lower GPA, the adcoms will see an increase trend in your grades. They will absolutely be impressed if you had 4.0 for multiple semesters in a role, especially with science classes. You are right that your GPA won't budge too much, but getting 2-3 semesters of 4.0GPA will not only increase your GPA, but spark the interest of your application to adcoms.

I also second the points dragonfly made. Have you considered Caribbean schools? At the end of the day, you are a doctor, but you will not get that PhD exposure. Work hard enough at a Caribbean medical school and get the board scores you need, I can assure you that you will get the residency you want.

Best of luck.

 

[BLKPA2MD]

I think worrying about getting into a dual MD/PhD program should be a secondary worry...a lot of med schools will let MD students enter the PhD program further on down the pike (like after 1st or 2nd year of med school, or sometimes people do one during or after residency). It doesn't usually work that way from the PhD side (can't usually easily switch from PhD to dual MD/PhD program) .

...dragonfly99 provided great advised!

 

[BLKPA2MD]

Have you considered Caribbean schools? At the end of the day, you are a doctor, but you will not get that PhD exposure. Work hard enough at a Caribbean medical school and get the board scores you need, I can assure you that you will get the residency you want.

As a URM @ that MCAT score, don't see whey you can't get a spot at US MD/DO sch. I would strongly say no to Caribbean sch at this point in time. Going Carib should be your last resort.

 

[fahimaz7]

Why not apply to a PHD program? Finish the PHD, and if you decide to get into the clinic then work your way into a MD program. Getting into a MD/PHD program is a difficult thing to do, and it's going to be even harder with those grades.

Most schools invest $500,000 in an MD/PHD student, so you can see why they have reservations. If you don't maintain a 3.0 GPA at my medical school, you get kicked out of the PHD part and you lose your scholarship. This has already happen to two people in my class.