thanks for your help!
wow, only 6-25 spots per med school?
Yup. And a couple take ~2-3 (thinking of Loyola). So you have to be mindful of this if/when you apply. It's good to keep a school or two that accepts more than a handful.
How many applicants in general are there if around 200 get interviews for each school?
be careful how you read dmblue's comments. I think they were trying to say that only about 200 applicants will get in to the top programs, because I'm pretty sure most don't interview 200 people for ~10 spots. Take UCLA for example, simply because they post their numbers. They receive about 300 applications, invite 85 to interview, and accept 10-12. UAB interviews about 40.
I have a family doctor whose daughter is a md/phd at a great state flagship and she has all her tuition, etc. paid for, so I was wondering if this is common for md/phds and if all top med schools offer this.
This is fairly common for md/phd. Not so much for straight md. This is because md/phd is training people for a very selective field in medical research. A lot of the top programs are funding by the NIH and are designated as MSTP, or medical scientist training programs. These schools waive tuition and provide and stipend. Lots of other md/phd programs do this, but to varying extents. However, you can't just do this route for the free ride. It's long and extensive, and they screen people out really well - i'm sure the three day interviews at some schools help to tell who isn't really 100% into the program.
I'm an incoming freshman so I know it'll be a while until I apply but I would still like to be prepared, something I didn't start in high school until the 10th/11th grade (a little too late).
My plan now is to study hard and get a good gpa, join clubs I like, and try to get a some type of research opportunity in a lab my first semester (but i'm not sure how likely that will be), but I will definitely try to have one for second semester. Maybe over winter break I'll try to shadow a doctor (does this count as clinical experience? How much volunteering is a good amount)
thanks again for all your help!
Don't start worrying yet, you are
definitely not behind. I applied to colleges about the week before apps were due, because I didn't know better. It worked out for me, but I don't recommend that for higher education (think med school or grad schools).
For any path you choose, your plan to study should be useful. It's always good to have extracurriculars, a variety if possible, and one that you stick with or get a leadership position.
As for research, please don't worry too much about getting that your first year. Use this year to get into the college mode, make good friends, find EC's that you love because you have the most time to explore. After you take some intro science classes and get to know your professors, then maybe go for research your second year. This will
not put you at a disadvantage. I didn't have any research outside of classroom labs until my junior year. Once you get into your upper years, then focus on getting an
extensive research experience - not just in length, but one where you actually contribute other than your time. Doing a thesis or independent lab if possible is a great idea. My thesis did wonders for me.
Good luck!
