Tough Medical Scientists?

[j-med]

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How many of you applied to / are considering the MSTP Program? (MD/PhD)

Do you think it's much more competitive to get in? By how much?
What proportion of applicants are actually interested in MD/PhD?

 

[penguinophile]

How many of you applied to / are considering the MSTP Program? (MD/PhD)

Do you think it's much more competitive to get in? By how much?
What proportion of applicants are actually interested in MD/PhD?

look around in the MD/PhD forum. You need higher scores, but there aren't as many applying, so it is kind of even in terms of competition. intransit.us is always a good start site for info, but again, just check out the forum a little lower on the main forums page.

 

[chef_NU]

From the M.D./Ph.D and Ph.Ds here in my lab, it seems like a lot of them end up cutting out of the Ph.D part and graduating with their friends. Seems like you need to be absolutely sure you want to go into academic medicine if you pursue this route.

 

[RxnMan]

From my experience the grades are the same between the two, but there isn't much difference between 3.9 and a 4.0 or a 3.8. Competitive MCATs are generally 3-4 points higher than a straight MD program's. Last year, the entering MD/PhDs had MCATs of 35 on average. The real ways to stand out is through grad work and publications. Since the MD/PhD programs are designed to produce academicians, ADCOMs feel an applicant is a lot less of a risk if they already have experience in that setting. (Strangely, NIH grants are funded on this same principle - you only get funding if you already have the answer!)

 

[j-med]

Are there still a lot of research opportunities available for MD programs still then, or not?

 

[RxnMan]

Are there still a lot of research opportunities available for MD programs still then, or not?

Of course there are. The focus is different - MDs have greater freedom with patients than PhDs, but PhDs are more frequently the experts on a specific area. Research projects by both reflect this.