WAMC MD/PhD, Extensive research but low GPA

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Medical Swimmer

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Hello! I'm interested in applying to MD/PhD programs. I have extensive research experience, but I am concerned my GPA makes it challenging. Assuming I do relatively well on my MCAT given that I have been scoring 517-520 on practice tests, what else can I do to boost my chances (Masters programs, gap year, etc)?

CA state school, ORM
Degree: B.S. Biological Science
GPA: 3.55
MCAT - yet to take

Research Exp:
  • University Research since freshman year (~30 hours a week)
    • Bioengineering, microfluidics, 3D printing, virology
    • 3 publications in mid-term journals 1 first author, 2 in progress. Expected 5-6 by graduation.
    • Potential patent (writing application right now)
    • 6 poster presentations at National/state/local conferences, 2 oral presentations at local and state conferences
    • Mentorship of multiple students
  • Summer Fellowship at Top 5 medical schools (~40 hrs/week for 10 weeks)
    • Neurodegeneration and immunotherapy
    • 2 poster presentions, 2 oral presentations
    • Possible authorship in a high profile Alzheimer's paper
  • Funding and Grants
    • Received 8 university and small national grants totaling ~$25,000
    • All independently drafted and finalized
Awards:
  • Prestigious university wide award for future success in science
  • Poster honorable mention at summer fellowship
Clinical
  • Shadowing (~90 hours) Neurosurgery, Anesthesiology
  • Hospital ER Volunteer (~50 hours)
Volunteering
  • Quarterly medical missions to Mexico, been on 5 trips (10 by graduation)
    • (48 hours each trip, 250 hours total)
    • Work in pharmacy, lab, and take simple vitals
    • Can this be counted as clinical since I directly work with patients?
  • Hospital ER - 3 months
Work Exp.
  • Study Session Leader - extensive tutoring for 1st, 2nd year students In STEM classes.
  • Work in family owned gas station when I’m home
Misc.
  • Former Division I swimmer (been swimming for 14 years)


Anything helps! Thank you!

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You have very limited clinical and volunteering experience. A lot of medical schools don't look favorably upon medical mission trips as well. I would focus on beefing up these experiences to show your commitment to medicine and patient care. You want to be able to better answer the inevitable question of why medicine and not just a PhD?

I would also add in some primary care shadowing as well.
 
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No bets are going to be taken until an official MCAT result is posted. That said, for MD/PhD, your GPA is still probably too low for consideration even though you are in an engineering pathway. MCAT needs to be 520+, and GPA should be 3.7+ for consideration. You have been successful securing research grants which would make you very desirable for Ph.D. tracks, so why would you make things harder for yourself by trying to go for MD?

Shadowing doesn't include any primary care exposure, and the clinical volunteering outside the US is not going to be looked too highly. No activities pointing out community service to other vulnerable populations, though your disclose that you are more "working class" by working at a gas station may help a little. You have not disclosed any social activities in the description, so it's hard to gauge how well you integrated with your institution aside from being involved as a scholar-athlete.
 
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