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want MD/PhD but having some problems..
- Thread starter Rayne
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I think you'll be ok if you apply to enough programs and are willing to tolerate some programs that are less "prestigious". You have a lot of things going for you:
- good research experience
- Ivy league undergrad (it seems like it doesn't matter, but it may get your foot in the door)
- outside extracurricular activities (music thing)
The only problem is you might not make it through the interview screening process at a lot of places because they may just sort by GPA/MCAT and start at the top. State schools, non NIH funded schools, etc, are all more likely to give you a chance.
One thing you might do, and I hate saying this because I feel like it should be the last option, is retake the MCAT. It's a pain in the ass, but you might do yourself a huge favor. If you are 100% confident that you can do better, like 36 or better, then retake it. I think you can still retake it in early summer and still have your score in time. The down side to this is that if you do the same or worse it actually hurts you. So, if you commit to taking it again make sure you mean it.
Only other piece of advice is to consider if your career goals can be achieved by an MD-only (or PhD only for that matter) career. MD/PhD is great, and many of us in this forum have done it but it's certainly not the only path you might take. If you can do what you want with MD-only as well and don't get in to MD/PhDs in 2011 I think it's better to go ahead and start MD-only rather than waiting a year and reapplying.
- good research experience
- Ivy league undergrad (it seems like it doesn't matter, but it may get your foot in the door)
- outside extracurricular activities (music thing)
The only problem is you might not make it through the interview screening process at a lot of places because they may just sort by GPA/MCAT and start at the top. State schools, non NIH funded schools, etc, are all more likely to give you a chance.
One thing you might do, and I hate saying this because I feel like it should be the last option, is retake the MCAT. It's a pain in the ass, but you might do yourself a huge favor. If you are 100% confident that you can do better, like 36 or better, then retake it. I think you can still retake it in early summer and still have your score in time. The down side to this is that if you do the same or worse it actually hurts you. So, if you commit to taking it again make sure you mean it.
Only other piece of advice is to consider if your career goals can be achieved by an MD-only (or PhD only for that matter) career. MD/PhD is great, and many of us in this forum have done it but it's certainly not the only path you might take. If you can do what you want with MD-only as well and don't get in to MD/PhDs in 2011 I think it's better to go ahead and start MD-only rather than waiting a year and reapplying.
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I'm not in an MD/PhD program (yet, hopefully I will be soon.) But here are some of my "observations"
1. This subforum is doesn't get the same traffic as many of the other forums, so give an thread ample time before worrying if no one will respond. I have often posted in here and waited upwards of 2-3 days before a response tendered back to me.
2. Don't look at the stats of those in the acceptance/wait-list thread. I personally believe that SDN membership is very auto-selective; only those who are extremely motivated (most of the applicants in this subforum) actually visit this site or those who are not very competitive(me, for instance). There hardly seems to be a middle ground, so don't worry about others stats too much.
3. From my observation, it seems like the world will not be over if you don't get into one of NIH funded MSTP's. There are tons of programs that are self-funded (I'm only talking about those that offer a full ride and stipend) that send their MD/PhDs on to very competitive fields at top 10 academic centers. Also, it seems like most residency programs don't care too much about the PhD, so no matter where you go you'll still need to bust your ass and do well on Step1 and get honors during your clinical years.
My point is, even going to a less renowned MD/PhD program (Oklahoma, Ohio State, Jefferson, etc.,) doesn't auto-select you out of competitive programs. Just take a look in here and see all the threads of MD/PhD's who worry if they'll match ANYWHERE due to a low step1/preclinical grades/whatever. You will have to work hard anywhere, and us uncompetitive people should be thankful for that. 🙂
3. If you have a 3.5 there is a good chance you'll be compeitive somewhere, but you won't get in to multiple "top-10" schools. A 3.5 probably doesn't even limit you to none, as there are a few people in this subforum who had around that and go into great schools. There are a pretty decent smattering of schools outside of NIH funded programs, so look at those.
4. Your MCAT does seem a tad low in combination with your GPA. Do you plan to retake?
To end, once again, consider I'm an applicant this cycle like you, just trying to help. 🙂 I'm sure some of the stuff I've said could be wrong, so take it what it is worth.
1. This subforum is doesn't get the same traffic as many of the other forums, so give an thread ample time before worrying if no one will respond. I have often posted in here and waited upwards of 2-3 days before a response tendered back to me.
2. Don't look at the stats of those in the acceptance/wait-list thread. I personally believe that SDN membership is very auto-selective; only those who are extremely motivated (most of the applicants in this subforum) actually visit this site or those who are not very competitive(me, for instance). There hardly seems to be a middle ground, so don't worry about others stats too much.
3. From my observation, it seems like the world will not be over if you don't get into one of NIH funded MSTP's. There are tons of programs that are self-funded (I'm only talking about those that offer a full ride and stipend) that send their MD/PhDs on to very competitive fields at top 10 academic centers. Also, it seems like most residency programs don't care too much about the PhD, so no matter where you go you'll still need to bust your ass and do well on Step1 and get honors during your clinical years.
My point is, even going to a less renowned MD/PhD program (Oklahoma, Ohio State, Jefferson, etc.,) doesn't auto-select you out of competitive programs. Just take a look in here and see all the threads of MD/PhD's who worry if they'll match ANYWHERE due to a low step1/preclinical grades/whatever. You will have to work hard anywhere, and us uncompetitive people should be thankful for that. 🙂
3. If you have a 3.5 there is a good chance you'll be compeitive somewhere, but you won't get in to multiple "top-10" schools. A 3.5 probably doesn't even limit you to none, as there are a few people in this subforum who had around that and go into great schools. There are a pretty decent smattering of schools outside of NIH funded programs, so look at those.
4. Your MCAT does seem a tad low in combination with your GPA. Do you plan to retake?
To end, once again, consider I'm an applicant this cycle like you, just trying to help. 🙂 I'm sure some of the stuff I've said could be wrong, so take it what it is worth.
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When I went through the application process, I also had the red flag of a 32 MCAT score to contend with, and it was brought up at a number of my schools. Luckily, at the end of the day, I made it into my favorite program so I definitely don't think that your chances are shot.
This would be my advice to you:
1) Do not retake the MCAT unless all of your practice scores are in the 36+ range. Bringing up your score would be a great thing for your application, but earning another score in the 31-32 range (or god forbid, getting a lower score) is likely to be a very bad thing for your application. In my case, I retook the MCAT and improved my bio score substantially...only to realize that my verbal score dropped enough to give me almost exactly the same total score. It didn't look good on my application, and it won't look good on yours.
2) Apply broadly, and pay special attention to schools that give preference to applicants from your home state, undergrad college, etc. The MD committee will be your biggest hurdle, so choose MD/PhD programs where you are a more competitive MD candidate. The PhD portion of your review will be most concerned with your research, and it sounds like you are solid in that area.
3) You may want to consider applying to a few schools MD-only and attempting an internal transfer to the MD/PhD program after you have had a chance to prove yourself in medical school. Granted, this should be a last resort, but it should still be on your radar.
Good luck!
This would be my advice to you:
1) Do not retake the MCAT unless all of your practice scores are in the 36+ range. Bringing up your score would be a great thing for your application, but earning another score in the 31-32 range (or god forbid, getting a lower score) is likely to be a very bad thing for your application. In my case, I retook the MCAT and improved my bio score substantially...only to realize that my verbal score dropped enough to give me almost exactly the same total score. It didn't look good on my application, and it won't look good on yours.
2) Apply broadly, and pay special attention to schools that give preference to applicants from your home state, undergrad college, etc. The MD committee will be your biggest hurdle, so choose MD/PhD programs where you are a more competitive MD candidate. The PhD portion of your review will be most concerned with your research, and it sounds like you are solid in that area.
3) You may want to consider applying to a few schools MD-only and attempting an internal transfer to the MD/PhD program after you have had a chance to prove yourself in medical school. Granted, this should be a last resort, but it should still be on your radar.
Good luck!
