what are my chances?

[Chino987]

amherst college alumni (2004)

bcpm gpa: 3.68
overall: 3.62

mcat: bio 10, chem 11, read comp 10, writing R (total:31)

other misc:

Master's degree in neuroscience (yale university 2006)

50+ hours volunteering, shadowing experience.

2 years working experiencein a lab at a pharm company.

undergrad thesis work

research posters presented at 3 different conferences

National Science Foundation graduate fellowship winner

Amherst College Award winner for best thesis work in neuroscience

2 summer research internships

principal clarinet in the college orchestra

dad worked for 10 years at SUNY Upstate medical university as a doctor


Possible bad points:

did not pass the qualifying exam in grad school and left with a masters


school list (PA resident, fwiw):

Penn State
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
UCSF
UPenn
Baylor
Rochester
Upstate (SUNY)
Case Western
Tufts
U Vermont
Boston Univ
Georgetown
Albany Med
Univ of Cincinatti


how do i look?

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[soparu]

why didn't you pass the qualifying exam in grad school?

 

[Chino987]

why didn't you pass the qualifying exam in grad school?

i hate making excuses but after passing the written part of the exam i was not ready for the level of long, extended questioning i received on the oral section.

 

[scarletgirl777]

i hate making excuses but after passing the written part of the exam i was not ready for the level of long, extended questioning i received on the oral section.

I don't know if you have to mention the failing the qualifying exam part.

 

[HumidBeing]

Don't even mention that unless somebody decides to ask why medicine instead of a PhD.

Your numbers are fine. Keep working on volunteer efforts while you go through the application process because 50 hrs total volunteer/shadowing combined doesn't show any commitment to volunteering. I know it can be difficult to "do everything" while you are neck deep in research.

 

[Chino987]

Don't even mention that unless somebody decides to ask why medicine instead of a PhD.

.

thanks for the advice. however, if i dont mention it at all in the essay, then wouldnt it be considered a knock on my integrity as its kind of likely that somoene's going to ask why i left grad school during interviews?

also, it is probably going to get mentioned on my committee letter from undergrad.

 

[scarletgirl777]

thanks for the advice. however, if i dont mention it at all in the essay, then wouldnt it be considered a knock on my integrity as its kind of likely that somoene's going to ask why i left grad school during interviews?

also, it is probably going to get mentioned on my committee letter from undergrad.

It is not a knock on your integrity. If you've already told your premed committee, fine. But in general, you don't independently call attention to bad things until someone else asks about them.

 

[ChemGrad08]

I'm leaving grad school with a masters not because I didn't pass my quals, but because upon further examination I've decided that my life would be better spent with an MD not a PhD, I'm sure even in a world where you failed your quals you could still say that something like that is true. Like you weren't really committed to your quals because life as a research scientist couldn't get you up in the morning or what not.