What to do between PhD and MD...

[KD1655]

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[mercaptovizadeh]

Hi all,

I am currently a doctoral candidate completing my PhD (6 dissertation credits left) in Materials Science and Engineering at a well respected state science and technology school. My concentration within the MTSE program is biomaterials and my thesis is in the field of biophysics and neuroscience. I have always wanted to go to medical school but have been too concerned with my PhD work to really study for the MCAT. I took it once but suffered a flair up of a chronic medical problem during the exam (I SHOULD have cancelled score on these grounds) and ended up getting a 27S. I'm only really interested in going to top schools and know that score obviously won't cut it. Now that I am finally finishing grad school (target date of May 2013) and don't have a great MCAT, I know that it's going to be at least one year between finishing with my PhD and starting (hopefully) medical school. My question is what to do within that one year period. A postdoc? Try to get a job teaching? The AAAS Science policy postdoc fellowship intrigued me.

Another question that I have is whether medical schools really look favorably upon applicants with advanced degrees? My ultimate goal is academic emergency medicine do med school is obviously a must. Some of the qualifications are:

Overall undergrad GPA: ~3.63
Undergrad science GPA:~3.45
Graduate school GPA: ~3.86
Graduated (with honors) Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering
Member of Tau Beta Pi
State-certified EMT for 10 years with both volunteer and paid experience
State-certified firefighter with 5 years volunteer experience
TA in Physics for 2 years
RA in Biology for 2 years
NSF GK-12 fellow for a year
Currently first author in two papers, expect 1-2 more first author papers by graduation
Likely several papers as a contributing author
Will have great reference letters

Assuming I get the 33-35 score on the MCAT that I have been getting on practice tests, do I have a shot at getting into a top-tier school (Columbia or Hopkins are my dream)?

1.) Graduate GPA means nothing to schools, as they only look at UG GPA for all intents and purposes. Having a PhD may mean something to med schools, but not a great deal.

2.) Your UG GPA is comparable to mine (i.e. ~3.5). This is on the lower side and did shut me out from places like Hopkins and Columbia. But I was applying MSTP and you're applying MD only, so it may not be the same thing.

3.) My ECs were comparable to yours, but I hadn't gotten published yet.

4.) My MCAT first time around was 34 and second time around was 40. The 40 made a huge difference as compared to the 34, especially given my low-ish GPA.

I think you have a chance at Columbia-type schools but probably not Hopkins, provided you shoot your MCAT into the solid 40s range. If you get higher 30s, I'd say you're highest range is more like Northwestern, UCSD, etc. - which is still excellent. Low 30s and there may be some difficulty in getting into top 30 schools, since the MCAT would then confirm the lowish GPA.

I could totally be wrong, so don't be too discouraged.

 

[Caprica6]

"I'm only really interested in going to top schools"

This statement concerns me. Why are you only really interested in going to top schools? Why specifically Columbia or Hopkins?

 

[KD1655]

"I'm only really interested in going to top schools"

This statement concerns me. Why are you only really interested in going to top schools? Why specifically Columbia or Hopkins?

Wouldn't you want to shoot for the top schools? I only used those two as an example of the caliber that I want to go to.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

Wouldn't you want to shoot for the top schools? I only used those two as an example of the caliber that I want to go to.

Yes, but given your application, it's more like Average Joe shooting for a supermodel.

 

[KD1655]

Well thanks for your opinion...

 

[K31]

Wouldn't you want to shoot for the top schools? I only used those two as an example of the caliber that I want to go to.

Sure, shoot for the stars but also be realistic about your chances. If you only apply to top schools (as your statement "I'm really only interested in going to top schools" seems to imply) you will be disappointed.

And to be honest (and this is coming from someone who is going to be applying to emergency medicine programs this fall) you don't need to go to a "top school" to achieve your goal. Emergency medicine doesn't tend to care about the name of the school you are from. As long as you go to a solid school (say US News top 50) and do well on the USMLE and your EM rotation, you can have a good shot at a large number of EM programs that will set you on the right track to your goal.

 

[KD1655]

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