Yes, another school list question :)

[medzk]

I would really appreciate any input you have on my school list. Might have too many schools here...

1st choice is to stay in CA, but aside from that I prefer fairly urban areas.

Do you think the strong research background mitigates the GPA/MCAT and increases chances at MD/PhD vs. MD-only at all?

Numbers:
GPA: 3.4-3.5
Mostly Upward trending (GPA was sunk a bit by one off quarter 2nd year)
34N MCAT (12PS/11VR/11BS)

Research:
Continuous (2 projects in same lab), 3/2009-present
2nd author publication in top chem journal
At least one more 2nd author in prep for submission
Staying on as post-Bac researcher for a few months to wrap up work

Activities:
~120 hrs volunteering in ER (around 2 yrs ago), I will begin volunteering again in the next few days.
~40 hrs shadowing neurosurgeon
some leadership
some volunteering with underserved
etc...

School List:

MD-only:

Jefferson Medical College
Rush
Temple
Georgetown (5-yr research track)
George Washington
Tulane

MD-PhD + MD:

UCSF
Duke
Stanford
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Chicago
UCLA
University of Pittsburg
UCSD
Vanderbilt
Cornell
Mount Sinai
Northwestern
UNC, Chapel Hill?
Emory
Baylor
Univ. Texas, Southwestern
NYU
University of Maryland
Albert Einstein
UCI
University of Cincinnati
Indiana University
Tufts
University of Illinois, Chicago

Ohio State
USC
UC Davis


MD-PhD only:

Univ. of Washington

Unknown: MD only/MD-PhD/both?

University of Connecticut
Temple
Drexel
NYMC

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[StephBee]

You'll find more help with the MD/PhD in their specific forum.
The only thing I want to caution you is that 2 years of research isn't exactly extensive research background. You're going to be competing against people who have 4+ years under their belt.

As far as your list goes, I want to tell you to add more lower tier school. You've got a lot of top schools there and your GPA isn't going to be nearly as competative there. Your MCAT is around a lot of their averages but I hope you can write one heck of a research essay for AMCAS to really set you apart. Just keep in mind that the average stats for MD/PhD/MSTP programs is something like a 3.8 / 36.


Good luck, and again, venture over to the MSTP forum.

 

[waterpolo480586]

With your stats MD-PhD is a reach.

 

[Whatyousay]

You would be marginally competitive for MD for a lot of the schools on your list due to your GPA, let alone MD-PhD. I don't know if your research is "exceptional" enough to overcome the deficiencies in your stats. If MD/PhD really is your goal, I would rethink your school list, and add a lot more schools that are within your specific range of stats.

Comments on specific schools:
Univ. of Washington doesn't accept OOS except for individuals who have an extensive history with URM populations (from their admissions website)

UTSW only accepts 10% OOS

 

[Andnosoupforyou]

Apply to fewer reach schools, more targets/safeties. A poster above was right, MD-PhD candidates typically apply with ridiculous amounts of research.