female MD/PhD applicants this year?

[uproarhz]

Hi there,
I was just browsing the web today (looking for something else), but came across this article by Nancy Andrew from Harvard-MIT MD/PhD.

http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nm/journal/v8/n5/full/nm0502-439.html

I gotta first say that in general I don't consider gender discrimination or differences in anything I do. It's not that I am negligent of the bias against women, I just think it exists, and all I can do about it personally is fight my own fight. I don't particularly care about female role models either. I think having one makes it that much easier, but it is definitely not REQUIRED for me to achieve my dreams. After all, we can all be our own and someone else's role models.

But just out of curiosity, I want to see if anything has changed since this article was published in 2002. Specifically, in the area of applicant population. How many of you on this forum applying to MD/PhD or MSTP programs are females? Any other females here? I guess to get a more representative view I should ask how many males too.

Sorry, I guess I am tired of filling applications...

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[Mitro]

I came across this a few months ago. I think it'll make you feel less lonely.

http://www.aamc.org/research/dbr/mdphd/appsurvey.pdf

 

[clockitnow]

I am a female applicant. I had read that article about a year ago. I didn't really think that there was much of a disparity, but when I went to the my first interview at U Pitt, there were 5 guys and me. I am not really worried about it though, because it was just one very small sample size. We'll see what happens.

I looked over the stats from the previous post and that was really good information. Thanks, Mitro! Go UC Berkeley (2nd highest number of applicants of any undergraduate institution )

 

[uproarhz]

I came across this a few months ago. I think it'll make you feel less lonely.

http://www.aamc.org/research/dbr/mdphd/appsurvey.pdf

I wasn't feeling lonely when I posted the thread, just curious if anything has changed...But thanks a lot for that link. It was really interesting.

And... yeah Go Bears!!!! I was a little disappointed at the % matriculated from Cal though (26%). That is significantly lower than the Ivy's (50% most of them). Maybe the rest of the Berkeley applicants had better luck at the schools that didn't reply to the survey. Hopefully we'll change that this year

 

[uproarhz]

I am a female applicant. I had read that article about a year ago. I didn't really think that there was much of a disparity, but when I went to the my first interview at U Pitt, there were 5 guys and me. I am not really worried about it though, because it was just one very small sample size. We'll see what happens.

I looked over the stats from the previous post and that was really good information. Thanks, Mitro! Go UC Berkeley (2nd highest number of applicants of any undergraduate institution )

How did your U Pitt interview go? I haven't got an interview invite there yet, but hoping to get one sometime soon

 

[BDavis]

Hi there,
I was just browsing the web today (looking for something else), but came across this article by Nancy Andrew from Harvard-MIT MD/PhD.

http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nm/journal/v8/n5/full/nm0502-439.html

I gotta first say that in general I don't consider gender discrimination or differences in anything I do. It's not that I am negligent of the bias against women, I just think it exists, and all I can do about it personally is fight my own fight. I don't particularly care about female role models either. I think having one makes it that much easier, but it is definitely not REQUIRED for me to achieve my dreams. After all, we can all be our own and someone else's role models.

:

For my MSTP class of 13 it was 7 women and 6 men. By the time we had entered graduate school, we lost about half the people (about 4 women and 3 men). The reasons for leaving the M.D./Ph.D. program were similar between men and women in that the program was too long (~8-9 years on average). I think the male to female ratio in the MSTP was similar to the medical school ratio of 1:1, but lately, our MSTP classes seem biased towards men (out of a class of 13-15 only 1-2 are women), whereas the medical school still has about a 1:1 ratio.

 

[Fermata]

For my MSTP class of 13 it was 7 women and 6 men. By the time we had entered graduate school, we lost about half the people (about 4 women and 3 men). The reasons for leaving the M.D./Ph.D. program were similar between men and women in that the program was too long (~8-9 years on average). I think the male to female ratio in the MSTP was similar to the medical school ratio of 1:1, but lately, our MSTP classes seem biased towards men (out of a class of 13-15 only 1-2 are women), whereas the medical school still has about a 1:1 ratio.

Total sausage fest, dude.

 

[BDavis]

Total sausage fest, dude.

That comment reminds me of our medical school yearbook pictures in which we could submit any picture we wanted to for a personal montage. One person submitted an autographed picture of Ron Jeremy (there were a lot of people who didn't know who he was); I think he matched in family practice...

 

[Fermata]

That comment reminds me of our medical school yearbook pictures in which we could submit any picture we wanted to for a personal montage. One person submitted an autographed picture of Ron Jeremey (there were a lot of people who didn't know who he was); I think he matched in family practice...

 

[itsaliger]

my program of 12 students has 5 females (including me) and 7 males . . .

i've noticed that some schools tend to be more more male-dominated while others are much more equal. but i'm thinking that it's a self-perpetuating thing - if you interview somewhere and you feel like it's a total boys-club (i actually really forget which schools were like this, but i went to some interviews where i felt like this was the case), then you are probably less apt to want to go there.

but now that i think about it, it shouldn't matter much what the composition of your mstp class looks like, b/c you spend time mainly w/ the med school (which typically is 50/50) and the grad school, and depending on the department, that's going to be super-male-dominated (engineering!) or basically even (cell bio).

just my experiences.

 

[medcluv]

my program of 12 students has 5 females (including me) and 7 males . . .

i've noticed that some schools tend to be more more male-dominated while others are much more equal. but i'm thinking that it's a self-perpetuating thing - if you interview somewhere and you feel like it's a total boys-club (i actually really forget which schools were like this, but i went to some interviews where i felt like this was the case), then you are probably less apt to want to go there.

but now that i think about it, it shouldn't matter much what the composition of your mstp class looks like, b/c you spend time mainly w/ the med school (which typically is 50/50) and the grad school, and depending on the department, that's going to be super-male-dominated (engineering!) or basically even (cell bio).

just my experiences.

I'm glad to say that I am a female, prospective MD/PhD applicant. Yay! I am looking forward to the program.

 

[uproarhz]

I'm glad to say that I am a female, prospective MD/PhD applicant. Yay! I am looking forward to the program.

Hey medcluv, I a happy to hear that. Good luck Are you applying this year?


So just to get it straight, so far from this thread it turns out like there are three females on this forum applying to MD/PhDs this year? I am counting me, clockitnow, and medcluv? (though I am not sure about you medcluv) That seems to be a really low number compared to all the people who are applying this year! From the official interview thread it seems like there are about 17 or so of us, though I didn't do a careful count. Is this forum biased towards guys! Are people not disclosing their gender? Or that, within our very small sample size, it is actually true that significantly less females apply throughout the country?

 

[Fermata]

Is this forum biased towards guys! Are people not disclosing their gender? Or that, within our very small sample size, it is actually true that significantly less females apply throughout the country?

I know this is anecdotal........but guys tend to like technology more.

Thus they would have a higher probability of browsing these forums, perhaps?

Also, some females are discouraged from applying MSTP because it would delay/make it more difficult to have a family.

I'm not saying that this is an exhaustive list but it may answer the problem a little.

 

[pathdr2b]

So just to get it straight, so far from this thread it turns out like there are three females on this forum applying to MD/PhDs this year? I am counting me, clockitnow, and medcluv? (though I am not sure about you medcluv) That seems to be a really low number compared to all the people who are applying this year! From the official interview thread it seems like there are about 17 or so of us, though I didn't do a careful count. Is this forum biased towards guys! Are people not disclosing their gender? Or that, within our very small sample size, it is actually true that significantly less females apply throughout the country?

There are definitely others!

 

[zeebs32]

you can count me in your sample thanks for the links, too - there was some interesting reading.....

 

[stillsmilin]

Also, some females are discouraged from applying MSTP because it would delay/make it more difficult to have a family.

agreed, but i dont think they should be discouraged. it will definitely be difficult, but for men and women, premed was difficult, research, is difficult, and mstp will be difficult. of course there is only so much time in a day and you cant do it all, but you dont have to compromise what's most important - - it will all work out sometime/somehow

so count me in on the list of female applicants, and in on the list of female applicants planning on having family w/kids, too

 

[BDavis]

agreed, but i dont think they should be discouraged. it will definitely be difficult, but for men and women, premed was difficult, research, is difficult, and mstp will be difficult. of course there is only so much time in a day and you cant do it all, but you dont have to compromise what's most important - - it will all work out sometime/somehow

so count me in on the list of female applicants, and in on the list of female applicants planning on having family w/kids, too

Our program accepted 1 female with a child and I know of at least three women who had children during their MSTP training. I think our program seems understanding that the MD/PhD program is long and that one should pursue their personal lives without fear of interrupting their professional careers.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Our program accepted 1 female with a child and I know of at least three women who had children during their MSTP training. I think our program seems understanding that the MD/PhD program is long and that one should pursue their personal lives without fear of interrupting their professional careers.

Our program has been very supportive regarding women in the program having children. Two women in my class have had children during their PhD training. Both finished their PhD in 4 years. I have so much respect for them.

 

[uproarhz]

Our program has been very supportive regarding women in the program having children. Two women in my class have had children during their PhD training. Both finished their PhD in 4 years. I have so much respect for them.

Go UCSF and U Michiagn!!! I suppose Harvard has been really pushing for more involvement of women too... Any other schools good in this regard? Anyone knows anything about Yale? They seemed to even have a support group for women in medicine. Either that means that Yale is still so much a boy's club that women in medicine NEED a support group to survive there or that they are really supportive! Anyone has insider view of this?

So, so far I guess we have a count of 5 female MD/PhDs applicants for this year, right?
It is awesome that over the past 50 years this country has come such a long way. It is even more amazing when you compare it to other countries around the world. I almost cried when I saw the movie "Mona Lisa Smile." I am soooo happy I wasn't born back say in the 50s!!! But there are still so many societies where cultural rules still resemble that mentality. I have lived in one of them and I would have never had the support or opportunity to reach for the dreams I am reaching for now if I was still there. So I am even more proud of the work women have done in this country to change that....

I guess I am ranting Good luck to all of us, male or female

 

[abeanatrice]

Count me in as an applicant. I'm looking really forward to the program, wherever I might end up (I feel like I applied EVERYWHERE!).

I'm applying to enter Bioengineering programs; sometimes I feel a bit worrisome since nat. science is so much more popular and I also think recommended. Oh well, no sense in lying about what I really want to do just to get into a school.


Good luck everyone!

 

[Fermata]

Our program has been very supportive regarding women in the program having children. Two women in my class have had children during their PhD training. Both finished their PhD in 4 years. I have so much respect for them.

Kudos to them. That's a lot of work.

 

[medcluv]

Hey medcluv, I a happy to hear that. Good luck Are you applying this year?


So just to get it straight, so far from this thread it turns out like there are three females on this forum applying to MD/PhDs this year? I am counting me, clockitnow, and medcluv? (though I am not sure about you medcluv) That seems to be a really low number compared to all the people who are applying this year! From the official interview thread it seems like there are about 17 or so of us, though I didn't do a careful count. Is this forum biased towards guys! Are people not disclosing their gender? Or that, within our very small sample size, it is actually true that significantly less females apply throughout the country?

Dear uproarhz,

I am looking forward to applying next year. Thanks for the post, I appreciate it. Best regards always! Cheers.

 

[theslickrick]

I'm a female applicant and it's great to know that there are others on this forum!

I've been fortunate enough to have worked with several female scientists (most of my past PIs have been women) so I know that having a successful career and raising a family will be difficult, but definitely doable.