MD to MD/PhD reapplicant, looking for general advice

[aaliyah135]

Hello friends,

I applied MD during the 2021 cycle. The cycle turned out pretty poorly (no interview invites). This cycle, I plan to apply MD/PhD instead. While I realize that MD/PhD is more competitive than MD, I realized that my career goals are far more in line with that of a physician scientist, and would be a better fit in the eyes of adcoms for these programs.
___

Here's an overview of my previous app:
State of residence: MI
MCAT: 521 (expires after this cycle)
Cumulative GPA: 3.72 (Computer Engineering)
Science GPA: 3.75
Research experience: >5000 hours over 3 different labs, over the last 4 years. My first experience was in a comp sci lab that didn't have much to do with medicine, but I got a first author pub out of it. After this, I worked in two biomedical engineering labs (ultrasound surgery and brain stimulation), and got one second author pub out of each. I am still working at the brain stimulation lab, and I am interested in pursuing research in this field as an academic neurologist in the future.
Clinical volunteering: 180 hours (hospital acute rehabilitation unit; lots of close up interaction with patients that I talked about in my essay/activities)
Nonclinical volunteering: 40 hours (resume/GED tutor at homeless shelter)
Shadowing: 40 hours across two specialties (neurosurgery, cardiology)
Other extracurriculars: Co-founder of student organization to help STEM undergrads prepare for research focused careers through mentorship training in bio/chem lab techniques. Helped create a database of research opportunities on campus. Also led teaching sessions about finding a lab to work for, creating poster presentations, etc. I have since recruited new members to take my place to keep the organization running.

I applied to the following schools last cycle, but did not get any interview invites:
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CCLCM)
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Emory University School of Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Stanford University School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine
University of Michigan Medical School
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
___

As for why my last cycle went so poorly, I'm thinking that my engineering and research-heavy background threw the adcoms off. I tried to be clear in my essay about how I started off as an engineering student, became interested in medical technology, then eventually gained some clinical experience and decided to go the medicine route with a strong research focus. It's possible that I over-emphasized my research interests, and it made me seem more like a PhD applicant than an MD applicant. This cycle, I want to focus on MD/PhD so I can integrate my clinical and research motivations in a more coherent way.

This is what I've been doing since my previous app:
- I've continued my brain stimulation research work under an MD/PhD PI. I've done a poster presentation at a national conference + I am currently working toward a first author pub. I've spent a lot of time with this PI and have gained a pretty good understanding of what the physician-scientist role entails.
- Completed my Master's degree in biomedical engineering at the same institution as my undergrad (GPA: 4.0)
- Various COVID related volunteering related to vaccine distribution, testing, etc (about 40 hours). Not much additional direct patient experience though, due to COVID restrictions.

I would appreciate some general advice as to how to tune my application/essays to increase my chances of success this cycle. School list suggestions would also be helpful, since it's likely that I aimed too high last year.

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Dave1980]

It's a very top heavy list of schools but I'm super surprised you didn't get any interviews.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Your list is mostly T30, which is a problem. Have you looked at Carle (UIllinois UC’s med school)? They have a mission of training physicians with an engineering background. @Goro and @Faha are good resources here too.

CARLE MISSION STATEMENT:

We educate exceptional physician-innovators to deliver high-value, compassionate health care through transformative solutions developed at the intersection of engineering, science, and medicine.

 

[Goro]

Hello friends,

I applied MD during the 2021 cycle. The cycle turned out pretty poorly (no interview invites). This cycle, I plan to apply MD/PhD instead. While I realize that MD/PhD is more competitive than MD, I realized that my career goals are far more in line with that of a physician scientist, and would be a better fit in the eyes of adcoms for these programs.
___

Here's an overview of my previous app:
State of residence: MI
MCAT: 521 (expires after this cycle)
Cumulative GPA: 3.72 (Computer Engineering)
Science GPA: 3.75
Research experience: >5000 hours over 3 different labs, over the last 4 years. My first experience was in a comp sci lab that didn't have much to do with medicine, but I got a first author pub out of it. After this, I worked in two biomedical engineering labs (ultrasound surgery and brain stimulation), and got one second author pub out of each. I am still working at the brain stimulation lab, and I am interested in pursuing research in this field as an academic neurologist in the future.
Clinical volunteering: 180 hours (hospital acute rehabilitation unit; lots of close up interaction with patients that I talked about in my essay/activities)
Nonclinical volunteering: 40 hours (resume/GED tutor at homeless shelter)
Shadowing: 40 hours across two specialties (neurosurgery, cardiology)
Other extracurriculars: Co-founder of student organization to help STEM undergrads prepare for research focused careers through mentorship training in bio/chem lab techniques. Helped create a database of research opportunities on campus. Also led teaching sessions about finding a lab to work for, creating poster presentations, etc. I have since recruited new members to take my place to keep the organization running.

I applied to the following schools last cycle, but did not get any interview invites:
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CCLCM)
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Emory University School of Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Stanford University School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine
University of Michigan Medical School
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
___

As for why my last cycle went so poorly, I'm thinking that my engineering and research-heavy background threw the adcoms off. I tried to be clear in my essay about how I started off as an engineering student, became interested in medical technology, then eventually gained some clinical experience and decided to go the medicine route with a strong research focus. It's possible that I over-emphasized my research interests, and it made me seem more like a PhD applicant than an MD applicant. This cycle, I want to focus on MD/PhD so I can integrate my clinical and research motivations in a more coherent way.

This is what I've been doing since my previous app:
- I've continued my brain stimulation research work under an MD/PhD PI. I've done a poster presentation at a national conference + I am currently working toward a first author pub. I've spent a lot of time with this PI and have gained a pretty good understanding of what the physician-scientist role entails.
- Completed my Master's degree in biomedical engineering at the same institution as my undergrad (GPA: 4.0)
- Various COVID related volunteering related to vaccine distribution, testing, etc (about 40 hours). Not much additional direct patient experience though, due to COVID restrictions.

I would appreciate some general advice as to how to tune my application/essays to increase my chances of success this cycle. School list suggestions would also be helpful, since it's likely that I aimed too high last year.

Thanks!

Your lack of nonclinical volunteering was lethal.

 

[Redpancreas]

Your lack of nonclinical volunteering was lethal.

I think it's enough especially when you look at OPs clinical volunteering experience. I just think the research seems to outweigh it like OP has self-identified and more importantly the list is kind of top heavy even with that MCAT score. I had similar demographics, 4 pt. lower MCAT, 0.1 higher GPA than OP a few years back, about the same clinical volunteering, similar shadowing, and similar non-clinical volunteering. If I'd have applied with OPs list, I would have had 1 interview.

OP, I think your plan is good. I'm surprised Wayne State didn't scoop you up but maybe there was some yield protection involved or your heavy research may have been a turn-off? Apply to all the MSTPs but also some MD/PhDs. Put a much broader application together this time around. You need to apply to all the OOS privates, some more IS schools like Western, Central, Wayne/OUWB again.

Can you apply to both MD and MD/PhD? Which one do you truly want?

 

[aaliyah135]

Thank you for the replies, everyone!

Your list is mostly T30, which is a problem. Have you looked at Carle (UIllinois UC’s med school)? They have a mission of training physicians with an engineering background.

I think the poor results were definitely a combination of a top-heavy school list + mixed messaging about my commitment to medicine vs research in my app. I am hoping that going the physician-scientist route (along with a restructuring of all my essays) would help with this. I heard of Carle Illinois last cycle, but I hesitated to apply because of how new the program was. Looks like they offer MD/PhD, so I will give them a shot this cycle.

Your lack of nonclinical volunteering was lethal.

That was by far the weakest part of my app. I was under the impression that clinical volunteering was far more important, so I didn't put much emphasis on it. Unfortunately the homeless shelter I volunteered at suspended volunteering until pretty recently, so I've been doing more COVID related volunteering instead. Do you think that this will be as big of an issue for MD/PhD programs?

I think it's enough especially when you look at OPs clinical volunteering experience. I just think the research seems to outweigh it like OP has self-identified and more importantly the list is kind of top heavy even with that MCAT score. I had similar demographics, 4 pt. lower MCAT, 0.1 higher GPA than OP a few years back, about the same clinical volunteering, similar shadowing, and similar non-clinical volunteering. If I'd have applied with OPs list, I would have had 1 interview.

OP, I think your plan is good. I'm surprised Wayne State didn't scoop you up but maybe there was some yield protection involved or your heavy research may have been a turn-off? Apply to all the MSTPs but also some MD/PhDs. Put a much broader application together this time around. You need to apply to all the OOS privates, some more IS schools like Western, Central, Wayne/OUWB again.

Can you apply to both MD and MD/PhD? Which one do you truly want?

Thank you for your insight. I'm guessing that my over emphasis on research + under emphasis on service did not make for a compelling story in my app. I was also pretty surprised that I didn't get any love from Wayne State... I've considered other possible red flags that I may have ignored (e.g. a bad letter of rec), but I don't have any reason to believe that happened. Regardless, I will definitely apply more broadly this time around.

As for MD vs MD/PhD, I think that my personal passion for translational medical research is really pushing me more towards the latter. This was a big reason why I only stuck with MD programs from strong research institutions last cycle. I think I was somewhat scared away by MD/PhD last cycle because of the huge time investment, but after reevaluating my goals over the last year, I realized that I would probably end up doing some sort of research residency/fellowship down the line anyway. Going for MD/PhD seems to be the best option in my case.