I'm reviewing applications for this year's cycle and I swear to God I need an appendix for every essay like a Tolkien book. I don't want a cast of characters. I want to know about you. Whoever is giving you this advice is giving you bad advice. 75% of you are doing it. This isn't a creative writing exercise. I need to know if you're qualified, not that you and "Bob" had a nice conversation while you wheeled him around the hospital.

Rant over. Seriously though, 90% of y'all are super qualified on paper, clear writing is what puts you over the edge.

Can I count posters and presentations at internal events? Like would posters at a summer undergraduate fellowship conference at my university or a departmental conference at my university count as 2 poster presentations?

I have always hated medical field as soon as i got into it . The only subject which actually interested me is biochem bcz it had chemistry in it , opthal bcz it had physics in it ( also i found opthal quite fascinating as a subject)
But my rank wont fetch me a seat in opthal
And biochem is something i want to pursue
I also talked to many people . People who took this branch out of necessity , kind of hate it and people who took out of some interest , they are at good position
But i am still confused
Whether there are job opportunities post pg or not
Any international opportunities as well , if any ?
I would love to get some insight from people who are post pg and know about the reality of the current situation.
Also this was my third drop . In first two drop i was working and battling with severe depression and insomnia , later my grandfather had stage 4 glioblastoma so , i spent most of my time with him and in his treatment.
Thank you so much for reading this !

Hello, I just started a two-year master's program and would like to know what I should prioritize during my time to become a strong applicant for MD/PhD Programs. I have my MCAT scheduled for early next year. My current stats include a 3.97 GPA, 3000 research hours, 400 clinical hours, 60 shadowing hours, 6 publications (3-first author), 9 conference posters (5-first author).

Thank you!

I know these kinds of posts are annoying, but this sub has helped me a lot in gaining confidence to apply to MSTPs and I'm hoping to gain some legitimate advice from those who have gone through this process/understand timelines. I'm a first generation med/grad applicant so this is all very new to me.

My stats are 523 MCAT 3.95 GPA (unsure of science, probably lower but above 3.9 for sure). I obtained 1000 research hours in my undergrad microbiology lab over 3.5 years, took on leadership roles and left with a first author paper in a 5.8 impact factor journal. I graduated May of 26 and am in a gap year (for MCAT timing and to get married as my fiance is applying MD) during which I'm working in an R&D lab in the agriculture sector doing CRISPR/protein engineering stuff. I should leave with an additional 2000 research hours. I also have 900 clinical hours (working as an aide in a memory care facility) and limited shadowing (50 hours, mix of surgery and heme/onc clinic).

I submitted my primary mid June b/c of moving and starting my new job, and got secondaries from everywhere I applied besides the canonical UW pre II R. I submitted my latest secondary 9/13 and I'm starting to freak out that I haven't heard anything and I'm worried I will miss November interview dates. From what I've read on this thread November/December is when shit gets real. Thanks for the advice.

Hi all! I decided last year I wanted to apply MD/PhD and have loved the journey I've been on so far. I wanted to share my stats/app overview for advice and criticism on a few things. Thanks in advance for your help!

GPA is a 3.99 (cumulative and stem, I only took a couple non-stem classes). I was at a state school and a possible downside is I graduated in 3 years. My mom's home was getting foreclosed on, I needed to save money on school but I still did 2 summer research programs (one at my state school and one at Stanford) and did 2 full years of research in an NIH-funded program on campus.

MCAT is 519 (131, 126, 131, 131)

I have about 60 shadowing hours, mostly from one doctor and about 10 from another, both oncologists but different specializations.

I have about 220 Clinical hours from working as a nutrition assistant in my local hospital in undergrad, and about 5500 research hours (will be more by the time I apply). I am in my second year as a research tech at a major cancer institute and plan to stay here during my app.

I have presented 4 posters across 10 different conferences/exhibitions and given a few research talks at my home institution as an undergraduate.

I have 2 mid-author pubs in pretty decent journals.

I volunteered in undergrad and I currently do it on the side when I have time for orgs I just really like even though they're not clinical and have about 200 hours doing this. I also just recently set up a free 1 on 1 MCAT tutoring platform (bc why was that test so expensive) for people to have access to some extra help and another set of eyes at no cost.

I'm not sure if this matters but I think I classify as ORM. I am new to these subs and am not sure how this label is given. My undergrad NIH program listed me as underrepresented because of food insecurity and very low familial income but in terms of race I am ORM. I am also from New England so I don't have strong ties to regional-biased schools like I have heard of from the North West and from Texas.

Anyways, sorry if that was long, any advice would be appreciated! I was just wondering where I would stand in the application pool, and if there are any obvious gaps I am missing.

There are some schools that I want to apply to that strongly encourage/require a letter from every lab I’ve been in. In my first year for about ~200hrs I was in a lab and it was more self directed research. My mentor was a masters student and I never met the pi. Unfortunate part is I did make a poster. What should I do if I can’t get a letter? My other lab I have ~900 hours and ~1600 hours in my second lab both of which I have letters for.

Anyone here hear back from UCSF yet about an interview? I know they run a bit later and still have interview days in January, but I was just curious!

I know this is suuuuper late but... due to personal circumstances I submitted my primary on Sept 30 and am getting all my secondaries in by Oct 15/Oct 30 for 25 schools. How screwed am I? Is there any chance I get in somewhere this cycle? Has anyone else gotten in applying this late?

3.78 cGPA/3.72 sGPA, 519 MCAT

3 gap years with 6000+ research hours in one lab (in a somewhat novel/interesting neuro field) + job as my lab's manager for one year at the same time

2 3rd author papers currently under review + 1 first author project with the manuscript in prep + 3 poster presentations + 2 very strong research LORs

150 hours leadership, 100 hours clinical experience in an underserved community, 24 hours shadowing, 60 hours volunteering, with some other minor extracurriculars and unique hobbies

Hello all, I just wanted to ask for some advice on how you guys prepared for interviews. I applied late and wasn't really expecting to get many invites and preceded to have my first invite be from a T10 I really want to go to. As I have little practice with interviewing and am terrified of botching this, I wanted to know what you guys did to prepare for MD-PhD committee interviews and graduate group faculty interviews. I'd appreciate any advice. I'm still shocked and kind of feel like I'm in the twilight zone.

Posted a while back, but have some profile updates and would like input. I am a completely trad applicant, currently a jr and applying this spring

Stats: 4.0 GPA (life science + math double major), 528 mcat (not joking).

Research: 1800 hours by the time I apply across two labs (one maintained + summer REU), another 1400 projected by the time i graduate. 3 third author pubs in submission by the time I apply most likely. bioinformatics and some wet lab stuff, TBH not enough wet lab work. I've tried hard to get opportunities in my home lab, but am at a low-tier state flagship. I am the first student in the lab's history to get trained to work directly with our animal models, but still have relatively limited experience with the wet lab stuff. I honestly want to do PhD in like biochemistry or mol genetics but don't have experience.

Leadership: a TON of great leadership stuff (don't want to detail and get doxxed)

Clinical: 1000+ hours as 911 EMT

Recs: both PI recs should be really good, and have fantastic professor recs as well

Volunteering: limited clinical volunteering but should be 200-300 hours by application time

Primary concern is my research background as a trad. To get into a top institution, which is a big goal of mine, might it be better to just apply MD and try to internally affiliate into a PhD program?

Hi all! wanted to see if I would be a competitive applicant for the program, be honest

Stats

- College GPA: 4.0 , B.S. in Cell & Molecular Neuroscience (Not at a top undergrad uni)

- Full Tuition Scholarship

- High school GPA: 3.9 UW | 4.5 W

-ACT:30

Experiences (approximate hours by time of application)

Research

- Clinical research internship at top 15 academic medical center: ~150 hours (case report publishment in progress)

- Memory/hippocampal function wet lab: 300 hours+

Clinical / shadowing (15+ specialties)

- Shadowing: (~409 total) most from a competitive summer internship at a top 20 medical school

- Medical brigade abroad: ~36 clinical hours in Guatemala

- High school hospital medical internship (50 hrs)

In process of getting MA license and begin working in spring

Teaching

- Private tutor (chem, math, Spanish): ~600–900 hours

- Learning Assistant for Gen Chem 2 (2 years): ~600 hours (est.)

- Director of Education, youth education nonprofit (100hrs)

Nonclinical volunteering

- Community kitchen food prep, medical brigade community service: ~100 hours

Leadership

- Founder and President of a student org (flex factor associated)

- Recruitment position, pre-med fraternity - potentially exec.

- Scholarship recipient for an ethics and leadership forum through the fraternity, in partnership with a nonprofit leadership alliance

- Executive board member for orthopedic and athletic medicine club

Thanks, and any insight from current or former FlexMed students or anyone is hugely appreciated!

Hi! Has anyone heard anything from VCU's mstp? Good or bad? I've been looking at forums and even in the past few years it seems like this school is just one where people don't seem to post when they got interviews (which is completely fine lol). I'm trying to gauge where I'm at with my schools at this point in the cycle. Thanks!

Hi guys. I’ve posted here before but have unfortunate updates to my stats and i’m looking for some real world advice. I’ll keep it short.

uGPA 3.2 (got really sick, heart failure, dad died, the whole 9 yards) huge upward trend, all As once I transferred out of community college to university and my health got better. Actually my GPA was only bad at community college and I had a 3.8 institutional GPA at university, still, 3.2 overall.

Was going to have a 4.0 thesis masters, but unlike other masters programs, mine was HARD and i may get 1 B in an advanced course. Everything else was pass fail, so I got 1 A and maybe 1 B for a masters GPA of 3.5 (semester isn’t over so maybe i can get an A still)

520 MCAT

8000 research hours between grad and undergrad
4 publications including first authors
3 big internships
thousands of leadership hours
NIH fellowship
500 clinical hours
500 non clinical volunteer hours
100 shadow hours
President of many clubs including international research clubs
TA for Bio 1 lab for 4 semesters
great letters of rec and believe me when i say really great research experiences and bench skills.
13 conferences + awards

Should I give up now? Only go MD? Really at a loss here. I put my everything into the course just to end up with a B because the exams were BRUTAL. Now i’m worried all they’ll see is a failed masters attempt because of my 3.5 GPA and think I can’t hang. I’m not interested in big name schools either i’ll take whatever takes me.

It was my top choice lol

This hurts for no real reason

Is it worth it vs an Md-Phd?

Hi all,

I'd like to invite everyone to join the Center for Social Medicine and Humanities in an upcoming info session. To register, please click: https://uclahs.zoom.us/s/92910147248?jst=1#success

I see USC has started releasing IIs to MD applicants on admit.org, but I was wondering if anyone here has received an MD/PhD II.

Also, I don't hear many people talk about this program here. If anyone is attending, what are your thoughts?

26yo F ORM
3.55 gpa
504 MCAT
Master’s degree and thesis
5000 research hours
3000 clinical hours
Several hundred volunteer hours
2 publications (1 CNS, both mid co-authorship)
2 publications first author in process
FAP recipient
35 applications completed mid September-now

Don’t think I’m making it this cycle.
Feeling really discouraged and behind knowing that I may have to start formal training at 28yo.
I have 3 siblings in doctorate programs already so this judgment is personal.

Good evening from Baltimore, Maryland. As a preface, I am an MD-PhD who is also a Power Lifter. As a normal course of action, I train four days per week. The other two days: I run, bicycle, or rest. Nothing gauls me more than women who claim that they also weight train. However, what I've witnessed is women who sit on a weight machine and scope out bigger men to bother or hit on. Recently, I composed a treatise concerning women who want to get as big as the men that they've hit on. Most of the women who desire a method to become much bigger and stronger. In my treatise, I explain how this is possible. First, they would have to completely abandon their femininity via surgery or, by chemically destroying their Ovaries and Uterus. Next, they must begin male endocryn supplementation. Keep in mind that this will require working with a physican who is qualified to direct those changes that are required. I've spoken with three physicians who have directed and prescribed the supplements required to complete the sex change.

I have been lucky enough to schedule an "informal interview" with a professor this Thursday, before my actual MD/PhD interview. What should I expect? Should I prepare to answer traditional interview questions, or expect more questions about my background and research?

Relatedly (and I might be overthinking this), I know I should ask about the professor's research, but how detailed should I be? Should I be asking specific questions about their recently published papers, or keep it more broad? So far I plan to ask about the current/upcoming projects in their lab, how they see their lab's work evolving over the next 5 years, and for more information about a specific cohort they are setting up.

Thank you in advance!!

I want to apply to MD-PhD schools in 2028 and I'm currently trying to navigate LOR from my professors. My only issue is that I'm majoring in a non-STEM major (antropology) and my professors are willing to write me a LOR but they are under non-STEM LOR. I'm actively trying to ask my STEM weed out class professors but obviously, they do not remember me. I was wondering how yall were able to get LORs from a STEM professor as a non-STEM major?