title, i hate my clinical lol and can think of dozens of things i'd rather be doing. however i went through all the trouble of getting the position so am just gonna stay there until i apply (1.5 more yrs). i've heard clinical for mdphd is much more of a box to check than for md only. so how many hours do i need to check it and be competitive anywhere? 300? 500? more? for context i'm an emt (911) and will have plenty of stories to tell.

Hi everyone,

I cannot seem to find any explicit information on this sub or online.

I know the cGPA desired to be competitive is higher than MD programs.

However how much do publications and previous research weighs in on admission ?

Are comittees most interested in research fit, background or cGPA ?

Thanks in advance

Edit: does having a thesis-based msc boost an application (for a friend)

So yea as the title reads… I did a thing in my secondary’s where I’d always use the first school name in the first instance of each response before using the initials and while I was prepping for interview I realized I put the wrong name in one of the answers .___. For what it’s worth, it wasn’t a copy and paste answer and you can tell by the response it’s just that the initials of the schools were really similar so I think I mixed them up (I also applied to like 35 schools SOO maybe it all started blurring for me idk man)

I got an interview which I just attended a few days ago and honestly I feel like I slammed it like I did really well. However, I’m now scared that none of it mattered😔😔.

I have two more interviews lined up and thankfully I didn’t fuck those secondary’s up.

Also, I submitted my apps mid to late August and have got all my interviews like mid September . At what point do I start panicking cuz I feel like it’s a problem that it’s been completely radio silent since September and I feel like I need more interviews to have a solid chance of getting in idk this whole process is killing me man. Good luck to all the other soldiers out there thugging it out.

PS: I’m the same low stat guy that somehow got interviews so if this application cycle turns out well I’m willing to answer some questions in the future!

Currently in 4th year, T10 ugrad, dual BS/MS, FGLI if that matters (does it matter?)

5 years of wet lab, 4 lab affiliation, strong rec letters

1x first author, 3x mid author (one in high impact journal), 14x conference poster/talks with various travel award and presentation awards

Various university-wide research awards

3 years of stem outreach in underserved schools

3 years of TA for two classes

Projected 300 hours of clinical volunteering as MA for Medicare patients

3 leadership experiences

3.97 GPA, BUT I HAVE A 513 MCAT

WHAT DO I DO :(((

I genuinely don’t know what my chances are and would appreciate any advice

Looking at cycletrack data, it looks like a lot of schools started sending out invites a lot later this year and no one has reported receiving an invite Johns Hopkins yet. Anyone else notice this? What do you think?

Another example, Columbia started sending out IIs in early August last year but didnt start till September 20th this year.

i submitted and was complete w most applications in late august and early september, but i havent heard back from any except for a R from tri I. Is it too late to add a few more schools or should I even add a few more? I was thinking about adding some florida schools as someone from the east coast bc i didnt have any initially but at this point not sure if it is worth it.

Pretty much the title, I’ve been doing remote computational work with a PI who I think maybe wasn’t the best person to work with. I thought he was great because of her high h index, but I feel like the rigor of the science is not up to par with my standards? I prefer to really make sure all boxes are checked, and she seems to be more about publishing.

I’m slowly losing trust in her as a she’s one of those people who I think cares more about quantity of papers rather than quality. She publishes decently well I guess? But sometimes publishes in mdpi journals and wants my first author paper to go into one of these. We talked about aiming for better journals, but not sure.

Im not sure if I’m being dramatic, but I started working with another PI who I agree with MUCH more and he is more knowledgeable and thorough. My project there will be higher impact for sure, in a very good journal. I’m debating just not working with the old PI (I’ve been working with her for about a year) anymore. I did put this experience on my application though, and got a letter from her as well. It was about 400 hours of work. Got an interview coming up this week too.

Should I stay or leave?

Hello! Have any other early submitters still not heard anything from Tri-I? Is it safe to assume an R is coming soon, or are there still people waiting to hear back?

Hello all,
I just moved to an affordable place with roommates. The move was incredibly expense and I had to furnish the place.

Unfortunately, the place I moved to is a bit noisy making it hard to study or even get a full night sleep. My roommates prefer to keep a social vibe and with step 1 coming up I think it’s best if I moved.

I depleted most of my savings on my first move but I want to move to a studio because I am struggling with sleep deprivation, social isolation, and the stress of no quietness at home.

Is it a good idea to take a student federal loan of maybe $8k out to cover the cost of moving?

I asked in r/Residency but I thought someone may have feedback here.

has anyone heard something post interview? I thought they were sending acceptances, rejections, and deferrals the 13, 14, and 15

Hi all, I’m finishing up my PhD and heading to clerkships soon. Not sure which will be first yet, but I need some advice regarding clothing, shoes, any other stuff to get. A few things I’m looking for advice on:

1. Best hospital shoe - of note, I have to wear custom orthotics that are a bit bulky, so I usually go for Kiziks brand slip on sneaks. Color recs helpful!
2. Best clinic shoe - something nicer than a sneaker that won’t kill me.
3. Best compression socks - I got hooked on them as a CNA but I am looking for a comfier pair than my old ones I bought in bulk from Amazon.

Finally, what the heck to med students wear when on ambulatory/clinic versus hospital versus surgery rotations? Do I need my own scrubs? Any other must haves?

Edit: forgot to mention I am a woman!

Supposed to hear back tomorrow from a program I interviewed at and LOVED, but the interview itself didn’t go so hot and I really think one of the guys there didn’t like me. They’re a stat heavy school and I have 4.0/526 so I’m kinda coping, and would appreciate any help to do so lol

Do some MD/PhD applicants hear back from schools on October 15 or does the cycle generally run much later for us?

I’m curious as to what the average number of interviews invitations all applicants versus matriculants receive. Most of the cycle result posts which have a ton of interviews. I was wondering what a normal cycle would be like and any anecdotes?

now before other people come at me with the "those stats aren't low", I mean low for the average MSTP matriculant.

here's where I'm currently at:

3.5 sGPA with a considerable upward trend and from a top R1 uni with a neuroscience degree

516 MCAT

thousands of hours of research across four different R1 big name instutitions (2 strong LORs from MD/PhDs (one of them is big name) and then two from PhDs (one of them is big name))

currently published in nature neuro, have another 2nd or third author pub coming out soon, and then a first author one in prep. several posters. several presentations.

several undergrad research awards including one NIH grant and the fulbright scholarship

national recognition and success for my main undergrad extracurricular. been on the news. featured in a documentary. won many awards.

i should also add i'm an URM

this is a genuine question. forgive me if the answer is obvious, but I am genuinely concerned. i know MSTPs care a lot about research output, but i can't help but feel my numbers are weighing me back too much. i think I could write well about them, but still.

also, if it's not over for me, what should the range of schools i apply to look like? are T20s completely out of the picture? thanks.

Server invite link: https://discord.gg/AKzKPNuyzC

Hi all, I recently deleted our old invite links to our Discord server that I started about 6-7 years ago due to some reorganization, so I wanted to post here again with the new link in case people were interested in joining now that interview invites for both MD-PhD and PSTP residencies are ramping up.

If you do decide to join, please make sure to read the introduction channels (read-me-first and rules). You need to assign yourself an appropriate role to participate (and to stay in the server in general, since this is a link that only gives you a temporary account).

Let me know if you have any suggestions regarding the server!

Apologies for the following

So I was here yesterday in regard of my Md/phd in applied math path I had a moment of self reflection but like I said I’ve had many moments like it before as I woke up today I decided to essentially double down and to start implementing research early and that’s kind of how it’s going to go. So to the person who said they were in similar shoes I think implementing research might help stabilize the uncertainty that comes with such a path and gives it a clearer perspective. Good luck.

Me typing this is a way to confirm or green light my own intuition.

Hello all.

I am a first year international student in canada. My main goal in life is to become an evolutionary genetiscist and psychologist and I plan on doing a PhD in evolutionary genetics.

However, I made an agreement with my parents that I will unfailingly go.to medical school. Unfortunately, there are a few problems with my initial plan.

Firstly, medical schools in canada do not accept international students. Secondly, the us is currently not granting any study visas to someone from my country so it is impossible to study there. Thirdly, I have looked far and wide and it is like they only offer md/PhD programs in the US and canada (if there are others in different countries, do tell me).

If mdphd doesnt work, is it possible for me to go to medical school (in a country not in the us or canda) and still be accepted for a PhD? I have no interest in being a doctor but I must do it to appease my parents and I don't have any issues with that. It is just that I dont think a PhD admissions board will take me seriously due to the convoluted nature of my situation. Also, I really want to work in Canada but I have heard it can be hard to find a job if I dont do grad school here ( which i think is unlikely) Any guidance and anecdotes are duly appreciated.( I am not interested in residency if that is important. )

I understand it depends on interviewing skills, but is there a rule of thumb?

My applications were complete on dates ranging from 8/30-9/11, and I’ve received 2 Rs and no IIs. Is this cycle over, should I retake the MCAT (worst part of my application) in January to salvage, etc?

I’m 22 and recently completed my MSc in Cancer, following a BSc in Medical Biology. I’ve always been passionate about cancer research and medicine, and an MD–PhD really appeals to me because of everything it represents, particularly the opportunity to combine scientific discovery with patient care.
However, the time commitment is making me hesitant. Between the MD–PhD, residency and potentially fellowship, especially if I pursue oncology or surgery, I could be approaching 40 before completing my training.
My biggest concern isn’t necessarily my age, but the experiences I might sacrifice along the way. I want to travel the world, explore different cultures, pursue adventure sports and experience life beyond academia. I’m worried about spending my twenties and thirties constantly working towards the next milestone.
I still have a year before I need to decide, so I’m just trying to understand what life is actually like on this path.
For those pursuing or who’ve completed an MD–PhD, do you feel the sacrifices were worth it? Have you managed to maintain a fulfilling life outside medicine, or do you feel you’ve missed out on certain experiences?
I don’t want to give up on one dream, but I also don’t want to sacrifice all my others to achieve it.