Honestly, a PhD track is not what I’d recommend for you. Have you considered working in a health related field like nurse aid, EMT, phlebotomist etc.? If you got 2 interviews in the second cycle then I’d say things are looking up. I would also apply to DO schools in states that do not attract a lot of URMs. Hang in there. I am rooting for you.
I understand what a medical master’s is and there must some part of your story you’re leaving out.
If you got interviews, then it’s probably not your GPA that’s holding you back.
MCAT score (including score breakdown)
ECs–include hours and leadership roles (if applicable) for each position
State of residence?
Where did you get interviews? Were you waitlisted or rejected post interview?
Did you apply to any DO schools?
Did your program have any linkages?
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C/P:128, CARS:127, B/B:128, PSY/SOC:125
About 100 hours of shadowing, leadership role in STEM outreach group-about 200 or so hours; other ECS are sporadic and I wasn’t super committed
FL
Howard University and Florida International University–rejected post interview from both
No DO school
Program should have had a guaranteed interview but I wasn’t interviewed
I understand but I’m not even able to find a job right now and the PhD gives me time to improve and enough money to eek out a living.
How are you not able to find a job? I don’t understand – are there no jobs on Indeed or LinkedIn? Have you applied to jobs and gotten interviews? What are you doing right now and until you start your PhD? What subject is your undergrad degree and which state do you live in?
You should be able to find a job that makes at least as much as the PhD stipend. And there will be no strings attached to the job, unlike the PhD program. At the least, you could likely find a job as a research lab technician in the R1 where you’ve planned to do your PhD.
I mean, do you really want to wait for the 5 years it takes to complete a PhD program? You could get a job and reapply to med school whenever you want.
I advise against doing a PhD program to bide time and/or as a path of least resistance. A job would be better.
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With all due respect, I live in a small city in Florida that has no jobs related to my areas of education or training. The job market where I live is frankly terrible. It’s easy to say just find a job and reapply but it’s not that simple. The PhD affords me more opportunity even if I fail to be accepted to medical school. Additionally, my PhD is at a PWI and could perhaps negate some bias I’m seeing as an HBCU graduate.
You’ve been given a lot of good advice. Whatever you end up doing, do not go to a carribean medical school for MD. Lots of competition, very expensive, and hard to get residency spots. You’d honestly be better off going for DO instead of Carribean MD.
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Is there a reason you are tied to a small city in Florida?
Raleigh-Durham, Austin, Houston, Dallas… have you explored employment in these cities?
I am a big believer in investing in yourself-- but I worry that your plan has you over-invested in some areas and under-invested in others. If you complete the PhD AND fail to be accepted to med school- what exactly do you think your “more opportunity” is going to be? You’ll still need to move-- so why not do that now?
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Okay, I understand. Can you get a job in a field that is not related to your education? If you’re not currently working, I’d be concerned about several months of unemployment. Just about any job is better than no job, unless you are caring for dependent family members.
I realize you don’t know me from Adam, but I’m a med school professor, and that’s why I’m being so opinionated.
You shouldn’t go into a PhD if you think you might leave early. Just so you’re aware, it’s possible that may burn bridges between you and your PI. If you do plan on doing the full degree, 5-6 years is a long and difficult commitment to make for something you don’t sound that excited about. Best of luck to you in your decisions and applications.
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Then you need to be open to the possibility of relocating.
How many medical schools did you apply to each time. Most applicants do about 20.
Why didn’t you apply to any DO schools?
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If you can move for med school, you can move for a job!
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So, it’s not your GPA that’s holding back from med school; it’s your lackluster ECs
That’s a fixable problem. And doesn’t require a PhD.
The bio/biochem PhD job market is frankly terrible–and has been for decades. There’s not a guarantee of a well paying job–not in academia and not in industry-- at the end of 4-6 years of being a starving grad student. And still no guarantee that a med school will love you better with a PhD. (Plus, you’ll get this question: if you wanted to be doctor, why did you do a doctorate?)
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And again I ask…if you want to provide direct patient care as a career, why aren’t you considering other options like nursing to APRN? Much less time…especially if you get into a bachelors to nursing program.
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Have you considered AmeriCorps?
They offer health/medicine related placements and med school adcomms like to see that level of community involvement. It’s one of those “super” experiences that adcomm like to see on applications. (PeaceCorps and TFA are two others.)
A friend of D2’s from HS was a career changer and did 2 years w/ AmeriCorps working at HIV clinics and homeless shelters in the barrios of the Southwest. She did client education, helped clients file for Medicaid and other healthcare programs, did drug and sexual behavior counseling, distributed condoms and clean needles and similar public health activities. She was accepted to med school before she finished her service. (She did finish her commitment. She was accepted in November, finished her service in June and started med school in August.)
AmeriCorps volunteer get a stipend for living expenses that’s not a whole lot less than what grad students get. Additionally at the end of your service, you’re eligible for education benefits (that can be used to help pay for med school, among other things)
AmeriCorps offer career counseling and job placement service for volunteers finishing the commitment.
Often placement will be near your home location.
Another possibility–medical device or pharmaceutical sales. Both jobs require lots of traveling, but they pay bank. Since you travel, you can have a home base almost anywhere–even small town Florida.
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This is a major red flag from your SMP.
Any idea why you weren’t interviewed? Did you ask for feedback from your advisor?
Your program grades were good enough to get you some admission consideration and your MCAT is ok… which means there is another aspect of your application portfolio at your SMP that was lacking.
I would follow up with your advisor at the SMP before making a major decisions. Like beginning a grad program or pursuing another round of med school applications.
If you do decide to apply to med school again, you absolutely must include DO programs on your application list.
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No patient care??
Adding:
My BIL has a Ph.D. in Bio-Chem. He’s over-qualified for a number of small jobs and has had poor luck in securing a full-time job.
I agree with the question, why did you do a doctorate if your end goal was to be a physician?
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Have you thought about reaching out to the pre-med advisors or any trusted professors at your undergrad or SMP programs to see what their thoughts are on the situation? They might be able to indicate how your results compare to others from the institution and any gaps or potential next steps that you could take to help you get where you want to go.
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And again I say…if patient care is your goal, there are other ways to achieve this beside becoming a doctor.
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Here’s my 2 cents. If you have to get a PhD to get into medical school, then you’re probably not going to get in. A PhD is a big commitment, and it’s generally made for people who want to dedicate their careers to academic research. There’s not much use outside of that. Is that what you want to do as a back-up career? Because, chances are, that’s what you’re going to be doing. Have you thought about dental school? There may still be a way into medical school. If you go into oral surgery, there is a residency track for a DDS/M.D. oral surgeon.
https://dental.nyu.edu/academicprograms/advanced-education-programs/oms6.html
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