<p>Is it a good idea to do this if I'm interested in staying in state or at least close to home? I am in Oregon and I am really only interested in either going to OHSU or UW, and I want to do the MD/PhD program (MSTP at UW). </p>
<p>So my question is, let's say I don't get in to either of those my first time applying. If I apply second time, and let's say I apply to more schools (let's say I apply to 10 schools the second time), will I have less chance to get in to OTHER schools?
Meaning, I haven't applied to other schools (it would be my first time applying to other schools), but it will be my second time applying "overall". Like, if I apply to OHSU and UW first time, and don't get in, and then second time I apply to OHSU, UW, and UC Irvine (for example), will it hurt my chances at UC Irvine even though it is the first time I applied to that specific school? </p>
<p>Also, will OHSU and UW look down on the fact that I only applied to those two, or will they actually like it? I heard that some schools like it because they know for sure you will go to their school.</p>
<p>Don’t bother applying to UW MSTP. Its in the top ten and gives no special consideration to students in-state. You may be better off applying in-state to UW because they only take in-state (and the surrounding states) residents.</p>
<p>Also, if I recall correctly, some applications to individual schools will ask if you’ve ever applied to medical school before, separate from the initial general application.</p>
<p>The OP is from OR. Surrounding states EXCEPT OR, because OR has it’s own med school, it is not part of WWAMI. Also, they do accept a small number of OOR (out-of-region, states other than WA, WY, AK, MT & ID) students, but only if they are disadvantaged or plan to practice with disadvantaged populations (and have a substantial history of doing so).</p>
<p>Another consideration when applying MD/PhD is that you want to apply to programs that are strong in your area of research interest. (Much like one does when applying to grad school.) This is especially important if your area of research interest is a less common one–like robotic surgery or the biophysics of brain imaging or nanotechnology–since not all programs support all areas of research.</p>
<p>^^@mom2–the OP has claimed different GPAs in different posts. Hasn’t taken most of the pre-req classes (just gen chem at a CC) yet, has not taken the MCAT. So the OP really doesn’t have any stats to speak of. Everything is pure hypotheticals.</p>
<p>md/phd programs are much more selective than SOM.
The more selective anything, the more places you need to apply to. Why not apply to all in the country if the goal indeed is md/phd? As an example, some people apply to all residency programs in their specialty if specialty is very selective. Any very selective place is completely unpredictable.</p>
<p>Well ALL md/PhDs would be a bit much (there are ~107, ~42 of which are MSTP). I applied to 23, all but about 6 were MSTP. 15-20 programs is definitely the norm.</p>
<p>15-20 probably just fine.
I was just thinking that D. will be applying to residencies, and the number will definitely be close to 60, while she mentioned that some are applying to all of them in that specialty just to get about 10 interviews and hopefully match to one place (please, please!!!) and it is NOT even plastics.</p>
<p>From the multiple threads this poster has created, I feel that our advice is falling on deaf ears. You should not apply to a single MSTP or MD program when you 1) are 19 years old 2) haven’t done any significant research 3) have taken most classes at a community college and earned poor marks. We have told this user to not risk applying and becoming a reapplicant, and s/he is trying to bargain with us here by asking if applying to two schools might be okay. No. It isn’t worth it because there is no chance of acceptance.</p>
<p>Hey! I didn’t do that poorly in my pre-med classes! I took 3 terms of General chemistry, got a C first term, but I got an A second and third term of it! And I got an A in the first and second terms of calculus, and a B in the third term. Those are the only pre-med classes I took, and they don’t have grades that are “that bad”. I showed improvement in the chemistry courses, going from a C to A’s! And I am considering everyone’s advice even though you are thinking I am not. But by everyone’s advice, I mean everyone’s. I have emailed some adcoms at schools and some of them said that a year of research could still be good enough, so I am considering everything before jumping to conclusions. I just like to have it all organized in my head; all the possibilities. And, even if I do wait a year and get two years of research in, I will still be 20 years old when applying. I don’t want to be discriminated just because I will be 20. There may be 22-25 year olds applying who also only have 2 years of research, so why should I be discriminated against? The longest I will wait is applying after my senior year (and have that gap year before starting a program, assuming I can get into one). I will still be 20 years old when starting the program, in that case. Medical institutions are not supposed to discriminate by age.</p>
<p>They don’t discriminate, but they do value maturity and life experience in applicants. Since med schools have ~10-50 applicants for every available seat, they can afford to be picky about who they accept.</p>
<p>As a younger than typical applicant the burden of proving that you have the maturity to handle the complicated interpersonal and ethical issues of a medical career is entirely on you. The presumption will be that a 19 or 20 year old is probably less mature than a 25 year old. It’s up to you to prove otherwise.</p>
<p>~~~~</p>
<p>How could you have 3 quarters of calc and still not have gotten past Calc 1? Even at colleges on the quarter system, Calc 1 is only 1 quarter.</p>
Otherwise I’ll have to kill myself…</p>