<p>Hi all, I'm a freshman at a small, liberal arts college and it's been a goal of mine to get into a top MD/PhD program (Stanford, Yale, Johns Hopkins, etc.). Now I know it's a bit early to be seriously thinking about the particulars here, but I just wanted your advice on what I can do in college to get into one of these programs.
I'm planning on doing a double major in Music and Chemistry, and I'll almost certainly be able to add Biology too. I'm not doing a triple major just because it looks good on paper. I came to college knowing that I wanted to double in Music and Chemistry, and the other science courses I want to and have time to take will actually get me a Bio major too (it's really easy to double at my school). I will be taking courses in Organic Chemistry, Genetics, Immunology, Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Cell Bio, Molecular Bio, in addition to the other courses required by most med schools. I'm planning on starting chem research in the fall and staying with that lab all the way to graduation (and perhaps adding a year of bio research in there too), and I'll get to do one summer research program through my school as well. The other two summers I'll be able to shadow a doctor and continue volunteering at a senior home specializing in Alzheimer's that I've been at for four years. Also, for the next three years I'll be a TA for the Gen Chem class. Outside of science, I'm very involved in music (as suggested by the major), and am doing several solo/concerto performances, accompanying, and playing in the orchestra. And, of course, I hope to keep a high GPA, get a high MCAT score, and get great recommendations.
I know this may sound like I'm getting involved in too much, but there's a small part of me that's worried that my chances in getting into a top MD/PhD program will be hurt because of the college I'm coming from. I got into Ivy League schools and other great colleges but didn't go because of several extenuating family circumstances and financial reasons. I just want to make sure that although my school isn't stellar academically, that I can still get into a good program.
Is there anything else I could do that you guys think would help, or anything I mentioned that you think is unnecessary? I'd love to hear any advice you have...</p>
<p>You have to have incredible stats and everything else that regular MD applicants have but at the higher level. It is harder to get into MD/PhD than into regular MD program, while it is still very very hard to get into ANY Medical school in the USA. As you pointed correctly, it is way too early for you to think about it. For now, make sure to have as high collge GPA as possible and take care of various ECs. Keep in mihd that even 4.0 will not guarantee you a spot at the Medical school, in fact you might not get anywhere at all if the list of Medical schools in compiled incorrectly.<br>
I am not sure what you mean by your “school isn’t stellar academically”. How do you know? Did you go to other places and compared? All I know that ALL pre-meds at ANY UG are very very challenged, including the very top kids from private prep. HS who had never had anything below A in their lives. If you feel that you are not challenged enough, then my guess is that you are not taking required classes yet. Just wait and see. Do not spread yourself too thin. Make sure that your GPA stays very high.
Being TA for Gen. Chem should be helpful. My D. was an SI for Gen. Chem prof and ended up with great background in Gen. Chem. She did not need to prep. Gen. Chem. section for MCAT. She also had Music minor. But she ruled out Perforamce, instead she choose Composition. Performance was way too time consuming by her assessment. She aslo was not inspired to enter MD/PhD and she was not inspired to attend the very top Med. School either. She had good choices though and almost done with her second year at the Medical School of her choice.
Others here might give you more details about specifics of requirements of MD/PhD. I am not familiar with them.</p>
<p>I completely disagree that it’s way too early. It’s never too early, especially in extremely competitive fields like MD/PhD studies. Planning is the key to getting into graduate school (and succeeding). Not only do you have to make sure that you are taking the prerequisites necessary, you have to make sure that you are doing all of the extracurricular things programs like to see. It seems that you are aware of those things, so press on with your plans.</p>
<p>If you came to college knowing that you wanted to major in music and chemistry, then presumably you’ve planned ahead to make those courses work. I think that’s an interesting combination. I don’t see a need to add biology unless you really love biology and really want to do biochemistry research in your career. Otherwise, you could just minor in biology since you’ll have the credits.</p>
<p>Graduate schools don’t care where you come from; they care what you did there. The kinds of experiences you are seeking are the things that they are looking for. I go to an Ivy League now for my PhD, but I went to a small LAC - top 100, but not like Amherst or even Reed or something like that. Sometimes, financial circumstances trump desires, but professors are far more interested in what you did with what you have.</p>
<p>If something does give and you find yourself needing more time, the first thing I’d drop is the TAship. TA experience is interesting and sometimes useful - you REALLY know the material when you teach it to someone else - and can be really enjoyable if you like teaching. But you sound like you are primarily interested in a research career, so focus on the research. Actually, unless you know you want to teach primarily I would avoid TA experience as much as possible in grad school. That sounds horrible - but you have to know yourself. I want to teach so I sought out TAships; if you want to do research, TAing is a drain on your time.</p>
<p>I would say around your junior year is the time to start identifying programs. While aiming for top programs is important, you need to consider fit and your research interests. Don’t only select schools based on prestige; select based upon research interests and who is doing what where. However, I do know that academic medicine is very prestige-focused, so a focus on top schools is not misplaced.</p>
<p>^You see how people are different. i would never advise my D. to drop her SI position. That would not be dropped even at the expanse of her Music Minor. And she did end up dropping another one of her minors (being only 2 classes short of completion) because of the lack of time. It would never occur to her to drop her job.<br>
You got to ask yourself about your priorities, they are different from person to person, taking advises from strangers like us here could backfire because it might lead to your failure of completing one of your personal goals and they are different from person to person. Another thing to consider that only about 15% who started as pre-med, eventually apply to Med. School. Only about 43% of all Med. School applicants got accepted to at least a single one. The rate, I bet is lower for applicants to MD/PhD. So, make sure to complete all the goals that you have for your UG education, not only the ones that have to do with MD/PhD program. But you seem at least thinking this way based on your post. My advice is to stick to this type of thinking. At the end, the only selection process that would result in any acceptance would be to select list of schools that match your stats and your wish for the acceptance rate. I mean, if your goal is 50%, your list would be different from the one that you would compile with the goal of 25% or 75%. Frankly, I do not believe that 100% is attainable.</p>