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I'm sorry, but you made me laugh when you told me I don't understand how the process works. I assure you I do, as my hunband is now finishing med school and we have actually been through the process for both MD and MD/PhD. And the first round isn't JUST a numbers game - you plenty of other information, such as personal statement AND apps. All medical schools use the AMCAT application, although many ask you to fill out a supplimentary application,
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<p>Some do indeed do that. But that's my point - NOT ALL. You are the one making blanket statements that are not true in all cases. That's exactly what I am getting at - different programs have different rules. </p>
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Unlike grad schools, the med school interview is no guarantee of a spot, nor is the PhD portion.
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<p>Huh? I am not aware of any grad school interview that is a guarantee of anything. If it was a guarantee, then why even bother having the interview? Just admit the guy and stop wasting everybody's time. </p>
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And just because it is a COMBINED committee does not mean the MD doesn't have a chance to ding you. It means that there are representatives from each program on one committee who interview together.
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<p>Now you really are quibbling. I'm sure you know that for many schools, the MD/PhD committee and the MD committee comprise different people. Yes, some people on the MD/PhD committee will come from the med-school, but the point is, these are different people with different desires and different opinions than the people who are sitting on just the MD committee. The point is, the med-school people on the MD/PhD committee may like you, but the people on the MD committee may not, especially in the marginal cases. </p>
<p>This is where luck and randomness come into play. The point is, you never really know where you are going to get admitted, and every single adcom in the world is different. Yes, every single one. They are all comprised of human beings each with their own opinions and goals. The MD/PhD committee is furthermore tasked with a different mission than the MD committee is. The former is tasked with finding the best future medical scientists in the world, whereas the latter is tasked with finding the best future practicing physicians. These are not the same goals, and in fact, in certain aspects, mutually exclusive. Just because somebody would make for an excellent medical scientist does not mean he would be a good physician and vice versa. That is why the MD/PhD committees emphasize different character attributes. Not to stereotype, but a brilliant researcher who has relatively weak social skills is more likely to get admitted by an MD/PhD committee than an MD committee. That's my point.</p>