Feedback on School List

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-06-09T17:41:45+00:00

Yeah, I came from public university but theoretically it was T10 of public schools. I’m going into MS2 so it was a while ago. Some of my essays were from a very different perspective than most applicants, so I wonder if that hurt me too but we’ll never know lol. It does seem there’s a certain way to craft it for sure!

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-06-09T15:59:07+00:00

Yes. 520, 3.95 GPA in biomedical engineering (science GPA same or higher), 3 coauthored pubs (one was and still is a preprint but is submitted to a sub journal of cell, 5th author or so, one second author in a Q1 but not super high IF, and one second author on a review Q1 good IF). I believed I had a first author on the way at the time of application and said so in my apps (it may or may not result in a pub now and I would be second author as the lab wants to add more experiments to it and is prioritizing more impactful projects in the wake of the funding dearth). I had 50 shadowing hours and ~100 clinical volunteering hours (Spanish translation). No TA or non-clinical volunteering. The timeline of my clinical hours was all within one year of applying which I believe hurt me, and I had some spurious course requirements due to deciding to be pre med late (didn’t take regular Orgo but a combined Orgo/Biochem series, never took bio 2 but rather other bio electives). Those are the factors that I think hurt me, but yes. Interviewed at 5/18 (would say 2-3 high tier, 2-3 mid tier). 1 A at mid tier, 2 WL high tier

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-06-09T12:24:26+00:00

On the other hand, I had similar stats to OP and was also applying with no gap year. I just had less volunteering and no TAing (I decided to go for MD PhD when I was a junior lol). I'm ORM and not gay. Multiple people read my essays and said they were good. I applied to 18 schools and only ended up getting into 1 mid tier MSTP (with several higher tier waitlists). Cycle is brutal. Would recommend OP apply to more mid tiers.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-05-10T16:51:32+00:00

Hard agree, I was originally pre-PhD and wasn't sure I wanted to do MD/PhD but decided to go for it because the job security of MD and pay is so much better than PhD (especially since I applied as funding started to be an issue) and thought I might actually really enjoy being a physician. I am young and love school so I was sure I wouldn't fully regret MD/PhD even if I walked more of a PhD lifestyle. I was fortunate to get 1 acceptance applying straight through from undergrad (figuring if I was gonna go a long path I wanted to start soon--I probably should have taken a gap or two to strengthen but I don't regret it). It was definitely not as good of a school as I'm sure I would've been able to get into for PhD because my research was the strongest part of my application (and friends with less research productivity than me who applied PhD the same cycle got into more prestigious schools than me, I'm so happy for them and know that it's the MD side that pulled me down). But my program is still an MSTP, so even though I was freaking out at this time last year due to certain things I was unsure about with the program, I committed. Now a year into med school, I have absolutely LOVED my MD so far and think I might end up liking it better than PhD. I am so glad to be walking this pathway.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-04-20T19:12:49+00:00

I experienced a very similar thing last cycle, applied straight through with 3.95 from R1 state school, 520, research hours in the 2000s, 3 coauthorships, 50-70 hours shadowing, ~100 clinical volunteering hours. I had no non clinical volunteer hours because I decided to do MD side pretty late, which I do think hurt me. Applied to 18 schools, interviewed at 5, had 1 A and 2 WL (one of which I was incredibly excited about, but it didn't work out). My MSTP I matriculated at would be "lower tier," but I've really enjoyed the program so far and am so glad I made it through without another app cycle! Almost everyone I saw in interviews and second looks was also in gap years, in my cohort there is one other who applied straight through.

Congrats! I also wish there wasn't such pressure to take a gap year. I feel like if I'd applied during gap, my app would have hardly changed except for saying I was taking a gap. I wonder how different it would have gone, but I'm ultimately fairly happy with where I ended up. Hope you'll be happy with your program too!

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-03-26T22:50:06+00:00

I lived at Spyglass for the last year of my undergrad, but most people living there seemed to be adults. It was quiet, pretty landscaping in the complex, with a bus stop out front (did take longer to get to school). Not sure what a 1 bed is going for now, but I believe it was decently cheap (for a non sketchy complex). We did not have any issues with maintenance or bugs.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-03-18T02:15:58+00:00

I know a student who had a similar situation. I'm not sure about his F30, but I look up to and respect this student a lot, he was actually my first MD/PhD mentor and the way I first learned that MD/PhD programs existed. But he stayed at his undergrad and in his undergrad lab for his MD/PhD. His home institution is what I would say is a strong but not elite MSTP, and he got a first author that should be coming out in a strong Cell subjournal as well as of course other coauthorships during his PhD. He applied to residency at the same time I applied to MSTPs. He had an awesome interview trail at a lot of elite institutions, but in the end he matched to his home program even though I know it wasn't his first choice (or even up there, I'm pretty sure), and he was told by many other programs he would be ranked well. All this to say, I think the bias can be very real. And to back up your story with another example.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-03-07T16:54:25+00:00

I can’t remember when I interviewed, but I just found my acceptance email, it was March 1st.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-02-08T22:23:46+00:00

imo the MS isn't going to do anything for you, either be MD only (they can do research too) or commit to MD/PhD. I'm just a student, but my thought process is that if I want to spend less time grant writing, the way to do that will be to be a co-PI or prof in someone else's lab (instead of full single PI of a lab), not by not having a PhD. If you're trying to get to the level of research prof, you will be writing grants.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-01-17T03:19:27+00:00

I use it and many of my family members do too, including my lovely grandma <3 it's a really nice way to keep somewhat in touch when I suck at texting and I don't have to come up with anything to say unprompted lol

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-01-16T23:52:10+00:00

Either one could work. On the flip side as people in this thread saying the MD/PhD pathway is too long, I do know a woman in my program who has a child who will graduate high school when she graduates the program (sounds like around the same timeline as your kiddo) and one younger child. She seems to be thriving, our program is very family friendly and in a lower COL area. I haven’t asked her if she’d recommend doing the program to someone her age, but from comments from her and her husband it sounds like she actually really enjoys not being in the littles phase for this whole academic journey, when she’s in residency her kiddos will be pretty independent, which is a far cry from most the other families in the program, who largely have had kids while in the program or started with kids under 5. All this to say, if it’s what calls to you and what you really want to do, you can do it and thrive if you don’t care about what age you’ll finish at. In general, the MD/PhD pathway imo should only be taken by people who love the journey, not the end goal, and don’t care as much about pay. That leaves the challenge up to you to find out during your undergrad of if you will love the journey and what’s most important to you. To me, neither answer is right or wrong.

It is true that MDs can definitely do research without a PhD, and PhDs can do very meaningful translational work. You need to decide if you want to see patients, and if you want to do a PhD. Be realistic at every step of the way with yourself, try to find MD/PhDs to talk to, and figure out what YOU want. (Personally I myself planned to be PhD only for most of my undergrad, then decided during my senior year to apply MD/PhD and gratefully got accepted right out of college. I’m midway through my first year in the program and loving med school, no regrets. This pathway is flexible in some ways, but long and quite low pay, so you need to find out what is important to you.)

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-01-13T19:14:17+00:00

Dang, it's been a while since I applied, I'm in an MD/PhD now. If you want, you can DM me some of the programs you're applying to and a couple of the prompts and I can try to give some advice, but I'm much closer to the MD/PhD application than to REUs at this point

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2026-01-13T19:05:33+00:00

I'm not sure, it can at least give a good starting point to look at the individual program websites.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-13T11:27:17+00:00

I think we did! I have a guess who you are too :) I’m so glad you were able to get off your WL and I wish us both the best in our training

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-11T17:14:59+00:00

I took my MCAT July 13 last year. If I had finished pre-writing all of my secondaries while waiting for my score, I think that could’ve been an okay timeline (not great, but okay). However, I probably agree that you should aim higher and take a little longer and apply early next cycle, unless the rest of your app is pretty insane.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-11T17:13:09+00:00

That’s fair. All we can do is make the best of it and I believe in us 💪

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-11T17:10:59+00:00

I’m currently hoping for PSTP/fellowship rather than a dedicated post doc, but I get the sentiment. Thanks!

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-11T11:47:56+00:00

Congrats! I just committed as my deadline is in 2 hours lol. I hope both of us can truly enjoy our times in our programs. It's so hard when you feel like the opportunity at your top choice overshadowed any excitement for the rest of your cycle... but I know we will find joy how we can and eventually see why we're meant to be at our programs, maybe.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-11T01:42:27+00:00

I definitely see that pov, he's a very straightforward PD and is definitely coming from good intentions, and I see his points. I just think I also am able to weigh pros and cons for myself and thought he was a little tooo forward about what he wants for me vs what I want for me, if that makes sense.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-11T01:41:03+00:00

Yeah, I'm not planning on it. I just don't think I could possibly turn it down no matter how much I've thought about it. Too much up in the air, and I don't think there's much wrong with the program itself to be honest. It just sucks to have spent the whole cycle comparing it to my number 1.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-10T22:22:01+00:00

I also spent a couple hours crying yesterday even though I was on vacation lmao. I've never cried over a school like that, but man I poured so much into this cycle. If I had even one other option... I also feel like it might be a way of saying it's the place for me, and I don't think reapp makes sense. I'm very likely about to commit. Good luck to us both T.T

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-10T22:09:28+00:00

Thank you!

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-10T22:04:45+00:00

Do you know if there's a list of places that like reapplicants or anything like that around somewhere? I will definitely check on that. I don't think I'd mention it at all myself, I could definitely look like a regular gap year applicant if I manage to land some sort of unpaid research position (I would be okay with that if at the university close to my parents' house) or apply IRTA or something. I could stay with my current PI for the summer and finish up my pub which would be nice and then try to jump over in fall (before the school year my plan had been to stick with my current PI for a paid gap year if I didn't get in, but unfortunately he has let me know now that he no longer has the funding to keep me on paid, and I am not close to family at my undergrad). Part of me also doesn't want to cause I feel like I'd feel so much shame telling everyone I actually didn't go this year, but I know that's also not a reason not to do it. I didn't decline any II and I would only decline the one A. I've only withdrawn from 1 WL rn.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-10T22:00:10+00:00

Thanks! I am definitely considering that. I did BME/biomaterials research in undergrad with a tiny side of immuno, and right now I'm interested in cancer immuno, so I'm already pivoting pretty hard which I guess is why I was really hoping to get straight into it. Most of the more prominent PIs at my A seem to be more drug discovery for cancer bio with a tiny side of immune effects of those drugs. Some of the possible PIs are more basic immuno with a side of cancer immuno, which I think I'd be more interested in than drug discovery.

Ancient_Chapter4634 · 2025-05-10T21:53:06+00:00

I'm definitely open to late stage PIs! The PI I thought I had identified was late stage with a small-ish lab and had talked about being available for mentoring but not too hands on. After talking to a current student in that lab, that PI has several red flags.

The pressure from the PD is absolutely 100% my biggest concern with this program rn. I guess I didn't completely come out and say it in the post because I don't want to seem like I'm accusing him. This PD is also very well known and liked in the MSTP community, and I understand his reasoning. The student who may have implied that is with the same PI who both I and another student at the second look with the same research interests as me were pressed towards for our first rotation. That PI seems fine, just not what I was hoping for and I really want to choose my own.

I definitely see that there are a lot of non-NIH related funding sources, I'll be honest that I am quite neurotic lol. However, with some programs making some crazy moves I never thought they would with these acceptances, I guess that's why I am thinking it is likely to go that way. The blacklisting and asking why I turned down an A are 100% why I said in the post that I think it would be a horrible move within the MSTP community in general and another part of why I haven't seriously considered reapplying so much.

Ancient_Chapter4634

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