MD/PhD program

[Guest RZ]

Hi! I am interested in the MD/PhD program at UT and I am wondering if any past applicants can share their experiences with me. In particular, how many interviews (in addition to the regular MD program) will be held and how many interviewers will be present? Also, does the MD/PhD admissions committee used the MCAT scores as a flag, too? (I know they ask you to submit your MCAT scores directly to the MD/PhD program office so that's why I'm wondering if they scrutinize the scores closely.) I personally didn't do as well as on the MCAT as I had hoped but the rest of my application is pretty competitive.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi RZ,

 

I am currently in the throes of applying to a couple of MD/PhD programs, including that of UT. Although I haven't been through it, I've heard that the UT MD/PhD interviews (the non-MD-specific ones), unlike those of UBC, are panel-style. I have also heard that this panel consists of ~5 people (faculty members, the Director of the program, etc.).

 

I haven't heard how the MCAT scores are used in the selection process, but I'll ask and let you know. Speaking of asking, that's one thing that I've found pretty impressive: the support offered by the UT MD/PhD folks. The department is very encouraging, very supportive and very helpful, overall--a very refreshing change.

 

A couple of other bits of info regarding the UT MD/PhD program: apparently there is no concrete quota for the number of students admitted to this program from year to year. The rough number is 10, but if the quality of applicants is high, then apparently that number may be raised. The number of applicants to the program last year was ~60, whereas this year it's 43.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest RZ]

Kirsteen, thank you for the info! I did not know that they usually admit 10 people into the program. I thought it would be less than that since there are on average only 4-5 people enrolled in the program each year.

 

By the way, did you have the chance to ask the admissions people about how they consider the MCAT scores?

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

With respect to numbers, from what I've heard, many MD/PhD programs are looking to expand their number of entrants.

 

As to the MCAT question, I did ask, but haven't yet received a response. I'll let you know when and if I do.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi again RZ,

 

I've just heard back from the MD/PhD office regarding your questions:

 

a) They state that the MCAT scores are relevant only to the medical school sector of the application and they are used as a marker only--to determine your potential for acceptance into medicine.

 

The MD/PhD interview is apparently similar to that for the MD program alone, except there are 5 or 6 admissions committee members during the one MD/PhD interview.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest RZ]

Thanks for sharing the information with me, Kirsteen!

 

Good luck!

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hello fellow MD/PhD applicants,

 

FYI, I was down at the UT MD/PhD office the other day, and they were just about to get down to photocopying the applications (CV, etc.) for distribution to the assessors. EEEK! Some holiday reading for someone, I suppose!

 

Also, I found out that apparently UT wishes to expand the size of its MD/PhD program to roughly double the number of participants that it currently has (~10 matriculants per year).

 

Cheers and good luck,

Kirsteen

[Guest not rex morgan]

What's a matriculant? I am exacerbated by the archane vocabulary. I am procrastinating from studying, and thought I'd read up on MD/PhD for a friend. What's a matriculant?!

[Guest Katie]

A matriculant is just someone who gains acceptance and registers in a school. Like you matriculated to UBC Med in 2001.

 

English classes, yay!

[Guest ThugJaan]

Hello,

 

Cannot offer much here except to say that there are about 7 (I believe) MD/PhD students in our class. You need to be excepted to into Meds first (probably the hardest part!) and then they review your PhD application on its own. I know that the Dean wishes everyone in our class to at least get a Masters (he has told us so much) so I would imagine that they would like to have more MD/PhD students if they were able to.

[Guest RL]

Hi Kirsteen,

 

When did you drop by the office? I am surprised that they haven't sent out our files for review yet. I got an email on Nov 14th saying that my file was complete and that they were going to send it out for review soon. Did you receive the same email?

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi RL,

 

It was this past Tuesday that I stopped in to the office.

 

Yep, I received the same e-mail as you, and at around the same time.

 

Does anyone know more about the MD/PhD selection process re: how they actually go about assessing the applicants? For example, ThugJaan mentions above that MD/PhD applicants must first gain entry to meds and then the PhD application is assessed; however, given that at least 10 spots are "allocated" to MD/PhD students, does it mean that MD/PhD applicants are assessed against the rest of the meds applicant pool? Except for adhering to the minimums for entry into the meds program, I wouldn't have thought so.

 

I was told early on that the MD/PhD office and the Meds. Admissions office work very closely together at UT to select applicants, so based on this I'm thinking that the process may be a bit different. This thought is buttressed by the fact the fact that the interviews for the MD/PhD applicants occur so relatively early--by February's end. Then there's the whole graduate applicant monkey wrench thrown in, i.e., if you have a graduate degree (which I'd imagine many MD/PhD applicants may) you're supposed to be treated a little differently too.

 

Overall the UT process for MD/PhD sounds different from that of some other schools, namely UBC. UBC, I have been told, have a much more sequential process: they start off by assessing your file for PhD viability and then the application passes the Meds. Admissions folks.

 

Ah the joy of black boxes!

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest zanysara]

Hi Kristeen

 

Do your interests focus on the research side or the clinical side. I have been bouncing the idea around for the MD/Phd program, I have a Bsc and Msc in Biochem but then took a few years off to work in reaserch. I was thinking I may be too old for the combined program now. I am currently 31, will enter when 32 (if accepted!) do you think they would hold this against me. Any thoughts on age and the combined program. Thank you

 

 

Sara

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi Sara,

 

My interests lie in both, the research and clinical aspects of medicine for a number of reasons. One such reason is that I like the idea of working within a clinical realm and being able to have the skills to further knowledge within that realm, and then turning around to use that knowledge to better serve my patients within clinical practice; hence my interest in both.

 

I have no clue as to how the MD/PhD folk feel about age or if they unofficially use age as a selection factor. I would hope that bona fide enthusiasm for the program combined with the ability to complete the program successfully and potentially emerge as a productive clinician/scientist would usurp any concerns regarding applicant age.

 

It may be an idea to: investigate the various MD/PhD programs further; seek out and chat with individuals who are currently in MD/PhD programs as well as those who are practicing MD/PhDs;, and also, do some soul searching to see what you'd really like out of the program and a career. At the end of all that you may be closer to an answer as to whether or not the MD/PhD path may be for you.

 

Best of luck,

Kirsteen

[Guest not rex morgan]

Just curious, what research are you involved in?

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi not rex morgan,

 

If you're asking me, I'm currently involved in a few research projects, two of which concern women's health issues: one involving the etiology of ovarian cancer (androgen effects, etc.) and the other, I'm about to begin a more epidemiologically-based project on pre-eclampsia.

 

Any reason for asking?

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest not rex morgan]

Hey Kirsteen. Reason for asking: strict curiosity. You've mentioned the research quite a few times, and obviously enjoy it if you want to couple with the PhD route. I, myself, have dabbled a little in the field, mostly neuro stuff. Most people who do research like to talk science. Do you want to stick with the women's issues in your research? Have you been able to find possible labs in the schools you've applied for? I imagine that would be quite a stress.

[Guest BennyG]

Hey,

 

other than actual MD/PhD programs, are there other routes for a med student or recent MD to do graduate work leading to a PhD.?

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi again not rex morgan,

 

Re: research and the MD/PhD route, women's/reproductive health issues are certainly one area of interest for me. As to the two schools to which I've applied, I visited UBC in September and met with many individuals in the Obs/Gyn dept. to discuss my research interests (in fact, my new, pre-eclampsia project is in conjunction with one of their MD/PhDs). They certainly do have some great opportunities to offer. With respect to UT, I'm currently working in the Div. of Reproductive Science at Mt. Sinai, which is a hub of reproductive research, so I feel I pretty much have the women's health resources associated with both schools explored to a decent degree.

 

It's a tough choice though when it comes to MD/PhD avenues. Although women's health is one area of distinct interest, not having explored all clinical specialties, and upon hearing of clinical rotation experiences I find other areas of medicine quite alluring, (and most of them lend themselves nicely to the MD/PhD stream). At UT this is not much of a problem given that they seem to emphasize exploration prior to choosing your research field of interest; however at UBC it seems an altogether different matter--they seem to prefer that you enter the program with more of a focus as to the area that you'd like to work within.

 

Overall though, we'll see. Many bridges to cross before that one appears!

 

To address the other question re: post-grad. research, there are a few programs out there, e.g., the Clinical Investigator Program offered at UT, which is geared towards research experience, post-MD. I'm not sure, however, if this "residency" results in the award of a PhD or a Masters--From what I recall, I'm thinking the latter. There are also postgraduate programs that may be taken leading to a Master's in various medical disciplines, e.g., if you're interested in health policy, family and community health, etc.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest Sara]

Sorry to bother you again Kristeen but I was wondering if you could tell me whether you are currently completing an Msc or undertaking independent research. I'm a little confused becuase according to your bio, I got the impression that you were in high tech sales and completing the Hon Bsc undergrad. Are you doing research in addition to all of that. Wow you are truly

 

Superwomannnnnnnnn!!!!!!

 

Thanks in advance Sara!

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hey Sara,

 

No, I'm not completing a M.Sc., although I do already hold another type of Masters degree. The ovarian cancer research at the Div. of Reprod. Sci. is by way of a fourth year research course that's being counted towards my Hon. B.Sc. As to the pre-eclampsia research, that's an independent project that's been arranged by one of the UBC Obs/Gyn folk that could potentially serve as a springboard into the epidemiological side of UBC MD/PhD endeavours.

 

Thanks for the compliment but this "superwoman" is certainly looking forward to leaving the high-tech sales component behind in order to concentrate on school full-time and trade in that title for something a little more "normal"!

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen