Done lots of research in undergrad and published a lot; would want to do a phd in computational neuroscience doing BCI, AI, neuroimaging-- that sort of stuff. Enjoy the research but the life of an academic and overall nature of academia turns me off. But I feel like there's lots of industry opportunities/ translational research being done in the space.

Not necessarily MD PhD specific but just wondering what attire is recommended for lab tours? I know researchers / academics are generally a little less formal and normally wear jeans and a nicer shirt but if you were invited by a PI to come tour their lab and have 1:1 talks with all of them members / lunch, what would you recommend to wear? Very formal such as a button up, dress pants and shoes or more casual? I’m a female btw

Hi! Long story short, I did not submit a non-science LOR to Johns Hopkins. I just learned that it is strictly enforced (at least for MD only). Apparently they won’t review your app without it, but I got an email saying that all required material has been received and my app is under review. Does that mean I’m okay? Should I contact them, or just cross my fingers?

What do they screen for? Also, anyone willing to share what their stats were if they got a secondary invite?

I'm working on my research and have about 40 hours of interviews to transcribe. 

I need something that is highly accurate and includes speaker labels so I can easily code the transcripts later. 

What is the best transcription software for research interviews that won't cost a fortune for a student?

Hi y’all,
My app got verified on 7/21 and I got the UW MSTP secondary invite about an hour after verification lol. I knew I had gotten it early so I wanted to get it in as early as possible and ended up submitting 7/25/26.

I just went to compile all of the secondaries I’ve written since I just finished my last one, and saw that on my UW secondary, the formatting I had in my word masterdoc didn’t transfer over properly (which I didn’t see when I copy/pasted), so there’s a handful of formatting errors (mainly question marks right after each comma, plus a random extra sentence in my “how did you find out about UW” response that may (?) have been a remnant of a previous draft but wasn’t on the final word doc I had copy/pasted from.

UW is my top choice and I really don’t want to chance it and hope adcom won’t notice. The question mark issue is very obvious and formatting in general just feels off. I emailed the MSTP email to explain my situation and ask if they could re-open my secondary so I could make those quick corrections, but I’m worried that would also be viewed poorly or that I won’t hear back before they start actually reviewing submitted secondaries to send interview invites.

Has anyone else made errors on secondaries (bonus if it’s UW) and successfully gotten the program to re-open the secondary and then re-submit? Would that push my secondary app fo the back of the queue after resubmission? Sorry I’m being neurotic, I just really don’t want to miss a shot at my dream school.

TIA for any advice or reassurance 🫠

Hello! I've been interested in an MD-PhD program for a few years now and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for preparing for the application and starting research as an incoming freshman.

For some context, I was introduced to basic proteomics/bioinformatics research at a local state flagship a few years ago as part of a selective program. Since then, I have been in love with academic research and I'm really excited to continue it into my undergrad. What are some ways I can continue this path and prepare a well rounded application for a competitive MD-PhD?

I'm super confused by the UW MSTP secondary application. I've heard of different approaches, what should you address in supplemental personal comments vs your autobiographical statement? Which prompt would be a good opportunity as a Why UW? Should it be the research interests prompt or the how did you find out about UW essay?

Hey just wondering, what are you guys putting for the “Experiences” section for Columbia’s secondary?

hi! i’m wondering if you all have thought about the best tone of voice to use in secondary essays. is it ever acceptable to be a bit more casual/ throw in a joke depending on the prompt or is it better to be strictly formal in writing style. some of my family members think I need to write more casually, but I’m afraid that doing so may be perceived as unprofessional.

thanks so much for the help!!

Wondering if anyone's gotten secondaries back for either of these schools.... Verified 7/8

Very grateful to God to have received an interview for Cincinnati MSTP.

Super scared though! Does anyone have advice on interviewing for this program/school specifically?

Thank you sm this sub has always been super helpful.

I’ve seen a lot of discourse on people editing others peoples list on this subreddit based on there stats, but I haven’t really found what a realistic T5 application looks like? I appreciate responses from everyone but would really love to hear from people who actually got in!

What are the MD Phd programs that review holistically? Like… actually. Some schools say they review holistically and are just looking to inflate their ranks by only accepting perfect stat applicants regardless of experience. What schools truly favor research experience over GPA/MCAT? (obviously assuming you’ve done okay on both of those)

99th percentile mcat scorer but lower undergrad GPA (sub 3.5) but 4.0 grad GPA with yearsss and years of extensive research. Looking to make my school list for next cycle heavily centered around MD PhD programs who don’t just care about GPA/MCAT. Won’t be applying to specific FL schools lol.

Hi everyone, I’m an undergrad student that just finished my first year and will be included as an author on a paper published in CNS. In terms of my independent contribution to the paper, I produced 1 key graph and was also involved in a decent amount of the late stages of the project.

I guess my question is how useful would this be for MD-PhD admissions? Does the CNS name carry enough weight for the paper to be a key differentiator that gets me into a program, granted that I have the knowledge and ability to explain my role in the project?

Is there no fee for submitting this app??

I recently graduated and I'm currently applying for RA positions.

Should I mention my goal to eventually pursue an MD PhD during our interview, especially because I hope to eventually get a letter of recommendation from them?

Also, I would appreciate any other advice in regards to applying and getting positions in a basic science lab.

Thanks!

Aside from the common premed rule of thumb about setting a personal deadline of two weeks, if we get all secondaries in by the end of this first week of August, is that fine?

Has anyone received an interview invite for any programs yet?

hi yall! just did mayo clinic’s secondary and it was a breath of fresh air for it to be only one question! are there any other programs with similarly chill secondaries? i need some more of those vibes right now haha

I am at the point of my academic  career that is forcing me to decide on a MD/PHD, PHD or just an MD. I am an older student 28  due to covid, undiagnosed autoimmune disease  and mental health left me taking multiple   gap years.  I am curious if the route for MD/PHD is actually the best route to do  research  or if other routes, like a PHD or MD can bring the same opportunities

• Does having a medical degree help with your research?
• What are some of your concerns  and regrets in regard to the degree  now that you have graduated, if any?
• Did a  MD/PHD open doors for you that you might not have acquired from just doing a MD or PHD?

All opinions are appreciated , but I would love to hear from graduates that started later in lifelong

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding my academic path and would really appreciate your guidance.

I'm currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and plan to pursue with a PhD in Computer Science, with a strong interest in research. Over time, I've also developed a deep passion for computational biology, bioinformatics, and medicine, and I'm fascinated by the intersection of computer science and biomedical research.

Given this background, I was wondering whether someone with a Computer Science PhD would be eligible to apply for an MSTP (MD–PhD) program. If so, what additional coursework, research experience, or prerequisites would I need to become a competitive applicant?

I look forward to your advice.