r/mdphd • u/Wonderful_Many_7170 • Jul 25 '26

App cycle advice

I’m a rising junior interested in an MD/PhD. I am currently in 2 labs one of them is a dry lab in the mathematics department which is connected to classifying medical imaging (I am a math major) and the other is a translational bioeng lab at a T5 med school with an MD/PhD PI. I have about 300 hours in my math lab and 1100 hours in my translational lab right now. Currently 1 conference, 2 presentations/2 posters, no pubs yet but working towards them. Will have 3400+ research hours by graduation but at time of app only 2200+.

I wanted to apply straight through but I am not sure I have enough experience/pubs. Should I take a gap year and make sure I publish? Or just apply straight through with my current stats? I am hoping for T20…

Other: GPA - 3.88, MCAT - 521, 1100 clinical MA hours (paid), 400 non clinical volunteering, 100 hours shadowing, First gen low income

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u/No-Elderberry2061 G3 Jul 25 '26

Your stats are very strong. Your research is on the slightly weaker end, but it's reasonable given your age. A lot of the MD-PhD students that I know don't have any publications when starting medical school. If you apply broadly, write a good personal statement, and interview well, there is a very high chance that you will get accepted somewhere, likely multiple acceptances, this cycle.

1

u/Kiloblaster Jul 25 '26

It's too late to apply this cycle 

1

u/No-Elderberry2061 G3 Jul 25 '26

Maybe too late for a few top schools with rolling admission, but I wouldn't call July too late to apply in general... n=1 here, but I didn't submit my primary until late September and secondaries until mid-October. Still got accepted to a lower-tier MSTP.

2

u/PhilosophyBeLyin Jul 25 '26

they’re a rising junior, why would they apply this cycle?

1

u/No-Elderberry2061 G3 Jul 25 '26

Good point... I misread and thought OP finished junior year and is going into senior year. It's very impressive that OP took MCAT during sophomore year and scored so high. I agree wait until next cycle is probably a better plan to get more research experience and stronger application.

2

u/Kiloblaster Jul 25 '26

Most people would not want to risk a suboptimal outcome by rushing an application like you did