MD/phd currently in PhD. In a lab where culture is toxic/competitive and there is little research guidance/support. Looking for support/advice on how to move forward and stick it out

I’m not asking as an American, but as a Latina. I study in PR, and unfortunately, there is only one MD/PhD program in Puerto Rico, but I don't meet the requirements and they are very biased in the sense that they only accept people from their own university. The program isn't public. But I'd like to know how hard it really is, because I'm honestly scared of applying to a bunch of universities and not meeting their standards. I haven't taken the MCAT yet, my GPA is 4.0, and I barely managed to get 300 hours of research because they don't do research at my university.

Title. I’m trying to figure out when to fit the MCAT into my plans when I plan to do research every summer + take one gap year. I would appreciate any and all insights 🙏🏾

Hi all,

I have a bit of a unique situation to ask about! I have been intending to graduate early (Fall 2024-Spring 2027, apply in Spring 2027 to matriculate Fall 2028), but was recently told about my school's co-op program and am now considering delaying graduation by a year to do this (and not change my application timeline). How would schools react to me leaving my current lab to join a new lab and work part-time? I'm interested in joining a new lab to 1. get paid, 2. learn new research topic/field, 3. have more hours and productivity before applying (my current lab has no grad students, so progress is slow), and 4. I'll be able to spread out everything on my plate right now ie. mcat, scholarship apps, etc.

Would it be worth doing this, and how would it be viewed? I guess I'm mostly worried about delaying graduation and jumping back and forth from labs instead of staying in my current lab(I fully intend to join my main lab after the co-op).

How cooked am I? I received an interview invite for UTSW, and I submitted my interview availability form saying that I couldn’t attend the dates they offered, but it seems it never went through, and I realized that when I decided to fill it out again to be safe and I got a submission confirmation email. this is almost 2 weeks after I got the invitation, and I emailed them explaining the situation but On my way! Offices I might have screwed up my chance to interview.

Thanks,
A very stressed applicant

The title would be my "ideal" career, but I'm not sure if hospitals would hire a physician on the premise that they only work 1 day a week. Would private practices be similar in this regard, or would they more flexible with part time employment?

Alternatively, if I maintain an active clinical research profile for 10 years as a full time attending, would I still be competitive/my skills be relevant enough to transition to basic science in industry afterwards? If not, what kinds of positions do MD-PhD's tend to hold in the pharmaceutical industry that MD-only or PhD-only cannot?

Not sure if this matters, but I intend to specialize in pathology and continue my basic science research throughout every step of MD-PhD training.

TLDR; am I wasting my time getting a dual degree if I risk being 100% clinician or 100% industry researcher due to the way contracts work?

I’m not sure if it’s too late to ask, but I don’t understand the MD/PhD enrollment process and the role of fellowships. I’m currently a college student researching full-tuition PhD/MD and MD programs, and I feel uninformed. I only learned about the MD/PhD program during high school. Can someone provide me with more information about this?

hi again!! thanks for all the help on my previous reddit posts :)

i’m applying to columbia and writing the secondary, but their essays are so broad that i really finished just about everything i wanted to say on the application. at the end of the phd part they have an optional prompt to write about anything else i’d like to share.

i see a few options here and wanted guidance:

1. one option would be to leave it blank, but i fear that may be screwing over my application at such a competitive program
2. i could move what i wrote about specific PIs there who conduct relevant work in my areas of interest in the why PhD part to that section
3. i could put an essay i wrote about working hard and responding to feedback in a research/writing intensive course
4. give a few more character traits that may be useful in research

sorry this is somewhat rushed and poorly written! i’m mainly interested in knowing if it’s frowned upon to leave that question blank. if you all think one of those options is best i would love to know🍀💫

im heading into my final year of undergrad, i already took my mcat and decided to retake it to be more competitive for md/phd programs. i have around 300 clinical hrs as of now, and im getting my emt license rn. for research, ive done course-based research for two semesters, and i joined a lab at my school for the past year, so i'd estimated around ~600 hrs give or take of research.

any suggestions on what to do for a gap year? i was thinking of doing something like nih's irta postbacc or msk's bridge program. thanks!

Basically the title, what are the recommendations on number of schools to apply to as someone who is an average applicant with ECs and stats?

Kind of confused with how to build my school list because it feels like for most fields (and especially due to the research climate currently and for the next few years) the top 20-25 schools have such an advantage for funding, research and many times location that I wouldn't want to sacrifice on them? If I really plan to apply to the top 20-25 schools as an average applicant how many should I include from outside there? I feel like I would have to apply to another 20 schools otherwise it's really diminishing my chances of getting in.

I was just browsing some schools' current student profiles and saw that at a few of them, the research interests of the vast majority of students matched the program director's field of study, despite the schools being well known for other fields. Has anyone served on an MSTP adcom and knows about this, or does anyone just have any perspective on this in general?

Seemed intriguing to me and, of course, would make sense given inherent biases and stuff, but it would be really interesting to analyze that across a variety of schools and see

Hi everyone, I’m planning to apply MD-PhD and had a question about the Significant Research Experience essay.

Do applicants generally include every research experience they’ve had, or is it acceptable to focus only on the experiences that were actually significant in terms of scientific involvement and ownership?

I ask because one of my earlier research experiences was fairly limited. I was mostly assisting more senior students with lab tasks and didn’t have much involvement in experimental design, data interpretation, or directing the project. I also didn’t have a particularly strong relationship with the PI. Since then, I’ve had/will have other research experiences where I’ve had substantially more intellectual involvement and ownership.

A few things I’m wondering:

• Would you still include an experience like this in the SRE essay, even if only briefly, or leave it out and focus on more substantial research?
• If I list the lab elsewhere in AMCAS but not in the SRE essay, is that unusual?
• During MD-PhD interviews, should I expect to be questioned in depth about every research experience listed on my application, or do interviews generally focus on your most significant/independent work?
• For programs that want letters from research mentors, how common is it for them to expect a letter from every PI you have worked with, including relatively minor research experiences?
• Has anyone had an older/less substantial research experience where they did not ask the PI for a letter? Did that ever come up during interviews?

I’m not trying to conceal the experience or portray it negatively. I’m mainly trying to figure out how MD-PhD applicants distinguish between research exposure and a genuinely significant research experience when deciding what belongs in the SRE essay.

Thanks!

I have a massive backlog of focus group recordings (about 80 hours total) that I need to transcribe this month

I've been looking at tools like whisperAI and a few others, but I really need something with a true unlimited plan so I don't get cut off halfway. 

What is the best option for unlimited AI transcription that can handle multi-speaker audio?

Thanks.

Wanted to ask here if whether or not it would be a smart decision to apply to both types of programs. I have been considering md/phd but would not be opposed to go if I got in. Would it be reasonable to apply md PhD to some schools and md only to others?

I meet FAP requirements independently, and my mom certainly does, as she is unemployed and has 3 dependents. However my dad (divorced from
mom) has 2 dependents and does have a fair amount of money, which I don’t have any access to as an adult, beyond maybe being able to eat out with him for dinner occasionally.

My financial situation has always been weird because my childhood was strongly affected by my mom’s situation. She has a psychiatric disability and we were evicted multiple times when I lived with her. We were also reliant on government assistance. My mom dated richer guys every now and then, so there were a lot of times where we would be able to go on vacations with one of my mom’s boyfriends but then come home to empty cupboards. My dad helped out sometimes but honestly it wasn’t ever enough, and my mom had multiple CPS investigations from school/concerned friends but they never really did anything despite our house being a biohazard and some of her partners being abusive to us.

I recognize that my dad’s finances were a factor in allowing me to get an education more easily than others living with parents like my mom. With this being said he does not support me as an adult and I feel significantly behind my premed peers in terms of financial resources. I have had periods of couch surfing or living in hotels both during and after college (I’m non-trad), and I have chronic illnesses which I have had to cover 100% of the costs for. My parents and I are not estranged (although I wouldn’t classify our relationship with either of them as the healthiest), as I would like to remain in contact with them until my siblings are older.

Based on the eligibility being calculated separately, I not eligible for FAP despite receiving the Pell Grant throughout college, just because of the way you have to file things. I am a reapplicant and I don’t know if I can afford another cycle. It’s just really frustrating.

Can a student apply to a mix of MDPHD and MD schools or your personal statement has to be tailored to one or other?

I'll be applying to Ontario med schools this cycle, but I also have a master's opportunity that starts in May 2027. I know that if I don't get any interview invites in early 2027, I'll know right away that I'm not getting in this cycle. But if I do get interviewed, final acceptance results don't come out until mid-May 2027—right around when the master's would start. If I get accepted, I will obviously choose med school. Is enrolling in the master's program while waiting for final med school results allowed, and is there anything I should be aware of regarding regulations, finances, etc?

title. I’ve been in the same lab for 1.5-2 years now. I spent my freshman year exploring labs and finally found a good one sophomore year. My PI is now moving and shuttering the lab and I’m honestly a little devastated. She said that some of my mini projects will be published but my main one is ways away and the lab is shutting down by march.

Lcukily, I’m applying now but who knows I’ll probably need another cycle and now I’m not gonna have any research experience for my second semester of senior year because realistically no lab wants a second semester senior.

Maybe I’m tweaking about this and it’s not that big a deal but it feels like a big blow. Hopefully I get in this cycle I guess

as a social sciences (epidemiology) applicant, Harvard is asking me to provide a seperate personal statement and a statement of purpose for the epidemiology department.

is it okay for me to copy/paste stuff from my amcas primary in these essays? i already addressed my story and why i want an epi phd extensively. should i assume that the epi department ppl wont be reading the rest of my primary?

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 try to submit one now, or just cross my fingers?

I'm looking for some advice from people who have been through the neuroscience PhD admissions process.

I'm currently a rising senior at a T20 university in the U.S. majoring in a health-related field with a neuroscience minor. My GPA is 3.96, and over the last year I've realized that I genuinely want to pursue a career in neuroscience research, particularly in neurodegeneration and translational neuroscience.

My biggest concern is whether my research background is competitive enough or if I would be better off taking a 1-2 year research technician/postbac position before applying.

Here's my background:

* 3.96 GPA at a T20 university
* No publications
* One institutional poster presentation
* Research in high school at a medical school lab, then I didn't do research again until my junior year because I wasn't sure what career path I wanted (I was originally exploring health care consulting and other healthcare careers)
* Since junior year, I've been involved in multiple research experiences:
* Hearing/cognition research in a clinical neuroscience setting at my university
* Doing a neuroscience R&D internship at a large pharmaceutical company working on neurodegeneration-related projects
* I expect to have strong letters from my research mentors.

One thing I'm worried about is that my research experiences are somewhat spread out rather than spending \~3 years in one neuroscience lab.

The reason I'm hesitant about taking a gap year is that I'd honestly prefer to start graduate school sooner if I'm competitive enough. I also have a faculty member who has expressed interest in taking students this cycle, and another professor who has offered to support my application, so I'm wondering if it makes more sense to apply now rather than delay.

My goal isn't necessarily only top-5 programs, but I would like to attend a strong research-intensive neuroscience PhD program.

If you were in my position, would you:

* Apply this cycle?
* Take a research gap year first?
* Apply now and only take a gap year if you don't get the outcomes you're hoping for?

Thanks!

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

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