By Carleen Eaton, M.D.

Planning your coursework as a premedical student can be a complicated matter: you need to make sure that you have all the prerequisites for medical school completed, plot the timing of these courses so that you are ready for the MCAT and meet the requirements for your major. Most applicants are aware that one year each of biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physics are required. However, many schools also require additional coursework. Finding this out too late can mean forfeiting the opportunity to apply to certain schools or delaying the application for another year.

These additional requirements may include 1-2 semesters of any of the following:  mathematics (may specify courses such as calculus or statistics), biochemistry, English, humanities, social sciences, behavioral sciences, genetics or psychology. Most schools require that prerequisite coursework be completed anywhere from May-July the year of entry to med school.

Frequently, in addition to the required coursework, schools will have a list of courses that are recommended, but not necessarily required. Classes such as genetics and biochemistry may have this status. If you have room in your schedule, take these. Not only will they enhance your application, but they will also help to prepare you for med school.

As you can see, the earlier you start planning, the easier it will be to fit all of this in and not be stuck taking a full load of sciences classes while you are also trying to study for the MCAT or fill out your AMCAS application. If covering all of these areas is not feasible, develop a more targeted list of courses by consulting the Medical School Admissions Requirements (published by the AAMC) or by checking the schools’ websites. In both places, you will find a list of required and recommended courses for the schools.

As you plan your schedule, try to balance out the science and non-science courses so that you don’t end up facing a semester comprised of multiple science classes with 4 hour labs. If you are a non-science major, you have the additional challenge of fitting in coursework for your major that does not overlap with the premedical requirements. If you go that route, in the end it may pay off as you will have something different to offer than the typical applicant. Of course, there is also the idea that this may be the last chance you have for a very long time to take music, classics, sociology or other classes that have nothing to do with auscultating heart sounds or prescribing the correct antihypertensive.

With organization, planning and research, you can craft a schedule that will maximize your options when it comes time to choose schools and still allow you to keep your grades up and have some sort of social life.

By Carleen Eaton, M.D.

For applicants who are considering a career combining both medicine and research (a “physician scientist”), completing an MD-PhD program may be a good option.  Besides graduating with both an MD and a PhD, and thus receiving excellent preparation for a career in academic medicine, in most programs, you will attend med school tuition free and even receive a stipend for living expenses. However, these advantages need to be balanced against the drawback of spending an extra 3 to 4 years in school on top of the 4 years needed to obtain the MD, and the opportunity cost of starting your career later in life. While not insignificant, the financial aspect should not be the major factor in applying to these programs. An MD-PhD program is a major commitment and works well for those who are truly focused on a career in academic medicine and have a strong history of research experience.

The term “MD-PhD program” applies to any program that combines both degrees; however, a subset of these programs are known as MSTPs (Medical Scientist Training Programs), meaning that they are NIH funded. Other MD-PhD programs receive funding from various sources and the stipend amounts and benefits vary. Both types of programs are highly competitive, although the MSTP programs are generally even more so. While MD-PhD programs also use the AMCAS application as a primary application, some importance differences for the MD-PhD applications are:

1. Essays – In addition to the personal statement, MD-PhD applicants also must write an MD-PhD statement and an essay describing their significant research experience. The MD-PhD statement should focus on why the applicant is seeking both degrees, while the significant research experience essay is a 10,000 character space allotted for an applicant to describe his or her research experiences. MD-PhD committees want to see that the applicant has delved into research enough to know that they are suited for it, enjoy it and want to spend their career doing it. While publications are not mandatory, they certainly help. Poster presentations and abstracts are also an asset to the application.

2.  Letters of Recommendation – MD-PhD programs require the same letters of recommendation as for the med school programs (1-2 science professor letters, 1 non-science professor letter for some programs and additional letters from clinical or other experiences) as well as one or more additional letters from faculty with whom the applicant worked in a research setting.

3. Interview Day – The typical med school interview day consists of one or two interviews, usually one with a faculty member and a med student interviewer, or both with faculty members. The MD-PhD interview process is more intense, consisting of additional interviews with physician scientists and PhDs who tend to focus in on the interviewee’s research background.

While an MD-PhD program is a great pathway for those who are passionate about research and focused on a career as a physician scientist, it is a long, rigorous path and a decision to pursue it should be made carefully. If you are sure that the MD-PhD route is best for you, then  obtain as much quality research experience as you can before applying, talk to physician scientists about their careers and then get started writing all those essays.

By Carleen Eaton, M.D.

Choosing schools is one of the more enjoyable aspects of applying to medical school. It gives you a chance to imagine yourself beyond the admissions process, at last delving into the finer nuances of stethoscope use. Yet, with over 120 allopathic schools in the U.S., how do you choose? And how many should you apply to?

On one end of the spectrum are the applicants who apply only to only a few schools - a risky strategy for sure. And then there are those who take the opposite approach, applying to literally every med school in the U.S.  So what number is optimum? At a minimum, you should include 10-12 schools on your list, while 20-25 is still reasonable, especially if you live in a state that has highly competitive state schools, which don’t count as “safety” schools. Consider how many applications you can handle while still maintaining the quality and timeliness of the applications. Applying to too many schools means that you will be inundated with secondary applications, thus delaying the turnaround time, and perhaps your chances of admission.

As you put you formulate your list, categorize the schools as follows:

1. Your state school(s) – For many applicants, their state school provides the best chance of admission. Since state schools are, in part, taxpayer funded, they are mandated to provide an education primarily for state residents. Therefore, these schools give preference to in state applicants.

2.  Public schools in other states - While some state schools admit half or more of the class from out of state, many admit very few from out of state and the out of state applicants who are admitted are highly qualified. Making your list of schools longer by adding a bunch of state schools is unlikely to yield better results.

3. Private schools – Even private schools sometimes give preference to applicants who are from the area. Therefore, especially consider private schools in your geographic region, as well as those in states to which you have a tie, such as having previously resided there, or if you have family living there.

Applying to a broad range of schools is important. Give your application package an honest assessment, and apply mostly to schools that you are likely to be competitive for. Then, add on a few “reach” schools and at least four or five “safety” schools in order to give yourself the best chances of admission, while still allowing for the opportunity to get into your dream school.

Whether a school is more research or clinically oriented, tuition, size and a myriad of other factors will also play into your choices and an excellent resource to use as you consider these elements is the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR). This book is published by the AAMC and available online at aamc.org. The MSAR contains statistics such as the median GPA and MCAT score for accepted applicants, as well as selection factors and the schools’ mission statements.

So when you need a break from studying organic chemistry equations or brainstorming about the personal statement, take a look at the MSAR, the school websites and your own application to put together a well-rounded list that optimizes your chance of getting accepted without leaving you scrambling to fill out 37 secondaries in a month’s time.