Application Cycle One: 2006

• Undergraduate college: Duke University
• Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences

• Institution: Duke University
• Area of Study: Engineering/Technology

• Total MCAT SCORE: 524
• MCAT Section Scores: B/B 130, C/P 132, CARS 132   Detailed Breakdown
• Overall GPA: 3.94
• Science GPA: 3.97

Summary of Application Experience

6/3/06 - This whole MD-only vs MSTP thing is bugging me a lot... Are MSTP programs so hard to get into that I should apply to medical programs as well with the hope of doing a research fellowship later?

7/5/06 - Turned in my AMCAS. Columbia immediately replied with secondary invitation even before AMCAS was looked at. But aside from that I'm just waiting...

7/24/06 - AMCAS approved. Now the frenzy begins...

10/3/06 - Still working on secondaries. It's been a while and I'm getting sick of essays. Maybe I'll just like, cross my fingers about my top choices... What's up with Duke and 7 essays anyway?

1/2/07 - Finished 3/7 secondary essays. Said goodbye to Duke. Played video games.

3/20/07 - Ok. I haven't updated for 2.5 months. It's one of those things where bad experiences are completely blocked out of your mind until they become relevant again. Now that pending decisions are being resolved, I'm back!

3/23/07 - No email from Yale. Boo...

3/26/07 - Accepted to UPenn MSTP *does the victory dance originally reserved for Yale* This marks the end of my application cycle... it's time to decide -_-'.

5/2/07 - Decided to go to Harvard for New Pathway. Well, either that, or I won't be going to a med school since I've already declined all the other offers. Wouldn't it just be the worst thing in the world if you sent letters of decline to one too many school? :D...

I learned a lot during this application cycle, including how committed I am to research when it comes down to dedicating 4 years (+ 3 more for postdoc, maybe) to do it -- I'm interested, I love it, but I won't let it take my entire 20s.

And if basic science research really is my calling, I'm sure I'll somehow stumble upon it again later. Maybe in 2 years.

9/9/07 - Just a note to people that are undecided b/w MD-only and MD/PhD and happened to stumble here. 1) I'm very happy that I had declined the MD/PhD route. It's likely the best decision I made in a long time. 2) I learned so much during my app cycle for MSTP programs that I would have never traded that experience for anything else, even though in retrospect I didn't really have to go through those extra essays/interviews. So if you're unsure, think about applying MD/PhD anyway, and I'm sure it'll become much more clear as time goes on.

Oh, and I don't think it matters all that much whether the school list comprises MD/MSTP mixes or all MSTP programs... no one ever asked me, and I think both choices are equally justifiable.