Brief Profile:
I have a solid molecular neuroscience background (4 pubs but none first author, poster presentation at national conference, senior thesis), but also some econ/business type research and some health systems classwork. Led a department of the school paper (35-80 hours/week for two semesters), led it well, and have the data to prove it. Spent four semesters teaching science in inner-city classrooms (10-15 hours/week and lots of fun), and currently tutor for 3-4hrs/week. Have heard back from other applications that my rec letters are very strong. Currently doing full-time statistical research on global health. I think my major weakness (aside from some ugly grades freshman year) is clinical: have worked on the statistical or mol. bio. side of a few clinical studies, shadowed a day per week over one summer, and have scrubbed in on a few surgeries, which leaves me with plenty to write about, but it's still not much in terms of time committed. I avoided the traditional pre-med thing and I hope it doesn't come back to haunt me. I'm basically only applying to schools around NYC, since that's where my fiancee will be, so I can't play the apply everywhere game either, particularly since I want to go into academia, so I'm not applying as broadly as I otherwise might.
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 2007
Undergraduate college: U. Penn
Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
Total MCAT SCORE: 523
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 129,
C/P 132,
CARS 132
Overall GPA: 3.69
Science GPA: 3.59
Summary of Application Experience
Really want to do MD/PhD, with the PhD in health policy/systems. The geographic constraints mean that there were about 4 MudPhud programs I could apply to. Of those, one rejected me and another is too far, so that leaves two. Hopefully they will work out. If not, I'm incredibly excited about Cornell's MD program, and thought Sinai was awesome too, so I'd go to one of those and apply internally for the PhD.
