Click HERE to get this book! (Can also use: SpringerLink*, Amazon)
*This book can be accessed for free through an institutional login using SpringerLink
Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be found here.
You can submit any questions, concerns, or feedback that you have to mdphdguide@gmail.com.
This book was written by three MD/PhD applicants who recently completed their application cycles and matriculated at an MD/PhD program. Our main goal in writing this book was to provide our perspectives from having gone through the application process. This process is very stressful, and can at times seem overwhelming, so we wanted to use the knowledge that we gained during our application cycles to help future applicants navigate this process. We hope that this will demystify many aspects of this application process and will encourage more people to apply for MD/PhD programs.
Chapters 1 and 2 focus on providing a general overview of MD/PhD programs and give you the information that you need to decide whether this would be an appropriate career path for you. Chapters 3 and 4 discuss the requirements that you should fulfill before applying to MD/PhD programs, and provide an overview of the application process and timeline. Once you are ready to apply, Chapter 5 illustrates how you can decide where to apply and what factors you should consider when making these decisions. Chapters 6, 7, and 8 provide advice on how to approach the three essays that are required in the primary application. Chapter 9 focuses on another major portion of the primary application: the work and activities section. Chapter 10 discusses how to approach the secondary applications and how to best answer many commonly asked prompts. Chapters 11 and 12 discuss preparing for the interview process and how to succeed in each type of interview. Chapter 13 focuses on what to do once you finish the interviews and are waiting to hear back, whereas Chapter 14 discusses the process of making a final decision regarding which program to attend.
Each of the chapters in this book contain both objective information regarding the application process and more subjective recommendations from the authors. Also, at the end of each chapter, you will find useful links and additional external resources. We hope that these resources will help answer any questions that were not addressed in the chapter. Additionally Chapters 5 and 12 contain personal anecdotes and experiences from each of the authors regarding where to apply and the interviews process respectively. The first portion of Chapter 15 contains descriptions of the activities and extracurricular commitments that were pursued by each of the authors. The second portion of Chapter 15 includes essays from each of the author's applications for every written component of the application. These examples are intended to illustrate the proper tone, depth, and content for each essay, which is described in its respective chapter. A more detailed description regarding the contents of each chapter can be found below and the entire Table of Contents for this book can be found here. We sincerely hope that the content and resources provided in this book improve your experience when applying to MD/PhD programs.
Overview of the MD/PhD combined-degree program
Generic MD/PhD program structure
Variations on MD/PhD curriculum structure among different institutions
Informational summary of U.S. MD/PhD Programs
Incentives for pursuing the MD/PhD training
Primary goals of MD/PhD training
Career outcomes of MD/PhD graduates
Overview of successes of MD/PhD graduates
How to decide if you should apply to MD/PhD programs
Diversity in MD/PhD programs
Standardized test requirements
GPA and coursework requirements
Letters of recommendation
Extracurricular activity suggestions and overview of other time commitments
Gap years
Ideal MCAT timeline
AMCAS primary application timeline
AMCAS application verification process
Secondary essays and timeline
Interview invitations and scheduling interviews
Seeking financial aid to reduce application costs
Ideal recommendation for the overall application timeline
Important factors to consider when choosing where to apply
How to properly research each school before applying
Applying to a balanced list of schools
Resources to help you choose schools
Perspectives from the individual authors on how they choose where to apply
MD/PhD applicant perspective on this essay
Suggested overall structure for the essay
Goal and content of the essay
How to connect your life events to your “thesis”
Improving and revising the essay
The goal of the “Why MD/PhD” Essay
How to approach this essay
Appropriate content of the essay
The purpose of the Extended Research Experience essay
Appropriate content and suggested structure for the essay
Important information to include in research descriptions
Types of activities and entries
Anatomy of an AMCAS activity entry and technical considerations
Which experiences to include in your application
How to discuss each type of activities
How to combine related activities
How to select the most meaningful activities
Timeline for writing secondary essays
Strategies for efficiently writing secondary essays
Common mistakes when writing essays
Outlining and pre-writing essays
How to approach the most common essay prompts
Optional essays
MD/PhD specific secondary essays
Overview of the CASPer test
How to prepare for the CASPer test
Timing of interview invitations
Technical and logistical aspects of interviewing
What to expect during interview days
Scheduling interviews and balancing multiple invites
Sample interview schedules
Overview of generic interview preparation
Common types of interviews: MD, MMI, PhD/Research, MD/PhD, Student, Research Presentations
How to prepare for each type of interview
Common interview questions with tips on how to answer them
Recommended interview question banks
Personal interview experiences from each author
Keeping in contact after your interview
Waitlists and deferrals
Update letters, letters of intent, and letters of interest
Re-applying to MD/PhD programs
AAMC traffic rules regarding holding multiple acceptances
Plan to enroll versus commit to enroll
Second look weekends
Weighing your options with multiple acceptances and making a final decision
Each author's perspective on the activities deemed most important to their application
Overview of the activities and time commitments of each author
Advice from each author regarding activities
Personal comments essay (3)
MD/PhD essays (5)
Significant research experience essays (3)
Work and activities entry descriptions and most meaningful essay examples
Sample secondary essays for commonly asked prompts, including MD/PhD specific ones
We look forward to receiving feedback and success stories from our readers and any questions or concerns that you may have. If you would like to share any of these, please email us at mdphdguide@gmail.com.
We wish you the best of luck and hope that you enjoy this book!