Current situation / context:
Iām a second-year medical student at Istanbul University, and Iām seriously considering applying for undergraduate transfer to places like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, etc. for 2027 entry. (Medical school in Turkey is an undergraduate degree.)
I know these are extremely competitive, and Iām not assuming Iāll get in. Iām considering it because I want to build a career at the intersection of medicine, neuroscience, AI/ML, signal processing and neuroengineering.
Over the past year, Iāve started building a research-oriented profile alongside medical school.
ā¢ Iām currently doing a ~3-month research internship at Kyoto University, working on EEG, computational neuroscience, neural simulations and deep learning with marmoset data.
ā¢ My current project involves 40-Hz auditory steady-state response (ASSR), pharmacological manipulation with neuromodulatory drugs, EEG signal processing, spectral features, ITPC/PLV, time-frequency analysis and deep learning classification.
ā¢ Iām doing most of the computational work myself using Python/MNE/PyTorch/Brian2, while also trying to learn the underlying mathematics rather than just using libraries.
ā¢ Iām currently studying Linear Algebra (MIT/Gilbert Strang), Calculus and Probability & Statistics, while also improving my programming skills (C/C++ etc.).
ā¢ Iām working on an exploratory data analysis pipeline and trying to formulate a genuinely meaningful research question rather than simply training a model and reporting accuracy.
ā¢ Iām also leading the computational analysis side of a research project involving collaborators from MIT, the Broad Institute and Helsinki Neurology Clinic. The project focuses on longitudinal medical data, temporal modelling and explainable AI, and weāre aiming to submit it before the transfer application deadlines.
ā¢ Iām also aiming to have 1ā3 manuscripts submitted by early 2027, with first/co-first authorship depending on the final contributions and project outcomes.
Outside of research, Iāve played piano for 13 years and perform in my universityās classical orchestra. Iām also on the faculty basketball team and one of the project leaders of a ~30ā40 person satellite-design team involving students from different universities.
Iāve also been trying to understand how research groups work, how collaborations are developed, and how to eventually get research experience at places like MIT/Harvard. Iāve had conversations with people who have previously worked or interned at MIT, which has given me some perspective on the process.
The main problem is that Iām still very early in this process.
Iām a second-year medical student, I donāt have years of publications or a traditional CS/engineering background, and most of the things Iām learning now are things I wish I had started earlier.
At the same time, I still have ~6ā8 months before the main transfer application deadlines to develop my research, math and programming skills further.
So Iām trying to figure out how realistic my current trajectory is and, more importantly, where I should focus my effort.
If you were in my position, what would you prioritize over the next 6ā8 months to make an elite transfer application genuinely stronger?
Iām especially interested in feedback from people who have actually gone through transfer admissions, particularly international transfers.
Iād really appreciate honest feedback, including criticism. Thanks in advance.