Am I competitive enough for a Top Three school?

At the top 3, numbers don't matter a whole lot. That's because most everyone who applies has them. Your GPA and GMAT will let you play, but they won't keep you in the game. As the other posters have mentioned, your story is going to be incredibly important. How you fit with the program will be important and some schools will be better fits than others. For example, you might have an easier time potentially selling Wharton that their healthcare MBA is the right next step for you. But it's all about research and story. A high GMAT won't impress anyone in this tier (but well done anyway! ).

Bhavik

Dustmite,

The top 3, particularly the top 2 have become absurdly competitive over the last 3-5 years and why is a topic for another thread. But some of it has to do with the web and that the world has gotten smaller--applications are coming in from elite candidates from more parts of the world.

Physicians are always welcome to apply, and I had a couple in my HBS class. But I would say that competition from your segment may include folks with not only great scores, but also with a start on their path to a business career. Maybe they have worked in BD for a biotech, helped support a chief medical officer, or maybe they have been involved with a group trying to commercialize a patent. So my point is that though your scores give you the right to apply, you will likely come up short given what your best competition has already done with their career or on the side.

I will say that folks every year make big mistakes in assuming that the ROI is not there for schools outside the top 3. Where do the folks who narrowly miss HBS and GSB wind up? Schools like Kellogg...that has a great healthcare offering by the way. So do your research and apply to a broader range of schools. I worked in healthcare for much of my career prior to MBA admissions, and the industry is getting more and more focus from programs. You may even wind up with a great merit scholarship or full ride from a program trying to push their brand with life sciences, like Johns Hopkins.
That said, this is not a purely objective process, and great essays that show passion can get you an interview. And in that interview room, folks with uncommon presence can win the day.

Good luck,