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PreMed_Rain

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  1. Hello! As Yeslcan55 said the admission process in Canada is quite different from the admissions process in the States! From my experience applying to Medical Schools there was only one university that I considered applying to (Dalhousie) that had a course load requirement, AND they did have exceptions for nursing students due to the special circumstances of their curriculum. Additionally, although nursing students are taking fewer courses, many of those courses have the same credit hours as 2-3 regular undergraduate courses, so it shouldn't be a factor anyways. If your friend is concerned about the course load, some Canadian medical schools have sections for "Any Additional Information" where the applicant can explain if they wish. That was not something that I considered as even though I did not have a full course load during my last year of nursing school I did not think it would be an important factor in my application. All the best with applying!
  2. Hey SNJ, In my opinion I would say write your MCAT. Having your MCAT will allow you to diversify where you apply, gaining more experience in the application and interview process, and increasing the likelihood of gaining admission into Medical School. I have seen far too many people that apply to only one medical school for year after year, becoming frustrated with their lack of success. However, being an RN puts you in a special position as having to wait an extra year (or several) is not as difficult as it may be for applicants without a profession to fall back on. Although it is 100% possible to get in based on ECs and Casper alone, as I said before MCAT will allow you to apply to more areas and strengthen your application. I'm not a complete fan of Casper as it is difficult to gauge your success as a repeat applicant as there is no feed back. That being said, it is being used by more schools. Make sure you keep involved with your ECs even while working. If you consider your GPA isn't high enough to be competitive there is the possibility of graduate work to improve your GPA. Many schools provide a small, yet significant, 0.2 addition to your GPA if you have a Masters. Some schools have 1 year masters degrees or online degrees that are beneficial, such as Memorials 1 Year course based Masters of Public Health. Lastly, some schools have an increased value on "Mature" applicants, which is characterized as individuals 25years and older. There are many factors to consider together that make a strong application and it is beneficial to improve as many components of the application as possible. All the best
  3. Hey SNJ, I know this thread is older now but I thought I would give some info as well. I completed a BScN and am now an RN working in an emergency department. While I do love my work I am applying to Medical School. There is a doctor at my hospital that was a nurse before he became a doctor as well, so it is possible. I know of two RNs that are now in their second year of medical school, I know one that is applying at the same time as me, and I know of 3-4 others that are considering writing their MCATs so they can apply as well. It is definitely possible, but having Nursing as a background has its pros and cons. Firstly, I did not take courses such as Chemistry and Biochemistry, but instead took Pharmacology and other nursing related courses. For some medical schools it eliminates my eligibility as they require certain prerequisites which I could not take. This can also make the MCAT difficult, but with good preparation it should not be a problem. I would recommend seeing how many/which medical schools you can apply for with your current courses and move forward from there. Work experience as a nurse will also make it easier to prepare for interview questions that relate to healthcare. Lastly, I have heard that some medical schools in the US do not like taking Nurses as they need to "Re-Train" their thinking style from Nursing to Medicine. I don't know if thats true, but I don't think Canada has the same mentality. Both are excellent professions in need of highly qualified individuals and if you are committed to becoming a physician then don't let anything stop you. Hope this gives you some starting information.
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