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FAQ: What are my chances?


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The chart is funny but somewhat hits a nerve for me....The part about research especially...What is up with profs ditching me last minute every time i apply for a summer research grant....I have the GPA for it:( I am so giving up right now..!

 

This belongs in the "I'm a whiny neurotic pre-med" thread.

 

To be made later.

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Hmmm... Great Chart!!) We can probably make a similar one for a 'What Courses Should I Take' type question.

 

On another note, how hard is it to get into the top US medical schools versus the top Canadian ones (esp. for the Ontario students who have next to no preferential treatment)? Is tuition that much more in the US minus expected scholarships for the average accepted Canadian student?

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Brilliant! We should nominate you for a Nobel :)

 

 

Edit I just looked it up, apparantly you either have to have already recieved a Nobel in medicine, or be sweedish or something to nominate.

 

I'll nominate you for a premed award - most useful contribution to premed101 of 2008. :) Gold Medal

 

 

Oh my god. you must be really terrific to get awarded that.

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How do you prepare for a college pre-med course in high school?

 

I agree that you should do well first in high school. Try to get the best grades possible. Some students will not realize this, but high school grades can also determine where will you be in the near future.

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^^ just to add to that, I didn't do anything in high school, didn't try, studied very little, pulled in 90%+ in all sciences regardless, so my advice would be to LEARN and enjoy learning the material to build early interest and build work ethic as well in high school. I wish I had, first year would have been a lot smoother lol.

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I'm a bit on the fence here...

 

I'm in CEGEP now.

 

R-Score: 33, (ack!)

Program of Study: Arts and Sciences (i.e. the Social Life Death Sentence)

Volunteering: Yes, 4hrs/wk for past 6 months, was a volunteer tutor last year. Will go on a humanitarian mission to Cuba in summer.

Shadowing: That too, with my volunteering. I have a mentor who rocks.

Leadership: Started high school newspaper that still exists after I left, was a prefect, Bruce M. Hicks award for most community service hrs graduating h.s, Shad Valley Alum.

Sports: Hate them! Gym class is torture, my lowest marks by far (mid 70's) (though I did try to dabble into some in h.s. without any success).

Activities: Debating in h.s., 7 years professional acting training, but had to quit in grade 11 to have time for my increasing workload, still perform in plays, however.

Music: Perfect pitch (vocal), though never had lessons (too much $$$). Sang in choir + musicals.

Academics: Governor general medal in h.s., Dean's List, Doing Harvard SSP.

Research: None :(

 

I found the flow chart interesting, but not exactly measurable...define "good grades", or "good R-Score". It's a bit fuzzy for CEGEP students...any advice?

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I'm a bit on the fence here...

 

I'm in CEGEP now.

 

R-Score: 33, (ack!)

 

...any advice?

 

Balster,

 

You are doing great! Your grades are higher than mine when I attended Cegep and McGill pre-med was not an option for me. I am now entering my final year of university in September, will study for and take the MCAT this summer, and will apply to med schools across the country in Sept. '09 and Jan. '10 for entry into med school for the fall of 2010.

 

Consider the following:

Now, sign up to be an EMS volunteer in Cote St. Luc. Soon, they start an intensive, crash 110 hour course and once you pass the exams, you start out as an EMS trainee in the field. By around December/Jan. you will cease to be a trainee. It is a fantastic experience.

 

If you cannot start EMS this summer, then sign up for STEP (student training education program) this summer (it is impossible to do both as there will be a conflict of schedule) at Royal Vic, it is designed for pre med students, there will patient contact and you will learn about differentmed specialties. You can sign up for Mini-Meds at Montreal Childrens Hospital starting in the fall, it is similar to STEP in a Childrens Hospital.

 

There are other volunteering possibilities at hospitals, with Cummings Centre, Montreal Association for the Blind, etc.

 

If you don't get into the pre med program directly from Cegep, then look at the Concordia University B. Sc. Program in Exercise Science where you have the possibility to follow a Clinical path doing internships working with patients. This also paves the way for a possible future in rehabilitation, in studying for Masters in P.T. or O.T., in becoming a Clinical Exercise Physiologist and is an excellent grounding for medicine. Far more fun than a straight B. Sc., although social life may still suffer a death sentence if you intend to be an A student.

 

Good luck.:)

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Hey guys,

 

Just had a reality check and am pretty pooped. I was pursuing a chance to get into any med school until I actually started reading admissions processes.

So.. heres how my university career has gone so far..

 

1st year: 2.0

2nd year: 2.5

3rd year: 3.0

4th year: 4.0 (87% average)

5th year: (aiming for another 4.0)

MCAT: 40

 

That being said... my CGPA is in the gutter: 2.6-7 or something around there.

 

After doing well on the MCAT and 4th year, I was absorbed in this false trance where I thought I had a great chance of getting in (If all went well for the 5th year). Then I started to read admissions from a bunch of CDN med schools. 90% of them require a 3.2 MINIMUM CPGA to be looked at. That being said, I've been cut right off the bat. The other 10% have out of province students (like me) that were interviewed with a 90% average (in the last two years), which I do not have.

 

I've come down from my high and back to reality.. someone enlighten me on where to go, what to do with these marks of mine..

 

Thanks.

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I'm totally not intending to be cynical here; however, if your average was 87%, how do you have a 4.0gpa in 4th year? Another option if you don't get interviews is to graduate, and do a second degree while maintaining incredible grades the entire time and keep applying.

 

I'm skeptical on the gpa though it sounds more in the 3.8-3.9(something) range.

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I'm currently going into my fourth year at McMaster and am planning to apply again at the end of this summer. I'm writing my MCAT again (8/8/11/Q first time) but my GPA is really starting to worry me after this year did not go so well. Any advice on what people think my chances are?

 

1st Yr: 3.52

2nd Yr: 3.94

3rd Yr: 3.76

 

Overall: 3.74

Best 2 Yrs: 3.85

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Hey guys,

 

Just had a reality check and am pretty pooped. I was pursuing a chance to get into any med school until I actually started reading admissions processes.

So.. heres how my university career has gone so far..

 

1st year: 2.0

2nd year: 2.5

3rd year: 3.0

4th year: 4.0 (87% average)

5th year: (aiming for another 4.0)

MCAT: 40

 

That being said... my CGPA is in the gutter: 2.6-7 or something around there.

 

After doing well on the MCAT and 4th year, I was absorbed in this false trance where I thought I had a great chance of getting in (If all went well for the 5th year). Then I started to read admissions from a bunch of CDN med schools. 90% of them require a 3.2 MINIMUM CPGA to be looked at. That being said, I've been cut right off the bat. The other 10% have out of province students (like me) that were interviewed with a 90% average (in the last two years), which I do not have.

 

I've come down from my high and back to reality.. someone enlighten me on where to go, what to do with these marks of mine..

 

Thanks.

 

that's a monstrous MCAT... think about the states?

 

I'd consider 2nd undergrad as well if that doesn't work

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Hey guys,

what chance do i have with a cgpa 3.76 (omsas) and a 11-9-11-S on the mcat? (plus i have all the regular volunteering/job/research stuff)? should i totally ditch all effort and go to the states?

No. A cGPA of 3.76 is not really that bad. People on these boards have quite high GPAs, so others start to think their GPA is too low. Depending on what section the 9 in your MCAT score is from, you'll meet MCAT cutoffs for some/most schools. Also, schools like Toronto, Western, Ottawa, Queens, Calgary, and Saskatchewan use different types of GPA weighting formulas, which will, most likely, give you a higher GPA than 3.76. Just go to the schools' websites for the way they calculate their grades, or use the search function from this site. Based on your GPA and MCAT, Canada is not out of reach for you.
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