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At the post-interview talk Dr. Walker said that results could be released as early as mid-April but he said that is not very likely, so the predicted time line is mid April to early May.

 

So 36 days left if we find out April 15 (best case) and 59 days left if we find out May 8 (worst case.)

 

For reference, two years ago they found out on April 20th, and last year it was May 3rd.

 

I definitely wouldn't hold my breath for April if I were you ;) 

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Live out everyday as if it was last! You never know if you'll get hit by a bus tomorrow (literally and metaphorically).

 

But I'm also super curious to see if I got in this year. I want to see my score break down!

 

Technically, you don't want to see your score break down... because you don't get to see it if you get in!

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At the post-interview talk Dr. Walker said that results could be released as early as mid-April but he said that is not very likely, so the predicted time line is mid April to early May.

 

So 36 days left if we find out April 15 (best case) and 59 days left if we find out May 8 (worst case.)

 

For reference, two years ago they found out on April 20th, and last year it was May 3rd.

Two years ago the AB schools decided collectively to release results earlier so that students can decide whether or not to write the MCAT2015 earlier... I don't know for sure if they will hold true to that continuously from now on. 

 

- G

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  • 2 weeks later...

Usually I'm not an impatient person but waiting for admission decisions is so much worse than waiting for MCAT scores! Maybe you guys could answer this question, are OOP and IP applicants marked separately on the interview? On the reference statistics it looks like OOP and IP need the same score to get an offer of admissions, but OOP need a higher score to get an interview. If they're part of the same interview pool is it easier to get an offer of admission if you're out of province because your pre-interview score is likely to be higher than the average in province applicant?

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Usually I'm not an impatient person but waiting for admission decisions is so much worse than waiting for MCAT scores! Maybe you guys could answer this question, are OOP and IP applicants marked separately on the interview? On the reference statistics it looks like OOP and IP need the same score to get an offer of admissions, but OOP need a higher score to get an interview. If they're part of the same interview pool is it easier to get an offer of admission if you're out of province because your pre-interview score is likely to be higher than the average in province applicant?

 

I don't precisely know the answer to your questions but we can make some educated guesses. Someone please correct me if anything seems amiss.

 

In terms of scoring, my understanding is that, since OOP must meet a higher GPA and MCAT requirement, and assuming that all other sections are equivalent, you'd expect the average OOP interviewee to have a higher pre-interview score than the average IP interviewee. I'm under the impression that, after the interviews, all applicants are ranked in one large pool. Admission offers simply go down the list; except that, 85% offers go to IP (https://afmc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/en/Publications/AdmissionRequirements_en.pdf). So if the top ~155 applicants are all IP (and accept the offer) then no OOP will be admitted. This is unlikely since the interviewing OOP probably have fairly high scores. However, in the opposite extreme, if the #100 ranked person is OOP but the 15% OOP allowance has already been met, they will be skipped over and the next IP will be offered the spot. 

 

As for the number of OOP who interview and their relative chance, I don't know how many OOP people were invited for interviews. Last year, 80/522 interviewees were OOP (http://mdadmissions.ucalgaryblogs.ca/page/2/). That works out to almost exactly 15%. If those 80 OOP people are competing for 23 spots (29% offer rate), then their chances are the same as the 442 IP people competing for the remaining 132 spots (30%). But of course, the OOP people may be bumped if there is an abundance of excellent IP applicants. Put that all together and I think that IP and OOP have equal chances within their pool. Do we know if any of those numbers have changed this year? That may change my calculations. 

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I think that one big reason behind this is staffing. McGill probably has quite a lot of people involved in the process compared to the UofC. I think that the process in Eastern Canada is also more streamlined, less subjective, and thus less needing of (wo)man-hours to get through. I remember this post from Dr. Ian Walker earlier this year when he mentioned that because a member of staff was on sick leave, there was only him and another full-time staff working to get all the remaining applications reviewed to offer people interviews. Think about that for a sec :P 

That's everyone except those who don't seem to care much. My thought usually starts kind of like this:  "assumes is going to get in because of first time applying and little experience with huge-scale rejections, attempts to think more reasonably and remember that the process is incredibly competitive, think about pre-MMI scores and decides arbitrary result based on obviously-incorrect self-assessment, now thinks of interview performance, start think of the faces they made, start thinking about when they nodded to my arguments and wonder if they were just playing me, start thinking about the poker-faced interviewers, start really wondering if I did as well as I think in the MMI, wonder what I'll do if I get a rejection, think about how much I want to get it and how ready I am despite it being my first time, reach a mental wall...."

Basically iterations of this every day. I assess what could have been better and it takes me to a scary place of not having done enough or not being enough. I assess what I did well and the final destination is always "well, but I bet there's a lot of people just as good or better, right?"

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Now what upsets me a lot is talking to some people who also applied and have them tell me: "Oh, you know, I almost missed the deadline to accept interviews."/"Well, I applied just 'cause but I don't mind either way."/"I don't really care if I get in now, you know? I have this and that to do and I'd rather do those right now."

 

Nothing wrong with having priorities set straight. It upsets me because I am the kind of person who waited until I finished UG and knew I was mentally/physically ready to start med school. The fact that many people who are kind of "meh" about it will get in ahead of people who are really set on getting in is kind of unfortunate. This is especially when the person is a bro/lady-bro (what's a female version of bro?) and they're applying to make mommy and daddy happy and they don't give a single $h1t. But what do I know. Maybe that's just their coping mechanism. Maybe they sleep better at night :P

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Now what upsets me a lot is talking to some people who also applied and have them tell me: "Oh, you know, I almost missed the deadline to accept interviews."/"Well, I applied just 'cause but I don't mind either way."/"I don't really care if I get in now, you know? I have this and that to do and I'd rather do those right now."

 

Nothing wrong with having priorities set straight. It upsets me because I am the kind of person who waited until I finished UG and knew I was mentally/physically ready to start med school. The fact that many people who are kind of "meh" about it will get in ahead of people who are really set on getting in is kind of unfortunate. This is especially when the person is a bro/lady-bro (what's a female version of bro?) and they're applying to make mommy and daddy happy and they don't give a single $h1t. But what do I know. Maybe that's just their coping mechanism. Maybe they sleep better at night :P

Yeahhh, I think the majority of those people are using that as a defence mechanism in case they don't get in.  The medical school application process can cost hundreds/thousands of dollars (MCAT prep books/courses, MCAT registration fees, application submission fees etc.)  For most, you don't just wake up one morning and say "Meh, what the hell, I'll apply to medical school".  I think those types of people are just as insecure about the process as everyone else.

 

I think it's great that you've found your passion for medicine before even getting in, but you need to remember that some people discover their passion after spending a few years in the system.  These people still go on to become fantastic doctors!  On the flip side, there are many people who start medical school with lots of passion and then become super jaded by the time their training is done.  I know it's easy to get frustrated when others around you are seemingly non-chalant about the same things you lose sleep over, but the best thing you can do for yourself right now is to think about you.  The fact that you got this interview means that someone out there can see you as their doctor or as their colleague.  Don't lose sight of that!  

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"Oh, you know, I almost missed the deadline to accept interviews."/"Well, I applied just 'cause but I don't mind either way."/"I don't really care if I get in now, you know? I have this and that to do and I'd rather do those right now."

 

 

 

I'd put my money on defence mechanism for a whole lot of people (though there will always be those who applied because their mom made them). It is much easier to live disappointed than it is to feel disappointment... this is akin to the kid on the playground who constantly says "I don't want to play your dumb game anyway" when what they *really* mean is "I'm scared if I try to join your game that nobody will pick me to play, so instead I'm going to put up a wall"

 

Throughout my entire application process I moved through life as though I was not going to get in. So I absolutely was one of those people who had X, Y and Z lined up. I usually said "I hope to get in, but I expect I will not, so I have continued to live my life and build my career as though I am not getting in and these are my plans". Some people thought that was pessimistic but for me it was realism - the statistical odds were not particularly in my favour and it would be impractical for me to put my life on hold. It didn't make me any less thankful for my acceptance, if anything it made me much more mindful of how fortunate I was when I did receive a good outcome. 

 

It was a long wait until May and I know there were many times I willed the calendar to move faster. I dealt with it by making myself busy and working hard on my alternate pathway as though it was the only pathway until I heard otherwise. I know there is a temptation to analyze every number and try to make predictions and to micro-analyze every moment of the MMI - everyone does some of that but I strongly urge you not to get caught in that spiral. Invest your energy where it will have good returns - be that in building your "Path B" or pursuing the experiences you have always wanted to try but likely won't have time to try if you get into medical school. Heck, I took up glass fusing and lampworking, travelled, took on interesting new employment projects... Do whatever you want to do but carpe the heck out of that diem :-) 

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I hear you on the wait.

 

I went back to school after five years in a career I love. I applied this cycle actually thinking it would be a dry run, and that I wouldn't interview, I thought my GPA was too low. Hence being back in school, taking undergrad courses to try to bump up my GPA for the next application cycle.

 

It's been a bitter sweet process. I feel like I've totally killed school, and gotten the grades I needed, and it gave me something to do. But it's been hard working and being in school.

 

Now I feel like if I get in this last year taking undergrad courses will have been a waste of precious life, but if I don't, I will be thankful because I will have a stronger application.

 

 

March was okay, I worked full time, and had school full time. April I work and have school full time until the last day of classes.

 

Haha

 

AND THEN WHAT. HMMMMMMM? WHAT DO I DO THEN. Ahem. Cough cough. *nervous eye twitch*

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Hahaha beautiful  :lol:

It's always sobering to hear other people's experiences like this. One thing that I wish I had thought more about is what to do my undergrad in. I picked it FOR medicine (and realized that there really is no such need, since they accept any majors). I enjoyed it, but I don't see myself pursuing an M.Sc in it. If I don't get in this cycle I will apply for a MPH somewhere. I'd like to do that, but again it just feels like a stepping stone and not like something that has its own validity apart from getting me hopefully closer to being accepted in med. Other than that, my financial situation doesn't allow me to do a lot of extra things and pursue my dreams and whatnot. Working survival jobs until May is all I've got, which is why I think the answer is that much more important. I totally get it. If you've got a chance now to pursue your hobbies and dreams and other projects, that's great, both as a distractor and as something for self-actualization.

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