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Physics Science Pre-Requisites


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Hi everyone,

 

I had a question about physics pre-requisites. I have to re-take all my pre reqs as previous ones have expired. Since I am taking them at cegep level, I have taken mechanics and was thinking about taking either waves or E & M to meet the physics requirement. I was under the impression that I only had to take a total of 2 physics courses (even if taken at cegep level) - however, it seems that McGill is asking for the physics pre-reqs to cover the material pertaining to both those courses. It does not seem likely that I will be able to take both due to scheduling. I thought about taking them online but TRU and Athabasca's physics courses are not equivalent to McGill's... I am missing Org, Bio 2 and physics... The other option might be to take organic through athabasca (which is equivalent though will have to travel for in-person lab) and take 1 physics in the summer, and another physics + bio next semester...

 

I would really appreciate it if anyone could offer suggestions (personal experience in similar situation/s, other online/distance ed courses, etc). Unfortunately not possible to take physics at university-level due to scheduling (though I understand that McGill and Concordia both offer one physics class that covers material pertaining to waves and E/M unlike the cegep system).

 

Thank you very much in advance.

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Hi SunAndMoon,

 

Thanks for reading and responding.

 

I checked the equivalency online system here: https://nimbus-ssl.mcgill.ca/exsa/search/searchEquivalency

For both TRU and Athasbasca the physics courses are listed as not equivalent (you could double-check on the website itself). Have you heard otherwise?

 

 

Re: taking one or the other (waves or E/M) - that is what I had initially thought too. However, when I looked at the concepts that McGill is asking for, it lists the E/M stuff PLUS simple harmonic motion (covered in NYC waves/optics at cegep level). As per the document online “Have an understanding of simple harmonic motion as applied to sound and light waves" in addition to several E/M concepts (Available here: https://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/files/medadmissions/basic_concepts2017.pdf

 

Please let me know if you have any further information. Thanks again!

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You're talking about transfer equivalency. It's a transfer issue. These courses are fine as prerequisites. Contact adcom if you want to confirm it yourself but they normally accept them as prerequisites. Equivalencies varies from one faculty/school/dep to another that's why for course xyz the social work school can give credits, the engineering faculty might just give an exemption, and the bio dep might just outright reject it.

 

The concept page is a guideline of what you're expected to know before entering medical school but your courses don't absolutely need to cover 100% of it.

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  • 10 months later...
On 5/30/2017 at 6:06 AM, lcs.tmng said:

PS. Green lab, wet lab, home lab or virtual lab: whichever, you're courses need a lab component, that's non-negotiable.

 Has anyone heard of someone having fulfilled the Org Chem I prerequisite by completing Queen's CHEM 281 (online course with virtual labs)?

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Hey guys quick question

Given the ranks below, should I redo my prerequisites ( as now they would be expired) I can get an exception and keep trying to get in ( but unless i'm in top 30) the prerequisites will kick me out each time, or should I apply as NTP? where only the interview would count? re-taking the prerequisites would taken 1-2 ( closer to two as I also work full time now) years -

Ya from what I understood Mcgill only accepts two of the 7 prerequisites from Athasbasca ( they said online rest are not equivalent if I recall or am I getting something wrong) and you can't do virtual labs for a lot of them, dawson offers re-takes but they said 2-3 max courses per semester

POST MMI • Your MMI performance ranked: 105 out of 298 • On the science prerequisites, you ranked: 260 out of 298

Final rank 157/298  

 

 

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6 hours ago, Cardiolove01 said:

Hey guys quick question

Given the ranks below, should I redo my prerequisites ( as now they would be expired) I can get an exception and keep trying to get in ( but unless i'm in top 30) the prerequisites will kick me out each time, or should I apply as NTP? where only the interview would count? re-taking the prerequisites would taken 1-2 ( closer to two as I also work full time now) years -

Ya from what I understood Mcgill only accepts two of the 7 prerequisites from Athasbasca ( they said online rest are not equivalent if I recall or am I getting something wrong) and you can't do virtual labs for a lot of them, dawson offers re-takes but they said 2-3 max courses per semester

POST MMI • Your MMI performance ranked: 105 out of 298 • On the science prerequisites, you ranked: 260 out of 298

Final rank 157/298  

I think applying through NTP may not be the best solution here given the limited quota (I believe it is 2 seats?). Have you looked into the option #1 and option #2 in how they calculate the science prereq GPA? If you have completed all your option #1 basket, you are eligible to complete the courses under option #2 to increase your science prereq score.

You seem to have done well in the interview. If your prereq score was just as good, you may have landed on the waitlist with a high likelihood of getting in (since it moves ~18 spots generally). I would focus on upping the prereqs, take a look if option #2 is viable. 

EDIT: I believe option #2 has only 4 courses in the basket compared to the 7 in option #1, so you may complete it in less time given that you are currently working full-time.

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Hey guys, 

I  saw that the Biochemistry I is equivalent to cell biology and metabolism that is required in the option 2 for science pre-requisits. https://www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/studentinfo/undergrads/course-equivalencies . Do you guys know if I can use my biochem I (3cr) or II (4cr) to substitute that course ? 

Also, I did an organic chemistry course during my undergrad, which is only 2 credits. Should I retake a 3 credits course or can I use my 2 credits course for my application ? 

I'm uncertain on wether I should to retake some of my cegep classes (My GPA is very low), or work on fulfilling the requirements for option 2 (So far a decent GPA)....

 

 

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On 5/5/2018 at 10:17 AM, neodyme said:

Hey guys, 

I  saw that the Biochemistry I is equivalent to cell biology and metabolism that is required in the option 2 for science pre-requisits. https://www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/studentinfo/undergrads/course-equivalencies . Do you guys know if I can use my biochem I (3cr) or II (4cr) to substitute that course ? 

Also, I did an organic chemistry course during my undergrad, which is only 2 credits. Should I retake a 3 credits course or can I use my 2 credits course for my application ? 

I'm uncertain on wether I should to retake some of my cegep classes (My GPA is very low), or work on fulfilling the requirements for option 2 (So far a decent GPA)....

I would ask the first two questions directly to admissions to get an official reply.

I think it is important to point out that the basic science prerequisite GPA is used post-interview. If your option #1 basket is very low, it may be prudent to use option #2. In terms of pre-interview, your cGPA is what matters. If your cGPA is very low at the moment, this may be the barrier preventing you from landing an interview. 

 

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@Cardiolove01 @neodyme

1. DO NOT APPLY NTP IF YOU CAN AVOID IT

2. For course substitution, always get confirmation from Admissions first before you try and do it ASAP so you can retake/take another course early on in the summer.

3. For Option I vs Option II, an important consideration is when your CEGEP courses expire, unless that has changed.

The prereq stuff can get super tricky so I always recommend to email (not call) Admissions to get the best information and to have a written record of their answer.

 

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13 hours ago, la marzocco said:

I would ask the first two questions directly to admissions to get an official reply.

I think it is important to point out that the basic science prerequisite GPA is used post-interview. If your option #1 basket is very low, it may be prudent to use option #2. In terms of pre-interview, your cGPA is what matters. If your cGPA is very low at the moment, this may be the barrier preventing you from landing an interview. 

 

Thank you,

I was refused post-interview. My ranking for the science pre-requisits portion indicates clearly that they chose to evaluate me upon option1 GPA rather than option II. It can only mean that I didn't fulfill the courses criteria for option II. 

@SunAndMoon  So from what I understood on their website is that they choose the option with the highest GPA. ( although you must fulfill their criteria)

Sadly I tried to communicate with them via e-mail and I got no answer. And on their website it's written " The Office of Admissions is not able to assess your courses prior to your application. A determination of validity will be made only during the file review process."  which is not very helpful... 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 5/2/2018 at 4:31 PM, Cardiolove01 said:

Hey guys quick question

Given the ranks below, should I redo my prerequisites ( as now they would be expired) I can get an exception and keep trying to get in ( but unless i'm in top 30) the prerequisites will kick me out each time, or should I apply as NTP? where only the interview would count? re-taking the prerequisites would taken 1-2 ( closer to two as I also work full time now) years -

Ya from what I understood Mcgill only accepts two of the 7 prerequisites from Athasbasca ( they said online rest are not equivalent if I recall or am I getting something wrong) and you can't do virtual labs for a lot of them, dawson offers re-takes but they said 2-3 max courses per semester

POST MMI • Your MMI performance ranked: 105 out of 298 • On the science prerequisites, you ranked: 260 out of 298

Final rank 157/298  

 

 

I agree with SunandMoon Do not apply in NTP. Its the most competitive, unless you have stellar resume and cGPA and your competitors are all professionals. The best option is to retake courses. That will take time but then it depends on your long term goals.

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3 hours ago, Junior Member said:

I agree with SunandMoon Do not apply in NTP. Its the most competitive, unless you have stellar resume and cGPA and your competitors are all professionals. The best option is to retake courses. That will take time but then it depends on your long term goals.

Hi! Sorry I know that my question is not related to the topic, but Why is it advantageous to have competitors who are professionals? And what do you mean by professionals? Does it mean that students who are completeing a degree in occupational or physiotherapy are not advantaged when applying to McGill? Thank you

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6 minutes ago, med1998 said:

Hi! Sorry I know that my question is not related to the topic, but Why is it advantageous to have competitors who are professionals? And what do you mean by professionals? Does it mean that students who are completeing a degree in occupational or physiotherapy are not advantaged when applying to McGill? Thank you

My response was specific to NTP category. In this mostly professionals apply who are in job force. They have advanced degrees like lawyers, nurses and engineers. In my opinion (I could be wrong) its easier to compete with undergrads and grads at interview and it gives you the same level of competition than to compete with professionals at the interview who will have years of experience dealing with people.

(Assuming that undergrads and grads are coming fresh out of school)

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18 minutes ago, Junior Member said:

My response was specific to NTP category. In this mostly professionals apply who are in job force. They have advanced degrees like lawyers, nurses and engineers. In my opinion (I could be wrong) its easier to compete with undergrads and grads at interview and it gives you the same level of competition than to compete with professionals at the interview who will have years of experience dealing with people.

(Assuming that undergrads and grads are coming fresh out of school)

Alright, so what you meant is that it will be easier for them to compete with people who are NOT already professionals? 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The chances this year were higher then IP ( they accepted 5 out of 14 for NTP this year) also the pre requisite gpa of everyone who applies average was way lower 3.4 ish in NTP,  so if your competitive for IP your also competitive for NTP, ( it depends if next year they will also be accepting 5 out of 14) 

If you look at stats for this year for IP 3.72 was average gpa, and average who interviewed was a 3.88 for IP

For NTP  average GPA who applied was 3.47 and average who interviewed was a 3.86 for NTP

hence if academically you rated well for IP you should have a good chance of scoring an interview for NTP provided you do well on casper

This year they accepted 80/299  ( 26 percent) for IP they accepted 5/14 for NTP ( 35 percent) 

Also the prerequisites don't count for NTP just your interview which is a plus, as I keep doing well ish for interview but the prerequisites seem to always take me out, so I might have a better shot at NTP  while I figure out how to do all the prerequisites again while working full time, think about 300 candidates doing ish a similar station that is wayyy more variation in answers so the comitee has 300 ish responses to compare to choose the best out of those 300 and notably way more approaches, ( we had in IP  this year people with post docs, masters in physio, masters of nursing occupational) people who were nurses for 2+ years so also proffesional degrees in IP - and very very strong candidates 

True NTP is strong as well, but as theres less people interviewing there is less variation/possibility of different answers, and when the comitte compars they will look at 14 answers as opposed to 300 answers 

So I don't know actually that saying NTP is more competitive is true it depends on year to year how many they accept and how you stood in your rankings in IP I suppose 

 

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15 hours ago, Cardiolove01 said:

hence if academically you rated well for IP you should have a good chance of scoring an interview for NTP provided you do well on casper

 

 

The problem isn't getting to interview, but moving beyond that; NTPs interview very well. They tend to be advanced in their careers (lawyers, scientists, journalists) who are therefore well-practiced at interviewing and general 'people' skills (getting along well with difficult people, teamwork, etc). Moreover, they are selected exclusively based on interview. So you get one of those coveted 17 slots...but then have to be in the top 1-3 as measured by MMI to be selected. That's like 2-3 spaces per 160 applicants. Horrifying odds. Those selected tend to be exceptionally polished socially, extroverted, superb communicators etc....

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On 5/29/2017 at 12:09 AM, interestedinmed99 said:

Hi everyone,

 

I had a question about physics pre-requisites. I have to re-take all my pre reqs as previous ones have expired. Since I am taking them at cegep level, I have taken mechanics and was thinking about taking either waves or E & M to meet the physics requirement. I was under the impression that I only had to take a total of 2 physics courses (even if taken at cegep level) - however, it seems that McGill is asking for the physics pre-reqs to cover the material pertaining to both those courses. It does not seem likely that I will be able to take both due to scheduling. I thought about taking them online but TRU and Athabasca's physics courses are not equivalent to McGill's... I am missing Org, Bio 2 and physics... The other option might be to take organic through athabasca (which is equivalent though will have to travel for in-person lab) and take 1 physics in the summer, and another physics + bio next semester...

 

I would really appreciate it if anyone could offer suggestions (personal experience in similar situation/s, other online/distance ed courses, etc). Unfortunately not possible to take physics at university-level due to scheduling (though I understand that McGill and Concordia both offer one physics class that covers material pertaining to waves and E/M unlike the cegep system).

 

Thank you very much in advance.

Have you specifically asked McGill about TRU's courses? I'm in the same boat and I'm taking physics, OChem and bio at TRU this summer before med school starts in September at UdeM.

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On 5/2/2018 at 4:31 PM, Cardiolove01 said:

Hey guys quick question

Given the ranks below, should I redo my prerequisites ( as now they would be expired) I can get an exception and keep trying to get in ( but unless i'm in top 30) the prerequisites will kick me out each time, or should I apply as NTP? where only the interview would count? re-taking the prerequisites would taken 1-2 ( closer to two as I also work full time now) years -

Ya from what I understood Mcgill only accepts two of the 7 prerequisites from Athasbasca ( they said online rest are not equivalent if I recall or am I getting something wrong) and you can't do virtual labs for a lot of them, dawson offers re-takes but they said 2-3 max courses per semester

POST MMI • Your MMI performance ranked: 105 out of 298 • On the science prerequisites, you ranked: 260 out of 298

Final rank 157/298  

 

 

Hey, I know this is a late response but I absolutely recommend on redoing your prerequisites. I was in the EXACT same position as you last year. Performed well in my interview but I had a horrible prereq score. I took a gap year to redo mine and it was worth it. Feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to give you details on what I did. 

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