Not sure what to do.

[kelaurn]

This is what we’re working with after having converted my GPA via the OMSAS conversion table: 

year 1: 1.45 

year 2: 3.31

year 3: 3.80

year 4: 3.90

year 5: 4.00

My cGPA is still quite low due to my first two years. That means I’m not very competitive at schools that look at your overall GPA. I also don’t have many course prerequisites for various other schools. My goal this year is to study hard for the MCAT (I’ve never written it before) and then apply to Queens, Dalhousie, and Western in the upcoming cycle. I understand that there is a maratime component for Dal, but I obtained my degree from there and only moved back home because I was offered a job at Sick Kids. Currently I’m an Ontario resident. 

Honestly, I never thought medicine was in the cards for me, so that’s why my undergrad is quite messy in terms of prerequisites. However, I’ve made the current year while waiting to apply all about getting research exposure, continuing to develop my skills in a clinical setting, continuing to volunteer, and studying hard for the MCAT. 

While I’m applying to medical school in the upcoming cycle, I’m thinking about applying for my masters to become a nurse practitioner incase I don’t get in, and then applying again to med school in my last year of my masters. 

Does this seem like a reasonable plan? Honestly, I’m really new at this and not sure what I’m doing and could really use some advice from those who have been there and done that. 

Thank you for listening to me. 

[JohnGrisham]

So, are you currently a nurse? 

 

Are your years full-time or rather meet requirements for queens and western?

[kelaurn]

37 minutes ago, JohnGrisham said:

So, are you currently a nurse? 

 

Are your years full-time or rather meet requirements for queens and western?

I am currently a nurse and all of my university years, except first year, have been full time (I honestly just shouldn’t have gone to university in that year lol). In particular, I have taken full course loads in my final two years, so I do meet the course load requirements for Dal, Queens and Western

[JohnGrisham]

1 hour ago, kelaurn said:

I am currently a nurse and all of my university years, except first year, have been full time (I honestly just shouldn’t have gone to university in that year lol). In particular, I have taken full course loads in my final two years, so I do meet the course load requirements for Dal, Queens and Western

And all graded coursework?  I ask because most nursing programs are full time but not all graded coursework.

[kelaurn]

3 minutes ago, JohnGrisham said:

And all graded coursework?  I ask because most nursing programs are full time but not all graded coursework.

Yeah I know what you mean! At Dal all of the courses that I took during the regular academic year (September - April) were graded and not pass/fail. I had a mix of graded and P/F courses taken during the spring/summer semesters only. 

[Vendar]

I think you should also consider applying to UBC and McGill as well.

UBC will only look at 90 credit I believe, so your lowest year should be dropped! 

McGill's conversion system benefits some people as both an A and A+ in some universities are considered a 4.0 for McGill. You can always give McGill a letter to explain your performance in the first two years of your undergrad and talk about the positive trend seen in your last years.

 

[kelaurn]

3 minutes ago, Vendar said:

I think you should also consider applying to UBC and McGill as well.

UBC will only look at 90 credit I believe, so your lowest year should be dropped! 

McGill's conversion system benefits some people as both an A and A+ in some universities are considered a 4.0 for McGill. You can always give McGill a letter to explain your performance in the first two years of your undergrad and talk about the positive trend seen in your last years.

 

Okay, thank you for mentioning that. I've done a bit of research on UBC and I believe they have an English course requirement, which I do not have. It would be nice to take this year to take various courses required at different schools in order to apply to a broader list of schools, but I am currently working full time (and studying, and volunteering, and taking on a research position). 

As for McGill, I always just assumed it would be impossible to get in there given that I'm not IP for Quebec, but I'll definitely do more research! 

[Jon Snow]

Would Ottawa's wGPA system also work in your favour? I think they only look at your most recent 3 years, and your upward trend would set you up very nicely. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. 

[kelaurn]

5 minutes ago, dehindu said:

Would Ottawa's wGPA system also work in your favour? I think they only look at your most recent 3 years, and your upward trend would set you up very nicely. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. 

I would meet the prerequisite requirements for Ottawa, but I have never taken organic chemistry.

[Jon Snow]

11 minutes ago, kelaurn said:

I would meet the prerequisite requirements for Ottawa, but I have never taken organic chemistry.

Perhaps reach out to them and ask if you can apply without having taken organic chemistry, but that you would complete it prior to matriculation if you were accepted? Include how it was difficult to fit that pre-requisite in given your professional nursing program. You never know, they might be willing to make exceptions with the right wording

[alrightythen]

 

3 hours ago, kelaurn said:

I am currently a nurse and all of my university years, except first year, have been full time (I honestly just shouldn’t have gone to university in that year lol). In particular, I have taken full course loads in my final two years, so I do meet the course load requirements for Dal, Queens and Western

Not sure if it's implied when you say "full time" but did you have a full course load in all of those years?

[Butterfly_]

You can take online English courses to meet UBC’s English requirement. I did mine with TRU Open Learning (Thompson Rivers University) - easy and not time consuming. 

[kelaurn]

44 minutes ago, dehindu said:

Perhaps reach out to them and ask if you can apply without having taken organic chemistry, but that you would complete it prior to matriculation if you were accepted? Include how it was difficult to fit that pre-requisite in given your professional nursing program. You never know, they might be willing to make exceptions with the right wording

Yeah that's absolutely true! It never hurts to just send them an e-mail and ask. I'll do that for sure. Thanks

[kelaurn]

18 minutes ago, dryorku said:

 

Not sure if it's implied when you say "full time" but did you have a full course load in all of those years?

First year: 6 courses. 

Second year: 9 courses.  

Third year: 10 courses. 

Fourth year: 10 courses. 

Fifth year: 10 courses. 

[kelaurn]

12 minutes ago, Butterfly_ said:

You can take online English courses to meet UBC’s English requirement. I did mine with TRU Open Learning (Thompson Rivers University) - easy and not time consuming. 

Oh that's amazing! I'll actually look into that. Thank you so much. 

[drang]

I have already posted something similar in the Non-trad group, but seriously consider U of M in Winnipeg. They drop your worst 30 credit hours (if you have a hypothetical four year degree of 120 credit hours).