taking an extra year

[biochem4]

I was wondering what are the pros and cons of taking an extra year with courses that don’t count anymore in your degree?thanks

[scrubbed0ut]

1 hour ago, biochem4 said:

I was wondering what are the pros and cons of taking an extra year with courses that don’t count anymore in your degree?thanks

Pros: improving your GPA to the point that some med schools could use that year for GPA calculations 

Cons: not getting accepted into med/ money and time wasted 

[biochem4]

do med schools in Canada care if that year is just literally an extra year of study? For the cons you stated, does that mean there is no assurance in the end if I’d be accepted?

[rmorelan]

I suppose another plus is a year in school often makes it easier to continue those ECs and MCAT prep which could also help. 

[rmorelan]

1 minute ago, biochem4 said:

do med schools in Canada care if that year is just literally an extra year of study? For the cons you stated, does that mean there is no assurance in the end if I’d be accepted?

lots of people do 5th years for all kinds of reasons so they don't really care directly. Depending on what you are doing some schools have a few rules (like not graduate for instance for some, keeping an appropriate mix of courses, and for those that look at your transcript ideally there would be some sense to the year - not just obviously bird courses scattered about). 

yeah doing the 5th year's primary con is that is it another year of time and expense. Doing that extra year and still not getting in is of course painful (not getting in is always painful) but maybe a bit more painful as you sacrificed more money/time etc. Salt in the wound and all that. 

Often a fifth year really is the best way to repair the GPA.