A REALLY BAD R SCORE

[Smika]

Hey, 

im a college student with a really bad r score (I’m talking 22...) but I have still two semesters left and really want to be a pediatrician. Is it still possible for me to get into médecine? What can I do to get in? What are my options? Do I really have to give up the idea? Pls help me out... I’m so lost:(

[Bambi]

Are you in Cégep or university?

If in Cégep, read every post here: 

 

[MEDusa]

17 hours ago, Suvatmikka said:

Hey, 

im a college student with a really bad r score (I’m talking 22...) but I have still two semesters left and really want to be a pediatrician. Is it still possible for me to get into médecine? What can I do to get in? What are my options? Do I really have to give up the idea? Pls help me out... I’m so lost:(

It might take you another few years in university, but don't give up if this is really what you want!!!! You'll see how fast it goes by

[Smika]

On 12/17/2019 at 8:11 AM, Bambi said:

Are you in Cégep or university?

If in Cégep, read every post here: 

 

I did and I also checked the admission requisites for the program and it said I have to have 27 of R score for it

do you have any other options?

Also that so much for answering! It is giving some hope:)

[Smika]

On 12/17/2019 at 3:12 PM, MEDusa said:

It might take you another few years in university, but don't give up if this is really what you want!!!! You'll see how fast it goes by

Thank you for the kind words! 

How does the process work?
how can I get there?

I have such a trashy r score :(

[amt6500]

When I finished Cegep, I had a mix of amazing and terrible grades. In the end, I put medicine on hold and pursued other interests in university. 3 degrees later including a masters I decided to apply. I went for degrees that gave me employment opportunities in fields that I enjoyed and I have a professional degree in healthcare. Because I was passionate about it, I got great grades which translate to higher chances of getting an interview on top of my professional title and CV. 

To be fair, MD is my dream but I am now 32 and applying. Last year I finished number 2 on waitlist (sigh). Garbage R scores can be mediated by going the university route, performing extremely well and overall completing your science prereqs with good grades. Mine are not that great so I am doing option 2 for science prereqs at Athabasca while working full-time. If you want this, and I mean if you are hungry for it... Go to university into a program you like and succeed.

I don`t want to be a downer but considering you have 2 semesters left, it means you have not completed the course load in the prescribed timeline and with 22 R-score you probably failed some or passed marginally. 

I would suggest that you take these 2 semesters to really think about what makes you perform poorly and you fix it before university. That could be any kind of social context (family, income, etc) or personal difficulties with focusing on the task at hand and planning for the future. Maybe ADD? Who knows but get that in check right now. As in, you read this reply and you start thinking seriously about what is keeping you down. You won`t fix your R score in 2 semesters but you can hit University and in 3 years have a stellar GPA. Figure out loans and bursaries and get everything going for you. Your CV is important, find small things you can do to pad that up.

Life sucks, getting into med sucks but if you are truly passionate about pediatrics, then go into a field that deals with children and go from there. I would recommend social work, nursing or teaching. With that R score however, options are limited. Social work at McGill is a great program and you can get great grades if you can write good papers and know how to cite APA lol. It is also the most likely chance you have at a children related field for admissions as they ask for a letter of intent and they actually read it. 

Good luck!

 

PS : better be ready to finish a degree in 3 years too or you will have to justify why you did not have a full course load. 

[Smika]

5 hours ago, amt6500 said:

When I finished Cegep, I had a mix of amazing and terrible grades. In the end, I put medicine on hold and pursued other interests in university. 3 degrees later including a masters I decided to apply. I went for degrees that gave me employment opportunities in fields that I enjoyed and I have a professional degree in healthcare. Because I was passionate about it, I got great grades which translate to higher chances of getting an interview on top of my professional title and CV. 

To be fair, MD is my dream but I am now 32 and applying. Last year I finished number 2 on waitlist (sigh). Garbage R scores can be mediated by going the university route, performing extremely well and overall completing your science prereqs with good grades. Mine are not that great so I am doing option 2 for science prereqs at Athabasca while working full-time. If you want this, and I mean if you are hungry for it... Go to university into a program you like and succeed.

I don`t want to be a downer but considering you have 2 semesters left, it means you have not completed the course load in the prescribed timeline and with 22 R-score you probably failed some or passed marginally. 

I would suggest that you take these 2 semesters to really think about what makes you perform poorly and you fix it before university. That could be any kind of social context (family, income, etc) or personal difficulties with focusing on the task at hand and planning for the future. Maybe ADD? Who knows but get that in check right now. As in, you read this reply and you start thinking seriously about what is keeping you down. You won`t fix your R score in 2 semesters but you can hit University and in 3 years have a stellar GPA. Figure out loans and bursaries and get everything going for you. Your CV is important, find small things you can do to pad that up.

Life sucks, getting into med sucks but if you are truly passionate about pediatrics, then go into a field that deals with children and go from there. I would recommend social work, nursing or teaching. With that R score however, options are limited. Social work at McGill is a great program and you can get great grades if you can write good papers and know how to cite APA lol. It is also the most likely chance you have at a children related field for admissions as they ask for a letter of intent and they actually read it. 

Good luck!

 

PS : better be ready to finish a degree in 3 years too or you will have to justify why you did not have a full course load. 

Wow! thank you so much!

But what do you mean by the university route?

do you mean bachelors and undergraduates?

What about French universities?

I’m actually a french Cegep student...

does that open any doors?

[Bambi]

On 12/18/2019 at 10:53 PM, Suvatmikka said:

I did and I also checked the admission requisites for the program and it said I have to have 27 of R score for it

do you have any other options?

Also that so much for answering! It is giving some hope:)

Poor grades in Cégep only mean one thing. A direct path to Med from Cegep is out of the question. 

You can take a University program at UdeM, Concordia, McGill for a bachelors where you have an interest, Will work hard and smart, treat your studies professionally, be motivated, key your eye on the prize and you will achieve your goal.

There is no rush, you need to mature, to develop strong time and stress management skills, along with good and effective study habits to attain competitive grades. Better to do poorly in Cegep than in university! 

[Smika]

16 minutes ago, Bambi said:

Poor grades in Cégep only mean one thing. A direct path to Med from Cegep is out of the question. 

You can take a University program at UdeMl, Concordia, McGill for a bachelors where you have an interest, Will work hard and smart, treat your studies professionally, be motivated, key your eye on the prize and you will achieve your goal.

There is no rush, you need to mature, to develop strong time and stress management skills, along with good and effective study habits to attain competitive grades. Bettervto do poorly in Cegep than in university! 

Thank you for your advice!

I will work hard!

[amt6500]

11 hours ago, Suvatmikka said:

Wow! thank you so much!

But what do you mean by the university route?

do you mean bachelors and undergraduates?

What about French universities?

I’m actually a french Cegep student...

does that open any doors?

When I said university route, I meant going and doing a 3 year bachelor degree. There are a few things to consider. The bachelor needs to be completed in 3 years and the progression of courses should be observable. Like level 200 (intro), level 300 (courses in the field you are studying) and level 400 (usually final year specific courses) this was the model at concordia and mcgill. At UdeM, the course codes are different and I cannot stand their online portal. Makes me rage every time I try to do something there. 

The university does not matter as long as you do a 3 year bachelor of something. I think  Bacc en cumul de certificat are not recognized but you would have to double check. 

McGill is in a way, the easiest university in Québec to get into because their format of admissions is favorable to people who have completed a first or second degree and they actually take the most advantageous set of conditions for you (in my case at least since I have multiple undergrads, etc.). It is also the only university that does not require calculus as a prereq LOL. God I hate calculus! 

As I said previously, and as was mentioned in a previous post. What will open doors is methodical, strategic studying strategies AND a lot of time into school. Put yourself in debt if you have to but try as much as you can to not work during your undergrad. If at all possible. I worked during my studies but my situation was a bit complex. If you can, please try to focus 100% on school. Medicine applicants are the best academically and you will have to compete with them. The advantage with taking your time is that maturity is a significant aspect of the selection process (indirectly). What I mean is that the interview is not about memorization but about who you are. 

Far away are the days were being a bookworm gets you into medicine. I know many 4.0 GPA students (that`s a perfect GPA by McGill standards) who have not been invited to interviews or who have bombed the interview. They ask for more than just capacity to perform, they want an overall good fit for a physician in the new millennium which means a well rounded person. Instead of work, I suggest you invest time in extracurricular activities such as sports, social clubs, school politics and so on. 

Feel free to message me privately if you want to chat about something in more detail, I also speak french in case you prefer that. 

 

Happy holidays!