2019-2020 UofA Admission Decisions

[MedicineLCS]

Hello everyone, 

Here is the template:

Result: 

Geography: 

GPA: 

MCAT: 

Degree: 

E.C: 

Interview:

Thoughts:

[Applicant95]

Result: Regrets

Geography: OOP (Ontario)

GPA: 3.97 wGPA

MCAT: 524

Degree: B.Arts & Sc., M.Sc.

E.C: Fair amount of research (but no publications), wrote a novel, made a short film, tutoring, worked for an NGO in Greece, worked in hospital admin for 3 years. They graded it as 7/17.

Interview: Thought it went OK. Now that I was rejected outright (not even waitlist), I'm really dejected and worried. If the interview went OK and led to immediate reject, how can I possibly get into schools where my interview went even worse? Ugh.

Thoughts: Really disappointed. Being from Ontario stinks lol

[Ontario have mercy]

Result: Regrets

Geography: OOP (Ontario)

GPA: 4.00

MCAT: 523

Degree: BSc 

E.C: 6/16

Interview: Pass. Thought it went well but I guess not if I didn't even get waitlisted

Thoughts: Same as the poster above me, really second guessing my other interviews now. Hopefully I can get into 1 in Ontario. 

[chxiel]

Result: Regrets

Geography: OOP (Ontario)

GPA: 4.00

MCAT: 522

Degree:Bachelor of Science

E.C: 7/17.

Interview: Thought it was okay, not best not worst.... Just see a Pass on the application form. 

Thoughts: Kind of disappointed ngl

[MedicineLCS]

Result: Regrets

GPA: Nearly perfect.

MCAT: High teens, balanced

Degree: 4th year.

E.C: 6/17

Interview: Pass. I thought it went well. 

Thoughts: CASPer is apparently P/F and I know I passed it, so I must have been red flagged/the ECs were worth more than I thought. Nothing's guaranteed I suppose, but this means getting into Medicine will mean going to another choice. 

[KitKatCo]

(crossposted from the other thread)

Result: Waitlisted- off waitlist May 28th (will decline) 

Geography: IP

GPA: 3.98

MCAT: 521 (130/129/131/131)

Degree: Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology Hons. (UofC)

EC: Two summers of research (one paid, one student research bursary), STEM outreach program for elementary school children (volunteering+exec position), another student club exec position, Japanese speech contest. 

Interview: Felt less nervous than for an MMI since I was sitting at home. I don't think I stepped on any red flags but I was caught off guard by the question about the stuff I wrote in my application... It had been so long I had almost forgotten what I wrote haha.

Thoughts: I think my ECs may have been a little weak..? Congratulations to everyone who was accepted, and good luck to those on the waitlist!!  

[coffeeandmed]

Result: Acceptance!!!!! i cannot believe....honestly shaking and crying right now

Geography: IP

GPA: 4.00

MCAT: 505 (YES REALLY)

Degree: B.A & Sc. Honours

E.C: employment (20+ hours per week during university), lab work (15+ hours a week for honours), volunteering for Canadian Blood Services (~5 hours per week), humanitarian trip to Africa, 3 month language exchange, founder of Spoon University at my home university, care for my brother and grandmother (both have mental illnesses), volunteering at university (10+ hours per week)...

Interview: visual didn't work so I honestly wasn't expecting an acceptance

Thoughts: I'm so completely overwhelmed and excited. I will be accepting unless I receive an offer from UBC. 

[regretful spoon]

Result: regrets 

Geography: IP

GPA: 3.92

MCAT: 518

Degree: BSc (honours), currently doing PhD

E.C: 8/17 (4/17 last year but pretty similar just added some publications and scholarships aside from more hours to my volunteering)

Interview: passed (passed last year too)

Thoughts: just really sad at this point. Not sure what to do to improve aside from the interview and really didn’t want to have to go through this a third time  

[bruh]

Result: Regrets  

Geography: IP

GPA: 4.0

MCAT: 127.5

Degree: BSc (honours)

E.C: 8/17.

Interview: Pass. Looks like a pass means nothing though. See a lot of people rejected with a pass.

Thoughts: 3rd time applicant. First time for UofA. I actually felt like my interview went fairly well. I did a lot of practice over the winter and felt pretty confident. Maybe EC score is a major part of the selection. 

[medstress]

Result: Accepted 

Geography: IP

GPA: 3.84

MCAT: 519

Degree: B.SC. (honours) 2020

E.C: Hospital volunteering, lab volunteer, volunteer trip to South America, high performance sports, volunteer roles within sports, interests (scuba diving, traveling) etc. No publications.

Interview: Thought it went really well, the questions that were asked were on topics that I knew a lot about and was able to speak in depth about. 

Thoughts: First time applying and extremely grateful to have been accepted, will be accepting the offer unless I receive an offer from UBC. 

[NickAM]

Result: Regrets

Geography: IP

GPA: 3.96

MCAT: 127.75

Degree: Master's 

E.C: 5/17 

Interview: Passed the interview, but definitely thought it was the worst interview I've had. So caught off guard by the questions and the format.

Thoughts: I expected this decision after my horrendous interview, but it definitely seems that ECs are a big contributor. Wishing everyone else the best of luck

[macula]

Result: invite!!!!!!

Geography: IP

GPA: 3.95ish

MCAT: 521

Degree: BSc

E.C: lots of long term, no publications

Interview: very extensive practice and I am very comfortable with public speaking and interviewing

Thoughts: i'm still crying joy

[fymg1103yxy]

Result: regret

Geography: OOP

GPA: 4. 0

MCAT: 518 (128 CARS)

Degree: Master 

E.C: 5/17

Interview: Passed

Thoughts: I thought the interview went well since most of the question I have somewhat prepared for. Though not sure how the interviewer thought since I did felt a little uneasiness during the Interview. Not sure what pass meant where but my low EC definitely played a big part. Guess I will end up going to Australia since they don't care about EC at all. 

[theevilsloth]

Result: Regret

Geography: OOP

GPA: 4.0

MCAT: 516 (128 CARS)

Degree: BSc

E.C: 7/17

Interview: Passed

Thoughts: I thought it went well..It was so short though so hard to tell. Were there any OOP that got accepted??

[Ontario have mercy]

Did any OOP even get waitlisted?

[Rusty Verdigris]

Result: Accepted :)))))))

Geography: OOP

GPA: 3.97

MCAT: 524 (132 CARS)

Degree: BA

E.C: Dunno. I'm somewhat non-trad so lots of diverse work and volunteer experience. 

Interview: I felt like my interview was a train-wreck. I think maybe other parts of my application carried me through, because I was felt like my interview was just me babbling incoherently for half an hour--but who knows, maybe I'm poor at judging objectively. 

Thoughts: I was 100% ready for this to be a rejection. First time applicant and honestly kind of discombobulated by this result, but also of course thrilled! Maybe they mixed me up with someone else ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[cnect]

Result:  ACCEPTED 

Geography: IP

GPA: 3.9

MCAT: 512 (128 CARS)

Degree: First: BFA in Drama; Second: BA (Honours) in Psychology 

E.C:  Volunteer for the Distress Center, research assistant volunteering in 2 labs while doing my psych degree, peer leader at UofC during my psych degree, volunteer at the children's hospital, two jobs (1 at the children's hospital in research, 1 doing drama with queer youth in the community), lots of experience doing drama-related things, lots of travel. Also wrote about overcoming some experiences of personal adversity, and spoke about a few of my hobbies. 

Interview: It was so short I didn't know what to think! I thought I was myself and showed a passion for medicine. 

Thoughts: I'm shocked. I'm a first time applicant and I never expected to get in this year! 

[Mal]

Result: Accepted!!!!

Geography: IP

GPA: 3.63 (seriously)

MCAT: 521

Degree: BSc

E.C: Pubs and awards, long-term employment, PM me for more details if you like.

Interview: I thought it went really well, but I didn't know for sure!

Thoughts: Honestly wasn't sure this was ever going to happen!!!

[Dr. House's Good Leg]

Result: ACCEPTED (timestamp: 7:09pm est)

Geography: OOP (Ontario)

GPA: 3.95

MCAT: 509 (128 CARS)

Degree: B.A Geography/Anthro/Bio

EC: Im a mature student and had a long term career before embarking on this. I think that may have helped and offered a lot of life experiences. I had other diverse EC's but I never did anything that I wasn't passionate about. I guess I'm trying to say follow your passion rather than any "pre-med roadmap" and be yourself!

Interview: This was my first and only interview after 5 pre-interview rejections last year and 5 pre-interview rejections this year.  ALL YOU NEED IS ONE! This year was obvious a weird interview experience but I felt fine after I was done. I definitely didn't answer everything perfectly and ended up straying from the answer formula I had practiced for months. Overall had a pleasant experience with UofA and I cant wait to meet my classmates!

Who really knows what they are looking for in the end, but all I can say is never hesitate to be yourself!

[HoffmanPharm]

Result: Invite

Geography: ‘Berta Boy

GPA: 3.61

MCAT: 519

Degree: BSc 

E.C: diverse activities including lots of volunteer work in my cultural community and other settings (e.g long term care centre, Youth group), plus a few jobs including one very unique job. 

Interview: Had mixed feelings about it, but I did practice extensively. 

Thoughts: This journey has been a marathon and a half, but I’m so relieved to be at the end. It takes a village to make a doctor, and I can easily name dozens of people whom I couldn’t have done this without. Now I’m looking ahead to the future and all the challenges and rewards it’ll bring. Good luck to everyone & I’ll be sure to keep frequenting this community for a long time

[MDBelieve]

Result: Invite (will be regrettably declining this offer in favour of UBC, best of luck to those on the waitlist!)

Geography: OOP

GPA: 3.89

MCAT: 521

Degree: BSc (currently on a 2nd professional degree)

E.C: Good mixed-length (long term 5+ years & shorter summer activities) set of activities that showed qualities in leadership, self-reflection & personal development, inter-professional/collaboration and being able to communicate. There were a few key points in each of the pillars mentioned above that I made sure to hammer home & emphasize in writing during the application essay. Overall, I think retrospection, that is being able to think back to how all your culminated life experiences defined who you are today is important. Equally important is how you write it all down. This is coming from a 4th time applicant to medical schools in Canada who's been rejected pre-interview in each prior application year.

Interview: Thought the interview went really well! Although there were technical issues - there was still no need to panic

Thoughts: 4th time applicant to medical schools in Canada, and U of A is the first acceptance I've received. So happy! 

[Pgeer]

Result: Invite!

Geography: IP

GPA: adjusted- 3.75, non-adjusted- 3.62

MCAT: 519

Degree: BSc 2019

E.C.: 4 research studentships with scholarships, mentored high-school research students, 4 conference abstracts, 1 lead authorship of a manuscript currently in review, volunteer coach of a U8 and U18 soccer team, 2 abroad volunteer experiences (1 medical, 1 not), best man at wedding, MC at wedding, long-term sports involvement. Other than research, I didn't have any special ECs. I just really tried to emphasize how each activity expanded my maturity and outlook on life.

Interview: The virtual format definitely felt awkward for the first minute or so, but I soon calmed down and focused on making my answers feel like a conversation rather than a template script. It felt good at the end, but I definitely didn't think it would be much better than the average applicant.

Thoughts: I definitely thought my GPA would keep me from receiving an acceptance! I hope this helps for those who have a below average GPA! As most med applicants, I didnt feel I was competitive enough to receive an acceptance letter, so this is quite a surprise and I feel incredibly fortunate

[Med2be]

Result: ACCEPTED!!  

Geography: IP

GPA: 3.63

MCAT: 506 (126CP/124CARS/125BB/131PS) Re-wrote last august, scored 499 lol

Degree: Nursing graduated 2017

E.C:  Long term employment since 14 years. Full-time nurse in federal public safety; paediatric case management, pharmaceutical trials; Clinic lead for workplace health clinics locally and nationally. 5+ years community outreach work with vulnerable populations, heavy involvement with fitness industry and started school initiatives/ clubs, coaching. Long term experience abroad. Other random self-taught creative hobbies including community advocacy projects, photography, owning a business, marketing management, book publishing. Zero research. I wrote about personal challenges candidly in my personal essays. My experiences are all closely related and paint a clear picture of my values.

Interview: I loved the interview and was ecstatic when I heard about the new format. I felt like I really engaged with all the interviewers and was very purposeful with my answers. I incorporated very personal experiences and felt I was able to share a bit about myself at all times. I thought I almost made one of the interviewers cry because I shared something pretty intense and they were very engaged. 

Thoughts: I'm still pinching myself ... I'm over the moon and can't believe this is real!! I was rejected pre-interview last year and this year at Calgary. U of A was my first and only interview so I put tons of pressure on myself to prep. I'm shocked that I was able to make it considering my very low GPA and MCAT (especially my 499 rewrite, I thought I was a goner). But I hold my head high and proud that my life experience has carried me through this process and I'm now feeling just a bit proud of myself. Thank you everyone for your support, and to everyone still on this journey, PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out to me, I will gladly provide as much support and advice through this harrowing process. Thank you, and I can't wait to start this journey with my med fam.

 

[AlteplaseStat]

41 minutes ago, Med2be said:

Result: ACCEPTED!!  

Geography: IP

GPA: 3.63

MCAT: 506 (126CP/124CARS/125BB/131PS) Re-wrote last august, scored 499 lol

Degree: Nursing graduated 2017

E.C:  Long term employment since 14 years of age, I currently hold 3 health care professional positions - Full-time health officer in department of federal public safety/ national defence; paediatric case management, pharmaceutical trials; Clinic lead for workplace health clinics locally and nationally. 5+ years community outreach work with vulnerable populations, heavy involvement with fitness industry and started school initiatives/ clubs, coaching. Long term experience abroad in military trauma. Other random self-taught creative hobbies including community advocacy projects, photography, owning a business, marketing management, book publishing. Zero research. I wrote about personal challenges candidly in my personal essays. My experiences are all closely related and paint a clear picture of my values.

Interview: I loved the interview and was ecstatic when I heard about the new format. I felt like I really engaged with all the interviewers and was very purposeful with my answers. I incorporated very personal experiences and felt I was able to share a bit about myself at all times. I thought I almost made one of the interviewers cry because I shared something pretty intense and they were very engaged lol. 

Thoughts: I'm still pinching myself ... I'm over the moon and can't believe this is real!! I was rejected pre-interview last year and this year at calgary. U of A was my only interview so I put tons of pressure on myself to prep. I'm shocked that I was able to make it considering my very low GPA and MCAT (especially my 499 rewrite, I thought I was a goner). But I hold my head high and proud that my life experience has carried me through this process and I'm now feeling just a bit proud of myself. Thank you everyone for your support, and to everyone still on this journey, PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out to me, I will gladly provide as much support and advice through this harrowing process. Thank you, and I can't wait to start this journey with my med fam.

 

Yay! I am so happy for you. I am a nursing non-trad as well, and your story gives me hope that I will be able to gain admission someday too! Congrats!!

[petitmonstre111]

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