Any university students turned off McGill due to Med-P?

[doc2B]

I don't know much about how the Quebec system works. I was just accepted to Dal in Halifax. But I was just reading this thread and thought I'd add my 2 cents.

 

I think the discussion about more spots for OOP versus IP is interesting. I agree with some of the previous posters, that it makes more financial sense for a province to accept more IP applicants. I think more people will ultimately practice at least for some part of their life where their family is, i.e. where they grew-up. I plan to settle down in Halifax. I for one am very glad that there are many more IP seats at Dal than OOP seats otherwise I don't think I'd be starting med school in the fall. I think it's also fairly common to see different standards for IP versus OOP applicants. There are definitely higher standards at Dal for OOP than IP.

 

Although age has something to do with maturity I think life experience is the key. I don't think University is the key to gaining life experience, people can gain that from any where. I'm sure there are many children around the world that have been through more than any of us could ever imagine. That being said the more time you have on earth the more experiences you're likely to have. There are many 50 year olds that are very immature however. Also if age was the big issue how would you deal with the person that skipped a bunch of grades and started an undergrad degree at age 12 for example. (There was someone in my undergrad class that graduated with a 4 year degree before he was old enough to drive a car). Let's not forget Doogie Houser, M.D.

 

In all seriousness though... it used to be quite common for medical schools to accept applicants after only 2 years of undergrad. I understand being annoyed at the double-standard of no degree versus a 4 year degree. I agree that a 3 year degree should be acceptable at least on a case-by-case basis. I know that some schools are moving away from 3 year degrees however. I know that when I started undergrad you could do a 3 year (15 credit) or 4 year (20 credit) degree, now Dal (to my understanding, I could be wrong) doesn't have the 15 credit degree option available. Although they are known to accept applicants after only 3 years to their medical school (but only a small number of these applicants).

 

Don't get me wrong I love school. I don't regret doing any of it. I have an undergrad degree (which I did in 5 years), yes there is stuff I learned that I'll never use again but it was interesting to learn about. And a masters degree (2 years). And I'm very excited to start the next 4 years of med school. You should never feel like your schooling was a waste of time. I'm sure you learned something interesting. That's the good thing about medicine as well you'll be constantly learning new things throughout your entire career. And there will be things that you learn in medicine (at least early on) that you might not use that much of in the future, especially if you have a very specialized practice.

[kinemed]

Quite the opposite here, I wish I hadn't wasted 3 years of my life in undergrad. I didn't go to CEGEP, but I wish I had, and gotten in straight from there. My first couple of years in med school would have been more painful, but I would have bypassed 3 fruitless and stressful years of undergrad.

 

While it seems that some people in this thread are rather averse to spending a few years in school learning about things outside of medicine, I relished the 4 years I had to relax, play a varsity sport, take courses outside of science/med that interested me, spend 3 years as a student athletic therapist, conduct my own Honours research study and write my thesis, party (of course), volunteer, and overall have a more laid-back (at least for me) experience than med school will be...all while keeping a 4.0 through 4 years.

 

Not all future MDs have one-tracked minds - my undergrad let me explore other things before I go into medicine.

[Yood]

In comparison to those who found their undergrad degree a useless pursuit, I have to disagree. I am so glad I had the opportunity to pursue my interests in an undergraduate program and really learn some hard science, along with a couple of humanities I took on the way. I feel that an undergrad gives you an education, while medschool gives you the practical skills needed for a career.

 

Then again, that's just how I am. What I tell people is that they have a strong interest in something, that they should pursue that in undergrad prior to applying to medschool.

 

To qualify my response a bit, it really does depend on your program. Take something challenging and which you enjoy and I really don't see how you could regret it.

 

This didn't happen to me, but it also gives you the chance to see if perhaps that interest might be a good career in of itself. There is SO much out there, and I don't see how one can make a truly informed decision so early.

[bonydoc]

Mikkey obviously does not know what he/she is talking about and underestimates the capability of the Med-Ps.

 

I was in a recent graduating class. Who won the Holmes medal (top prize all around)..a Med-P. Who won the surgical prize...a Med-P. The Pediatrics prize...a Med-P. Some of the other subspecialty prizes were also taken by Med-Ps.

Number of people who failed Med-1 in our class: 3.

Number of pre-meds among them: 0.

 

While there is some catch up to do, the cegepers catch up to their older counterparts when clinical rotations start.

 

I see no reason for them not to be part of the medical class. They are very capable.

[ontariostudent]

Forgive me, I haven't read the previous discussion but I will offer my 2 cents.

 

I was accepted at McGill and chose to attend another Canadian school (U of T). One of the reasons was the Med-P factor. It's not because the Med-Ps are less capable or qualified, but because I didn't want to be so much older than so many of my classmates, with such a different educational background (I have honours and masters degrees). I appreciate diversity, but when half the class is made up of cegep students, it's not exactly diverse. Also, the Med-P students are probably much more energetic than I'll ever be... no wonder they have historically done so well! I want to be around people who are just as burnt out as I am

[Kinase]

These students with university backgrounds (b.sc,ba,msc...) will get less arrogant when they'll get their ass kicked by 20 year old med-Ps.

 

Straight from cegeps = beasts

[thebouque]

true

cegep student are stronger than all the guys who have a bachelor, otherwise pple with bsc would ve got in right after cegep (i'm talking about in province students here, not oop who HAVE to do an undergrad and dont go through cegep). By the way i'm not a straight from cegep med student.

 

Peace

[Kinase]

true

cegep student are stronger than all the guys who have a bachelor, otherwise pple with bsc would ve got in right after cegep (i'm talking about in province students here, not oop who HAVE to do an undergrad and dont go through cegep). By the way i'm not a straight from cegep med student.

 

Peace

 

Yeah but it's still dangerous too say things like we said. In the long run, there will not be differences.

 

I've known many med students who completed a b.sc before med school because they didn't get in straight. Many matched into competitive residencies and finished the curriculum on the dean's list.

[thebouque]

I shouldnt ve said that cegep kids were stronger than all the kids with a Bsc (or Ba). However they are stronger as a group.

[Sim]

There's absolutely no contempt to have towards McGill's faculty of medicine because of the Med-P program. The education during the doctorate remains the same; an education with one of the highest fame across Canada.

 

If you can't bypass the fact that some of the other students get in at a younger age, I guess you'll miss a great university.

[MD-TheNon-MD]

I just want to add... it's only a two year difference.

[kenjuro]

I totally agree with you, these two years are not a waste of time. If you're doing a bachelor in a program related to the medical field, it will be a good basis for when you will enter the med program. I have a friend in med-1 and until now, a lot of stuff that they saw it's stuff you'll also see in your undergrad (molecular bio, metabolism, physiology). Just think of it as a complementary.

 

P.S time is not a problem especially when you plan to go into med school. If you do get into med, you shouldn't consider the time it will take you to be a doctor if you really want to do it

[kenjuro]

And yea, med-Ps are extraordinary people considering they could pass all the requirements to go into med lol

[redmarshmallow]

why more OOP places? hopefully there are IP quotas... do you realize that Qubec's taxpayers are funding a part of those OOP students who will flee the province as soon as they graduate?

[dentalmontreal]

Do you realize that they pay more tuition fees?

 

Do you realize that leaving after graduation for a residency and fellowship somewhere else is an excellent way to improve the knowledge and widen the medical horizons of any future physician?

 

Do you realize that 50% of international students leaving after graduation does not mean 50% not returning after residency somewhere else?

 

Do you realize that if McGill’s students leave Quebec, it’s because they are more welcomed in the US or OOP than then french students from UdeM/UdeS/ULaval because of the language barrier and school international reputation ?

 

Do you realize that being born from one side or another of Quebec’s border should not mean that you are less of a potential physician?

 

Do you realize that most international residents are granted a place prior to accepting not to practice in Canada after completing their specialty?

 

Do you realize that you are also funding Montreal Canadiens because of the government’s fiscal and monetary contribution while you never complain that Alex Kovalev left Montreal for another city because of a better salary?

 

Do you realize that when you already studied 3 yrs to get a B.SC. + Money for MCAT + Travelling + Interviewing + 4 years of salvery with no salary = xxx.xxx$ loans and that having an offer in the US where you work less the time to make twice the salary with half the taxes, it CAN sound appealing?

 

Do you finally realize that I might sound arrogant but I only want to show you that any student OOP or IP sees an injustice in some rules depending if it’s increasing or decreasing the concerned number of spots, and therefore, you should concentrate on giving the best of yourself to become a great physician, which I really hope you will become

[redmarshmallow]

if its all about money that OOP come to montreal, well, what can I do, huh...