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FAQ: What are my chances?


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Hey guys, long time lurker, first time poster. Thought I'd make an account just for this.

 

Province of residency: Saskatchewan

 

Degree: Bachelor of Science, honors

 

Averages:

 

1st Year: 88.4  3.8 GPA

2nd Year: 94.0 4.0 GPA

3rd Year: 93.7 3.99 GPA

 

MCAT: 522  (132 C/P, 131 Bio, 130 Psych/Soc, 129 CARS) Sadly CARS is my lowest. :(

 

EC's:

 

About 100 hours volunteering at a hospital, portering patients, changing beds, assisting nurses, training volunteers.

About 150 hours at a clinic, preparing food, babysitting children of patients, and supervising the volunteers (approximately 15 per shift).

 

Both of the above are in an underprivileged and largely aboriginal part of the city.

 

Volunteer physics and organic chemistry tutor, approximately 75 hours between three different people, and various other people that have requested help.

 

I recently just joined the student society for my program. I'm responsible for free drop in tutoring and putting together lectures and tutorials for the intro level classes.

 

I also participated in many sports in high school and was the captain of the football and basketball team in my senior year.

 

Work:

 

Worked for a school division for two summers in high school, mainly did maintenance work. 40 hr/week for 8 weeks per summer for two summers.

 

Worked for a construction company for two summers during my freshman and sophomore year. 40-60 hr/week for 16 weeks per summer, and drop in work occasionally in my junior year when they had projects and needed an extra worker.

 

Worked for the universities athletic department, working at football, volleyball, and basketball games. Approximately 50 hours in total. The only thing about this is my supervisor got let go, and I decided I was too busy to continue working with the new supervisor. I do not know who to put to vouch for this, but I do have the paycheque history that I could show them.

 

Research:

 

A summer of research in a lab. Will have one poster at a school competition, likely will be an author on a paper or two but will not be published by the time I apply to med school. My contract was for 40 hours/week but I averaged 50-60 hours a week so I don't know what to put for hours.

 

My honours thesis will be research based. Will not have started the research before I apply for schools though.

 

Awards:

 

A few awards through my school, mostly program related so I don't know if I should put them on my application or not.

NSERC URSA, funded my research over the past summer.

 

 

I just want to know what you guys think would be my chances at the schools, particularly the western schools. (UBC, Sask, Calgary, Alberta, Manitoba), and maybe some of the ones in Ontario and Quebec. I know it's a stretch, but would it even be worth it to apply to McMaster, Mcgill or Western?

 

 

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read through this, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

Xaphoon

It is people like this that make my 3.93 GPA seem pathetic haha. You will get in somewhere for sure, and if you don't this year you will for sure the next. Great work.

 

If only I knew how to study in first year...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,

 

Looking for some help understanding my chances at Canadian medical schools given my situation:

I am from Ottawa, Ontario.

GPA

1 year of advanced credits 
UG1 3.04 (4courses/semester considered full-time)

UG2 3.56(4courses/semester considered full-time)

UG3 3.85 (4courses/semester considered full-time)

UG4 3.78 (second semester was part-time as I needed fewer courses to graduate)

 

Course Based Masters GPA 3.85 (over 3 full-time semesters)

 

UG5 (second degree) 4.0 (5courses/semester)

 

MCAT

519 (130/130/129/130)

 

Extra-Curricular

Varsity-athlete, lots of volunteering, several full-time and part-time jobs, no research.

 

Any help would be much appreciated!

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Hi everyone,

 

Currently going into my third year this september,  gpa is at 92.1% (3.92) and seems like it will maintain around there. Also am IP for BC and UBC is my primary goal. I'm hesitant to apply to schools out of BC due to my extra curriculars.

 

Will Have at least this by time of application:

1) 50 hours over 8 months volunteering in a hospital (library cart, visiting patients)

2) 25 Hours over a month volunteering in a neurology clinic

3) 225 hours over 6 months working part time in an outlet store

4) 70 hours over 5 months working as a research assistant in a hospital recruiting patients for studies (mostly patient interaction involved with this as well)

5) 50 hours over 8 months volunteering at the aquarium (gallery educator, doing crafts and facepainting to teach kids about marine life)

6) 50 hours over a 6 month period involved in orientations

7) 24 hours over about 3 months volunteering during reading week education projects for various middle schools

8) 160 hours over a month working in a research lab in ophthalmology

9) 35 Hours over 8 months working as a tutor

 

From Highschool:

6) 20 Hours over 8 months working as a tutor

7) 60 hours for 2 years playing tennis

8) 110 hours over 10 months as a high school chemistry lab assistant

9) 30 hours over four months doing photography

10) 70 hours over 3 years in community service type club

 

Really appreciate your advice on where I should apply

Thanks!

 

 

Just apply. I'm sure you know you have a solid GPA, and nobody can really tell you how you fare in terms of you NAQ. Apply and find out - doesn't hurt to try; plus you're only in 3rd year!

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Hi all, I posted earlier but I didn't get any responses. I am very new to this world and I have very recently decided to pursue medicine. Please let me know what I should do! should I get another bachelor? apply to US? or to schools that offer DO?

 

I finished my undergraduate degree with no interest in medicine. I have taken a year off and have become interested in medicine. by the time I apply for medical school I will be three years out of school. I am from ontario and did Bsc in Psychology (honours).

This is the breakdown of my grades:

1 year: 3.3 , 27 credits

2 year: 3.27 , 27 credits

3 year: 3.86, 27 credits

4th year: 3.98 , 30 credits

My cgpa is 3.66 including three summer courses and my two last year is 3.92. Unfortunately I dont think I qualify for western because I haven't taken full year course load in my third year and I also didnt take a lot of 3rd year level courses in my third year because I had to take some of my prerequisite as I changed my major.

I have not written the MCAT yet but I am a very studious and hardworking person and I know I can get a good score.

I have 2-3 years of research experience, work as a private teacher, I have done a lot of community volunteering etc...

Now what are my chances? which schools I should look into? what should I do at this point (other than clinical research and writing my MCAT) ?

Sorry for the long question, I appreciate any response.

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Hi all, I posted earlier but I didn't get any responses. I am very new to this world and I have very recently decided to pursue medicine. Please let me know what I should do! should I get another bachelor? apply to US? or to schools that offer DO?

 

I finished my undergraduate degree with no interest in medicine. I have taken a year off and have become interested in medicine. by the time I apply for medical school I will be three years out of school. I am from ontario and did Bsc in Psychology (honours).

This is the breakdown of my grades:

1 year: 3.3 , 27 credits

2 year: 3.27 , 27 credits

3 year: 3.86, 27 credits

4th year: 3.98 , 30 credits

My cgpa is 3.66 including three summer courses and my two last year is 3.92. Unfortunately I dont think I qualify for western because I haven't taken full year course load in my third year and I also didnt take a lot of 3rd year level courses in my third year because I had to take some of my prerequisite as I changed my major.

I have not written the MCAT yet but I am a very studious and hardworking person and I know I can get a good score.

I have 2-3 years of research experience, work as a private teacher, I have done a lot of community volunteering etc...

Now what are my chances? which schools I should look into? what should I do at this point (other than clinical research and writing my MCAT) ?

Sorry for the long question, I appreciate any response.

 

All your questions rely on taking the MCAT exam in order to answer. I would definitely write the MCAT, see how you score then weigh your chances. Check PM101 for what sort MCAT score you need, then after you write determine whether or not you need a 2nd UG.

 

Hope that helps, feel free to PM me if you have more questions

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  • 2 weeks later...

C/P 130. CARS 127, B/B 128, P/S 130 -- 515 (93%)

 

GPA - approximately 3.8 cGPA --> I do NOT have full course load all years.

 

ECs I would say are above average - clinical, leadership, work, and extensive research experience (including 1 pub).

 

I know U of T is pretty much out, as well as Western. Any feedback would be great.

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C/P 130. CARS 127, B/B 128, P/S 130 -- 515 (93%)

 

GPA - approximately 3.8 cGPA --> I do NOT have full course load all years.

 

ECs I would say are above average - clinical, leadership, work, and extensive research experience (including 1 pub).

 

I know U of T is pretty much out, as well as Western. Any feedback would be great.

Mac would be a good shot if you do well on CASPER. Queen's would also be a good choice since they consider a Full-time year to be 3/5 course per term (but you need a total of 6/10 course for two terms), so you probably will be eligible for the 2Y GPA and be good for Queen's as well

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C/P 127. CARS 128. B/B 125. P/S 124 -- 504

GPA = 3.61 (3.39, 3.5, 3.71, 3.8) + Master's Degree

 

ECs are above average: 6 publications, 10+ volunteer, 10+ conference talks, varsity sports

 

 

Worth applying to Queen's or Mac (assuming I do well on CASPer)? Other Canadian schools?
MCAT rewrite may be required, but as above any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

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UWO's GPA requirements are pretty stable. 2 years at 3.7+ with full course load, and 18/30 credits each of those years must be at year 3 or higher. 

 

Ottawa's cutoffs for the applicant pool is usually around 3.85 for the English stream. The actual competitive range for English stream interviews is in the 3.9+ range. The French stream has different cutoffs and competitive ranges I think. Have a look at the Ottawa forum for more information. 

I think I meet that for UWO - GPA for year 2 and 3 is 3.8. Or do they not look at year 2 lol because I'm applying with only three years of undergrad completed, so I mean... I meet the posted requirement from the UWO website which says something like 3.0/5.0 courses should be of that year or higher, and I definitely have that for years 2 and 3.

 

Are you applying to the French stream? You can email them and they will tell you the min. for a stream, but it was a 3.85 last year for IP students, and higher for OOP in English. 

 

Not applying to french stream, that's just what the website says.

 

I'm getting the feeling I shouldn't even bother applying this year... Though I have a couple of strong reference letters, not sure how good the third one is but I have a feeling it's at least decent. I'm also 100% confirmed working on a manuscript now, just not sure where it'll be published. Hopefully a big-time cog neurosci journal but I have no clue. We haven't properly started work on the manuscript yet, still collecting data and analysing.

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Hey everyone,

 

I was hoping someone could give me some advice.

 

I just received my MCAT scores back today and I received a 512 (128/125/128/131). 

 

This limits my potential options to UBC (already applied as IP), Queens, and McMaster (I feel like I have no shot at U of T so not going to bother). 

 

At Queens using the 2-year rule, I have a 3.88 GPA. I have a cGPA of 3.83. I have good extra-curriculars (but a small amount of research experience).

 

Should I apply? Fortunately, money is not an issue, but I would prefer to be realistic. 

 

Also, I would like to confirm that both McMaster and Queens have reference letter deadlines of Dec 1 and Nov 1 respectively and not Oct 1st as OMSAS indicates. This entire process is new to me! 

 

Thank you for reading my post :)

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C/P 127. CARS 128. B/B 125. P/S 124 -- 504

GPA = 3.61 (3.39, 3.5, 3.71, 3.8) + Master's Degree

 

ECs are above average: 6 publications, 10+ volunteer, 10+ conference talks, varsity sports

 

 

Worth applying to Queen's or Mac (assuming I do well on CASPer)? Other Canadian schools?

MCAT rewrite may be required, but as above any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

Your Master's degree and impressive number of publications/talks is for sure a plus, I think. You MCAT definitely needs a rewrite if you want to apply to schools other than McMaster and Calgary (since as you know they only look at the CARS score). Your GPA is also a little on the lower side, though I'm sure you having a Master's would supplement that. Pretty good chance I think, especially if you improve your MCAT.

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Your Master's degree and impressive number of publications/talks is for sure a plus, I think. You MCAT definitely needs a rewrite if you want to apply to schools other than McMaster and Calgary (since as you know they only look at the CARS score). Your GPA is also a little on the lower side, though I'm sure you having a Master's would supplement that. Pretty good chance I think, especially if you improve your MCAT.

 

Calgary scores the entire MCAT as well, they do it under the global assessment of academics. CARS has its own scoring section worth 10% I think and is a cut off for OOP students. Doing poorly on the rest of the MCAT can still very much hurt you at Calgary.

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Hi friends,

 

I know this is a bit late in the month. This is my first time applying and I'm not sure which schools I should be applying to. I would be really grateful if you guys had any thoughts to share.

 

GPA: 3.71

 

MCAT: 519

 

Looking at the highly competitive GPAs across the schools I'm not sure which ones are realistic to apply to. Do you guys have any advice?

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Hey everyone,

 

I was hoping someone could give me some advice.

 

I just received my MCAT scores back today and I received a 512 (128/125/128/131). 

 

This limits my potential options to UBC (already applied as IP), Queens, and McMaster (I feel like I have no shot at U of T so not going to bother). 

 

At Queens using the 2-year rule, I have a 3.88 GPA. I have a cGPA of 3.83. I have good extra-curriculars (but a small amount of research experience).

 

Should I apply? Fortunately, money is not an issue, but I would prefer to be realistic. 

 

Also, I would like to confirm that both McMaster and Queens have reference letter deadlines of Dec 1 and Nov 1 respectively and not Oct 1st as OMSAS indicates. This entire process is new to me! 

 

Thank you for reading my post :)

 

Yes to your questions about reference letters! Not sure what you decided but I would agree that you have a decent shot at the schools you listed!

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