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Okay, so I was accepted into this program, and I was wondering if it's overrated, or if it will really provide some superior education that will make it easier to get into med school. Is it a more difficult program? would it be better to go to an easier program for undergrad.

 

Thanks so much!

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If med school is your end game, stick with the Health Science program. Its a well rounded program that will give you insight into various aspects of medicine (health policies to pathophysiology). As for difficulty, there's been a lot of debate but I've never heard of a student failing any required courses or even getting below an A-. Overall, you should be surrounded by hard working individuals with whom you should be successful.

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Thanks for your responses.

 

depends what other programs you're looking at

 

I also got into Guelph Biomed and Waterloo Health Science (which i've heard is more of a sociology program).

 

If med school is your end game, stick with the Health Science program. Its a well rounded program that will give you insight into various aspects of medicine (health policies to pathophysiology). As for difficulty, there's been a lot of debate but I've never heard of a student failing any required courses or even getting below an A-. Overall, you should be surrounded by hard working individuals with whom you should be successful.

 

The program seems to be a lot more competitive, but I guess my question is if this program means anything when applying to med school. If I did well at another school, would it mean less than doing well at Mac Health Sci?

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Thanks for your responses.

 

 

 

I also got into Guelph Biomed and Waterloo Health Science (which i've heard is more of a sociology program).

 

 

 

The program seems to be a lot more competitive

 

For my 2 cents worth, I would stick with the program, work hard and build E.C.s to be a well rounded top student. Of course, Mac puts in the caveat (as do all universities), "Although students may go on to professional programs such as medicine, ....... it is important for students to understand that this degree may not provide any particular advantage in gaining admission to these programs. However, the curriculum and teaching philosophy are consistent with the expectations of many health care professional programs. Graduates from this program have many options:

i) apply to a professional school (i.e. medicine, ....)"

 

"Over the past two years, graduates of this program have been accepted to various professional and graduate schools that include: Medicine (McMaster, Queen's, Toronto, Western)...."

 

Translation of above:

This Program acts as "feeder" program for medicine at our med school and others. Read between the lines, Perform well academically in terms of GPA, show other attributes we are looking for and you will be a strong and competitive candidate for our med school. Do not expect us to say we will give an advantage to our own graduates (wink, wink), no university will ever say or infer this!

 

Moreover, you will need to do the MCAT.

 

Botom line: Everything depends upon you.

 

Best of luck in achieving your dreams.:)

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Depending on how you look at things, you will either hate or love your undergrad regardless. No matter where you go you will find opportunities that don't exist in other uni's, and things that are missing that you would've gotten at other uni's.

 

I thought I made a bad choice in my program for UofT. I could've made things almost literally 10x easier for me with another program, but when I look at my peers that have been through the easier program I see that they don't have the depth knowledge my program afforded me. I also thought I made a bad choice by not going to another uni that offered me a full scholarship, but then I got a TAship at UofT that, combined with my small scholarship, pays for my tuition every year anyways. I also got into Case Western's "pre-scholars" program, which is like a 2 year pre-med program thats supposed to specifically feed kids into their med school. But then the tuition was like $40k a year and I couldn't get large enough scholarships to cover that. Plus I would've been SOL if I couldn't make the grades for their med school, which is was a huge risk since (at the time) I didn't know how academically capable I was at the undergrad level.

 

So in other words, I'm sure you'll find advantages and disadvantages everywhere you look. But if you're gunning for med then in the end I don't think its an especially big gain/loss choosing one institution over another.

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I'm kind of going out on a limb here, but this program has rampant mark inflation and this boosts your chances of getting into medical school. You don't get to learn a lot of advanced life sciences though, but marks are easy to come by (my friend told me that for a lot of their classes, they consult with their profs to determine what mark they deserve and sometime mark themselves!) and in the end, that's all that matters for med school admission.

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I'm kind of going out on a limb here, but this program has rampant mark inflation and this boosts your chances of getting into medical school. You don't get to learn a lot of advanced life sciences though, but marks are easy to come by (my friend told me that for a lot of their classes, they consult with their profs to determine what mark they deserve and sometime mark themselves!) and in the end, that's all that matters for med school admission.

 

What I know from my former high school teacher's daughter is that she sometimes didn't have to write the final exam if she was getting like 92+% going into the exam. They just take her mark as is as the final mark. Wouldn't that be so damn sweet!?! Well...not really for me since I always use exams to stage a comeback, but I'm sure others that aren't so hot on exams would find thats a great option.

 

 

Random side note: Blue Jays Law? Really? They suck so much! If I actually had to pay for the tickets to their games I would probably sue them for my money back!

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What I know from my former high school teacher's daughter is that she sometimes didn't have to write the final exam if she was getting like 92+% going into the exam. They just take her mark as is as the final mark. Wouldn't that be so damn sweet!?! Well...not really for me since I always use exams to stage a comeback, but I'm sure others that aren't so hot on exams would find thats a great option.

 

My friend told me that sometimes if she didn't feel ready for an exam, she didn't have to write it! She could get it deferred and the marks would transfer to the final exam value.

 

 

Random side note: Blue Jays Law? Really? They suck so much! If I actually had to pay for the tickets to their games I would probably sue them for my money back!

 

Psh! We are number one in the American league and have often times been #1 in the whole league this season! Their hitting is on FIRE and they're winning even tough they have pitching injuries. They don't SUCK, they've usually been a decent team... but this year they are executing and coming through with big wins. COME ON JAYS keep it up!!! :cool:

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Psh! We are number one in the American league and have often times been #1 in the whole league this season! Their hitting is on FIRE and they're winning even tough they have pitching injuries. They don't SUCK, they've usually been a decent team... but this year they are executing and coming through with big wins. COME ON JAYS keep it up!!! :cool:

 

They will fail! You will see. :P They've disappointed me too many times in the past.

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They will fail! You will see. :P They've disappointed me too many times in the past.

 

I know, I know. Every year they break my heart, as do the other Toronto teams. I still love the Jays though. They're the Jays and of all Toronto teams, I think they're the ones who are most likely to have something good happen to 'em. ;):D

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Okay, so I was accepted into this program, and I was wondering if it's overrated, or if it will really provide some superior education that will make it easier to get into med school. Is it a more difficult program? would it be better to go to an easier program for undergrad.

 

Thanks so much!

 

I was accepted to Mac Health Sci and turned it down for Western.. actually my final decision came down to Western vs. Guelph biomed (the programs are incredibly similar). Even though I knew I wanted to go to dental school, and Mac has a very good %age of the class who goes off to professional school, there were things about the program I didn't like.

 

First, I felt that having a solid background in the sciences and getting a science degree would keep more doors open in the future if (knock on wood) I hadn't gotten into dental school. I didn't see as many doors being kept open with the Mac Health Sci program vs a traditional science degree. Plus when I looked over the courses I would be taking in the 2 programs, I was much more interested in Western's courses offered than those in the Mac Health Sci program.

 

Second, I am much more of an individual learner. I am not a huge fan of group projects, and a lot of the Health Sci program is based on groupwork and PBL.. I was looking forward to getting away from group work after high school! I also wasn't a huge fan of being marked by your peers.. I'd rather just write exams and have the scantron machine mark them.

 

Third, (this probably doesn't apply to you) but I live about 10 minutes away from Mac.. and I kind of wanted to move someplace new lol.

 

In the end, despite turning down Mac for Western, I got accepted to 7 dental schools. I don't think I would have been a better applicant if I had gone to Mac Health Sci and have never regretted my decision. I'm not knocking Mac Health Sci.. it just wasn't a program that fit well with me. I think you should just pick the program that is more suited to your preferences, your interests, and your learning style.. if you do that, you will likely succeed wherever you go to school.

 

Good luck! :)

 

P.S. This obviously doesn't apply to dental school as Mac doesn't have one, but one reason I would have picked Mac (in spite of the above reasons) if I was aiming for Medicine was if there was some advantage that Mac students had for med school at Mac.. but I don't know very much about that!

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Great post smilee! There's a huge difference between what Mac Health Sci students study and what Western med sci students study. Western's program is really focussed on teaching you the latest from the advanced medical sciences and helping you prepare for a future career in the scientific world. The first two years give you a basic life science background, while the final two are focussed on the latest research developments and on preparing you for science-like jobs. Mac's health sci is not like this. Instead, it's focus is more on health care policy and general topics like well-being, population health, etc. Mac health sci students do learn some life science courses, but it's not nearly as advanced as Western (where the entire program is based upon medical science - and not on health policy or topics like this at all).

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Great post! Just to add a few points:

- As mentioned, if you want to learn hardcore medical sciences, I would highly recommend the Western and Guelph programs. However, remember medical science is not the be-all and end-all. There is some utility to learning about health care policy and more macro-level health issues. The health sciences program at Mac has sent a few students to work successfully with the World Health Organization in important management positions, to Law Schools, to Schools of Population/Public health, etc. Coming into university it is easy to think that medical science is where all the "smart kids" go; but science occurs on many levels, and try to be open-minded. I came in literally believing that Biological sciences = Medicine. I've grown so much to learn that this is so far from the truth, and actually have developed an interest in public health issues.

- Group work can suck. Some people say its not like high school, and you won't get a group of indifferent students. However, even within the health sci program, there are levels of intelligence and a gradient of people who work hard and those who slack off. Group work will teach you a lot; but a lot of the learning comes from the realization that no group is perfect. Sometimes you might find yourself taking a greater burden of the work while others coast along. This can be stressful.

 

Both Mac hth sci and Western are both known for pumping out a fair number of students to professional schools. Proportionately, Mac hth sci probably more so, but in absolute numbers, Western Med Sci is definitely up there. I don't think you can go wrong with any choice.

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funny how the degree "health studies" can have two widely different programs. Not saying one is better than the other, but it must be confusing to some employers etc. At least with a degree in math, psychology, chemistry, ...... no know what you are getting for the most part :)

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Thank you everyone for your insight.

 

A lot of the comments went both ways..and I have a very difficult decision to make, but all of your thoughts were helpful.

 

I guess future_doc said it best, it's really up to me and what i do.

 

did anyone actually go to mac health sci? seems that a lot of the negative comments are heresay.

 

I appreciate the Western comparison, I had sort of decided to go to Guelph, not thinking I would get into the Mac, but it seems that most people say that i'd be crazy not to go to Mac.....but i think going to Guelph for Biomed would help me reach my ultimate goal of going to med school. I just have to make a decision...

 

anyways thanks again =)

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I appreciate the Western comparison, I had sort of decided to go to Guelph, not thinking I would get into the Mac...

 

Yeah.. I hope I didn't come across as "go to Western!" (I didn't mean to if I did lol). In my case, my decision was really "Western or Guelph bio-med" vs. "Mac Health Sci" as the Western and Guelph programs are so similar, compared to Mac Health Sci which is really different from both.

 

@ smiley, thank you for such an indepth post...the first two points are very similar to the problems I think I might face, and seeing your success makes me hopeful that I can achieve if i were to decide to go to Guelph.

 

No problem! Your decision struck home a little, hahah, so I wanted to share my experience. Congrats on your admissions and good luck with your decision! :)

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Yeah.. I hope I didn't come across as "go to Western!" (I didn't mean to if I did lol). In my case, my decision was really "Western or Guelph bio-med" vs. "Mac Health Sci" as the Western and Guelph programs are so similar, compared to Mac Health Sci which is really different from both.

 

 

 

No problem! Your decision struck home a little, hahah, so I wanted to share my experience. Congrats on your admissions and good luck with your decision! :)

 

You are a literary genius. :P

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don't be fooled, mac health sci is an extremely rigorous program, especially from 2nd - 4th year. in second year you will have a packed schedule courses like anatomy/physiology, cell biology, epidemiology and biostatistics. you will have numerous group projects in addition to studying for midterms/exams individually. in 3rd and 4th year there are fewer required courses but people in the program often take very science-intensive courses like virology, immuno, advance immuno, and biochemistry IN ADDITION to the less-sciency (but more medicine-y) courses like critical appraisal and health policy.

 

all that being said, the program really will help prepare you for a career in medicine.. you will come out of it as a collaborative, inquisitive team player instead of a cutthroat "i memorize facts and regurgitate" student (not to say that the other programs you cited would produce this!)

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don't be fooled, mac health sci is an extremely rigorous program, especially from 2nd - 4th year. in second year you will have a packed schedule courses like anatomy/physiology, cell biology, epidemiology and biostatistics. you will have numerous group projects in addition to studying for midterms/exams individually. in 3rd and 4th year there are fewer required courses but people in the program often take very science-intensive courses like virology, immuno, advance immuno, and biochemistry IN ADDITION to the less-sciency (but more medicine-y) courses like critical appraisal and health policy.

 

all that being said, the program really will help prepare you for a career in medicine.. you will come out of it as a collaborative, inquisitive team player instead of a cutthroat "i memorize facts and regurgitate" student (not to say that the other programs you cited would produce this!)

 

HAHA. You just described my program and what it turned me into. *sigh* I actually really want to get into Mac's med school over UofT and others.

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don't be fooled, mac health sci is an extremely rigorous program, especially from 2nd - 4th year. in second year you will have a packed schedule courses like anatomy/physiology, cell biology, epidemiology and biostatistics. you will have numerous group projects in addition to studying for midterms/exams individually. in 3rd and 4th year there are fewer required courses but people in the program often take very science-intensive courses like virology, immuno, advance immuno, and biochemistry IN ADDITION to the less-sciency (but more medicine-y) courses like critical appraisal and health policy.

 

all that being said, the program really will help prepare you for a career in medicine.. you will come out of it as a collaborative, inquisitive team player instead of a cutthroat "i memorize facts and regurgitate" student (not to say that the other programs you cited would produce this!)

 

Well, I don't know if that's any different from many other schools though. I wouldn't say I became a "memorize facts and regurgitate" student after being in a medical science program. We learned about so many techniques used in medical science research, and about a lot of the latest developments in numerous fields, interesting research topics, big discoveries and how they were made... really, it just prepares you to be creative but in another sense. The very high academic standards and strict deadlines also help you be prepared to take on a tonne of things at once. A lot less group-work is done compared to Mac HS, but due to the nature of the program - almost everyone helps each other at Western med sci (meaning you do get your share of group work - at least that's how it was with my friends, we often had to teach other concepts and help each other with assignments and what not).

 

I also would not say that Mac Health Sci is more medicine-like than Med Sci. Instead, I would say that medical science focusses on the scientific basis for biological and pathological processes. Mac health sci, on the other hand, focusses on problems present in the health care field. They're both things that are important in medicine, but some people would probably rather learn advanced biochemistry, where as others may want to learn about health promotion, health policy development, etc.

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