Low(ish) grades, but outstanding ECs + refs - should I give up on PreMed?

[balster]

Hi,

 

I am in 700.AO in my final semester of CEGEP. My program is incredibly difficult - I learned this the hard way. I am very passionate about a lot of my ECs so I kind of thought "well, I'd rather wind up doing an undergrad than being miserable in CEGEP" but now I really want to get in to Med-P.

 

My CRC is 32.4 (that's with the +0.5). If you take out my 18's in phys-ed, I'd probably have like 33 or something (lol). My math-science R-Score is around 32.5, but my physics marks are in the high 70's because I despise physics, deem it useless for med, and am terrible at it. My bio/chem R-Score would probably be around 34.

 

My refs are spectacular. I have a chief of staff writing my reference letter whom I have shadowed extensively. I have seen the letter (he showed it to me after he sent it) and I must say it is the best letter I have ever seen. The woman in charge of hiring doctors at my hospital and who overlooks all the departments I've volunteered in has also spoken volumes in her letter, plus, a nurse in my department wrote an outstanding ref report. Basically, my hospital is pleading for me because they told me they want to recruit me in 5 years to do my residency. I've been volunteering there for 2 years and shadowing for 3. My teacher ref are also amazing.

 

People at my CEGEP know me as "the person who does everything". I'm in student council, co-president of our CEGEP's theatre "company", and have extensive acting and playwrighting experience, having won competitions for my playwrighting. I do extensive volunteering including EMS and others. I am also a published novelist. I graduated high school with the governor general medal and won a lot of awards.

 

What do you think? Should I go for it? Do I have a good chance?

[a1b1]

you should defenetly give it a try.

[future_doc]

Go for it and if you don't get in, it's not the end of the world, you will just do what the rest of us do, UG - and be even better prepared for medicine. GL!

[justletmein]

Look, you are an overall good applicant... You obviously know that, but reference letters will not get you into med school.

 

Your R-score may or may not sink you, since you have to realize that the average applicant admitted to med-p will have anywhere between 34-37.

 

Is it worth a shot? absolutely. I don't think you're really looking for the answer to that question as much as you want people on this board to boost your ego a little bit.

In any case, as you said, doing a Bsc would not be the worst thing in the world. See it as another 3 years to explore and beef up your CV so that you get into the med school of your choice afterward.

[Dr_Apt]

[...]

Is it worth a shot? absolutely. I don't think you're really looking for the answer to that question as much as you want people on this board to boost your ego a little bit...

 

Yup. You're lucky the good people on this board like justlemein are able to look past that and give you a polite response.

[can33]

Hi,

 

I am in 700.AO in my final semester of CEGEP. My program is incredibly difficult - I learned this the hard way. I am very passionate about a lot of my ECs so I kind of thought "well, I'd rather wind up doing an undergrad than being miserable in CEGEP" but now I really want to get in to Med-P.

 

My CRC is 32.4 (that's with the +0.5). If you take out my 18's in phys-ed, I'd probably have like 33 or something (lol). My math-science R-Score is around 32.5, but my physics marks are in the high 70's because I despise physics, deem it useless for med, and am terrible at it. My bio/chem R-Score would probably be around 34.

 

My refs are spectacular. I have a chief of staff writing my reference letter whom I have shadowed extensively. I have seen the letter (he showed it to me after he sent it) and I must say it is the best letter I have ever seen. The woman in charge of hiring doctors at my hospital and who overlooks all the departments I've volunteered in has also spoken volumes in her letter, plus, a nurse in my department wrote an outstanding ref report. Basically, my hospital is pleading for me because they told me they want to recruit me in 5 years to do my residency. I've been volunteering there for 2 years and shadowing for 3. My teacher ref are also amazing.

 

People at my CEGEP know me as "the person who does everything". I'm in student council, co-president of our CEGEP's theatre "company", and have extensive acting and playwrighting experience, having won competitions for my playwrighting. I do extensive volunteering including EMS and others. I am also a published novelist. I graduated high school with the governor general medal and won a lot of awards.

 

What do you think? Should I go for it? Do I have a good chance?

 

 

Wow, those are some impressive ECs! I believe that McGill doesn't place as much emphasis on grades as some of the French universities, so once you get your interview, the ball is in your court

 

I wonder if they acknowledge that Marianopolis is one of the more competitive cegeps... I've heard of people with 40+ R-scores, but I don't think that would be possible at Marianopolis.

[balster]

no interview =(

 

I'm really upset. Now I have to waste 3 years of my life doing a boring undergrad...

[future_doc]

You are dead wrong and if you find your UG experience boring, this will be reflected in your grades. You now have an amazing opportunity to take an interesting course of study, learn things you otherwise would never have, do some worthwhile and worthy ECs and volunteering, develop and grow, become more mature and make yourself an excellent applicant in this increasingly competitive pool of applicants. The glass is not half empty, rather it is either half full or overflowing. Life is what you make it! Attitude creates your reality. Enjoy, it matters not in the slightest if you end up practicing for 40 years and not 43 years. Don't be upset, look forward to your new experiences that are comin', nothing you can do now anyways....

[UTPEOPLE]

Hi,

 

I am in 700.AO in my final semester of CEGEP. My program is incredibly difficult - I learned this the hard way. I am very passionate about a lot of my ECs so I kind of thought "well, I'd rather wind up doing an undergrad than being miserable in CEGEP" but now I really want to get in to Med-P.

 

My CRC is 32.4 (that's with the +0.5). If you take out my 18's in phys-ed, I'd probably have like 33 or something (lol). My math-science R-Score is around 32.5, but my physics marks are in the high 70's because I despise physics, deem it useless for med, and am terrible at it. My bio/chem R-Score would probably be around 34.

 

My refs are spectacular. I have a chief of staff writing my reference letter whom I have shadowed extensively. I have seen the letter (he showed it to me after he sent it) and I must say it is the best letter I have ever seen. The woman in charge of hiring doctors at my hospital and who overlooks all the departments I've volunteered in has also spoken volumes in her letter, plus, a nurse in my department wrote an outstanding ref report. Basically, my hospital is pleading for me because they told me they want to recruit me in 5 years to do my residency. I've been volunteering there for 2 years and shadowing for 3. My teacher ref are also amazing.

 

People at my CEGEP know me as "the person who does everything". I'm in student council, co-president of our CEGEP's theatre "company", and have extensive acting and playwrighting experience, having won competitions for my playwrighting. I do extensive volunteering including EMS and others. I am also a published novelist. I graduated high school with the governor general medal and won a lot of awards.

 

What do you think? Should I go for it? Do I have a good chance?

 

I would be very careful before saying this statement. Remember, your reference people could very well have written excellent letters for everyone (as they are involved in administrative roles which are likely to be approached for letters). If this is the case, then med schools usually have a bank of reference letters from your writers to compare it to, and that spectacular reference might seem less shiny... Be careful. Other than that, your EC's seem nice... but I am amazed that you got the governor general's medal when you have some grades in the 70's (physics)

[balster]

I had the governor general in high school - my 70's in physics are in CEGEP. In high school I got 95 on the physics final and that was one of my lowest marks.

 

CEGEP physics is much harder and for NYA I had a mediocre teacher and NYC I just plain hated it and was taking 8 courses.

 

I found high school a lot easier than CEGEP.

[GTGoose]

Kindly step down from your high horse before you ask advice from us commoners

[ka47]

dude, no one takes into consideration what you feel about a course when they're evaluating you. seriously get off your high horse and stop berating programs and classes that a substantial proportion of the people in these threads are in. you're doing yourself a disservice and no one here is gonna stroke your ego for it

[azzurrifan87]

Well it's worth a shot but the R score could really hurt you especially since it's McGill you're looking at. Also don't forget for applicants who hold a Bachelor's degree you need to have two reference letters from professors and it may be similar for CEGEP applicants so think about what your teachers would say about you. It's worth trying the French schools as well. They can be slightly more forgiving for a low R score but it'll still be tough.

[mjjr]

IB student?

 

Good luck...

[future_doc]

Also don't forget for applicants who hold a Bachelor's degree you need to have two reference letters from professors and it may be similar for CEGEP applicants so think about what your teachers would say about you.

 

I don't believe it's two LORs "from professors", I certainly didn't go that route. I used one prof only.

[cegepstudent]

I'm not surprised that you didn't even get an interview... You sound terribly arrogant. Please realize that most med applicants have amazing ECs such as doing research internships at MIT, science fair awards, etc. and the staff at the hospital probably just told you that to boost your ego. Unless you cured ALS, I highly doubt they have paused their lives, waiting for you to work for them in 5 years.

Maybe the undergrad will knock some sense in you and allow you more time to mature. And no, an undergrad is not a "waste of time", if that's your mentality, maybe med school is not for you.

 

Having gone to Marianopolis, I can assure you that Physics is mad easy, possibly even easier than high school. In fact, to give you an unbiased proof: the global averages for physics (mechanics and waves) are around 79-81, which is higher than any other science course global average. 

I'm sorry, but if you got BELOW the global average for physics, it's not that the course is difficult... It is simply that you are below average. 

 

Congratulations on your high school award. Must be a tough to realize that the higher you go in your education, the smarter people will get. I'm not sure what you were expecting when you went into CEGEP, that it would be easier than high school??

Maybe you'll realize that University is even harder than CEGEP!! WOW what a surprise! 

[tameimpala]

^ miserable much?

[NotASerialKiller]

^ miserable much?

 

She just feels very strongly about cocky teenagers from 2010.

[Arztin]

I'm not surprised that you didn't even get an interview... You sound terribly arrogant. Please realize that most med applicants have amazing ECs such as doing research internships at MIT, science fair awards, etc. and the staff at the hospital probably just told you that to boost your ego. Unless you cured ALS, I highly doubt they have paused their lives, waiting for you to work for them in 5 years.

Maybe the undergrad will knock some sense in you and allow you more time to mature. And no, an undergrad is not a "waste of time", if that's your mentality, maybe med school is not for you.

 

Having gone to Marianopolis, I can assure you that Physics is mad easy, possibly even easier than high school. In fact, to give you an unbiased proof: the global averages for physics (mechanics and waves) are around 79-81, which is higher than any other science course global average. 

I'm sorry, but if you got BELOW the global average for physics, it's not that the course is difficult... It is simply that you are below average. 

 

Congratulations on your high school award. Must be a tough to realize that the higher you go in your education, the smarter people will get. I'm not sure what you were expecting when you went into CEGEP, that it would be easier than high school??

Maybe you'll realize that University is even harder than CEGEP!! WOW what a surprise! 

Are you an undergrad student? If so which year?

[Zarcoh]

Wait, I am sure that we must not give reference letters when we are applying to Med-P, so I dont think these can help.. Am I right about it?

[Arztin]

Wait, I am sure that we must not give reference letters when we are applying to Med-P, so I dont think these can help.. Am I right about it?

I think they removed this requirement a while ago.