IamIDP Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 I've heard that realistically that everyone who gets into medical school in Ontario has had a full courseload multiple times throughout their undergrad years ... if not all their years... is this true? (Regardless of school requirements) My question is...Has there been someone whose gotten accepted to medical school in ontario WITHOUT ever taking a full course load in undergrad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 It depends on the school, but many require a certain number of full time years. I am at UWO, and you need two full time years meeting their GPA minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 Are you asking me, or the OP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamIDP Posted November 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 It depends on the school, but many require a certain number of full time years. I am at UWO, and you need two full time years meeting their GPA minimum. Yea I know that. BUT realistically isn't it true that everyone who gets in has had a full courseload multiple times throughout their undergrad years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 you, sorry I took one year of calculus and one year of physics. My ECs were - working on a crisis phone line with some leadership and teaching roles with other volunteers, helping out at various school things, creative writing, some hospital volunteering and working in a hospital, and probably some other junk I forgot. No research. Yea I know that. BUT realistically isn't it true that everyone who gets in has had a full courseload multiple times throughout their undergrad years? Honestly, I don't know. I think it's pretty important because you can't really be a part time medical student, but I don't think there are statistics anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
optimism101 Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 I would strongly, strongly recommend taking a full courseload every single year of UG. In my second year I was one credit short of a full courseload, due to lab courses and such that I was taking that had unusual numbers of credits - didn't add up to 30, and had I taken another course I would have been taking more than a full courseload, which I thought wouldn't be a good idea. I didn't think one credit would make a big difference, so I didn't worry about it. BIG mistake - because of that, there are some medical schools that would have otherwise let me drop my worst year (would hugely benefit me), and now I won't be applying to those schools since I'm OOP and thus uncompetitive. Take a full course load - keep your options open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pet_lover48 Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Hi! I was just reading this thread (and I feel kind of silly asking this question, but I'd like to know.) How much is a full course load? Does it vary by university? Is is a certain amount of credits per year/semester? Thanks, Pet_lover48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamIDP Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 i believe its 30 credit hours per year, 15 per semester 28 may count as well im not sure A full courseload is considered 30 credit+ everywhere EXCEPT UofT med which considers 28 credits to be eligible for their weighting formula. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeallyes Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Does it vary by university? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGo1990 Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 I took one year of calculus and one year of physics. My ECs were - working on a crisis phone line with some leadership and teaching roles with other volunteers, helping out at various school things, creative writing, some hospital volunteering and working in a hospital, and probably some other junk I forgot. No research. Honestly, I don't know. I think it's pretty important because you can't really be a part time medical student, but I don't think there are statistics anywhere. No research? Sweet, and you're at Shulich too, which is where I want to go. I know people say you can get in without research, but it's discouraging when every other pre med you've talked to has gotten research experience in one way or another. You begin to think of it as a standard, even though there is none. I'll probably keep looking for some anyways, though. Just to see what it's like I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamIDP Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Does it vary by university? As I mentioned in the original post...i'm trying to ask whether every applicant whose been admitted has taken a full course load multiple time sin their undergrad. Realistically I don't think you can get in unless you take a full course load at least once in your undergrad despite the school's requirement because there will always be a students with a full course load and better stats than you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pet_lover48 Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 A full courseload is considered 30 credit+ everywhere EXCEPT UofT med which considers 28 credits to be eligible for their weighting formula. Hi! So, you have to take a full course load (30 credits) every year of your undergrad? What if just one semester you took less than 15 credits (and maybe made those credits up in the summer semester, or something? Would that matter, or do you advise its best to do full course loads every year/semester? Thanks, Pet_lover48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simpy Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 As I mentioned in the original post...i'm trying to ask whether every applicant whose been admitted has taken a full course load multiple time sin their undergrad. Realistically I don't think you can get in unless you take a full course load at least once in your undergrad despite the school's requirement because there will always be a students with a full course load and better stats than you. You definitely do not need to take a full courseload in your undergrad. Queen's for instance will count any year in which you have 9 or more credit hours per semester (i.e. 3 courses) as "full time" - http://meds.queensu.ca/education/undergraduate/prospective_students/frequently_asked_questions Other schools such as Western will also just take your best two full-time years provided all of their other academic requirements are met (so you can take 3 part-time years and they will just look at your best 2 full-time years). That said, it's a bad idea generally to take less than a full courseload. The implications of taking 27 credit hours or something one year are pretty substantial (the year won't count at some schools, you lose weighting at U of T, etc). I've worked in residence the past few years and keep getting this question from first years. I normally get it right after midterms because people bombed one (or more) midterms and are considering dropping the course. Dropping a course especially after a bad midterm is almost never a good idea. The only times it would be ok is if you are doing stellar in your other courses and this one actually is really bad (i.e. the professor is brutal and doesn't give out A's), or in the very rare circumstance where the work required in this one course is bringing you down everywhere else (i.e. you are studying every spare minute you have, and the work for this course is completely unreasonable and is eating up way too much time). These are both really rare situations. Most of the time, the student did poorly on the midterm because they didn't study enough, didn't study effectively, are not managing their time well, or experienced exam anxiety. In any of these cases the student is probably capable of succeeding in a full courseload; they just need to figure out how to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamIDP Posted November 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 You definitely do not need to take a full courseload in your undergrad. Queen's for instance will count any year in which you have 9 or more credit hours per semester (i.e. 3 courses) as "full time" - http://meds.queensu.ca/education/undergraduate/prospective_students/frequently_asked_questions Other schools such as Western will also just take your best two full-time years provided all of their other academic requirements are met (so you can take 3 part-time years and they will just look at your best 2 full-time years). That said, it's a bad idea generally to take less than a full courseload. The implications of taking 27 credit hours or something one year are pretty substantial (the year won't count at some schools, you lose weighting at U of T, etc). I've worked in residence the past few years and keep getting this question from first years. I normally get it right after midterms because people bombed one (or more) midterms and are considering dropping the course. Dropping a course especially after a bad midterm is almost never a good idea. The only times it would be ok is if you are doing stellar in your other courses and this one actually is really bad (i.e. the professor is brutal and doesn't give out A's), or in the very rare circumstance where the work required in this one course is bringing you down everywhere else (i.e. you are studying every spare minute you have, and the work for this course is completely unreasonable and is eating up way too much time). These are both really rare situations. Most of the time, the student did poorly on the midterm because they didn't study enough, didn't study effectively, are not managing their time well, or experienced exam anxiety. In any of these cases the student is probably capable of succeeding in a full courseload; they just need to figure out how to do so. I think it's already been established by 99% of premeds that not all schools require a full courseload. HOWEVER my question was is there anyone whose gotten into medical school without ever taking a full courseload. Sorry i don't mean to be rude, but it's just annoying when I have to repeat the same thing over and over again and no one bothers answering it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bored Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 perhaps you should change your thread title to "has anyone gotten in without any full courseload" answer would probablly be yes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamIDP Posted November 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 perhaps you should change your thread title to "has anyone gotten in without any full courseload" answer would probablly be yes... Good idea But I doubt anyone has gotten in without ever taking a full courseload tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatonekid Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Good idea But I doubt anyone has gotten in without ever taking a full courseload tbh. People get into Ontario med schools without taking a full course load. It's a fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamIDP Posted November 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 People get into Ontario med schools without taking a full course load. It's a fact. Just because med schools say applicants do not require a full courseload to apply, doesn't mean that you shouldn't take it atleast once. Ex. Queens med states that they treat all applicants equally from all universities BUT when you check their classes every year, more than 50% of the class are students who have done their undergrad at queens. My point is that most people who are admitted (99%) have atleast taken 1 year with a full courseload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatonekid Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Just because med schools say applicants do not require a full courseload to apply, doesn't mean that you shouldn't take it atleast once. Ex. Queens med states that they treat all applicants equally from all universities BUT when you check their classes every year, more than 50% of the class are students who have done their undergrad at queens. My point is that most people who are admitted (99%) have atleast taken 1 year with a full courseload. 50% of the students in Queen's meds did their undergrad at Queen's? Where did you get that number from, because it's not true. And I'm not saying that you shouldn't take a full course load. I encourage people to do so to increase their chances when applying. I was just trying to make the point that a full course load does not make or break an application. Many people don't take a full course load and still get into med school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamIDP Posted November 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 50% of the students in Queen's meds did their undergrad at Queen's? Where did you get that number from, because it's not true. And I'm not saying that you shouldn't take a full course load. I encourage people to do so to increase their chances when applying. I was just trying to make the point that a full course load does not make or break an application. Many people don't take a full course load and still get into med school. There was a facebook group for one of the recent years and you can see which universities each person was from. But I guess some people probably did change their affiliated school once they got accepted..so I take back the 50%. But I still haven't seen a single person on any of these forums who has not taken a full courseload atleast once in undergrad. I'm not saying it's impossible but very very unlikely especially when you are barely considered competitive without ever taking a full courseload (assuming 3.8+ GPA)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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