Q&a With Mcgill Med Ambassadors

[Premedstudent0307]

5 hours ago, TomorrowsMD said:

I think any type of EC is perfectly ok. To be honest, what they are there for is to show that you have a passion about something and that you can tell them what it can help you with in the field of medicine. For example, you are in a debate team, well it will definitely help with critical thinking under pressure and communication. You can find the canmeds competency on Google to help you include the right keywords to put in the text to draw attention to your application.

The number of EC in the CV will depend on their importance for your application. I would say write everything on the CV, go over the limit of 2 pages and then go over everything and cut the least important everytime until you fit in the two pages. This will insure that you have the right number of EC and of everything else also. It doesn't matter if you write 3 lines of text or 8. As long as all the information is important for your application and to show canmeds competency I personally think it's ok. I know I have multiple lines of text per entry.

Also, while they are not Extracurricular activities per say, any research experience or clinical experience you can have (such as shadowing if you don't have any clinical experience from your job or internship from a university degree) will be a big plus because a lot of people have them. This is just my two cents.

A lot of people have clinical experience? Interesting, I thought it is quite difficult to shadow in Canada. I have clinical experience from nursing school practicums. Would you suggest I put it under work experience (even though I wasn't paid), or just under the skills section? 

[TomorrowsMD]

2 hours ago, Premedstudent0307 said:

A lot of people have clinical experience? Interesting, I thought it is quite difficult to shadow in Canada. I have clinical experience from nursing school practicums. Would you suggest I put it under work experience (even though I wasn't paid), or just under the skills section? 

Not necessarily shadowing, i meant research, it is my fault. This is only from what I've seen from posts on the forum. I agree that less people have clinical experience, but a lot have research.

I myself come from nursing (BSc) so in my CV, specific internships are included in my work experience (even if not paid because you're doing the same job as a nurse - while i understand not as much work). It helped me land an interview last cycle before covid. I made sure to really show all the canmeds possible to show what i learned and what could help me in medicine!

Nursing is great because of all the clinical experience you easily get. It is also a professional degree which gives you a little boost in the academic context portion (7% of the 70% for Academic).

[Premedstudent0307]

3 hours ago, TomorrowsMD said:

Not necessarily shadowing, i meant research, it is my fault. This is only from what I've seen from posts on the forum. I agree that less people have clinical experience, but a lot have research.

I myself come from nursing (BSc) so in my CV, specific internships are included in my work experience (even if not paid because you're doing the same job as a nurse - while i understand not as much work). It helped me land an interview last cycle before covid. I made sure to really show all the canmeds possible to show what i learned and what could help me in medicine!

Nursing is great because of all the clinical experience you easily get. It is also a professional degree which gives you a little boost in the academic context portion (7% of the 70% for Academic).

Oh I see what you mean. Awesome! thanks so much for the advice!

[ADoseofLuck]

6 hours ago, TomorrowsMD said:

myself come from nursing (BSc) so in my CV, specific internships are included in my work experience (even if not paid because you're doing the same job as a nurse - while i understand not as much work).

By internships are you referring to clinicals (ie stages) required to do throughout your bachelor's? Curious to know because I am also a nursing student

[TomorrowsMD]

8 minutes ago, ADoseOfLuck said:

By internships are you referring to clinicals (ie stages) required to do throughout your bachelor's? Curious to know because I am also a nursing student

Yes that is what I'm referring to. I personally used surgery (wich was also in peds), U-FMG, emergency and also emergency as CPNP/CEPI (not as a student).

[Premedstudent0307]

Can any med students comment on how the curriculum was structured this year with covid? Is everything online? Or were labs and a couple other things still in person? 

[KitKatCo]

6 hours ago, Premedstudent0307 said:

Can any med students comment on how the curriculum was structured this year with covid? Is everything online? Or were labs and a couple other things still in person? 

I can comment. Normal structure is 3h of lectures in the morning+ afternoon "tutorial" sessions (called small groups)/labs/practical stuff. COVID pushed most of it online but we still have some in person stuff.

Lectures are now live on zoom (or occasionally prerecorded). The quality depends on the lecturer, but it's been pretty good! Anatomy labs were reduced to about 25% in person. The remainder were zoom anatomy sessions with about 3-4 students/breakout room with an application and a TA/teacher dropping in periodically. The anatomy organizers really worked hard to make it the best they could and it showed. Small groups are on zoom. Ultrasound training sessions were compressed from 1h to 15 mins (although it's increasing in length in January) to allow for better spacing/less people, but they are still in person. We have family medicine shadowing to do, and how it's done depends on the family doctor you are following. Some see patients, some go into clinic for telemedicine, etc...

[Premedstudent0307]

4 hours ago, KitKatCo said:

I can comment. Normal structure is 3h of lectures in the morning+ afternoon "tutorial" sessions (called small groups)/labs/practical stuff. COVID pushed most of it online but we still have some in person stuff.

Lectures are now live on zoom (or occasionally prerecorded). The quality depends on the lecturer, but it's been pretty good! Anatomy labs were reduced to about 25% in person. The remainder were zoom anatomy sessions with about 3-4 students/breakout room with an application and a TA/teacher dropping in periodically. The anatomy organizers really worked hard to make it the best they could and it showed. Small groups are on zoom. Ultrasound training sessions were compressed from 1h to 15 mins (although it's increasing in length in January) to allow for better spacing/less people, but they are still in person. We have family medicine shadowing to do, and how it's done depends on the family doctor you are following. Some see patients, some go into clinic for telemedicine, etc...

Awesome, thanks so much for the response!

[Lilirose]

Hi @McGillMedAmbassadors! I would love to know more about the clerkship schedule at McGill. What does it look like, approximately. I understand it depends on the site and rotations, but I would appreciate a general idea, if possible! Are we talking 60h/week, 80h/week? 

Thank you so much!

[AVSS HDS CSM]

On 1/19/2021 at 5:15 PM, Lilirose said:

Hi @McGillMedAmbassadors! I would love to know more about the clerkship schedule at McGill. What does it look like, approximately. I understand it depends on the site and rotations, but I would appreciate a general idea, if possible! Are we talking 60h/week, 80h/week? 

Thank you so much!

Can be anywhere from 30 to 72 hours per week, but keep in mind that you need lots of time to read and study as well. I have been averaging around 40 per week, but it will get more intense in other rotations. There are some weeks that are high pressure, but in general it's very doable and you have lots of time to do what you need! https://www.mcgill.ca/ugme/files/ugme/2019-05-12_ugme_workload_policy_v2_3_2.pdf

[edu2021]

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[hopefullyRD]

Hi! @McGillMedAmbassadors I know McGill does pass and fail but does the school keep track of an internal class rank? would residency programs ask for class rank when we apply for residency? Thank you!

[smalltowncelery]

Hi @McGillMedAmbassadors !!  when do the incoming class receive proof of enrolment for LOC purposes?? 

[MedicA1]

6 hours ago, smalltowncelery said:

Hi @McGillMedAmbassadors !!  when do the incoming class receive proof of enrolment for LOC purposes?? 

I personally secured mine by sending my official admission letter! 

[KitKatCo]

On 4/13/2021 at 7:45 PM, hopefullyRD said:

Hi! @McGillMedAmbassadors I know McGill does pass and fail but does the school keep track of an internal class rank? would residency programs ask for class rank when we apply for residency? Thank you!

My understanding is that class rank/grades are maintained internally for scholarship and prizes reasons. Residency programs would not have access to that so it will not matter for CaRMs. 

[MaudeB]

Hello @McGillMedAmbassadors! I was looking at the curriculum schema and I was wondering what is the meaning of : R and E1 (1 week). Is it revision and exam, or something like that? A week to study followed by and exam?

Thanks so much!!

 

[KitKatCo]

2 hours ago, MaudeB said:

Hello @McGillMedAmbassadors! I was looking at the curriculum schema and I was wondering what is the meaning of : R and E1 (1 week). Is it revision and exam, or something like that? A week to study followed by and exam?

Thanks so much!!

 

R&E stands for reflection and evaluation. It's an exam covering all the material that was learnt so far, but with a strong emphasis on more clinical presentations/case scenarios. The exam itself is only 2h, and other exams can be scheduled during that week, but there are no classes.

[BH 5]

Hi ! I’m waitlisted for med-p and wondering if I should accept PT or OT . 
What do you suggest is a better program to eventually reapply to med . 
thank you 

[LauraLes]

Just now, BH 5 said:

Hi ! I’m waitlisted for med-p and wondering if I should accept PT or OT . 
What do you suggest is a better program to eventually reapply to med . 
thank you 

what’s your med-p rank if you don’t mind me asking? from what I’ve heard, I think PT/OT are great programs to apply to med, and also great programs to fall back on in case you don’t get in. also, I think it’s important to go with something that interests you!! 

[BH 5]

1 minute ago, LauraLes said:

what’s your med-p rank if you don’t mind me asking? from what I’ve heard, I think PT/OT are great programs to apply to med, and also great programs to fall back on in case you don’t get in. also, I think it’s important to go with something that interests you!! 

Thanks ! For Montreal campus I’m far back in the 120’s and for Outaouais in the 90’s.

 

[MaudeB]

@McGillMedAmbassadors,

during the preclinical years, do you sometimes have days/mornings/afternoons with no classes, small groups or labs, or is there always something scheduled, everyday of the week during the whole semester?

Thanks so much!

[KitKatCo]

26 minutes ago, MaudeB said:

@McGillMedAmbassadors,

during the preclinical years, do you sometimes have days/mornings/afternoons with no classes, small groups or labs, or is there always something scheduled, everyday of the week during the whole semester?

Thanks so much!

Mornings are never free. That being said, these are normally lectures, which you have no obligation to attend/watch live, since recordings are always done. There are the occasional mornings with a mandatory activity but those are in the minority.

For afternoons, it's a little more open, but it's unpredictable from block to block. There are definitely some completely free afternoons. There are mandatory-we-take-attendance activities like small groups. Anatomy labs have flip-flopped between mandatory and not over the years. There are also afternoons with histology labs for which attendance is non-mandatory and recorded (at least for us on zoom right now... I'd be interested to know if they'll make 2020/2021 zoom recordings available to future years). Finally, there is time reserved for mandatory family med shadowing, but there are always more afternoons set aside than you are required to complete, so if you need the afternoon for a meeting or if the session is before an exam, you can choose to reschedule at any time so long as your preceptor is fine with it. 

[MaudeB]

@McGillMedAmbassadors,

I have another question regarding the schedule. I would love to know how long are the xmas vacation in year 1 and 2 of the MDCM as well as the summer vacation? Thanks so much!

[mtlwatch2029]

Hey @McGillMedAmbassadors, I've got a question concerning CEGEP grades

 

I was a horrendous CEGEP student, and I failed something like 4(?) science classes. Average science R score was about 27 I think. A lot of reasons for this, but I don't think it's that relevant to discuss that. Of the prereqs, I failed Organic chem and a physics class. I passed them the second time around, so they are completed.

Currently I'm completing a BSc, and Im doing pretty well (3.8+ GPA at the moment) and I'm planning on applying for Fall 2023 provided by GPA holds up.

I know that McGill no longer weights prerequisite grades and only a passing grade of 60% for CEGEP grades is required (also I spoke to admissions and they confirmed to me that this change was permanent for a number of reasons) but I'm wondering if  there will be some kind of penalty attached to all those failed CEGEP prereq/classes (even if I did complete them)? Or am I just being paranoid?

[KitKatCo]

On 5/24/2021 at 2:40 PM, MaudeB said:

@McGillMedAmbassadors,

I have another question regarding the schedule. I would love to know how long are the xmas vacation in year 1 and 2 of the MDCM as well as the summer vacation? Thanks so much!

M1: Christmas break is roughly 2 weeks. It depends on where exams fall during exam week, you may get 2-3 extra days if they are early in the week. Summer break is ~2 months, from mid-June to mid-August

M2: I don't have the exact numbers but looks like christmas is again ~2 weeks, and summer is shorter than M1 (~5 weeks)

https://www.mcgill.ca/ugme/files/ugme/mdcm_schema_2020-02-07_en.pdf