Some Advice For An Engineer

[tiel]

Quick summary about me:
- Canadian in Vancouver - 30 y.o.
- Undergrad in civil engineering 87%
- Masters in structural engineering 94%
- Designed high-rise buildings in a firm for 4 years
- Took MCAT 503 (all 126 except 125 cars) out of the blue
- returned to school to take biol, biochem, orgo requirements
- Applied to UBC and Ontario schools, no interview
- Applied to an Australian school on a whim and got into a school
- Currently volunteering at (pretty much only relevant volunteer work) started beginning of this year:
- Canadian blood services guiding donors
- spinal cord research center pig spinal operations - (just shadowing the operation for now..just started)

I am planning to apply to Canadian, American, and just Sydney medicine this year. I will be volunteering and preparing for MCAT this summer. Should I be focusing more towards my volunteer experience or focusing more towards a higher MCAT score (I will do both, but simply distributing my time right now)?

P.S For those curious why I switched, I enjoyed my job as a structural engineer but wanted to pursue something more meaningful. After few years of playing with the thought in my head, I decided to actually try it at least.

Thanks all.

[JohnGrisham]

Your GPA is competitive for UBC, you need to just make sure your non-academics are just as strong, easier said then done.

I would focus on retaking the MCAT, and see if you qualify for UWO and Queens best 2 year/last 2 year GPA cutoffs..and of course need to meet the MCAT cut-offs.

Otherwise, you should focus on USMD and USDO programs next in line to Canadian med schools again. Seems like you've not had luck with Canadian ones.

Need more info like breakdown of years, as well as how you scored on the NAQ component for UBC and what  cycle it was that you applied.

Absolutely no need to go to australia and ireland with your grades.

[neurophile]

Hey! To convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale Google the OMSAS GPA conversion chart, or to make things easier here it is: http://www.ouac.on.ca/docs/omsas/c_omsas_b.pdf

[tiel]

Your GPA is competitive for UBC, you need to just make sure your non-academics are just as strong, easier said then done.

 

I would focus on retaking the MCAT, and see if you qualify for UWO and Queens best 2 year/last 2 year GPA cutoffs..and of course need to meet the MCAT cut-offs.

 

Otherwise, you should focus on USMD and USDO programs next in line to Canadian med schools again. Seems like you've not had luck with Canadian ones.

 

Need more info like breakdown of years, as well as how you scored on the NAQ component for UBC and what  cycle it was that you applied.

 

Absolutely no need to go to australia and ireland with your grades.

 

Thanks for the comment.

 

Last year, I took the MCAT 2 months after leaving my job and had to apply to Canadian med schools at the last minute and my application for the NAQ wasn't so good.

 

I'm looking over my results from UBC application:

 

Overall GPA: 85.4

Adjusted GPA: 86.8

AQ Score: 26.7

NAQ Score 14.1

TFR Score: 40.7

 

I think the NAQ is terrible. My degrees were in structural engineering and I have no volunteer work. This summer I am working under some research prof to see if that can help. But to someone like me, the process of raising NAQ score seems to be a mystery to me.

 

As to the breakdown of years - do you mean grades?

 

And why are the 2 year cut-offs important?

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer in advance. It seems coming from a different background I don't get access to too much information out there.

 

Cheers

[DDS2018]

Wow we have extremely similar backgrounds! Almost unbelievable. Civil undergrad, structural masters, 4 years experience before diving in to make a change, not much biology/volunteering due to background. (Only difference was that I went into Dentistry.)

 

I don't know if I have much to add in terms of specific advice, but best of luck! I'm halfway done dental school, but including taking the prereqs and writing the DAT, etc., I've been at it for over three years now. No regrets so far, but it has been alot of work (dental school itself, but also taking the prereqs and writing the DAT, since I kept working as an engineer while taking the courses). If you really know you want it, then keep at it. For me it's all been worth it so far.

[tiel]

Wow we have extremely similar backgrounds! Almost unbelievable. Civil undergrad, structural masters, 4 years experience before diving in to make a change, not much biology/volunteering due to background. (Only difference was that I went into Dentistry.)

 

I don't know if I have much to add in terms of specific advice, but best of luck! I'm halfway done dental school, but including taking the prereqs and writing the DAT, etc., I've been at it for over three years now. No regrets so far, but it has been alot of work (dental school itself, but also taking the prereqs and writing the DAT, since I kept working as an engineer while taking the courses). If you really know you want it, then keep at it. For me it's all been worth it so far.

 

Nice to see someone with a similar background. Thanks for the advice. It can be a tough change and I often think about reverting back to being an engineer. Which dental school are you attending at the moment?

[alsdjflks]

 

daf

 

[Bambi]

Look at McGill where you don't need MCAT so long as you graduated from a Canadian university. ECs and volunteering are about CanMEDS competencies and also altruism. I would think that through your employment you will have demonstrated CanMEDS competencies so that only leaves altruism, such as helping the elderly, Big Brothers Big Sisters. Hospital related activities are nor required. My most memorable and inspiring volunteering involved helping an elderly neighbour (unorganized activity) who was wheelchair bound, and doing small chores like picking up the mail, grocery shopping and wheeling her to the park and just chatting when she mentored me.    

[tiel]

Look at McGill where you don't need MCAT so long as you graduated from a Canadian university. ECs and volunteering are about CanMEDS competencies and also altruism. I would think that through your employment you will have demonstrated CanMEDS competencies so that only leaves altruism, such as helping the elderly, Big Brothers Big Sisters. Hospital related activities are nor required. My most memorable and inspiring volunteering involved helping an elderly neighbour (unorganized activity) who was wheelchair bound, and doing small chores like picking up the mail, grocery shopping and wheeling her to the park and just chatting when she mentored me.    

 

Thanks for your thought. I think I agree with you partly as there appears to be Canadian schools that really emphasize too much on MCAT scores. Mcgill is a bit out of reach it seems as I would be considered out-of-province. I will look into Big Brothers Big Sisters. I recently started volunteering at a senior's home for war veterans and I agree with you I can see it becoming a very meaningful experience.

[Bambi]

I agree it is tougher as OOP @ McGill, but kill the Narratives and have a great CV. Use your marketing skills. To get to the interview, it is somewhat of a subjective process and a degree of luck is involved. You only know if you throw your hat in the ring, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Volunteering with the war veterans is wonderful and is a meaningful experience for all!

[tiel]

I agree it is tougher as OOP @ McGill, but kill the Narratives and have a great CV. Use your marketing skills. To get to the interview, it is somewhat of a subjective process and a degree of luck is involved. You only know if you throw your hat in the ring, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Volunteering with the war veterans is wonderful and is a meaningful experience for all!

Yeah, I have realized in the past months that application is somewhat of a skill. The last time I applied I did not realize this, which may partly be due to me coming from an engineering background where concrete hard facts and minimal descriptions of accomplishments are perhaps better accepted. Thanks for the encouragement. I think I will try for McGill this year. To be honest I have been accepted to some Australians schools and recently been swayed towards them simply because I've been hearing so many stories of people trying without much luck in Canada.

[Bambi]

Yeah, I have realized in the past months that application is somewhat of a skill. The last time I applied I did not realize this, which may partly be due to me coming from an engineering background where concrete hard facts and minimal descriptions of accomplishments are perhaps better accepted. Thanks for the encouragement. I think I will try for McGill this year. To be honest I have been accepted to some Australians schools and recently been swayed towards them simply because I've been hearing so many stories of people trying without much luck in Canada.

 

The problem with Australian schools is that, as I understand it, Australia will be closed to you, and it will be extremely hard to get back to Canada for your residency. So, if practice is the end game, and in Canada, be very careful in your decisions and investigate what your options might be to return to Canada thoroughly. You don't want to return to engineering with a (very expensive) M.D. degree (that you cannot use). 

 

The application process very much requires a new skill set to become selected for the interview. The ABS for OMSAS gives limited characters to describe what you learned, what you contributed. The McGill & U/T Narratives require thoughtful self-reflection how to make a meaningful impact to separate you from other applicants. This is a skill set not taught anywhere and excellent applicants blow themselves out of the water by being unable to market their qualities/contributions within the character limitation. 

[tiel]

The problem with Australian schools is that, as I understand it, Australia will be closed to you, and it will be extremely hard to get back to Canada for your residency. So, if practice is the end game, and in Canada, be very careful in your decisions and investigate what your options might be to return to Canada thoroughly. You don't want to return to engineering with a (very expensive) M.D. degree (that you cannot use). 

 

The application process very much requires a new skill set to become selected for the interview. The ABS for OMSAS gives limited characters to describe what you learned, what you contributed. The McGill & U/T Narratives require thoughtful self-reflection how to make a meaningful impact to separate you from other applicants. This is a skill set not taught anywhere and excellent applicants blow themselves out of the water by being unable to market their qualities/contributions within the character limitation. 

 

Yeah. I am leaning away from Australian schools for that reason. Thanks for all your helpful comments Bambi.

[JohnGrisham]

Again, what is your year by year GPA breakdown with credit weightings?

Western uses best two years, and queens uses most recent 2 years.

You need to ace the MCAT, and then you should get a for sure interview at Western if you make the cut-off. 

If you can raise verbal, you may have luck with McMaster.

At the moment, UBC which is your most likely option, is fairly closed off to you since you have a low NAQ. However, you should make sure you include all of your work experience, and any team work or leadership work since your undergrad days. Everything counts, as does wording. Really make solid explanations for each activity.