Do I have a chance????

[Isra]

Hello!

I am in sixth year uni and my cgpa is 3.575, but I need 3 more credits to graduate. I am in specialist Biology Comparative Physiology degree at University of Toronto. I finished my mcat with 520.. 

I am a 23 years old female who was born and raised in Canada. ( idk if that's important) 

My first two to three years sucked like my average gpa because I was extremely sick and it turned out I had spinal cancer and had to have surgery to remove it and was not sure if I would be able to walk again, so uni was the last thing on my mind.. However, I did it!! I am healthy and in remission!!!!!

I got back to uni finding out i got 0 in 1.5 credits and a 50 in 0.5... so I worked super hard with back to back 4.0s and if i complete the next 3 credits with 4.0 i will be able to graduate with 3.636 gpa...

I could just do less classes next sem and take more classes next year to boost gpa more ?? but that would be going into 7th year at uni and idkk??

 

Extracurriculars:
- I have done two research credits at UTM ROP for Bio299y and Bio399y

- I have been volunteering at this hospital doing usual basic things for two years.

- I am a first aid person at the mississauga campus it is linked with an ambulance in Toronto so i have done that for 2 years.

- I even did 4 months research with a prof in the summer

 

I am planning on becoming a research assistant soon and maybe becoming a TA for a class..

 

I am applying for doing my MD McMaster, BC, Queens, Alberta, Western.

Do i have a chance at any of these medical schools?? My number 1 is Mcmaster and I really just want to do good.

 

With my current gpa and mcat score will they even consider me??? should i do another year to boost gpa so when im applying it'll be in the 3.65s rather than 3.575...

what chances do i even have??
 

[DrOtter]

So sorry to hear about cancer but the fact that you made it through and worked so hard for the last few years is truly inspiring. 

You might have a chance at Western and Queen's since both only look at your best 2 years of undergrad. Although for Western, there is a stipulation that those 2 years have to be full course load. But Western also has an extensive amount of Supplementary Info in the application for you to explain your life circumstances, and you got some unique challenges here. Queen's does not have any additional supplements outside the standard OMSAS application but your MCAT is solid and you might have a chance there too. 

I don't know about UBC and Alberta. But one school out-of-province that you will almost be guaranteed an interview is U of Saskatchewan. They only consider the MCAT for OOP applicants (no GPA, no ECs necessary) and you're pretty much guaranteed an interview invite with a 520+. So if you don't mind going to a distant province for 4 years, USask makes for a great backup (it is for me in case I don't get in this year).

Have you considered maybe doing a second undergrad instead of prolonging your current one? It might help more to boost your GPA and with full course load in that second undergrad, you may be eligible for UofT's weighted GPA as well. 

[Meridian]

Fabulous MCAT.  If your CARs is high you have that base covered great.   

Read about weighted wGPA.  Many schools allow you to drop x years or xx credits from your GPA for medical school applications.  Queens looks at last 2 years. Western uses best 2 years. Ottawa, uses last 3 years in a weighted formula. With your great later year GPA you may be good to go at thsoe 3 schools.  U of T allows you to drop one full credit for each year completed.  Some require you to have had full course load each year or each year being used. So as example for U of T if you did not do full course load in all undergrad years, you cannot use weighted GPA but can still apply with your cumulative cGPA.  Unfortunately MAC looks at all your undergrad grades.  It would be pretty tough to get an interview with a 3.6x GPA.

Understand your full course load status for Queens, Western, Ottawa before deciding whether to finish those 3 courses or spread them out to another year

 

[conbrio]

2 hours ago, Isra said:

Hello!

...

what chances do i even have??
 

Hey! I'm really sorry you had to go through cancer. Can't imagine how tough that must have been. Glad you're feeling better!

Just wanted to pipe in that I actually have a similar background: difficult initial years due to personal circumstances, a low cGPA (3.59), a high MCAT (520), research experience, and volunteer experience (I also did first aid and hospital stuff in addition to others). I did 6 years of undergrad, the extra year to improve my GPA. 

However I received interviews at Western and Queen's last year, so you definitely have a chance for these schools. I was hoping my 131 CARS would offset my low cGPA for McMaster, but I didn't receive an interview there- so definitely prepare for CASPER. And I apply to Alberta for the first time this year, so I'll let you know how that turns out. Haven't applied to BC.

Just make sure that you qualify for weighted GPAs for the schools that offer them.

[JohnGrisham]

2 hours ago, DrOtter said:

So sorry to hear about cancer but the fact that you made it through and worked so hard for the last few years is truly inspiring. 

You might have a chance at Western and Queen's since both only look at your best 2 years of undergrad. Although for Western, there is a stipulation that those 2 years have to be full course load. But Western also has an extensive amount of Supplementary Info in the application for you to explain your life circumstances, and you got some unique challenges here. Queen's does not have any additional supplements outside the standard OMSAS application but your MCAT is solid and you might have a chance there too. 

I don't know about UBC and Alberta. But one school out-of-province that you will almost be guaranteed an interview is U of Saskatchewan. They only consider the MCAT for OOP applicants (no GPA, no ECs necessary) and you're pretty much guaranteed an interview invite with a 520+. So if you don't mind going to a distant province for 4 years, USask makes for a great backup (it is for me in case I don't get in this year).

Have you considered maybe doing a second undergrad instead of prolonging your current one? It might help more to boost your GPA and with full course load in that second undergrad, you may be eligible for UofT's weighted GPA as well. 

Queens looks at your most RECENT 2 years. 

Western looks at BEST 2 years.

Both are only used, if they are higher than your cGPA.

[mdforme]

@Isra The short answer to your inquiry would be:  if you don't try, you don't have a chance.

Yes there are specifications for each school as far as how they weigh things to weed out some applicants etc. but med schools nowadays are looking for very rounded applicants (which would not be going out on a limb to say that you are with your experience). 

You literally are not going to know if you'd be offered an interview, until you take the steps in applying for that opportunity.

I think it was ye olde Wayne Gretzky that said "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Best of luck and health to you, and happy to hear of your remission.