Grad school completion restrictions

[lidocaine 1]

Hi everyone. 
 

I recall reading somewhere on here that there is a requirement that graduate students finish their program by a specific date if they are to be offered admission at certain schools in Ontario. I tried searching the forums and couldn’t find the topic i read before. If anyone could give me a hand with some resources that discuss this i would really appreciate it. 

[conditional knockout 24]

I don’t recall the exact place i read this, but June 30th is the deadline to have all degree requirements met for UofT. It’s probably on their website and maybe the OMSAS guide.

however, I’m interested in seeing whether they’ll extend this to August given the circumstances.

[premed72 90]

I can confirm it is June 30th. But I think it might be flexible given the situation right now. Still best to try and complete it ASAP though 

[dynamite17 10]

I'm really hoping that they're flexible on the deadline, especially with labs being closed since early March. I only had 2/3 weeks of lab work left, and I'm not optimistic that my program or external committee will allow me to defend without complete results. Just trying to write my thesis and get everything else done in the meantime.

[zxcccxz 87]

3 hours ago, dynamite17 said:

I'm really hoping that they're flexible on the deadline, especially with labs being closed since early March. I only had 2/3 weeks of lab work left, and I'm not optimistic that my program or external committee will allow me to defend without complete results. Just trying to write my thesis and get everything else done in the meantime.

I think ultimately, the flexibility will have to come from your thesis committee rather than the medical school. Whether or not they let you defend if you only have 2-3 weeks of lab work left. Even the most optimistic epidemiological predictions don't show anything opening up before August. So actually getting back in the lab before then is a foregone conclusion. A friend of mine is defending in a couple weeks using ZOOM. 

I imagine med school protocol in your situation will largely remain the same in your case. i.e., if you're offered admissions, and your degree is not confered prior to matriculation due to unforseeable circumstances (which is the case with COVID), they'll just suggest that you defer by a year.

[premed72 90]

10 hours ago, dynamite17 said:

I'm really hoping that they're flexible on the deadline, especially with labs being closed since early March. I only had 2/3 weeks of lab work left, and I'm not optimistic that my program or external committee will allow me to defend without complete results. Just trying to write my thesis and get everything else done in the meantime.

Hey there!

Have you tried talking to your committee about this? I'm not sure of the nature of your work, but having to defer an acceptance for a year (which I think is unlikely tbh) to finish 2-3 weeks left of lab work seems a little harsh to me. Maybe try and speak to your supervisor about the situation? If you tell them a deferral for your med acceptance is a possibility they can maybe be more accommodating. You can even ask to defend, finish your degree and then tell them you'll put in those 3 weeks afterward. From my experience, supervisors just want results from their students LOL they can be accommodating with degree completion. But, I understand this varies from one institution/supervisor to another. But I guess you can try! Goodluck:) 

[Eatrasm 4]

Uoft said Canadian med schools are working together to help current and future applicants so I wouldn't be too worried

[keener12345 79]

Even if there was no pandemic going on, U of T has always been lenient with the completion deadline (at least for course based). I was a course based masters when I got in, and they gave me to literally the weekend before school started to submit my documentation.

[conditional knockout 24]

11 hours ago, keener12345 said:

Even if there was no pandemic going on, U of T has always been lenient with the completion deadline (at least for course based). I was a course based masters when I got in, and they gave me to literally the weekend before school started to submit my documentation.

So happy to hear this. I'm doing a thesis-based masters, and still have like 70% of my thesis to write, so worried I won't make the June30th deadline because it takes a month from having a written thesis to being all done (2 weeks for committee to read thesis, then defense, then two weeks to make revisions and get approval from Grad Studies).

Edit: Also forgot to factor in the time it's going to take for my supervisor to make me edit my thesis back-and-forth before sending off to committee. Yikes!

[NotYourTypicalPreMed 15]

I'm in the same situation... also worried about the June 30th deadline. Currently writing my thesis and hoping to submit in the next few weeks.

But things have been moving sooooo slow. Can't wait for May 12th to come, but then I realize I have so much to do by then, that I need time to slow down haha