Chances of acceptance?

[alex96]

I finished my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering (Co-op) with a 3.37/4.0 GPA. My GPA has a mostly upward-to-constant trend. I am not sure if schools look at your marks based on the class average, but most of my grades are way above the average, except for 1 or 2 that are on the average (none are below). I am also not sure if schools will take into account that I have a professional degree. I am planning on taking the MCAT in two months to hopefully use the MCAT to compensate for my low GPA. 

My extracurriculars include being president of a hospital related club, lots of volunteering (some in hospital) and being apart of other clubs throughout the last few years. A lot of aerospace industry experience throughout my internships (and continued working part time during my last year of my degree) and tutoring (chemistry and math mostly) over the years. I haven't done any research but have completed many larger-scale projects throughout my engineering degree.

This is a rough summary of my CV and I was wondering what my options are. I really want to be a doctor and have wanted to since I was really young, but lost my way a bit at the beginning of university. I would prefer to go to a Canadian school as I would like to practice here in the future and the tuition is reasonable compared to US schools. I don't exactly want to go to the Caribbean, mostly because the tuition is really high and I heard that it is hard to get a residency in Canada/US. I was looking at studying in Ireland since they have an Atlantic Bridge Program that supposedly helps with getting a residency in North America, but the tuition is very high there too. 

I am not sure what I should do. Should I consider a second undergraduate degree, an actual Master's, or is there another way I can make up for my low GPA?

[HongHongHong]

Alright, you need to accomodate your low GPA somehow. I’m inclined to say a out of Canada school is a good bet. You could take a second bachelor’s, but that would cost you ~$40k+ on top of 4 years of your life (and that might not even pan out into an acceptance; there’s no guarantee it’d be a GPA booster if your first degree wasn’t one). Let’s say each year of your life lost would’ve been a year where you earned $150k/yr as a doctor. Theoretically, if you went to Australia or somewhere right now, you’d be a practicing MD for 4 years longer, albeit $400k in debt, but you’d be practicing four years sooner (150x4 = $600k income), and so ultimately, you’d earn $200k vs paying $40k for a second degree and $80k for a Canadian MD. Sometimes it’s best to give up early for down the line gains.

 

Continue reading at your own risk, tough love incoming:

According to the below linked page, your chances of acceptance are low. Why did you go into engineering where it’s hard to get good grades in? Why is the extracurricular that you highlighted the most (aside from co-op) presidency from high school? I think you need to do a bit of soul searching about why medical schools in Canada would want to take you when they can have dime a dozen other candidates who have demonstrated the ability to study well.

Why do you want to go into medical school? Many people have the Doctor dream inspired in them by their parents or by playing dress up as children, but that in itself can come apart during your future high stress career. Is a career as a nurse practitioner something you’d be interested in? What about your current career in engineering? Aerospace seems like something you’ve been successful in (and demonstrably worked towards) and is a good degree for employment.

https://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/applying/requirements/requirements-edu

[bearded frog]

3 hours ago, alex97 said:

I am not sure if schools look at your marks based on the class average

They do not

I am also not sure if schools will take into account that I have a professional degree.

Generally, no

I would prefer to go to a Canadian school as I would like to practice here in the future and the tuition is reasonable compared to US schools.

US schools also use a cumulative GPA and care about your science GPA which is even lower so right now you don't really have a shot at US schools - perhaps DO maybe.

I don't exactly want to go to the Caribbean, mostly because the tuition is really high and I heard that it is hard to get a residency in Canada/US.

Good call

I was looking at studying in Ireland since they have an Atlantic Bridge Program that supposedly helps with getting a residency in North America, but the tuition is very high there too.

Basically same issues as Caribbean, dunno if your GPA is good enough for it these days. 

I am not sure what I should do. Should I consider a second undergraduate degree, an actual Master's, or is there another way I can make up for my low GPA?

Do not do a graduate degree, almost no schools take graduate GPA into account and will use your undergrad GPA. If you speak french, consider one of the french schools as their GPA requirements tend to be lower than english schools. Basically you have to do more undergrad, either just a DIY bost-bac year or, for consideration of some school's calculations, a second undergrad degree. HOWEVER, I know you say your marks are above class averages, but at this point you're gonna need to be pulling GPAs that are 3.8+ per year, and you will really need to reflect if that is something you can do, or are you just wasting your time and money. You'll have to do some math to figure out with your current cumulative GPA how many credits and what GPA you will need to bring your overall gpa into the acceptance range, and then decide if that's really the path you want to go.

In regards to the Caribbean/international you are notoriously on your own, especially in the Caribbean. Reflect on the reasons why your GPA wasn't great and decide why you really think your medical school performance will be better, considering its much more grueling compared to Canadian schools, which are not necessarily a cake walk.

 

[indefatigable]

33 minutes ago, bearded frog said:

. If you speak french, consider one of the french schools as their GPA requirements tend to be lower than english schools. 

French schools ONLY care about GPA (and sometimes CASPer).  There's no MCAT or ECs.  There's a few exceptions like being out in the work-force.  

GPA calculation is different though since it attempts to account for (or normalize by) program difficulty - so OP might have an outside shot.  Usually it means some programs get 'adjusted' higher - ie. B+ in pharmacy might be like an A+ in something else.. 

An academic learning environment goes far beyond conversational French - speaking basic French might not be enough to learn/study effectively in French.  There's so many tools used to determine English language proficiency like CARS by MD programs - jumping into French without that kind of ability may not be a great idea.

[bearded frog]

It's also less competitive.

[indefatigable]

4 minutes ago, bearded frog said:

It's also less competitive.

yes/no - it's not easily comparable: 1) most med students are admitted from CEGEP unlike outside QC; 2) admittance is based mostly on known GPA requirements.

CEGEP students do have relatively good odds - but not straight university grads.  

People tend to apply only when their GPAs in QC are high enough to put them into serious contention, since this may be the only criterion. 

otoh, Mac has a low GPA cut-off, but most people who get admitted are at the upper end of the GPA range - which is like the QC situation.  In theory much lower GPAs can get accepted to Mac even though it may happen rarely - but that may account for a very high number of applicants.  

 

[ballsortahard]

On 5/23/2020 at 2:20 PM, alex96 said:

I finished my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering (Co-op) with a 3.37/4.0 GPA

Before you do anything you should probably calculate your GPA for each school in canada with there weighting criteria's (especially the schools in your province of residence). IF you had a very very  bad year and then some better years you might be ok.

[whatisgoingon]

On 5/23/2020 at 4:20 PM, alex96 said:

I finished my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering (Co-op) with a 3.37/4.0 GPA. My GPA has a mostly upward-to-constant trend. I am not sure if schools look at your marks based on the class average, but most of my grades are way above the average, except for 1 or 2 that are on the average (none are below). I am also not sure if schools will take into account that I have a professional degree. I am planning on taking the MCAT in two months to hopefully use the MCAT to compensate for my low GPA. 

My extracurriculars include being president of a hospital related club, lots of volunteering (some in hospital) and being apart of other clubs throughout the last few years. A lot of aerospace industry experience throughout my internships (and continued working part time during my last year of my degree) and tutoring (chemistry and math mostly) over the years. I haven't done any research but have completed many larger-scale projects throughout my engineering degree.

This is a rough summary of my CV and I was wondering what my options are. I really want to be a doctor and have wanted to since I was really young, but lost my way a bit at the beginning of university. I would prefer to go to a Canadian school as I would like to practice here in the future and the tuition is reasonable compared to US schools. I don't exactly want to go to the Caribbean, mostly because the tuition is really high and I heard that it is hard to get a residency in Canada/US. I was looking at studying in Ireland since they have an Atlantic Bridge Program that supposedly helps with getting a residency in North America, but the tuition is very high there too. 

I am not sure what I should do. Should I consider a second undergraduate degree, an actual Master's, or is there another way I can make up for my low GPA?

3.7 GPA is good for acceptance at MANY/MOST schools in the country. If you have the means you would certainly make it at mid tier USMD contingent on a good MCAT and meeting prereqs. Ireland you're obviously in but I would caution against it unless you are certain you do not want a competitive specialty. Your chances here will depend on your MCAT and what province you are from. You can safely ignore the people who think you'll never make it without a 4.0.