Second degree applicants: when to apply?

[magicmed]

Hi everyone,

I'm in the first year of my second degree. I am doing well GPA-wise (4.0 at the moment, trying to keep it that way) and will only need to do another year after this (2 year second degree in total). 

For those that also did a second degree, would you apply at the start of your second year, or after the degree has been completed? 

I have been mindful about Western's requirements and I know that I can't apply until after the degree is done, but not sure about other schools. 

Thanks!

[Psych]

Hey there- I'm not sure what requirements you're talking about for Western, but it says on their website that you can apply "after completion or during the final year of a second undergraduate degree", meaning that you are eligible to apply at the start of your second year. I imagine most schools are the same. This is generally how medical school admissions work- you apply at the start of the last year of your program for entry into medicine the fall after you graduate. If you wait to apply until after you've completed your degree, you'll have to take a full year off after your degree before entering med school.

One caveat- most schools use at least two years of grades to calculate your GPA, so Western for example may take the last year of your first degree and the first year of your second degree to calculate your GPA. So you are for sure eligible to apply to Western at the start of your second year (and probably most other schools as well), but they might calculate your GPA using some of your older grades. I personally would spend some time looking at the med school websites to see what their requirements are, and send each individual school an email if you're unsure how they will calculate your GPA.

TL;DR- you are probably eligible to apply to most or all schools (including Western) at the start of your second year, but something to look into is how they will calculate your GPA (they might use some grades from your first degree)

Hope this helps!

[magicmed]

On 11/16/2020 at 2:27 PM, Psych said:

Hey there- I'm not sure what requirements you're talking about for Western, but it says on their website that you can apply "after completion or during the final year of a second undergraduate degree", meaning that you are eligible to apply at the start of your second year. I imagine most schools are the same. This is generally how medical school admissions work- you apply at the start of the last year of your program for entry into medicine the fall after you graduate. If you wait to apply until after you've completed your degree, you'll have to take a full year off after your degree before entering med school.

One caveat- most schools use at least two years of grades to calculate your GPA, so Western for example may take the last year of your first degree and the first year of your second degree to calculate your GPA. So you are for sure eligible to apply to Western at the start of your second year (and probably most other schools as well), but they might calculate your GPA using some of your older grades. I personally would spend some time looking at the med school websites to see what their requirements are, and send each individual school an email if you're unsure how they will calculate your GPA.

TL;DR- you are probably eligible to apply to most or all schools (including Western) at the start of your second year, but something to look into is how they will calculate your GPA (they might use some grades from your first degree)

Hope this helps!

Thank you SO much for taking the time to reply to my post! I think I misunderstood Western's website and believed that I wouldn't be able to apply until after I was done. I'm feeling so much better about potentially saving a year of my life before starting med school (ofc if I receive an acceptance).

I have a year that is higher than a 3.7 (not my last year of the first degree, but I believe Western takes best two years), so if I can maintain a 4.0 this year then maybe I actually have a shot! I'm e-mailing Western now to confirm if this is how they would calculate my GPA. 

Cheers & all the best to you at Ottawa!

[yeescience]

I'm in a similar boat (first year of second degree and doing well). I'm struggling to decide if to complete the second year of this degree next September (equivalent of 4th year honours program) or graduate with the equivalent of a 3-year BSc. Could anyone shed some light if they have experience with a second degree and getting into med? My last two years of my first undergrad were decent (3.93 and 3.77) and I've also done an MSc... so I am at a crossroad! The financial burden is rough! Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[Psych]

On 11/18/2020 at 12:04 AM, magicmed said:

Thank you SO much for taking the time to reply to my post! I think I misunderstood Western's website and believed that I wouldn't be able to apply until after I was done. I'm feeling so much better about potentially saving a year of my life before starting med school (ofc if I receive an acceptance).

I have a year that is higher than a 3.7 (not my last year of the first degree, but I believe Western takes best two years), so if I can maintain a 4.0 this year then maybe I actually have a shot! I'm e-mailing Western now to confirm if this is how they would calculate my GPA. 

Cheers & all the best to you at Ottawa!

No worries at all! It's definitely always better to email the school to clarify, but that's what I took out of the website at least. I think you're right about the best two years, so hopefully that works out for you

[magicmed]

On 11/19/2020 at 11:54 AM, yeescience said:

I'm in a similar boat (first year of second degree and doing well). I'm struggling to decide if to complete the second year of this degree next September (equivalent of 4th year honours program) or graduate with the equivalent of a 3-year BSc. Could anyone shed some light if they have experience with a second degree and getting into med? My last two years of my first undergrad were decent (3.93 and 3.77) and I've also done an MSc... so I am at a crossroad! The financial burden is rough! Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Hey! It's reassuring seeing someone else pursue a second degree for med  Just an FYI, the Western admissions page indicates that the second degree must be equivalent to an a 4-year degree... but you can always shoot them an e-mail to confirm!

Just to share some thoughts from someone in the same spot (down to the M.Sc. and 3.9 in my last year of first undergrad): I think with your 4.0 in your second degree and your last 2 years of your first, you would have a strong GPA, but I think you still have time to decide. I would wait until final marks come out (at least for this fall semester) to gauge how you're doing. For me, I'm on the cusp of 3.9/4.0 right now, so my final exams would need some work to keep the 4.0.

But if you can maintain the 4.0 this year, I think you have a strong GPA as is, and you could maybe look to see if there are other aspects of your application that you could strengthen instead of finishing the second year!

ie. Ottawa (last 3) 4.0 + 3.93 + 3.77 = 3.9

     Queens (last 2) 4.0 + 3.93 = 3.96

     Dal (masters + last 2) 4.0?? + 4.0 + 3.93 = 3.97

     Western (if they'll take your 3-year degree) 4.0 + 3.93 = 3.96, 3.85 (if first undergrad only).

Have you applied previously with your first undergrad marks? Your last two years seem competitive still especially for schools that look at your last two years!

[yeescience]

1 hour ago, magicmed said:

Hey! It's reassuring seeing someone else pursue a second degree for med  Just an FYI, the Western admissions page indicates that the second degree must be equivalent to an a 4-year degree... but you can always shoot them an e-mail to confirm!

Just to share some thoughts from someone in the same spot (down to the M.Sc. and 3.9 in my last year of first undergrad): I think with your 4.0 in your second degree and your last 2 years of your first, you would have a strong GPA, but I think you still have time to decide. I would wait until final marks come out (at least for this fall semester) to gauge how you're doing. For me, I'm on the cusp of 3.9/4.0 right now, so my final exams would need some work to keep the 4.0.

But if you can maintain the 4.0 this year, I think you have a strong GPA as is, and you could maybe look to see if there are other aspects of your application that you could strengthen instead of finishing the second year!

ie. Ottawa (last 3) 4.0 + 3.93 + 3.77 = 3.9

     Queens (last 2) 4.0 + 3.93 = 3.96

     Dal (masters + last 2) 4.0?? + 4.0 + 3.93 = 3.97

     Western (if they'll take your 3-year degree) 4.0 + 3.93 = 3.96, 3.85 (if first undergrad only).

Have you applied previously with your first undergrad marks? Your last two years seem competitive still especially for schools that look at your last two years!

Hey! Thank you so much for your response :)! It is really nice to hear about other people's similar experiences, especially this year when a lot of us are alienated from others! I have tried applying with my first degree marks but haven't been successful to getting interviews yet. I'm hoping for this year but I am trying to stay focused on getting that >3.9 GPA. I guess I will evaluate after this semester. I wish you the best of luck!