Looking for advice please! Is it worth trying?

[sunflowerpower]

Hello everyone,

I’m currently finishing up my undergrad and I’m considering applying to medical school in 2022 but I’m worried that it might be a long shot…

Info: BC resident. I would be happy to receive an acceptance anywhere, but I feel like UBC might be the most realistic for me since I would be an IP applicant.

My main concerns are the following:

• I took many part-time semesters during undergrad. I know that some schools say they are ok with this but I can’t help but feel like this is a disadvantage for me on paper.
• I have taken 0 science courses during my undergrad. I enjoyed and did well in science in high school but it’s been a while. Part of me feels like I could self study for the MCAT, but I feel like taking an extra year of science would be beneficial (both for studying for the MCAT, and to show schools that I can do well in science and am committed to med). This extra year would probably be another part-time one though (mostly because there are only so many science courses I can take without any prereqs, but also because I would have to keep working and improving my ECs during this time)… This brings me back to my previous concern.
• My GPA is ok, but not particularly competitive.
• My ECs definitely need improvement.

Here are my stats:

• Spring 2016 (4 courses): 83.75%
• 2016-2017 (8 courses): 90.00%
• 2017-2018 (3 courses): 86.67%
• 2018-2019 (7 courses): 90.00%
• 2019-2020* (8 courses): 91.75%
• 2020-2021 (3 courses): 91.33%

*Unfortunately for me UBC is currently disregarding Spring 2020 GPAs. This was my best semester and also the only one I took 5 courses for.

cGPA: 88.92%

ECs: Definitely below average. Worked throughout undergrad. Wrote an honours thesis (unrelated to health/science). Quite a few hobbies (several of which I did not continue after high school). Minimal volunteering.

Tentative plan: Take a few first year science courses between Sept 2021 and April 2022 to help prepare for the MCAT and also hopefully raise my GPA. Increase my volunteer commitments during this time. Write the MCAT in spring 2022 and hopefully apply to schools for the first time in fall 2022.

Is this an unrealistic plan? Is taking an extra year of part-time sciences a good idea? I have already done 6 years of undergrad level classes. Will it look bad to drag this out further? Would it be better just to keep my current GPA, work on ECs and self-study for the MCAT? The science courses are only “strongly recommended” for UBC, but I feel like having 0 science classes is still a disadvantage, even if I manage to do well on the MCAT.

I feel really drawn to medicine but I do have other school/career options. On one hand I don’t want to regret not trying for medicine, but I also don’t want to put other options on hold for multiple years if med school is unrealistic.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

[frenchpress]

3 hours ago, sunflowerpower said:

Hello everyone,

I’m currently finishing up my undergrad and I’m considering applying to medical school in 2022 but I’m worried that it might be a long shot…

Info: BC resident. I would be happy to receive an acceptance anywhere, but I feel like UBC might be the most realistic for me since I would be an IP applicant.

My main concerns are the following:

• I took many part-time semesters during undergrad. I know that some schools say they are ok with this but I can’t help but feel like this is a disadvantage for me on paper.
• I have taken 0 science courses during my undergrad. I enjoyed and did well in science in high school but it’s been a while. Part of me feels like I could self study for the MCAT, but I feel like taking an extra year of science would be beneficial (both for studying for the MCAT, and to show schools that I can do well in science and am committed to med). This extra year would probably be another part-time one though (mostly because there are only so many science courses I can take without any prereqs, but also because I would have to keep working and improving my ECs during this time)… This brings me back to my previous concern.
• My GPA is ok, but not particularly competitive.
• My ECs definitely need improvement.

Here are my stats:

• Spring 2016 (4 courses): 83.75%
• 2016-2017 (8 courses): 90.00%
• 2017-2018 (3 courses): 86.67%
• 2018-2019 (7 courses): 90.00%
• 2019-2020* (8 courses): 91.75%
• 2020-2021 (3 courses): 91.33%

*Unfortunately for me UBC is currently disregarding Spring 2020 GPAs. This was my best semester and also the only one I took 5 courses for.

cGPA: 88.92%

ECs: Definitely below average. Worked throughout undergrad. Wrote an honours thesis (unrelated to health/science). Quite a few hobbies (several of which I did not continue after high school). Minimal volunteering.

Tentative plan: Take a few first year science courses between Sept 2021 and April 2022 to help prepare for the MCAT and also hopefully raise my GPA. Increase my volunteer commitments during this time. Write the MCAT in spring 2022 and hopefully apply to schools for the first time in fall 2022.

Is this an unrealistic plan? Is taking an extra year of part-time sciences a good idea? I have already done 6 years of undergrad level classes. Will it look bad to drag this out further? Would it be better just to keep my current GPA, work on ECs and self-study for the MCAT? The science courses are only “strongly recommended” for UBC, but I feel like having 0 science classes is still a disadvantage, even if I manage to do well on the MCAT.

I feel really drawn to medicine but I do have other school/career options. On one hand I don’t want to regret not trying for medicine, but I also don’t want to put other options on hold for multiple years if med school is unrealistic.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

Taking a couple courses in science before writing them MCAT is not a bad idea. It is doable to write the MCAT and just self study, but that has more to do with how you learn best and now self motivated you are. 
 

UBC does not have a strict requirement for full time courses. They do want to see some evidence that you can handle the rigors of a medical school course load, and they will ask on the application to explain part-time semesters. You can simply explain what else you were doing (e.g. you were working part time or whatever), and even just that it seemed like a good idea at the time (e.g. you did it to ensure success in courses before considering going to medical school where taking a full load my be considered more important). As long as you have some full time semesters or other evidence you can handle a lot going on in your life, it’s probably not going to be too much of an issue on your file.
 

You have a good GPA for in province at UBC, and certainly you can keep working on improving your ECs. There’s lots of non-trad, non science people at UBC. 
 

You won’t know if you don’t try.  Even you spend a year taking science courses part time and ultimately decide not to do medicine... would that be a problem? 

[bearded frog]

6 hours ago, sunflowerpower said:

• I took many part-time semesters during undergrad. I know that some schools say they are ok with this but I can’t help but feel like this is a disadvantage for me on paper.

This generally isn't a disadvantage in Canada, it just means you cannot take advantage of various methods schools will use to give you relative GPA boosts for taking full course loads.

6 hours ago, sunflowerpower said:

• I have taken 0 science courses during my undergrad.

That's fine, that's what the MCAT is for. Some schools may still have prereqs but if they don't then don't worry about it. People get into medicine after doing a bachelor of music in piano playing. If you feel like undergrad courses will help you study best and have a bonus to get your GPA up then great, but you can also probably do fine taking a few months studying a review text/course.

6 hours ago, sunflowerpower said:

• My GPA is ok, but not particularly competitive.

People have got in with worse.

6 hours ago, sunflowerpower said:

• My ECs definitely need improvement.

Probably, but that UBC NAQ is a bit of a black box.