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Didn't get in, would appreciate any advice


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Hi everyone! 

I am just finishing a Master's and unfortunately didn't get into any schools this year. So I'm just wondering if any of you nice people have some advice. Here are my stats:

  • B.Eng Mechanical Engineering: 3.57/4.3, converted to 3.50/4 by OMSAS this year; science GPA 3.95/4.0
  • M.Sc.: 4.0/4.0
  • French speaker, Québec resident
  • I own a medical technology startup and have a variety of clinical/leadership EC's throughout university
  • My parents are caretakers for children and adults with down syndrome, so obviously spent a lot of my time helping out until I left for university
  • I have two first-author papers, and a couple other papers lower down the author list; couple patents
  • I haven't written the MCAT

I'd appreciate any feedback/help. I know a lot of people will recommend a second undergrad, but given my student debt, and the fact that many of my friends still haven't gotten in following their 2nd degree, I'm less inclined to go that route. 

I'm working full-time for my company and love it, but interacting with doctors gave me such a deep appreciation for what they do. I'm wondering: would a solid MCAT be enough to make me competitive in the rest of Canada? How about the US? Any other options I should be looking at?

Thanks so much!

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22 minutes ago, G3BMed said:

Hi everyone! 

I am just finishing a Master's and unfortunately didn't get into any schools this year. So I'm just wondering if any of you nice people have some advice. Here are my stats:

  • B.Eng Mechanical Engineering: 3.57/4.3, converted to 3.50/4 by OMSAS this year; science GPA 3.95/4.0
  • M.Sc.: 4.0/4.0
  • French speaker, Québec resident
  • I own a medical technology startup and have a variety of clinical/leadership EC's throughout university
  • My parents are caretakers for children and adults with down syndrome, so obviously spent a lot of my time helping out until I left for university
  • I have two first-author papers, and a couple other papers lower down the author list; couple patents
  • I haven't written the MCAT

I'd appreciate any feedback/help. I know a lot of people will recommend a second undergrad, but given my student debt, and the fact that many of my friends still haven't gotten in following their 2nd degree, I'm less inclined to go that route. 

I'm working full-time for my company and love it, but interacting with doctors gave me such a deep appreciation for what they do. I'm wondering: would a solid MCAT be enough to make me competitive in the rest of Canada? How about the US? Any other options I should be looking at?

Thanks so much!

Have you tried to see what your wGPA is? As in how every medical school can weighs it? For example, UWO only takes your best 2 years. 

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1 minute ago, G3BMed said:

No but that's a good point. Do you know if Ottawa, NOSM, or McGill use the wGPA? 

I know Ottawa did (not sure now), never applied to NOSM (but they may have some francophone stuff), McGill as far as I know they do not.


Also something to consider is that some schools have a francophone stream or some French preference. Ottawa has and NOSM (I think) have them. These sometimes have different GPA requirements. :)

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5 minutes ago, dooogs said:

some schools have a francophone stream or some French preference. Ottawa has and NOSM (I think) have them. These sometimes have different GPA requirements. :)

I believe Ottawa’s French stream has a gpa cut-off based on geography (ie where you live).

For QC residents (which OP is) Uottawa’s French stream cutoff is a minimum of 3.87/4 if I’m not mistaken.

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1 minute ago, MDee2B said:

I believe Ottawa’s French stream has a gpa cut-off based on geography (ie where you live).

For QC residents (which OP is) Uottawa’s French stream cutoff is a minimum of 3.87/4 if I’m not mistaken.

Yes good point... and you can also e-mail Ottawa and they tell you the cutoff

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2 minutes ago, MDee2B said:

I believe Ottawa’s French stream has a gpa cut-off based on geography (ie where you live).

For QC residents (which OP is) Uottawa’s French stream cutoff is a minimum of 3.87/4 if I’m not mistaken.

I see. That's what I saw in other forums as well. Seems like my only realistic option is second undergrad -- any good threads on finding the right program? I know programs matter in Québec so just wondering if the same is true throughout Canada

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1 minute ago, G3BMed said:

second undergrad -- any good threads on finding the right program?

I can’t judge if they are good since I haven’t read them, but I’ve seen that the top pinned thread in the non trad section concerns 2nd undergrad.

also, in the general Quebec discussions section, you can check out the many “programme tremplin” threads. 

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Just now, MDee2B said:

I can’t judge if they are good since I haven’t read them, but I’ve seen that the top pinned thread in the non trad section concerns 2nd undergrad.

also, in the general Quebec discussions section, you can check out the many “programme tremplin” threads. 

Thank you, I really appreciate the help

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1 hour ago, G3BMed said:

Hi everyone! 

I am just finishing a Master's and unfortunately didn't get into any schools this year. So I'm just wondering if any of you nice people have some advice. Here are my stats:

  • B.Eng Mechanical Engineering: 3.57/4.3, converted to 3.50/4 by OMSAS this year; science GPA 3.95/4.0
  • M.Sc.: 4.0/4.0
  • French speaker, Québec resident
  • I own a medical technology startup and have a variety of clinical/leadership EC's throughout university
  • My parents are caretakers for children and adults with down syndrome, so obviously spent a lot of my time helping out until I left for university
  • I have two first-author papers, and a couple other papers lower down the author list; couple patents
  • I haven't written the MCAT

I'd appreciate any feedback/help. I know a lot of people will recommend a second undergrad, but given my student debt, and the fact that many of my friends still haven't gotten in following their 2nd degree, I'm less inclined to go that route. 

I'm working full-time for my company and love it, but interacting with doctors gave me such a deep appreciation for what they do. I'm wondering: would a solid MCAT be enough to make me competitive in the rest of Canada? How about the US? Any other options I should be looking at?

Thanks so much!

Your only real option left would be to do a second undergrad imo... but you might not need to finish it, just need to get grades good enough so that that after 1 year of uni, you meet the 31 CRU cutoff for Laval (you seem to be very close, you’re at like... 30.3-30.5 with the masters bonus, so it shouldn’t take you long). But if you don’t get into Laval, then you would have to do the entire undergrad for McGill and other Canadian schools :(

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8 minutes ago, keipop said:

But if you don’t get into Laval, then you would have to do the entire undergrad for McGill and other Canadian schools :(

I don’t think this true for UdeM. Udem works similarly to Ulaval, whereby all undergrad courses are included in the calculation of the CRU. So a 2nd undergrad wouldn’t have to be completed for udem either :)  

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For McGill, the program does not matter, just the gpa, CV, Casper and MMI. Did you apply to McGill this cycle? I heard of people getting in with lower gpa in McGill. You can also provide a letter of attenuating circumstance if your gpa can be explained by some personal difficulties or other reasons that they can take into account when evaluating your application. Your gpa is great in my opinion, its just that med school gpa seem to be getting higher and higher... 

Another undergrad would probably be your best option, or maybe apply to McGill if you did not try. I know nothing about the MCAT so I cannot comment on that. 

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3 minutes ago, MDee2B said:

I don’t think this true for UdeM. Udem works similarly to Ulaval, whereby all undergrad courses are included in the calculation of the CRU. So a 2nd undergrad wouldn’t have to be completed for udem either :)  

Yes but UdeM counts all of their undergrad courses, and their engineering grades are going to tank them quite a bit to reach that 33 CRU and to get that 50% CRU 50% Casper interview invite...

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For the french schools, I think that you could take some course in a "strong" program and get your gpa higher. I am not sure but I think you don't have to complete the whole degree. You should definitively check all the school requirements and make a plan to have your best shot at med school!

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22 minutes ago, keipop said:

Yes but UdeM counts all of their undergrad courses, and their engineering grades are going to tank them quite a bit to reach that 33 CRU and to get that 50% CRU 50% Casper interview invite...

If I may ask, why do you think their grades will “tank” them at udem but not ulaval? Is engineering really bcp mieux coté à laval qu’à mtl? 
The new 33 CRU cut off at udem seems to be an arbitrary covid measure- who knows if it will still be in place after the pandemic. 

OP’s master’s would also earn them a +0.5 cru bonus at u de m. In addition, they didn’t say where they did their undergrad but if it was at u de m, that would fetch them an additional +0.5 cru bonus at u de m. It adds up! Haha

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1 hour ago, dooogs said:

I know Ottawa did (not sure now), never applied to NOSM (but they may have some francophone stuff), McGill as far as I know they do not.


Also something to consider is that some schools have a francophone stream or some French preference. Ottawa has and NOSM (I think) have them. These sometimes have different GPA requirements. :)

For Ottawa, OP can apply in the Francophone stream, and as someone pointed out, the GPA cut-off is based on geographical location so I think OP's cut-off would be about 3.87/4.0 for last 3 full-time years.

For NOSM, you can select that you're French on the application (I applied a few years ago) but it doesn't really give you an advantage. If you choose this option, you will get opportunities to work in French communities and such. Also, they add 0.2 to the UG GPA for applicants with Graduate degrees.

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Thank you everyone for the helpful comments. I made sure to take 12 credits at UdeM to get that 0.5 boni, so with my additional 0.5 from my Master's this year I should have a better shot. I also applied french stream at UOttawa and NOSM with no luck.

One or two years of undergrad sounds like the best approach. Thanks all! 

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It is needless to say your "non-academic" part (I mean anything except GPA! such a bad naming...) is extraordinary and you have a leg up there, however, I don't think it can make up for your GPA as many schools address these separately. I think the only option is a second undergrad or even just taking courses part time

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35 minutes ago, G3BMed said:

Thank you everyone for the helpful comments. I made sure to take 12 credits at UdeM to get that 0.5 boni, so with my additional 0.5 from my Master's this year I should have a better shot. I also applied french stream at UOttawa and NOSM with no luck.

One or two years of undergrad sounds like the best approach. Thanks all! 

I wouldn't bother applying to NOSM unless you went to high-school in a very rural region or Northern Ontario.  The mandate of NOSM and its admittance policies effectively exclude anyone without that background (I looked through the matriculant stats).  

19 minutes ago, neurologist19 said:

It is needless to say your "non-academic" part (I mean anything except GPA! such a bad naming...) is extraordinary and you have a leg up there, however, I don't think it can make up for your GPA as many schools address these separately. I think the only option is a second undergrad or even just taking courses part time

I agree - the MCAT isn't easy (and it is in English), but if the US is a possibility (with its very high price) then I think you might have excellent chances there with a decent score...

More full-time coursework, with an excellent GPA, will help a lot!

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11 minutes ago, offmychestplease said:

a Canadian with a 3.5 does not have "excellent chances with a decent score" in the US

including DO and a (hopefully) rising GPA trend?  I think the non-academics are fairly outstanding - but I'm not an expert on US admission..  There was someone on the forum that got into a major US MD school with a similar GPA - but, they killed the MCAT (and had a lot of research).

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