Did you get in with a low GPA (70s/low 80s)? What was your MCAT score?

[teachdoc]

Seeing there are many of us who are in their late 20s and been applying with high 70s/low 80s with no luck, in one of the recent thread,  I am wondering if people who got in with similar GPAs are willing to share what their MCAT score was. No one knows how UBC scores the MCAT post-interview and the stats show that each year they accept people with 70s and low 80s, but I'm wondering if people compensate this with a super high MCAT score. Perhaps this insight will provide us non-trad, repeat applicants with some insight into whether we can improve our chances in one way or another. Thank you in advance <3

[PlantZaddy]

I was an older applicant, low 80s GPA since my school didn’t give % grades. 
overall score - 515
Bio, Phys/Chem, Psych - in the 130s

CARS - 124. But I had done decently well in my English university courses, I just always sucked at this section on the MCAT  

Still got in to my 1st ranked site 

you got this!

[Dust_Bucket]

I’ve always wondered whether Canadian med schools placed any importance on balanced MCAT scores beyond the stated minimums, or whether that’s more of an American phenomenon.

[DoctorArts]

Hi, I'm in the class of 2023. I got in with a 522, 131/131/130/130 and an 82-ish average. I was non-trad with an English degree and then upgraded with science courses, both for GPA and content knowledge reasons. 

[neurologist19]

8 minutes ago, DoctorArts said:

Hi, I'm in the class of 2023. I got in with a 522, 131/131/130/130 and an 82-ish average. I was non-trad with an English degree and then upgraded with science courses, both for GPA and content knowledge reasons. 

Would you mind talking about your EC? it should have been very strong then. 

[teachdoc]

14 minutes ago, DoctorArts said:

Hi, I'm in the class of 2023. I got in with a 522, 131/131/130/130 and an 82-ish average. I was non-trad with an English degree and then upgraded with science courses, both for GPA and content knowledge reasons. 

That is an impressive MCAT score! Thanks for sharing... I hope med school has been an amazing experience for you so far! 

[DoctorArts]

4 hours ago, neurologist19 said:

Would you mind talking about your EC? it should have been very strong then. 

The nice thing is that I don't think too deeply about my ECs now that it's been a couple of years but essentially: 

Employment: 13 jobs in total, including Tim Hortons (lulz), work-studies, a job as an operations manager for a startup, retail

Arts: Theatre stuff, stage management and costume design, etc

Normal pre-med stuff: ED volunteer, Volunteer in biochem lab, tutoring

Life stuff: Included some autobiographical history around coming from a single parent household, moving out at 18, so on. 

 

Hope this helps. I was very obsessed with these kinds of details when I was in your position, but for better or for worse, you can only try to be the best version of yourself, and then be very intentional and clear with how you communicate your narrative in your application. Good luck. 

Also, @teachdoc, I love UBC Med, hate Zoom school. But I think that's a fairly common sentiment right now. 

[MasterDoc]

5 hours ago, DoctorArts said:

Hi, I'm in the class of 2023. I got in with a 522, 131/131/130/130 and an 82-ish average. I was non-trad with an English degree and then upgraded with science courses, both for GPA and content knowledge reasons. 

Can you please make a most highlighting how you acheived a 522?

[ember]

2021 here, my GPA was probably 84-85 (my undergrad did not do percentages) and MCAT was 512

[neurologist19]

19 hours ago, DoctorArts said:

The nice thing is that I don't think too deeply about my ECs now that it's been a couple of years but essentially: 

Employment: 13 jobs in total, including Tim Hortons (lulz), work-studies, a job as an operations manager for a startup, retail

Arts: Theatre stuff, stage management and costume design, etc

Normal pre-med stuff: ED volunteer, Volunteer in biochem lab, tutoring

Life stuff: Included some autobiographical history around coming from a single parent household, moving out at 18, so on. 

 

Hope this helps. I was very obsessed with these kinds of details when I was in your position, but for better or for worse, you can only try to be the best version of yourself, and then be very intentional and clear with how you communicate your narrative in your application. Good luck. 

Also, @teachdoc, I love UBC Med, hate Zoom school. But I think that's a fairly common sentiment right now. 

Thank you so much!! I immigrated from a developing country a few years ago (I'm non-traditional) and there were not very possibilities for volunteering there like it is in Canada, so I am playing catch up right now and that is why I'm a bit nervous. your resume is very impressive and your words actually calmed me down!! 

[MadSchool]

22 hours ago, DoctorArts said:

The nice thing is that I don't think too deeply about my ECs now that it's been a couple of years but essentially: 

Employment: 13 jobs in total, including Tim Hortons (lulz), work-studies, a job as an operations manager for a startup, retail

Arts: Theatre stuff, stage management and costume design, etc

Normal pre-med stuff: ED volunteer, Volunteer in biochem lab, tutoring

Life stuff: Included some autobiographical history around coming from a single parent household, moving out at 18, so on. 

 

Hope this helps. I was very obsessed with these kinds of details when I was in your position, but for better or for worse, you can only try to be the best version of yourself, and then be very intentional and clear with how you communicate your narrative in your application. Good luck. 

Also, @teachdoc, I love UBC Med, hate Zoom school. But I think that's a fairly common sentiment right now. 

Do I compete with people with this kind of profile???

[Fast_Layne]

8 minutes ago, MadSchool said:

Do I compete with people with this kind of profile???

The thing is, you also compete with international athletes, professional musicians, and Ivy League graduates. Some get in, some don't. It's not fair to compare yourself to others because everyone has a different upbringing and different life experiences than you do. There are tons of people who get in who don't have "flashy things" on their resume - Just humble experiences. 

[PlantZaddy]

18 hours ago, MadSchool said:

Do I compete with people with this kind of profile???

You compete with them (and others like Fast mentioned) for 700 interview spots... everyone has a chance to show their lived experience through their application. As a non-trad application, hopefully one has gained some really great experiences that need to be showcased.

By the time you get to the interview, they want to see those experiences shape your worldview and how you are thoughtful in your approach to problems. Whether you have an Olympic medal or you worked at Tim Hortons, the playing field is level for *you* to perform on that interview. No one has your CV in front of them at the MMI

[acceptmeplease]

Class of 2024. Average of low 80s and MCAT was 517. My EC were heavy in research with multiple publications and poster/podiums. I interviewed twice, but only felt good about it on the second round- I think the NAQ score is what pulled me through, but it needed a high interview score along with it!

[HopefulMD786]

On 5/8/2021 at 9:39 AM, PlantZaddy said:

You compete with them (and others like Fast mentioned) for 700 interview spots... everyone has a chance to show their lived experience through their application. As a non-trad application, hopefully one has gained some really great experiences that need to be showcased.

By the time you get to the interview, they want to see those experiences shape your worldview and how you are thoughtful in your approach to problems. Whether you have an Olympic medal or you worked at Tim Hortons, the playing field is level for *you* to perform on that interview. No one has your CV in front of them at the MMI

Yeah but post-interview evaluation still includes NAQ, AQ, etc. So some might have to perform even better during interview to compensate for weaker areas of their app.

[plsdontletthisbeawaste]

Was recently accepted to first choice VFMP, will be MD 2025. Had an OGPA of 84.8%, MCAT was 514. As an applicant, I definitely appear better in person than on paper, so receiving an interview invite was the biggest hurdle. To be able to get an interview in the first place, had to really work on my non-academic activity descriptions and concentrate on the impacts I had on the different populations I've worked with. I avoided being list-y and wanted to focus on the bigger picture achievements and impacts. I also really focused on my lived experiences and struggles since I think those gave me qualities that many other applicants from more affluent backgrounds will lack.

When I received an interview offer, I knew that my interview score had to be above average for me to have any chance of entering. My academic reference was weak and my MCAT score was average. Plus, I was worried that a full file review of my grades would reveal the C+ grades I had gotten in some of my 3rd year life science courses. I worked so incredibly hard to practice my interview answers, and again, incorporate my lived experiences in the questions I was answering. Overall, I wanted to be genuine and preserve my enthusiasm and personality, so when practicing, I aimed to be conversational while still articulating my thought processes.

It still feels like a miracle that it all worked out for me considering my academics and my upbringing. But you know what, just because we may not have 90+ grades like some other applicants does not make us any less deserving of a seat in the MD program. We need doctors who have genuine lived experiences and who have experienced failure and hardship. So I beg you to continue persevering and know that it's a matter of when, not if.