Requirements for an interview. GPA cuts aren't enough.

[Guest dopetown]

Hey,

 

What does it take to earn an invite for an interview if I will only marginally make the cutoff? The dude k2278 had these stats:

 

I'm a Toronto native, born and raised

undergrad: McMaster, GPA 3.95

MA: UofT, don't know GPA but probably roughly the same

 

MCAT:12 PS 11VR 11BS WS:Q

 

years of working at a hospital, a few publications, community volunteer work and various ECs

 

Accepted: UofT, Dal, UofC, Mac, Queen's

Waitlisted: Western(but called off second round), McGill

rejected pre-interview: Ottawa

 

 

How can this guy get rejected by Ottawa? He had research and other activities that I thought would make him very attractive as an applicant (and as a man). Furthermore, he had a badass undergrad GPA of 3.95, AND an MA with a similar GPA.

 

So what gives? Why the rejection? What in god's name is Ottawa looking for?

 

How can I get an interview if I only marginally make the cuts?

[Guest ttryit]

Perhaps he is an OOPer...Ottawa is HUGE into selecting people from the ottawa region.

 

tt/

[Guest dopetown]

he's a "Toronto native, born and raised."

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

His autobiographical sketch might have contributed to the rejection as it is included, along with the wGPA, in the calculation that determines who is invited for interview and who is not.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest Talon01]

I just barely met the GPA cutoff, had no publications or research, and no hospital/physician shadowing experience as an applicant from London. Moral of the story is there's no real 'winning' application formula.

 

Good luck!

[Guest silverjelly86]

I'm assuming you got in, Talon, right? You never really said . . .

[Guest dopetown]

What did you have on your applicantion, then, Talon?

 

I'd just like some reassurance.

[Guest jaegwon]

There is no reassurance anyone can give you dopetown. The non-transparancy and non-quantitative aspects of the application process mean that there are no guarentees. You put your applications out there and hope for the best.

If it makes you feel better, almost everyone else is in the same boat.

[Guest doctorinthehouse]

I also barely made the cutoff, but got an interview and am in the class right now (go meds '09).

[Guest Talon01]

Ya, I got in...

 

I just had a bunch of athletic and random volunteering experiences on my application. I didn't save kitties from trees in a third wolrd country, I didn't discover any unknown bacteria, etc...

[Guest satsumargirl]

Don`t worry about "just" making the cut-off. Once you make the cut-off your GPA really means little. It's the sketch etc that will get you the interview (so spend the time to make sure you get key things in the small space you have) and your interview that will get you an offer.

So as long as you meet the cut-off you have a chance

 

Good luck

Sats

[Guest MacMD]

There is no magic formula to get in. There are a few things that would make it a lot easier and are, with few exceptions, essential:

 

* high GPA

*good sketch + answers to the questions

 

Otherwise, it really depends on who reads your sketch/answers to the questions.

 

I never stepped foot in a hospital, volunteered or did any of the traditional med applicant stuff and got into Mac my first try, but my undergrad GPA was 4.0.

[Guest silverjelly86]

MacMD, isn't this a U of Ottawa thread? You're talking about McMaster.

[Guest dopetown]

:lol You must've clicked on the Ottawa forum thinking it was the Mac forum.

 

Thanks for the post though.