Application process: When did you start?

[Guest kaymcee]

I couldn't find anything about this in the FAQ (although I didn't look very hard), but when did everyone begin the application process?

 

I know the applications are due to the schools at various times throughout Q4 of the year, but when did you start soliciting your references? What about any sort of supplemental material like autobiographical essays and the like? I'm also doing the MCAT at the last minute, writing it this August for applications this year. I have started nothing except a slight foray into MCAT studying. Should I get on talking to my applications and writing some essays right now? Will I feel the pinch in September with looming due dates?

 

While I'm here, how many schools did you apply to? My GPA isn't stellar (3.66), and I'm not picky in the slightest as to where I study medicine. It seems as though every medical school in Canada has advantages and disadvantages, but will get me to my ultimate goal. Thoughts on this?

 

Many thanks in advance for your responses to any of the above.

 

Ken

[Guest nucleardove]

Hi,

 

I started my apps (4 schools, all due on the same day, Oct 1st) in the first week of september '04, in my 4th year of undergrad. Toooooooo late, if I had to do it again. Even two weeks earlier, in mid-august, would have been enough: it would have given my references a bit more flex room for writing the letter (or, god forbid, saying no and forcing me to find someone else), and would have caused considerably less stress during month 1 of the fall semester.

 

I spent at least 35-45 hours in September tracking down old verifiers (at 29 years old, I have a looong list), finessing the essay, gathering transcripts, etc. You certainly do not want to feel rushed in the whole application process-- I knew fellow applicants who were up all night the morning before the app was due, rewriting their essay because they didn't realize it could be single-spaced, and had only therefore written half of what was allowable. Eeeeesh. Not pretty. Heck, just log into the posts from last year, around Sept 30th in the OMSAS section-- that should convince anyone!

 

As to which schools to apply to, the key word in Canada is *residency* status. What province are you a resident in? There are a handful of schools that don't discriminate as to province of origin (e.g. Toronto, McMaster, to name a couple). So basically I applied to the two above, plus those schools where I had residency. This is likely you're best strategy, too (my GPA was similar to yours), unless you knock the MCATs out the park (which I didn't) (and even then, only a few schools, like Manitoba, weight the MCAT super-heavily). It seems that those bright stars that get OOP interviews tend to have pretty beefy GPAs. If, of course, you're international (I can't recall if you are), it gets a bit more knarly . . . I hear McGill takes quite a number of internationals, but it's not really my area of expertise (if one can have such a thing in "premed studies" ). Hopefully someone else knows more!!

 

ND

[Guest TKP 123]

How about your ECs? It is also important that you get a strong EC such that you know some referees to write you good references, as well as that you have something to talk about in your essay and CV. (and of course, the interview also).

[Guest canmic]

Now would be a good time to start, if you aren't busy with something more important

 

You could start your essay today, why not?

[Guest kupo]

hey buddy,

 

yeah good idea to start now. getting some verifiers are a pain in the ass sometimes. you also want to look at what you are entering and how you are writing your entries.

 

for me, a good strategy for entering your EC's is to

 

1) explain what you did

2) why you did it

3) space permitting, what you got out of it. what did you really learn?

 

this strategy really fleshes out your EC portion of the application and the adcom can more easily see the value of each EC to you.

 

since you have like 250 characters to enter that info you should be able to do it.

 

when i had my interview, i found it a lot easier to explain to them my reasons for participating in the activities i listed on my application because they were already described - in part - on my application!

 

as for the essay, it may be a good idea to elaborate on some of the EC activities that meant a lot to you. part of writing the essay is to introduce yourself, but the other part is to enhance the reasons for where you've come from, how you got here, why you are here, and why you made certain choices..

 

anyways my two cents. have fun and we'll hopefully see you next year dude!

[Guest kaymcee]

Thanks, kupo– congrats again on your acceptance– and everyone else, too, for your help.

 

In response to everyone's questions to elaborate more on my questions and potential responses: I'm a resident of British Columbia. As such, I know the schools I have the best chance at are UBC and the ones in Ontario that don't discriminate against where you live. I will also be applying to western schools that have classes with lower GPAs such as Calgary and Manitoba. I know of Calgary's 100 OOP interview thing, but I want to try anyway.

 

I have several extra-curricular activities that I can list, as well as a few long-term, heavily-involved ones.

 

Thanks for the advice, canmic, and good point. Why not start now?

 

Thanks again, everyone.

 

I originally meant to post this in the general pre-med forum. Should I ask a moderator to move this?

[Guest nathiam]

In short, start now.

 

It took WAY longer than I thought it would, and if you are still in school (as I was), 5 courses and the application process had me stressed a bit! I ended up submitting it the day before the deadline, then scrambled to get back on-top of my course work.

 

Leave time to edit and re-edit your essay. It also took me a significant amount of time re-contacting some of my previous employers and notifying everyone whose number I included in the application that they might receive a call from UBC and why I was including their name.

 

I would suggest that you NOT include anyone on your CV unless you re-establish contact to let them know about your application. The last thing you need is for someone to say "Who? No sorry, I don't remember that individual." I am sure the admissions people would love that!

 

It takes a big chunk of time, but it seemed to work for me. Good Luck with your applications!