Diagnose me

[Guest immernoch]

I'm a life sciences major with a 78% average.

 

Year 1 - 85%

Year 2 - 73%

Year 3 - 75%

 

Do I have a shot at medical school?

 

My MCAT score is not special - 30 T

 

And I have a wide variety of extracurricular activities.

 

Thanks a lot,

 

~immernoch

[Guest kaylen]

Here's my two cents:

 

Third year students rarely get in, so it's very unlikely you would be successful if you applied this year. It would still be good for you to do so however if for no other reason than the experience. If you got an interview it would be a bonus. But it would be a long shot.

 

After next year, in order to make your application competitive you would need strong academics in your final year. Getting an 87% average in your final year would go a long way in helping to secure you an interview, depending on your non-academic score.

 

As far as your MCAT goes, your numbers seem pretty good to me, so I wouldn't worry about that.

 

If you want to get a clear idea of where you stand, go through all the old threads on this board and you'll get lots of good info.

 

Cheers!

[Guest physiology]

Hello Immernoch,

 

Go for it. If all else fails, you've lost the application fee and maybe 30 hours of your life in preparing the application, but you've gained valuable experience along the way in terms of writing an autobiographical essay, asking for reference letters, listing, organizing, and describing your extra-curricular activities.

 

Very creative subject heading though. Initially, I thought "oh no, I'm gonna have to tell this guy to the visit the ER or the family physician, because medical students aren't supposed to diagnose yet!"

 

Physio

[Guest Phager]

Immernoch,

 

You've got Premed Questioning of Readiness to apply Syndrome Type 3 - (PQRST)...hehe

 

I am in absolute agreement with physiology. Never give up ANY opportunity in life. First off, you have a very good MCAT score and your grades are not bad - mine are worst than yours in both counts. 18-year-olds can get in, third years can get in, even asian guys can get in (*despite the old rumor)- anyway - there are some factors that make it harder but things still happen and you never know.

 

Getting into med school isn't just about grades, MCAT and extracurricular, and in my opinion up to 50% of the time is pure luck - at least from my experience at UBC. There is nothing to lose other than some money and time if you apply, and likewise for those who have applied twice and still didn't make it - I would still reapply for the same reasons. It is indeed very disheartening at the end when you put in all the work and get nothing - but hey "at least you've tried!".

 

If you don't apply now, somewhere later on in your life the pain of wondering whether you would've gotten in had you tried would probably be more agonizing, more perturbing and more overwhelming than the pain of going through the application process. It took me two attempts to get in, and I've learned so much about myself even from just applying.

 

GO FOR IT

 

Phager

[Guest koca]

Phager

 

I'd disagree with you on your "up to 50% is pure luck" statement, maybe even a bit offended.

 

Yes, the procedure is somewhat subjective, but it's still based on your achievements. You may have a bad interview but in the end, I believe that people can recognize a good, strong candidate to become an MD. If you didn't get in on your first try, then try again and hopefully you make it the next time. I wouldn't say it's because you were luckier the second time but because you became a stronger candidate through your experience and the year spent making your application stronger.

 

Marks aren't everything, but we still worked hard for them no matter the result and to achieve the extensive EC list most people came from dedication and determination.

 

I agree with you that there is some luck involved, in regards the applicant pool, or what the Adcom is specifically looking for, and whatnot, but to say that the hard work we put in only counts for half of what we achieved is just grossly unfair. :\

[Guest Phager]

Hello Koca,

 

As above, I clearly stated that they were based on my opinions and my experiences. You are entitled to your own opinions as well and thus I don't think you should necessarily be offended that someone feels different otherwise. I agree with you that hard work is hard work. Without the intelligence and accomplishments, just pure luck won't cut it. IN MY OPINION, I just feel that there is a large component of luck involved. Even with the most superb applications and interview, there are still those that are strong, committed and hardworking that don't make it in....makes you wonder...

 

Phager

[Guest kakashifan]

hey immernoch,

could i ask you why your average has been decreasing?

my marks are not stellar either (overall ~80%, last 60, 82%, prereq low 70s) however, i think i got an interview this year and not last year because my last 60 credits did increase a little bit. (i didn't make the cutoff last year by 0.3).

so every little bit counts.

i would understand your marks decreasing 2nd year due to org chem and such but it should be bouncing back 3rd year. perhaps you can pick 'easier' courses in 4th year. just try to take courses in which you can enjoy and get good marks. (IHHS 400 was really nice. see previous thread for easy electives)

i agree with everyone that you should apply this year. i really wish i did apply 3rd year just for the experience. getting all your ECs and contact info is very hard and time consuming. and remember to be thorough on your first try (get ALL info, address, email, phone number, postal code) so you don't have to call them.

also, have a backup plan. e.g. you should plan what you will do for 1 or 2 years when you are still applying.

all the best!

=0. k

[Guest Jochi1543]

I do agree that there IS a degree of "luck" involved - that luck being the quality of the general pool of applicants the year you apply. One year, with the same application you may be at the top, and another, at the bottom. That's one thing you cannot influence.

[Guest squeegy80]

"Third year students rarely get in, so it's very unlikely you would be successful if you applied this year."

 

Am I missing something? immernoch has posted his first 3 years' marks, meaning if he applies this year (i.e. this fall), he will be a 4th-year applicant. I only applied to Alberta and Ontario schools this year, as a 3rd-year applicant (having completed 2 years at the time), so perhaps UBC has different terminology regarding year of application?

 

Sorry, I'm kind of tired, maybe I'm just confused but a lot of the advice in this thread centres around immernoch being a 3rd-year applicant, so I thought I'd point that out.

[Guest leviathan]

Very creative subject heading though. Initially, I thought "oh no, I'm gonna have to tell this guy to the visit the ER or the family physician, because medical students aren't supposed to diagnose yet!"

 

Doctors shouldn't be giving medical advice over the internet either.

[Guest immernoch]

Hey, yeah my 3rd year GPA decreased because I simply didn't have much time to study, because I was playing competitive sports.

 

And to the person who mentioned diagnosing over the internet, hey, just look at the Schiavo case. That's great practice of medicine right there.

 

Peace,

 

~i

[Guest kupo]

yep luck is sure involved. how much i'll (and everyone else for the matter will) never know. obviously everyone is well qualified but...

 

you can't tell me there's exactly 224 qualified applicants for the 224 available admission spots at UBC, and the rest of the interview group aren't. And because of that, equally qualified applicants do not get in - some do not even get waitlisted. and thats where i think some luck comes into play.

 

better hope your application is put into the right pile.

[Guest 604EL]

I definitely agree with Phager. Also, phager is ALWAYS right, so anyone who thinks otherwise would be by default wrong. LOL!