McMaster Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Question

[Guest StephenNoor]

I just got accepted to this program yesterday (yay!)

I also happened to be an aspiring medical student and absoloutely love working in groups. I've heard many great things about the program. I think this program would suit me perfectly. Except, I have this one concern.

 

Is the Health Sciences program acclaimed internationally if not McMaster itself? Because I want to go to Med Schools in Ivy League Institutions after completing my undergraduate studies in Canada. I am seriously worried because I am afraid that McMaster (and/or the Health Sciences program @ MAC) is not well-known in the U.S...

 

Can anyone comment on this...

Thanx.

[Guest blinknoodle]

Hey there,

 

I certainly am no expert in this area. I would imagine McMaster's name would be recognized in the States. Afterall, Harvard based its PBL curriculum on the McMaster program. I would imagine Yale would find the program interesting, as they have a unique medical program if I remember correctly. It is not an old program (3 years of graduating classes so far), so I am not sure if there could be true "international acclaim".

 

What I do know is that 3 students from the BHSc class of 2004 applied to Ivy leagues for a variety of programs: dentistry, medicine and MD/PhD. (This was my graduating class so I am not familiar if other students applied in subsequent years). This was the first 4-year degree graduating class so there couldn't possibly have been much acclaim for its graduates. I know one for sure had an acceptance and I am not certain about the other two, although all three students are now studying in Canada. Probably due to the high costs of attending an Ivy league school when a Canadian school, in general, will serve you just as well.

 

There are certainly many aspects to consider when choosing an undergrad university. There are certain things you are guaranteed to need for admission into any medical school - good grades, +/- MCATs and strong community involvement. This is needed for all medical schools. I am not sure if American schools are searching for something different, but if you have all of those, you will still be considered for admission. If you have your doubts about McMaster's reputation, what are your alternatives? I'd suggest making a list of pros and cons for the programs you are interested in and looking at it from a more holistic approach. Who knows if you will still want to apply to medicine in 4 years, nevermind American Ivy league medical schools.

 

Good luck with your decision.