needachange Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Hi, I really need advice on the best path to med school for a non-trad applicant with a background in languages/literature (MA, U of T, 2003). I've called admissions offices at a few med schools and the response is usually "Read our website FAQs on mature students". Not very helpful. In the absence of a pre-med program anywhere in Canada, I thought I might approach it like this: - do high school biology and chemistry (I already have physics) - take 1st year bio and organic chem at a university - write MCAT - apply to medical school Is this a logical approach? Am I insane? I have the basic aptitude in sciences, I believe, I just sort of fell onto a more art & lit path early on and then took time to work and start a family. I would really appreciate some advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirsteen Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Hi there, The medical schools didn't give you bad advice, actually, as their webpages are filled with good information, especially with respect to required courses, etc. You might want to take all of that information and create a spreadsheet with all the program requirements, loopholes for mature students, etc. Also, there might be some high school level intro Bio and Chem courses available at certain universities. I'm not sure what town/city you're in but you might want to have a look at the offerings at the college or university nearest you. Failing that, you might want to have a look at the course calendar at Athabasca. Taking some science courses at the university level would be reflected on your transcript when you apply to medical school (which would be a good thing if you have good marks) but the high school courses won't be. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Hey there, I also studied languages in university, but I just have a bachelor's, not a master's. I think your plan is pretty logical overall, but you also need to be prepared for the fact that you may end up having to take more courses depending on the schools you'd like to apply to. Some schools have no required courses (like Calgary), but courses that are "recommended," and some have very extensive and detailed lists of what they want - say, U of A and Manitoba will also want you to take biochemistry, and many schools require calculus (which you may also need to take some university level science courses). So you need to make sure that you will have taken all the courses you need to apply to the schools of your choice by looking through their particular admissions requirements. Also, the second issue is about being as efficient as possible and killing 2 birds with one stone by taking courses that will also be most beneficial to your MCAT prep (say, botany or ecology are of fairly little use for the MCAT, but cell bio or physiology would be very beneficial). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muchdutch Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Kirsteen is right that the best thing to do is create a spreadsheet of what courses/grades are required of which schools, as well as the pros and cons of all the schools across canada in an attempt to narrow down the search field to the right matches for you. I would also suggest considering doing first year physics (or high school then first year) especially if it has been a few years for you. While none of these courses is implicitly required to write the mcat, it sure makes life easier if you have the basics (bio/biochem/physiology, organic, inorganic, physics). Other than that, your approach seems quite logical. And no, you're no more insane than any of the rest of us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needachange Posted September 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 Thanks very much for your input! I'm making note of all your suggestions.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMD Posted October 11, 2006 Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 Hi, I really need advice on the best path to med school for a non-trad applicant with a background in languages/literature (MA, U of T, 2003). I've called admissions offices at a few med schools and the response is usually "Read our website FAQs on mature students". Not very helpful. In the absence of a pre-med program anywhere in Canada, I thought I might approach it like this: - do high school biology and chemistry (I already have physics) - take 1st year bio and organic chem at a university - write MCAT - apply to medical school Is this a logical approach? Am I insane? I have the basic aptitude in sciences, I believe, I just sort of fell onto a more art & lit path early on and then took time to work and start a family. I would really appreciate some advice! The standard prerequisites are: chemistry, physics, organic chemistry and biology.You don't have to take those for all the med schools, but it helps for the MCAT. A background in humanities is usually a plus -- as a group these people usually do fairly well on the MCAT-- in particular the verbal reasoning part. McMaster seems to like people with a background in the humanities. I know someone that got it there that probably wouldn't have gotten in in another place. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahZ Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Hi, i just wanted to mention that doing highschool courses might be a waste of time, I took university biology and chemistry without the grade twelve course. I had no problem keeping up, biology especially. Some schools might require the prereq to enroll in their first year bio or chem but others might not....just something to look into anyways good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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