What were you like in highschool?

[Kiel]

I was wondering for those premeds and medical students if they could state their end of grade 12 or OAC average and what major they were planning on entering when going to university. Then, if you could state you current GPA or undergrad GPA and what you completed you degree in. I know this may sound a little strange, but I am just curious how people have changed since highschool, both in maturity and academics. I have of many horror stories of people entering university immature and having this affect their med school chances!

 

thanks a lot!

[The Law]

Your average in high school is not really a good indicator of your academic abilities in university. In my opinion, people who take initiative in their education, are able to do some self-directed learning, and learn to persevere even if they begin to struggle in a subject (never give up!)- those are the people who I find are more successful.

[Kuantum]

This is interesting, I guess I'll respond.

 

grade 12 avg: 92%

pre-university interest: Biochemistry

current GPA (on the OMSAS scale even though I don't attend an ontario school): 3.93

current major: Biochemistry

 

I've changed since highschool, nothing fundamental though. I think I am more mature, more open-minded, and a lot more independent. I think high school avg. and amount of effort (if that is measureable) is a good indication of performance in university.

 

I know I was able to maintain around a 92%-95% throughout highschool while being quite busy and studying only the day before a test. I am not saying this to sound arrogrant, but that is what I honestly thought hardwork was at that time. I thought being lazy was not studying at all, so any studying I did I thought was considered hardwork. Anyways, I got to university, totally picked things up and was able to maintain above average grades.

[Kiel]

Thanks so much for your replies. I do know that you highschool grades are not an indication of whether or not you get accepted to medicine. I was just curious to see whether or not the work ethic you put forth in highschool was enough to succeed in unversity.

 

thanks again,

[bustylegs]

I was just curious to see whether or not the work ethic you put forth in highschool was enough to succeed in unversity.

 

Drawing from my personal experience, I would say that the work ethic I had in highschool was not enough to garantee me a high undergrad GPA. In my opinion, the workload between highschool and university are simply too great to expect high GPA with the same amount of work put in during highschool (perhaps the fact that I went to a ghetto highschool contributed to this).

 

I would tend to agree with The Law that perseverence is an essential characeter for not only medicine but life in general. In order to learn how to persevere, one has to take a few hits...

 

Work hard and dreams will come true.

[Kiel]

thanks for those great words of wisdom!

[Smurfette]

I know some "star" students in high school who crashed in university. And some "mediocre" students in high school who did very well. So I'll repeat what people have already said about high school not being a very good predictor. But here's my experiences anyway:

 

High school: ~96% (don't remember exactly)

OMSAS GPA (3 years): 3.98

 

How I've changed:

- I'm certainly more mature

- I have a better idea of who I am and what principles I stand for. This is highly tied to the idea of independence.

- I have a better understanding of what I want to do with my life

- I have a better understanding of other people - more tolerant of differences and also more aware of them (I'm over the "I wanna be cool" stage...okay maybe that was grade 9, j/j )

- I have a better idea of the "big picture" of what's important in life. I don't think I realized how important things like spending time with my family (and friends), learning things as opposed to just getting good marks, and pursuing my hobbies and passions were back in high school.

- I realized that time and life is short - that you have to do the things you really love doing or else it's not worth it.

- I'm more able to work hard, manage my time and to study/learn independently (ie. find stuff on my own and look up things that i don't understand without being told to do so)

- I think I'm more able to balance the various aspects of my life (academic, social, personal, volunteer/extracurriculars) and still do all of them reasonably well. This balance involves learning my own limitations and my own weaknesses.

 

There. That's all I can think of for now.

 

Good luck to you!

[Smurfette]

Sorry for double posting.

 

I think these 3 things make the biggest difference in whether you'll succeed in university:

 

- how you handle peer pressure (especially if you live on campus or in fraternity houses) --> do you know what you stand up for?

 

- how you manage your time --> do you procrastinate?

 

- how you manage failures --> do you give up when something doesn't go your way?

 

- are you willing to work hard --> say you just got back your midterm and got 53% (ouch!) - are you willing to spend hours in the library studying for that final exam to make up for it? (this is a true story for me, lol - btw, i got an A in that course)

 

I like to reply to these threads because I had a few mentors (older students) that helped me a lot in my adjustment to university and I want to do the same for others.

[Jochi1543]

Hmmm, trying to remember.

 

I entered undergrad with about 3.65 from a very rigorous HS, with a good amount of AP courses. I entered an Economics major.

 

I graduated with 3.55 and a major in Japanese.

[daryn]

Moral of the story is, don't be like me.

 

High school: 93.5%

 

University: 3.63 GPA by the end of third year

 

I didn't do well in second year. Without going further, 3 deaths in the family in half a year really had an impact on me. And I guess high school was too good to me, and I never really learned to handle things.

 

All I can say that I'm still learning and I'm working hard at it. University is humbling, really.

[p0tus]

Hey,

 

I did my high school in a country that conducts the G.C.E A/L's (British model of education) so this may not be what your looking for. But here goes:

During high school, I didn't do very well. I usually ended up with high 70s or low 80's. It's a wonder I was able to get into a university in Canada! infact, getting into undergrad was cause for celebration for me

In university I worked a lot harder, and ended up with a 3.8 (or something around that) after 4 years.

I started medical school this year.

 

The previous posters have offered great advice, follow them and you will realized your dreams.

 

Good luck!

[Kenola]

Hi there,

 

My high school average was horrible(about 63%).

Definatly needed to do some growing up/maturing. Many finals didn't even study for...

 

Long story short, ended up taking about 13 years off of school. During that time period, ending up getting a decent job and experiencing a lot of life. When I went to university (yup, 13 years after high school graduation) I found that I was MUCH more mature. Definatly more willing and able to put in the time to get good grades. Plus I had blown off a lot of steam in those 13 years :-)

 

In high school, I thought I wanted to do computer science...however, in my period of life post high school pre university, I figured out that med is what I wanted.

 

So, I started university in 2003, worked my butt off (maintaining aprox. a 90% gpa) and was able to make it into Med I this year.

[0T6]

Just cause I *think* I'm an anomoly:

OAC average: 88

OMSAS applying GPA: 3.92

[Destiny Gundam]

Average used to apply to UBC Science (from high school): 92.5%

Undergraduate Degree GPA: 85.3%

CGPA applied OMSAS with: 3.79

 

Meh I was so slack in high school. You gotta be able to pull off an A- average to be considered competitive for Med in Canada, but don't go crazy for the A or A+, rather spend the time to try new things and mature as a person is what I'll recommend

[leviathan]

Average used to apply to UBC Science (from high school): 92.5%

Undergraduate Degree GPA: 85.3%

CGPA applied OMSAS with: 3.79

 

Meh I was so slack in high school. You gotta be able to pull off an A- average to be considered competitive for Med in Canada, but don't go crazy for the A or A+, rather spend the time to try new things and mature as a person is what I'll recommend

Good advice. It's more important to be an A- student with a well rounded life than an A+ student with no friends or social life or extracurricular activities.

[TimmyMax]

Hey,

 

Good advice. It's more important to be an A- student with a well rounded life than an A+ student with no friends or social life or extracurricular activities.

 

Amen to that, dude!

[Kiel]

Wow I am amazed by the amount of people that responded to my post. Thanks to all those those who shared their thoughts and feelings. Those who have not posted, please feel free to add on!

[ploughboy]

I drank a lot. I curled a lot (the two tend to go hand-in-hand). Highschool average was probably around 85% or so. This was back in the days before grade inflation, long before most of you were born...

 

First undergrad GPA - 3.3 Second undergrad GPA - significantly higher.

 

This spring I spoke to a bunch of different highschools about how to get into meds. One of the points I tried to pound into their heads is to develop a good work ethic early on. If there's one thing you take from highschool, that should probably be it.

 

Of course, if I was given the chance to go back in time and change my work habits in highschool I probably wouldn't. I had way too much fun. What a hypocrite...

 

pb

[MDHopefully2005]

I disliked highschool...I really resented doing all of the little assignments worth 1% of my final mark...so I didn't do them! (ahem, and went out drinking with buddies instead)

My average in highschool was about a 75%

I decided to go into the Social Sciences, specifically Psychology in University.

Once I started university, I suddenly became aware of what I was passionate about, and for once I was motivated to do well! Especially since the exam was worth 60% of my final mark. I loved my courses and my degree and ended up with a GPA of 3.86

People always say, study what you're interested in, not what you think the admissions people want you to study...and wow, how true is that! You'll get MUCH better marks studying what you enjoy, and you'll have a heck of a lot more fun!

[forkdork]

Heh.... Funny thing about me

 

Highschool Average: like 73% lol .... I was getting 90's in like chemistry and physics but I really didn't care for school.

 

OMSAS GPA = 3.9something- I've screwed up a few classes and that is keeping from reaching the big 4.0.

 

Best advice I have is: Actually understand what they are teaching you because it makes everything so much easier. If you take the time to understand fully while they are teaching you it in class then when exam time comes along you are laughing.

 

I still study only a day or 2 before the exam (but I usually go through the material thoroughly during the school year so that I have already learned it all by exam time - then its just a matter of refreshing yourself).

 

People are different, what works with me probably wont work with someone else and vice versa... so just find out what works for you and you can kick ass in university

[The Law]

I do the same thing, review more often and less.

I feel there is way too much information for last minute cramming. I always try to build on what I'm learning... after I review something, I'll go over it a few days later and test to make sure I remember what I learned. I find that strategy is useful in biology-style courses.

 

For chem, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!! Do as many problems as possible, try to anticipate harder questions and don't MEMORIZE problems but try to understand the concepts behind the questions.