laxman Posted November 12, 2006 Report Share Posted November 12, 2006 Hey people, I was wondering for all you McGill dents out there how the program is going? Do you find it an advantage in your education to be grouped with the med student for the first couple of years? What do you not like about the program (besides the copious amounts of work)? I have been trying to navigate the website and, althought I've read in previously threads they take about 10-13 OOPs depending on the year, what is the actual class size? What kind of marks, DAT score and interview score does it take to be accepted in the first year class (IP and OOP)? Averages? Ranges? I have not had any luck finding this info on the McGill website or on this one with all of the old threads but would appreciate any type of info from McGill students. I know that's a ton to ask about and if nobody knows then I will ask the admissions office but I figured I would try here first. Thanks a lot for any insight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetalDS Posted November 12, 2006 Report Share Posted November 12, 2006 here's my personal opinion, may not represent what my colleagues think... obviously, there's been a lot of debate as to whether medicine is relevant to dentists and in the midst of the madness we call 'Basis of Medicine' (the 14 months we're put in the med curriculum) it really may suck at times...but if we step back and look at the big picture: 1.) the aging demographic requires us to recognize various medical conditions so that we could refer them to physicians asap 2.) we have the rest of our lives to do dentistry, our dental competence will be equal to students of programs without medicine probably at grad or within the first year after grad and 3.) it's just plain cool to meet more ppl (there is some friendly med/dent bantering but they know they need us and we know we need them)... to be honest, i have little to say against mcgill other than the mcintyre building's (most of our lectures in here) shabbiness and the soon-to-come coldness in the city. also, it would be nice to know some French in the 3rd-4th year to communicate with patients since there are not enough english speaking patients to go around...this is not a big problem though since classmates and dental assistants could translate for you. not everyone sees a benefit to doing the med, so that might be a downer. so far i think mcgill's program is awesome. my dental classmates and the upper year dent students are very friendly and we have many social gatherings throughout the year...i'm sure i don't need to tell you how montreal is partytown. tuition is only 44,000 + 26,000 instrument cost (~70,000 in total for 4 years) which makes this one of the cheapest places to do d-skoo in north america! can't complain about that...and also, a big plus is that the first two years of dent are purely pass/fail. if you rank amongst the top 3/30 gpa-wise, then you get some kind of designation...i believe if you get 90% and above for the year, you make the dean's list as well. but otherwise, the 89% person is at the same standing as the 65% person (minimum needed to pass), they do not rank people from 4-30. some may like this or not, but i think it makes for a friendlier environment from the start when you must get to know your classmates. the numbers that i know: - 30 ppl in class; acceptances sent to 10/10/10 for cegep/ip/oop our class has: - 6 from cegep (did a pre-dent year last year and joining us for DMD-1) (there were 10 pre-dents accepted but 4 either decided to go for med instead or dropped out...these 4 spots then went to IP and OOP) - i THINK 12 ip and 12 oop so they don't actually allocate more than 10 spots for ip or oop, however many cegep students drop out will just benefit ip or oop... - ~60 interviewees for each of these categories i'm sorry to say but the averages and ranges are simply not available and it's too strange to ask all my classmates...i know, last year i did my share of hounding about the website to no avail. don't hesitate to ask away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman Posted November 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 Thanks a lot for the insight Fullmetal - I really appreciate input like that! Have a good one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetalDS Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 no probz... another thing i forgot to mention is that, for the first year at least, we are tested by unit (~once every 3 weeks) and there is no cumulative final after each semester. also, there are about 120 applicants so far in the oop pool...just asked as i was in the office for some other business g'luck to all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jll Posted November 23, 2006 Report Share Posted November 23, 2006 hey - just wondering - do you know the final # of opp applicants? thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmee Posted November 23, 2006 Report Share Posted November 23, 2006 hey - just wondering - do you know the final # of opp applicants? thanks! That would be nice to know. I have friends who applied last minute, so I would guess that it went up to roughly 150 for the OOP category. Maybe FullMetalDS can find out for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetalDS Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 i will ask nicole next time i swing by the office :] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetalDS Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 so apparently the application numbers are up by ~80 compared to last year, bringing the total number of applicants to about 270!!!! this is for the out of province pool alone simply out of control man... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmee Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 so apparently the application numbers are up by ~80 compared to last year, bringing the total number of applicants to about 270!!!! this is for the out of province pool alone simply out of control man... WOW..WWWOOOW.. This is jaw dropping, eye popping madness. 270 people for the 10 OOP spots.. *laughs hysterically while banging head against the wall* I think I'm gonna say bye bye to McGill right from now. FullMetal, do you know if they're still interviewing 60 people like usual? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jll Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 wow... that's alot of people:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonick Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 FullMetal, don't stress out the new recruits!!! Yes, I will refer to you by your screenname to protect ur privacy... Guys, don't worry. A lot of applicants just means one thing, STAND OUT!!! Forget the few extra percentiles on your DAT, or a few points on the GPA, those things won't vault you to the top. The key is to show McGill that you want to come here specifically. The way to do that is through your autobiographical letter, your reference letters and interview. First off, make sure your autobiographical letters are eloquently written. Do NOT B.S or stretch the truth in those letters, because you will have to back everything up during your interview. So be honest, and ensure that you're able to elaborate on every aspect of your letter. There is nothing more pleasant than discussing your life experiences, journey towards dentistry, educational experiences, etc. The interview really is a pleasant experience, although it can be nerve-racking at first. Also, make sure you get quality profs to write you reference letters, and inform them that McGill is your first choice. Some students are tempted to just get any prof to write them for McGill, since U of T and UWO don't require letters at all. If your letters are more McGill-specific, it'll be to your advantage. McGill really is a great school. The education is just top notch, the faculty are wonderful, and there is a huge amount of camaraderie among students. Yes there is a lot of med to "get through" but having all that extra knowledge is not only empowering, but gives McGill students an edge especially when they want to apply for specialties. I wish all you guys luck! Lastly, don't worry about stress, or early acceptances, etc. I was admitted only a month before classes started off the oop waitlist and didn't miss a beat. So stay positive, enjoy the rest of your year and your summer! And remember, we're here to help you out, like all the previous posters on this forum helped us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetalDS Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 dude i was wondering when you'd chime in hehe...i knew it was only a matter of time. this is a great place to blow time in between hitting the books i'm sure this thread will be much more exciting as interviews come around the bend... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman Posted December 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Did you guys (Fullmetal and Tonick) ever ask administration about averages or admission statistics? I emailed a while ago but never got any answer - when did you guys find out about the interviews? In your opinions how much would you say that the interview is worth? Is the McGill interview the standard CDA style of interview or is there more to it? I understand if you guys don't want to say, but what were your undergrad GPAs, DAT scores and interview scores? Thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetalDS Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 i never asked the admin about entrance statistics... chances are that admissions depend heavily on factors other than numbers such as autobiography and interview and extracurriculurs because i'm quite sure my numbers aren't in the top 10/200 applicants: this is the last time posting grades/credentials since i've done so in a few threads already haha: - gpa at time of application 82, final gpa for my 4 academic years = 83 - had a coop year - dat: aa 21, carving 15, pat 20, chem 22, bio 19, reading 22 - they don't tell you how you did on EC/autobio or the interview but i thought i was strong in those areas, with some leadership volunteering and research experience i'm sure ppl will be extremely curious about the interview when invites have been sent out, so i won't say too much about it...in fact there really isn't much to say about it :] most ppl i've spoken with - except for one - agreed that mcgill's interview was THE most chill interview you will have in the application marathon...it is not CDA style, though i've heard some ppl getting 1 or 2 scenario q's; i didn't...interviewers were very friendly and wanted to get a sense of who i was outside of school. they like to ask about the stuff you said in the autobio as well, so if there was some high grade bs in that be prepared to back it up with more bs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman Posted December 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Right on - save you typing for later. Thanks for the stats! Were you accepted directly or off the waitlist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmee Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Right on - save you typing for later. Thanks for the stats! Were you accepted directly or off the waitlist? They were 3 and 7. It's on the old mcgill thread. Congrats on getting in, Tonick. I came across that old thread only last week, but it was exciting still when you posted your acceptance I didn't think the list would go down that far, but you're one lucky guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonick Posted December 12, 2006 Report Share Posted December 12, 2006 They were 3 and 7. It's on the old mcgill thread. Congrats on getting in, Tonick. I came across that old thread only last week, but it was exciting still when you posted your acceptance I didn't think the list would go down that far, but you're one lucky guy hahaha thanks, I realize that I'm lucky, that was the greatest phonecall I've ever gotten... I actually screamed out loud from my desk at my summer job! The truth is though, when it comes down to admissions decisions, the difference between the top 30 is minimal, and it is such a hard decision to pick the top 10. The differences in DAT, GPA, interview, profile, etc. come down to decimal points. That's why if you're ever on the waitlist, stay chilled out, and keep believing in yourself! Just cause you may be one of the last people to get in, doesn't mean you'll be a bottom feeder when you start classes! My grades, and many of my classmates' so far have been above the class averages, and this is taking Med student stats into account as well. Now as for my stats, I think my interview went well, on the DAT I had around 22-24 on all sections and an 82-84% average over 4 years. I had good shadowing experiences and did my undergrad at U of T. If you've gone to a strong undergrad school and have marks in the mid 80s, with +20 DAT scores, you should be competitive. The increase in applicants is substantial though, and I have no idea how much that'll bump things up. good luck once more! Jeez I'm getting nervous allover again for some reason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman Posted December 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 Hey McGill, I was reading on the website, as has been discussed before, about how you guys are with the med students - it says that this lasts for about 18 months and then is followed by 7 months of preclinical training followed by 2 years of clinical work. So my question is, when does this 7 months of preclinical training take place? Is it during the last couple months of second year followed by a summer of the clinical training? What's the deal boys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetalDS Posted December 13, 2006 Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 hi laxman, the reason i put 14 months with the med students before was cuz i counted first year to be 10 months...then we get a 2 month summer break, and resume another 4 months with the med students till christmas time, completing 14 months of the Basis of Medicine (BOM) med curriculum. we then break off with the med students and start doing preclin dent (aka boot camp) from january till end of june which is the remainder of our 2nd year. did that help or was i a bit confusing?? basically, starting in january of 2nd year, we are true dentistry students and do not do anymore medicine :] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman Posted December 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 Right on - Is the "boot camp" mainly simulation clinic, lab work type stuff with a little didactic compliment or morning course, afternoon lab type style? I assume that there isn't much in terms of direct dental education (as I think you or other people have said) in the first BOM courses so I am thinking that it would be more morning class and afternoon lab 8-4 or 5 everyday. But I'm not sure...either way - intense! Thanks Full Metal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmee Posted December 13, 2006 Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 That's why if you're ever on the waitlist, stay chilled out, and keep believing in yourself! Just cause you may be one of the last people to get in, doesn't mean you'll be a bottom feeder when you start classes! Sure, that goes without saying. It's just that it's very unfortunate that there are fewer seats than there are deserving students, that you just have no other option but to waitlist people. I personally think that anybody who got an interview should be satisfied with themselves, because it means that they were academically and experiencially qualified (whatever experiencially means haha.. I mean it as in based on your statement, activities, letters, etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmee Posted December 13, 2006 Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 hi laxman, the reason i put 14 months with the med students before was cuz i counted first year to be 10 months...then we get a 2 month summer break, and resume another 4 months with the med students till christmas time, completing 14 months of the Basis of Medicine (BOM) med curriculum. we then break off with the med students and start doing preclin dent (aka boot camp) from january till end of june which is the remainder of our 2nd year. did that help or was i a bit confusing?? basically, starting in january of 2nd year, we are true dentistry students and do not do anymore medicine :] This BOM is somewhat irritating, not because I don't like the material, I actually wouldn't mind it at all, it can't be any harder than what I'm taking now, but simply because it seems like it's a way on their part to deal with shortage of teaching faculty. I'm sure there is enough material exclusive to dentistry that can form the basis of an independent dental anatomy class, dental pathology class, dental microbiology class, and so on.. meh.. but it certainly wouldn't hurt to meet more people and to intimidate the meds with our more superior knowledge.. bwaahahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetalDS Posted December 13, 2006 Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 i don't know for sure cuz i'm not there yet, but boot camp is called that for a reason. yes, there is both a didactic and sim/lab component but i'm not sure what proportion of time is spent on each...all i know is that the upper years have reported staying quite late (9-11pm!?) each day to finish their lab stuff and still have lectures early the next morning, so i believe it is more likely the morning lecture/afternoon lab schedule. from what i understand it's a tough few months packed with info and the learning curve is steep, but i hear it is extremely fun and satisfying to complete. i'm not sure exactly how fun it will be when i'm hugely deprived of sleep and video games hey jmee, you are totally right about ppl getting interviewed being excellent potential dentists, it is unfortunate that there are only so many spots...but knowing your goal and persisting at achieving it is key in this strange game of admissions. there's no doubt in my mind that if those who did not get in last year continued trying, we'd be colleagues in a few years...i consider myself extremely lucky to have matriculated my first time around yup, BOM is a weird time for the dent students, lost in a sea of med students...but we just gotta do wut we gotta do. i'm not sure it's so simple to show the med students how great we are though, those guys are pretty intense with their studying. the dent students at this point just don't care THAT much hahaha...of course i'm generalizing and probably only speaking for myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman Posted December 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 Thanks again for all the info you're providing us with Full Metal and Tonick! Have a good one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dentfloss Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 hey guys, When is the earliest interview invites are sent out from Mcgill? Am assuming it around January.. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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