Yk4 Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 I have a question : I received an interview for med only in Montreal. I have also interview for optometry, dentistry and pharm. Should I get into one of these three if I don't get in med and apply next year or finish my bachelor degree (im a 3rd year student)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss_sunshine Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 how can anyone on this board possibly answer this question for you? We don't know anything about you except for the two lines you posted above and this is such a big decision. Although all of them are healthcare related, they are such different careers that I find myself questioning how devoted you must be to each of them and why you applied to all of them if med is what you really want to do. med school is tough and demands a lot out of you. if it isn't something you truly want to do (are you ready for long nights on call, endless work days, days where you don't even have time to pee or eat?), then you will be miserable. If it is what you want to do, then why even ask a board of strangers if you should bother with the other three options. If you don't get in next year, big deal. There are people here who've been trying for years (some of then are non trads who are trying to get in in their 30-40s). The point is that if you really want to be a doctor, it shouldn't matter what it takes or how long it takes, especially when you are still not even done your undergrad. Most people aren't accepted until after their undergrad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss_sunshine Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 I realize how harsh I sounded in my above post. What I meant to express is that there is no guarantee that you will get into med school. If you see yourself being happy with one of the other three career paths you mentioned, then go for it. If you only see yourself being happy with med, then stick with your it. What you want to avoid is picking a career path and then looking back ten years from now having regrets about not doing what you truly wanted to do (med, for example) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ève Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 I realize how harsh I sounded in my above post. What I meant to express is that there is no guarantee that you will get into med school. If you see yourself being happy with one of the other three career paths you mentioned, then go for it. If you only see yourself being happy with med, then stick with your it. What you want to avoid is picking a career path and then looking back ten years from now having regrets about not doing what you truly wanted to do (med, for example) Sometimes it's refreshing when people say what they actually think, without putting white politically correct gloves on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingalongdong Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Thanks Sunshine. It had to be said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flintabatty Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 strange, i really find it wierd that people hedge their bets when finding their life's work pick what is appealing! why would you apply to something as a "backup"? what if you need to do the backup? then you hate it and get to live your days miserably doing what you thought was a second rate career path. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadzillar Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Thanks Sunshine. It had to be said. Ditto. theseareextracharactersbecauseitsaidmymessagewastooshort Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JewelLeigh Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 The point is that if you really want to be a doctor, it shouldn't matter what it takes or how long it takes... This is overly optimistic and not very realistic imo. Perhaps some people can afford to do this, but not everyone can. Yes, giving up before finishing undergrad probably demonstrates a lack of desire...but I don't think the OP insinuated that is what he/she was going to do. It sounded more like he/she wants med, and from his/her current standpoint, (with potential options of going on to train in another health profession and applying to med from there, or continuing in undergrad and reapplying to med that way) was hoping for some advice as to the better route. strange, i really find it wierd that people hedge their bets when finding their life's work pick what is appealing! why would you apply to something as a "backup"? what if you need to do the backup? then you hate it and get to live your days miserably doing what you thought was a second rate career path. Seeing that only about 1 in 7 to 1 in 6 med applicants (in Ontario for example) will be successful, I don't think it is ridiculous to have a backup. In fact, it sounds pretty darn sensible to me. What exactly do you suggest to the 6/7 people who are not successful at getting into medicine? Sure, reapply, perhaps a few times...but you can't do that forever. Not everyone has the finances, grades, family situation and luck to be able to find and succeed in a career that is their perfect "life's work." Backing up with related career is a more than reasonable path. To the OP...if medicine is what you really want (which I am assuming is true and is why you posted to begin with) then any of the options you have mentioned could still lead to both a successful and reasonably happy back-up career as well as keep the door to medicine open. If you are accepted to one of those other schools, you could easily do them and continue to apply to medicine...or you could turn it down, try for med the following year and reassess your options at that point (including reapplying to the other programs you mentioned). Either way, it sounds like you have lots of options Lots of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miss_sunshine Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 JewelLeigh, if I'm correct, the OP is from Quebec where the chances of getting into medicine, given a decent GPA, are extremely high. The chance of getting into mcgill alone with a decent background (a few extracurrics, gpa >3.5, mcat around 30) are almost 1 in 2. The other quebec med schools have similar chances and no mcat requirment. Some, Sherbrooke U, don't even have an interview or look at your extracurrics, but rely on MC personality tests which weigh in heavily in the admissions decision. The french schools also give extra marks in your score for finishing an undergrad, masters, phd (with most "bonus points" given to phd) Sure I'm oversimplifying the matter, but it is very likely that if this applicant was able to get all these interview offers for other competitive schools, he has a decent GPA and will most likely get into one of the 4 med schools in quebec. I agree with you that this issue is more complex in other provinces where chances of getting in can be quite low (ie Ontario). All I was trying to say to the OP is that if med is what they want, then put all your effort into it and go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JewelLeigh Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Wow...didn't know the situation was so positive in Quebec...that's great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowaH Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 . . .but rely on MC personality tests which weigh in heavily in the admissions decision. MC tests of personality assessment? Likely easy to fool just like the MMPI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flintabatty Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 MC tests of personality assessment? Likely easy to fool just like the MMPI. who ever said the mmpi is easy to fool? I have never taken it, but the entire test battery takes over 4 hours to administer, maybe you have this mistaken with another? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noncestvrai Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 I don't think the other schools are similar in Qc, the special edge is really only at McGill for IP because of the lazy/scared francophones (for the MCAT/English school), because it would be more competitive at McGill otherwise. noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flintabatty Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 lol, uh oh.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviathan Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 MC tests of personality assessment? Likely easy to fool just like the MMPI. The MMPI is not easy to fool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMmd Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Wow...didn't know the situation was so positive in Quebec...that's great! lol its not that great JL... i prefer ontario's way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apical meristems Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I have also interview for optometry, dentistry and pharm. Should I get into one of these three if I don't get in med and apply next year or finish my bachelor degree (im a 3rd year student)? Hi there, If you don't want to be a dentist, don't bother accepting the position. There are people in Canada who actually WANT to be dentists. If you ask me, using another profession to get into Medicine is kind of selfish. Especially when you consider that admission to Dentistry is just as competitive as Medicine. Personally, I am sick of people backing up their medical school dreams with admission to dental school. My two cents, ap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfette Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I have a question : I received an interview for med only in Montreal. I have also interview for optometry, dentistry and pharm. Should I get into one of these three if I don't get in med and apply next year or finish my bachelor degree (im a 3rd year student)? Hey if you want to do med, then it seems more reasonable to finish your bachelor's. If you don't get in this year, then you will get a degree next year before you go into meds. If you switch to optometry, dentistry or pharmacy and then apply again to meds, then you'll just keep switching programs and you won't get a degree in anything. Granted a bachelor's isn't all that useful - but it's something to show for the work that you've done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flintabatty Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Hi there, If you don't want to be a dentist, don't bother accepting the position. There are people in Canada who actually WANT to be dentists. If you ask me, using another profession to get into Medicine is kind of selfish. Especially when you consider that admission to Dentistry is just as competitive as Medicine. Personally, I am sick of people backing up their medical school dreams with admission to dental school. My two cents, ap YES! there are people that think like me! for me, i chose dentistry and dentistry only, if i dont get in i dont plan on another profession as backup, anyway, ill go back to my own forum now lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noncestvrai Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 People can do whatever they want. You don't hear very often, I'll backup my dent with med btw. If you are superior to someone else, you deserve the spot whatever your motives may be. noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apical meristems Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 People can do whatever they want. You don't hear very often, I'll backup my dent with med btw. If you are superior to someone else, you deserve the spot whatever your motives may be. noncestvrai Good one. That's how we get teachers who hate kids and dentists who think more about dollars than patients. Definitely a great way to secure the future of a profession. ap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviathan Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 Good one. That's how we get teachers who hate kids and dentists who think more about dollars than patients. Definitely a great way to secure the future of a profession. ap I agree with you specifically about dental school, because I don't see how many people interested in medicine would also be interested in dentistry (other than for the money). I would never consider applying to dentistry as a 'backup' because the field has absolutely zero interest to me. However, I do have a backup plan to enter another health care field such as nursing or respiratory therapy, because I'm interested in studying medicine and caring for people. I question the motives of people who put dentistry as a backup, but people applying to other health care fields suggests that they're genuinely interested in the work and not gunning for medicine just for the money and prestige. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Law Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 I agree with you specifically about dental school, because I don't see how many people interested in medicine would also be interested in dentistry Well... it does have some similar things as medicine, despite the very different nature of the two careers. For example, dentistry is similar to surgery in the sense you can find the physical cause to someone's problem and do things to fix them. Another aspect is the fact that people are coming to you for help/assistance with an oral health related problem... and you try to figure out what course of action to take. noncestvrai has a point though. There is nothing wrong with using dentistry as a back-up to medicine, or any other career as a back-up. Most people do not end up getting into medicine, and some can't afford to keep trying aimlessly. So if someone thinks they'll be satisfied as a dentist, but would prefer to be in medicine - then they can go for it. Personally, I wouldn't start a professional program unless I had the intention of definitely staying within that program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfette Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 This is a little off topic and it's my rant of the day so I'll apologize in advance. But it's come up a number of times on these boards that those pursuing dentistry or law (whether as a backup or not) are "simply in it for the money." It's kind of rude and unfair to assume that. There are lots of potentially similar things between dentistry and medicine: acting professionally, taking care of people's health (oral health for dentists), getting to know your patients personally, etc. It is a significant health problem when people (especially the elderly) don't have all their teeth to eat from - it can lead to malnutrition, etc. Similarly for law and medicine: acting professionally, getting to know your clients personally, helping people achieve social justice, etc. If we didn't have lawyers and the legal system, then the rich and powerful would get away with murdering their opponents. We enjoy the freedoms of our society in part because of lawyers. If you want to "help people", there are many ways to do it - med is one of them, but so is teaching, social work, nursing, law, politics, and *gasp* dentistry. I'm personally not interested in either dentistry or law as backup careers and would not consider doing it, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pass judgement on other people that do. I'm starting to get sick of all these people wanting to go into med having this elitest view that they and only they are truly interested in helping people and only they are actually interested in the material that they are studying (or intend to study). They assume (based on what?) that although they have the purest of intentions, everyone else does not. I'll admit that I don't know many people in dentistry, but I do have a few friends in law. And I will say that I don't know any people more passionate about social justice, non-profit work, or advocacy. It's great that you love what you do and you're willing to work hard to do it. But please don't pass sweeping judgements on other people and their dreams. Sorry again for the rant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Law Posted April 16, 2007 Report Share Posted April 16, 2007 This is a little off topic and it's my rant of the day so I'll apologize in advance. But it's come up a number of times on these boards that those pursuing dentistry or law (whether as a backup or not) are "simply in it for the money." It's kind of rude and unfair to assume that. There are lots of potentially similar things between dentistry and medicine: acting professionally, taking care of people's health (oral health for dentists), getting to know your patients personally, etc. It is a significant health problem when people (especially the elderly) don't have all their teeth to eat from - it can lead to malnutrition, etc. Similarly for law and medicine: acting professionally, getting to know your clients personally, helping people achieve social justice, etc. If we didn't have lawyers and the legal system, then the rich and powerful would get away with murdering their opponents. We enjoy the freedoms of our society in part because of lawyers. If you want to "help people", there are many ways to do it - med is one of them, but so is teaching, social work, nursing, law, politics, and *gasp* dentistry. I'm personally not interested in either dentistry or law as backup careers and would not consider doing it, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pass judgement on other people that do. I'm starting to get sick of all these people wanting to go into med having this elitest view that they and only they are truly interested in helping people and only they are actually interested in the material that they are studying (or intend to study). They assume (based on what?) that although they have the purest of intentions, everyone else does not. I'll admit that I don't know many people in dentistry, but I do have a few friends in law. And I will say that I don't know any people more passionate about social justice, non-profit work, or advocacy. It's great that you love what you do and you're willing to work hard to do it. But please don't pass sweeping judgements on other people and their dreams. Sorry again for the rant! Great post, it had to be said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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