OOP non-trad applicant - which schools?

[Michelle]

Hello,

I am a non-trad applicant from Alberta, and I am applying to med schools across the country for ths first this application cycle. I'm not yet sure if I want to fork out the money to apply to ALL of the Ontario schools because I'm not sure if I'm an ideal candidate for some of them. I have read the websites and admissions requirements for all the schools, but I'd like the opinions of other applicants who are from Ontario, because I suspect you have a much better idea of the preferences of these schools.

 

This is me, in a nutshell:

- completed my BSc in med lab sci in 1999. My GPA was between 8.6 and 8.8 (on the old U of A 9-point scale) for all years. This probably equates to about a 3.7 on the OMSAS scale.

- a problem - I went travelling one summer and didn't make it back in time for school, so I missed a semester and this shows up as a full semester of withdrawls

- did a MSc in Public Health/Epidemiology (completed in 2003) with a GPA of 8.8

- wrote the MCAT 2 weeks ago and have absolutely no idea how well I did

- in between degrees I worked as a lab tech for a couple of years, worked in tissue donation for a year, and taught med lab in a university overeas for the rest of the time

- lots of overseas work experience (with MSF and WHO) and travel

- did lots of volunteer work as a student (many years ago), but not much outside of school since I have been overseas (which in itself was usually volunteering)

- I have a few publications, but none of them are the result of my graduate work - they have all come from my current research job that isn't at all related to my graduate topic

 

The way I see it, I suppose I have some life experience that is useful, but my grades are only borderline "good", I have limited actual volunteer experience, and my "research productivity" as it relates to grad school is null.

 

Anyway, I'd appreciate any advice on which Ontario schools I should focus my effors on.

 

Thank you in advance!

[Jochi1543]

Well, I think the only school you shouldn't bother with is Ottawa, and NOSM and McMaster are pretty hard to get into as an OOP. Mac's also very big on GPAs, so I don't know if an OOP with a 3.7-3.8 has a good chance there. Maybe ask in the Mac forum to see what stats the OOPs have had in the past? You should be ok at the rest of the schools (UWO, Queens, Toronto) if your MCAT meets the Queens/UWO cut-offs.