mattyvr Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Hey All, This is a splendid forum that you've all got going here ! Just one question for anyone to respond to : I'm probably an odd one out here but, I have been a research assistant, a research coordinator and research site Manager at UBC medicine for 5 years. Surgical and Anaesthesia Research mostly. I was excellent at what I did and have very strong recommendations in line. but this whole bit with having an undergrad degree from the UCL in London bugs me now that I wish to to return to Vancouver for Med School. I do plan to come back to Vancouver, next year and wrap up my pre-reqs. I have a very good science aptitude. Catch: I did my undergrad in Law at UCL, London with an upper second class honors and NO i did not hit a First Class Hons. Having said that I'm very keen on applying to UBC Meds, Calgary and Mac. What do you reckon ? I'm a Canadian Citizen as well and a BC resident for the purpose of residency classification. I'm 27 now and presently work for a startup Lifesciences Org in Bangalore, India while managing and travelling through the Asia Pacific, US, Europe and India. In my 2 years here in Asia, I went from being a Project Manager to a Global Client Services Manager working with Novartis, AZ, Pfizer, GSK, Amgen you name it....very good EC's working with NGOs in Calcutta and New Delhi. Experienced in Clinical Research Management, Project Management for Scientific Marketing in the US Markets, Created a niche Medical Intelligence division at my own org with the EU markets etc... Im now very keen on applying to med school. I would appreciate all of your thoughts on whether having an undergrad degree from London (LLB) Hons. Thanks so much guys !........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medgirl08 Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Hey All, This is a splendid forum that you've all got going here ! Just one question for anyone to respond to : I'm probably an odd one out here but, I have been a research assistant, a research coordinator and research site Manager at UBC medicine for 5 years. Surgical and Anaesthesia Research mostly. I was excellent at what I did and have very strong recommendations in line. but this whole bit with having an undergrad degree from the UCL in London bugs me now that I wish to to return to Vancouver for Med School. I do plan to come back to Vancouver, next year and wrap up my pre-reqs. I have a very good science aptitude. Catch: I did my undergrad in Law at UCL, London with an upper second class honors and NO i did not hit a First Class Hons. Having said that I'm very keen on applying to UBC Meds, Calgary and Mac. What do you reckon ? I'm a Canadian Citizen as well and a BC resident for the purpose of residency classification. I'm 27 now and presently work for a startup Lifesciences Org in Bangalore, India while managing and travelling through the Asia Pacific, US, Europe and India. In my 2 years here in Asia, I went from being a Project Manager to a Global Client Services Manager working with Novartis, AZ, Pfizer, GSK, Amgen you name it....very good EC's working with NGOs in Calcutta and New Delhi. Experienced in Clinical Research Management, Project Management for Scientific Marketing in the US Markets, Created a niche Medical Intelligence division at my own org with the EU markets etc... Im now very keen on applying to med school. I would appreciate all of your thoughts on whether having an undergrad degree from London (LLB) Hons. Thanks so much guys !........... Your list of extracurriculars and just "life experiences" in general is quite impressive and UBC is definitely one of the shcools that looks at stuff like that. I don't think an undergrad degree in Law would in any way jeoperdize your chances of getting in as long as you complete the pre-reqs. If still unsure, the best way would be to email UBC med admissions and ask them directly. Good luck:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyvr Posted January 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Thank you Medgirl that's a relief to hear I'll somehow survive the NAQ section. I guess now my own real worry is how I'll survive the Undergrad Degree bit in London ? Either way, I'm going to go right ahead with completing my pre-reqs in Vancouver itself. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubcredfox Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 Mattyvr: why would you ever consider giving up such a career for medicine? It sounds like you're living it up. Trust me on this one, medicine is certainly not worth that sacrifice. Not by a long shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuantum Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 ^^^That was kind of a weird comment ubcredfox. I don't remember, but what year of med. school are you in again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyvr Posted January 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 UbcRedFox : 1. It would have been so much easier to go ahead with this present life that I have at this time 2. If I was to work for the next 30 years of my life, I want to be in that environment once again at a clinical/acute facility (ex: VGH) where it felt right. I have everything at my disposal here in Asia. I even learnt to converse in broken Mandarin, live in a heavily polluted city like Bangalore, which has now emerged as a highly potent developing economy, but Redfox, do you know what makes the heart race.. when i see that kid come up to me for alms, or when I teach English to the local orphans they need me.. or where.. I work in a startup lifesciences org that has tons of doctors from across India who are well established - clincally or published - surgeons/scientists, who have chosen to give up their academic/clinical practice because they would earn more financially in a private corp steup. I sit on the phone and console my American counterparts on the phone when they lose their gigs due to the global outsourcing trend in place. Happens once a week thanks to my company which is on an acquisition spree thanks to New money in India and China. 3. Sure this life comes much easier or so it may seem, but the real question I had to address for myself was whether I saw myself giving my life well a good part of it toward working in the corporate sector. 4. After having worked at UBC meds in research for 5 years, I thought I'd step aside and work in the private / corporate environment. It's great, collegial, fun and very long 14 or 15 hr days. It's Asia long hours - name of the game. 5. The amount of business fundamentals and knowledge I've acquired here puts me right in the leadership frame if not at the top of the pile. Budgets, Forecasts for 5-6 M USD p/a, Transcultural Management, Mergers and Acquisitions, Buyouts, Removing Staff, Marketing, Brushing Leadership the wrong and right way. To address your cynicism, UBCRedFox: Reality: I have no heart in doing this anymore, I just wanted to try this out for a few years and I've learnt incredibly. You sell yourself to the dogs here probably just like any coprorate environment and most of it is Thankless but also flamboyant and lacks substance. 1999 - 2004: UBC Medicine Research - Surgery, Anaesthesia 2004 - 2006: UCL, London - LLB 2006 - Present: Lifesciences Org - Singapore, Bangalore, HKG, EU, US - Global Client Services Mngr. I'm 27, now, getting married in Feb actually, I realized, that if i wanted to spend the rest of my life doing something it would be being clinically involved in a patient's health be it for the better or worse, Importantly: The Sacrifice - is immense ex: Imagine subjecting myself to a mediocre or just enough to get by income between 30 and 38 bet meds and residency and having a family of my own at that time. But the only thing that'd keep me going is the thought that I would be doing something I'm the best at, would be committed and passionate about irrespective of status or monetary benefits. Sure it pays once you're done but thats' not enough to hold someone for 8 or 9 years in terms of education/training. Lastly, I studied Law in London, this is because of the calibre of the curriculum within a Common Law epicenter and also because literally the world came to study at the UCL. I studied law primarily to provide myself that intellectual rigor and horsepower to think analyze and execute in the most logical and objective manner. Some might feel or think otherwise. Now my only real worry is how does someone with a UK Law Degree and is a BC resident / CDN citizen come back to study at UBC meds. Will UBC throw stones me knowing I didn't do my u'grad in Canada itself. I anyway have to finish up my pre-reqs in UBC anyway (sciences). My recommendations are prominent faculty members of 2 clinical specialties at UBC Meds- they're the ones who groomed me ground up and taught me what I need to know in terms of developing that connect with medicine and supported me in conducting academic trials as investigators. The most important thing I've learnt in life to date: People. The most important aspect of our lives is our ability to relate, connect, work and reciprocate with people. Everything else is logistics OR Competence both of which are scalable. UBCRedFox: I stand Corrected in my resolve. I'm sorry you feel that way about medicine. Sorry for the super long blurb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviathan Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Mattyvr: why would you ever consider giving up such a career for medicine? It sounds like you're living it up. Trust me on this one, medicine is certainly not worth that sacrifice. Not by a long shot. Why are you so pessimistic about his decision? Just curious... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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