To Kara

[Guest tantastic]

Hey Kara:

 

I was wondering when you completed your first degree in Neuroscience? Was there a big gap in years btw that degree and your new degree in Rad sciences?

 

If so I think that some Irish schools will ignore your earlier GPA depending on the time that has passed between your first degree and the current Rad degree.

 

Take Care

[Guest Kara]

Tantastic:

 

You might be right. Yes,there was a major gap. I finished my neuroscience degree in 1988. I was mostly working from 1988 to Sept. 2002; however, I did manage to finish 7 more full courses (just for interest) over the span of those post-degree years (all at U of T). The last credit was taken in 1996. I also tried dentistry (among some other programs) at U of T but dropped out of the programme after a couple of months. I didn't like the field whatsoever. But I didn't mention this in my application since I didn't end up finishing any dentistry courses.

 

I also mailed AB my first term (fall) marks of my current Rad programme. I had a sessional 3.83 GPA. Before applying I also did e-mail them and ask if my age might work against me. They told me age plays no role.

 

 

Kara

[Guest tantastic]

Hey Kara;

 

I don't think those earlier bad marks will be counted because I had a friend in a similar situation and they ignored her entire first degree.

 

BTW what field did you work in after the neuroscience degree, I just finished a double major neuroscience/pharmacology degree at UofT and I'm looking at different careers should I not get into a professional program or Ireland Carib etc.

 

That's interesting that you were in dentistry, when did you go into that program? was that directly after undergrad? May I ask what aspects of dentistry that you didn't like?

 

Thanks again

Take care

[Guest Kara]

Tantastic,

 

Mostly I worked in something totally unrelated to my degree...as a rough carpenter. I tried a number of different jobs (banking, human resources, etc.) and didn't like any of them. I prefer the freedom that comes from being self-employed.

 

I was in dentistry in 1986. I had completed 20 full year courses but I had yet not completed my four-year degree. I was still unsure what I wanted to do. While on paper dentistry sounded like a good fit, I found the job way too restrictive and boring. The thought of spending the rest of my life inside a small area like the mouth while the patient is awake and at the same time anxious about it got to me only after a couple of months.

 

If I had to do it all over again I would have gone into rad science or pharmacy early in my undegraduate studies, worked for a couple of years in the field and if that work was still unsatisfying, I would have applied into something like medicine. This way if I wasn't accepted at least I would have had something secure to fall back to. Moreover both rad science and pharmacy do have some flexibility wrt carreer options.

[Guest newbee]

Hi Kara:

 

A rough carpenter? What is that? Sounds like you've had some pretty diverse experiences. Did you ever try to apply to Mac?

 

Just curious, were the GPA's required for getting into professional programs such as Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine alot lower in the 80's when you graduated then they are today?

 

What was human resources like? How did you get involved in that?

 

Sorry for the questions, I'm just trying to learn about different careers, in case medicine doesn't work out

 

Take Care

Newbee :b

[Guest Kara]

newbee,

 

A rough carpenter does the framing, support structures, etc. for drywall, cement, plaster etc. It's pretty hard work and not steady.

 

I applied to Mac this year but got rejected. My ECs were pretty lame. I think I would have had a much better shot at Western or Queens but I did not write the new MCAT.

 

GPA's required for medicine in the 1980s were about the same as today. A GPA of 3.8 was competitive. More emphasis was given to marks versus non academic stuff, however. In fact, Queen's and U of T meds did not even have interviews. Back in the 80s I did manage to make meds waiting lists at both Queen's and Western but didn't get in.

 

I think dentistry was a bit easier to get into than today. A GPA of 3.7 was usually good enough as long as you did okay on DAT and there was no dents interview (at least at U of T). From the dentistry threads, it seems that higher GPAs are required today. I do recall that the year I was accepted into dentistry a friend of mine did get into Western meds but was rejected from U of T dents, so things were not crystal clear even back then.

 

Wrt Pharmacy, you entered from high school (Grade 13) and you needed marks in high 80s/low 90s and had to also write the PCAT. Different story today.

 

Human resources and payroll was the most boring job I've ever had. I don't muck like office/paper work especially behind a computer. A friend helped me get the job. My brother is a lawyer and that's another profession I could never do. Too much paper work.