n00b Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Who's applying this year? How many schools are you applying to? I'm having a hard time finalizing a list of schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennethToronto Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Some of the schools I applied to and comments for each: Case Western: located in Cleveland, affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic, which is consistently ranked 4th in the US. Curriculum is heavily PBL. I met two Canadians at my interview, and I know many more interview here. Compared to other schools, they are very friendly towards Canadians. One of the associate deans of admission is a Canadian MD which I feel has swayed them to consider Canadian applicants more seriously. Heavy focus on research (one of the secondary questions asks about your research background). Merit scholarships available, usually to people with very high GPA/MCAT. Amounts vary, usually $20k-$30k which goes a long way towards the $65k year budget. Washington University: very focused on GPA, MCAT, research & pubs. Stats of the average WashU matriculant: 3.9/38 and a heavy research background. Very very competitive full ride merit scholarships available and make no distinction with respect to your immigrant status. At my interview I met two current 1st year Canadian students, one on a full ride and one footing the entire cost through loans () Also, they seem to require full tuition amount in escrow, which to me is absolutely ridiculous. Neverthless, it's a research powerhouse and they give you free accomodations for your interview. SUNY Uptate: also friendly to Canadians. In fact I was interviewed by a Canadian student. Syracuse is alright. School has newish facilities, quite proud of their anatomy labs. Tuition is one of the 'cheapest' at around $35k/yr. I got the sense Upstate is a mid-tier medical school. Wayne State: located in Detroit so close to Windsor (and Canada!). No financial aid/merit scholarships (that I'm aware of) and tuition is at the higher range of US Schools at $55k. They are DEFINITELY friendly to Canadian applicants and there are several Canadians who matriculate here every year. Large class size. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine: regularly interviews and accepts Canadians. Heavily focused towards primary care, which makes me wonder why they have a $55k yearly tuition (also no scholarships/aid for internationals). I declined to pursue my application here mainly for that reason. University of Virginia: gorgeous campus in a very idyllic university town (Charlottesville). I really enjoyed interviewing here - they made it an extremely 'customized' day as there were only 5 people interviewing. I know for sure this school for the 07/08 cycle interviews Canadians and accepts Canadians as well, although extremely few in number. Dartmouth: Ranked 32nd on the USNews rankings, although after seeing the school in person and looking at the matchlists, I feel the US News reports are far from a fair assessment. Is quite generous with financial aid (there are no Merit scholarships available). A typical aid offer consists of a scholarship and a $3000-$5000/yr interest free loan, making it one of the most affordable (albeit still very expensive) US schools. Gorgeous recently built hospitals and all that other stuff that comes with attending an Ivey. Regularly interviews and accepts Canadians. Seems like there are many Canadians part of every class. Very small class size (~70) and obviously campus is in a very rural location so not for everyone. NYMC: secondary was basically a $100 check and nothing more. Definitely interview Canadians although I have no idea whether they accept many post-interview (was offered interview, declined). No financial aid or merit scholarships. Brown: not worth applying to (in my opinion). Most spots taken up by their 7-year direct entry high school to MD program and even US applicants skip out on Brown. Did not fill out secondary. University of Chicago (Pritzker): For sure interview and accept Canadians. I found the secondary essay prompts nebulous and quite hard to write. They seem to have very specific things they're looking for in applicants (and it's not GPA/MCAT). I hear they also have very generous financial aid/scholarships - someone should check this out. Never completed their secondary. Northwestern (Feinberg): Also in Chicago. Seems like a great school. I also know for sure they will interview Canadians, although whether or not they accept them is uncertain. No financial aid/merit scholarships available for Canadians. University of Vermont: definitely will interview and accept Canadians. In fact, one of the posters on this board is a current student at UVM. Secondary was a simple "pay us money" variety. They are interested in applicants who are 'serious' about their school: I was not granted an interview until I mentioned I would be in the neighbourhood. So if you really like UVM, you should send an email once in a while telling them how much you like their school. No financial aid / merit available to internationals as far as I know. Looks like a gorgeous campus (doubly so if skiing/snowboard are your thing) but I ultimately did not accept the interview offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippie Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 Some of the schools I applied to and comments for each:Michigan State University College of Human Medicine: regularly interviews and accepts Canadians. Heavily focused towards primary care, which makes me wonder why they have a $55k yearly tuition (also no scholarships/aid for internationals). I declined to pursue my application here mainly for that reason. ] Their match list is not too bad though, as a graduate of a US school youcan still go into something competitive no matter what school u come from.But yeah their tuition is ridiculously high University of Vermont: definitely will interview and accept Canadians. In fact, one of the posters on this board is a current student at UVM. Secondary was a simple "pay us money" variety. They are interested in applicants who are 'serious' about their school: I was not granted an interview until I mentioned I would be in the neighbourhood. So if you really like UVM, you should send an email once in a while telling them how much you like their school. No financial aid / merit available to internationals as far as I know. Looks like a gorgeous campus (doubly so if skiing/snowboard are your thing) but I ultimately did not accept the interview offer. Just to reiterate what KT said. Just make sure you have the energy to send them an email every two weeks to tell them how much you like their school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schnauzr Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 KennethToronto, I just want to say, what a great post! Thanks for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
human instinct Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 Their match list is not too bad though, as a graduate of a US school youcan still go into something competitive no matter what school u come from.But yeah their tuition is ridiculously high Just to reiterate what KT said. Just make sure you have the energy to send them an email every two weeks to tell them how much you like their school. Hey...are you guys serious about mailing them every 2 weeks? What would one say in such an email? Why you are interested in their school or just mention that you will be available for an interview around that time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest begaster Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 Thanks for the post, KT. How would one go about financing these schools, though. I most definitely cannot afford to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennethToronto Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 Hey...are you guys serious about mailing them every 2 weeks? What would one say in such an email? Why you are interested in their school or just mention that you will be available for an interview around that time? Every 2 weeks is a slight exaggeration. But it seems UVM is a school that wants to know you are interested and serious before granting an interview. I would not hesitate to send them a letter of interest (LOI) in September or October if you haven't heard back from them. Thanks for the post, KT. How would one go about financing these schools, though. I most definitely cannot afford to. I think anyone considering applying to the US has to look carefully and realistically at the costs. Is it worth it to get $200k-$300k into debt for a career in medicine? A lot of students who go US have significant parental support. I will say hands down, however, that going Stateside (since they are LCME accredited) is a heck of a lot better than going Caribb or Ireland or Aus. Sources of funding I learned about: a) OSAP will provide you with (last I heard) max ~$8k /yr I was told this is the contact to clarify OSAP information: Students attending an out-of-province postsecondary institution only: Student Support Branch, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. This office can be reached at: Student Support Branch Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities PO Box 4500 189 Red River Road, 4th Floor Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6G9 Telephone:(807) 343-7260 Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD/TY): 1-800-465-3958 Fax: (807) 343-7278. Lines of credit. I called some representatives and was told that for US, you will need a co-signer. As to what would make a co-signer worthy, I'm guessing large steady income + significant assets. http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/RBC:R2e71o71A8cAJ9BSKDU/student/medical/plan.html http://www4.bmo.com/personal/0,4344,35649_36829,00.html?pChannelId=36829#professional http://www.iefc.com/canada/can_grad_tc.cfm If you have someone to back up your loan, you will be eligible for a $150k LOC, upto $200K if you request it. c) FastWeb - the Fin.Aid officers will tell you to check out FastWeb for scholarships that may help you. It is a waste of time and they'll send a lot of spam to your email. Don't bother. Consequently, most typical private US medical schools are going to have a $40k tuition and $20k living/books/USMLE fees/misc budget. So you can *roughly* expect to pay $60k/yr x 4 years = $240K USD out the bank. Assuming the USD stays where it is, a single LOC + OSAP still won't cover it (don't forget, if you are paying the monthly interest payments with the LOC, then your effective LOC will be smaller) If you do your applications right, apply to the appropriate schools, and have competitive stats, some schools will offer you merit/aid scholarhsips that can significantly sweeten the deal. In my experience, offers can bring down costs to ~150k for the four years. Still not cheap. Others are even luckier and get full rides. But those are very very very very few and far between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest begaster Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 Thanks, Kenneth. If the AMCAS conversion scale is true, I'd be applying with a 3.88, 36S. Hopefully that would get me at least a few dollars in scholarships. As of June, I'm going to be widely emailing American schools, I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastriss Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 I am applying as well, just not to too many schools..canadians need to stick together! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lll Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 so when do u guys think we should submit the primaries....i'm thinking sometime mid to late june... ________ vaporizer reviews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippie Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 first week of june and make sure all of your secondaries are done in mid july. Do not underestimate how important that is for american schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a41 Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 I just want to reiterate how important it is to get your applications done ASAP (without sacrificing quality). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tan008 Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 I'm aiming to submit my primary ASAP. It takes a while to get some of the secondaries so you don't want to send in your primary too late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastriss Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Actually just checked a post on SDN (thats the new premed101 for us canadians applying to US) If you submit your primary in june then you will get a secondary really fast (maybe next day). Ifyou submit in say august, then it will take longer to get your secondary because they are getting busier. I was wondering what schools you guys are applying to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tan008 Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Actually just checked a post on SDN (thats the new premed101 for us canadians applying to US) If you submit your primary in june then you will get a secondary really fast (maybe next day). Ifyou submit in say august, then it will take longer to get your secondary because they are getting busier. I was wondering what schools you guys are applying to? Really? I totally didn't know that. Thanks for the info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastriss Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 SDN man check it out - very very helpful. They got some ad comms that post on there. By the way, anyone know if I can use interfolio for canadian med schools? my PI will be gone on vacay for a long time and I want to make sure I can get my LOR in to canadian med schools in case she isn't back in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justletmein Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 SDN man check it out - very very helpful. They got some ad comms that post on there. By the way, anyone know if I can use interfolio for canadian med schools? my PI will be gone on vacay for a long time and I want to make sure I can get my LOR in to canadian med schools in case she isn't back in time. I used interfolio with no problem at mcgill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest begaster Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 So I'm in an interesting predicament. If I want to apply to the States, I need orga which I have never taken. No biggie. But, I'm not planning to do a fifth year. So this means, I'll be taking Organic Chem as the only course over the next year. Problem? I lose the U of T weighting formula. So I'm either going to apply to the US, or apply to U of T next year. I'm thinking the States will win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastriss Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Or you can do orgo in the summer (it might be too late for spring) at athabasca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennethToronto Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 I used interfolio with no problem at mcgill Just be careful. You can use Interfolio at McGill because they are used to dealing with US applicants, but there's no way OMSAS or any other Canadian school will accept Interfolio because it won't include those special forms with checkboxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastriss Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Ah thank you! I think i need it only for OMSAS because for other schools the LOR is requested later (UMan). I will work something out - i still got a lot of time to worry about canadian apps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THX Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Have you guys sent in your transcript yet? I ordered mine in late April, but it's still on hold until the adjudication period is over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamesfan Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 do we know what schools employ the rolling admission process and which ones do not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennethToronto Posted May 20, 2008 Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 do we know what schools employ the rolling admission process and which ones do not? Save for a few medical schools (Yale and Harvard come to mind), most US schools are rolling. Don't sacrifice the quality of your application just to get things in early. I would much rather submit something that's polished than rush and submit garbage that will get me rejected at every school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schnauzr Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 I was going to finish my personal statement last week... but I have like one crappy draft done and waiting for an inspiration. I'm sort of worried about getting good LOR's. I just hope some profs will be nice to write a good LOR for a random kid in the class. I can't stop thinking about what one adcom said on SDN. She said that the profs at Canadian universities generallly write really bland LORs, saying that it's in "their nature." HAHAHA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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