FAQ: What are my chances?

[Leon]

 

The part that worries me is the fact that you were clinically depressed and how an interviewer would respond to that. Are you on medication now? Are there still side effects?

 

I actually don't think that will make much of a negative impact- the OP has a strong comeback academically and that's going to look impressive on paper.

 

UT and Mac are out and I'm unsure about Ottawa (since their flexibility on the 10 courses per year rule is somewhat foggy) but Queens and Western are your best shots.

[ralk]

I actually don't think that will make much of a negative impact- the OP has a strong comeback academically and that's going to look impressive on paper.

 

UT and Mac are out and I'm unsure about Ottawa (since their flexibility on the 10 courses per year rule is somewhat foggy) but Queens and Western are your best shots.

 

Western would be out, unfortunately, due to the 10 on the VR and only 1 full-time year taken above the general cutoff of 3.7. It would take a 5th year (if the degree hasn't been officially completed) or a second undergrad (if it has been), as well as a VR of 11 for Western to become a possibility.

 

Mac could become a viable option, though, with only a higher VR score. It'd still be a bit of a long shot, but a VR of 11 (preferably 12+), a reasonable CASPer would lead to an interview.

[r2stephe]

Thanks Ralk! I appreciate that. I definitely had a feeling I was in the "maybe" territory. Uncomfortable sums it up nicely haha. Really sound advice too, I thought about a rewrite to include Western (hopefully). I think I'll start studying again asap to make sure I can really pull up the VR. Thanks again

[Hockeynut]

No, they drop individual courses. Unfortunately the weighted formula will not apply in this case since some years only have 9 courses regardless of the overload in first year.

 

unless he took 28 credits in which case he's ok

[ralk]

Thanks Ralk! I appreciate that. I definitely had a feeling I was in the "maybe" territory. Uncomfortable sums it up nicely haha. Really sound advice too, I thought about a rewrite to include Western (hopefully). I think I'll start studying again asap to make sure I can really pull up the VR. Thanks again

 

A lot of us were in that uncomfortable territory before getting in I was a "maybe" going into it, yet talking to some of my classmates, I'm realizing that some had even worse chances than myself - so anything can happen!

 

Best of luck to you!

[LeBronto2019]

For my cousin (not trolling, I already posted before). She doesnt have an account but wants an idea of what options she has. In 4th year, applied for M.Sc in Peds and in Neuro. We're IP Alberta.

 

GPA (full course load all years):

1st year - 2.9

2nd year - 3.5

3rd year - 3.8

4th year - thinks she'll get 3.8-4.0 this year

 

MCAT:

1st time = 30 (10/8/12)

 

ECs:

- science experiments outreaches to elementary school 2 years + exec in that club

- piano for 10+ years

- dance for 10+ years

- hospital volunteering 3 years

- lab research 2 years + community-based neuro+inner city research 1 year

- big bros big sis 1 year

- worked in retail in 1st year

- others (fluent in 5 languages, travelled lots, ettc.)

[thedarkcanuck]

Western would be out, unfortunately, due to the 10 on the VR and only 1 full-time year taken above the general cutoff of 3.7. It would take a 5th year (if the degree hasn't been officially completed) or a second undergrad (if it has been), as well as a VR of 11 for Western to become a possibility.

 

Mac could become a viable option, though, with only a higher VR score. It'd still be a bit of a long shot, but a VR of 11 (preferably 12+), a reasonable CASPer would lead to an interview.

 

Exactly. The problem was I had lab courses that were only 1 and 2 credits in my final semester. It sucks because I put 10x more work into those classes than a regular 3 credit lecture course. I do have a friend who was accepted into McMaster with a 10 in VR and a similar GPA though, hence why it's still on my list.

[ralk]

Exactly. The problem was I had lab courses that were only 1 and 2 credits in my final semester. It sucks because I put 10x more work into those classes than a regular 3 credit lecture course. I do have a friend who was accepted into McMaster with a 10 in VR and a similar GPA though, hence why it's still on my list.

 

Which year was your friend accepted? Two years ago, when the CASPer had a higher weighting than it did now, lower GPAs/MCATs gained admission in fairly high numbers, but last year and likely this year, it's tougher.

 

Mac's one where what's possible is very wide, but what's plausible is more narrow. At a cGPA of 3.6-3.7, a VR of 12 seems to lead to ok chances, a VR of 11 is plausible, while a VR of 10 is possible but a bit of a long-shot. It's usually worth taking long-shots when it comes to med school admissions, but those 1-2 points on the VR really seem to have an impact, unfortunately.

[Innovo]

For my cousin (not trolling, I already posted before). She doesnt have an account but wants an idea of what options she has. In 4th year, applied for M.Sc in Peds and in Neuro. We're IP Alberta.

 

GPA (full course load all years):

1st year - 2.9

2nd year - 3.5

3rd year - 3.8

4th year - thinks she'll get 3.8-4.0 this year

 

MCAT:

1st time = 30 (10/8/12)

 

ECs:

- science experiments outreaches to elementary school 2 years + exec in that club

- piano for 10+ years

- dance for 10+ years

- hospital volunteering 3 years

- lab research 2 years + community-based neuro+inner city research 1 year

- big bros big sis 1 year

- worked in retail in 1st year

- others (fluent in 5 languages, travelled lots, ettc.)

 

3.55 GPA with 30 mcat (Is the 8 the VR)?

 

First step would definitely be looking into re-writing the MCAT. Is she an older applicant? After the re-write apply to U of C. Really can't say much on the chance because it seems like a shot in the dark, however, there's a few older members here that applied to U of C with similar marks and got in.

[ThomasCorn]

Hi,

 

This information helped me a lot really thank you..

 

Thomas

[LeBronto2019]

3.55 GPA with 30 mcat (Is the 8 the VR)?

 

First step would definitely be looking into re-writing the MCAT. Is she an older applicant? After the re-write apply to U of C. Really can't say much on the chance because it seems like a shot in the dark, however, there's a few older members here that applied to U of C with similar marks and got in.

 

No, she is 21 right now. I guess since we are IP for Alberta and both UofA and UofC drop lowest year, it might be fine to apply to both given she does well this year. 3.8 would give her cGPA (with lowest dropped year) = 3.7 and 4.0 would give her 3.77. UofC seems like a better chance but ya, she's rewriting mcat soon cause of that verbal.

[Innovo]

No, she is 21 right now. I guess since we are IP for Alberta and both UofA and UofC drop lowest year, it might be fine to apply to both given she does well this year. 3.8 would give her cGPA (with lowest dropped year) = 3.7 and 4.0 would give her 3.77. UofC seems like a better chance but ya, she's rewriting mcat soon cause of that verbal.

 

 

Good idea on the rewrite. She wouldn't of been able to apply with less than 11 on VR.

[Hyperalgesia]

Good idea on the rewrite. She wouldn't of been able to apply with less than 11 on VR.

 

Actually, as an IP applicant for UofC, she could apply with an 8 on VR. There is no minimum MCAT score for IP candidates. An 8 is not exactly a competitive number, but seeing as how VR only counts for 10% of the pre-interview score, it is entirely possible to gain admittance with an 8. Looking at the reference stats for 2013, there were a few successful applicants with scores between 6 and 9 on VR, so it is possible. (Of course, these applicants may have had higher GPAs/better references/excellent top 10s to offset the VR score, but there's no way to tell haha).

[Innovo]

Actually, as an IP applicant for UofC, she could apply with an 8 on VR. There is no minimum MCAT score for IP candidates. An 8 is not exactly a competitive number, but seeing as how VR only counts for 10% of the pre-interview score, it is entirely possible to gain admittance with an 8. Looking at the reference stats for 2013, there were a few successful applicants with scores between 6 and 9 on VR, so it is possible. (Of course, these applicants may have had higher GPAs/better references/excellent top 10s to offset the VR score, but there's no way to tell haha).

 

My mistake. Still, I don't see any harm in re-writing the MCAT to boost the sectional scores (VR and others).

[DD_91]

This is the breakdown for me:

 

GPA

Year 1: 3.73

Year 2: 3.86

Year 3: 3.51 - 1st sem: 3.26, 2nd sem: 3.83

Year 4: 3.80

cGPA: 3.73

 

During the 1st sem. of third year I lost one of my family members back in Brazil, my computer broke down all of a sudden 2 weeks before finals, and I was overwhelmed with negative emotions. I ended up deferring 2 of my finals to the second semester and did poorly on the other 3 finals of 1st sem. As a result I ended up taking one of my 2nd sem. courses during the summer period.

 

MCAT

13PS/6VR/11BS (30 total) - 1st attempt

11PS/11VR/12BS (34 total) - 2nd attempt

 

Extracurriculars:

- Currently volunteering at a family doctor's clinic in Toronto (> 100 hours)

- Shadowed a team of Oncologists in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (40 hours)

- Observed 3 groups of general surgeons in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (6 surgeries)

- Worked as a senior care volunteer in Toronto (70 hours)

- Part of a research team in Rio de Janeiro at the National Cancer Institute, no pubs (~ 80 hours)

- President/founder of a stuttering club for students at my University (I have a light stutter )

- many other non-clinically relevant experiences such as: working as a construction labourer for 3 summers; part of leadership expeditions; tutoring students, etc.

- personal stuff such as sports, meditation, travelling, guitar, etc.

 

Schools I Applied to:

U of T, Ottawa, McMaster, Queen's, Western, McGill

 

What do you guys think my chances are? I understand Ottawa is out of the picture since I don't make the cutoffs. My U of T wGPA would have been 3.89, but during the 2nd sem of third year I took 27 credits (1 short of what is required to be considered for the weighting formula) since I took one of the courses during the summer. I explained some of the reasoning for that on the first U of T essay on the OMSAS application, but I'm not sure if they'll take it into account.

 

I feel like my GPA is in a "grey zone" in terms of competitiveness and I don't know if I should consider a special year, or a second degree, etc. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to improve my application? Any feedback is appreciated and thanks for reading my long post

[ralk]

This is the breakdown for me:

 

GPA

Year 1: 3.73

Year 2: 3.86

Year 3: 3.51 - 1st sem: 3.26, 2nd sem: 3.83

Year 4: 3.80

cGPA: 3.73

 

During the 1st sem. of third year I lost one of my family members back in Brazil, my computer broke down all of a sudden 2 weeks before finals, and I was overwhelmed with negative emotions. I ended up deferring 2 of my finals to the second semester and did poorly on the other 3 finals of 1st sem. As a result I ended up taking one of my 2nd sem. courses during the summer period.

 

MCAT

13PS/6VR/11BS (30 total) - 1st attempt

11PS/11VR/12BS (34 total) - 2nd attempt

 

Extracurriculars:

- Currently volunteering at a family doctor's clinic in Toronto (> 100 hours)

- Shadowed a team of Oncologists in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (40 hours)

- Observed 3 groups of general surgeons in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (6 surgeries)

- Worked as a senior care volunteer in Toronto (70 hours)

- Part of a research team in Rio de Janeiro at the National Cancer Institute, no pubs (~ 80 hours)

- President/founder of a stuttering club for students at my University (I have a light stutter )

- many other non-clinically relevant experiences such as: working as a construction labourer for 3 summers; part of leadership expeditions; tutoring students, etc.

- personal stuff such as sports, meditation, travelling, guitar, etc.

 

Schools I Applied to:

U of T, Ottawa, McMaster, Queen's, Western, McGill

 

What do you guys think my chances are? I understand Ottawa is out of the picture since I don't make the cutoffs. My U of T wGPA would have been 3.89, but during the 2nd sem of third year I took 27 credits (1 short of what is required to be considered for the weighting formula) since I took one of the courses during the summer. I explained some of the reasoning for that on the first U of T essay on the OMSAS application, but I'm not sure if they'll take it into account.

 

I feel like my GPA is in a "grey zone" in terms of competitiveness and I don't know if I should consider a special year, or a second degree, etc. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to improve my application? Any feedback is appreciated and thanks for reading my long post

 

I agree that U of T and Ottawa are probably out - both schools put a pretty high emphasis on grades.

 

You should get an interview at Western. McMaster will depend on your CASPer score - I expect you'll need a decent score, but not an outstandingly high one either. Queen's will be a toss-up (which is true for most people) - your ECs are decent, so you'll have a reasonable shot. I can't speak to McGill, I don't know enough about their process.

 

You're right - your GPA is in a grey zone, but I don't know if doing a second degree or even a special year would help much. You're beyond the GPA cut-offs for most of the schools that would care about a second undergrad and another year wouldn't do much to change your overall cGPA, even with a 4.0. About all a second undergrad would do is make you eligible at Ottawa (while making you ineligible to apply to Western until you finish). That's not a great trade-off, even before considering the significant time and money it takes to do a second ungrad.

 

Improving your ECs would help make an interview at Queen's more likely. Beyond that, your best strategy is to simply keep applying. You've got enough of a shot at enough schools to make admission probable (provided you're capable in interviews) - maybe not this cycle, but if you keep applying, you should get in somewhere.

[Innovo]

You've got enough of a shot at enough schools to make admission probable (provided you're capable in interviews) - maybe not this cycle, but if you keep applying, you should get in somewhere.

 

This. Persistence and patience is key during admissions for many in your situation. Many either lack one or both and don't make it in. You have what it takes, so prove yourself during the interview.

[nirizx]

Hi guys, I was rejected this cycle from UBC (IP) thanks their new AQ formula and apparently very poor ECs. Wondering if y'all had any guidance for next year

GPA

Year 1: 3.85 (89.1%, a 2.9 in English ruined me.. even though I could have redeemed AP credits, foolish freshman me thought university level English would help)
Year 2: 3.96 (91%)
Year 3: 3.91 (89.5%)
Year 4: in progress, but will probably be around 3.90

All my prereq courses are 4.0 (save for English)

MCAT: 14 PS/ 11 VR/ 14 BS

For the next cycle my extracurriculars will be something like this:
-volunteer counselor at a summer camp (80 hours)
- shadowed in a hospital, saw surgeries and other procedures (~20 hours)
- Senior care volunteer (100 hours)
- Volunteer at a tourist attraction  (400 hours)
- Worked in food prep, around 2/5 of the time was in a supervisory position (300 hours)
- Worked with a security company (80 hours)
- One summer research internship in a cancer lab, no pub
- Another summer in another lab. I was also in this lab throughout third year and am currently doing a thesis (no pubs)
- Sea cadets all throughout high school and parts of first year (not sure if I should include this because it was mostly from high school)
- Thousands of hours doing sports and working out, not sure of the merit on this either

[LeBronto2019]

^^ marks and mcat are solid, those are obviously key and means you have a shot anywhere in Canada (basically). ECs are really standard for all premeds, little bit of everything but nothing stands out. The fact that you did stuff in the community should probably be enough. I know kids with 3.9s and 35+ MCAT who did research one summer and were president of one exec group and got in after 2-3 years.

[nirizx]

^^ marks and mcat are solid, those are obviously key and means you have a shot anywhere in Canada (basically). ECs are really standard for all premeds, little bit of everything but nothing stands out. The fact that you did stuff in the community should probably be enough. I know kids with 3.9s and 35+ MCAT who did research one summer and were president of one exec group and got in after 2-3 years.

 

thanks for your input! yeah I'm very average competitive, just have to keep working at it I guess. Are you aware of what those kids did with the extra year or two they had out of undergrad (unless they were early applicants)? I'm thinking committing 2 years to a master's would be best...

[LeBronto2019]

thanks for your input! yeah I'm very average competitive, just have to keep working at it I guess. Are you aware of what those kids did with the extra year or two they had out of undergrad (unless they were early applicants)? I'm thinking committing 2 years to a master's would be best...

 

They were all early applicants. UofA lets you in after 2 years. They had a few small things in high school but really one research and one exec before getting into med in those two years in undergrad. I personally think you should do masters if youre interested in the field rather than just finding a way to kill time before applying. just use a year or so to build up the ECs and then see how things go through applications.

[decentcigars]

Hi guys, I'm wondering if I should bother applying as a 3rd year applicant to any schools.

 

1st year GPA: 3.84 (89%)

2nd year GPA: 3.99 (93%)

2-year cGPA: 3.915

cGPA (including summer courses): 3.92

\

My thoughts: Ottawa and U of T is out due to GPA,

)

 

wait what, why?

[penguin92]

I thought (read somewhere) only 3rd year applicants with wGPA very close to 4.0 get interviews. I don't know, since you mention it, I guess U of T and Ottawa are worth the application. Do you know what schools I shouldn't apply to?

 

Apply where you're eligible. No harm except the money. You gain application experience, maybe even an interview

[Postan92]

Hi all,

 

I applied to the following universities:

U of T

Western

McMaster

Queens

 

I'm an Ontario Permanent Resident and I was worried about my chances at being in any of these medical schools. Well, here's my GPA using the 12 point system. I have overloaded every semester except my very first one.

 

Year 1: 11.5 (I think this is between 3.9 and 4 on 4 point system)

Year 2: 10.1 (This is close to 3.7 right?)

Year 3: 10.65 (This is between 3.8 and 3.9... I think.)

Year 4: 11.23 (3.9ish? and after Fall semester)

 

cGPA under 12 point: 10.8ish (Somewhere near 3.9?)

 

MCAT PS/VR/BS: 13/9/11 (Total of 33)

 

ECs: I don't have any medical related activities unfortunately. Most of it's because all my time was spent working on my minors in chemistry and music while taking an Honours Biology. I spend most of my free time with the piano and violin. I currently hold a Grade 10 for both piano and violin. I have competed in provincial competitions on the piano. I have also volunteered a lot as an orchestra member, both on the piano and violin.

 

Work experience: Like I said, nothing medical related sadly. But I have a lot of research under my belt. I'm currently working on a thesis to complete my Honours degree on the development of the reproductive system within the insect vector for Chagas disease, Rhodnius prolixus. The project will culminate with a thesis and a poster presentation. If I do this well, then I could get a publication. I also spent a summer as a research assistant in preparing lab sessions for high school students.

 

Awards and Accomplishments: In every year I have been on the Dean's Honour List. I have also received academic scholarships for my GPA. I have also won a lot of awards as a pianist and have performed a piano concerto with a youth orchestra in Hamilton. There's not much else otherwise .

 

I've also completed CASPer, but I have no idea how I did on that. I feel my responses for UofT went pretty well, but I too have no idea on that.

[Savac]

Postan92, it would be a lot easier to comment on your chances if you converted your GPA to the OMSAS scale. You should be able to see your GPA when you review your completed OMSAS application.

 

Alternatively, you can wait a few weeks