Is Med School even viable for me? What should I do..?

[MedPen]

The OP is like the Asian version of Firechicken. Both are all about the whining and the illusions of grandeur over the future, but do not so much reflect on the present nor on any concrete plans...

 

Ideas are great but plans to make them happen are even better.

[classA]

Maybe the reason why we have to keep telling him things over and over again is because he takes hints so well. How many times UofT let you know that you should be studying because your not "smart"?

Maybe THREE is his magic number...lets try this again your cutting corners, your cutting corners, and your cutting corners.. you cant get into SGU, you cant get into SGU, you cant get into SGU....did you get it?

 

What was to get is that right now as of now with your maturity level you CANNOT get into medical school no matter where. Start this thread when you grow up and can deal with parents and education....then I will give you an opinion of wether or not you can get in.

[arctic_monkey]

arctic_monkey...if getting into medicine was that easy...i think everyone (most people) would be a doctor

 

LOL - I never said it was easy bud...

 

just trying to help the kid out is all...

[DrHibbert]

Here's my best advice: find another career path. With a 1.37 GPA you're not in any position to get into med school, no matter the country, no matter the route. The harsh probability is that you most likely won't get into med school, no matter how hard or long you try.

 

First, tell your parents. You lied to them for years while they paid for your "schooling." If they kick you out of the house (which wouldn't be unreasonable considering your age and your past actions), then you can find a summer job to support yourself for the time being. Then you can enroll in college and fund your tuition with OSAP. Get a degree in something marketable and join the working force. All the while regaining the trust and respect of your parents.

 

If you had a chance for med school, I would tell you to keep trying. But you don't stand a chance. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm trying to be honest and realistic. A society can't function without different people fulfilling different roles. If you truly want to help people, you can help them another way.

[arctic_monkey]

oooh what does everyone think of this?

 

International Medical Schools

The Association of Canadian Medical Colleges produces a document each year entitled Admission Requirements to Canadian Faculties of Medicine and their Selection Policies. This year, it contained the following advice, which we believe to be the most up to date on the subject of Overseas Medical Education. More Information should be sought from the AFMC (http://www.afmc.ca) or the Medical Council of Canada (http://www.mcc.ca)

 

If for any reason an applicant decides after one or more rejections from Canadian faculties of medicine to seek admission to a medical school outside Canada, some important factors must be borne in mind.

 

The most important of these is that returning to practice medicine in Canada following enrollment in a foreign medical school may prove exceedingly difficult. Policies are now in place to limit the number of physicians who have earned their MD degree outside Canada to enter Canada for clinical training and/or to practice medicine. This warning is not meant to deter individuals from seeking education in reputable foreign universities -- some Canadian citizens have always gone abroad to study in recognized, reputable universities.

 

Although Canadian citizens will always have the right to return to and work in Canada, Canadians contemplating enrolment in a foreign medical school should know that any limitations on recognition of foreign earned MDs apply to qualification earned abroad by citizens AS WELL AS BY NON-CITIZENS of Canada. Strong motivation, determination and adequate academic preparation are in themselves NO GUARANTEE that a Canadian citizen who attends a foreign medical school will be able to train or practice medicine in Canada in the future.

 

Applicants should be aware that enrolling in dubious, proprietary, for-profit medical schools opened specifically to cater to rejected applicants to medical schools in Canada or the USA is highly unlikely to be a path to practicing medicine in Canada.

 

The CFMS receives a great deal of correspondence each year from students who have earned their MD's in various universities abroad who were unaware of the above truths. We advise that the question of Re-entry into Canada be contemplated and investigated thoroughly by candidates prior to acceptance of admission at an international Medical School.

 

Any further questions should be directed to the ACMC or MCC, as stated above. However, if you wish to speak with someone from the CFMS, please email president@cfms.org.

[MedPen]

medpen:

...yeah, wow. So after just telling people to simply not post or come to this thread if they've got nothing to contribute.. and after even the "meanest" posters refrained from outright calling my life a joke.. here you come again with another ''witty'' substanceless post. Congrats! ^^

 

Are there really no mods on this forum for this? If I really am a troll, then holy **** do I have no life. Most of my posts are a page long and I actually take the time to read through and respond to most everything that's been said. And I'm over at valuemd.com and "trolling" there. I must be quite the awesome ****ing troll!! =D

 

Oh excuse me if I did not respect wishes to not come to this thread if my post is not to your liking. I wonder what you did to encourage my mean post... Hmm, let's think: maybe you just posted over 40 times asking the same question, disregarding everyone's advice, and not doing anything proactive?

 

You've spent 10 times more time in this forum complaining and whining and trying to solicit sympathy than you have trying to get your life back together.

 

And, if there were mods for this, you'd be the first one gone. And, posting the same thing in more than forum, is actually a troll trademark, but you would know that, wouldn't you?

[Dr. Acula]

Here's my best advice: find another career path. With a 1.37 GPA you're not in any position to get into med school, no matter the country, no matter the route. The harsh probability is that you most likely won't get into med school, no matter how hard or long you try.

 

...If you had a chance for med school, I would tell you to keep trying. But you don't stand a chance. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm trying to be honest and realistic. A society can't function without different people fulfilling different roles. If you truly want to help people, you can help them another way.

 

This is put diplomatically and is completely true. Nobody can tell you it's 100% impossible, but it's just not going to happen for you. It's also possible that you will win the lottery and never have to work, and has a similar chance of actually happening. People have nudged you toward applying for other health-related fields (nursing, paramed, BC ambulance service), and you've incorporated that advice into your "road to medicine" plan, not into your "career for the rest of my life" plan.

 

I think I should sum up the advice here, and actually answer the OP's original questions (the title of this thread):

 

"Is Med School even viable for me?": Absolutely not.

 

"What should I do..?": go into another line of work. If you love healthcare, you've been given a few options for that already.

[Dr.Cave]

*high fives Dr.Acula and Dr. Hibbert*

 

Dude if you go to SGU next year you are just going to put yourself in an even worse situation - you need to test the water first and see if you can actually perform at high academic level before you get yourself in a world of debt. How the hell would you pay for this? No bank will give you a loan based on your history. For that matter how are you planning on paying for any further schooling. Frankly, I think option D is your best bet - I could see you parents paying for that option I can't imagine them supporting you for another 2 years or more for your other options. As for Plan F - get some help you seriously need it. I wonder if the mods can track you down and get you committed for your own safety.

 

Oh well, I guess it's time to recognize a lost cause for what it is....

[KennethToronto]

Maybe THREE is his magic number...lets try this again your cutting corners, your cutting corners, and your cutting corners.. you cant get into SGU, you cant get into SGU, you cant get into SGU....did you get it?

 

repeat repeat repeat...but it doesn't register!!

[StellarRay]

The OP is like the Asian version of Firechicken. Both are all about the whining and the illusions of grandeur over the future, but do not so much reflect on the present nor on any concrete plans...

 

Ideas are great but plans to make them happen are even better.

 

Plans on how to reach my goal is exactly what this thread is suppose to be about and it's exactly what you're not helping with. Even though there are alot of "realists" on here who come off as being mean at times, at least they're throwing me possible options and plans. Not trying to look witty wise-cracking coloured jokes. I'll say it again, if you've got nothing to contribute then simply just avoid clicking on this thread in the future.

 

Maybe the reason why we have to keep telling him things over and over again is because he takes hints so well. How many times UofT let you know that you should be studying because your not "smart"?

Maybe THREE is his magic number...lets try this again your cutting corners, your cutting corners, and your cutting corners.. you cant get into SGU, you cant get into SGU, you cant get into SGU....did you get it?

 

What was to get is that right now as of now with your maturity level you CANNOT get into medical school no matter where. Start this thread when you grow up and can deal with parents and education....then I will give you an opinion of wether or not you can get in.

 

I know I ****ed up. I get that already. I've already explained my situation many times and you can take that as simply an excuse or even just lies from a troll. I'm not smart. I'm ridiculously slow. I get it.

 

But you're wrong to keep accusing me of cutting corners. Tell me how I'm trying to cut corners? Because all I've been doing is putting an estimated timeframe to each plan. I never expected to get to med school without pre-med or an undergrad or without working. So I just don't understand why you keep suggesting that I'm cutting corners.

 

Here's my best advice: find another career path. With a 1.37 GPA you're not in any position to get into med school, no matter the country, no matter the route. The harsh probability is that you most likely won't get into med school, no matter how hard or long you try.

 

First, tell your parents. You lied to them for years while they paid for your "schooling." If they kick you out of the house (which wouldn't be unreasonable considering your age and your past actions), then you can find a summer job to support yourself for the time being. Then you can enroll in college and fund your tuition with OSAP. Get a degree in something marketable and join the working force. All the while regaining the trust and respect of your parents.

 

If you had a chance for med school, I would tell you to keep trying. But you don't stand a chance. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm trying to be honest and realistic. A society can't function without different people fulfilling different roles. If you truly want to help people, you can help them another way.

 

You're probably right. There has been resounding support that med school is still possible. But maybe, realistically, I should just settle..

[Dr. Acula]

You're probably right. There has been resounding support that med school is still possible. But maybe, realistically, I should just settle..

 

I wouldn't call it resounding support. "If you wait 3 years, and re-do undergrad with a stellar GPA you might manage it" is the general sentiment. I bolded the tricky part for you.

 

"Settle"? This is the attitude people have been pointing out to you. This shows your immaturity. You have no clinical experience, no experience working your @ss off for grades - how could you have any idea that medicine is that perfectly suited to you? If you had extensive experience in the hospital and knew that the hours, the paperwork, and everything else would be worth it for the enjoyment of the job, that would be one thing. Your attitude stinks of "I was a great HS student and a doctor is obviously the best job that great students can get, so I must go into medicine", which is so full of crap.

 

Given that you haven't proven you're capable of the long hours, or the hard work, or handling the stress of the job, you have no right to consider other professions as "settling". That attitude is offensive toward other professions, and most importantly, implies that you're deserving of becoming a doctor. Ask any admissions panel if you need a reality check. Because clearly we haven't gotten through to you.

 

/rant

[KennethToronto]

There has been resounding support that med school is still possible. But maybe, realistically, I should just settle..

[polarb]

Given that you haven't proven you're capable of the long hours, or the hard work, or handling the stress of the job, you have no right to consider other professions as "settling". That attitude is offensive toward other professions, and most importantly, implies that you're deserving of becoming a doctor. Ask any admissions panel if you need a reality check. Because clearly we haven't gotten through to you.

 

True say! That is what everyone has said and the OP has ignored. By "settling" he implies that he is lowering himself for the other possible careers and in reality...he hasn't even gotten accepted into those programs yet.

[StellarRay]

I'm not demeaning other professions by saying that I'm settling. My dream was to be a doctor. About 5 of you are telling me that's not going to happen. If I wanted death by chocolate ice cream but all they had was regular chocolate then I'd be settling. But "true say", I haven't even been accepted to anything else. Maybe I don't even have enough money in my pockets for regular chocolate.

 

True say... =\

[MedPen]

I'm not demeaning other professions by saying that I'm settling. My dream was to be a doctor. About 5 of you are telling me that's not going to happen. If I wanted death by chocolate ice cream but all they had was regular chocolate then I'd be settling. But "true say", I haven't even been accepted to anything else. Maybe I don't even have enough money in my pockets for regular chocolate.

 

True say... =\

 

Reality check: this isn't the Willy Wonka chocolate factory. There is no chocolate and by chocolate, I mean medicine.

 

And you're demeaning everybody and everything and don't even realize it.

 

About 5 people said medicine isn't going to happen and let me be the 6th. About 50 more are thinking it but are too nice to say it by the way.

[westerner]

lol @ all the people flaming this guy...yu guys sound more rediculous than he does...if you have already told him that he has no chance becoming a doc then im sure he read your post and if he doesnt take your advice, then so be it! he already said he has read every post, that means he read yours too! anyways now i sound like im starting to flame back at ppl but all i wanna say is go ahead and give your constructive opinion and let him do with it what he wants...

 

and to StellarRay, there isn't much more constructive criticism i can give you, i mean this thread is littered with mounds of valuable information...just use it now! Good luck bud.

[Sarah_2020]

I think that you do have a shot at getting into med school and im not just saying that. True it will take u a lot longer than most but after those three yrs off u can go back to do an undergrad, and u would have a decent shot at schools which take ur last/best two years. during these three yrs would be a great time to get an extraordinary ec/volunteer list going. find someting ur passionate about. im not saying its gonna be easy but if u want something bad enough dont accept defeat so quickly.

 

during ur interviews u would have to explain ur first undergrad experience, but i bet u would stand out to the admission committee since u were able to make such a drastic transformation. also ive seen people with low cgpas get into schools like queens or western or ottawa even because their last two years have been near 4.0. and i u want it bad enouhg im sure u can pull it off. Also, i wouldnt recommend going back to u of t since their undergrad in science is ridiculously hard to do well in. a smaller uni would probably benefit you more. so why not work during these years off, and dont wry about age when u finish med school cause in the long run it doesnt matter at all. Once ur grades r near 4.0(which im sure u can do) i turned my grades from two years from a 0.97 to near 4.0s. in subsequent years. its posisble and i wish u the best of luck.

[Sarah_2020]

Also, another thing to look into is the 6 year md program at Poznan Medical Schhol in Poland. It is an american based facility so everything is taught in english and it is fully accredited in the us and canada not sure about califrnia tho. definetly the states but might want to check canada. anyways, it iss for highschool graduates hence the length of the program, 6 vs. 4 years. they dont ask for any post secondary transcripts at all just highschool and reference letters, mcat is not required either i think. all it says that u need to have obtained good grades in bio, chem and physics (highschool). seems like a good option and i know that ppl have actually gone this route. u should look into it it might have some vauluable information for you. oh and ps, u dont need to speak polish, ive heard that the majority of ppl there are from the states and canada.

[Rock*]

Here's my view on things:

 

Don't listen the people who are telling you that it's impossible to reach your dreams. That's obviously not true. I came into this thread because I felt I could relate to you since I went through similar circumstances, though not nearly as bad. I partied too much in my first 3 years in university, also had crappy studying skills and sank to an all time academic low in 3rd year. I tried pulling myself back up but the grades kept dropping and eventually I gave up. My parents even started to suggest other careers for me, which hurt me the most because it showed that they had lost faith in me. Then one summer I sat down and really brooded over the situation and asked myself why I really wanted to go into medicine. Was it because my Asian parents were influencing me? Did I even know what I was getting myself into with medicine? Will getting in solve all of my problems and depression? The answers all pointed me towards truly wanting to do medicine. I considered SGU too, but it just didn't feel right. Next I went about trying to figure out what I was doing wrong and how I could improve my competitiveness on the apps and worked on my grades and ECs. For the next few years, I put my entire heart and soul into my work and constantly reminded myself of what I was fighting for.

 

My marks climbed a bit in fourth year, but it still wasn't enough so I took an extra year and applied myself even harder, using what I'd learned in the interim to boost my grades even farther. In addition, I spent another summer systematically studying to retake the MCAT. The end result was a final year GPA of 3.9 from a low of 2.9ish in 3rd year and a second MCAT score of 37R, a huge climb from my original score of only 30P from taking it earlier. Eventually, all of the hard work paid off and I got 3 interviews last year: 2 to the states and 1 in Calgary. 12 months later, I'm finishing up the first of my two internal medicine electives and getting ready for year 2 of med school at U of C Med.

 

Hopefully, you should be encouraged by my post so far but this is where it gets ugly because I'm giving you a reality check. At your point right now, you are not ready for medicine. You lack the maturity required to make an informed decision about whether medicine is right for you. Like others have said, you need to prove to yourself that you have what it takes to handle the rigors of medicine but how can you do that when you don't even seem to know what this profession is truly about? The first thing to do is to gain exposure to what frontline healthcare is really about and doing the first responder course that Dr. Cave suggested is an excellent idea. First, it'll give you the medical experience needed to make your decision. Second, it'll be a very powerful item to put on your application if you do choose to apply, and third, you'll be earning money to support yourself and pay your parents back for your past mistakes as well as learning to live independently. Obviously, this would also apply to doing a paramedic or nursing college degree if you have the money but the most important thing is to tell your parents the truth--they will definitely be angry at you, but you'll feel cleansed by cutting free your lies. Telling them everything will unchain your ugly past so that you can focus on building your future. In time they will forgive you.

 

Honestly, I have nothing to lose whether you succeed or not, but I have empathy for your situation because I went through similarly challenging times. I wish you the best but just like how your current predicament is the result of your choices, you should choose your future steps carefully.

[unknown user 7]

I think it's quite entertaining to see that this thread is still alive and with all the convos going on. Lol.

 

Wow! 224 Posts!

 

POST #225! Ya!

[pi cafe]

So my friend told me about this thread today, and after reading bits and pieces I think it's hilarious. Anyways, Stellar, I just wanted to point out a few things to you:

 

I'll be quoting from your texts.

 

 

"I wonder if this kid will one day become a successful neurosurgeon named McAsian and maybe in his spare time write a book about how this was one of his hardest chapters in his life. Is it still possible for me to realize this dream?"

 

So you do have many dreams. You want to write books during your life time. That's great. And see how many pages you've already written in this thread! You definitely have a talent for plot development, developing your own character, slowly revealing new information, adding plot twists and turns, and making conclusions. I think you could explore writing further. And now that you're suspended from universities for the next three years – you have so much time to write!

 

You could write about how you managed to get people to write 23 pages in response to your one single post.

 

 

 

I have trouble understanding your current frame of mind. You state many contradictory sentences:

 

"I honestly feel like a new person with this fire known as passion..”

 

“Thank you for understanding to a degree what I'm going through. It does feel like there are these walls closing in on me and it is scary.”

 

"I have so much drive and passion and interest now after these 5 years. To tell me to sit “out for 3 more years feels like a death sentence.”"

 

 

So who are you really? Or who do you want to be? What are you really like?

 

 

 

"And my parents, I'm almost positive with about a 1% chance of error that they will demand that I get the hell out if they knew I lied to them for 5 yrs, that I am to wait 3 yrs before even returning to school, and that I just wasted $30,000+ that they had to work so hard to save."

 

So your parents cared about you enough to give you $30 000 and you think they’ll kick you out of the house? It sounds like they are very hard working, caring, intelligent, and dedicated people. So why is it again that you think they’ll kick you out of the house? (plus or minus 1 % chance error of course).

 

 

 

 

“but PLEASE after you take your kick or punch out on me... PLEASE lend me some kind of proverbial hand up.”

 

What? What do you think all of these people on this forum have been doing for you already? What else do you want from these people?

 

 

 

Why do you want to be a doctor? You haven’t explained that to anyone.

[pi cafe]

One more thing, Stellar.

 

 

Just because you got a 1.37 in university doesn't mean you are a failure.

 

Maybe you should discuss this with your ex girlfriend.

[StellarRay]

Sarah_2020:

Thank you for the info and support. I think that Ponzan will be just as likely as St George or any other university since they'll all most likely ask for "highest academic level of study achieved" or something along those lines meaning university transcript. The Ponzan program is alot like University of Queensland it seems with the 6 yr program! (http://www.mdprogram.com/html/6yrmd/index.shtml)

 

Right now, if I had the choice I think that I would rather practice in the States simply because one would be making nearly twice as much down there than their Canadian counter-part. But before anyone starts lighting up their torches and getting out their pitchforks and shotguns I'd like to make a point that money isn't my priority or sole reason for wanting to go into medicine. Heck, for the hours worked, the amount of schooling necessary, the stress... there are alot of other professions that pay as much or more without all that bother. I don't think it should matter if my patients are Canadians or American or Mexican or Chinese etc etc.. but realistically speaking, if I do get accepted into a med school I only have a handful of med schools in Canada that could accept me (ie Queen's, Western, Dalhousie..) so I'm more likely to be accepted in a Carribean/off-shore school and even US med school (although much harder than Carribean/off-shore med schools). In either case, going abroad as an international student will incur alot of debt after school so it would be nice to be able to pay them off within 10 yrs. But it's also a nice feeling to know that with excess finances that I'd be able to actually help in other ways besides within the hospital walls. BrookH told me about how a 39 yr old woman without even a high school diploma managed to get her MD and even donated $200,000. I think that's just amazing.

 

Rock*:

That really is inspiring to hear! I've been reading how alot of people are managing to pull themselves out from under. They are really inspiring and they do give me hope. I just hope not false hope as a few here have suggested. I understand that the first step is to show that I've improved myself. Whether that be to do college, get stellar grades, and earn either transfer credits or a diploma (I'm stuck on deciding between these options) or if that means running off to do the 6 wk course and landing a paramedic job in some rural place in BC... I'm just not sure which plans are more realistic for the future. Which ones have more potential. Potential for med school or just potential to be able to afford to put food on the table and a roof over myself. Alot of decisions that I'm having such a hard time deciding between. It just seems that I'm repeating myself alot on this forum and garnering almost 230 responses and almost 9,000 views (btw, what is that.. 230:9,000 is like 1 post for every 40 views? XD) because it seems that for every post that there's someone helping me to make progress with this important decision in my life... there's always a sudden attack on the credibility of my life, straight out flamebaiting with no help actually made in the posts, and the same repeated advice (how many times I have been told to seek professional help? >_>') which I have no problem with - at least the latter one shows they care, right?

 

A few people are getting the impression that I'm trying to cut corners and maybe in truth I am trying to. But I'm really just trying to put a timeframe on everything. Those happy days of just being carefree and drifting through everyday as any other day are gone. As pi cafe so kindly re-iterated, my girlfriend is gone. Any sense of normalcy that I once had, the steady rock in my life, the one thing that kept me sane through all the lies and hiding... is gone. So yes, no more time to be carefree. Time just seems slower, as though my heart changed what time means to me. When I was hiding I use to want to just stay in bed, sleep in, avoid having to wake up. Now that she's gone, I can't help but wake up early every morning and go to bed late every night. Doesn't really make sense, you'd think I'd want to wake up early when I had someone to wake up to. All that I can make out of it is that... well, I took everything for granted. ^^

 

My life is completely open to everyone here. I do feel really naked and exposed more than I have ever felt in my entire life. You know pretty much everything there is to know about me just short of my real name which actually isn't too hard to guess! So if you want to flame me, to say that I'm excellent at weaving stories, take your stab then. I'm really in no position to fight back right now. Not now. I don't want anyone's sympathy. Just your brains. Sympathy won't get me or anyone anywhere in this systematic world.

 

In other news, I've considered a new plan. I think we're up to Plan H now? o.O

 

Plan H: Canadian Forces

If I'm reading this correctly (http://www.forces.ca/v3/engraph/jobs/jobs.aspx?id=55&bhcp=1), then if I join the Canadian Forces and serve for 4 yrs as a field medic then I could be eligible to compete for government subsidized medical school/specialist training (surgery, orthopaedic surgery, anaesthesiology, internal medicine, psychiatry and radiology) but I'll have to serve an additional 2 yrs for every 1 yr that they subsidize for a maximum of 5 yrs.

 

+ A place to stay if my parents do kick me out

+ A chance to leave the bird's nest and all the stress and history of this place

+ Great medical experience (overseas international aid, right?)

+ Chance to make close friends, band of brothers, etc

+ Medical school is paid for

+ I get a salary on top of not having any student debt

+ I bet when I come back my body will be ripped ^^

* Maybe.. I know it should matter.. but maybe she'll miss me =\

 

- 4 yrs initial service + 4 yrs med school + 5 yrs payback service = 13 yrs minimum

- There's actually a war going on so I can kinda guess where I'd be posted

- Not sure how transferrable their medical training is... is it an actually MD? Would I have to do the board exams again after? Placement?? etc etc..

- I don't support war and guns kinda creep me out =\

 

Thoughts?

[A-Stark]

You would still need an undergraduate degree (meeting all admission requirements) for Plan H.

[mbene085]

You would still need an undergraduate degree (meeting all admission requirements) for Plan H.

 

Yep, this is true. For example, at U of O, to get in via the CNFS route, you still have to meet all criteria and be awarded an interview, and then perform well in the interview. It can give an increased chance of success for a weaker applicant, but by weaker, I mean someone with a GPA on the lower end of the cutoff (for IP that's about 3.85).