When should I...

[Ehudz]

I just started my first year of undergrad in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering, with hopes to attend medical school...although I need a bit of guidance in terms of planning.

 

I really want to graduate with a B.Eng (Biomedical and Electrical) before I apply to medical school, which will take me around 5 years to do so (including this year and co-op placement). Perhaps I will also like to pursue graduate studies. Another option I am considering is applying early. Do you think I have the option of writing the MCAT and applying in my 3rd/4th year, with the possibility of continuing my Engineering studies in the event I am not accepted?

 

All guidance is welcomed.

[rmorelan]

Surprised no one answered this - must be busy with their applications

 

Yes it would logical for you to start applying at the beginning of your 4th year I think (applying early as you suggest). Some schools will accept you having completed only 2 years, but most want you to having fully completed three years and be in the process of doing your fourth.

 

This has the advantage that if you don't get in you can simply continue with your engineering degree and apply again during your last year of that program. Getting in to medical school does have elements of luck in it, and potentially doing it twice will increase your odds and give you practise.

 

Be VERY, VERY careful with COOP! Most schools want to see you in school for BOTH fall and winter. While some do take coop terms into consideration, some still don't so you need to be aware and compensate for that now. Don't wait until 4th year to find out you lost opportunities to apply to specific schools. Now is the time for research

 

You mention grad studies - you might want to also look at the phD/MD programs that many schools offer.

 

good luck!

[Ehudz]

Truly words of wisdom - thanks! I have looked into MD/PhD programs offered in Canada, as well as in the US, but not too extensively. I like to have the option of continuuing my engineering studies if declined by med-school, a win-win situation as I thoroughly enjoy what I'm studying.

[cary_fan]

Surprised no one answered this - must be busy with their applications

 

Yes it would logical for you to start applying at the beginning of your 4th year I think (applying early as you suggest). Some schools will accept you having completed only 2 years, but most want you to having fully completed three years and be in the process of doing your fourth.

 

This has the advantage that if you don't get in you can simply continue with your engineering degree and apply again during your last year of that program. Getting in to medical school does have elements of luck in it, and potentially doing it twice will increase your odds and give you practise.

 

Be VERY, VERY careful with COOP! Most schools want to see you in school for BOTH fall and winter. While some do take coop terms into consideration, some still don't so you need to be aware and compensate for that now. Don't wait until 4th year to find out you lost opportunities to apply to specific schools. Now is the time for research

 

You mention grad studies - you might want to also look at the phD/MD programs that many schools offer.

 

good luck!

 

I think co-op is the best thing a prospective engineer can do for their career. At this stage, don't worry too much the timing of your co-op or academic terms. There are ways of explaining this on your application.

 

Best advice for people going through engineering who want to apply to medicine: keep your marks up.

 

Good luck!

[Ehudz]

very true, I'm finding it very hard to keep up with my studies while maintaining ECs, something I solve with 5 hours of sleep a night =)

 

In regards to co-op placements: am I at a disadvantage if my co-op placements are in areas that have nothing to with medicine/medical-related areas?

[rmorelan]

No you are not at a disadvantage - coop (which I was in as well) will help you in a lot of ways. Always remember you are starting out and will have a lot more control of where you are going on coop later on. You will be able to get coop in a medically related field later on if you want so don't worry

 

As for the worrying about the exact terms for coop, I would still suggest dealing with it now rather than attempting explaining it later. For instance I was able to compel my school to give me the coop terms in the summer because of my plans for medical school and uses the responses I got from the medical schools to back up my position. Took a bit of manipulating things but it is easier to do it at one school then trying to explain things to 10+ medical schools later

 

In any case I think you should absolutely confirm with your perspective schools now where they stand.

[Dr.Cave]

I don;t know what your talking about regarding coop term timing. It makes know difference AFAIK. Can you give specific schools to back this up? none i applied to had any issue with a coop degree where some school terms were summer and I can;t think of a single good reason why they should care.....

[NLengr]

I'm also in the dark about the co-op timing issue. I did co-op with my engineering degree and I never had a problem with schools not accepting it. Every single school I applied to realized it was part of the engineering program and took that into account. MUN, Dal Queens and Calgary had no issues when I talked to them.

 

The only issue that came up was trying to enter my year by year marks into the online application systems. I phoned each school about it, and the each time I got the same reply: "Enter them as best you can, send us your transcript and we'll figure it out from there".

 

Also, at many engineering schools co-op terms are required to graduate. Therefore, even on co-op terms you are still counted as being a student at the university. That's the way it works at MUN Engineering anyway.

 

As for where to do co-op terms. Go where-ever you like. What you do on co-op will have no influence on you getting into medicine or not. I did co-op terms in oil and gas, mining, pulp and paper and electrical utility type work. If anything it was an advantage because interview committees seemed genuinely interested in the wide range of work I've done. I'd say it helped, rather than hindered.

 

Co-op is a great for your application. You gain lots of experience in a professional environment, you build professional communication skills, you learn to work with a team of other professionals (engineers, accountants, lawyers etc) and non professionals (techs, mechanics, electricians etc). And you learn REAL WORLD problem solving, which is very different that academic problem solving. All that stuff is pure gold when it comes time to apply.

[rmorelan]

someone else posted this, and it seems relevant:

 

I e-mailed the UWO medical admissions and asked about GPA calculation for co-op students and this was the reply:

 

The situation for co-op students is a little different and perhaps this will resolve your dilemma - at least as far as Schulich Medicine is concerned.

 

For co-op students we require 1 year with a full course load (5 full or equivalent courses) taken between September and April. In addition we look at 1 term, either September-December or January-April, with a full course load for the GPA requirement. We do not use a cumulative GPA and do not look at summer courses. Because the course you took in the Winter of 2008 [during co-op] was not part of a full course load, we would not consider it for the GPA.

 

I hope this helps.

 

M Kennard

 

Admissions Medicine

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry

The University of Western Ontario

 

So I guess you don't need 2 full year above the cut-off for co-op just a full year Sept.-April and then ONE more semester.

 

--------------------------------------------------

 

If true there could be a problem at some schools.

 

At waterloo coop for instance, as you never have on some streams a full Sept-Apr year - some have their first coop in the winter (year one), then fall (year two), then summer(year two) then winter (year three).

[ploughboy]

At waterloo coop for instance, as you never have on some streams a full Sept-Apr year - some have their first coop in the winter (year one), then fall (year two), then summer(year two) then winter (year three).

 

Then Fall 4A and Winter 4B. Sounds like a full year to me...

[rmorelan]

Then Fall 4A and Winter 4B. Sounds like a full year to me...

 

Assuming you are not applying in your 4th year, as many would be

 

The full pattern doesn't have full year sept to apr until your 5th year, and even then you would have to complete that year, then apply making it year 6.

This is only for one of the three streams, but they are automatically selected so you could run into the wrong one.

[Dayne67]

I just started my first year of undergrad in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering, with hopes to attend medical school...although I need a bit of guidance in terms of planning.

 

I really want to graduate with a B.Eng (Biomedical and Electrical) before I apply to medical school, which will take me around 5 years to do so (including this year and co-op placement). Perhaps I will also like to pursue graduate studies. Another option I am considering is applying early. Do you think I have the option of writing the MCAT and applying in my 3rd/4th year, with the possibility of continuing my Engineering studies in the event I am not accepted?

 

All guidance is welcomed.

 

It's good that you are in biomedical engineering because it will allow you take cell molecular and physiology courses. So, you probably won't have to take time off from your engineering program to do premed courses like I did. BTW, I'm an electrical engineer and have been working for 3 years now. I am currently applying for meds this cycle.

 

Just be aware that you are still going to have to maintain a top-notch GPA even if you are in engineering. School's will not give you any leaniency when it comes to that regard even if you have completed a program as rigorous as your's. Same goes for your extracurriculars - which will have to also be top-notch. While it does seem daunting, it can be done provided that you utilize all your time accordingly (including every summer and co-op work term) towards your goal of getting into med school.

 

You could write the MCAT at the end of second or third year. The earlier you write, the more time you have to aim for a higher score just in case you have to rewrite. But also keep in mind that if you write too early, your MCAT may expire by the time you graduate (especially for US med schools). Or you could study and write the MCAT during your co-op work terms.

 

In addition to writing the MCAT, you will have to take org chem and English courses to fullfill the requirements of most non-Ontario and US med schools. You could do this during your work terms or during the summers.

 

I do think that the path we have chosen is more difficult than that of the typical premed. It's very difficult to maintain like a 3.80 GPA while taking like 6 or 7 engineering courses per semester. And often, trying to do two things at once can prevent you from pursuing your true goal (medicine) with full force.