Canadian Med Admissions vs American Med Admissions

[xorht]

Do you guys find that it is more difficult to get accepted to Canadian medical schools over American medical schools?

[cling]

I wouldn't say that difficult is the word.

The admissions process is pretty straight forward in the states. It is more centralized, and constantly evolving to become better centralized (AMCAS adding the LOE for example,etc.). All schools seek similar academic qualities, there is no hilarious empirical weighting schemes, and they for one do try to account for factors that influence ones GPA (i.e. employment during school, difficulty of major, they have a BCPM average and an elective average grade,etc,etc.). It is a far more mature and centralized system than what we have in Canada. Bottom line, it is not easy getting into medschool in USA or Canada, but it might be difficult for different reasons.

[THX]

American >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ontario system

 

I think the main difference is this: with AMCAS, you have to write a personal statement and the lengthy description of 15 activities. In other words, you actually have the chance to show off what you have done. With OMSAS, some schools (Mac) have a few silly essays, and then you have like two sentences to explain what each of your activities are. In other words, say when you volunteered in the hospital you had a ton of responsibility and received a lot of clinical experience (for an undergrad) there isn't a room to show/explain it; therefore the activity looks the same as someone who ate Cheetos all day while sitting behind a desk in the gift shop.

 

I'm really down on Ontario ever since OMSAS, it feels cheap - as if you are being judged on the quantity and title of your activities and not the experience itself. And the lack of a personal statement basically means that in the eyes of the adcom you are not a living breathing person, just a file. While, I think through AMCAS you can win an interview by clearly showing why you are awesome.

[aquaman]

American >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ontario system

 

I think the main difference is this: with AMCAS, you have to write a personal statement and the lengthy description of 15 activities. In other words, you actually have the chance to show off what you have done. With OMSAS, some schools (Mac) have a few silly essays, and then you have like two sentences to explain what each of your activities are. In other words, say when you volunteered in the hospital you had a ton of responsibility and received a lot of clinical experience (for an undergrad) there isn't a room to show/explain it; therefore the activity looks the same as someone who ate Cheetos all day while sitting behind a desk in the gift shop.

 

I'm really down on Ontario ever since OMSAS, it feels cheap - as if you are being judged on the quantity and title of your activities and not the experience itself. And the lack of a personal statement basically means that in the eyes of the adcom you are not a living breathing person, just a file. While, I think through AMCAS you can win an interview by clearly showing why you are awesome.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Alastriss]

However the only downside to the US system

 

It has the right idea but is overly subjective.

 

Example, so many of us have gotten interviews at prestigious universities (Dartmouth, NYU, Vanderbilt, Case) but put on hold at some lower ranked universities (SUNY upstate). The fact is that it is too subjective for you to be able to predict outcomes, this is unlike Canada where it is less of a crapshoot.

[n00b]

I agree completely with THX.

[zztop]

I'm waiting for my Dartmouth and Sinai invite... booo

[CAS]

However the only downside to the US system

 

It has the right idea but is overly subjective.

 

Example, so many of us have gotten interviews at prestigious universities (Dartmouth, NYU, Vanderbilt, Case) but put on hold at some lower ranked universities (SUNY upstate). The fact is that it is too subjective for you to be able to predict outcomes, this is unlike Canada where it is less of a crapshoot.

 

I COMPLETELY disagree. Canada is the biggest of the crapshoots where even a 3.8+ GPA and 36+ MCAT doesn't guarantee admission. In the US, you'd have to be a walking potato bag to not get in with those stats.

[Alastriss]

I COMPLETELY disagree. Canada is the biggest of the crapshoots where even a 3.8+ GPA and 36+ MCAT doesn't guarantee admission. In the US, you'd have to be a walking potato bag to not get in with those stats.

 

No no, I agree with what you said. If you are looking to get into ANY school, then Canada is more of a crapshoot. If you are looking to get an int at a specific school, US is a bigger crapshoot.

 

You can predict your chances of interviews at UT, UWO, Queen's, calgary, dalhousie, Man, UBC because many of those schools either have cutoffs (queen's and uwo), formulas (UBC and Calgary), or specific things they look for in applicants (UT - gpa, references, Uman - mcat) etc.

 

my post was mentioning how on a school specific basis - you can predict the interview outcome a lot better for Canada.

[Halcyon]

I COMPLETELY disagree. Canada is the biggest of the crapshoots where even a 3.8+ GPA and 36+ MCAT doesn't guarantee admission. In the US, you'd have to be a walking potato bag to not get in with those stats.

 

Would you say this is true for Canadian applicants (with such stats) applying to US schools?

[Alastriss]

based on my experience, canadian applicants are NOT disadvantaged in the states. However I can see where this may come from:

 

- Schools are usually not known, which simply puts you in the pool of many other americans when applying to Top tier schools

- We can't shadow in Canada.

[CAS]

No no, I agree with what you said. If you are looking to get into ANY school, then Canada is more of a crapshoot. If you are looking to get an int at a specific school, US is a bigger crapshoot.

 

You can predict your chances of interviews at UT, UWO, Queen's, calgary, dalhousie, Man, UBC because many of those schools either have cutoffs (queen's and uwo), formulas (UBC and Calgary), or specific things they look for in applicants (UT - gpa, references, Uman - mcat) etc.

 

my post was mentioning how on a school specific basis - you can predict the interview outcome a lot better for Canada.

 

ahhh, yes, I agree. The thing is, though, if you're not going to a tier 1 school (Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins), where you go really doesn't matter. It's your clerkship years and board scores that really make the difference in your match. So, as a whole, the Canadian system is far less conducive to med school admissions and, unless you have specific schools in mind which really doesn't make much sense except for geographical or curricular issues (and if you are choosing, you're probably already a superstar), the US is a far better option. Honestly though, I'm seriously seriously considering Australia right now. ANU looks like an amazing university!

 

Would you say this is true for Canadian applicants (with such stats) applying to US schools?

 

yeah, I would say so.

[In_Valid]

I wouldn't say either is necessarily easier. I would say, however, that the admissions process is a lot more reasonable in the US Canadian schools use pretty unreasonable cutoffs to filter applicants. Whereas, the US uses a more holistic approach. One weak area may be compensated in another area.

 

For example, I knew a guy who did not get a single interview in Canada because he had an O on the writing sample. He went to Wash U. lol

[xylem29]

I wouldn't say either is necessarily easier. I would say, however, that the admissions process is a lot more reasonable in the US Canadian schools use pretty unreasonable cutoffs to filter applicants. Whereas, the US uses a more holistic approach. One weak area may be compensated in another area.

 

For example, I knew a guy who did not get a single interview in Canada because he had an O on the writing sample. He went to Wash U. lol

 

damn! what a fine example..lol.

[schnauzr]

For example, I knew a guy who did not get a single interview in Canada because he had an O on the writing sample. He went to Wash U. lol

 

That's amazing, lol.

I definitely agree that the Canadian schools are so incredibly inflexible in terms of their requirements.

I still cannot believe some schools made the writing sample score one of the cut-off criteria - it really says nothing about your writing skill as a whole.

Also, some schools somehow put a numerical score to your EC's.

How can you possibly quantify your experience?

I find that ridicuous.

[In_Valid]

That's amazing, lol.

I definitely agree that the Canadian schools are so incredibly inflexible in terms of their requirements.

I still cannot believe some schools made the writing sample score one of the cut-off criteria - it really says nothing about your writing skill as a whole.

Also, some schools somehow put a numerical score to your EC's.

How can you possibly quantify your experience?

I find that ridicuous.

 

Totally. I read on the AAMC website that when reviewing the MCAT they found that the WS was the least reliable section. Yet, Queen's threw out the R cutoff last year.

[Alastriss]

funny how WUSTL is probably >> any cdn school

[n00b]

WUSTL is godly

[abcwxyz]

based on my experience, canadian applicants are NOT disadvantaged in the states. However I can see where this may come from:

 

- Schools are usually not known, which simply puts you in the pool of many other americans when applying to Top tier schools

- We can't shadow in Canada.

 

Why can't we shadow in Canada? Is there any rule against this?

 

I don't know the answer; I'm just curious.

 

From what I found: http://www.cpso.on.ca/policies/policies/default.aspx?ID=1688

 

Shouldn't we be considered in a similar situation?

[token]

I definitely shadowed docs here....granted this was at a rural community hospital, and they were family friends. It was out of the ordinary for them but it didn't seem like I broke any rules.

[Halcyon]

funny how WUSTL is probably >> any cdn school

 

Two questions:

 

What's totally awesome at Wash U? (I'm lacky in American medical school knowledge)

 

If the US med schools are better/equal to Canadian med schools, how come more Cdns aren't applying to the US? Besides costs, moving to a different country, etc....what other factors are holding us back from studying in the US?

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

[ChicoMaki]

Besides costs, moving to a different country, etc....what other factors are holding us back from studying in the US?

 

Those are 2 huge factors that you listed. Consider that most US schools require you show 1 to 4 years tuition in a bank account prior to admission. Not a lot of people have that kind of money/credit.

 

Also, in terms of moving to the US, there are a lot of costs that people fail to remember, specifically Health Care.

 

Family and/or significant others may also keep you from studying down south.

[schnauzr]

What's totally awesome at Wash U? (I'm lacky in American medical school knowledge)

 

If the US med schools are better/equal to Canadian med schools, how come more Cdns aren't applying to the US? Besides costs, moving to a different country, etc....what other factors are holding us back from studying in the US?

 

I wouldn't say WashU is better than Canadian med schools.

The point was that the applicant did not get accepted to a single Canadian school and yet managed to get into one of the most competitive schools in the US.

 

WashU is a research powerhouse though.

The facilities, the faculties, the funding... I heard it was terrific.

For students who want to go into academic medicine or research, it'll probably be a huge advantage in their career.

 

As for the question - why don't more people go for med schools in the US -,

well, I think the real question is - why WOULD you go?

US med schools aren't better than Canadian med schools - maybe you got the wrong message from this thread.

You become a doctor at any med school, in Canada or the US, and you can take your career anywhere after graduating from any med school.

[In_Valid]

I wouldn't say WashU is better than Canadian med schools.

The point was that the applicant did not get accepted to a single Canadian school and yet managed to get into one of the most competitive schools in the US.

 

WashU is a research powerhouse though.

The facilities, the faculties, the funding... I heard it was terrific.

For students who want to go into academic medicine or research, it'll probably be a huge advantage in their career.

 

As for the question - why don't more people go for med schools in the US -,

well, I think the real question is - why WOULD you go?

US med schools aren't better than Canadian med schools - maybe you got the wrong message from this thread.

You become a doctor at any med school, in Canada or the US, and you can take your career anywhere after graduating from any med school.

 

I wouldn't say that either. But, going to a tier 1 medical school in the US carries a certain amount of prestige that Canadian schools lack.

 

Saying "I went to Schulich School of Medicine" doesn't have the same ring as "I went to Harvard Medical School".

[Retsage]

Not to mention that there are far better residency opportunities and research opportunities in the USA. If you want to do rural medicine or be a general practitioner, this is a moot point. If you want to do pediatric neurology (one residency spot in Canada per year) or interventional radiology (similarly low numbers), it might make a difference.

 

But is it easier to get into? Not really. We lack the state school option and are limited to private schools. The average grades/MCAT for Canadians accepted at private lower tier American schools are at around the same as those accepted to Canadian schools. The average grades/MCAT for higher tier schools are far, far higher. The biggest difference in applying to the USA is that you may have ten interviews there rather than only three in Ontario - the numbers go in your favor.

 

And I would definitely say that WashU is better than anything Canada can offer. It simply has truckloads more money than the best schools here.