Please help: Should I re-apply--New Canadian immigrant accepted by US med school

[cslin]

Well, this is complicated. I grew up in Asia and have been studied in the US as a foreign student since high school. I did not know that I would be issued Canadian PR (permanent resident) when I applied to 7 US medical schools plus McGill. Now I have one acceptance and 4 waitlist, including McGill. Thinking of the terrible debt (no financial aid at all)and the matching issues I will be facing if I study medicine in the US, I am seriously considering re-apply to McGill next year (I am currently a Quebec resident).

 

My credentials:

Early graduation from a top US university

GPA 3.96/4.0; MCAT: 39

1 year research, hospital volunteer, shadowing, decent activities, lots of community services, leadership, winner of a summer research program; research assistant and teaching assistant right after graduation.

 

I got almost all interviews except for Harvard, one acceptance, 4 waitlists and 2 rejections. It was the first time I heard of MMI when I got email notice from McGill. The interview must have been a disaster.

 

I may lose my Canadian PR if I study medicine in the US (PR holder must physically present in the country for a defined period).

 

Should I write a letter to McGill? Should I re-apply if not accepted? Please help!

[polarb]

First off, that is an awesome MCAT score. Despite English not being your native language and you still pulled a 10 in verbal. Thats awesome.

 

I guess some questions you can ask yourself is,

Do you like the school where you got acceptance from?

Would like to live and practice in the States after? Or would you like to go back to Canada?

What would you do for the year if you wait to reapply to McGill?

 

I think you have great credentials overall that makes you competitve at a lot of schools. But if in the end, you want to practice in the States and not take a year off then going to the American school is a good choice. Unless financially, its impossible? You can take out LOC right?

[Jochi1543]

Can you defer a US acceptance? That'd be the easiest way out. You could spend the year working and travelling around the country (don't go out of the country for longer than a few weeks, because you gotta rack up the time for your PR). You only need to live here for a total of 2 years over a period of 5 to maintain PR, so if you take a year off till next August/September, you'll have 1.5 years under your belt...you can get the other 0.5 by coming back to Canada on vacations and to do electives.

[future_doc]

Well, this is complicated.

 

It's not all that complicated at all. Its just that the facts kept changing during the process.

 

Jochi's suggestion makes sense.

 

You certainly do not want to lose your Canadian PR. And becoming a Canadian citizen, I believe, is or should be an important priority to you in the grand scheme of things. Don't let it slip through your hands by making a poor choice. Canada is one of the best countries to live in throughout the world, the best to raise your future children, excellent educational system, and you will be improving the healthcare system with your future contribution.

 

Let's assume the worst and McGill does not accept you this year. So what? With your amazing stats, you are bound to be accepted at McGill next year and/or at other Canadian med schools. Your problem may be to find something to occupy your time for a year and make some money if you are too late to enter any other educational program.

 

I am assuming that as a foreign student you are not a US citizen and that you cannot afford the higher tuition and other expenses (unless you are offered a full scholarship). So obtaining funding in US may be a huge issue (even if you are a citizen), whereas in the Province of Quebec, the expenses are not high and an LOC is possible at prime at most banks once accepted into med school in Canada. And you have the great advantage of being considered a Quebec resident for purposes of admission to McGill Med School.

 

I do not know what writing to McGill at this stage is going to achieve. What can you tell them now that can possibly affect their decision? For all of us, facts always change over the months, this is life. I am not aware that you are able to influence them in any way at this stage. You need to let the cards play out and then play your hand smart. If you are in doubt, you can chat with Admissions.

 

I urge you to defer (if possible) and in any event, to remain in Canada and keep your advantageoius Quebec residencey; and to apply again next year, if necessary, at McGill - and across Canada. With a PR, I don't know if you qualify for the MOTP option where, if accepted into this military program once accepted by a Canadian med school, your tutiion etc is paid during med school, you are given a signing bonus of about 40K, you earn a salary of about $40k+ plus as a med student (that increases), you need to opt for Family Practice and to give them 4 years of practice at a very good income, and by the end of the 4 years of practice at a military base somewhere in Canada, as a Major, you are earning about 180K/year! And they will pay any future medical studies while you continue to earn this hefty salary as a student proovided you give them back one more year for every year of further studies.

 

You are young, you have your entire future ahead of you, you are in an enviable position, think carefully and make decisions based upon your long term goals, not upon what seems best on a short term basis.

[future_doc]

Silvermen85 makes sense.

 

Based on all considerations, I would opt for McGill, although you may have to reapply. If you do get in and the MMI went better than you thought, well, you notify them of your change of status for purposes of tuition, although it may be too late for fall semester. Just check the rules.