bsm Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Hello, I am currently a grad student and want to apply to Ontario medical schools next summer/fall. My last two years of marks are pretty solid, EXCEPT FOR ONE COURSE. Should I try to take the course over again as a grad student? It would not correct my undergrad GPA, but it would appear on my transcript to show that I retook the course to prove I knew the material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayven Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Honestly, I think the only thing you can do now is re-do another year above the cutoff as I'm pretty sure re-doing just one course outside of the sept-may calender year does nothing to boost your GPA. And since it's a repeat, I think they might just average the two marks. The only med schools that replace marks would be DO med schools in the states. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news... I honestly hope someone else can correct me on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaveSense Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 If you're a grad student, at least for queens, the GPA cutoff is very wishy-washy. I got an interview with a 2yr avg of like 3.6 or something last year. I think however, the MCAT cutoffs are strict, so if you have good MCATs you may still get an interview at queens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsm Posted August 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Honestly, I think the only thing you can do now is re-do another year above the cutoff as I'm pretty sure re-doing just one course outside of the sept-may calender year does nothing to boost your GPA. And since it's a repeat, I think they might just average the two marks. The only med schools that replace marks would be DO med schools in the states. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news... I honestly hope someone else can correct me on this. Thanks a lot for the info Rayven.....it does sound like bad news, but if I can find out from ppl here and Med school adcoms that an extra year of undergrad courses would be the best thing, then I would do it What courses would someone take in a "re-do" year....2nd year life science courses? Also, I actually did my undergrad in engineering so I dont think I would repeat the identical course that I messed up in (unless that would somehow be preferred) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsm Posted August 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 If you're a grad student, at least for queens, the GPA cutoff is very wishy-washy. I got an interview with a 2yr avg of like 3.6 or something last year. I think however, the MCAT cutoffs are strict, so if you have good MCATs you may still get an interview at queens. Thanks WaveSense....that is really good news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayven Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Thanks a lot for the info Rayven.....it does sound like bad news, but if I can find out from ppl here and Med school adcoms that an extra year of undergrad courses would be the best thing, then I would do it What courses would someone take in a "re-do" year....2nd year life science courses? Also, I actually did my undergrad in engineering so I dont think I would repeat the identical course that I messed up in (unless that would somehow be preferred) Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but once you've passed and obtained the credit for pre-req courses then there's no point in re-doing them to upgrade the mark (for Canadian schools). I'm pretty sure that the schools just want you to have the credit even if you only got 60% in the course. The messy part about doing another year is that I think you need to do it while in a degree program. If you start a new degree, UWO requires that you finish that degree before applying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsm Posted August 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but once you've passed and obtained the credit for pre-req courses then there's no point in re-doing them to upgrade the mark (for Canadian schools). I'm pretty sure that the schools just want you to have the credit even if you only got 60% in the course. The messy part about doing another year is that I think you need to do it while in a degree program. If you start a new degree, UWO requires that you finish that degree before applying. hmmm....well then the question remains, what does one take during an extra year if trying to raise GPA for med school? I have talked to UFT school of graduate studies, and I know that I can finnish my grad school and take undergrad courses as part of a "non-degree program". I would have to take a full schedule so that the grades count for something. However, I dont know how I could do one-year of courses as part of a degree program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but once you've passed and obtained the credit for pre-req courses then there's no point in re-doing them to upgrade the mark (for Canadian schools). I'm pretty sure that the schools just want you to have the credit even if you only got 60% in the course. Correct. Also, retaking a course in which you obtained a poor grade is an exercise in futility and a waste of time, it is a non-starter. Rmorelan is taking off for two weeks, he would he the ideal person to give further advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnussey Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 hmmm....well then the question remains, what does one take during an extra year if trying to raise GPA for med school? I have talked to UFT school of graduate studies, and I know that I can finnish my grad school and take undergrad courses as part of a "non-degree program". I would have to take a full schedule so that the grades count for something. However, I dont know how I could do one-year of courses as part of a degree program. Med schools will tell you (as will academic advisers): anything that you really enjoy & anything that you think *may* be useful if you think that's appropriate. For example, you could take anatomy, or psych, or English, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsm Posted August 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Correct. Also, retaking a course in which you obtained a poor grade is an exercise in futility and a waste of time, it is a non-starter. Rmorelan is taking off for two weeks, he would he the ideal person to give further advice. Med schools will tell you (as will academic advisers): anything that you really enjoy & anything that you think *may* be useful if you think that's appropriate. For example, you could take anatomy, or psych, or English, etc. What level of those courses should I take though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnussey Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Ok so I wont bother doing that course again, and I will PM this Rmorelan fellow. What level of those courses should I take though? I guess my overall question remains: Which courses should I take in a full-time schedule, considering that I have the prereq's for med school (the engineering version of the classes) but a low GPA. Level one for anything that you haven't taken before...level two will be enough for whatever you've already touched on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsm Posted August 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Level one for anything that you haven't taken before...level two will be enough for whatever you've already touched on. So I have todo two semesters of 2nd year courses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dampy Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 how brutal is you cGPA, if it's not bad then you might have a shot at some schools after the masters boost. If not, I would consider another full-time ug year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayven Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 So I just have to bite the bullet and do two semesters of 2nd year courses? And I slay my GPA demons forever?It almost sounds kind of easy...but another year wasted of my life I need confirmations people!!!! (dont worry I will also email med school adcoms) Also, you think I should do this at UFT? I am comfortable there, but I will be a loner in the classes and I know UFT life-sci can be very competitive. Ehhh... If you did another year it'd help for schools that accept based on best 2 years (UWO and Dalhousie). I think you said you got screwed over in your last year so your last 2-3 years would still stink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnussey Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 I only suggest doing another year if you don't get in. I'll do another year next year if I don't get it--but it doesn't mean I won't try with "all my heart". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsm Posted August 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 how brutal is you cGPA, if it's not bad then you might have a shot at some schools after the masters boost. If not, I would consider another full-time ug year. Ehhh... If you did another year it'd help for schools that accept based on best 2 years (UWO and Dalhousie). I think you said you got screwed over in your last year so your last 2-3 years would still stink. I only suggest doing another year if you don't get in. I'll do another year next year if I don't get it--but it doesn't mean I won't try with "all my heart". Yes, Im thinking the same thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 My cGPA is really brutal. I would only have a shot at schools that look at the last two years or American schools that look at upward trends. Yeah definitely....I think UWO, Queens, and Dal are my only real chances. But even that is getting messed up because of my "special circumstance" in one course in 3rd year. Yes, Im thinking the same thing: 2010 Finnish up my research degree by next summer (July-Aug 2010). Start undergrad courses in September 2010 Apply for medical schools by December 2010 2011 Hopefully I will get some interviews and an acceptance If not then I will apply again December 2011 with another year of undergrad courses under my belt. Please keep the replies coming.... I want to confirm this with as many people as possible though because this is my last play...I really dont want to find after next September "oh Med schools dont like people with grad degrees doing undergrad courses...they should do 4th year courses at worst!"...I think at that point I would just give up Also, if it were this easy why dont many other people do this? If you walk into any 2nd year bio/chem/genetics course I dont think you would see any 25-26 year olds First, take a deep breath and a long walk. I could feel your stress levels through the 'net. Second, do a search on here. Try "second undergrad degree" and "5th year", plus read through the UWO and Queen's sub-forums. There's loads of info already on here that'll help you decide your next steps. Further, do read through the admission web pages for UWO and Queen's and the OMSAS application booklet. Third, I'm older than twenty-six and I took 1st year chemistry / biology with a bunch of first year students. Let's say, it was an interesting, but still fun experience. More importantly, if med school is your goal, you won't let such minor things get in the way Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsarkis23 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Dont repeat any courses, I spoke with most med schools in canada, they dont favor repeated courses, doing a fulltime year of fresh courses could your best option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayven Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Dont repeat any courses, I spoke with most med schools in canada, they dont favor repeated courses, doing a fulltime year of fresh courses could your best option. I've always wondered about that. Say if you did a BSc in Biology but then you did terrible and left school for awhile. But when you returned to your studies, what if your interests were still like they were before? Are you suppose to choose a completely different degree? Because I think most life/health sci degrees share a lottt of similar courses and chances are you wouldn't be able to transfer all your credits. And I'd expect most people would want to transfer credits so they could finish their degree in 2-3 years instead of the full 4. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 I've always wondered about that. Say if you did a BSc in Biology but then you did terrible and left school for awhile. But when you returned to your studies, what if your interests were still like they were before? Are you suppose to choose a completely different degree? Because I think most life/health sci degrees share a lottt of similar courses and chances are you wouldn't be able to transfer all your credits. And I'd expect most people would want to transfer credits so they could finish their degree in 2-3 years instead of the full 4. Thoughts? It's okay to do more than one undergrad, but you'll need to do it in a different area. At my school, they outline all their rules around this on their admission pages and undergrad calendar. Also, depending on the school/program, a biology and health science degree could be very different. Biology is (usually) a BSc, while some health science degrees are applied science or even arts degrees. What school are you looking at? Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsm Posted August 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Dont repeat any courses, I spoke with most med schools in canada, they dont favor repeated courses, doing a fulltime year of fresh courses could your best option. If I sign up for 2nd year life-sci courses I think I will be repeating the same material but not actually the same courses. Does this make a difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 haha...yeah I am pretty stressed....I'll relax when I know what I'm doing And thanks for those suggestions I will search through those forums I hope to find other people who have went back and taken lower level courses, not so much because I am embarassed (well a little bit of that too ) but also, if no one does that, it could be an indication that it is not a good idea. Well in my case I have the engineering versions of the pre-reqs....(ie. engineering biology, engineering physics, applied chemistry, etc). If I sign up for 2nd year life-sci courses I think I will be repeating the same material but not actually the same courses. Does this make a difference? If they will be considered the same by med schools, then I guess I will have to take 3rd year courses? Distance education is also an option. What courses / program are you looking to take? If you are still stressed out, I'm going to send you to one of my yoga classes, hehe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsm Posted August 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2009 Distance education is also an option. What courses / program are you looking to take? If you are still stressed out, I'm going to send you to one of my yoga classes, hehe! I emailed two adcoms offices...no reply yet.....anyone else notice that they are so slow? And thanks for bringing up distance education...didn't know about that at all.......i'll read up on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 Yoga class? who teaches that??? what is the pre-req for that? heeelllp! Seriously though, I am still deciding on courses. I have the pre-reqs from engineering, so I need to find out if taking 2nd year bio,chem,physics would be considered "repeating" and therefore useless. I emailed two adcoms offices...no reply yet.....anyone else notice that they are so slow? And thanks for bringing up distance education...didn't know about that at all.......i'll read up on it Well, if I wasn't already working on one degree and getting ready for another, I'd be doing my yoga instructor training. As such, you could come to my yoga class, hehe! Find out what you need to make sure you're not repeating classes. Do a search on here for distance ed pre-reqs. Both UW and Athabasca may offer what you need. What med schools are you applying to? Although you may have mentioned this, if you already have the pre-reqs (from engineering), what are you planning to use those 2nd year science courses for (a 5th year)? Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsm Posted August 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 Well, if I wasn't already working on one degree and getting ready for another, I'd be doing my yoga instructor training. As such, you could come to my yoga class, hehe! Find out what you need to make sure you're not repeating classes. Do a search on here for distance ed pre-reqs. Both UW and Athabasca may offer what you need. What med schools are you applying to? Although you may have mentioned this, if you already have the pre-reqs (from engineering), what are you planning to use those 2nd year science courses for (a 5th year)? Good luck I need to do an extra year of classes, as a non-degree student, to give me a 2nd strong year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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