In 4th year - should I do 5th year?

[JOy]

So, I was thinking of doing a master degree and then find a job in health sciences, but then I figured I want to try med school. I am in my 4th year and need to make big decisions. My undergrad GPA is good but not good enough for medical school. If I go the best 2 years route, could I use my 4th year and 5th year marks (hoping they will be great) and could I apply during my 5th year? (4th year now, apply next year during 5th year)

 

Please and thank you.

[rmorelan]

So, I was thinking of doing a master degree in find a job in health sciences, but then I figured I want to try med school. I am in my 4th year and need to make big decisions. My undergrad GPA is good but not good enough for medical school. If I go the best 2 years route, could I use my 4th year and 5th year marks (hoping they will be great) and could I apply during my 5th year? (4th year now, apply next year during 5th year)

 

Please and thank you.

 

You can use your 4th and 5th year but make sure if you are planning to apply to western that you follow very closely the rules for a 5th year. The other best/last two years schools are less strict than western in regards to the year's contents.

 

You can apply to Western during your 5th year and be accepted conditionally on the results of that year.

[Prothrombin]

And make sure you're taking a 5th year in order to graduate, not because you want a better GPA. If you take a 5th year only for boosting your GPA and not for completing requirements for your degree, it won't count.

[HBP]

And make sure you're taking a 5th year in order to graduate, not because you want a better GPA. If you take a 5th year only for boosting your GPA and not for completing requirements for your degree, it won't count.

 

So, if you have 20 credits at the end of 4th year and meet all the requirements of your degree, if you take a 5th year and still take required, but unnecessary courses, it won't count?

[rmorelan]

So, if you have 20 credits at the end of 4th year and meet all the requirements of your degree, if you take a 5th year and still take required, but unnecessary courses, it won't count?

 

I don't know anything in Ontario that would stop it from counting except the mentioned rules from westerns 5th year.

[Prion]

Also, taking a 5th year while still being registered in your undergrad can also backfire on you.

 

There is no clear answer to that.

Some adcoms will question why you took longer than normal to finish your degree, others will question why you took a random extra year of non-degree course after graduating.

 

Either way, having a solid explanation that goes beyond "I needed higher marks" is a good thing to have.

 

Moral of the story, have a solid explanation for every major decision you've ever made, you never know what an interviewer might get hung up on.

 

What about someone who graduates but does a victory lap to boost the EC and what not. Do they like that(the ontario schools). TBH it's pretty tempting to take a year "off" sort of and get some experience in the real world. But then again ppl will figure out , oh he/she probably got rejected the year prior for some reason.

[Prion]

I repeat: there is no right answer, just have a compelling explanation for whatever you do.

 

I took 6 years to finish my degree, the last two years were full-time research, and then the year after I graduated I continued on in research full-time for a year.

 

One interview panel said that it was impressive that I was doing such senior research as an undergrad, the next year the interview panel said that it was strange that I didn't try to graduate "on time" as they called it.

 

You cannot predict how they will interpret your choices, you can just try to do the best with the time you have to make yourself as attractive a candidate as possible.

 

A lot of people throw around explanations of how they think adcoms will interpret certain patterns of life experience, but truthfully no one knows.

I'm curious why you didn't do a master, I guess you make more money doing full time research if you get a good position. My definition of victory lap was graduating after 4 years AND then take a few courses. But I agree with you on the difference in adcom's opinions. There are many med schools out there, just focus on representing yourself the best and you only need to get in ONE school:D