S&G Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 Hi! I'm currently a 4th year student @ McGill, and I've just finished applying to OMSAS & and various other Canadian schools. However, as everybody else, I don't feel too good about this upcoming cycle. Here is some of my profile, if anyone is interested: cGPA: ~ 3.72 Sci GPA ~ 3.75 ECs: various, president & exec of two clubs, lab TA, summer research, emergency volunteer in two hospitals, playing music for the church weekly and various other jobs. MCAT: took it this september, I'm not sure how it went. I'm in need of a back-up plan, I am not a very strong student, but inspired to go to medical school. What do you guys think? Master's or 5th year? I feel that with 5th year, there is no guarantee that I can get 4.0 GPA. With Master's I feel like I can get something published, I like my supervisor, I've gotten a whole load of results during the summer. 5th year can raise my cGPA (although not sure by how much) but what can a Master's degree do? I know that for schools such as U of T reviews grad students separately, but how about schools in US? Will Master's degree help at all for the US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostLamb Posted October 1, 2009 Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 I never personally investigated the 5th year option, but if you really want to improve your GPA (which is quite good already!!! better than my Mcgill GPA )...go for the 5th year. The almighty GPA reigns supreme! The word on the street is that Master's does not have the impact that it used to at many schools, both Canadian and American. However, with that degree and the experience gained from it you will have lots more material for autobiographical sketches, essays, interviews, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara21 Posted October 1, 2009 Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 I never personally investigated the 5th year option, but if you really want to improve your GPA (which is quite good already!!! better than my Mcgill GPA )...go for the 5th year. The almighty GPA reigns supreme! The word on the street is that Master's does not have the impact that it used to at many schools, both Canadian and American. However, with that degree and the experience gained from it you will have lots more material for autobiographical sketches, essays, interviews, etc. Adding: Also may want to consider a 2nd undergrad degree, if it's a realistic option. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S&G Posted October 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 Yeah, no.. second undergrad degree is a no no. I don't think I would endure 4 more years of undergrad heh. I'd rather try for US schools, which my GPA is sufficient enough for - although I'd very much like to stay in Canada! Can anyone tell me more about how a 5th year works? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopeful Med Posted October 1, 2009 Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 A second degree is not 4 more years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S&G Posted October 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 Oh, what exactly is a second degree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreaM Posted October 1, 2009 Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 Most schools allow you to transfer up to 60 credits of your previous degree as your electives and if applicable required courses for your second degree. Most second degree programs take 2 years, unless they are drastically different and you don't have very many electives in the second degree program and even then it is usually only 3 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S&G Posted October 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2009 And I'm guessing it is possible to take the second degree in another school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara21 Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 And I'm guessing it is possible to take the second degree in another school? Indeed! It's not uncommon to complete a 2nd undergrad, which is a professional program (i.e. engineering, nursing, etc). That being said, you should research the programs and schools you are interested in. As with any post-secondary application, each will have its own set of deadlines and requirements. Otherwise, you could do another undergrad degree in another area of study (non-professional program). Example: If you have a Bachelor of Science, you could take a Bachelor of Arts and so forth. On this forum, if you search '5th year' and 'second undergrad degree' you shall find a wealth of information. Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreaM Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 And I'm guessing it is possible to take the second degree in another school? I'm doing my psych degree through another school. I just needed the first school to send them a transcript from my first degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_rural_doc Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 There are so many options. I personally am going to choose Master's because a fifth year could end up being a waste of money as there are no guarantees. At least with a master's, you gain something at the end of it and may even find that you want to go into research full-time. It's also not nearly as costly. Furthermore, it will also further prepare you for being a doctor-thinking outside the box, planning, etc. A fifth year is simpky another year of what you've already been doing for 4 years. My second choice would be a two-year degree such as a fast-track nursing program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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