Guest Transparent Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 ................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UTPEOPLE Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 I'm in grade 12, in three months, high school will be over for me. Then, I'll be starting a new journey..which will be university. I have already been accepted to my program of choice (University of Toronto - Life Sciences) and will be attending this fall for their four-year life sciences with specialization in Molecular Biology & Genetics program. I kind of need advice, as to whether, I should even be thinking of pursuing medicine or not. This year, in grade 12, I have taken(and currently taking) English, Calculus, Advanced Functions, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. My overall average is only 88%. My extracurriculars are also on the weak side as I only have about 4-5 EC's throughout high school. What i forgot to mention earlier is that, I had to put in an insane amount of work to achieve that 88%. I'm worried of the fact that university may be a challenge for me because of all of the distractions, how am I going to have the time to study hard and maintain that average? Also, I was told that you shouldn't even think of becoming a doctor, if you don't have outstanding EC's in high school and at least a 92%+ average. I don't know what to do. Should I switch career plans, because honestly, I'm not sure whether I'll be capable enough to pursue the challenges of getting into medical school. high school means nothing, try out university first and see how the grading system at u of t likes you. If you need help, go find UTPT, the resident peer tutoring club. If you are worried about Ecs, start building them up now... volunteer in a few things you like, causes you find just, and the med school will go "open sesame" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Charlie Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 Yeah, it's way too premature to start abandoning hope of medschool. You need to actual go through a year or so of university. See how you do, see whether you feel you can get a good GPA, and then go from there. Either way, just do your best and stay active in the community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charmer08 Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 omg not one of these again... and OMFG i just noticed that this was my 300th post!!! ah what a useless post my 300th post is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UTPEOPLE Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 Hey, thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to look into the UTPT Club. Also, yes, I am currently working on my EC's which I hope I'll be able to continue on in university years. Some EC's that I'm thinking of doing from now , through summer, up to when University starts. Then maybe I can start some new EC's through university. - Volunteering for Local community center - Volunteering at Local Library - Volunteering at Religious Prayer Hall - Shadowing a Doctor Is this a good start? Never understood the point of shadowing a doctor (thought that there are ethical issues regarding patient privacy), but the others seem nice. Just dont forget to try and get a few awards or win a few competitions in university, the thing is that accomplishments tend to snowball. I.E. because you got this award in high school, you get this award in university, and because of these awards, you are impressive enough to win a third award... lol... i love this system... also, make sure you enjoy these activities (maybe have a bit of sports too... they count, and no play will make you a dull boy/girl). I would also suggest volunteering at a high school as a classroom tutor. In a class of grade 9s and 10s as a university student, they really look up to you, and frankly, you end up having more authority over them than the teacher. and what a coincidence... this was also my 300th post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charmer08 Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 sorry, I know these posts can be annoying. :S But just needed some advice and help from people who already in university/med school! I know it's frustrating seeing topics like these...imagine if there was a university admissions forum..and elementary school kids came for help/advice lol yeah I too would be frustrated the best advice i can give is not to follow the advice given by your friends or anyone else blindly... do your own research by going to each of the medschool's website you are interested in... as obvious that might sound, most of the premeds don't even know anything about the requirements... and yea they all think volunteering is a requirement oh and do the research during the summer before your high school so that you know a B+ is BAD! even if you just got one of em Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind_synergy Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 My average jumped 3 points when I hit university (I was an 88 when I graduated HS), and my work ethic is only somewhat moderately better. Don't stress it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starling Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 What you do in high school is unlikely to affect your chances at med, so don't worry (yet!). I understand that you may be apprehensive going to U of T when you had a hard time in high school. Yes, university will be harder, but at least it sounds like you already have a good work ethic. It's the people who get decent marks without working who will be in for a shock come 1st year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 I had to put in an insane amount of work to achieve that 88%. I'm worried of the fact that university may be a challenge for me because of all of the distractions, how am I going to have the time to study hard and maintain that average? University is supposed to be a challenge for you! Firstly it is all about work ethic, focus, time and stress management. I have to put in an insane amount of work to achieve straight As. I simply prioritize everything, and academics come first, followed by volunteering and ECs. It you prioritize, distractions will not be a problem. In your first semester, don't take on new ECs unyil you find your pace in academics. You are already ahead of the pack b /c of your work ethic. Don't stress it. Also, you need to understand that luck plays a role as whether or not you get into med b/c there are far more excellent candidates than there are seats. It is essential that you have a Plan B so that should you not get into med, you have prepared yourself for another alternative career. Just take it one semester at a time. And, in life, things happen, detours occur, we do not do as well in a course as we expected. We learn from our failures or detours, it is part of life, and we move on. Don't worry, just maintain your work ethic. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Charlie Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 Work ethic, study habits, and showing up to class are basically the keys to success in university, I've noticed. If you spend time doing the work, spend time studying, and actually go to class, you will get a good GPA. The material itself generally isn't hard at all, there's just a fair amount of it, and you're expected to be familiar with all of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 Which campus do you plan to attend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Maxphi5 Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 Scarborough. Why, will I be put at any sort of advantage/disadvantage instead of attending the St. George campus? Also, everyone, thanks for the advice! Greatly appreciated!! I also have a few more questions about university(in general) - how big are the class sizes like, especially, for life sciences? - how long are first year lectures(typically) ? - are there lessons taught everyday of the school week(like in high school) , or only specific days of the week? - I heard you get a lot more free time being out of class unlike high school, haha, is that true? - heard classes start September and end in April? That's sick, you get 4 months of vacation! And if you could provide me with any major changes you noticed from the jump from high school to university, be sure to state it!(To fill my curiosity ) Thanks in advance. Yeah I'm in HS too, but i gotta go to CEGEP soon, in 2 years. But I do know that yes, you do get more time out of class, but that doesn't mean you will have more time. You will work furiously, like i saw my dad during his masters a couple of years back, so you might not have as much free time as you think >_> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 Scarborough. Why, will I be put at any sort of advantage/disadvantage instead of attending the St. George campus? I'm at UTSC, that's why I asked. The general consensus seems to be that UTSC is somewhat easier than UTSG (but still very very intense). - how big are the class sizes like, especially, for life sciences? Approx 500 students. - how long are first year lectures(typically) ? Lectures are typically an hour long. Depending on the course, you will have two or three lectures per week, per course. It sounds fantastic but note that for each lecture hour, you will likely spend about 3 hours studying. This is just an average- it varies from person to person. - are there lessons taught everyday of the school week(like in high school) , or only specific days of the week? You will have lectures on specific days. eg, a bio lecture and chem lec on monday, chem and physics on tues, bio and stats and something else on wed. Individual timetables differ and, aside from lectures, there may be labs and/or tutorial sessions. - I heard you get a lot more free time being out of class unlike high school, haha, is that true? Yes. But you are typically expected to utilize that time for self studying. - heard classes start September and end in April? That's sick, you get 4 months of vacation! Fall semester is from September to December with final exams in December. The Winter semester is from January to April with finals in April. The Summer semester is from May to August. Summer courses are optional. Pre-meds like taking some summer courses for various reasons (Search this forum for more on this). Also, generally, students take some courses in the summer to lighten their course loads. There are complications for pre meds so watch out. My last exam is on April 27. My Summer courses begin on May 5. Yeah..........sickkkkkkk LOL Trust me, there is no such thing as free time. Enjoy the next 4 months of your life. ETA: See my sig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kawalac Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 You're definitely worrying too much about that 92% high school thing. I only had like an 82% average in high school because I really wanted to have fun before I had to go to University and start taking things seriously. I'm in 4th year and I've managed to keep about a 3.9, but that may go down due to this organic chem class Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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