Current Year Marks - Do not count!

[legitpro]

I messed up in my first year, 3.0 gpa. So I am relying on my upper year marks for my gpa, but apparently your current year marks are not evaluated. (Please correct me if I am wrong, I would love to be wrong this one time.)

 

e.g If I am going into my 4th year, and applying to ottawa

Year 1 3.0 x 1 = 3

Year 2 3.8 x 2 = 7.64

Year 3 3.9 x 3 = 11.70

 

total 22.34/6= 3.7(WGPA)

 

I AM OUTRAGED! Now if I want to apply to many other schools and be competitive that use a cGPA, I will have to apply once I graduated, so I will have like 1 year off and work on ECs for a year.

[Rext]

Its true unfortunately . As interviews are typically offered to IP's during Jan/Feb, you won't have final marks for your current year of study. That being said, your grades are extremely competitive for Western/Queens (best/last 2 years). Also, calculate your weighted GPA for UoT - you might have a shot there as well.

[cgy_guy23]

I do not get why you are so "outraged"? How exactly do you propose they make any kinds of decisions if they take into account courses for which you do not even have grades in?

 

Plus remember that even though the grades of your current year do not "count" you still need to meet certain cutoffs to maintain your acceptance...often it is something like 3.3 so it is by no means difficult to achieve, but it also means you cannot just stop caring and fail your remaining courses once accepted into med.

 

Apply to the years that look at your best/most recent 2, and as someone suggested U of T does the weighted GPA deal. If you need to wait another year it is not that huge of a deal...many applicants have to reapply...just be happy that you managed to salvage that 3.0 and are doing really well now...many people wish they could have 3.8s and 3.9s. It is not the end of the world.

[rmorelan]

Yeah the offers of admission go out BEFORE you last year is done. There is nothing for the schools to work with - offical transcripts aren't out until june at many schools. They just can't work with current year grades and get offers out in time.

 

The schools however that would really look at you competitively actually still will if you apply in third year! Your cummulative GPA with what you listed is 3.56 which is below most schools cut offs (bad news) but still well about the cut offs for Western and Queens (good news!). A good 4th year will give you Ottawa as well Lots of people have that bad first year thing - there is a bit of a punishment for it (as you are pointing out in terms of time). Someday we will figure out a way to let people know early enough just how competitive things are so they can focus earlier!

 

 

 

I messed up in my first year, 3.0 gpa. So I am relying on my upper year marks for my gpa, but apparently your current year marks are not evaluated. (Please correct me if I am wrong, I would love to be wrong this one time.)

 

e.g If I am going into my 4th year, and applying to ottawa

Year 1 3.0 x 1 = 3

Year 2 3.8 x 2 = 7.64

Year 3 3.9 x 3 = 11.70

 

total 22.34/6= 3.7(WGPA)

 

I AM OUTRAGED! Now if I want to apply to many other schools and be competitive that use a cGPA, I will have to apply once I graduated, so I will have like 1 year off and work on ECs for a year.

[charmer08]

Yeah the offers of admission go out BEFORE you last year is done. There is nothing for the schools to work with - offical transcripts aren't out until june at many schools. They just can't work with current year grades and get offers out in time.

 

The schools however that would really look at you competitively actually still will if you apply in third year! Your cummulative GPA with what you listed is 3.56 which is below most schools cut offs (bad news) but still well about the cut offs for Western and Queens (good news!). A good 4th year will give you Ottawa as well Lots of people have that bad first year thing - there is a bit of a punishment for it (as you are pointing out in terms of time). Someday we will figure out a way to let people know early enough just how competitive things are so they can focus earlier!

 

Why can't they get offers out in july like pharmacy or other professional program? They should atleast consider the fall semester grades.

[rmorelan]

Why can't they get offers out in july like pharmacy or other professional program? They should atleast consider the fall semester grades.

 

Funny you mention that - everything they have been doing lately is for the opposite. They changed the rules this year to make the wait list move faster. People are always complaining why can't we have this out sooner I guess if it was later there would be some serious problems with people delaying their plans - do I start that masters program or not, do I apply for the second degree, start a job.....

 

As for only taking one term (ie the fall) possible! - but only a few schools look at cGPA. There would be some radical changes needed for most to handle just a term. It would also likely reduce the notification time prior to interviewing or again push things into the summer.

 

In ontario OMSAS seems to take 2 months or so to verify everyones grades - they could make that go faster by increasing the cost (OMSAS big problem is that there are peak periods where they could really use more staff but you don't want a lot of inexperienced temps handling med apps so it just takes a lot longer to do things).

 

Overall I guess their really reason is that the schools just don't have to do anything like this - they know you will apply in future if you are serious anyway and mostly this would only apply to people who had problems in one of their earlier years - there is a price for that and the delay in applying is probably part of it. I am just glad there some schools that give people a second chance by the end of things

[Starling]

Why can't they get offers out in july like pharmacy or other professional program? They should atleast consider the fall semester grades.

 

Well, Ontario and all the western provinces seem to like to send offers out at the same time, so that would majorly screw things up for schools that start in the summer (e.g. orientation at U of C starts end of July), especially when you consider waitlist movement.

 

Ideally they'd take all grades into account, but the process takes long enough as it is -- it's just not practical to do so.

[Leon]

 

I AM OUTRAGED! Now if I want to apply to many other schools and be competitive that use a cGPA, I will have to apply once I graduated, so I will have like 1 year off and work on ECs for a year.

 

If I'm understanding correctly, you're outraged that some schools choose to evaluate your cGPA and hence your entire academic history in undergrad?

 

Let's see the nice things medical schools offer us so far:

1) wGPA at Ottawa, giving minimal focus on your first year GPA

2) Best 2 years considered at UWO if your cGPA doesn't make the cut offs

3) Last 2 years considered at Queens (historically, last 2 years tend to be better than the first)

4) wGPA at UofT- dropping lower grades if you have taken full courseloads

5) Personal Statement at UofT- allowing you to explain why any marks may be lower than your standard

And...you want them to do even more?

 

With admissions getting increasingly competitive, no school is going to go out of its way to boost an applicant's chances. Applicants have to boost their own chances- don't rely on the school to give you an easier path in. Taking current year grades into account (or fall grades) would be SO much more work (what about deferred exams? What about full year courses that are only evaluated at the end?). And, as Malkynn said, it simply isn't necessary. If anything, schools will have to raise their admission standards in the years to come.

[charmer08]

They should?

 

Why exactly should med schools go out of their way to make the admissions process infinitely more complicated just so that applicants can get one last semester of grades considered?

 

Why exactly is that necessary?

 

I think they have more than enough amazing applicants already.

It's pretty amazing that some schools are willing to disregard early grades in the first place.

 

Admissions processes exist to recruit the best future doctors, and that is what they should be doing.

 

I'm just comparing medschools to any other professional program. Most consider the fall grades!

 

Now, don't you say the medical school admission process is perfect?

[medhopeful64]

That is far too late. People need to find out as soon as possible what they are doing so that they can:

 

- accept an offer to grad school/other program/foreign medical school.

- re-write the MCAT

- apply to U.S. med schools

- find a job

- prepare to move to another city for med school and find housing

- their spouse can find a job in the new city

- get a police record check/immunizations/first aid and cpr course, etc.

- keep in mind the med schools needs to leave time for people to respond to their offers, to send in their deposits, and to inform people on the waitlist

- if initial offers were sent out in July, the MOST time people would have to move would be approx. 1 month. People getting in off the waitlist would have virtually no time.

 

Personally, I wish I had found out earlier than May 13th. Three months is not a lot of time for my boyfriend to find a job in London, buy a house, move, etc.

 

Agreed. I always thought the May 13th date was kinda late considering all the things you have to prepare (as luckythirteen mentioned). Plus, the deadline to graduate is april 30 (at least it is at my school - not sure if it differs at others). What happens to third years (who are at a school that offers the three year degree) who don't find out until after the graduation application date? Can they request a late application in the event they get in after third year?