A few question; MCAT, EC...

[ladykilla421]

I want to eventually apply to the University of Ottawa med school, when the time does come I will not apply to any other school as I am unwilling to relocate. My husband and I do not want to live anywhere other than Ottawa so my choices are limited (well I really dont have a choice, it U of O or nothing.)

 

It has come to my attention that the U of O does not require its applicants to write the MCAT, and if you do write it, they do not assess it in the application process. If it was you, would you write it anyway? Id hate to not write it and when the time came to apply, my situation has changed and Im willing to apply to other school then the U of O. Also, in regadrs to the MCAT, typically when do you write it (2nd, 3rd, 4th year?)

 

I was also wondering about EC and volunteering...Is it something I should be looking into ASAP (Im a first year Bachelor of Health Science student) or is it not a big deal if I put it off till 2nd or 3rd year? How many hours volunteering are sufficient? I hate to admit it but Im not a fan of EC's or volunteering, Id rather gouge my eyes out!!

 

Thanks in advance for your input!

[ygella]

well there is no harm in writing the MCAT, you might need it.

 

and as for EC's you better get started on it as soon as possible, the more you have the better the chances. Doing something for 5 yrs is better than doing 5 things in the last year.

 

BTW if you don't like volunteering you may be looking at the wrong career option.

[rmorelan]

Hi there! Ottawa does not in any way use the mcat - so if you are absolutely sure that ottawa is the only place you want to go (a very restrictive choice as you know), then you have no need to write it at all.

 

Personally, and with most others on the board, would apply more broadly to increase the odds of success. This would mean writing the mcat so I would if I were you BUT you can hold off writing it for quite some time and evaluate things at the appropriate time (say after 3rd year).

 

Ottawa is particularly concerned with ECs - they are one for the few schools that evaluates on some level ECs prior to the interview stage.

 

I should ask though because it sounds like ECs to you are not pleasant. That suggests to me you are not going to enjoy them and their is a risk that will reduce their usefulness to you in many ways. I should ask then to help avoid that (as the ECs you do can be quite broad) why are considering the field of medicine as a career? Like see if we can't help you find on that would be both useful and interesting to you

 

I want to eventually apply to the University of Ottawa med school, when the time does come I will not apply to any other school as I am unwilling to relocate. My husband and I do not want to live anywhere other than Ottawa so my choices are limited (well I really dont have a choice, it U of O or nothing.)

 

It has come to my attention that the U of O doesnt not require its applicants to write the MCAT, and if you do write it, they do not assess it in the application process. If it was you, would you write it anyway? Id hate to not write it and when the time came to apply, my situation has change and Im willing to apply to other school then the U of O. Also, in regadrs to the MCAT, typically when do you write it (2nd, 3rd, 4th year?)

 

I was also wondering about EC and volunteering...Is it something I should be looking into ASAP (Im a first year Bachelor of Health Science student) or is it not a big deal if I put it off till 2nd or 3rd year? How many hours volunteering are sufficient? I hate to admit it but Im not a fan of EC's or volunteering, Id rather gouge my eyes out!!

 

Thanks in advance for your input!

[Corsci]

You might have some good reasons to stay in Ottawa but I think you will find that that kind of inflexibility could seriously hamper your chances at med school... so you definitely shouldn't be so closed minded this early on even if other alternatives seem out of the question at this stage.

[shannn]

If you don't like doing EC's and want to apply to Ottawa, it's going to be difficult (if not impossible) to get an interview since their selection process involves looking at your OMSAS ABS (provided you meet their wGPA cutoff)

 

Look at the Ottawa board, people with amazing ABS's and amazing GPA's got rejected pre-interview, so you really should reconsider your thoughts on EC's

[ladykilla421]

I probably should have phrased my last sentence a bit better. Ive never done any EC's not in high school or anything so to be honest I dont really know whats out there...I think extracrriculars, I think sports which I not only am not interessted in but I totally suck at, that and student governments which doesnt really appeal to me. I should have refrained from making such a strong statement as "I would rather gouge my eyes out" until I had done some research as to what I could be doing for EC's.

 

As for volunteering, Ive done some (5 hours a week since I was 18 so for the last 5 years or so) and I dont hate it but I definately hate the thought of having to do copious amounts of it.

 

Ive always wanted to pursue a career in medecine, ever since I was a child. I love all med related. From pharmacology, anatomy and physiology to pathology...I love it all!!! I seriously sould not see myself in any other field. Not only do I love subject matter related to the study of medecine, I really enjoy working with people and trying to make a positive impact on them. Personally I have many experiences that have pushed me towards a career in medecine. (This may all sound oh so cliche but its true, Im passionate about medecine and healthcare and promotion.)

[rmorelan]

There are a considerable number of ECs that are directly medically related - there is no reason to do something you don't like and in fact I strong advise against it. There are medically reated research opportunites and direct helping at hospitals or other health care centres.

 

In the end people are going to ask you about your ECs and hopefully some level of passion will shine through. Adcoms are looking for that passion as bluntly they want passionate and thus dedicated doctors. If all you did was go through the motions for rack up some ECs then it often shows through. Ideally there is a pattern to your activities that extends into the long term.

 

So any particular area of medicine that you are especially passionate about?

 

I probably should have phrased my last sentence a bit better. Ive never done any EC's not in high school or anything so to be honest I dont really know whats out there...I think extracrriculars, I think sports which I not only am not interessted in but I totally suck at, that and student governments which doesnt really appeal to me. I should have refrained from making such a strong statement as "I would rather gouge my eyes out" until I had done some research as to what I could be doing for EC's.

 

As for volunteering, Ive done some (5 hours a week since I was 18 so for the last 5 years or so) and I dont hate it but I definately hate the thought of having to do copious amounts of it.

 

Ive always wanted to pursue a career in medecine, ever since I was a child. I love all med related. From pharmacology, anatomy and physiology to pathology...I love it all!!! I seriously sould not see myself in any other field. Not only do I love subject matter related to the study of medecine, I really enjoy working with people and trying to make a positive impact on them. Personally I have many experiences that have pushed me towards a career in medecine. (This may all sound oh so cliche but its true, Im passionate about medecine and healthcare and promotion.)

[ladykilla421]

I feel awful naive for not looking into EC's before actually commenting on how much I dont like them/not looking forward to doing any...I had no idea that there were any related to the medical field. I was always under the impression that they were related to school "clubs" and what not. I would love to find something that I could be passionate about when it comes to EC's.

 

As for areas of medecine that I am particularly interessted in are: pediatrics, obstetrics and neurology....

[Guest duffman1234]

I cant find time to do ECs

Seeing people's ECs scares the crap out of me, because it seems they did everything possible and they can still maintain a 3.9+ avg. I just finished first year with an okay avg, but did not do any ECs at all cuz i was swarmed with work and it was the last thing on my mind.

 

Next summer im preparing for MCAT and i'll be applying to the schools that require 3 yrs of undergrad, so i dont know when to do all this research or hospital volunteering and how to even start that. I know it's not something that i need, but it seems people who get accepted have lots of papers published and hours at hospitals.

 

Any advice guys?

[spiderpig]

I wish I had known/done this before: volunteering is not hard at all. The admissions committees are looking for commitment to volunteering - not a sudden EC with lots of hours in it. It only takes like 2 hours a week, as long as you do it for a fairly long time (like in the years range). That shows that you're responsible and committed.

 

As for other EC's, there's things like NSERC summer research positions (if you have the marks), premed society, stuff like that. Have a look at your universities clubs website, go through the listing, and pick out things that might interest you. You don't need to do very many hours a week, but sticking to it for a long period of time shows your dedication, and that's what they're looking for.

[MedDream]

I cant find time to do ECs

Seeing people's ECs scares the crap out of me, because it seems they did everything possible and they can still maintain a 3.9+ avg. I just finished first year with an okay avg, but did not do any ECs at all cuz i was swarmed with work and it was the last thing on my mind.

 

Next summer im preparing for MCAT and i'll be applying to the schools that require 3 yrs of undergrad, so i dont know when to do all this research or hospital volunteering and how to even start that. I know it's not something that i need, but it seems people who get accepted have lots of papers published and hours at hospitals.

 

Any advice guys?

 

Hey, I just finished first year too! Although my marks weren't stellar first year, doing ECs second semester actually BOOSTED my marks. This is because I learned how to time manage, and was also happier because I was involved in things outside of school and met a bunch of people with the same interests as me. Like others have said, it's often quality over quantity. If you suddenly do 5 different things in the year before you apply, med schools are going to know that you are trying to boost your score with them. IMHO, one long-term activity is much more valuable than a few short-term ones. Find something you are really interested in. I just started volunteering at a sports rehab clinic and LOVE it. It is a much more open environment and I am finding I can get patient interaction and I get to learn what different muscle tears, sprains, strains, etc. feel like. I think I am developing more communication skills there and getting more knowledge of injuries in a sports clinic than I would doing volunteer work in some hospital settings.