Second Undergrad Length

[anon11]

Hi,

 

Just wondering for people who did it, how long does it take to do a second undergrad? I'd be doing it because the grades in my first undergrad where nowhere near good enough.

 

Can it be done in two years? And if it can be done like that, do med schools look at the grades on transferred credits from the previous degree (or do the grades themselves not transfer over?) or not? Thanks.

[Cnussey]

The grades don't transfer over for the purpose of graduation, but OMSAS will use the transferred grades. If you want better grades, you can apply for more electives and not use your previous courses.

 

I'm starting a second degree now...I can complete it in 1.5yrs, technically, because of all the courses I can transfer. You cannot redo prereqs though, so whatever grade you received, that's it.

[nosuperman]

Most people can do it in two years.

 

You can only transfer credits, not grades. So if your 2nd degree requires, say, immunology, and you took it with your previous degree, you'll get credit for it though it won't affect that years GPA.

 

For the schools that look at your cumulative GPA, they'll still see the immunology grade.

 

Also be careful with retaking courses since, afaik, there are at least of couple of med schools who won't accept it.

[Cnussey]

Most people can do it in two years.

 

You can only transfer credits, not grades. So if your 2nd degree requires, say, immunology, and you took it with your previous degree, you'll get credit for it though it won't affect that years GPA.

 

For the schools that look at your cumulative GPA, they'll still see the immunology grade.

 

Also be careful with retaking courses since, afaik, there are at least of couple of med schools who won't accept it.

 

Like I said, the new degree won't record the old grades, but OMSAS will. Trust me, it's a pain in the ass.

[anon11]

Like I said, the new degree won't record the old grades, but OMSAS will. Trust me, it's a pain in the ass.

 

If so can you make the transfers your highest marks? And will university's that only use "last 2 years" use them instead of the newer ones done in, say, 2 years for the second undergrad?

[nosuperman]

If so can you make the transfers your highest marks? And will university's that only use "last 2 years" use them instead of the newer ones done in, say, 2 years for the second undergrad?

 

You can't transfer marks. The old courses, be they D+'s or A+'s, will all be the same as per your 2nd degree. If you're going the second degree route, and you're applying to the 2 year schools (UWO, Queens etc) then your old marks are dead, never to be heard from again.

 

To apply using the best 2/most recent 2 method, you'll take a full courseload for 2 years (new courses you haven't taken as part of your second degree) and only those marks will be weighted by the medical schools. Note this is only for the schools that have 2 year policies.

[Cnussey]

If so can you make the transfers your highest marks? And will university's that only use "last 2 years" use them instead of the newer ones done in, say, 2 years for the second undergrad?

 

You can't transfer marks. The old courses, be they D+'s or A+'s, will all be the same as per your 2nd degree. If you're going the second degree route, and you're applying to the 2 year schools (UWO, Queens etc) then your old marks are dead, never to be heard from again.

 

To apply using the best 2/most recent 2 method, you'll take a full courseload for 2 years (new courses you haven't taken as part of your second degree) and only those marks will be weighted by the medical schools. Note this is only for the schools that have 2 year policies.

 

He's asking if he can pick and choose which courses to transfer because OMSAS will actually consider the marks even though the new degree will read "T" on the transcript. The old transcript will be forwarded to OMSAS, and the med schools will include the old grades to calculate the application GPA. The marks are not transferred to the new degree, but they are used by OMSAS and the med schools to calculate the GPA for the new degree. They did with my transferred courses.

 

Last two years are last two years--whatever is most recent.

 

You'll have to speak to the admissions' department to discuss which courses you want transferred.

[bbm]

Hey I also had a question.

 

 

So, I just finished up my 2nd year at Mac for life sci, and my gpa is pretty poor, now this was due to a lack of motivation and just being lazy, I ended up doing two summer school courses and I did really well in them cause I told myself I would give it 100%. Now I am currently in the process of transferring to york and I was wondering if I start from scratch, like redo all the first year and second year courses, does it mean that I am starting a new degree or anything like that cause I am at a new institution? Basically I am considering declining my transfer credits so that I can redo first and second year now that I am more focused, and maybe apply with my marks from that? Will the schools also see my marks from mac, if I dont finish the degree there?

[Cnussey]

Hey I also had a question.

 

 

So, I just finished up my 2nd year at Mac for life sci, and my gpa is pretty poor, now this was due to a lack of motivation and just being lazy, I ended up doing two summer school courses and I did really well in them cause I told myself I would give it 100%. Now I am currently in the process of transferring to york and I was wondering if I start from scratch, like redo all the first year and second year courses, does it mean that I am starting a new degree or anything like that cause I am at a new institution? Basically I am considering declining my transfer credits so that I can redo first and second year now that I am more focused, and maybe apply with my marks from that? Will the schools also see my marks from mac, if I dont finish the degree there?

 

Most schools (even just for the undergraduate) will not permit you to redo courses.

[Caylynn]

Hey I also had a question.

 

 

So, I just finished up my 2nd year at Mac for life sci, and my gpa is pretty poor, now this was due to a lack of motivation and just being lazy, I ended up doing two summer school courses and I did really well in them cause I told myself I would give it 100%. Now I am currently in the process of transferring to york and I was wondering if I start from scratch, like redo all the first year and second year courses, does it mean that I am starting a new degree or anything like that cause I am at a new institution? Basically I am considering declining my transfer credits so that I can redo first and second year now that I am more focused, and maybe apply with my marks from that? Will the schools also see my marks from mac, if I dont finish the degree there?

 

Yes, the schools will still see your marks from McMaster, as you have to submit transcripts from ALL the universities you have attended (for example, I have to include the transcript from the university where I took two German courses that I took solely for the purpose of knowing a bit of German before moving to Munich). So it would be silly to decline transfer credits, imo.

[bbm]

Yes but the school said I have to wait on transfer credits, doesn't my two most recent years come into play, so I do 2 years from york at first and 2nd year, even though they see my marks from mac?

[nosuperman]

Yes but the school said I have to wait on transfer credits, doesn't my two most recent years come into play, so I do 2 years from york at first and 2nd year, even though they see my marks from mac?

 

Come into play for what purpose? Your Mac years will affect 2 things:

 

1. Your ability to take courses at York. This includes prohibiting you from taking some courses (because you've already taken them at Mac) and allowing you to get credit for previous courses (from Mac) in order to put credit towards your degree at York, and also to take the pre-reqs for courses at York.

 

2. Your cumulative GPA. Regardless of what you do, those Mac marks will count as the first two years of your GPA.

[Caylynn]

Yes but the school said I have to wait on transfer credits, doesn't my two most recent years come into play, so I do 2 years from york at first and 2nd year, even though they see my marks from mac?

 

Well, if you repeat courses, medical schools will see that, and some of them frown on repeated courses - but it depends on the school.

[bbm]

York has told me I have to register for courses like I am going into first year :S

[nosuperman]

York has told me I have to register for courses like I am going into first year :S

 

Have you worked this out with your new programs Academic Counsellor?

 

You'll be in first year but you may be able to register for higher level courses after they review your transcript. Usually you just need to email them the course outlines from the courses you think might be equivalent and then they add special permissions to your account for the purpose of registering in courses.

[bbm]

I also got into york, guelph, uoit ryerson, I was considering ryerson or uoit too

[Cnussey]

Yes, the schools will still see your marks from McMaster, as you have to submit transcripts from ALL the universities you have attended (for example, I have to include the transcript from the university where I took two German courses that I took solely for the purpose of knowing a bit of German before moving to Munich). So it would be silly to decline transfer credits, imo.

 

It's not silly depending upon which med schools you're looking at. For example, NOSM will only look at the courses that are used for your latest degree. If I don't want some of my credits transferred b/c the grades are poor, then I can simply take more courses towards my second degree.

[Caylynn]

It's not silly depending upon which med schools you're looking at. For example, NOSM will only look at the courses that are used for your latest degree. If I don't want some of my credits transferred b/c the grades are poor, then I can simply take more courses towards my second degree.

 

Fair enough. Most of the schools I've looked at, however, frown on repeated courses, which is why I was a little worried that I wouldn't get additional transfer credit towards my second degree, and would have to re-take stuff like Chem 100. Fortunately, after meeting with my program chair today, I did get all the additional transfer credit I was expecting, and so I'm golden.

 

(My marks for all the transfer credit courses are nice and high, though, ranging from A- to A+. It's my computer programming courses that killed me in engineering, coupled with a year without a full course load - one semester with only one course and one with only four, due to health issues, surgery, and a fractured vertebra all within the space of one very bad year!)

[Cnussey]

Fair enough. Most of the schools I've looked at, however, frown on repeated courses, which is why I was a little worried that I wouldn't get additional transfer credit towards my second degree, and would have to re-take stuff like Chem 100. Fortunately, after meeting with my program chair today, I did get all the additional transfer credit I was expecting, and so I'm golden.

 

(My marks for all the transfer credit courses are nice and high, though, ranging from A- to A+. It's my computer programming courses that killed me in engineering, coupled with a year without a full course load - one semester with only one course and one with only four, due to health issues, surgery, and a fractured vertebra all within the space of one very bad year!)

 

I didn't say repeat the course. You have to take a different course.

[bbm]

I didn't really finish my degree only got up to 2nd year of biology, like I stated earlier, if I do health studies at york would that be considered another degree?

[Caylynn]

I didn't say repeat the course. You have to take a different course.

 

I believe the OP was asking about taking the same courses over again though, since he/she didn't do well the first time around.

[Cnussey]

I believe the OP was asking about taking the same courses over again though, since he/she didn't do well the first time around.

 

Yeah, I thought I already said you can't repeat courses. I completed calculus, chemistry, & physics 8yrs ago and they won't let me repeat! I'm trying to tell him, that unless it's a prereq...he can take extra courses in the new degree (different ones than before) instead of transferring those electives (they will transfer as prereqs or electives...prereqs you have no choice in, but you can always do more electives and squash the others.

 

I just completed a transferred degree: Astrophysics to Business and am now starting a second undergrad. If I want to do a full 3 (or 4...for some reason they put me in the Honours program when I applied for the 3yr general. Sigh) years worth of courses, I can--the credits I have won't be transferred except for prereqs like my chemistry, physics, and calculus.

[Marty]

I've been thinking alot about my transfer credits lately and I'm really not sure how OMSAS will be handling my particular credit transfer case. Perhaps someone here has some relevant past experience they could share with me.

 

I started a second undergrad 2 years ago. Since my first undergrad was done 10-14 years ago, the second degree university did not 'directly' transfer over the credits from my first degree. They did however give me 5.0 credits worth of MISC 1XX labeled credits which I could use to fulfill the general elective credit requirements of my second degree. Since they refused to transfer my science credits from my first degree, (perhaps due to course age?) I was required to retake all the first year science courses which I had taken 14 years prior.

[nosuperman]

I've been thinking alot about my transfer credits lately and I'm really not sure how OMSAS will be handling my particular credit transfer case. Perhaps someone here has some relevant past experience they could share with me.

 

I started a second undergrad 2 years ago. Since my first undergrad was done 10-14 years ago, the second degree university did not 'directly' transfer over the credits from my first degree. They did however give me 5.0 credits worth of MISC 1XX labeled credits which I could use to fulfill the general elective credit requirements of my second degree. Since they refused to transfer my science credits from my first degree, (perhaps due to course age?) I was required to retake all the first year science courses which I had taken 14 years prior.

 

If the school doesn't designate them as equivalent then you're probably fine. Med schools will trust your department. If the department said "no you can't use these" then there's nothing really you could do - they're obviously so non-overlapping so as to require them.

[Cnussey]

I just double-checked with NOSM, they will not be including my transfer grades for my second degree at all. Only the new courses taken for the second degree will be calculated--and if I have enough to transfer and qualify for a second degree by only doing 1.5yrs (which I do), then that's fine. If you're a mature student and qualify for the 3yr degree, you only need to complete at least 1 year of full courses in the second degree to apply with the new GPA. So if I wanna do a full 3yr degree, fine, but if I wanna do 1.5yrs and transfer everything--still fine. They won't include the transfer credits.

 

That's a pretty sweet deal.