Level of French required to get into Quebec Medical Schools

[TheTank]

Hi,

 

So here's my situation: I finished my undergrad as an international student at McGill with a GPA of 3.8/4. After my undergrad, I became a Canadian PR with Quebec residency. I have decided I want to study medicine now.

 

The issue now is that as a Quebec resident, I benefit from the provincial bias of the Quebec Universities. However, my knowledge of French is very basic, leaving me with the option of only applying to McGill.

 

So what is the level of French required to apply to the Med Schools in Quebec that have a French based curriculum? Do I have a realistic chance of gaining that level of competency in French within a few years?

 

Alternatively, I could apply to universities in Ontario- but I feel my GPA may not be competitive enough, given the cutthroat competition in that province. I haven't given my MCATs yet.

 

What do you guys think? Thanks in advance.

[MissMed]

Hi,

 

So here's my situation: I finished my undergrad as an international student at McGill with a GPA of 3.8/4. After my undergrad, I became a Canadian PR with Quebec residency. I have decided I want to study medicine now.

 

The issue now is that as a Quebec resident, I benefit from the provincial bias of the Quebec Universities. However, my knowledge of French is very basic, leaving me with the option of only applying to McGill.

 

So what is the level of French required to apply to the Med Schools in Quebec that have a French based curriculum? Do I have a realistic chance of gaining that level of competency in French within a few years?

 

Alternatively, I could apply to universities in Ontario- but I feel my GPA may not be competitive enough, given the cutthroat competition in that province. I haven't given my MCATs yet.

 

What do you guys think? Thanks in advance.

 

You have to be fluent in French in order to perform well in the interview.

[Ubiquitine]

I'm not sure, but since you're an IP applicant you probably won't have to do the french test. ( In fact, i would probably fail this exam even thought french is my native language ) As Missmed say, you should be able to be fluent for the interview.

[future_doc]

Sorry, but the fact that you are not IP is totally irrelevant as regards the French test. If you are selected for the MEM (MMI), you shall be required to write that French exam and the grade required is extremely high. Once you obtain the required grade, you will proceed to the Interview, otherwise, no interview.

 

Once you get to the Interview stage, obviously, you will need to understand the Question and must be able to make yourself understood. Your French does not need to be flawless. For the French exam, you will require excellent written skills.

 

So, yes, with high motivation, continuous hard work, taking numerous French written and oral courses - intensively - working your way to an advanced stage, ideally living in a French milieu and speaking French, it is possible (but difficult) to attain the competency required.

 

BTW, with your grades and assuming you have excellent ECs, volunteering, LORs and ace the autobio answers, you have a great shot at McGill!

[thebouque]

I'm not sure, but since you're an IP applicant you probably won't have to do the french test. ( In fact, i would probably fail this exam even thought french is my native language ) As Missmed say, you should be able to be fluent for the interview.

 

I'm an IP, francophone, but because I did my CEGEP (and only my CEGEP) in English, I had to take the French test (twice, not because I failed, but because I switched universities)...

[osmosis]

can anyone comment on the level of french required at uOttawa vs Quebec schools? are the requirements the same in terms of proficiency?

[future_doc]

To my knowledge, there is no French test but they interview you in French I believe. So, if you are able to understand French and speak it, you are good to go.

 

Perhaps someone in the French stream can comment and let us know if exams must be written in French.

[Robin Hood]

I'm an IP, francophone, but because I did my CEGEP (and only my CEGEP) in English, I had to take the French test (twice, not because I failed, but because I switched universities)...

 

Because you didn't do the épreuve uniforme de français, which is effin hard.

[future_doc]

Strange, indeed. My understanding is that if you did h.s. in French (not French immersion), then you are exempt from the French test.

[Robin Hood]

Strange, indeed. My understanding is that if you did h.s. in French (not French immersion), then you are exempt from the French test.

 

UdeM (and I think other univ) website state that you're exempted from the test de francais international if you took the épreuve.

[future_doc]

What is the épreuve?

[Karma]

It's the french test that you do in the end of your cegep in the french cegeps in order to get your DEC.

[future_doc]

Thank you, Karma.

[osmosis]

To my knowledge, there is no French test but they interview you in French I believe. So, if you are able to understand French and speak it, you are good to go.

 

Perhaps someone in the French stream can comment and let us know if exams must be written in French.

 

thanks. i appreciate the answer.

[future_doc]

thanks. i appreciate the answer.

 

And there you go to complete my answer.

 

The CNFS stream is part of the French stream (ie you would be in the French class & all your practical exams, rotations, etc., would be in French). You need to actually be proficient in the language, and the interview will be conducted in French, asides from maybe a question or two to prove you can speak English.

[a1b1]

Maybe i misred, but i remember reading on a thread somewhere in the french forums that you also had to complete a french exam at the end of your MD in order to get your degree, is this also true?

[justletmein]

Maybe i misred, but i remember reading on a thread somewhere in the french forums that you also had to complete a french exam at the end of your MD in order to get your degree, is this also true?

 

Not true.

 

At Laval however, passing the french test is not a requirement for admission, so if you fail you must take classes, and in that case yes you must pass the exam in order to graduate.

[future_doc]

At Laval however, passing the french test is not a requirement for admission, so if you fail you must take classes, and in that case yes you must pass the exam in order to graduate.

 

Are you sure of this. I had thought that all 3 French speaking Quebec med schools had the identical requirement.

[Maxime]

This is true in Sherbrooke (I know a couple of people who passed it, not all on the first try). You will need to pass a french exam before obtaining your Quebec medical license if you're graduating from McGill, and wishing to work in Qc (unless you passed the CEGEP french test)

[Readinglevelup]

Université de Moncton has a test de classement. We have to take a test which is divided in three parts. Depending on what you get, you need to either take no extra French class, 1 or 2. It's all on the computer and you have 30-40 each part. I did it and it was hard. Not many people were able to exempt the classes, actually. I needed to take one. It was pretty even between those who had one or two classes.

 

To be honest, the only reason I really had to take the extra class is because where I live, our French is terrible. It's our first language, but if we compare it to actual French, it's not good at all. Although, I could have studied for the exam more than I did. It's not that bad, it's just that the French courses hurt my GPA and my Score-Z. I ended up being unlucky and got into a class where most of the students are like 20+ year old students from Quebec with plenty of time on their hands.

[deeman101]

According to an english classmate who took the test you needed 90% to pass at UdeM on it. A lot of people in my class failed that test even though they are perfectly bilingual.

 

This is true in Sherbrooke (I know a couple of people who passed it, not all on the first try). You will need to pass a french exam before obtaining your Quebec medical license if you're graduating from McGill, and wishing to work in Qc (unless you passed the CEGEP french test)

 

Yea the College de Medecins wants physicians of Quebec to do a test if they didn't do French in HS. If they did French in HS they're exempt from it. Which is a lifesaver for all those english classmates that failed the UdeM test.

 

You're still allowed to do a residency at McGill without any French knowledge. I know a few R1's from McGill med and other med schools like that.

[Maxime]

Yeah, you can do residency without knowing a word of French. It's only for the CMQ license. Your free to go if you want to work elsewhere.

[future_doc]

which explains the limited no. of OOP spots available at McGill. I would imagine the Quebec govt considers the subsidization of non-Quebec students, OOPs, a necessary evil and effictively, money down the drain (in the sense that they get no bang for the buck), i.e., the English speakers with no French run back home to another province and do not practice in Quebec, even if they wanted to, due to the French test.

[deeman101]

which explains the limited no. of OOP spots available at McGill. I would imagine the Quebec govt considers the subsidization of non-Quebec students, OOPs, a necessary evil and effictively, money down the drain (in the sense that they get no bang for the buck), i.e., the English speakers with no French run back home to another province and do not practice in Quebec, even if they wanted to, due to the French test.

 

Well they don't help that trend by making the French test for anglophones so hard! Give us the francophone test and we'll think about staying.

[future_doc]

I'm sure they do it on purpose.

 

And if you did stay, you have to educate your children in French.