crystals Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Hello! I am new to this forum and nice to meet you all! Lately, since it's the hot period for CEGEP applicants, I have been hesitating a lot whether I should apply to med school at McGill or not: mainly due to my very low R-score. Honestly, I have a R-Score of 30 which is waaaay below the usual cut-off of 32. That makes me pretty depressed because I really want to apply to med school, and due to my bad grades in my first semester .. I think I will not be able to. But on the other hand, I can justify my situation by explaining my family problems and other difficulties I had to experience previously. I have been telling myself continuously that I should apply to leave no regret behind me, but the more I think about it, the less I feel I should even take a chance since so many people with higher r-scores (32 -ish) are already panicking. I have also been told that McGill do consider your extra-curricular activities. Personally, I have been volunteering at different places since grade 7; currently, I am also involved in other activities (club exec., competition, etc.). Right now, I have started to work on the elements of application, but every time I think about my grades, I simply lose confidence... I actually find myself pretty funny just for the thought of applying to med-school with such grades. What do you guys/girls think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samy Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Hey Crystals, I'm really sorry for you, but a R-score of 30.XXX will not be enough to have a chance this time. Regarding to me, getting in with 31.97 was a miracle for the person who did it last year. Still, you can get into med school by doing an undergrad (3 years) in the subject of your choice and by having good marks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corie Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 If your 2nd 3rd semester grades are amazing and shows a steep upward trend, you may have a chance. From my understanding of your post, you said only your first semester grades you can potentially explain. I'm sorry 30 falls much below the cutoff at 34. The lowest mcgill interviewed was 32.1 (2009-2010 cycle) I think. The lowest CRC accepted was 32.5 I think. These stats are all posted on McGill's website. If you do decide to apply, at the end of the application cycle, it'll be a great learning experience. Doing an undergrad isn't a bad thing. Work hard - its all about determination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystals Posted February 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 thanks for your replies Like you said, applying anyway might be a good learning experience. Perhaps I'll try either way, nothing to lose really (except money ^^). On the other hand, is it true that it's much harder to get accepted to med school after doing an undergrad (since you are competing against other university students with same or higher degrees)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 It's hard to get into med school period at any time, so many qualified applicants who would make excellent pysicians are turned away every year. Unfortunately, it is a numbers game and everything depends upuon the pool of the candidates in a given year and how you market what you have, assuming you are competitive. All you can do is your very best, become a well ro unded active citizen with the traits med schools are seeking, and no regrets. In doing an undergrad, you will become more mature and a better candidate. Select with care the university where you will study and the program, ensure it is something you will enjoy, have a strong work ethic and best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corie Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Future_doc's post above provides good guidence for now. It is more difficult but if you work hard at university not because of anything to do with degree but the simple fact that there are more people applying. I think it's much harder to get a 34 CRC than a 3.5 GPA in university. Work hard to get the highest GPA you can, and discover yourself through extracurriculars. It is unlikely with a 30 CRC but knowing about the personal narrative letter you'd have to write 3 years down the road would help you then. Good luck!! thanks for your replies Like you said, applying anyway might be a good learning experience. Perhaps I'll try either way, nothing to lose really (except money ^^). On the other hand, is it true that it's much harder to get accepted to med school after doing an undergrad (since you are competing against other university students with same or higher degrees)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shouldieventry Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Hello! I am new to this forum and nice to meet you all! Lately, since it's the hot period for CEGEP applicants, I have been hesitating a lot whether I should apply to med school at McGill or not: mainly due to my very low R-score. Honestly, I have a R-Score of 30 which is waaaay below the usual cut-off of 32. That makes me pretty depressed because I really want to apply to med school, and due to my bad grades in my first semester .. I think I will not be able to. But on the other hand, I can justify my situation by explaining my family problems and other difficulties I had to experience previously. I have been telling myself continuously that I should apply to leave no regret behind me, but the more I think about it, the less I feel I should even take a chance since so many people with higher r-scores (32 -ish) are already panicking. I have also been told that McGill do consider your extra-curricular activities. Personally, I have been volunteering at different places since grade 7; currently, I am also involved in other activities (club exec., competition, etc.). Right now, I have started to work on the elements of application, but every time I think about my grades, I simply lose confidence... I actually find myself pretty funny just for the thought of applying to med-school with such grades. What do you guys/girls think? I agree with Corie. Although your chances are pretty slim, there is no hard cut-off at McGill. The website states that "applicants with R scores below 32.0 are rarely considered", not that they are never considered. You probably should explain why you got those low grades during your first semester, and if the rest of your grades are good, who knows, you might be the one exception that year! That said, be realistic, and don't expect an interview this year... But even if you have almost no chance of getting an interview if you apply, all you have to lose is the application fee, and the time you take to prepare the components of your application. Which would not be lost at all I think. The introspection you have to do to write the personal narrative and even the short CV highlights will allow you to know yourself better, and see where you're at in terms of experiences. Then you'll know which aspects you need to work on and it will help you plan your activities during undergrad. I think knowing you did everything you could to get in will also help you turn the page on your cegep grades and focus on your undergrad. Like you said, you will never know if you had a chance if you don't apply, and that might keep you wondering... Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corie Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Just to clarify, I don't think there is much chance. BUT thinking through the application procedure now will help you prepare for this in the future. Good luck! If there's any questions you may have, feel free to ask! Welcome to the forums! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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