Guest Gina Posted February 27, 2001 Report Share Posted February 27, 2001 Do all med schools in Canada interview BSc students with high GPA and MCAT scores? Or, are there some who will not accept anyone without their undergrad degree completed... If so, which schools consider looking at second and third year students? The only ones I know are U of A & U of C. Thanks, Gina first year student!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Random Posted February 27, 2001 Report Share Posted February 27, 2001 Do you really want to rush into medical school right after your undergrad degree? Most schools admit with an average age of 26 for a reason - they are not just looking for marks. Don't get me wrong, marks are a big part of it - there's much more. I apologize if you are an older student in undergrad - this reply is geared towards those younger people who are in a rush to get into something they need exposure to (most cases, not everybody). Just trying to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jase Posted February 27, 2001 Report Share Posted February 27, 2001 This is just my opinion. There seems to be a lot of talk about younger applicants trying to get in so early. True, a lot of these younger applicants may not know whether medicine is for them. But for older applicants to simply shrug off younger, 2nd and 3rd year undergrads, that is not right. Some of us actually know that medicine is what we want to do. And we really do indeed try hard to achieve it. Remember: Medical schools want mature people in their class, not necessarily older. Imagine a class of 26 year olds who lack the maturity and responsibilities that one would expect 26 year olds to have. Regardless if you are only 20 or 21, what really matters is whether you are able to convey your maturity. Another thought: it's just my opinion, but perhaps why older applicants have a better chance in the interview room is because they carry themselves better and are able to appear more mature. I know older people in med school who are just as immature as first year students in bachelor programs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Can MBA Posted February 27, 2001 Report Share Posted February 27, 2001 Hi, Just to add some dimension to this discussion, let's contrast the Canadian system to that of the UK. In Scotland (where I'm from, and where most of my rellies live) I have a good friend, as well as two cousins who graduated from, or are in the throes of, the U. Glasgow medical programme. All three of these people found out at the age of SIXTEEN that they had gained admission to medical school. Granted, they were not permitted enrollment until they had reached the age of 17. Thus, it is at the age of 22 (most medical programs in the UK do not require prior undergraduate study, i.e., you matriculate straight from high school, and are of a five year duration), that the majority of newly-minted doctors enter the UK workforce. Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jase Posted February 27, 2001 Report Share Posted February 27, 2001 Good point, Kristen. A line must be drawn between simply being too immature and being able to carry oneself when practising medicine. People who have completed 2 or 3 years of undergrad (bachelors) will be well beyond the age of 22 when they graduate from MD (assuming they are accepted at 20 or 21 in to the program). Just a side note: I think that the North American system DOES produce better doctors simply because we're older and are better able to provide care with a deeper understanding, both in terms of the science and in terms of our interactions with others on a personal level. But the argument that we should be even older (24+ or whatever) to be a "good" applicant is not logically sound. I know one specialist who got in after 3 years of undergrad. He is a young doctor, but he is, indeed, a fantastic guy and physician to talk to. You really have to look at it on a case-by-case basis. To reiterate, in comparison to the UK (also the HK or Australian) system, kids shouldn't really be allowed into medical school. In first year of my bachelors degree, I was really a brat. If I were in the UK, I might be in medical school. That's simply too much responsibility at that age. But in the last several years, I have changed a lot and have become more mature. (That is not to say my development has reached its potential!) But right now, I do feel ready for medicine because this is what I want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tones Posted February 27, 2001 Report Share Posted February 27, 2001 Here's my two cents- Maturity should definitely take precedenec over age. I still say that age, however, is a better indication of whether or not someone is mature. Applying at an older age always adds more experience to someone's personality and life in general. Attitudes are refined and a general sense of wisdom is fine-tuned. I think the references to people who are immature at 26 etc. are just anomalies. There are outliers for everything. One must remember that these are NOT the majority. There is definitely a correlation between age and maturity. As for those "youngsters" who know that medicine is. Well, I'm relatively young so I guess I would fall into this category. But I can't even decide what toothpaste to buy, how on earth can one know that medicine is truly for them? I "THINK" it is; whether I "KNOW" is another story. I'm pursuing medicine because I think it's meant for me. I think whether or not I get in will prove whether I had known it was meant to be... sorry to be so philosophical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeff Posted February 28, 2001 Report Share Posted February 28, 2001 I think only the Alberta schools (Alberta and Calgary) interview second year applicants. The rest of the med schools in Canada(except for McGill, which needs 4 years) require at least 3 years of undergrad before admitting you. I'm not sure about the overall numbers for all the schools combined, but I believe that over one third of the first year class at U of T meds entered after 3 years of undergrad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gina Posted February 28, 2001 Report Share Posted February 28, 2001 Wow, I didn't know I'd start such a hot debate when I asked my question... I think it's really interesting that UK schools are willing to take such young students, while age seems to be a determining factor here. Actually, tonight I met someone who told me he felt his higher age was a detriment to him. He said being older probably worked *against* him because interviewers most likely viewed him as having a short career in relation to someone who was around 22. I guess no one really knows if age is a benefit or not, aside from the interviewers. Honestly, I do *not* think maturity comes with age... and I'm not really sure that maturity comes through in the interview either. Anyone smart enough to get the marks and MCAT score for an interview is going to realize that they had better put on their best face for the hour or so... A friend of mine just got into Dent in Manitoba, and truly she's a 22 year old "child"... but she sure hid that in the interview!! Anyway, I guess the reason I was asking about 2 or 3 year acceptance is that Med school itself is a huge sacrifice... Just getting in takes 130% effort!! I've missed friend's birthdays, etc studying, but it's worth it because I know that it's what I truly want to do. If I'm lucky enough to get in, it's 7 more years of a crazy schedule... It's weird to say this, but I do want to get married, etc and have a family, but no kids in that 7 year stretch... too hectic... The sooner I get in, the younger I'll be to start a family. As a child with older parents, I personally feel that I missed out on a few things having a mom in her 40's while I was little... so in my opinion an early admittance could make things a little easier... Anyway, I guess you can't really calculate a whole future like that, but it'd be nice if things work out that way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted February 28, 2001 Report Share Posted February 28, 2001 I entered UBC med after third year of undergrad, along with another 8-10 people (I don't think the official UBC med stats are completely accurate). I can see the argument from both sides. To a man, I'm running through the mental list of all the students I know who would fall into the 26+ yrs. category, and they are all extremely realistic, and well-grounded. The same cannot be said for everyone in the younger categories. However, the vast majority of the younger crowd has gone through a lot of experiences, and deal well with other people; it just isn't completely uniform as it is with the "older crowd." There are a small number of people in my class who I don't think really appreciate the gravity of what it is we are training to do. However, for those people, I don't think I've seen a marked change in their outlook since Sept. 1999, so I wouldn't say that having a few extra years past university would necessarily change things. The bottom line for me is that if you think you are ready, then give the application a shot and toss your hat into the ring like everybody else. I have a friend who was accepted into med school, and then declined the invitation in order to take a year off for travelling. Sounds crazy? Perhaps, but for her, it was very important to have that time away from school to refocus her energy. For myself, I also had the option to decline an invitation to UBC, but chose not to do it. If I were to do it again, I would still enter med school after third year, but that's because I thought I was ready. You'll have to decide what's most important to you. Ian Can, MS2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Random Posted March 1, 2001 Report Share Posted March 1, 2001 There's a reason why Ian is the guy who runs this site - he couldn't have interpreted my initial response to this topic any better. Ian's observation regarding the demographics of older medical students couldn't be any more accurate. He does make a valid point, however, regarding the lack of uniformity in the younger crowd. You're right Ian, some people always ruin it for others and then they get labelled. So, I apologize... It is maturity, not age. For some it comes earlier, for some it never comes. Good to see guys like Ian out there who can look back on a strong decision and be happy that it was the right one. Hopefully we can all say the same one day soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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