A Question for all

[Guest Nerdy Now]

Hi there

 

I have a little problem and I was wondering if I could bother all of you for your always excellent advice. Here it is: I completed one bachelor degree with horrible marks (too much hooch and partying) my gpa finished around 2.85. I then worked for two years (crappy jobs to go with the crappy GPA and major poli sci) I decided I had to do something with this sorry situation I was in so I enrolled for a second bachelor degree (Bsc physiology, Biology) and wow the marks were and are great. Its like I'm a different person. I ended up getting a 97 in first year bio 100 in calculus, 98 in chem,94 in orgo etc etc. Its like I was born for science and I love it. My GPA is 4.0 and I have done funded research for two summers, lots of volunteering, varsity sports etc, very strong MCAT. Now my question is will they just ding me because of the first B.A. or look more closely at the Bsc with the 4.0. Secondly if by some miracle I do get interviews how should I explain my early years, I dont think "I was busy drinking and stinking will go over well!!!"

 

Thanks alot everyone for the good advice and for those people in high school entering university remember dont treat things like a party realize your full potential instead of getting caught up in the "drama" of being with new friends away from home and a cheap alcohol outlet 10 feet away from the dorm. remember its your future!

 

Cheers Tim

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Not at Western, as far as I know. The last few years evaluation has been based on your BEST year and your LAST year.

 

Good Luck.

[Guest Ian Wong]

Hi Tim,

 

I would check directly with the med schools themselves, and see how they approach people who are doing a second degree following a poor first degree. Clearly, as you've already acknowledged, your first degree isn't too inspiring, but I personally don't know how most med schools (or even UBC for that matter) looks at a student who has improved as dramatically as you have in the second degree.

 

There are links to each med school at the top of that med school's forum here. Best of luck!

 

Ian

UBC, Med 3

[Guest bad hombre]

hey dude i think it's cool that you had fun in your early college years and have now matured. i think that's a huge plus cause you can show personal growth (or something along those lines) to the admissions people. BUT just the fact that you had fun and lived a little, i respect that. a lot. good luck with all this. oh, and since you've done a second bachelors and have improved since your first one i think you should be okay. atleast i hope so. cheers

the bad hombre

[Guest Shellybelly]

Hey Tim

 

Dont sweat it man with marks like that you are in! Western only looks at your recent degree, MAC loves to see improvement and life experience, UofT will love those marks (they will look at your recent degree rather than average the entire record, b/c the same thing happened to a friend of mine and she got in)! So go for it

 

BTW Bad hombre I totally know what you are saying about med school students. All of the ones I have met are pompus arrogant asswipes, and I have met alot. Its so funny how these jerks get in, the system of evaluation is totally screwed up. They really look for people who are hyper competitive and very aggressive (ie love national sports, overtaking and bullying every student organization to become leaders in them) I think these are the people who will make the worst doctors. And I really am speaking objectively not bitterly because I am in UofT med school and before applying I went to all the ontario schools to check out the students, sit in on lectures and talk to people there. I must admit MAC was probably the friendliest place with the most helpful and sincere people. Queens was downright scary, its like the biggest jock strap thugs and bitchy popular snob girls from high school were transported right into the med school. Wow I cant believe what gets in. Its scary what will be the future's doctors!

 

Good luck again Tim, you will rock dude!

[Guest bad hombre]

Hey Shellybelly,

 

Yeah, if you're in first year and sat at the 1st year meds classes here at Queen's, you may have been surprised at some of the students. They say the current second years are pretty messed up and that they all hate each other. No one's sure what they were thinking when these people got picked. That's just what I've heard from current first years.

 

What you did was a really good idea though, checking all the schools out... what made you decide on U of T?

 

Sorry if this is getting off topic Tim, but honestly, you have nothing to worry about 8)

[Guest shellybelly]

To be honest with you I really wanted to go to MAC, I think the school was the best, but as the song says "you cant always get what you want" I was having a hard time deciding between Western and UofT but ultimatley chose UofT because I am kinda excited about maybe entering into the MD Phd stream and UofT affords a person interested in that area a load of opportunity. Ottawa dinged me and Queens... well, I wouldn't wish that freakshow on anyone. It was really weird because I was nothing spectacular ,my grades were average actually really below average (somewhere like 3.6) and my mcat was average I did some extra ciric but nothing outstanding, I dont really know how I got so lucky. As for how UofT is, you are right there are a lot of keeners who really dont want to help you out because they believe that may lessen them somehow. I would expect this in a MBA program but med school? I thought we were trained to be healers and helpers, all I see is heathens and vultures. This is not a stereotype or by any means representative of all oriental people but quite a few got in at uoft 1 med and these people are really out for themselves, its tough to ask them for anything because they will blantently ignore you or lie and give you the wrong info. I have tried this with several of them and its all the same situation. Its unfortunate because they make up a big portion of the class. Again by no means is this a generalization, I know tons of asians who are the best but the ones in Med1 are "interesting"

 

Bad Hombre I apologize, I dont know your status with med school but if you need any help,advice about the interview process, questions asked, essays or anything at all, let me know cause I think its important to lend a hand , I just never want to turn into those evil,scary med students!

 

Take care Shellybelly

[Guest RAK2005]

Wow, you must have really had a "interesting" experience at your class sit-in at Queen's. I can only speak for my class (the 1st years), but WE have a really great group of folks here, and I have been totally appreciative of how nice, helpful and sociable my classmates are... as for the 2nd years, I'll let Strider2004 talk more about that, although the folks I've met in upper years have been nice.

 

Sorry, but I'd hate to have Queen's made to look like a freakshow, when it really is a good place to get a medical degree.

[Guest QUEENSHATERTOO]

under the post what makes a successfull applicant, I am a queens undergrad and all the stuff posted about them isd true they are jerks. I asked about 15 (on seperate occasions) med students if they wouldn't mind taking a few minutes to answer a few questions about applying. I got a range of answers from get a life to you'll never get in so dont worry about it.

 

Not too classy, so keep walking down the halls with your nose up in the air, but us undergrads are coming and we will show no mercy baby!!!!

 

BTW tim you are a bloody genius! That was the smartest move to go back for that degree, rock on bro, you are tour unofficial mascot!

 

Cheers

[Guest RAK2005]

Well, I did read Bad Hombre's comment, and all I can say is that I hope the other people you meet from Queen's are less snobby. I'd be pretty pissed off if someone told me to "get a life" while trying to get some information off of them. That being said, I sure as hell wouldn't walk around with my nose in the air... why in the world would you ? We are undergrads like everyone else. If people in meds think they're hot stuff now, wait until the future i.e. clerkship, CaRMS, residency. There are lots of folk higher up on the ladder than med students.

 

I am sorry to hear that you guys have had a few (or many ) people act rudely to you. I have had a few Life Sci people talk to me about routes to medicine and I was really glad to help them out. Hence why I post here (not to mention the other moderators).

 

Anyways, I'm supposed to be studying, so enough with the procrastination!!

[Guest MacMedz]

You know, even though you hate Queens, you still would lick ass to get into ANY med school in Ontario. Suck it up, and get tough. If you can't handle the a*sholes in medicine BEFORE you get in, you'll be screwed when you actually are in meds (IF you even get in). Take it from me, I know.

[Guest Ian Wong]

Heya,

 

This thread will get closed if it continues to degenerate into a squabble between people, which would be a shame since it's otherwise a good motivational thread. The only rule here is: <!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Be nice!<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->. I don't care if you post about poor experiences you've had with med students at Queens, or anywhere else for that matter. If you've got negative feelings towards a school, here's a place to let us know how you feel. However, personal attacks will NOT be tolerated, but reasonable discussion will.

 

Thanks all,

 

Ian

UBC, Med 3

[Guest HateQueens]

Thanks for proving the scum in med schools! Your post is perfect!

[Guest Ian Wong]

And that's the ball game...

 

Ian

UBC, Med 3