Guest mdwannabe Posted May 12, 2001 Report Share Posted May 12, 2001 I really need some help here....here is my scenario: MCAT: 9V,11PS, 13BS and N-essay GPA: 3.96 Here are my 3 concerns: 1) Now my mcat 'essays' were really really bad, but I get panic attacks just at the possible thought of retaking it...Please could someone tell me if that 'N' would be an application killer? do i need to take it again??? 2) My first year I only took 4.5 courses as opposed to the full 5 courses....another nail in the coffin??? 3) after two years, I took a year off to volunteer in a missionary work in a third world country...do adcoms hate people taking a year off in between?? COULD SOMEONE PROVIDE SOME INPUT?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guy Posted May 12, 2001 Report Share Posted May 12, 2001 Where are you from...Mars? Buddy, your credentials are excellent for numerous schools. As far as your "year off", I think the admirable activity that you partook in justifies this. Your personal essays can be used to explain the contribution to your pursuit of a medical career that this (and other) experiences had - as well as give you an opportunity to explain your decision to take the year off. The only thing you should work on is your overall approach to applying. Don't be so anal-retentive and frantic about the small discrepencies to otherwise fantastic credentials. There is no absolutely PERFECT application (or applicant), contrary to popular belief. Just focus on your positive attributes and utilize these from applications to interviews. Best of luck to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest J Posted May 12, 2001 Report Share Posted May 12, 2001 I don't think any school (Canadian or American) other than Western cares if you have an N in the writing sample... or at least very few. As for a non-full course load in one year, I only know how it works in Ontario... U of T will just count all your courses rather than using a special weighting formula. Mac requires three full years, so it's only a problem if you're a third year student. And Ottawa and Queen's just need a full course load in your final year I believe (should check that with them, though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MDWannabe Posted May 13, 2001 Report Share Posted May 13, 2001 thanks for your replies...and 'GUY' you are right maybe i am a bit too anal retentive by being this over anxious...but it is just that when you feel that you are so close in getting in and then all of a sudden a few factors could jeapordize your admission, then one seems to get a bit deppresed...I am happy that you didn't overly criticize me because of the 3.96 GPA, since usually I get a lot of flak for seeming too proud when i state the gpa...but only i know that I am very very very average in intelligence and that I had to work my ass off to pull the marks....once again thank you for your input and i will definitely try to use the application to explain my year absence. also, thanx to you J for your input...however unfortunately my "N' on essays and my '9' in verbal reasoning will make me ineligible for the first round cut-off for western and queens respectively.... I would definitely love some more inputs on this matter (as the advice so far has been great)....also if anyone knows any US school that they would personally recommend that are relatively receptive to candadian students, that would be great too... Once again thank you for all your extremely valuable inputs.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest anon Posted May 13, 2001 Report Share Posted May 13, 2001 Hey man, i got similar MCAT marks as you (9V, 12P, 13B and Q) and i am rewriting it this year. I figure you have nothing to lose if you rewrite, your science sections are not likely to drop and even if they do you will still probably get more than a 9 on them and so you will make all the science cutoffs. If anything, your verbal or writing might go up and then you would qualify for Queens and Western. Just a suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MDWannabe Posted May 13, 2001 Report Share Posted May 13, 2001 Hey anon, Q is a very hard mark to get and it seems to be the minimum with western....isn't it a risk to take Mcat again just to add one more point to one section(VR)....man oh man...this mcat thing is a real pain!!! I am still waiting for Ian Wong to reply to my post because as I read some of the things on this website I recall him telling that one of his friends did really bad on the writing section and retook it...I was just wondering, if, in retrospect,that was necessary or is he(the friend) glad he took it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest anon Posted May 13, 2001 Report Share Posted May 13, 2001 Yes, my writing mark (Q) may go down; however, as it stands i have no chance of getting into Queens or Western so there is no benefit to keeping my marks. The cutoff for T.O. is an N and i do not forsee my writing mark to drop that low. Therefore, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by retaking as I may get a 10 on Verbal qualifying me for Queens and possibly Western as well provided the Q does not go down. Hope this helps in your decision making. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MDWannabe Posted May 13, 2001 Report Share Posted May 13, 2001 Hey annon, are you sure you will not get into western, uoft etc...? do you mind sharing your gpa and if you have considered applying to us schools?...if this is too personal to share, you don't have to reply to this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted May 14, 2001 Report Share Posted May 14, 2001 That slightly under than a full courseload transcript probably won't be a problem. It would have been if you'd been that way throughout all four years, but as such, I don't think it will be a problem. Check the med school web-sites if you are still nervous. If you are an Ontario resident, then re-taking the MCAT might not be a bad idea (although if you were a BC resident, that would be patently stupid, as you are allowed one mark of 7 or greater), because it increases your eligibility thanks to the high Ontario MCAT cut-offs. I haven't read too closely through the thread, because I simply don't have a lot of time right now, but I assume that you've already applied? If so, what have you been hearing from the med schools? Have you snagged several interviews? I assume you have from the numbers that you've posted. Finally, I don't know how my friend is this year. Realistically, had he not written the MCAT's over (he had a VR 6 initially), he wouldn't have been able to apply anyway, so re-writing was his only option. I think I've mentioned how there's a guy in our class who wrote the MCAT 4 times because of a sucky VR mark, and he's in Med 2 now, and is going to be one hell of a doctor. Ian UBC, MS2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MDWannabe Posted May 14, 2001 Report Share Posted May 14, 2001 Actually...since I took the year off going to the Developing country, I will only be officially eligible to apply this year to med schools...thanx for your reply Ian, and it is just that I am scared to take a risk and do the mcat, thereby potentially lowering my VR score...because to be honest I didn't get even an 8 in any of my practic tests...what is your opinion though...do you think with an N and 9VR, I should take it this summer?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted May 14, 2001 Report Share Posted May 14, 2001 If you have the time to invest this summer, and are confident that you can pull up both marks, doing so would make you eligible for more of the Ontario med schools. It's a tough call, especially if you had plans to do something else that would strengthen your application. The important question is: where do you see yourself going to med school, and will your MCAT mark hinder you in appying to those places. If so, then your choice is pretty clear. Ian UBC, MS2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yvr Posted May 15, 2001 Report Share Posted May 15, 2001 Oh, I know how much of a rut you must feel like you are in. I think your marks are incredible. The N is the only worrisome area. But if you are applying to UBC (example), I don't think you will have a problem at all. My numeric sum was less than yours, my writing was O (first time was Q but I hardly practiced this section for my second try), and I have just been accepted to UBC. Remember also that MAC and Ottawa don't need MCAT's. And Ottawa will love your 3.96. For US schools, few take Cdn kids -- mostly the private high-profile schools do though. Try Johns hopkins, Stanford, the big names. I got invited for New York Medical College (1 of 3 schools that I applied to), which I am positive you will get interviewed for. Didn't go though, too expensive to make the trip. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MDWannabe Posted May 15, 2001 Report Share Posted May 15, 2001 thanks a lot yvr...i feel much better now...i am definitely looking at US med schools as well.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yvr Posted May 17, 2001 Report Share Posted May 17, 2001 make sure you apply really early (they use rolling admissions) and that you really check out which schools will take Cdns before you apply. Otherwise you just waste a ton of money. Have fun! Don't give up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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