Poor First year/Prereq marks

[Guest marker]

I think that this problem may plague a lot of students, and I was curious to the response generated by everyone.

 

Students are told that first year is generally a weeding year, and with the adaptation to the environment of university etc, they often fare poorly. However, they are told that med schools often will overlook first year marks if they have completed 4 years of schooling.

 

The more I look into this, the more this seems to be a lie of sorts. Univesities often weight their prerequisite courses (many falling in first year, such as first year english, organic chem etc.) at a very high percentage (for example, the University of Alberta weighs it at 50% compared to the general GPA of 25%) and so these students who didn't fare too well in their first year at at the short end of the stick.

 

Am I wrong about this? Is there a way around this if a student has fared poorly in their first year studies?

[Guest James]

I know what you mean about marks.

I heard that if you applied after completing your degree and a master's you have better chances of getting into these programs. Or if you upgrade marks afterwards?

Does anyone know if this is true?

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hello there,

 

With respect to UT, it may be the case that you may have a more attractive academic record if you have done poorly in the early undergraduate years and then go on to complete a higher degree. This is the general advice that has been offered by some members of the UT admissions committee in the past.

 

However, don't forget that each school treats the academic portion of the applicant differently. For example, UT uses a weighting system if you have managed to complete 5.0 courses per academic year; Western uses only the best two undergraduate years, etc. Therefore, there is still hope if you manage to slam dunk other undergraduate years.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest strider2004]

Marker,

 

Organic chem is usually taken in 2nd year. English is only required in a couple of schools. Most schools use some kind of cumulative GPA or weight your later years more(like Ottawa).

 

That being said, what do you mean by doing poorly? 50? 60? 70? 80? UofA is different because it looks for younger students. To get in after 2nd year, you better do well in first year.

 

Queens looks at your 4 year average as well as your last 2 years. UWO looks at your last year and your BEST year befor that. If you've done 5 years at UofT, it drops the worst year completely. UOttawa rates the first year only a fraction of the 2nd and 3rd years, as does McGill.

[Guest bossman1818]

Strider

 

Just a question with regards to your statement on the UofA wanting younger students, does that mean that you have a better chance of getting into medical school at the U of A then elsewhere after two - three years of study! (Just wondering if you know first hand)

[Guest MEDCOMPSCI]

I am not sure about getting in after two years anywhere else, but I do know that many third year applicants (at least 50 or so) are accpeted to UofT annually. Also, Western seems to accept quite a few third years as well.

[Guest Ian Wong]

I think having a better chance to get in after 2-3 years is pretty relative. I can't speak for the Ontario med schools, but I know that the western medical schools (basically from Saskatchewan on west-ward) it's an accomplishment to be accepted out of third year, and an absolute rarity to be accepted after second year.

 

I think you should approach the med school application process as one where your best chance to be accepted is when you apply during your fourth year (assuming that you will complete your Bachelor's degree that year).

 

Ian

UBC, Med 3

[Guest strider2004]

I wouldn't say they prefer 2nd year students but they definitely accept them( I know 2 from my high school). I believe that they might have a quota for the number of 2nd year, 3rd year and graduating students that they accept. This I know that they 'tier' the waiting list depending on what year you've completed. Only Calgary and Edmonton accept 2nd year students.

 

Personally, my grades were higher after 3 years than after 4 years. Based on that, I probably had a better chance from a GPA perspective. However, from a personality perspective, that extra year helped me a lot.

[Guest YongQ]

<font color="#880088">Accepted after 2nd year? That's a little crazy, I've never heard of that happening anywhere. In fact, it really almost can't happen because by the end of 2nd year nobody's really done anything yet - 1st and 2nd years are chock full of general science/arts/etc. courses, so you haven't learned anything that special by the end of 2nd year. However, I have heard of a guy accepted after 2 years undergrad, which totally isn't the same thing because he had credits coming into undergrad, and took more than full course loads each term.</font>

[Guest Akane200]

Speaking first hand, I have to say that U of T does accept a high proportion of third year students compared to fourth year students. However, I don't believe that there is a preference. That's just what they select from the applicant pool.

 

Lots of people get in after three years (so few stick around to finish the fourth year of their degrees when we can just opt for a regular BSc). I know one person accepted after second year, but he did a three year degree within that time.

 

As for first year marks, they should be very important because I don't think the courses get any easier later on. In any case, all marks are very important. If you mess up, just do better in the later years to make up for it. It could be harder to make cut offs if you had 50's (for example) in you first year.

[Guest Carse]

In the U of A web-site they say they reserved 29 spots for 2/3 year applicants last year! I personally know two people who got in after their second year, and from what they say they certainly weren't the only ones. I think it is much more difficult to do it at U of C, although still possible. Their web-site states that they accepted only one 2nd-year student and seven 3rd-year students last year, so they definitely don't open up the gates for younger students as much as U of A.

[Guest Ian Wong]

I think the year I applied, I remember looking at the old U of C stats for that year, and possibly the year previous to that one. I remember reading that one year, no second year students were admitted, and the other, only 2 were accepted.

 

It's a rather small world, but it turns out that one of the U of C students accepted after his second year of undergrad (he applied in 1998 and started in 1999) who I heard about through my old room-mate's sister who is also in that class, is a cousin to one of my classmates here at UBC. I also met a med student from U of Alberta this summer who knows this person as well, although they are attending different med schools. Talk about knowing the world through seven people!

 

Ian

UBC, Med 3