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Je suis currenlty faire un post-doc à la Harvard Medical School et je déteste vivre à Boston. Je veux sortir de la science et de faire l'école de médecine. Je suis résident du Québec, mais mon français parlé est très pauvre. Comment bien doit être mon français pour demander école de médecine de l'U de M? En outre, je ne suis jamais allé au un CEGEP et ça a été un moment depuis que mes études. Qu'est-ce catagory cela me mettre en? Devrais-je même pas la peine?

 

Merci à tous. Aussi, ne pas quitter Montréal, il me manque tellement.

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Je suis currenlty faire un post-doc à la Harvard Medical School et je déteste vivre à Boston. Je veux sortir de la science et de faire l'école de médecine. Je suis résident du Québec, mais mon français parlé est très pauvre. Comment bien doit être mon français pour demander école de médecine de l'U de M? En outre, je ne suis jamais allé au un CEGEP et ça a été un moment depuis que mes études. Qu'est-ce catagory cela me mettre en? Devrais-je même pas la peine?

 

Merci à tous. Aussi, ne pas quitter Montréal, il me manque tellement.

 

You still can apply to McGill.

You can take French courses to improve your language skills, but learning French is not easy, neither is getting As.

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I got the As, thus the Harvard thing. The grads won't be the issue. I just need to know HOW good my French must be for U de M.

 

For the students who did not do their high school in French they are required to pass a French exam (dunno the name). Your application will be rejected if you do not meet the passing grade which I heard was very high. I did not have to do that exam myself but maybe others on the forum can tell you how doable it is. You will definitely need to take some french grammar classes.

 

EDIT: so it's called Test de français International (TFI) and applicants need 850/990.

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Hi thechemist,

I did the TFI test (but I'm allophone, not anglophone). You don't need to speak for the test (but you'll need to speak at the MMI!!). the test is quite long and focus on some vocabulary/grammar questions, and then written and listening comprehension (there is a writing part at the end, but doesn't count for the TFI test, it's just for "statistical" purposes). If your French is good the test is easy, but you need to be quick as you hear the listening part only once and the time for the reading comprehension is quite short. You can practice taking some french lessons, listening to TV/audiobooks in French, reading stuff in French.

I suggest you get this book at the library (or you can buy it online). there are examples of questions and a CD, like a mini TFI, I found it very useful to understand what the test was like.

 

Le Guide de préparation au Test de français international, publié en 2010 par ETS Canada, donne des conseils pour se préparer au test; il comprend un mini-test et un test complet.

 

However, if you have a PhD already I would strongly suggest you consider applying at Université Laval, because there are 8 spots reserved for PhD candidates, while UdeM doesn't like PhD candidates and it's really difficult to get in with a PhD (they take max 1 or 2 people with PhD per year).

 

Let me know if you have other questions and good luck with your applications!

 

PS Probably Robin Hood is right, you should try McGill first!

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Hello thechemist,

 

What about French tables? Institutions in Southern New England and Greater NYC are probably the best places to have high-caliber groups to converse in French, even some related to biological and biomedical sciences. Twice a week for an hour will get you started. It worked for me despite 10 years outside QC, majority in the States. You could look if you are allowed to audit a French class during the fall semester. Be aware that beginner-level French at Harvard or similar prestigious institutions tend to be quite intense (i.e. every day of the week for ~1h for the semester).

 

Do you hold your Ph.D. (or B.Sc. for that matter) from a IVY+ or related? While a post-doc in an awesome lab in an awesome institution is great, holding a degree from a top U.S. school is definitely well-liked in Canada. As a Canadian and especially as a QC resident, this implies that you chose a less traditional path than normal (i.e. doing only postdoctoral work in the States), with stellar GPA, at least 2 tough entrance exams (GRE general and GRE subject), several interviews (usually 6-8 different 30 min. interviews per graduate program), more competitive atmosphere with more pressure and expectations than typically found in Canada, and often more cutting-edge research (there are bad labs too of course! and some very wealthy labs in Canada too!). In your case, as an IP, I am pretty sure McGill would "appreciate" such a degree and I have no doubts Montreal and other French schools would too.

 

It is definitely worth applying to Laval given the number of higher number of possible slots for Ph.D. holders (up to 8). I would slightly disagree that Montreal does not like Ph.D. candidates. However it is true that you need to be a "stellar" candidate grade-, research-, and communication-wise given their very limited spots for that school.

 

McGill is your best bet but you should try to apply elsewhere and do the MCAT if needed. If your research portfolio is great (papers, funding, influential people for graduate and postdoc work), consider schools with graduate packages like Toronto. Definitely apply to the French programs too, you would be surprised how quick you could be fluent enough to do the MMIs and you might get surprised in the end.

 

Good luck with the application process.

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Thanks for that great advice. To answer your question, my PhD was at McGill, so it's ivy leagueish, at least for Canada. This is what got me my Quebec residency though, which is very important to me.

 

Although applying to Laval and U of T would increase my chances, I am afraid that circumstances will only allow me to apply within Montreal.

 

Thanks again, I believe that I will begin taking part in French meet-ups immediately and perhaps I'll audit some French classes her in the fall.

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