For anyone considering a second undergrad

[CEE_]

Hi Loodogg,

 

I am exploring which major to pick for a good GPA for Med school admissions. Any tips or resources you can point me to. What major/courses did you do and would recommend. Which major / courses would you advise against.

 

Thanks

 

Thought I'd make this thread so we can all share the experience of doing a second undergrad to anyone considering it. Into the first few days of my 2nd UG, the biggest thing I notice is the age differences in most of the classes, which really makes you think about the backwardness of this plan. A major change I have noticed is my mind set, since you voluntarily chose to go back and spend the thousands of dollars doing so, I can't help but feel a little more eager to get a high GPA so I won't have any regret after this, especially since I was accepted into an MSc at McGill and chose this option instead. Will keep updating if there is interest, and please if anyone else is starting or finish a 2nd UG share your experience and mindsets as well!

[sirop]

I have a question: how did you all deal with your peers who already seemed have gotten their life started already or are already in medicine? I'm trying my hardest to not let it get to me but it's just tough to see of people you know living out your dream... I know they say it shouldn't matter but I feel as though external pressures are telling me to quit the marathon since I'm at the age to get 'my life started' (and I'm only 23, jeebus.. I'm still young )

[simpy]

I have a question: how did you all deal with your peers who already seemed have gotten their life started already or are already in medicine? I'm trying my hardest to not let it get to me but it's just tough to see of people you know living out your dream... I know they say it shouldn't matter but I feel as though external pressures are telling me to quit the marathon since I'm at the age to get 'my life started' (and I'm only 23, jeebus.. I'm still young )

 

This was one of the hardest parts to be honest. Driving back into Kingston to start my second undergrad at the age of 26 was depressing. It's tough even now in second year meds, just this last week I got a text from a friend telling me she's pregnant. My friends have houses and kids and I'm still in the classroom.

 

I think that if it's what you want though it's worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about my past. You'll probably be working until you're around the age of 70 - that's nearly 50 years from now, and more than twice as long as the entirety of your life so far.

 

It seems strange to give up on that much of your life for a few years of feeling uncomfortable because your peers are succeeding when you're not. That's what I kept reminding myself whenever I felt down about it. And honestly, there are a number of positives to being older as well. People would come to me for life advice all the time and I've been able to make a lot of positive impacts in people's lives by sharing my experience.

[loodogg]

Hi Loodogg,

 

I am exploring which major to pick for a good GPA for Med school admissions. Any tips or resources you can point me to. What major/courses did you do and would recommend. Which major / courses would you advise against.

 

Thanks

 

Hey, I found a huge help was picking classes that are similar to your first undergrad or a topic you know quite well..I can't explain how much easier it is to study material you have seen before even if it was 2-3 years ago it's still not new and will be easier to remember than a whole new field of study. Of course the choice of classes in a second ug will not be so flexible if you want to finish in 2 or so years so keep that in mind too. Also if you can take a degree where you can use credits from your first ug, makes things that much easier for you. And make sure it's something you can see yourself interested in. To do well in every class you'll really need to understand and master the material, something I never did in my first degree as I would just memorize things, so pick a degree you can get into.

I know I tip-toed around giving you a direct degree to take but I don't know anything about you and can't tell you what you'd like or not, we're all different so just pick something interesting and things will work out if you put effort in.

[shaide22]

What degrees did you guys pursue for your second UG?

[Guest CCOP]

First I did a Biology degree and then I concurrently completed a sociology honours.

[NutritionRunner]

What degrees did you guys pursue for your second UG?

 

My first degree was in engineering, my second in nutrition/dietetics.

 

I chose nutrition because it is a subject that I really enjoy (two of my "breadth" electives for my engineering degree were nutrition courses and I did well in them and found the material interesting). Dietetics also provides a secure back-up plan (if you can secure a dietetic internship, which is very competitive in itself - only 30% of applicants for internships were successful in securing one last year in Ontario). I could be very happy working as a registered dietitian for the rest of my career.

 

So that's why I chose nutrition/dietetics. I just hope I'm one of the lucky 30% to successfully find an internship if I don't make it into medical school.

[loodogg]

I am afraid that I gotta agree with Simpy on this Loodogg. It's simply not worth the risk. For example, just even thinking about /spending time on your sixth course takes away precious time and attention that you could be diverting towards your other 5 courses. Your undergrad taking longer than 2 years is a way better option than you getting a less than 3.8 GPA. Let's face it even if you do subpar on a single mid-term, it creates an uphill battle and unnecessary stress. A single B+ can drop your GPA significantly.

2 courses + MCAT is so doable. Studying for MCAT alone gets very boring. But if you have two courses that you're taking, it keeps things fresh. Also you could take courses that are relevant to MCAT content (biochem/genetics etc). I personally worked full time, took a psychology course and studied for MCAT. Even thought it was hard, it was very doable with efficient time management.

Anyway, this is my opinion. In the end it's up to you to choose.

Cheers.

Hey ondansetron, how did the final year of your 2nd ug go? Must feel good to be done! Hope it turned out well.

[ondansetron]

Hey Loodog! I am almost finished!. I still have two more finals to go but it's been relatively decent so far. But yeah it definitely feels very good to be almost done with undergrad hell.

 

Are you done your semester? How did it go for you? Keeping the GPA in the upper range I hope?

 

I personally didn't have any luck with any med schools I applied to, especially when I got my stats back from Calgary, it was a crushing blow. I have an interview coming up for U of A physio, thanks to my last 60 credits, so second degree wasn't a complete waste of time .

 

Did you apply to any med schools this last cycle?

[loodogg]

Hey Loodog! I am almost finished!. I still have two more finals to go but it's been relatively decent so far. But yeah it definitely feels very good to be almost done with undergrad hell.

 

Are you done your semester? How did it go for you? Keeping the GPA in the upper range I hope?

 

I personally didn't have any luck with any med schools I applied to, especially when I got my stats back from Calgary, it was a crushing blow. I have an interview coming up for U of A physio, thanks to my last 60 credits, so second degree wasn't a complete waste of time .

 

Did you apply to any med schools this last cycle?

Good to hear it went well! My year went well too, I finished exams on Saturday and have been getting ready to study for the MCAT since then. I Decided to stick with 6 classes this semester, and thankfully it turned out well, although exam time was really hectic, it was a huge difference having to do 6 exams rather than 5, just made things so much worse.

I didn't apply this cycle, but if I can do well on the MCAT I'll be applying in the fall. So why did you not get an interview at Western or Queens, was it your MCAT holding you back? Good to hear you got the physio interview though, that's awesome.

[ondansetron]

wow! you actually pulled it off! that's amazing! good job.. it must feel great to be done and also the sense of accomplishment should feel great!.

 

when are you scheduled to write the MCAT?

 

I think it was a combination of my MCAT and GPA, my last 60 credit GPA was 3.78 for queens and my MCAT was 30 (10/10/10)Q, so Western definitely wasn't gonna happen even for conditional acceptance. I am also going to write the MCAT again, I am scheduled for August 15th!.

 

I am applying to a lot more schools next year with my second degree finished and last 60 credit GPA of at least 3.9, and hopefully a better MCAT, I will feel a bit more hopeful.

[loodogg]

wow! you actually pulled it off! that's amazing! good job.. it must feel great to be done and also the sense of accomplishment should feel great!.

 

when are you scheduled to write the MCAT?

 

I think it was a combination of my MCAT and GPA, my last 60 credit GPA was 3.78 for queens and my MCAT was 30 (10/10/10)Q, so Western definitely wasn't gonna happen even for conditional acceptance. I am also going to write the MCAT again, I am scheduled for August 15th!.

 

I am applying to a lot more schools next year with my second degree finished and last 60 credit GPA of at least 3.9, and hopefully a better MCAT, I will feel a bit more hopeful.

ha no way, I'm writing the 16th, only 1 day apart! Congrats on the 3.9 though, very solid GPA, good job. How annoying must it be having to re-write the entire mcat just to raise verbal by one or two points, it's a shame cause you have a solid score as is.

[ondansetron]

Yeah I don't know about it being solid man. I am applying to calgary with a cGPA of 3.5 next year and same with U of A. So it definitely needs to be a lot better for me to be able to compensate a bit for that lacking GPA.

 

But that's good! august 16th then? that's plenty of time to study I think! if you stick to a decent schedule you should be good. Are you doing a prep course for it?

[loodogg]

Yeah I don't know about it being solid man. I am applying to calgary with a cGPA of 3.5 next year and same with U of A. So it definitely needs to be a lot better for me to be able to compensate a bit for that lacking GPA.

 

But that's good! august 16th then? that's plenty of time to study I think! if you stick to a decent schedule you should be good. Are you doing a prep course for it?

 

Well I meant solid performance in your 2nd ug, I had no idea what the rest of your years were like. Also with a 3.5 and a strong upwards trend, I would look into the states, it's worth a shot.

 

I'm not taking a course for the mcat, my fist ug was biochem so I have pretty good understanding of the bs/ps, at least I'm familiar with them. I'm just going to study myself this summer and hope for the best. Are you?

[ondansetron]

states is very unlikely for me bc I have multiple re-writes with some horrendous scores on the MCAT plus the 3.5 is after the worst year gets dropped. My cGPA is even worse when its calculated for the states because I am pretty sure no schools drop your worst years or base calculations on last 60 credits etc.

 

From what I have heard, those courses are for people that can't structure their time well and they are expensive as hell, so I am not sure if it's worth it to spend that much money on it when you can work a bit harder and do it yourself. I am not working full time in a lab this summer so i'll have more time to study and no I am not taking a course myself.

[strongshow]

Hey everybody!

 

So I'm in a similar situation, finished my first undergrad with a 3.44, and at the time I wasn't sure that I wanted to go to Medical School, so I am currently pursuing my Master's degree for a Pathologist Assistant. This is a course based program, and since it's right up my alley (and I have my sights set on med school now) I've been getting A's on everything! I'm looking into doing a second degree in Forensics, I know the age thing is going to get to me sooner or later, but reading this thread has me looking positively at the experience!

[maybenow]

Hey 2nd degree'ers, any of you consider the difficulty of you institution before starting over again? For example how possible it was to achieve an 88 or 90 along with your cohort, how much certain schools capped the # of A's they handed out?

 

In particular any Albertans out there? 2nd degreers who did their 2nd undergrads in an Edmonton school? If you're very private please feel free to PM me too.

 

Anyway, thanks for your counsel.

[loodogg]

Hey everybody!

 

So I'm in a similar situation, finished my first undergrad with a 3.44, and at the time I wasn't sure that I wanted to go to Medical School, so I am currently pursuing my Master's degree for a Pathologist Assistant. This is a course based program, and since it's right up my alley (and I have my sights set on med school now) I've been getting A's on everything! I'm looking into doing a second degree in Forensics, I know the age thing is going to get to me sooner or later, but reading this thread has me looking positively at the experience!

 

With a 3.44 you will really benefit from a 2nd degree, a 1-2yr 2nd ug at 3.8-4 gpa each year can bring your cgpa up nicely. With a masters too you can be a good applicant at a bunch of Canadian and American schools, but a 2nd ug should be of higher priority than the masters for the sake of med admissions. You will still have a tough time at schools that look at cgpa in Canada, but there's many options regardless

[loodogg]

Hey 2nd degree'ers, any of you consider the difficulty of you institution before starting over again? For example how possible it was to achieve an 88 or 90 along with your cohort, how much certain schools capped the # of A's they handed out?

 

In particular any Albertans out there? 2nd degreers who did their 2nd undergrads in an Edmonton school? If you're very private please feel free to PM me too.

 

Anyway, thanks for your counsel.

 

I'm doing mine at the same institution I did my 1st ug, and I would highly recommend doing that. You will not have a problem with carrying credits from your first undergrad to your second, and you're generally used to the way things are done since you've already been through the process of obtaining a degree at that institution, which just makes things a bit easier.

 

I'm an Ontario resident though, not Alberta if that makes any difference to you.