Should I apply with my situation.

[soul_reaper]

I dont have a good gpa, its between 81-82 and ive got average NAQ's I think. My longest activity would be to have been taking care of my parents business in an unpaid voluntary position that is about 10000 hrs. But my academic performance has suffered a lot because of a speech impediment Ive had since childhood. It hit me particularly hard in my first three years of undergrad. Life in general greatly sucked and I was all alone. Facing the world for the first time alone in my life I had to go through a lot of embarassment, weird situations, social isolation, depression, lack of freind's and help at school. Due to my families urgent financial need and this problem, I had to work ~24 hours a week doing a labor job requiring little communication (in addition to volunteering). Consequently I was very tired when I had to study and had an exam the next day which happened very frequently. This improved around mid third year till the end of my degree, I stopped getting grades below 80%. I got tired of being afraid of my problem and got into social activities. I was able to do quite well and my life improved from then on to the point where I can say its "normal". I don't have that severe social anxiety and consciousness anymore. I guess what kept me going was that I really want to be a doctor. I'm not familiar with the admission process so should I apply and explain my situation on my application?

[herewego]

I dont have a good gpa, its between 81-82 and ive got average NAQ's I think. My longest activity would be to have been taking care of my parents business in an unpaid voluntary position that is about 10000 hrs. But my academic performance has suffered a lot because of a speech impediment Ive had since childhood. It hit me particularly hard in my first three years of undergrad. Life in general greatly sucked and I was all alone. Facing the world for the first time alone in my life I had to go through a lot of embarassment, weird situations, social isolation, depression, lack of freind's and help at school. Due to my families urgent financial need and this problem, I had to work ~24 hours a week doing a labor job requiring little communication (in addition to volunteering). Consequently I was very tired when I had to study and had an exam the next day which happened very frequently. This improved around mid third year till the end of my degree, I stopped getting grades below 80%. I got tired of being afraid of my problem and got into social activities. I was able to do quite well and my life improved from then on to the point where I can say its "normal". I don't have that severe social anxiety and consciousness anymore. I guess what kept me going was that I really want to be a doctor. I'm not familiar with the admission process so should I apply and explain my situation on my application?

 

You are an inspiration to me for managing to maintain good grades despite trials and tribulations throughout undergrad; for that, I must applaud your diligence.

 

In saying that, UBC's application does not have a personal essay section (unlike AMCAS where you can elaborate on hardships and bring it full-circle to where you are today). The application consists of entering grades and 200 character max explanations of extracurriculars, research, awards, etc.; evidently, this does not leave much room for familiarizing the admissions committee of your unique situation.

 

However, you can note that you are a disadvantaged applicant (I'm not sure if they provide you with enough space to fully explain why, but that is something you could ask admissions). In addition, the NAQ section is extremely subjective so who knows what they deem valuable, invaluable, point-worthy, etc.

 

My overall recommendation would be to apply because despite your 80% average, you may surprise yourself with a high NAQ. It may be a long shot in your eyes, but you will never know unless you try

 

I'm sure other PM101ers will provide some more useful information.

[shearkha]

I dont have a good gpa, its between 81-82 and ive got average NAQ's I think. My longest activity would be to have been taking care of my parents business in an unpaid voluntary position that is about 10000 hrs. But my academic performance has suffered a lot because of a speech impediment Ive had since childhood. It hit me particularly hard in my first three years of undergrad. Life in general greatly sucked and I was all alone. Facing the world for the first time alone in my life I had to go through a lot of embarassment, weird situations, social isolation, depression, lack of freind's and help at school. Due to my families urgent financial need and this problem, I had to work ~24 hours a week doing a labor job requiring little communication (in addition to volunteering). Consequently I was very tired when I had to study and had an exam the next day which happened very frequently. This improved around mid third year till the end of my degree, I stopped getting grades below 80%. I got tired of being afraid of my problem and got into social activities. I was able to do quite well and my life improved from then on to the point where I can say its "normal". I don't have that severe social anxiety and consciousness anymore. I guess what kept me going was that I really want to be a doctor. I'm not familiar with the admission process so should I apply and explain my situation on my application?

 

Hey bud,

 

UBC is pretty heavy on GPA (it counts for 50% of your pre-interview score), HOWEVER, in the application I filled (2012-2013) there was a section called "Additional Information". One of the questions there was: "If exceptional circumstances have affected your education and/or non-academic activities, you may provide a short explanation here. (500 characters)"

 

I have know idea how they use this information in assessing one's application, but I'd say it's worth a shot. Plus, you may be eligible for "Adjusted academic average" (basically if eligible they will drop your worst year in calculating your GPA). More info here (look for "Adjusted academic average"): http://mdprogram.med.ubc.ca/admissions/evaluation-criteria/).

 

Cheers

[fugacity]

I agree with the above posters in that you should apply. You are an inspiration to us all, and I wish you the best of luck in life, especially your possible applications.

 

I believe that you should be awarded a very high NAQ for all the work that you have done to be where you are at today - UBC will take note, and your circumstances make you stand out from the rest of the applicants.

 

That said, UBC is not the most holistic school when it comes to treating applications, like others have said above me. I would suggest that you consider schools such as Queen's and U of T, since they are more holistic. With Queen's, once you obtain your interview invite, all your grades will no longer be in your picture. And with your circumstance, I expect you leave a great impressions on your interviewers. For U of T, they request you to complete four essays. With your life experience, I have no doubt that you will secure an interview with U of T, and their panel interview format can only work in your advantage.

[chuppa4]

I think that you should definitely try. The key to your success will be representing yourself well on the application. Having great NAQ's won't help anyone if they can't explain them well. Your experiences have the potential to produce acceptable scores, but you'll have to put a lot of effort into making sure that your story comes across despite the limits of the application.

 

Fill the NAQ section with as much stuff as you can and write good descriptions, seeking help if you need, and you may find yourself invited to an interview.

 

Don't give up. Good luck.

[murphy303]

I dont have a good gpa, its between 81-82 and ive got average NAQ's I think. My longest activity would be to have been taking care of my parents business in an unpaid voluntary position that is about 10000 hrs. But my academic performance has suffered a lot because of a speech impediment Ive had since childhood. It hit me particularly hard in my first three years of undergrad. Life in general greatly sucked and I was all alone. Facing the world for the first time alone in my life I had to go through a lot of embarassment, weird situations, social isolation, depression, lack of freind's and help at school. Due to my families urgent financial need and this problem, I had to work ~24 hours a week doing a labor job requiring little communication (in addition to volunteering). Consequently I was very tired when I had to study and had an exam the next day which happened very frequently. This improved around mid third year till the end of my degree, I stopped getting grades below 80%. I got tired of being afraid of my problem and got into social activities. I was able to do quite well and my life improved from then on to the point where I can say its "normal". I don't have that severe social anxiety and consciousness anymore. I guess what kept me going was that I really want to be a doctor. I'm not familiar with the admission process so should I apply and explain my situation on my application?

 

Apply. Very possible you could be accepted.

[soul_reaper]

Thank you for all the generous suggestions and support. I'll apply this cycle and try to present my case as good as I can. At the worst, at least i'll know where I stand.

[BAMFtastic]

I tend to agree with everyone's opinions on here!

You certainly have the character, integrity, and determination that UBC med wants in their applicants.

 

Filling out the additional information chart will greatly increase your chances of acceptance.

 

I should ask, are you OOP? If so, it might be too far a stretch, but if you're IP I would certainly encourage you to apply.

 

Best of luck, and congrats on overcoming what most wouldn't!

[soul_reaper]

Thanks , no I'm IP.

[murphy303]

Thanks , no I'm IP.

 

many people have got into UBC med with less convincing stats

 

just apply, worst case is that you learn about the application process and dont get in

[soul_reaper]

Hey bud,

 

UBC is pretty heavy on GPA (it counts for 50% of your pre-interview score), HOWEVER, in the application I filled (2012-2013) there was a section called "Additional Information". One of the questions there was: "If exceptional circumstances have affected your education and/or non-academic activities, you may provide a short explanation here. (500 characters)"

 

I have know idea how they use this information in assessing one's application, but I'd say it's worth a shot. Plus, you may be eligible for "Adjusted academic average" (basically if eligible they will drop your worst year in calculating your GPA). More info here (look for "Adjusted academic average"): http://mdprogram.med.ubc.ca/admissions/evaluation-criteria/).

 

Cheers

 

If this section means only 500 characters (alphabets + spaces) then its not too much to talk about the depth of the situation. Its only enough space to say what I have, summarise my problems in 2 sentences, and add a brief sentence about what kept me motivated. Options seem to be limited here. Is this the only section which asks for rough circumstance?

[shearkha]

If this section means only 500 characters (alphabets + spaces) then its not too much to talk about the depth of the situation. Its only enough space to say what I have, summarise my problems in 2 sentences, and add a brief sentence about what kept me motivated. Options seem to be limited here. Is this the only section which asks for rough circumstance?

 

Unfortunately yes

[soul_reaper]

Unfortunately yes

 

o well, it'll have to do.

[shearkha]

o well, it'll have to do.

 

I'd say it is definitely worth a shot.