Quotas for upcoming year? Undergraduate transcripts?

[Guest Onlyothernameleft]

Hi everyone, I was wondering how we can find the quotas for each discipline for next year's CaRMS match. I just looked at the CaRMS website and it looks like everything is updated on March 5th, 2013. I was just wondering if the quotas currently listed on the website refer to the current year or is it for the next year?

 

Also, I have noticed a few programs for each discipline requiring undergraduate transcripts. I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on this requirement. At this point, does it really matter if you've had a 3.8 or 3.9 in undergrad?

[A-Stark]

They refer to the current year's quotas. Revised quotas won't be available until later summer or early fall. Probably won't be *that* different though.

 

I have no idea why certain programs want undergrad transcripts.

[rmorelan]

They refer to the current year's quotas. Revised quotas won't be available until later summer or early fall. Probably won't be *that* different though.

 

I have no idea why certain programs want undergrad transcripts.

 

well I mean it is pretty clear they are evaluating academic performance in some way - I had some people specifically mention aspects of my UG performance at interviews. In a Pass/Fail system it is all they can get to work with.

[A-Stark]

Fair enough, though I'm not sure how knowing that I got an A- in a PDEs course in 2005 was especially helpful. Now that I think of it, I don't think I submitted my grad transcript from Waterloo. Nothing in med school really holds a candle to some of those classes though...

[rmorelan]

Fair enough, though I'm not sure how knowing that I got an A- in a PDEs course in 2005 was especially helpful. Now that I think of it, I don't think I submitted my grad transcript from Waterloo. Nothing in med school really holds a candle to some of those classes though...

 

Seriously they went back all the way to my first year classes in the interviews. I was quite surprised.

[Guest Onlyothernameleft]

Seriously they went back all the way to my first year classes in the interviews. I was quite surprised.

 

To me that seems a little unreasonable. That will literally be something 8 years ago. I mean I could barely remember anything from my first year undergrad courses, let alone try to explain why I got a B+ in something.

 

While I understand that schools have less to work with, I'm sure time can be better spent in an interview for both parties than trying to justify or explain something that happened almost a decade ago.

[A-Stark]

I think I only ever interviewed at one program that wanted an undergrad transcript, and I don't remember it even coming up.

[tooty]

programs don't have all the time in the world to interview applicants. interviews serve mostly to gauge your personality. preinterview is where they determine if you're smart enough. the ug record is a small part of a big picture. some programs quiz applicants during the interview. not surprisingly people don't take too kindly to that either.

 

competitive programs being competitive, they can afford to be selective pre interview because there is often more than enough interest for spots.

[Flame219]

Some of the programs I know of that required undergrad transcripts are the Public Health and Preventive Med programs. In that case it makes sense, since they want to get an understanding of the candidate's statistical and academic abilities and it's one of the ways to select candidates for those attributes.

[ER scrub]

Hi everyone, I was wondering how we can find the quotas for each discipline for next year's CaRMS match. I just looked at the CaRMS website and it looks like everything is updated on March 5th, 2013. I was just wondering if the quotas currently listed on the website refer to the current year or is it for the next year?

 

Also, I have noticed a few programs for each discipline requiring undergraduate transcripts. I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on this requirement. At this point, does it really matter if you've had a 3.8 or 3.9 in undergrad?

 

Wow....I thought this was more of a formality or some programs being anal wrt to documentaton - I didn't think your ug grades actually mattered. This could make me think twice about my competitiveness for these programs. My ug gpa was barely above the cut off and then i got scholarships after first year and second year med for academics.........so not exactly thrilled that my ug grades matter (weren't even science courses...........). Ah well, this is good to know still. would be nice to know how much it mattered though cause then I wouldn't waste time doing precious electives at these schools. I realy don't want to go somewhere if this is a signifcant deal to them - probably not a good fit for me or them as I'm more of a what have you done for me lately kind of guy.

 

thanks for the post

[rmorelan]

To me that seems a little unreasonable. That will literally be something 8 years ago. I mean I could barely remember anything from my first year undergrad courses, let alone try to explain why I got a B+ in something.

 

While I understand that schools have less to work with, I'm sure time can be better spent in an interview for both parties than trying to justify or explain something that happened almost a decade ago.

 

Yeah it was unexpected - in particular two schools seemed focused on particular courses. Could of course just be a program specific oddity - there is a lot of unusual things like that floating around.

[Guest Onlyothernameleft]

CaRMS is such a crapshoot these days. I think you just really need to get them to like you and there's probably more than one way for that.

[simpy]

Yeah it was unexpected - in particular two schools seemed focused on particular courses. Could of course just be a program specific oddity - there is a lot of unusual things like that floating around.

 

I find this kind of absurd. My second undergrad was great (3.9+) and I'm doing very well in meds. But my first undergrad was terrible (cGPA 2.2). I really hope I don't get nailed by some of the more competitive programs I'm considering based on undergraduate performance from more than a decade ago.

[aRnonymous]

Seriously they went back all the way to my first year classes in the interviews. I was quite surprised.

 

At one of my plastics interviews, I specifically got asked what my GPA was from undegrad. I have it listed on my CV regardless. I had a copy of my transcript with me in case anyone were to ask for it, but no one did

[h9i9j9]

I'm no where close to CaRMS yet, but how prevalent is the practice of asking for UG transcripts? This thread gives me the impression that undergrad GPA is a factor (may not big) in applying to residency. Can of you guys comment on this? How many of the residencies wanted you UG transcript? Is it different between specialties?

[rmorelan]

I'm no where close to CaRMS yet, but how prevalent is the practice of asking for UG transcripts? This thread gives me the impression that undergrad GPA is a factor (may not big) in applying to residency. Can of you guys comment on this? How many of the residencies wanted you UG transcript? Is it different between specialties?

 

It is NOT yet very common - about 3 of the rads centres wanted it and some of the internal etc. What is interesting is that prevalence has increased a bit over the past few years.