basic questions?

[RHCP]

Hi,

 

After getting rejected from Canadian med schools 2 years in a row, i'm thinking of applying to some u.s med schools next year (the MD programs). I have no clue how the process works nor have I researched into it, but if someone could answer these few questions for me it would be much appreciated.

 

1. Upon getting your MD, are you able to directly apply for residency in Canada? By that, I mean, are there any major exams you're required to take before being able to apply for canadian residency.

 

2. For most med schools in u.s, how is your gpa, mcat score and interview mark weighted?

 

3. How important are ECs ? I've never volunteered at a hospital related setting and it wasn't really required for the med school i applied here in canada so i didn't bother with it.

 

4. I heard if you get your MD from a U.S med school, you only have a good chance at getting into family medicine residency, is this true? Are your chances of getting matched significantly lowered?

 

5. AND last question, I can't seem to be able to find a good source on to get your % overall converted in GPA that most u.s med schools would look at. I go to a western university, my overall average is 81 % so far, what's the GPA equivalent of this? And are my chances of getting accepted high or low with this average?

 

If anyone could answer any of the questions above, it would be much appreciated!

[Head Squeeze]

Hi,

 

After getting rejected from Canadian med schools 2 years in a row, i'm thinking of applying to some u.s med schools next year (the MD programs). I have no clue how the process works nor have I researched into it, but if someone could answer these few questions for me it would be much appreciated.

 

1. Upon getting your MD, are you able to directly apply for residency in Canada? By that, I mean, are there any major exams you're required to take before being able to apply for canadian residency.

 

2. For most med schools in u.s, how is your gpa, mcat score and interview mark weighted?

 

3. How important are ECs ? I've never volunteered at a hospital related setting and it wasn't really required for the med school i applied here in canada so i didn't bother with it.

 

4. I heard if you get your MD from a U.S med school, you only have a good chance at getting into family medicine residency, is this true? Are your chances of getting matched significantly lowered?

 

5. AND last question, I can't seem to be able to find a good source on to get your % overall converted in GPA that most u.s med schools would look at. I go to a western university, my overall average is 81 % so far, what's the GPA equivalent of this? And are my chances of getting accepted high or low with this average?

 

If anyone could answer any of the questions above, it would be much appreciated!

 

If you are planning to do MD in the US, there is a good chance that you would have to practice in US (Not true for family medicine). Matching in Canada for residency would be challenging. Answers to GPA and other questions are available in other threads under American Medical Schools.

[PLASTICSX]

Hi,

 

After getting rejected from Canadian med schools 2 years in a row, i'm thinking of applying to some u.s med schools next year (the MD programs). I have no clue how the process works nor have I researched into it, but if someone could answer these few questions for me it would be much appreciated.

 

1. Upon getting your MD, are you able to directly apply for residency in Canada? By that, I mean, are there any major exams you're required to take before being able to apply for canadian residency.

 

2. For most med schools in u.s, how is your gpa, mcat score and interview mark weighted?

 

3. How important are ECs ? I've never volunteered at a hospital related setting and it wasn't really required for the med school i applied here in canada so i didn't bother with it.

 

4. I heard if you get your MD from a U.S med school, you only have a good chance at getting into family medicine residency, is this true? Are your chances of getting matched significantly lowered?

 

5. AND last question, I can't seem to be able to find a good source on to get your % overall converted in GPA that most u.s med schools would look at. I go to a western university, my overall average is 81 % so far, what's the GPA equivalent of this? And are my chances of getting accepted high or low with this average?

 

If anyone could answer any of the questions above, it would be much appreciated!

 

1. No exams needed to apply for residency in Canada unlike the US (USMLE). You can apply with CaRMS from any MD us school and its the same as canadian schools.

 

2. No hard cut offs for MCAT or GPA but they will look at your file holistically for the most part. Interviews are usually one on one so you will have to impress your interviewer.

 

3.ECs and a good personal statement are perhaps the most important after a solid academic standing. LoRs are looked at closely.

 

4. Again same match for Canadian and US MD schools so this is untrue... If anything, doing your MD in the US will give you an edge if you want to continue with residency in the states.

 

5. You will have to look at the AMCAS conversion chart.

 

Again, some research and googling will get you detailed answers to most of your questions. Try looking at carms if you're worried about matching back in canada. A good site to ask questions is the us equivalent of premed... SDN.

[RHCP]

Thanks for both your responses!

 

I don't plan on practising in US, so if I do get into a US med school, my priority would be to get back into Canada.

 

4. Again same match for Canadian and US MD schools so this is untrue... If anything, doing your MD in the US will give you an edge if you want to continue with residency in the states.

 

Do you have an equal chance in getting matched as a Canadian graduating from a US med school compared to a Canadian graduating from a Canadian med school? On the carms website, I found this:

 

"There are no differences between Canadians studying in a Liaison Committee on Medical Education/Committee on Accreditation on Canadian Medical Schools (LCME/CACMS) accredited school in Canada or in the US when it comes to the match."

 

If this is true, why is it a popular believe that you have a much higher chance getting matched if you graduate from a Canadian med school compared to US?

 

1. No exams needed to apply for residency in Canada unlike the US (USMLE). You can apply with CaRMS from any MD us school and its the same as canadian schools.

 

I looked into this a bit, so if you don't plan on practising in US, you can opt out of writing the USMLE and still get your MD (and apply to Canadian residency programs)?

 

5. You will have to look at the AMCAS conversion chart.

 

I've looked into this https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181676/data/amcas_grade_conversion_guide.pdf but it's a bit confusing, for someone like me who has a 81 %, would that be a gpa of a 3.7 ?

[Mourning Cloak]

Do you have an equal chance in getting matched as a Canadian graduating from a US med school compared to a Canadian graduating from a Canadian med school?

 

Statistically speaking, no.

 

In 2013, 25/47 people who applied from US schools matched (53%) in Canada. 2645 out of 2747 people from Canadian schools matched (96%) in Canada.

[advair250]

"I looked into this a bit, so if you don't plan on practising in US, you can opt out of writing the USMLE and still get your MD (and apply to Canadian residency programs"

 

That is incorrect, and a terrible idea. You have to complete USMLE 1 and 2 in order to graduate. Step 3 is done during residency.

 

To go to the US and not take the proper examinations to apply to NRMP(US match) and bank on getting into Canada, good luck with bankruptcy.

[advair250]

Thanks for both your responses!

 

Do you have an equal chance in getting matched as a Canadian graduating from a US med school compared to a Canadian graduating from a Canadian med school? On the carms website, I found this:

 

"There are no differences between Canadians studying in a Liaison Committee on Medical Education/Committee on Accreditation on Canadian Medical Schools (LCME/CACMS) accredited school in Canada or in the US when it comes to the match."

 

If this is true, why is it a popular believe that you have a much higher chance getting matched if you graduate from a Canadian med school compared to US?

 

 

 

Canadian graduates have all of their clinical education in CANADA, and will get much more exposure to the Canadian system. They are significantly more likely to match in Canada, same as that a USMD is significantly more likely to match in the US.

[advair250]

Hi,

 

 

3. How important are ECs ? I've never volunteered at a hospital related setting and it wasn't really required for the med school i applied here in canada so i didn't bother with it.

 

4. I heard if you get your MD from a U.S med school, you only have a good chance at getting into family medicine residency, is this true? Are your chances of getting matched significantly lowered?

 

5. AND last question, I can't seem to be able to find a good source on to get your % overall converted in GPA that most u.s med schools would look at. I go to a western university, my overall average is 81 % so far, what's the GPA equivalent of this? And are my chances of getting accepted high or low with this average?

 

If anyone could answer any of the questions above, it would be much appreciated!

 

3. You should have good ECs, but grades and mcat will always mean more.

 

4. You would be able to go for plenty of residencies in the US.

 

5. You have to convert each individual grade and add it all up to get the proper GPA.