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To all those rejected/bad waitlisted/whatever


Guest tantastic

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Guest tantastic

Hey guys/gals:

 

It would be nice if people posted their stats and bad waitlist or rejection notice on the various schools accepted/rejected threads.

 

All we have here are 3.99 34MCAT people posting their "proud as a peacock" acceptances. It would be nice to see the high calibre and stats of rejected applicants. After all nobody will no who you are.....it would also make some of your fellow rejectees (like myself) feel like I'm not alone and not the only big fat loser on the board :rolleyes

 

BTW :To those accepted Congratulations :)

 

Thanks for hearing my rant

Tantastic

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Guest everyoneloveschem

tantastic,

 

don't worry you are not the only loser (we're not really losers, are we though? We have our health, obviously good smart brains, experience, and lots more to offer). I have a Bsc, GPA I think of 3.5 or 3.6, lots of research experience in chem, some volunteer experience. I interviewed at Mac only and am on the rej-I mean secondary waitlist. What about your stats?

 

Hey, we now have one more year to make money to pay for med school and learn more and relax!!!

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Guest MDbadly

hey tantastic,

You can add this big loser to the list.

Badlisted 2x for Ottawa in the past with a 3.83 GPA. (Couldn't still understand how the 2nd interview went so great but yet badlisted again!). Hope for some brains and courage to take the MCAT and try other schools.

 

Hope this will cheer you up!

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Guest marbledust

I didn't have a 3.99 gpa, mine was in the 3.6.-3.7 range so don't give up hope that everybody who gets in is a superstar with a 4.0. It doesn't make you a loser if you didn't get accepted this time around. From my experiences it seems that there are so many other factors than gpa that go into the decisions and in some cases it is just bad luck not to be accepted. I truly believe that after meeting some people who were rejected.

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Guest tantastic

Hey guys welcome to my club. Trust me I wish you were part of the other "happy" club.

 

As for me Hon Bsc. Biochem GPA 3.68 (just under UWO cuttoff) MCAT 30( just under Queen's). Several First Author Pubs, NSERC, tons of volunteering clinical and otherwise since I was in grade 8. Qualified for the Molson Indy 3 times, raced twice, couldn't race first year due to lack of funding for my car (and I'm a female)

 

 

Bad Waitlisted at Mac, second year in a row. Everything went so well, at the end the faculty member even said you will be very happy here :rolleyes

 

Any good back up plans out there. Perhaps clown school, maybe they will like a 3.68 GPA :\

 

What I don't understand is that a person in my interview group did a degree in Women's studies, History. Never took any science in University because she failed OAC Chem and Bio in High School. Never considered medicine, actually also applied to Law school and got accepted (she wanted to get into policy work), applied to Mac meds on a bet from her boyfriend (his idea of proving the whole process was a @#%$ shoot) never volunteered in her life. Had done some political activism (was even arrested). Her answer to why do you want to be a doctor in the interview was "to tell you the truth I have no idea, it seems like a good challenge" and she emailed me to tell me she got an outright acceptance. What the hell are those brick heads at Mac thinking:rolleyes :eek

 

Oh well, if that's what's they want, good luck to them training these folks.

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Guest seonagh

I can understand wanting a variety of people from all over the spectrum but that story about the girl that applied on a dare is kind of scary, what were her marks and MCATs like.

Sheena

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Guest MDbadly

tantastic,

I completely understand what you are talking about. The year I interviewed at Ottawa, someone talked about their favorite movie "Titanic" for 1/2 hr and I heard they got in.

 

You should be proud to get an interview at Mac.

 

Some advice, for what's it's worth... I know Mac is very specific in what they are looking for in their students. Although I did not interviewed at Mac for meds but did interview there for their PT Programme (same PBL learning style) 2X. The first time, I totally blamed on how random the system was. After the failed experience, I learned as much as I could about their program and even stayed in Hamilton for a few days before the interview to learn some more about it and more importantly, how their program would fit me. It worked, I got in. Too bad I never interviewed for med at Mac.

 

You are so close, don't give up. Getting an interview for Mac is pretty good. You must had excellent ECs. Maybe 3rd time is a charm for you.

 

Good luck!

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Guest tantastic

Thanks for the input, you folks are da bomb. I would apply a third time but I really don't know if my little heart can handle a rejection for the third time :\ . I really take it personally, especially when people (such as the person I discussed above) who have no business being in medicine, and have about as much compassion and care towards their fellow man as a coyote does towards its prey, get accepted while I get pushed aside yet again.

 

The girl in question had a 3.45 GPA and no MCAT, she could never write the MCAT she failed High School Chem, Bio, and never took high school Physics because she only had math up to the mandatory grade 10 level. How is she going to complete the program? The adcomms should look at themselves as being given a fixed sum of money by the gov't to invest in training the people that will succeed in the program and graduate as well as stay in the profession a long time (best return on their investment). What were they thinking.

 

MDbadly, are you going into PT? I'm actually thinking about that. To answer your question my degree was done at Mac so i had several courses including physiology and Anatomy that were exclusively PBL style. the interviews even noted that it was excellent training for Mac's program. I must have a giant L on my forehead or something, because I don't know what they hate about me so much :(

 

Oh well, sorry for the sob story, I hope everything works out you guys (and gals). Please keep me posted as to your plans for next year, I need some advice for sure :)

 

Bye

tantastic

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Guest Chowchilla

hey tantastic, don't give up yet. don't let that girl get you down. it seems like you really do have the passion to be a doctor, and you're genuinely working towards your goal. your credentials (molson indy--wow) are impressive, so keep trying, and sooner or later, you'll make it in. for sure. :)

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Guest Mephistopheles03

you sound like a totally awesome applicant and i am sure that you will get into meds next year. how about doing the mcat again and broadening the list of med schools to apply to?

 

by the way, i have a gpa of 3.9, lots of research, a minor in english lit, fab refs, worked at sick kids (transfusion medicine), had my shakespeare prof proofread my mac essay etc and i didn't even get an interview :b

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Guest krnboy

ah sorry to hear that tantastic.

The girl that you mentioned above really did not deserve to get into the med school. I'm sure that you'll get in next year. Wish you best of luck :)

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Guest Lakers4life

Even though that girl you mentioned seems kinda crazy, yuo do have to understand that very often the interviewers are looking for candidates that are differnet, since they see so many of them. Saying that you want to be a doctor to help people, etc. is all very goog, but then your interview is also the same as about 400 other people. WHen you say something that is

 

On the otherhand, saying something a little bit differnet might stick out more in the adcoms minds, exp. if its an honest answer. I know when I interviewed [not at Mac, never applied, but at Western/Queens/Uoft] I basically was not nervous and answered everything with some humor and let my own personality through, without 'tailoring' my answers to the adcoms.

 

The interview process is generally useless b.c when you get into meds [and you WILL get in if you keep at it, you don't have bad numbers] you will find some weired people in your class that should never have gotten in. You know they have their marks/mCATS, but you would have hoped the interview would have weeded these people out. Again, did not happen.

 

I know from talking to an adcom at UofT that they don't really care about what your answers are on the interview; what they are looking for more is your reasoning and your personality; very hard things to guage in 45 mins.

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Guest krnboy

still...it just seemed like she wanted to try and see whether she could get into the med school or not for fun. It didn't seem like she truly wanted to become a doctor.

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Guest thelaze

tantastic, has it ever occurred to you that the girl from your interview group might just be plain out lying about getting in?

 

I often believe word for word what people tell me, but it never fails to amaze me what a little cynicism can reveal about people's honesty.

 

I may be completely and utterly wrong here, but think for a sec: do you have any way of confirming her acceptance outside of her telling you? Just because you're an honest, upstanding person, doesn't mean that everyone else is. Don't beat yourself up for something that may or may not be true.

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Guest Hilde

that girl sounds like an unlikely medical student, well first of all from her academic credentials but I don't know this person you're talking about in terms of personality and whatever her wonderful human qualities are that perhaps captured the admission committee. Maybe her acceptance was just a fluke, there are a lot of people out there in this world who have no desire to be a medical doctor but just want to apply for fun and they get in. Sometimes, it's more in her personality or maybe sense of humour than the academic side. The person above is right, adcomm loves people who choose to be different. Med school otherwise would be a very dead place, all ~100 of you first year med students with the same academic record, the same activities, the same attitude, the same humour.... I know people who have no desire to put their and heart into helping others or even any interest in medical research.. Whereas hard-working, compassionate students like you and many others get dumped aside, life is unpredictable. All that rambling aside, my advice to you is just to never stop working hard, never lose sight of your goal. Even if you don't get into med school, there are many alternatives in life in which you can equally apply your intelligence and your compassion to care for other human beings.

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In response to what Hilde said, I believe that's an excellent point. My idea about medical school admissions is that it's kind of like try-outs for a sports team. Granted, everyone has a certain baseline skill cut-off they have to meet, but there are lots of different kinds of doctors. Keeping in mind that after the MD degree, some are going to go into research (PhD), some will go into Family Practices, some will go into IM, others Surgery, still others ER, OB/GYN, Nephrology/Urology, etc., it's easy to see that AdComs should be looking for different types of people. I guess 4.0 doesn't = automatic acceptance - and that's the way it should be.

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Guest cutieyellow

Hello,

As i'm reading the tread, i see a lot of criticism on who should and should not be accepted to med school. I understand the whole disappointment of not being able to make it, trust me, i share the pain, but i don't think it's right for us to judge what makes a good physician. Yes, that girl has a different background, she has different experiences, but although she's different from you and me, typical wannabe meds, she probably struck out on her interview as an applicant that wanted to try something different, and perhaps that will make her a great doctor.

 

It's funny because it's so easy to criticize when you're somewhat envious of their situation. Trust me, i do it all the time. When my best friend got into med, i was like ..."BUT I WANT IT SO MUCH MORE !". Alas, it's life.

 

FYI, I applied last yr, got waitlisted and then at the end of the summer, there was only 3 people in front of me before i would have made it. Heard stories how 5 people dropped in the first month :( I got refused in all other schools that year, whether it be Ontario or Alberta or Quebec... Anyhow, this year, i only applied to 3 Quebec schools (as i'm a QC res), and i got waitlisted on all 3. What are the odds eh :P And now i'm just waiting. I don't think i'll make it considering my luck but i'll just keep on hoping. I had a 3.8 GPA in Biochemistry and am now currently studying in Pharmacy with a 3.6 GPA.

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Guest Ian Wong

OU812,

 

Are you a current med student, and if so, what year and at what school? If you are a Mac med student, and were a part of the selections process this year, I think it's in extremely poor form that you are commenting publicly on an individual who you know only through professional dealings at your med school. As such, I've deleted out your June 20th posting, and will not condone further such messages. If you want further clarification, you can private message me or email me. Thanks for your cooperation,

 

Ian

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Guest MDbadly

Hi OU812,

Thanks for the encouraging words. I'm pretty old compare to others, just turn 32. Let just say I took the long and scenic route towards education with many bumps along the way. I have done a few things here and there and also worked along the way. When I interviewed at Ottawa, I was 27 (I guess still older than the average applicant). I received 2 interviews at Ottawa then. Thought that I would get in the 2nd time. I mean, it went great; even the interviewer laughed, told me to make sure to have a tour of the school, very engaging 2-way conversation, etc... all that I could hope to hightlight to them. After all, I did have the first one to practice and built on. To my disappointment BADLISTED again! It was kind of frustrating since all my other non-med school interviews were basically the same questions asked to highlight my personality and things I have done in my life. Yet, I got in to all other programs, which I felt had tougher interview compared to Ottawa so friendly and relaxed interview.

 

I have always wanted to be a doctor, and my friends were probably right that I messed up my life because of it. I could of accepted other offers long time ago and would of became successful by now.

 

I guess my dream of meds right now is very slim... like next to nothing due to many complications. I already accepted another program's offer for the fall so I hope that I could get meds out of my mind for good this time and move on (don't want to but I have no choice). I coud go on for ever but that would only bore you.

 

How about yourself? Are you in med school right now? Or waiting to hear? What ever the situation is for you, I would like to wish you much success.

 

Take care!

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Guest OU812

Hi MDBadly:

 

I'll assume that you read my post before it was removed and regarding that I am happy.

 

What kind of things did you do along the way that derailed your education. Did you take time off etc, do a few degrees?

 

I have a really weird background as well. After high school I went abroad (Korea, then Africa) to teach english for 3 years. Came back and did some university dropped out half way due to financial reasons, worked for a brokerage as a trader's assistant for a year and was promoted to trader, used my vacations to do relief work internationally (just because I loved doing that kind of stuff). Saved money from my great job for a few years. Made mad cash as a trader and headed back to University to finish my degree. Finished my degree and got into Mac. I'm currently in second year at Mac. Currently 35 turning 36. When I read your posts, I feel for you buddy, I understand the pain. I had a very similar experience at Ottawa, many moons ago. The intereview went so well, I didn't know what to think, the interviewer even said to me on the way out "I'm really glad that you are considering OUR school, I look forward to seeing you!" What the hell am I supposed to think after that, of course I was rejected. Mayflower has also experienced something very similar, bizarre if you ask me. In my opinion, age descrimination as a source cannot be eliminated as the cause. I think you should apply elsewhere including MAC, I know you have a really solid GPA, perhaps the MCAT and then shoot for the stars :)

 

What was journey through all those years? Where are you headed next year? Which Program? Why medicine so badly (MDbadly :) ) ?

 

Take care Friend :)

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Guest MayFlower1

Hey Tantastic,

 

You are definitely not alone! This was my second application to UofO...my OMSAS WGPA is 3.73 (undergrad, graduated with honours and distinction)...I have an MA...tons of publications...8 U.S. patents...NSERC two years in a row during my masters...won a memorial scholarship during my undergrad...teaching fellowship...have worked for 12 years...currently volunteer with St. John Ambulance and at a medical clinic...currently volunteer with my local community...volunteered in hospitals during my undergrad and grad degrees...tons of life experience (I'm 40 this year)...and I got BAD WAITLISTED AGAIN! (Darn it!)

 

Anyway, what can I say? It's frustrating and somewhat depressing...but I guess you just have to keep trying. I will give it one more shot...if I were younger I'd give it a few more tries but I do have to be realistic...I figure...3 strikes and you're out, so to speak!

 

Good luck in the next cycle.

 

Peter

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Guest MDbadly

OU812,

Are you currently in med school at Mac or finishing another degree at Mac? I wish I could apply to Mac, my cumulative GPA wouldn't allow it. I did 2 undergrad degrees and it's only my second degree where I had the solid GPA, hence interviewed at Ottawa. Had tried teacher's college but was not for me. Took a few years off to run a business, although enjoyable and profitable, always wanted to return back to school. Why med so badly, you ask? It's a complicated answer. Well, while I was in physio and placements at different hospitals, I did not want to be there and was more interested in what the med students and doctors were doing rather than what I as a physio student should be doing. I realized now that this was my biggest mistake.

As Mayflower said too, if I was 20 something, then I would give it a couple more tries. However, I made my shares of mistakes already and at 32, it's time to move on and be more realistic of your chances in life.

I guess I am still living vicariously through you guys by reading these posts. Some of which are really inspiring.

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Guest OU812

I'm in medicine at Mac, for what its worth I'm 35 :)

 

So MDb, did you do physio already? or did you drop out of physio and are now thinking about going back into it?

 

I think you have a shot with that solid 2nd degree. How is it for the Western and Queen's cutoffs? Are you married yet? Family? I think you are still young, my advice is the last thing you want to do is be kicking yourself at 45 saying damm if only I was 32 again!!

 

Anyways, if I can offer any advice about anything regarding the process, I would be more than happy to help a "late bloomer" like myself :)

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