Entering Medicine With A Low R Score?

[chauchan]

Hi! 

I currently have an R score of 32.696 in CEGEP, which is relatively low. My R scores per class are generally around 32 for the general courses and 34 for the science courses. The only problem is philosophy in which I had 28 in my first semester and 30 in my second semester. Luckily, next session, I don't have philosophy so I am planning on getting a good R score to higher my average R score. 

 

In brief, my dream is to get into medicine and I am determined to get in. As for my ECs, I have done improvisation at my school for a year (around 80 hours) and I did some  volunteering at my school (100 hours aprox.) This summer, I am planning on volunteering at a hospital to get some experience as well. 

 

I know McGill's lowest R score last year was around 32.2. However, they value the CV a lot. I simply wanted to know if my dream is reasonable and what I should do to higher my chances to get accepted? 

 

Furthermore, if I am not accepted, I am planning on doing a baccalaureate in science. I know you guys will say I should go in a domain that I like, but since am not really informed, what are some interesting baccalaureates? And if I do get a baccalaureate first, does doing one at McGill higher my chances at getting accepted into med at McGill afterwards? Or it doesn't matter. 

 

Thank you very much! This means a lot to me. 

[franglais]

Hi!

 

With 32.7 your chances are pretty much 0 for french schools, but if your EC's are REALLY good you might get an interview at McGill. If you manage an interview at McGill only the interview matters at that point. I think to have a realistic shot for the french schools you would need to have about 34, so try to work really hard next semester. 

 

As for university, I think the best options are physiotherapy, occupational therapy and nutrition in Quebec for getting into medicine (don't take my word on this), but lots of people also get in with science degrees. 

 

Keep doing improv it will help with the MMI's 

 

Good luck!

[Arztin]

32.x is the exception rather than the norm, and indeed rarely, people do get in with such R score. There is a guy in our class, formerly med-p who got in with an R score lower than you, and is doing extremely well, but keep in mind that it's the exception rather than the norm.

 

For now, focus on rocking your last year of CEGEP. Your CEGEP counts if you apply during your 1st and 2nd year of undergrad at UdeM or Sherbrooke. So do take it seriously.

 

Now, start shopping for university programs too. Look at ULaval table des etalons, to see which programs you like, and which ones can yield a high R score if you do perform well. And no, you don't need to go in exercise science, heavily and constantly advertised for some reason by future_doc, as she heavily favours her own life experiences rather than objectivity.

Now objectively, going in biomedical science or physiotherapy, and having a high GPA will yield a high R score at Laval, giving you a high probability of getting in a med school. Currently, objectively speaking, it still is the best and safest option, and likely will be the case for a while.

 

As for the school, I don't know if it matters. I went to UdeM before, so did a bunch of others. I also know people who went to Concordia, Laval, Sherbrooke and Ontarian schools. It's true that there are more people who did their undergrad at McGill who are in medicine at McGill, but that's mostly because people who wanted to come here initially for medicine did their undergrad at McGill too, plus the fact that more anglophones study at McGill, and apply to McGill mostly.

[Integrity]

I have an R score of 33.89

I volunteered at Montreal Children's hospital, went on humanitarian trip to Honduras , work as lifeguard for 3 years, give private piano lessons for 4 years, member of various club in school , work part time in a dental clinic for 2 years, hand made and sold 100 scarves raising 2000.00 for the Breast Cancer society.

 

I didn't even get an interview for Med at Mc Gill.

 

I got in Dental however. But still, it hurts.

[FB07]

I have an R score of 33.89

I volunteered at Montreal Children's hospital, went on humanitarian trip to Honduras , work as lifeguard for 3 years, give private piano lessons for 4 years, member of various club in school , work part time in a dental clinic for 2 years, hand made and sold 100 scarves raising 2000.00 for the Breast Cancer society.

 

I didn't even get an interview for Med at Mc Gill.

 

I got in Dental however. But still, it hurts.

It's not unheard of to transfer from dent to med. 

[studenten]

I know someone who got in with 32,1 this year in med-p. But his letter was...... out of the ordinary. Really, I thought "WTF" when I read his letter. But apparently, McGill is looking for out of the ordinary people.

[meer]

"out of the ordinary" in the good sense right, you're scaring me 

[Zarcoh]

What do you mean when you say out of the ordinary?

[franglais]

McGill admissions is completely random. I had the absolute worst cv and I submitted it late, a below average r score, and I had the impression that I did very poorly on the interviews and I still got an admission. Don't feel bad if you don't get an interview at McGill it's completely arbitrary and have heard similar stories from other ppl as well.

[Bambi]

Yes, McGill is random and it works for them as they select excellent applicants, which is all that matters for them.

[studenten]

Yes, I feel like you wouldn't find 2 exact same people in the program. That's what I meant by "out of the ordinary". You should be unique. Make sure your CV is not like everybody else. 

[Arztin]

McGill admissions is completely random. I had the absolute worst cv and I submitted it late, a below average r score, and I had the impression that I did very poorly on the interviews and I still got an admission. Don't feel bad if you don't get an interview at McGill it's completely arbitrary and have heard similar stories from other ppl as well.

I'm sure many can feel that way. However, the adcom selects based on certain criteria. Although your CV, in your opinion was uninteresting, was probably better than you thought, and you probably wrote a personal statement that conveyed maturity.

[SunAndMoon]

I'm sure many can feel that way. However, the adcom selects based on certain criteria. Although your CV, in your opinion was uninteresting, was probably better than you thought, and you probably wrote a personal statement that conveyed maturity.

 

I am not sure to what extent the criteria are objective with respect to CVPN evaluation, nor can we say with certainty that these criteria are followed strictly by the evaluators. The fact that McGill's evaluation allows for the evaluation of subjective criteria is, I think, a plus because you are more than a bunch of letters or %ages on a transcript, but the drawback is that you may be subjected to biases and personal beliefs. It's human nature after all. Technically, the effects of that should hopefully be marginal but who knows what they really are? We can all think of friends or acquaintances who were interviewed one year, and did not get one the year after while both grades and CV improved in quality.

 

 

At the end of the day, I think the McGill way of evaluating applicants is superior in every aspect to other Quebec universities.

[monabanana]

32.x is the exception rather than the norm, and indeed rarely, people do get in with such R score. There is a guy in our class, formerly med-p who got in with an R score lower than you, and is doing extremely well, but keep in mind that it's the exception rather than the norm.

 

For now, focus on rocking your last year of CEGEP. Your CEGEP counts if you apply during your 1st and 2nd year of undergrad at UdeM or Sherbrooke. So do take it seriously.

 

Now, start shopping for university programs too. Look at ULaval table des etalons, to see which programs you like, and which ones can yield a high R score if you do perform well. And no, you don't need to go in exercise science, heavily and constantly advertised for some reason by future_doc, as she heavily favours her own life experiences rather than objectivity.

Now objectively, going in biomedical science or physiotherapy, and having a high GPA will yield a high R score at Laval, giving you a high probability of getting in a med school. Currently, objectively speaking, it still is the best and safest option, and likely will be the case for a while.

 

As for the school, I don't know if it matters. I went to UdeM before, so did a bunch of others. I also know people who went to Concordia, Laval, Sherbrooke and Ontarian schools. It's true that there are more people who did their undergrad at McGill who are in medicine at McGill, but that's mostly because people who wanted to come here initially for medicine did their undergrad at McGill too, plus the fact that more anglophones study at McGill, and apply to McGill mostly.

I would like to know, by how many points could your R score increase in one semester? Considering the fact that people apply to university during the last semester of cegep. Would it be possible to go from 31 to 34 in one semester, for example?