Guest bbm154 Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 Hi, I'm new to this forum, but anyways...hi! I want to obtain my MD, but need some advice; first my situation followed by some questions: Situation I'm a first year bachelor of science student (just completed my first semester of university). Things, academically, had been fine and dandy until today...I got some marks back after finals. My marks prior to exams were: Chem A- Phys C+ Biol A- Math A- Engl A Therefore I netted a solid 3.67 GPA and was happy. After exams: Chem C+ Phys C+ Biol (don't know yet, geusstimating A-) Math A- Engl A Now I'm not happy. My GPA has sunk to around 3.00 or 3.33 and my hopes and dreams of becomming a doctor has sunk with it. UBC Med school looks at all of your courses throughout your university life and uses all of your grades ever obtained towards your GPA. This is a double-edged sword, I think. Bad in that everything that is bad about my grades will appear in my GPA, and good in that everything that is bad in EVERYONE ELSE'S grades will affect their GPA. I don't mean to sound sadistic, but this is the grim reality premeds face. Don't get me wrong, I've never nor will I ever, sabotage fellow students for my personal gain (I'm a very nice person when people ask for help and I actually enjoy helping them - and I always give correct advice...I kick my own ass if I'm wrong). But my confidence is thoroughly shot. I thought I was good at Chemistry. I've always been bad at physics and accepted that, but chem was always something to bring up the old GPA. Also, I'm currently attending UCC (University College of the Cariboo) and wonder if that will hurt my application. Should I transfer into UBC? That is even if they'd accept me :\ Currently, UCC is working out perfectly for me financially, and I can even complete my entire degree there (which will be a BSc majoring in Microbiology and minor in Political Science). Thanks in advance for any advice that anyone gives. Oh, and btw, a little humour 195.92.224.73/j20/content/mainhost.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest moo Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 Isn't University College of the Cariboo a community college? I remember taking math contests years ago in high school put out by that institution. Med school admissions is weird. I had two other friends who were pre-med. One had like a 90+ avg, 42 on the MCAT and got rejected by UBC. He's a second year MD student and U of Ab now. Another friend had an 88 avg, 38 on the MCAT, and got rejected by UBC and U of Ab. Me, I had an 86 avg, 33 MCAT and got rejected by UBC too. So as you can see, high grades do not equal acceptance. (I am a second year in the US now. Only applied to UBC and Calgary, which incidentally also rejected me) Basically my point is you can screw up your first few semesters and still make it in... It doesn't take a genious to be a doctor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CH146 Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 I tend to agree with moo... I wouldn't sweat it too much since you're only in your first semester. Give yourself some time to adjust, find classes you like and I'm sure you'll do fine. I'm positive you'll find your GPA steadily increase in the coming years to where you want it to. Some @#%$ exam marks are not the end of anything, trust me, I'm sure we've all had our fair share, I know I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guyver03 Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 I agree with both moo and CH146, it's only your first semester, you'll probably need some time to adjust to university life. If you work hard, you'll able to make up for your grades later. You don't need spectacular grades to be accept into med school, I think UBC is one of the few schools that actually leans toward students with marks around the average. Rather an average Joe then some bookworms with no interpersonal skills. This might cheer you up. A friend of a friend of mine, he's an engineering student, he graduated with honour this year, and he's basically the top engineer student in this graduating year (not class, year), with marks so high that would make your average students red with envy. And he still couldn't get into UBC med school. This shows that marks are not everything, the person is everything. Also, maybe you should check with your chem prof to see if the admin actually enters the wrong grade. One of my friend failed his first year physics, but after checking with his prof, he found out the prof gave him a B+, and the person entering the data into the computer gave him the failing mark. So if I were you, I'd bring all my exams and hw to go see my prof, just to make sure no stupid mistakes are made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest marbledust Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 Attending UCC won't affect you if you're registered in a university transfer or a degree program, which I assume you are. When people are giving you advice, keep in mind that university transfer or degree programs offered at colleges are much different in Alberta and BC than they are in Ontario. If you have any doubts, check the transfer guide or talk to someone in advising at UCC or UBC. It's always better to check with the school you are interested in rather than reply on somebody else's word. There is no reason why you shouldn't be able to do all your pre-med work at UCC if you choose to. I would think doing so would have many advantages over a bigger school like UBC. I did all my science courses at a smaller college and was much happier and learned more. Among the advantages: much smaller classes (less than 30 people), labs every week, accessible instructors. I also wouldn't give up just yet!! Your grades aren't that bad :eek Try to pull up your science grades next semester. Most people I know who have gone through med school have stories of a bad semester or a bad year. It happens. Good luck! Oh yeah...a prof once gave me a final grade of C+ because he somehow missed the last page of my final exam. I was devastated so I asked to see my final - which is your right, they have to keep them for at least 6 months I believe. Anyways, when I pointed out his mistake and he marked it again and my grade magically became an A-. I would go check your exam, even if it seems intimidating. Mistakes happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bbm154 Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 Thanks alot for the advice! I did check with the prof and saw the exam...sadly it was as it was. My mind must have been elsewhere as I wrote that exam, as I answered written questions with calculations and calculation questions with written answers :rolleyes I misread almost all of the written section. I guess I can't make these types of mistakes if I'm a doctor :\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UWOMED2005 Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 Wait - I thought the University College of the Cariboo a University was a full degree granting University? I went to University of King's College in Halifax. I once met someone who thought it was a community college based on the name. Little did they know King's (alledgely the birthplace of Hockey) is the only University in Canada with a Royal Charter (ie what Cambridge and Oxford have) and was giving out degrees when the University of Toronto was still a manure lot tacked on to the back of some United Empire Loyalist's farm, and McGill was just a horse hitchingpost on the back of a pub in Montreal where everyone went to piss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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