Do You Have Question About Uofc Med? Ask Away

[Jdumps]

Hey guy this information on here is really interesting! I'm attending u of c as a freshman undergrad in a combined finance and kinesiology degree. My goal is to attend u of c in order to get accepted into med school. So..

 

1) Are there any general tips that you received or could give as a student striving for medical school? Exe. People to connect with? Sessions to attend? Ways to strengthen your application?

 

2) Looking back would you recommend a specific undergrad program or prerequisites that really are worthwhile (or just go by the ones the website has posted on their manual)? Finance always reasonated with myself but if a vast majority of those courses lead me on a separate path that would be awkward.

 

Thanks!

[Borborygmi]

Hey guy this information on here is really interesting! I'm attending u of c as a freshman undergrad in a combined finance and kinesiology degree. My goal is to attend u of c in order to get accepted into med school. So..

 

1) Are there any general tips that you received or could give as a student striving for medical school? Exe. People to connect with? Sessions to attend? Ways to strengthen your application?

 

2) Looking back would you recommend a specific undergrad program or prerequisites that really are worthwhile (or just go by the ones the website has posted on their manual)? Finance always reasonated with myself but if a vast majority of those courses lead me on a separate path that would be awkward.

 

Thanks!

(1) Biggest tips would be keep your gpa up. Aim for a 3.85+, if it's possible. Second would be to do well on the MCAT, especially the new verbal section. The third would be to pursue things you're passionate and/or curious about and to do them well. It doesn't matter in what area your interests lie, but it's important to do them well, with integrity, and with commitment. Continue to pursue things that allow you to grow as a person and gain new skills. Having a mentor is great whether you're a younger or older student and oftentimes a long term mentor will be able to provide you with a great reference letter at the time of your application. Speaking of which, you don't need professors to write you a strong reference letter. Choose people that have known you for a decent period of time (who aren't family friends, etc.) that can write a strong, personal reference letter.

 

(2) Pursue a program that you find interesting and where you can do very well. Don't underestimate the importance of a strong gpa. There's nothing wrong with finance leading you on a different path if that path is something that you love. Always keep your options open. Planning for medicine is fine, but it's also a difficult path. There are many other careers that are fulfilling, obviously!

[Jdumps]

Perfect thanks for the input, just got some other questions off that..

 

1) Are there certain skills they look to be developed over others? Or if you say, mentor a youth group as opposed to volunteer in a clinic, does the type of personal experience not matter as long as you can rightly justify it?

 

2) Is there a limit to how many times you can write the MCAT? Or does the most recent score trump past results?

 

Thanks a ton!

[Borborygmi]

Perfect thanks for the input, just got some other questions off that..

 

1) Are there certain skills they look to be developed over others? Or if you say, mentor a youth group as opposed to volunteer in a clinic, does the type of personal experience not matter as long as you can rightly justify it?

2) Is there a limit to how many times you can write the MCAT? Or does the most recent score trump past results?

 

Thanks a ton!

 

(1) Check out the CanMEDS framework:

http://www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/canmeds/canmeds-framework-e

 

(2) There is a yearly and overall limit to the number of times you can write the MCAT.

 

https://www.mcat-prep.com/mcat-frequently-asked-questions/

 

Some schools take the most recent score, some schools allow you to choose your best score, etc. Review the admissions criteria for the schools to which you plan to apply.

[mononoke]

Not sure if this is the right thread to post this, but what specialty programs is UofC well known for?  I heard that psych here is really good, any other ones?

[VolumeOverload]

Not sure if this is the right thread to post this, but what specialty programs is UofC well known for?  I heard that psych here is really good, any other ones?

 

I've heard ortho has a very good national reputation.

[chickenplate55]

Hi, I have a question about UofC GPA calculations. I finished an undergraduate engineering degree at McMaster and I was not really happy with my marks (finished with a 3.7 last two years, cumulative around 3.3). I'm looking to change career paths into medicine and looking to come to the UofC to do an undergraduate degree to hopefully boost my marks up and try my hand at med school. My question is if i enroll at the university in a 4 year degree, and do 2 full times years of undergrad study at the university, will the application take into account my marks from my old engineering degree or will they just look at my 2 recent full time years of my degree? Any help is appreciated because I really couldn't find the answer to this stuff online.

[End Poverty]

Hey Chickenplate55, They would only drop your lowest GPA year, unfortunately. However, the good news is that U of C, only counts the GPA as 20% of your entire application. Best of Luck

[MSWschnoodle]

Hi, I have a question about UofC GPA calculations. I finished an undergraduate engineering degree at McMaster and I was not really happy with my marks (finished with a 3.7 last two years, cumulative around 3.3). I'm looking to change career paths into medicine and looking to come to the UofC to do an undergraduate degree to hopefully boost my marks up and try my hand at med school. My question is if i enroll at the university in a 4 year degree, and do 2 full times years of undergrad study at the university, will the application take into account my marks from my old engineering degree or will they just look at my 2 recent full time years of my degree? Any help is appreciated because I really couldn't find the answer to this stuff online.

 

 

If your previous undergrad is over 10 years old then you could do the new undergrad and invoke the 10 year exclusion and they would not look at anything that you did 10 or more years ago. 

 

If your previous undergraduate is not at least 10 years old then they will drop your lowest year from that degree and use all other years (from the old degree and any full time years you have in the new undergrad) in the calculation (assuming all years were full time).  

[chickenplate55]

If your previous undergrad is over 10 years old then you could do the new undergrad and invoke the 10 year exclusion and they would not look at anything that you did 10 or more years ago. 

 

If your previous undergraduate is not at least 10 years old then they will drop your lowest year from that degree and use all other years (from the old degree and any full time years you have in the new undergrad) in the calculation (assuming all years were full time).  

 

Thanks for the quick response. According to the UofC, they only take full time course load years into consideration. For my degree, I was a full time student the whole time but years 1,2 and 3 I ended up doing summer school for each as I was 1 course short in each year for it to be a full course load (4.5 credits/5). Only in my last year did I have (5/5) credits. Does that mean my previous years due to them not being a full course load don't count any way, or does that no matter due to me being a full time student any way. Much appreciated for the help.

[MSWschnoodle]

For the U of C a 4 course semester (24 credit hours/year) is still considered full time (5 courses is preferable but 4 is the minimum). So as long as you have a minimum of 24 credit hours between September and April for your 4.5 class semesters you should be fine.

[dpatterson101]

Is there a list of approved universities that anyone can direct me to? Thanks

[Jack Russel]

Borborygmi,

 

I'm new on this forum, so if these have been covered, please advise how to get there.

 

1. With the fees always quoted per semester, please clarify how much a full year's typical fees are. I don't quite understand how these semesters work. 

2. Do you guys recommend staying in res on campus? My parents live in the far South of Calgary, so it will be a long LRT commute each day, hence I am considering res or commune close to campus.

3. Are significant amount scholarships rare? My experience thus far is that scholarships are usually $1k to $2k, which helps, but nowhere close to covering full costs. Plus with all the 4.0 GPAs / PhDs competing, chances of getting one is probably not too good.

 

Thanks! Appreciate the advice and time.

[Borborygmi]

Borborygmi,

 

I'm new on this forum, so if these have been covered, please advise how to get there.

 

1. With the fees always quoted per semester, please clarify how much a full year's typical fees are. I don't quite understand how these semesters work. 

2. Do you guys recommend staying in res on campus? My parents live in the far South of Calgary, so it will be a long LRT commute each day, hence I am considering res or commune close to campus.

3. Are significant amount scholarships rare? My experience thus far is that scholarships are usually $1k to $2k, which helps, but nowhere close to covering full costs. Plus with all the 4.0 GPAs / PhDs competing, chances of getting one is probably not too good.

 

Thanks! Appreciate the advice and time.

 

Hi Jack Russel - 

 

(1) There are 3 'semesters' per year at UofC. Our tuition fees per year around approximately $15 000 - $16 000 + books/material which are usually in the range of $500-$1000 for your first year (could potentially get away with less).

(2) Living arrangements depend on what's important to you. If you want to be really close to class ie: roll out of bed and be in class in < 10 minutes, then res isn't your best bet since it's about a 20-25 minute walk. The res buildings are on the main campus which is separate and further north than the health sci campus at Foothills Hospital. Many students live in Foothills Village, Parkdale, and St. Andrews Heights which are all directly adjacent to the health sci campus. Those areas are better than res if you're looking for proximity. Otherwise, many of us live a bit further away from campus and either transit, drive, bike, or walk, etc. into class. I'm in Kensington as are many of my classmates. Some of us are downtown, some in Marda Loop, up in Brentwood, etc. Living further away from campus gives you a lot more "real city" options for restaurants, culture, night life, etc. It depends on what's most important to you.

(3) I would say significant scholarships are probably rare. I know of only one classmate (this isn't to say that there aren't others) who received a substantial scholarship. Bursaries, grants, and other scholarships are available for application throughout the year, but I'm not sure of their value. Your guess is probably about right though. When you're accepted to meds, you don't much need for worry about money with the availability of LOCs and provincial loans. The trade-off is debt, but... I think it's a fair trade. Just my two cents.

 

Hope that helps.

[Jack Russel]

Perfect, thanks, that is EXACTLY the reply I was hoping four. Can see why you got selected!

[End Poverty]

Hi,

 

If anyone was accepted to medical school while doing their masters, what was your experience like in the 'leaders in medicine' program?  Does it open more opportunities to you?

Also,  I have heard that there are seminars that one should attend throughout the program. How does that work?  

 

Thank you!!

[orangeman]

Question about post-graduate GPA calculation. I'm curious as to how the GPA will be calculated after graduation; say if someone were to do extra course as "special student" or in open studies how does that factor into overall GPA at UofC? I know that at UofA it's counted as a regular year.

If anyone knows, please lmk!

[MountainAmoeba]

It has to be a full year of undergraduate studies. Which the u of c says is 24 credits in the university year.

[orangeman]

It has to be a full year of undergraduate studies. Which the u of c says is 24 credits in the university year.

Thanks!! As in.. it has to be part of a degree program?

[MountainAmoeba]

No! Open studies is okay. But it has to be part of a full year of studies.

[Jack Russel]

Borborygmi,

 

Silly question perhaps, but do most guys wear suits on MMI-day?

 

(and I thoroughly enjoyed the Google explanation of your name, btw! Very sharp.) 

[freewheeler]

Yes, wear a suit.

 

You want to stand out for the quality of your answers, not for what you are (or are not) wearing.

[MSWschnoodle]

Yes, wear a suit.

 

You want to stand out for the quality of your answers, not for what you are (or are not) wearing.

 

 

Second this! Very few people were not wearing suits... I saw a few women in tailored dresses or skirts and blouses without a suit jacket but I don't recall seeing a single guy on my interview day that wasn't wearing a full suit.

 

I can't remember where I heard this but the best way I heard "dressing for the MMI" advice phrased was this: "Dress as though you are interviewing for a $200k+/year job for the rest of your life... because you are." Wear your A game! 

 

That being said, if anyone here is panicking because they don't have the money for an expensive custom suit - you do not need to wear Gucci. It doesn't matter if your jacket is $30 or $3000 as long as it fits. Everybody involved in the process knows that the interview process can be expensive and that not everyone can afford to buy a pricey outfit just for interviews. Buy or borrow what you can afford as long as it fits and you feel like you can put your best foot forward in it. My interview outfit was NOT expensive and it was not custom made... I bought it at the mall on sale and it worked out just fine.   

[bearpuppy]

Borborygmi,

 

Silly question perhaps, but do most guys wear suits on MMI-day?

 

(and I thoroughly enjoyed the Google explanation of your name, btw! Very sharp.) 

 

 

Dress better than what would be required of you as an attending. You are there to make a positive impression and show them that you are serious about the school and the opportunity. 

[Borborygmi]

Borborygmi,

 

Silly question perhaps, but do most guys wear suits on MMI-day?

 

(and I thoroughly enjoyed the Google explanation of your name, btw! Very sharp.) 

 

One of my favourite medical words, for sure! <3

 

My colleagues said what I would say regarding wearing suits--I agree. 

 

The other point I would make is about good colour coordination. Personally, I prefer a monochromatic colour palette with a bit of pop and I would second MSW's suggestion of wearing something that fits you very well. I would also tend to not wear a black suit for interviews, but this is just my opinion. Even if you can't afford / don't want to spend the money at a place like Harry Rosen or Holt's (James & Dickson in Kensington is also a great little store), it might be worth it to pay a visit simply to get the advice from the sales associates on colour coordination or what sorts of fits work best for your frame.