Applying To Medical School In Usa For Canadian Students

[khanmed101]

Does anyone know the process for applying into medical school  program at the United States from a Canadian University, and are there medical schools in US that consider Canadian students as non-international students? 

[Beacon]

I think AMCAS + this forum http://forums.premed101.com/index.php?/forum/39-applying-to-american-schools/ are good places to start. 

[ieatpremeds]

Also, apply as early as is humanly possible!

[Dr. Egg]

To my knowledge all US schools consider Canadians as international students, however, some schools are far more "international friendly" than others. The best thing to do is to buy the MSAR; it is a ~$20 program offered by AAMC and it gives detailed information on every US school, including which schools are open to applications from international students. After you have narrowed down your list, the best method is to contact your schools of interest directly to further ascertain whether or not international students stand a decent shot. When I applied to the US, I only applied to schools that matriculated 3-5+ international students each year, based on the information on the MSAR. Importantly, sometimes in the matriculation data on the MSAR, Canadian students are grouped into the "Out of State Applicants", and not the "International Students", which is why it is very important that you peruse each school's website carefully, as you may stand a better chance at these schools. The best piece of advice for applying to US schools, is to determine your school list ASAP, so you can begin asking potential referees to begin writing reference letters for you, as each school has different requirements for who they would like to recieve letters from, and it is quite likely that you will need a larger pool of referees to pull from than you will for OMSAS. It is also very important that you have a strong MCAT, as Canadian students are evaluated more stringently than their American counterparts. For example, I believe that the average MCAT for matriculating international students in 2015 was 33.4 on the pre-2015 MCAT, so your MCAT will need to be strong in order to stand a good chance. Very strong GPA and EC's can make up for this however, but it is an uphill climb. Good luck.

[JohnGrisham]

 The biggest thing I can add, is that the US has two medical degree types: The typical MD and the DO degree. Both will lead to residency and DO has been typically more lenient on lower stats, as long as you coupled it with a higher MCAT or stronger life experience etc.

The USDO has gained a lot of popularity over the last 3-4 years amongst Canadians looking at options outside of Canada. Quality education, and great opportunities. 
 

[deathvvv]

Of note, the USDO are now considered IMGs for the purposes of CARMS resdiency match. So if you plan to come back to Canada you might want to apply to USMD programs

[JohnGrisham]

Of note, the USDO are now considered IMGs for the purposes of CARMS resdiency match. So if you plan to come back to Canada you might want to apply to USMD programs

Still CMG in BC and fair game in Quebec. But yes - also should apply to USMD.   

 

More so meant for people who want more options outside of USMD programs, that can be quite difficult to get into if you don't meet certain metrics.

[khanmed101]

I have been accepted to both UBC Vacouver and Okanagan for biological science undergraduate studies. Do you guys know that if I choose Okanagan, will it be harder for me to apply to US medical schools than doing an undergraduate studies from Vancouver? The reason I was choosing Okanagan is because it has more professor interaction and is easier to maintain a high GPA. Any recommendations? 

[khanmed101]

To my knowledge all US schools consider Canadians as international students, however, some schools are far more "international friendly" than others. The best thing to do is to buy the MSAR; it is a ~$20 program offered by AAMC and it gives detailed information on every US school, including which schools are open to applications from international students. After you have narrowed down your list, the best method is to contact your schools of interest directly to further ascertain whether or not international students stand a decent shot. When I applied to the US, I only applied to schools that matriculated 3-5+ international students each year, based on the information on the MSAR. Importantly, sometimes in the matriculation data on the MSAR, Canadian students are grouped into the "Out of State Applicants", and not the "International Students", which is why it is very important that you peruse each school's website carefully, as you may stand a better chance at these schools. The best piece of advice for applying to US schools, is to determine your school list ASAP, so you can begin asking potential referees to begin writing reference letters for you, as each school has different requirements for who they would like to recieve letters from, and it is quite likely that you will need a larger pool of referees to pull from than you will for OMSAS. It is also very important that you have a strong MCAT, as Canadian students are evaluated more stringently than their American counterparts. For example, I believe that the average MCAT for matriculating international students in 2015 was 33.4 on the pre-2015 MCAT, so your MCAT will need to be strong in order to stand a good chance. Very strong GPA and EC's can make up for this however, but it is an uphill climb. Good luck.

 

Thanks, these are some great tips. Do you know by what year in my Canadian undergraduate studies should I apply to US medical schools? 

[deathvvv]

Fourth year. You cannot matriculate to US schools until you have a bachelor's degree

[JohnGrisham]

I have been accepted to both UBC Vacouver and Okanagan for biological science undergraduate studies. Do you guys know that if I choose Okanagan, will it be harder for me to apply to US medical schools than doing an undergraduate studies from Vancouver? The reason I was choosing Okanagan is because it has more professor interaction and is easier to maintain a high GPA. Any recommendations?

Go to okanagan. No difference for US.

[Dr. Egg]

Thanks, these are some great tips. Do you know by what year in my Canadian undergraduate studies should I apply to US medical schools?

 

As another person already answered, you cannot apply until the summer before the last year of your undergraduate degree. Although you can technically apply the summer after your third year, I would suggest waiting to submit an application until you are certain that your application is competitive. Applying for USMD admissions is far more expensive, far more time consuming, and far more mentally draining than Canadian admissions. As such, I would suggest waiting until you know you are competitive before having to go through the whole process more than one.

 

After reading through your responses in this forum, I am assuming you are a resident of British Columbia. If that is the case, I don't think you will need to go to a US medical school unless you actually prefer that option over a Canadian school. If you are competitive for US admission, it is extremely likely that you would be very competitive at UBC due to your in-province status, and likely quite competive for Ontario schools as well. Contrary to popular belief, gaining admission to a USMD school for a Canadian applicant that does not have a US citizenship is just as difficult as gaining admission to a Canada school. This is just my $0.02, however.

[khanmed101]

As another person already answered, you cannot apply until the summer before the last year of your undergraduate degree. Although you can technically apply the summer after your third year, I would suggest waiting to submit an application until you are certain that your application is competitive. Applying for USMD admissions is far more expensive, far more time consuming, and far more mentally draining than Canadian admissions. As such, I would suggest waiting until you know you are competitive before having to go through the whole process more than one.

 

After reading through your responses in this forum, I am assuming you are a resident of British Columbia. If that is the case, I don't think you will need to go to a US medical school unless you actually prefer that option over a Canadian school. If you are competitive for US admission, it is extremely likely that you would be very competitive at UBC due to your in-province status, and likely quite competive for Ontario schools as well. Contrary to popular belief, gaining admission to a USMD school for a Canadian applicant that does not have a US citizenship is just as difficult as gaining admission to a Canada school. This is just my $0.02, however.

I am actually from Alberta and got accepted to UBC. Would you recommend University Of Calgary Health Science or UBC biological science? 

[_ _]

I am actually from Alberta and got accepted to UBC. Would you recommend University Of Calgary Health Science or UBC biological science? 

Doesn't matter one little tiny bit. Whichever you would be happier at. 

 

Seriously. There are thousands of applicants, from hundreds of different programs. The med schools do not keep records of what each and every program entails to evaluate applicants based on that

[Dr. Egg]

I am actually from Alberta and got accepted to UBC. Would you recommend University Of Calgary Health Science or UBC biological science?

 

I would suggest going to which ever program you are more interested in, or which city you would be more excited to live in. At the end of the day the school you choose will place no emphasis on gaining admission. As with any degree from any school, your GPA is of the utmost importance, so I would suggest choosing the school that you believe will provide you with the best possibility of achieving a good average while simulataneously enjoying your experience.

 

The fact that you are from Alberta and not BC does not change what I said earlier; if you are competitive for a US medical school, it is extremely likely that you will be competitive at a school in Alberta as well.

 

As a final piece of advice, don't stress too much over which school you choose for your undergrad. As many others have pointed out, both are great schools. If you are devoted to your studies, both schools will provide you with ample opportunity to succeed and pursue medicine.