Thinking Of Ubc Med After Completing An Unrelated Masters

[merci]

Hi all,

I'm new here but I wanted to get a few opinions on what a good plan of action would be.

Currently, I'm 23 yo and in a graduate program at SFU in natural resource management and planning. I've always pondered the idea of medical school and I know I could be a successful physician. I'm mostly interested in being a GP and working in a semi rural area. I wouldn't describe medicine as my passion, but I enjoy problem solving and helping people and I really value job security, flexibility, and growth.

My s/o is about to begin his career in Prince George, BC and my degree lends itself to that region, however my career would likely culminate in Victoria. His job also has the added benefit of funding education for himself and family members, which has refreshed the idea of medical school in my mind. 

 

I'm hoping to write the MCAT either this year or next and apply for the NMP or SMP depending on where I am at.

However, I have a few reservations:

1. If I apply this year or next year, I would have just finished my masters and will have not given that career path a fighting chance. I would be starting med school as age 25/26 and if I did a GP residency, be finished by the time I'm 31/32. I could always wait and apply 2-3 years after I have finished my masters and looked for job in a resource management field, but then I wouldn't be finished school until my mid thirties.

2. I always thought I wanted kids in my late twenties, but how I would attend medical school and have children is beyond me. I know it's possible, but I feel like I would be missing out on a lot of things both with school and family. Does anyone have experience with having kids while in school or having really young kids? How did you manage that?

I'm also curious about my chance of being successfully admitted to UBC...
My undergrad is in Forest Science at UBC and my average was 87.7%. I will grad from SFU with close to a 4.0 GPA based on my first semester marks. I have not written the MCAT so I can't comment on that. I would like to work with Aboriginal communities/rural communities and I have a really diverse range of experience from agriculture, to forestry, to politics. 

 

Also, I did AP English and when I went to UBC for undergrad they gave me 6 english credits for it. Do you know if UBC med will recognize AP English as 6 credits or only 3?

 

Any and all thoughts are appreciated!
 

[Bambi]

I would think it is best to throw your hat into the ring sooner rather than later and see what develops. On average, it takes 3 cycles to land a spot, so even applying sooner, you may still get experience working in resource management. 

 

As for kids, although I have no experience, the best time is during residency when unemployment insurance will kick in. 

[merci]

Thanks! You've definitely encouraged me to at least give it a shot.

 

I don't know if anyone can answer this.. but although my overall average is quite high, I got 57% in OChem, 64% in Biochem and 64% in Inorganic Chem.. considering these courses are some of the most important for med, do you think UBC would see that and take it into consideration? I could have done better in these courses but had a lack of motivation and personal things going on during that year of school. I'm hoping that it wont matter that my grades in the heavy science classes are not as high as I would like.

[merci]

Ok another question..

 

For the electives/clerkships, do you NEED to go to a different city/hospital? Or could I take all my electives in Prince George and the surrounding area? How long are the electives/clerkships? 

 

When you become a resident, how likely is it to find a placement in Prince George if you did the NMP? Or would I have to be open to moving? I am interested in FM and a +1 specialty, possibly emergency or dermatology

[lab2185]

So, in terms of the science courses. That would be a concern, I would think. But if you kill the MCAT, it might be ok. You might consider taking a (or a few) biology or anatomy/physiology classes online and doing really well in those to show you can do well in sciences, as your grades in those classes might be a concern for admissions I would think. I would look at TRU or Athabasca. 

 

The other thing is... so to land an interview it is 50 percent grades and 50 percent volunteer/work experience. You will obviously do quite well on the grades part, but if you look at the forum, unless you have a good score on the other part it is quite difficult to get an interview. 

 

If you are interested in applying in the future, I would start pursuing different volunteer activities. This will also give you an idea if this is a career you want to pursue. It is a big haul, so I would think you would want to do some volunteer work in the area so make sure this is your passion and something you are really interested in pursuing. 

 

As for having children, I know a few people at UBC med with kids right now and they have all said the program is very accommodating. But, I mean it is med school... so it's of course going to be extremely busy and demanding to do both, but of course can be done! 

 

Hope that helps!

[InstantRamen]

I don't think they accept AP! My friend applied a couple years ago and needed to take another chemistry class because they didn't accept his AP chemistry. Maybe things have changed though! 

[merci]

Thanks for all the feedback! Definitely making this decision clearer. Perhaps I will email them about the AP credit. 

 

I'm thinking about volunteering with Sheway.. does anyone have any experience there or have any other groups they recommend?

 

I have scattered volunteer experience, but would really like some where I get to connect with people.

[helicase]

Yes, they consider AP English if you got a 4 or 5! You get 6 credits for it!

[merci]

Yes, they consider AP English if you got a 4 or 5! You get 6 credits for it!

Excellent! Thank you!