5th year suggested for Transfer Student from the US?

[camneu]

Hi everyone,

I transferred over to Ontario from the states after my 2nd year of studies, and is considering if I should take an extra year. I can barely finish the two degrees I'm pursuing (Neuro specialist; Biochem major), but if I drop the specialist to a major, or drop the bch major and keep the neurosci specialist, I'll have no problem graduating on time.

Also, doing an extra year would make me an "eligible ontario resident" for Mac, so that's another reason why.

I had a GPA of 3.78 after my second year (mostly pulled down by one C in French and one B in calculus one in my first year, which would be dropped in the wGPA for some schools?). 

HOWEVER, the grades for my first term here in Canada is not good. I got into an emergency medical condition 4 days before the finals, and was going through a lot of pain sitting them so that affected my grades quite a bit. I deferred one final with my doctors note, and for the ones I sat in I only got one B+ and two A-s, and also a credit course which I passed.

Plus I now have 4 withdrawals/latedrops due to the fact that the drop deadline at my previous school was really early (2 weeks into the term usually). But I was always a full course load, and often an overload even after I dropped (5;7;8;6 courses for each term of 1st and 2nd year). So do you guys think if it would affect my application much?

 

So...I don't know. Any suggestions? keeping the specialist+major and struggle to finish in 4 years? or use an extra year to finish and boost gpa as well? or dropping a major or a specialist to a major to finish in 4 years?

Any general suggestions or predictions on my chances of getting in would also be helpful!! Secretly thinking I'm never going to get into any honestly....

[Meridian]

I don't think the withdraws will hurt as you always kept a full course-load by Canadian standards.   They may ask why you were (insanely) taking so many courses, but that is just an interesting interview discussion only.

If you can do a +3.95 in the 2nd term that could bring your 3rd year up to a usable level.   Overall cGPA would still be weak to apply during your 4th year but figure out your wGPA at each school and see where you stack up.    

Medical school applications in Canada do not care if you have a specialist designation or double majors. They do care greatly about GPA , MCAT , (and Casper.)  You need to be thinking best how to maximize GPA.   You probably need your 4th year marks before you apply.  Alot will depend on if you can do a +3.90 in your 4th year and benefit from weighting at some schools.  You could proceed with your 5 year plan but still apply to Medicine in your 4th year and see how it goes.   Can then apply in 5th year as well.

[camneu]

2 hours ago, Meridian said:

I don't think the withdraws will hurt as you always kept a full course-load by Canadian standards.   They may ask why you were (insanely) taking so many courses, but that is just an interesting interview discussion only.

If you can do a +3.95 in the 2nd term that could bring your 3rd year up to a usable level.   Overall cGPA would still be weak to apply during your 4th year but figure out your wGPA at each school and see where you stack up.    

Medical school applications in Canada do not care if you have a specialist designation or double majors. They do care greatly about GPA , MCAT , (and Casper.)  You need to be thinking best how to maximize GPA.   You probably need your 4th year marks before you apply.  Alot will depend on if you can do a +3.90 in your 4th year and benefit from weighting at some schools.  You could proceed with your 5 year plan but still apply to Medicine in your 4th year and see how it goes.   Can then apply in 5th year as well.

Thanks Meridian:

My wGPA is actually decent-I had an 3.96 wGPA after the second year, and even after this term, it's still at an 3.90/3.91 (based on how they would calculate my GPA I guess it would differ a bit, but it's within that range). 

So I guess your suggestion would be to plan a fifth year and wait till the application cycle in 2019 to apply then?

[Meridian]

I assume you are currently in middle of 3rd year. 

Note it is only U of T that drops individual courses in weighted wGPA calculation.  Other Ontario schools use best 2 (UWO), last 2 (Queens) , or last 3 years (UoO) for wGPA.  Re-check your wGPA calc projections for each school for end of 3rd year.  If you have +3.85 you may have some options for Sept 2018 application.  

In Ontario, Western requires you to complete your degree before starting medicine. Others don't require you to finish. So along with your Ontario residency and cGPA for MAC, you likely have some combination of application options in 2018/2019/2020. Write your MCAT next summer and see where you stand. 

[camneu]

On 1/14/2018 at 7:39 AM, Meridian said:

I assume you are currently in middle of 3rd year. 

Note it is only U of T that drops individual courses in weighted wGPA calculation.  Other Ontario schools use best 2 (UWO), last 2 (Queens) , or last 3 years (UoO) for wGPA.  Re-check your wGPA calc projections for each school for end of 3rd year.  If you have +3.85 you may have some options for Sept 2018 application.  

In Ontario, Western requires you to complete your degree before starting medicine. Others don't require you to finish. So along with your Ontario residency and cGPA for MAC, you likely have some combination of application options in 2018/2019/2020. Write your MCAT next summer and see where you stand. 

Thanks for the advice! I'm actually now considering getting my masters before I apply to med. I guess I'll still take the MCAT the coming summer and see how that goes, and if I do not get into med for this round of application, I'll be applying after masters!