MD Canadian (cGPA = 3.83, MCAT = 27), lacking ECs

[ShaggyDoo]

Hi everyone,

I graduated from a Canadian university with a B.Sc, this year. I applied to medical schools in the Caribbean, Ireland, Australia, and UK. I didn't apply in Canada/US. I got an interview at the Ireland medical schools; however, I didn't get accepted. I got accepted to the Caribbean medical school (one of the big 4) for September 2015.

I am thinking of taking a gap year and applying to Canadian/American medical schools. However, I'm not confident in my ECs. The reason why I didn't apply to Canada/US was because I wasn't confident in my chances. Now, I would like to apply to Canada/US medical schools though before heading to the Caribbean.

University:
Research: fourth year undergraduate thesis and volunteer at a lab
Employment: Teaching assistant, tutor, sales clerk
Volunteer: Peer mentor, help at a learning center, family doctor's clinic (the duration of these is not long: one semester up to two semesters)
Hobbies: art/paint, swim, ride bikes, run

High school:
Placement at nursing home: over the summer
Leadership clubs
Tutor
(I was a lot more involved in high school compared to university)

Any advice on my statistics and chances for Canada/US would be greatly appreciated! I'm looking at volunteering/finding a job for the gap year. Do you think my lack of ECs will affect my chances?
Or would it be better to go to the Caribbean this year?

Thank you so much!

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[Rogert]

MCAT might be too low for MD schools but might be good enough for DO. Good gpa though. Nothing you did in high school matters for med school apps. Your ECs do look a bit weak to me, mostly because of the duration. Try volunteering in a hospital, free clinic, women's health clinic, etc. over the next year. I also don't see any shadowing which you should do at some point.

On a different topic, do not go Caribbean ever. If you poke around these forums you'll find all the details, but the short of it that you'll likely end up in a mountain of debt with no job. It's not impossible to get a residency from the Carib, but that is the exception rather than the norm.

 

[DaddyBex28]

MSUCOM is a great DO school that saves 20-25 slots specifically for Canadian students. you should seriously consider applying to DO schools.

 

[ZedsDed]

The fact that you didn't mention your MCAT once is problematic. Even if your ECs are weak, your MCAT is what is going to keep you out of a U.S. MD school. If you are serious about going to school in the U.S, you are going to have to retake the MCAT and crush it. Don't go to the carribean under any circumstances.

 

[ShaggyDoo]

MCAT might be too low for MD schools but might be good enough for DO. Good gpa though. Nothing you did in high school matters for med school apps. Your ECs do look a bit weak to me, mostly because of the duration. Try volunteering in a hospital, free clinic, women's health clinic, etc. over the next year. I also don't see any shadowing which you should do at some point.

On a different topic, do not go Caribbean ever. If you poke around these forums you'll find all the details, but the short of it that you'll likely end up in a mountain of debt with no job. It's not impossible to get a residency from the Carib, but that is the exception rather than the norm.

Thank you so much for your reply! I really appreciate it while I was volunteering at the doctor's clinic, I wasn't allowed to shadow the doctor very much. However, at the nursing home I was able to shadow the nurses and doctors. Mostly nurses though, because the doctors came twice a week. There isn't much chance to shadow a doctor in Canada.

Thanks again for your advice! I'm definitely considering DO schools.

 

[ShaggyDoo]

MSUCOM is a great DO school that saves 20-25 slots specifically for Canadian students. you should seriously consider applying to DO schools.

Thank you for your reply! I'm making a list of Canadian friendly DO schools now

 

[ShaggyDoo]

The fact that you didn't mention your MCAT once is problematic. Even if your ECs are weak, your MCAT is what is going to keep you out of a U.S. MD school. If you are serious about going to school in the U.S, you are going to have to retake the MCAT and crush it. Don't go to the carribean under any circumstances.

Thank you for your advice! I'm a little nervous about retaking the new MCAT, but I am definitely considering it now