2008-2009 McGill Secondary Application Thread

[themedea]

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Apologies if there is already a McGill thread here, but I couldn't find it. Hopefully, this thread will provide international students with a forum to discuss McGill. I just received my acceptance yesterday and am very excited.

Anyone else?

 

[ontariostudent]

I'm in too! Did you interview Friday or Monday? Are you for sure going?

 

[RainerMaria]

International WL in February. Hoping on a Yes come May.

 

[Acherona]

International WL in February. Hoping on a Yes come May.

I'm an american who is graduating from McGill this year. If you are american planning to do your residency in the states I would strongly suggest matriculating at an american medical school. This year, we had 11 students doing the american match. Only 3 got their first choice and one went unmatched in an albeit very competitive specialty. I think the rate for US med grads is 55% for getting their top choice. Out of of 7 who did not require visas, only 1 got her top choice, so it is not a visa issue. The matches are still at great places but this is really due to ingenuity on the part of my classmates to circumvent the BS at Mcgill. Just a warning that it will be an uphill battle against the administration and faculty for four years, in addition to which premeds now make up almost 80% of the class. The dean of students in particular has absolutely no interest in helping students achieve their career goals and it is beyond me why she continues to hold this position. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

 

[laurengirl]

Just a warning that it will be an uphill battle against the administration and faculty for four years, in addition to which premeds now make up almost 80% of the class.

Really??! I just interviewed as a Med-P. I had no idea it was so high... How does that make sense if they accept so few Med-Ps from CEGEP?😕

Maybe I'll PM you... Can you describe your experience @ McGill in 1 paragraph or less for me?😛

 

[Acherona]

Really??! I just interviewed as a Med-P. I had no idea it was so high... How does that make sense if they accept so few Med-Ps from CEGEP?😕

Maybe I'll PM you... Can you describe your experience @ McGill in 1 paragraph or less for me?😛

Apparently they are now accepting more Med-Ps from cegep than they used to.
If you're a Med-P most of my views on McGill are irrelevant to you.

 

[ontariostudent]

premeds now make up almost 80% of the class.

I don't know where you're getting that number from, but premeds currently make up just under 50% of the class. The numbers are posted on the McGill website. http://www.mcgill.ca/medicine/admissions/criteria/selection/ 80 premeds, 75 university grads from Quebec, 9 international, 9 OOP Canadians, plus up to 2 positions for natives. I do not believe that the current classes have a higher proportion of Med-P students.

Maybe you never took math class but that's less than 50% premeds. Obviously you are not happy with your choice to go to McGill, but if you're going to try to help others with their decisions, stick to the facts and let them decide what will be best for them. By posting things that are so obviously wrong you are discrediting yourself and your advice.

I have spoken to a number of people in 3rd and 4th year med at McGill, and not a single one of them had the complaints you did. You obviously had a bad experience, but don't make it sound like the institution is a horrible place. Not everyone shares your opinion.

People come to these forums because they want advice. While the advice given here should not be taken as fact, people will be swayed by what they read. If you had a bad experience, feel free to post about it, but also provide information about others who have not encountered such problems and are happy. This forum does not get a lot of posters, so right now you are the only one giving advice. You have a responsibility to give an objective and accurate view in your posts, or else to acknowledge and admit that you are not being objective and accurate. I hate to think that anyone would decide on a med school based on what you have written.

You said only 3 people got their first choice specialty, but if the others were applying to very competitive residencies, the first choice match rate would be expected to be low. If they were all trying to match into family med in Kentucky, would they have gotten their first choices? What if they were all applying to Derm at Harvard? The information you posted is not detailed enough to be informative. My guess is that McGill grads aim high, due to the caliber of their institution. Not everyone who aims high will get their first choice.

 

[Acherona]

No need to be nasty.

My stats are from a faculty member who teaches at the medical school and related this to me personally. I don't know when that website was last updated as these changes were made in the last year or so as far as I understand. Please feel free to write to the faculty directly to ask them directly about changes in enrollment. I apologize if what I posted was incorrect.

Obviously anyone who bases a decision about where to go attend medical school on an anyomous poster online is not being very bright. My perspective is, however, as valid as any other and I will continue to post it freely. If you don't like it, you can disregard it as you clearly have decided to do.

An opinion whether positive or negative is, by definition, biased and I have no intention of posting other people's views as they are free to represent themselves here or elsewhere. It ain't my fault that nobody else is posting.

There were only 2 people applying to competitive specialties. One didn't match and the other matched at his 3rd or 4th choice. The rest were peds, IM, FM, neuro, psych, gen surg, ER. Look if you want more detailed information I encourage to ask the faculty directly for the match list. Likely as a premed you won't really know how to interpret this anyway which is why I offered my interpretation based on having been through the process. Believe me I would love to say that McGill is a great school and matches everyone into their top chioce but it simply isn't true. There is little to no institutional support or career advising especially for Americans. Few of my classmates would disagree with that statement even if they liked McGill.

I don't know where you're getting that number from, but premeds currently make up just under 50% of the class. The numbers are posted on the McGill website. http://www.mcgill.ca/medicine/admissions/criteria/selection/ 80 premeds, 75 university grads from Quebec, 9 international, 9 OOP Canadians, plus up to 2 positions for natives. I do not believe that the current classes have a higher proportion of Med-P students.

Maybe you never took math class but that's less than 50% premeds. Obviously you are not happy with your choice to go to McGill, but if you're going to try to help others with their decisions, stick to the facts and let them decide what will be best for them. By posting things that are so obviously wrong you are discrediting yourself and your advice.

I have spoken to a number of people in 3rd and 4th year med at McGill, and not a single one of them had the complaints you did. You obviously had a bad experience, but don't make it sound like the institution is a horrible place. Not everyone shares your opinion.

People come to these forums because they want advice. While the advice given here should not be taken as fact, people will be swayed by what they read. If you had a bad experience, feel free to post about it, but also provide information about others who have not encountered such problems and are happy. This forum does not get a lot of posters, so right now you are the only one giving advice. You have a responsibility to give an objective and accurate view in your posts, or else to acknowledge and admit that you are not being objective and accurate. I hate to think that anyone would decide on a med school based on what you have written.

You said only 3 people got their first choice specialty, but if the others were applying to very competitive residencies, the first choice match rate would be expected to be low. If they were all trying to match into family med in Kentucky, would they have gotten their first choices? What if they were all applying to Derm at Harvard? The information you posted is not detailed enough to be informative. My guess is that McGill grads aim high, due to the caliber of their institution. Not everyone who aims high will get their first choice.

 

[RainerMaria]

Well, I called and apparently the international waitlist is wicked slow this year. Dang.

 

[channer]

Well, I called and apparently the international waitlist is wicked slow this year. Dang.

Thanks for the update. I'm on the international waitlist as well. Good luck to you!

 

[channer]

I recently got accepted off the waitlist so it is moving!

Good luck to those still waiting!

 

[RainerMaria]

Channer -- Congrats! It must feel awesome to get that news. Do you know how you first found out?

All the best,
RM

 

[channer]

Thanks RM. I was notified by email but I also live *really* far away from McGill. I think most people are called if they get off the waitlist.

Good luck!!

 

[pie1990]

hey channer and RainerMaria
would you guys mind posting or pming your stats?
hope its the right forum for me to ask that.
would be really helpful =)
thanks