Atlantic Bridge 2021

[hopefulmed1053]

Congrats!! 🎉 did the email come from the school or from Atlantic Bridge?

It came directly from the school! I have 10 days to accept it

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[jnmu]

Anyone still waiting for an interview invite? I applied quite late—February 15th 😒

 

[premedblues123]

Anyone still waiting for an interview invite? I applied quite late—February 15th 😒

haven't heard a peep from RSCI GEM or UCD GEM... i dont know what to think anymore

 

[futureneuro7]

haven't heard a peep from RSCI GEM or UCD GEM... i dont know what to think anymore

Still waiting on RCSI, UCC, UL (all GEM).

 

[futureneuro7]

didn't you say you turned down UL acceptance and got rejected from RCSI?

Nope, you have me confused with someone else. I’m still waiting to hear from both UL and RCSI.

 

[Pkallur]

Anyone still waiting for an interview invite? I applied quite late—February 15th 😒

Yup... still waiting haven't heard anything...

 

[GuruPitkaMD]

Nope, you have me confused with someone else. I’m still waiting to hear from both UL and RCSI.

yeah totally my mistake, I'm super new at to this website.. Try following up with your Atlantic Bridge Admissions officer, mine gave me a pretty good update for all my applications when I asked

 

[futureneuro7]

yeah totally my mistake, I'm super new at to this website.. Try following up with your Atlantic Bridge Admissions officer, mine gave me a pretty good update for all my applications when I asked

Already did. They told me to wait it out

 

[p_medschool]

Anyone heard from any of the 5 year programs yet? For TCD and NUIG? Rejections or acceptances? Waiting is driving me nuts lol I just want to know

 

[mr0215]

Anyone heard from any of the 5 year programs yet? For TCD and NUIG? Rejections or acceptances? Waiting is driving me nuts lol I just want to know

Same here but I’m not actually sure if they’ve released second rounds based off of what’s been said on the forum

 

[futureneuro7]

Just got the R from UCC

 

[GuruPitkaMD]

Just got the R from UCC

same here..

 

[mr0215]

Just got the R from UCC

same😔

 

[Pkallur]

same😔

When did you apply? I haven't heard anything from the schools I applied to...

 

[futureneuro7]

When did you apply? I haven't heard anything from the schools I applied to...

September

 

[mr0215]

When did you apply? I haven't heard anything from the schools I applied to...

sept 2020

 

[aa34]

Anyone heard from any of the 5 year programs yet? For TCD and NUIG? Rejections or acceptances? Waiting is driving me nuts lol I just want to know

I wish they gave us updates, instead were just waiting here

 

[futureneuro7]

I wish they gave us updates, instead were just waiting here

Right? Like if they’re waiting to hear back from accepted students on their offers, they should just say that. Like “thank you for your patience, we have currently issued enough offers to fill the class and will know by (x date) how many have accepted their place. If at that time there are spots available, we will begin another round of interviews.” That would save us a lot of anxious speculating.

 

[Pkallur]

Right? Like if they’re waiting to hear back from accepted students on their offers, they should just say that. Like “thank you for your patience, we have currently issued enough offers to fill the class and will know by (x date) how many have accepted their place. If at that time there are spots available, we will begin another round of interviews.” That would save us a lot of anxious speculating.

Honestly, I couldn't agree more... why put students in such suspense?

 

[jnmu]

haven't heard a peep from RSCI GEM or UCD GEM... i dont know what to think anymore

Me too! I contacted AB and it was just a generic response, “There have been no change in the status of your application. Kind regards.” It’d nice to at least have a concrete response but I guess waiting is all we can do 🥺

 

[futureneuro7]

Does anyone have suggestions of programs I should look into in case Ireland doesn't come through for me?

I can't do Australia/NZ because they require a quarantine for pets. I am aware of the GEM program at Poznan in Poland, but their stats scare me. I've looked into the Caribbean, but again, their stats scare me.

 

[M_96]

Does anyone have suggestions of programs I should look into in case Ireland doesn't come through for me?

I can't do Australia/NZ because they require a quarantine for pets. I am aware of the GEM program at Poznan in Poland, but their stats scare me. I've looked into the Caribbean, but again, their stats scare me.

There’s a medical program in cypress that’s affiliated with St. George’s University of London. I’m not sure what their matching stats are though.

 

[mr0215]

Does anyone have suggestions of programs I should look into in case Ireland doesn't come through for me?

I can't do Australia/NZ because they require a quarantine for pets. I am aware of the GEM program at Poznan in Poland, but their stats scare me. I've looked into the Caribbean, but again, their stats scare me.

I was thinking one of the big 4 caribbean schools but I get what u mean. Seems scary

 

[p_medschool]

Does anyone have suggestions of programs I should look into in case Ireland doesn't come through for me?

I can't do Australia/NZ because they require a quarantine for pets. I am aware of the GEM program at Poznan in Poland, but their stats scare me. I've looked into the Caribbean, but again, their stats scare me.

You could also check Scotland and England - I know their medical programs are recognized in Canada/US - Scotland actually has a medical program with St. Andrews I think, that's done half in Canada and half in Scotland

 

[futureneuro7]

You could also check Scotland and England - I know their medical programs are recognized in Canada/US - Scotland actually has a medical program with St. Andrews I think, that's done half in Canada and half in Scotland

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, keep them coming!

 

[medscorpio]

Does anyone have suggestions of programs I should look into in case Ireland doesn't come through for me?

I can't do Australia/NZ because they require a quarantine for pets. I am aware of the GEM program at Poznan in Poland, but their stats scare me. I've looked into the Caribbean, but again, their stats scare me.

Just curious, but why are you considering international programs if you’re scared of the stats? At the UL webinar they said some people fail to match every year, so Ireland is not entirely “safe” either.

 

[futureneuro7]

Just curious, but why are you considering international programs if you’re scared of the stats? At the UL webinar they said some people fail to match every year, so Ireland is not entirely “safe” either.

No, but their success rates are much, much higher than the Caribbean. Not all US schools match all their seniors, either. So Ireland sets their students up for success better than the Caribbean for ERAS. And I’m considering international because I’ve applied four times to the US (doing something to improve my application each time) so I feel it would be foolish to continue putting all my eggs in one basket.

 

[ChickenNuggetsAreSuperior]

No, but their success rates are much, much higher than the Caribbean. Not all US schools match all their seniors, either. So Ireland sets their students up for success better than the Caribbean for ERAS. And I’m considering international because I’ve applied four times to the US (doing something to improve my application each time) so I feel it would be foolish to continue putting all my eggs in one basket.

good on you for not giving up!! I'm in my second gap year working through my application and it feels like I'll never make it. I just started considering Ireland as an option. I'm sure you'll get the acceptance soon.

 

[NONONOORMAL]

Hi everyone,

I graduated with a BSc in biology last year. My GPA is 3.6 with a very strong upward trend: 3.2 > 3.56 > 3.83 > 3.94. Science GPA is very close to that with a similar trend. I recently retook the MCAT (3rd try) and got a 502. was scoring around a 508-510 consistently but I was hit with a very hard CP and PS section, it happens. I'm planning a retake in august (last time hopefully).

I was wondering if anyone can provide insight on how competitive my application is for the GEM or the 5-year program assuming I end up with a 508. EC's include a lot of volunteering with different organizations and being a medical scribe for almost 2 years (EM, FM clinic). I was also involved in a few clubs in university.

 

[futureneuro7]

good on you for not giving up!! I'm in my second gap year working through my application and it feels like I'll never make it. I just started considering Ireland as an option. I'm sure you'll get the acceptance soon.

Thanks, this process is awful. I wish I considered Ireland sooner. Sometimes I feel so discouraged, like I’ll never make it. And it’s really difficult to see other people get in, especially when I feel like I’ve done so much more/worked harder. The comparison game is horrible.

 

[futureneuro7]

Hi everyone,

I graduated with a BSc in biology last year. My GPA is 3.6 with a very strong upward trend: 3.2 > 3.56 > 3.83 > 3.94. Science GPA is very close to that with a similar trend. I recently retook the MCAT (3rd try) and got a 502. was scoring around a 508-510 consistently but I was hit with a very hard CP and PS section, it happens. I'm planning a retake in august (last time hopefully).

I was wondering if anyone can provide insight on how competitive my application is for the GEM or the 5-year program assuming I end up with a 508. EC's include a lot of volunteering with different organizations and being a medical scribe for almost 2 years (EM, FM clinic). I was also involved in a few clubs in university.

I would previously have said very competitive, but my answer to everything now is that there are no rules and COVID has thrown us all into greater chaos. May the odds be ever in your favor.

 

[agoestomedschool93]

Thanks, this process is awful. I wish I considered Ireland sooner. Sometimes I feel so discouraged, like I’ll never make it. And it’s really difficult to see other people get in, especially when I feel like I’ve done so much more/worked harder. The comparison game is horrible.

Feeling this to a tee, stay strong friend! We got this ❤️🩺

 

[NONONOORMAL]

I would previously have said very competitive, but my answer to everything now is that there are no rules and COVID has thrown us all into greater chaos. May the odds be ever in your favor.

i can't seem to find a good website for acceptance stats, do you happen to know the average gpa/mcat score for those accepted? thank you so much for responding and good luck to you!

 

[texhess]

Hi everyone,

I graduated with a BSc in biology last year. My GPA is 3.6 with a very strong upward trend: 3.2 > 3.56 > 3.83 > 3.94. Science GPA is very close to that with a similar trend. I recently retook the MCAT (3rd try) and got a 502. was scoring around a 508-510 consistently but I was hit with a very hard CP and PS section, it happens. I'm planning a retake in august (last time hopefully).

I was wondering if anyone can provide insight on how competitive my application is for the GEM or the 5-year program assuming I end up with a 508. EC's include a lot of volunteering with different organizations and being a medical scribe for almost 2 years (EM, FM clinic). I was also involved in a few clubs in university.

Idk the exact stats but supposedly it was extremely competitive this year

 

[medscorpio]

No, but their success rates are much, much higher than the Caribbean. Not all US schools match all their seniors, either. So Ireland sets their students up for success better than the Caribbean for ERAS. And I’m considering international because I’ve applied four times to the US (doing something to improve my application each time) so I feel it would be foolish to continue putting all my eggs in one basket.

From what I've seen on here, the match rates for Irish schools tend to fluctuate every year. This makes sense since success in the match is dependent on the hard work of the applicants. I have friends in Caribbean who matched easily because of their application and reasonable expectations. Lots of schools also have USMLE question format for their exams to prepare students better for the exam. Just my input of course, good luck to you and I hope you stay optimistic! The wait is hard, but there's lots of great programs out there that will give you great life experiences and help you match back!

 

[snandy1]

i can't seem to find a good website for acceptance stats, do you happen to know the average gpa/mcat score for those accepted? thank you so much for responding and good luck to you!

To what I've seen on the Atlantic bridge website and in this forum. The minimum GPA for TCD is 3.3 GPA And for UCD its 3.03 GPA.
And this is from the AB website:
"MCAT is required for admission to the Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM), 4 Year medical programs. During the 2020 admissions season, the MCAT scores for students who received offers into the 4 Year GEM programs ranged from 496 to 520."

 

[NONONOORMAL]

To what I've seen on the Atlantic bridge website and in this forum. The minimum GPA for TCD is 3.3 GPA And for UCD its 3.03 GPA.
And this is from the AB website:
"MCAT is required for admission to the Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM), 4 Year medical programs. During the 2020 admissions season, the MCAT scores for students who received offers into the 4 Year GEM programs ranged from 496 to 520."

i spoke to their admission advisor and it seems most schools don't look at MCAT scores lower than a 503 except for Limerick which accepts a 496 score.

as for GPA, they look at it holistically. they say it's favourable to do OK in hard courses than to do really well in easy courses. so a 3.3 with a science-heavy background is better than a 3.8 achieved through taking easy courses.

unfortunately, that makes it difficult to figure out how strong an application is through GPA or MCAT scores haha. i guess the best people can do is to keep trying to improve their profile the best they can.

its less about what you have and more about how you sell it.

 

[futureneuro7]

You could also check Scotland and England - I know their medical programs are recognized in Canada/US - Scotland actually has a medical program with St. Andrews I think, that's done half in Canada and half in Scotland

Thanks, I looked into the St. Andrews program. Unfortunately its for Canadians only - I'm American. Nearly all of the other programs in the UK appear to accept UK/EU students only.

 

[M_96]

Thanks, I looked into the St. Andrews program. Unfortunately its for Canadians only - I'm American. Nearly all of the other programs in the UK appear to accept UK/EU students only.

What about Sackler in Tel Aviv?

 

[futureneuro7]

What about Sackler in Tel Aviv?

I haven’t looked into that, thank you for the suggestion. Although Israel is on the bring of war at the moment...not sure I’d be willing to risk my life for my education.

 

[NONONOORMAL]

are there any students who were accepted that are open to helping others with their application? or are at least able to give advice.

 

[texhess]

are there any students who were accepted that are open to helping others with their application? or are at least able to give advice.

Sure! Feel free to pm

 

[ChasingMD26]

Hey guys, as we are mid-may and for those waiting for TCD and NUIG, do you think I should expect a rejection at this stage?

 

[Ganglia]

Thanks, I looked into the St. Andrews program. Unfortunately its for Canadians only - I'm American. Nearly all of the other programs in the UK appear to accept UK/EU students only.

Do you have the link for this program?

 

[Ganglia]

You could also check Scotland and England - I know their medical programs are recognized in Canada/US - Scotland actually has a medical program with St. Andrews I think, that's done half in Canada and half in Scotland

This is great. Do you have a link? Any other schools you recommend?

 

[p_medschool]

Do you have the link for this program?

So it's called the Scottish-Canadian Medical Programme https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/canada/
https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/medicine/medicine-bsc-a990/
It's a 6 year program though, so keep that in mind!

 

[p_medschool]

Thanks, I looked into the St. Andrews program. Unfortunately its for Canadians only - I'm American. Nearly all of the other programs in the UK appear to accept UK/EU students only.

Shoot sorry - should've clarified if you were US or Canada first! But you should double check the uk schools, i believe there are a few that take international students! I did a quick look and found this: University of Glasgow - Schools - School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing - Undergraduate Medical School - Admissions - International
That's for Glasgow, but I'm not sure how helpful it is given that they only have 18 spots.
There is also Cambridge - I found a link specific to US students! Information for applicants from United States of America | Undergraduate Study

 

[p_medschool]

This is great. Do you have a link? Any other schools you recommend?

If you are in the same boat as me (Canadian or US student that hasn't gotten into north america) then check every school in England, Scotland, Australia, and of course Ireland. I personally recommend avoiding Caribbean unless it is absolutely a last resort. Basically from what I have been able to gather over the years, you have about a 20% chance of getting back from a Caribbean school and about a 50-60% chance from Australia/Ireland/UK.
Obviously these are not stats listed on their websites (they make it look like every student gets back lol) this is just what I have heard from medical school fairs, advisors, past students, etc.
But I am also not a medical student YET so I don't know this from personal experience! Just sharing what I have heard!

 

[Ganglia]

So it's called the Scottish-Canadian Medical Programme https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/canada/
https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/medicine/medicine-bsc-a990/
It's a 6 year program though, so keep that in mind!

Any idea of the Carms match rate?

 

[futureneuro7]

Shoot sorry - should've clarified if you were US or Canada first! But you should double check the uk schools, i believe there are a few that take international students! I did a quick look and found this: University of Glasgow - Schools - School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing - Undergraduate Medical School - Admissions - International
That's for Glasgow, but I'm not sure how helpful it is given that they only have 18 spots.
There is also Cambridge - I found a link specific to US students! Information for applicants from United States of America | Undergraduate Study

Thanks! I looked into them both, and unfortunately they’re not for me. Glasgow is 5 years and US citizens aren’t eligible for the GEM program at Cambridge. I’d really like to stick to four years seeing as I already put in so much time between my bachelor’s and master’s 🥵