Alright, so I'm just finishing up my first year. I would like some opinions on how my master plan here stacks up. here's how it currently stands:
Background:
I am Canadian, applying to Canada, caucasian, enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This has pros and cons:
Pros: Lots of clinical experience, significant patient connections
Cons: I now have to teach myself EVERYTHING that isn't biology on the MCAT
GPA: My first year GPA is removed from the medical school I plan on applying to, so it does not matter. I reason that, with a lot of hard work, I can pull of a 3.9/40
MCAT: I am unsure. This hinges on how much I am able to teach myself. I reason that a conservative estimate is 511-513 given my track record. I am particularly strong in CARS and anything biology-related. I would likely struggle in physics more than any other subject but am willing to put in a lot of effort. I will be taking the MCAT the first month of the last semester of my undergraduate degree.
Leadership: I'm going all-in on one thing for my leadership: My schools' nursing undergraduate association. In the latter bit of my first year, I served briefly as VP student life, so I helped organize events and connect with students. This year, I was elected as VP finance, meaning I will run the finances of the organization, collaborate on what needs to get done, and host fundraisers. Next year, I plan on running for President or VP academic, where I will be the representative with the actual faculty on academic matters the students are concerned of. I see this as something I can reasonably attain.
Shadowing: I will have 150-200 hours of shadowing with general practitioners and radiologists, discounting my shadowing of my personal family physician.
Work experience: In the year off before university, I worked as a hospital clerk in various positions in Diagnostic imaging. I still have this job on a casual basis and often work full-time during the summers. I expect about 2500-3000 hours by the time I apply. I am confident in my ability to get a very strong LOR from my manager.
Volunteerism: I will complete 150 clinical hours and 150 non-clinical volunteering hours by the time applications roll around.
Research: None
not really any opportunities here, sadly.
Personals: In my spare time, I:
-Run every day, and plan on running several marathons
-Play my instrument a lot (kalimba)
-Write spoken word poetry and perform at a community cafe
-Nothing else significant.
Overall, how competitive do you think this is? Is there anything that would change? Do I need to grind the MCAT a lot more? Thank you for your time.
Background:
I am Canadian, applying to Canada, caucasian, enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This has pros and cons:
Pros: Lots of clinical experience, significant patient connections
Cons: I now have to teach myself EVERYTHING that isn't biology on the MCAT
GPA: My first year GPA is removed from the medical school I plan on applying to, so it does not matter. I reason that, with a lot of hard work, I can pull of a 3.9/40
MCAT: I am unsure. This hinges on how much I am able to teach myself. I reason that a conservative estimate is 511-513 given my track record. I am particularly strong in CARS and anything biology-related. I would likely struggle in physics more than any other subject but am willing to put in a lot of effort. I will be taking the MCAT the first month of the last semester of my undergraduate degree.
Leadership: I'm going all-in on one thing for my leadership: My schools' nursing undergraduate association. In the latter bit of my first year, I served briefly as VP student life, so I helped organize events and connect with students. This year, I was elected as VP finance, meaning I will run the finances of the organization, collaborate on what needs to get done, and host fundraisers. Next year, I plan on running for President or VP academic, where I will be the representative with the actual faculty on academic matters the students are concerned of. I see this as something I can reasonably attain.
Shadowing: I will have 150-200 hours of shadowing with general practitioners and radiologists, discounting my shadowing of my personal family physician.
Work experience: In the year off before university, I worked as a hospital clerk in various positions in Diagnostic imaging. I still have this job on a casual basis and often work full-time during the summers. I expect about 2500-3000 hours by the time I apply. I am confident in my ability to get a very strong LOR from my manager.
Volunteerism: I will complete 150 clinical hours and 150 non-clinical volunteering hours by the time applications roll around.
Research: None
not really any opportunities here, sadly.Personals: In my spare time, I:
-Run every day, and plan on running several marathons
-Play my instrument a lot (kalimba)
-Write spoken word poetry and perform at a community cafe
-Nothing else significant.
Overall, how competitive do you think this is? Is there anything that would change? Do I need to grind the MCAT a lot more? Thank you for your time.
Last edited:
