MD Canadian Applicant - cGPA:3.70 | sGPA:3.80 | 10,8,10,O

[CanadaApp4USA]

Greetings, thanks for taking time to look through my application. Please remember I am a Canadian Student with a B.Sc.

Academics:
cGPA - 3.70 (AMCAS)
sGPA - 3.80 (AMCAS)
MCAT - 10,8,10,O (28O)
MCAT latest (july 25, 2014) - 10,6,10 (26)

I am re-writing the MCAT this year Mid 2014. Could you, as well, tell me a competitive MCAT for someone as OOP? I am thinking minimal is 33+.

Extracurr:
- Vol. with autistic kid (1 year)
- Vol. tutor @ free tutoring center (3 years)*
- ER Vol (4 years)*
- Taking the disabled on hikes (4 years)*
- Vol Rehab assist. (2 years hr)
- Research assistant in Orthopaedics (3 years)*
- Boys and Girls Club - afterschool daycamp (2 years)
- Vol. Pharmacy technition x 2 (25 hours @ each)
- Multiple small events volunteer
*I am still there

Awards:
- 2 organic chemistry scholarships

Please rate me against high/mid teir schools who would take in Canadian Students.

Thanks again! Have a good day/night.

*Edit: updated mcat*

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[TeamLeafs]

Retake and get 32+ and you have a good shot!

 

[studentp0x]

What's your AMCAS GPA (4.0 scale) and when would you be looking to apply (what month of this year) or are you looking to apply next year?

 

[CanadaApp4USA]

What's your AMCAS GPA (4.0 scale) and when would you be looking to apply (what month of this year) or are you looking to apply next year?

It turns out to be the same value. I am going to be applying immediately after April.

 

[studentp0x]

It turns out to be the same value. I am going to be applying immediately after April.

You don't have any A+s ?
When is youre MCAT scheduled for?

 

[CanadaApp4USA]

Thanks to those that have given their insight.

You don't have any A+s ?
When is youre MCAT scheduled for?

I only have 5. I am still in at cGPA=3.7 with the rounding they use. I followed with the last table (Grading System Type: Numeric - Canadian) found here: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181676/data/amcas_grade_conversion_guide.pdf

What about a Canadian Med School? UBC in Vancouver has a beautiful campus for example.
It is probably easier to do a US residency than to match to a US med school. Are you a US citizen?

I have applied to the Canadian Med School, did not get an interview with any. My MCAT is what prevents me from getting the MCAT cut-offs they use for interview selection. I have applied to UBC, where I got my B.Sc.: I was 10 points off from their cut off this application cycle. They didn't think my Extra-curr. was that special... =(

 

[gyngyn]

That is BS! MCAT cut off of 38? I don't think any med school has that. I would be curious to see proof.
In any case, your application chances are still alive.
I think there are 140+ med schools in the US, so definitely consider them. Your scores are not that far off from those of folks they admit every year. In some cases, yours are better.

Right now OP's chances are with DO programs. The 74 MD programs that consider international applications have a super-abundance of applicants whose chance of matching will not be diminished by their student visa. Thus, the very small number of international matriculates.

 

[gyngyn]

Which schools do you recommend they apply to? Not all 74 obviously.

Many of them have a 10th% MCAT of 31 or more. This explains why the OP is not now a candidate for them.
They all take a very tiny proportion of their international applicants. In general, such applicants should target schools where their stats and accomplishments are at least a standard deviation above the school's median. I know of no MD school that accepts international applications where the OP's stats would be likely to result in an interview.

 

[CanadaApp4USA]

@Mindy O'Penner, I cannot view what was initially posted by you here as it seems the post you made is removed/deleted. I would like to tell you an example... Saskatchewan's MCAT cut off this year for OOP interview was 36. For 2013's entry, it was 35N (can be seen here: http://www.medicine.usask.ca/educat...-students/admissions/Admission Statistics.pdf)

Many of them have a 10th% MCAT of 31 or more. This explains why the OP is not now a candidate for them.
They all take a very tiny proportion of their international applicants. In general, such applicants should target schools where their stats and accomplishments are at least a standard deviation above the school's median. I know of no MD school that accepts international applications where the OP's stats would be likely to result in an interview.

I agree with what gyngyn is saying. I am glad that I have everything else checked out though. This MCAT is going to be a Liam Neeson style attack on my end.

 

[gyngyn]

@Mindy O'Penner, I cannot view what was initially posted by you here as it seems the post you made is removed/deleted. I would like to tell you an example... Saskatchewan's MCAT cut off this year for OOP interview was 36. For 2013's entry, it was 35N (can be seen here: http://www.medicine.usask.ca/education/medical/undergrad/prospective-students/admissions/Admission Statistics.pdf)



I agree with what gyngyn is saying. I am glad that I have everything else checked out though. This MCAT is going to be a Liam Neeson style attack on my end.

It's weird how her posts disappeared so quickly. Her status seems to indicate that she wrote a book on admissions! Maybe you should volunteer to write the chapter on International applicants (for a price, of course!).
Good luck on the MCAT.

 

[studentp0x]

Thanks to those that have given their insight.



I only have 5. I am still in at cGPA=3.7 with the rounding they use. I followed with the last table (Grading System Type: Numeric - Canadian) found here: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181676/data/amcas_grade_conversion_guide.pdf




I have applied to the Canadian Med School, did not get an interview with any. My MCAT is what prevents me from getting the MCAT cut-offs they use for interview selection. I have applied to UBC, where I got my B.Sc.: I was 10 points off from their cut off this application cycle. They didn't think my Extra-curr. was that special... =(

Generally it's just letter grade = gpa output. Not sure how it goes with UBC due to percentage grades but everywhere else they go by letter grades. A+ and A are the same, 4.0 in the US. You may want to double check, but I'd recalculate putting in 4.0 for your A+ and As. Won't be that big of a drop.. about 0.04 if you've taken 40 courses thus far.. so 3.66cGPA.

What did they give as your academic and nonacademic scores (UBC)? And what was your % average?

 

[CanadaApp4USA]

Generally it's just letter grade = gpa output. Not sure how it goes with UBC due to percentage grades but everywhere else they go by letter grades. A+ and A are the same, 4.0 in the US. You may want to double check, but I'd recalculate putting in 4.0 for your A+ and As. Won't be that big of a drop.. about 0.04 if you've taken 40 courses thus far.. so 3.66cGPA.

What did they give as your academic and nonacademic scores (UBC)? And what was your % average?

The AMCAS letter grade conversion shows how they convert % to GPA/Letter Grade (last table of: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181676/data/amcas_grade_conversion_guide.pdf). I have 38 courses.

I use an excel spreadsheet with all my % and their AMCAS GPA conversion. Everything else remained the same except for the 4.33s turning into 4.00s. I have everything set to 1 decimal place from the excel spreadsheet I am using. It seems as though the 3.71 (with 4.33) --> 3.649 (with 4.00s). Causing the rounding result to be the same. However, how heavy of a difference is 3.6 to 3.7? I guess it would be extremely important with regards to cut offs... you could be just .001 away from their cut off, haha... =(

AQ - 23.57 (84%)
NAQ - 17.53 [I seriously thought my NAQ would be much stronger than my AQ... I strongly believe there were probly 4 olympic athletes also applying... >=( ]
TFR - 44.10

 

[studentp0x]

The AMCAS letter grade conversion shows how they convert % to GPA/Letter Grade (last table of: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181676/data/amcas_grade_conversion_guide.pdf). I have 38 courses.

I use an excel spreadsheet with all my % and their AMCAS GPA conversion. Everything else remained the same except for the 4.33s turning into 4.00s. I have everything set to 1 decimal place from the excel spreadsheet I am using. It seems as though the 3.71 (with 4.33) --> 3.649 (with 4.00s). Causing the rounding result to be the same. However, how heavy of a difference is 3.6 to 3.7? I guess it would be extremely important with regards to cut offs... you could be just .001 away from their cut off, haha... =(

AQ - 23.57 (84%)
NAQ - 17.53 [I seriously thought my NAQ would be much stronger than my AQ... I strongly believe there were probly 4 olympic athletes also applying... >=( ]
TFR - 44.10

How does 3.71 = 3.649 = 3.7? Sorry I actually don't know much about gpa conversion for amcas (is aacomas the exact same on this issue?)... actually curious on if it really gets rounded to the nearest tenth?

And wow really? Well 80% = 20 ish on AQ right? Thought your AQ would be more like 24-24.5.
And damn.. your ECs do look solid yes. If elite sports score you a lot of points then I should do well on NAQ but who knows how they evaluate it.

 

[CanadaApp4USA]

How does 3.71 = 3.649 = 3.7? Sorry I actually don't know much about gpa conversion for amcas (is aacomas the exact same on this issue?)... actually curious on if it really gets rounded to the nearest tenth?

And wow really? Well 80% = 20 ish on AQ right? Thought your AQ would be more like 24-24.5.
And damn.. your ECs do look solid yes. If elite sports score you a lot of points then I should do well on NAQ but who knows how they evaluate it.

The 3.71 is w/ the 4.33 scale. 3.649 is w/ 4.00 scale. I believe there was some weird rounding where the "49"--> "50" and thus, ".65" would go to ".7".

I have a friend of mine who got 81%, he ended with an AQ of 18.xx, they compeletly redid the scoring system this year. The rumours are that they normalized all the applicants and based their numbers off that. The cut off the year before was 6x.xx, this year it was 51.1 (using the new system).

 

[studentp0x]

The 3.71 is w/ the 4.33 scale. 3.649 is w/ 4.00 scale. I believe there was some weird rounding where the "49"--> "50" and thus, ".65" would go to ".7".

I have a friend of mine who got 81%, he ended with an AQ of 18.xx, they compeletly redid the scoring system this year. The rumours are that they normalized all the applicants and based their numbers off that. The cut off the year before was 6x.xx, this year it was 51.1 (using the new system).

I believe it'll just be a 3.65.

And really eh... thought 80% = 20.

 

[CanadaApp4USA]

*bump* So I ended up getting 10,06,10: 26.

I am completely appalled. AAMC Practice tests were always (11-13, 7-9, 10-11) There goes my chances at DO and MD. Medicine is not for me I guess...

Thanks for your guidance though, everyone.

 

[SkipJunior]

*bump* So I ended up getting 10,06,10: 26.

I am completely appalled. AAMC Practice tests were always (11-13, 7-9, 10-11) There goes my chances at DO and MD. Medicine is not for me I guess...

Thanks for your guidance though, everyone.

don't give up. I suggest you apply next cycle and join medical school in the Fall of 2016. In the meanwhile, study your ass off and do well on the MCAT, join a MCAT professional course or hire MCAT tutors if you have to (even if that means taking a loan). Beef up your extracurriculars, with more clinical experience and maybe try to receive stronger LORs. You can do this.

For this cycle, your app is too late and your MCAT score is too low but I suggest you apply to MSUCOM (Michigan State) next cycle, they specifically allot seats for Canadians every year. Of course its still competitive but you have a chance with the DO schools in the 2015-2016 cycle.

 

[UBC2014]

*bump* So I ended up getting 10,06,10: 26.

I am completely appalled. AAMC Practice tests were always (11-13, 7-9, 10-11) There goes my chances at DO and MD. Medicine is not for me I guess...

Thanks for your guidance though, everyone.

Sorry to hear you went down. For this cycle your app is too late, but you need to address your MCAT weakness'' and then you can have a shot at USDO schools next cycle.

If medicine is what you truly want, then taking the MCAT again shouldn't be a hurdle. But if it is, or you can rationalize yourself to not take it or reapply, then maybe medicine isn't actually for you - and you're saving yourself a lot of trouble in the long run. Reflect and be honest with yourself.

As it stand though, if you retake and do better (the 28 would have been fine for DO schools..but the downward trend throws that away) you can get into a US medical school.

In the mean time, beef up your ECs and keep applying to UBC. Each cycle is different, and you never know what will happen.