Canadian Apply to US with 3.3/3.7s and 36 MCAT

[Can2USA]

Hi, I am a Canadian Citizen.
Odds are I will not get into Canadian Med Schools based on my GPA.

Australia/Carib are viable options for me, but an American MD would be great.

Full details:
Academic
Now finished one yr of a masters degree at Mcgill University)
3.3 cGPA (Pure Mathematics from McGill)
3.7 sGPA (First yr bio/chem/phys/math and org chem courses)
3.7 Masters GPA (BioStatistics)
I have other math couses (they don't count towards sGPA, right?) taken in later year but they are very technical (abstract algebra, etc)

One Summer as a Junior Statistician at a major Montreal Research Hospital
2 Pubs-> Middle Authorship in CMAJ and Arthritis and Rheumatology

Last 14 months as a Statistical Consultant at another Research Hospital Specializing in Respiratory Medicine while doing my masters

36P MCAT

ECs

Clinical volunteering with yet another hospital. Great LOR from here.

Vice President of largest club in school (over 500 paying members). Assumed many leadership roles here.



Now I've got some questions:

I Graduate in May/June.
How strong am I for the next cycle (2012) in the US? or should I just try for another international school for next year (2011)?


Just working on my thesis this year. Should I take a few undergrad courses to boost gpa or will an ADCOM not care unless taken under a full courseload?

Is there something else I could be doing to improve my chances?

Thanks in Advance!

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[Can2USA]

No replies. . . Is it that bad? Or just an unusual situation?

 

[Catalystik]

The disparity in your stats makes it hard to say. but all math is included in the AMCAS BCPM. And no math is included in the AACOMAS sGPA.

For AMCAS, if you take classes during grad school that are not required for your matsters, they can be included in the undergrad GPA.

For AACOMAS, the uGPA and gGPA are merged after being listed separately, so the grad GPA helps moderate the lower uGPA at some, but not all DO schools.

US schools don't care if you're not taking a full courseload.

 

[drghost]

Maybe you will have better luck than me but,

I had a similar mcat and gpa. except my undergrad was economics and my masters is in public health.

I am currently at a Caribbean med school. I got wait listed for a bunch of US schools, though they never came through. Maybe it will go the other way for you. Good news is you can get in somewhere.

 

[Catalystik]

If money isn't a huge issue, you could improve your chances at a US MD acceptance with a Special Masters Program in the US, which, with great grades, can override a low uGPA, which a traditional masters does not. Unfortunately, it is not a guarantee of success and is useless for any other purpose except med school admission. You can read about this in the SDN Postbaccalaureate Programs Forum.

I'm pretty sure you would be able to get into a DO program as you are without the extra academic work.

Both of the above would assume the usual and customary ECs, which you are not specific about. The research at least looks fine. Pubs are great. Leadership is good to have. You don't mention nonmedical community service, teaching, hobbies, artistic endeavors, sports, shadowing, or the amount of clinical experience.

 

[Can2USA]

-So for SMP I'd first graduate from the masters this may then do the SMP and then apply early and potentially start 3 years from now?

-The other option is to apply internationally or to a DO school for next year. Israel, Oz, Ireland, Carib is what I'd be applying to. Are these long shots?

Which of these destinations offers the best chance at a US residency given my canadian citizenship? Going back to Canada for residency is not something to count on I gather.
Is there a better forum to ask this in?

- Some more detail on the ECs. . . The McGill club is an outdoors club. I have lead multiday outdoor trips rock climbing, ice climbing, whitewater canoeing, hiking, skiing, and more. On some trips there were over 40 participants and I used subleaders. Concepts like wilderness safety and teamwork played a large role.
I volunteer with cancer patients twice a week. Helping them out during chemo and transfusions. In addition I called around to local restaurants for donated space. Now I am starting a new program to get out-patients involved. It a cooking class where out-patients prep home cooked food for in-patients (Hospital food SUCKs in Canada). The volunteer coordinator credits the new program to me.
I also have tutored university math for 3-4 years through the undergraduate mathematics students society.
No shadowing: I can get some real quick though. My brother is a doctor in my city.

Hobbies are rock and ice climbing, cooking, and hockey.

 

[Catalystik]

For SMP: You'd apply this coming spring for a fall 2011 start. You'd apply in June 2011 for med schools. At the end of each term you send your transcript to each school. If you're accepted to a med school, you're good to go. If not, you reapply the following June 2012, having completed the program (though some are two years).

Or apply next June 2011 to MD and DO schools with an additional $30-$40 K in your pocket, with a good chance that you'd get in somewhere. Regardless of the degree, you'd still have a wide choice of specialty, depending on your performance on the USMLE or COMLEX tests. In Canada, you'd be allowed to practice your specialty.

Go to the islands or elsewhere, and Canada will only permit a Family Practice residency (is what I read, no idea if 100% true).

A forum equivalent to SDN, but for Canadians is at http://www.premed101.com/forums/

Leadership is terrific, Teaching excellent, great Hobbies. Shadowing is available to you. I still don't know much about your clinical experience months and hours.

 

[Can2USA]

Hi Everyone,

Checking back into SDN as I gear up to submit in the next couple of weeks. This past year I applied in Canada, somehow got an interview, but am waitlisted. Now I'm gearing up for the states.

My situation has slightly changed so I thought I'd update and get some feedback. Here are the changes.

1) I have now been volunteering with cancer patients as mentioned since last June so I have about 200 hours racked up.

2) My MCAT wasn't actually 36P. I was based that on practice tests and being slightly conservative. Turns out I got 38 Q. That probably doesn't really help much at this point, but is still nice.

3)Took a bio and a biochem course. cGPA up to 3.32

Applying to both MD and DO. AMCAS is mostly done, just editing the PS now. Only thing I need to decide is which schools to apply to. Checked out the American section of premed101, but it's almost entirely students with higher average GPAs and generally lower MCATs. My question is:
Are there schools in the states that favor higher MCAT over GPA. I realize no one will overlook my grades, but I want to choose schools that place emphasis on MCATs.

Also is this all in the AMCAS booklet you can buy or on an excel floating somewhere on the internet. If someone could point me in the right direction.

Also, thanks so much the help Catalystik. "Regardless of the degree, you'd still have a wide choice of specialty, depending on your performance on the USMLE or COMLEX tests" I've been researching DO and I don't think it would be much of a barrier for me. I've always done exceptionally well at standardized testing.

Thanks again to everyone and I look forward to more feedback!

Last thought: Any way to edit the thread title?

 

[Catalystik]

1) My question is:
Are there schools in the states that favor higher MCAT over GPA. I realize no one will overlook my grades, but I want to choose schools that place emphasis on MCATs.

2) Also is this all in the AMCAS booklet you can buy or on an excel floating somewhere on the internet. If someone could point me in the right direction.

3) Last thought: Any way to edit the thread title?

1) Most schools don't advertise their formula for evaluating applicants, thus the SDN maxim of "apply broadly."

2) AAMC has stats for each MD school which are very useful for selecting schools in your stats range. You can buy a one-year licence to use it on-line for $15 here: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/requirements/msar/

3) I've seen some figure out how to edit their thread title, but when all else fails, PMing a mod to help works fine.