Canadian Citizen, USA undergrad -> back home?

[Patterned_illuminator]

Hi all! I was just wondering what you all thought about applying back home if you're in the USA for undergrad?

I attend an Ivy league school as a second year student ATM, and will hopefully retain a high GPA by the time of application. I have a lot of research experience (will be +4 years if you count when I started working in labs), won various fellowships, some solid ECs/clubs - my volunteering/clinical is low but I'm going to work on that.

The premed advisors at my school were not bullish about my chances if I applied traditionally to MD, just because they've heard of an apparent bias...

I'm greatly interested in MD/PhD programs and have been consciously working towards applying to those- would that same rule apply there as well?

I'm open to taking time off and working, but I don't really want to.

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[ConfusedChemist]

Depends 100% on your GPA and what province you're from. Don't be lazy. Look up requirements for Canadian schools and see if you meet them

 

[Patterned_illuminator]

I think I will definitely meet the requirements for MD and MD/PhD (Albertan here), but I am curious about whether there are implicit biases about UG in US - my premed advisors suggested that they existed, but they've been known to be wrong. I'm also curious about MD/PhD in particular; they said they knew little about it.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

I think I will definitely meet the requirements for MD and MD/PhD (Albertan here), but I am curious about whether there are implicit biases about UG in US - my premed advisors suggested that they existed, but they've been known to be wrong. I'm also curious about MD/PhD in particular; they said they knew little about it.

No bias. Welcome to Canada. All we/they care about are the highest GPA you can possibly manage, and if you're in Ontario, a 130CARS
But honestly, the fact you're from AB makes things 10x easier for you. You'll be fine

Apply to Queen's/Toronto too, they don't care about which province you're from

 

[Patterned_illuminator]

No bias. Welcome to Canada. All we/they care about are the highest GPA you can possibly manage, and if you're in Ontario, a 130CARS
But honestly, the fact you're from AB makes things 10x easier for you. You'll be fine

Apply to Queen's/Toronto too, they don't care about which province you're from

That's...reassuring? My premed advisors said that most kids had to go back before having a shot? Honestly I'm kinda nervous - it seems like everyone I know at UC or UofA is gunning for premed

 

[ConfusedChemist]

That's...reassuring? My premed advisors said that most kids had to go back before having a shot? Honestly I'm kinda nervous - it seems like everyone I know at UC or UofA is gunning for premed

Oh it's competitve, but not near as bad as Ontario, where Western has a 130CARS cutoff and Ottawa has a strict 3.87GPA cutoff....and UofT had a 3.96 average GPA last year lol