Canadian Newbie with questions

[Furious George]

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Hi all, been a lurker here for awhile. Graduating soon, hoping the fine folks here can answer a few questions.

Like everyone here, I want to be a doctor. But my grades are not very good, especially for Canadian med school.

Here's my profile of sort:

23
Specialist in Molecular Biology
GPA ~3.2-3.3
MCAT not taken yet
Fluent in Chinese and English
Have a computer graphics background
Volunteered for 2 years at a hospital

What are my chances of getting into US med schools? And which ones (good ones I guess) will most likely, if any, accept me?

I'm also thinking of taking a 18 month co-op MBA program if nothing accepts me. Will my chances go up if I apply for med after getting a MBA?


Thanx in advance

FG

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

you can't say w/o an mcat score. i don't think an mba would help greatly unless your interested in hospital administration, in which case it might be useful.

 

[Furious George]

I'll be taking the MCAT this august 🙂

 

[jlee9531]

yes you should come back to us after you get your mcat score. admissions is somewhat random..but if you do get a great mcat score, it can somewhat make up for that relatively low gpa you have.

the mba might not make your application that much better, but it is something different that they will take notice of. whether its for good or bad...that is up to the admissions committee.

 

[moo]

Your GPA is a bit low... I really don't suggest that you apply with those numbers, unless your MCAT is > 33. You have an excellent shot at osteopathic (DO) schools though so you might want to head over to the osteopathic forums here and ask about your situation. Good luck.

 

[markus21]

Unfortunately, most Canadian schools have a GPA cutoff at around 3.5 - 3.6 which they must have because they get so many applications. So even with a 33+ MCAT score, your best chances are in the US. Have you thought about MS program?

 

[Furious George]

I know where I stand, and Canada is NOT an option for me. IMHO, the US offers better opportunities and a 'brighter future" sort to speak.

What exactly is a MS program?


Thanx again 🙂

 

[moo]

He means a masters program. I also meant that even with your GPA, your chances in the US are slim, unless your MCAT is high, and even then it's not a guarantee.

I know because I am a Canadian who went through the process two years ago... and my experience is that your GPA should be at least 3.5/3.6 to have a good shot at getting into a school (esp. as a Canadian).

 

[Furious George]

That kinda sux.

So doing MS will increases chances of med school acceptance?
MBA is not consider MS?

 

[jacksonchan85]

hey,

canadian citizen here - planning on applying this june to a good 15 - 20 US Schools, another 6 -7 Candian schools

that being said, i haven't gone through this process yet, so take my words with a grain of salt ....


have you considered carribean or irish schools (Atlantic Bridge)?..you're stats should be enough to get you in so long as you score mid-high 20's at least on MCAT

just something for you to consider

gluck

 

[moo]

Well it will increase your chances, but like I said, I really think you should consider osteopathic schools. They can practice anywhere in the US just like MDs and you have a very good shot at getting into a DO school. If you don't care about the letters behind your name, then a DO school is just as good as an MD school. An MBA is not the same as an MS because an MBA is a professional degree program. Also, adcoms are interested in knowing whether you can handle the sciences in med school so if you can do well in an MS program it might be beneficial.

 

[Furious George]

I thought about both DO and carribean. But kind of worry about getting residency. I've read through many of the threads here, and it seems pretty difficult to get good residency with DO or carribean, especially for a canadian.

I'm just very concern about my future......too late to make up for the crappy gpa.......

 

[jlee9531]

what is your science gpa?

 

[CalBeE]

There are a few schools that treat Canadians just like U.S. applicants in terms of admission policy. I don't remember which ones they are though.

And, I suggest you getting hold of the statistics on % of international student at the U.S. med schools. That usually gives you an idea of how receptive each school is to int'l students. For example, NYU, Duke, U of Michigan don't really accept int'l students, so you should skip those schools.

 

[moo]

I dunno about Duke not taking internationals. I interviewed there two years ago, and I know of several Canadians there...

 

[Furious George]

I have a 3.3 in science. My fourth year science gpa is 3.7, don't think it makes a difference though.


So I still have a chance? 😕

CalBeE, are you named after a brand of Japanese potato chips? 🙂

 

[jacksonchan85]

heard about that too re: carribeans...
however, if you're willing to put up the good fight, and secure an H-1b visa for residency you should be set
fp, internal med, peds residencies are attainable with a carrib degree ...but make sure you get the H-1b visa and not a J-1 visa

Originally posted by Furious George
I thought about both DO and carribean. But kind of worry about getting residency. I've read through many of the threads here, and it seems pretty difficult to get good residency with DO or carribean, especially for a canadian.

I'm just very concern about my future......too late to make up for the crappy gpa.......

 

[moo]

I dunno about Duke not taking internationals. I interviewed there two years ago, and I know of several Canadians there...

 

[markus21]

Duke definitely accepts international students... so does NYU.