Canadian student considering a second-degree. [urgent]

[zestor199]

Hello all,

I am a Canadian student who is about to graduate from a non-science degree with a GPA that can't be improved enough to be competitive. I am in need of urgent advice because the summer semester will begin in less than a month. I have done some 1st/2nd-year science courses (2 general chem, 1 org chem, and a few bio courses (all had labs except some of the bio courses)) with terrible grades. If I am to enroll in a 4-yr biological sciences program, I can potentially finish it in 2 years at the same university in Ontario in part due to the previous science courses I've taken as part of the non-science degree (which would count towards my 2nd degree), in addition to enrolling in summer classes to speed up the process.

My questions are (keep in mind that I would be open to private/public US schools):

- What medical schools am I eligible to apply to with my potential status (doing a second undergrad in less than 4 years)? (if any)

- Will the grades from my first degree be used for GPA calculations for ALL medical schools or are there any that will only look at my second undergrad?

- Considering that many medical schools require some science courses, a) can I use some of the courses I've taken in my first degree to fulfill their requirements? b) will their grades be used? c) Do I have to repeat them/can I repeat them to improve their grades?

- Will my summer classes fulfill the basic course requirements for some universities? will their grades be used for GPA calculations?

Thank you!

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[gyngyn]

You are eligible to apply to all schools that consider Canadians.
All undergraduate grades are averaged in the AMCAS gpa.
As long as you have made an acceptable grade in pre reqs there is no need to repeat them.

 

[zestor199]

Thank you for the reply. Is there no other body that calculates GPA for med schools? I am under the impression that texas has their own body? Also, I am certain that my grades for prereqs are not acceptable. Am I allowed to repeat them? How will the grades be calculated then? (average of both first and second try, highest, newest, etc.)

 

[gyngyn]

Thank you for the reply. Is there no other body that calculates GPA for med schools? I am under the impression that texas has their own body? Also, I am certain that my grades for prereqs are not acceptable. Am I allowed to repeat them? How will the grades be calculated then? (average of both first and second try, highest, newest, etc.)

AMCAS calculates gpa for non Texas MD schools. All undergrad grades are averaged.
TMDSAS calculates gpa for TX applicants (very, very few internationals matriculate in TX). All undergrad grades are averaged.
AACOMAS calculates gpa for DO schools.

 

[zestor199]

Thanks again. So, if I were to retake one of the pre-requisite courses which I have a terrible grade in, I would not be gaining much?

 

[pms_testosterone]

Queens, Western, and Calgary have various grade forgiveness or "best 2 years" policies. They may be your best bet at this point.

I would be cautious about taking a lot of science courses at once if your previous performance in science courses was terrible. You should be aiming for As in all of them, which is difficult to achieve with a heavy course load, even for strong science students.

 

[zestor199]

Thank you very much for the reply. I hear that Dalhousie is the fourth school in Canada to be as such. I am curious to know, is it normal for medical school applicants to apply only to 3-4 schools? I am wondering if embarking on a second-degree is a good idea if I am limited to a narrow range of schools - especially if I have no chance at US schools. Also, did a lot of people find taking 5 science courses that difficult? I am really unsure about that.

The reason I am where I am is that I had unaddressed mental health issues. I started taking medication not long ago (midway thru my last semester), and I noticed a huge difference in my ability to actually do anything. However, until recently, the medication for one of my conditions would interact in a way that worsened my other condition. Despite that, I think I can confidently say that the medication helped. Furthermore, If you were to look at my transcript, you'd see a big mess. I have grades ranging from the lowest passable grade to the highest grade. This last semester my GPA was 4.0 after OMSAS grade conversion, and I am really not proud of it because it wasn't my best - nor was it in science courses. I am really wondering if I am now able to get the grades I need because I can function on a daily basis enough to do any task, or so I think :/

 

[pms_testosterone]

Yes, it is pretty common for applicants to apply to only 3-4 Canadian med schools. Very detailed stats here: https://www.afmc.ca/publications/canadian-medical-education-statistics-cmes

In terms of whether the second degree is worth it, I would think about whether the second degree would still have value to you if you didn't manage to get into med school. Would it open other doors for you (such as ability to get into grad school or another health profession?)

Whether it's difficult to take 5 science courses at once really depends on what those courses are. I would not recommend taking several notoriously difficult courses in one term. Even taking organic chem and calculus in the same term might cause a hit to your grades.

You haven't posted your exact GPA, so I don't know if US schools are still an option. Maybe PM @gyngyn about it if you don't want to post it publicly.

 

[gyngyn]

Thanks again. So, if I were to retake one of the pre-requisite courses which I have a terrible grade in, I would not be gaining much?

If you master the content, you would be gaining something. Though it has little effect on your gpa, an A would also contribute to trend.