Canadian undergrad vs US undergrad ---> US med school

[Radonc90]

My kids have dual US and Canadian citizenships.

They love to explore the Canadian Undergrad option as premed to US medical schools, so here are the question (examples below are strictly example!):

1. Canadian Undergrad (let's say Biochem at McGill Univ.), then apply for US medical schools.

Versus

2. US Undergrad (let's say Biochem at Northwestern in Chicago), then apply for US medical schools.

The question is: when US medical schools interview candidates, do they consider Canadian undergrad as equivalent to US undergrad?

Thanks!

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[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I would say that there's no real problem with this. Unless by attending a Canadian school they somehow lose their citizenship to the united states. Otherwise there's relatively no problem. Either way where you go to for your undergraduate degree is very unimportant. So it'd be recommended to go to which ever is cheaper or a better fit for the kid.

 

[Colonol Forbin]

^^exactly - the marks matter - a 4.0 at a mid tier school is significantly better then a 3.0 at an ivy league in med school eyes

 

[schrizto]

I don't see a problem with going to Canada for premed except the schools there grade differently and have a different gpa system, which might be annoying when you're applying and trying to figure out your chances.

 

[Cyradis]

I think I can answer this one - I have dual US-Canadian citizenship and went to undergrad in Canada, going to med in the US this August.

The answer is that it depends on which US (undergraduate) schools your kids are looking at. Many of the top ranked schools in the US will offer far more opportunities, stronger classmates etc. and likely result in a better med school application than anything available in Canada. Also, if your kids are set on going to med in the US, you don't have any real safeties in the US if you go to undergrad in Canada, because you are an out of state applicant in every single state (and the forms are damn annoying to do, since half of them won't let you pick anything outside the 50 states as your address).

However, if we assume all other factors are equal (i.e. out/in-state status, your GPA, extracurrics, research, etc. etc.), then it doesn't really matter whether you come from Canada or the US. Actually, coming from Canada gave me great fodder for interview discussion since the US was in the middle of the health care debate at the time I interviewed (and I wrote a lot about my interest in health policy on my application).

If you're interested in Canadian undergrad programs I'm going to shamelessly advertise http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/bhsc/

=) Check it out.

 

[canada1311]

I don't see a problem with going to Canada for premed except the schools there grade differently and have a different gpa system, which might be annoying when you're applying and trying to figure out your chances.

There are GPA conversion scales for students in Canada that are essentially the same as the conversion scale AMCAS uses (although AMCAS considers a grade of 85 and above a 4.0, whereas some Canadian schools consider 90 and above a 4.0).

It really isn't too difficult to figure out where you are competitive, and I would say most Canadian med school hopefuls are acutely aware of their GPA, regardless of whether they're applying for Canadian or US med schools.

 

[Cyradis]

There are GPA conversion scales for students in Canada that are essentially the same as the conversion scale AMCAS uses (although AMCAS considers a grade of 85 and above a 4.0, whereas some Canadian schools consider 90 and above a 4.0).

It really isn't too difficult to figure out where you are competitive, and I would say most Canadian med school hopefuls are acutely aware of their GPA, regardless of whether they're applying for Canadian or US med schools.

Absolutely true. Canadian med schools weight the GPA pretty heavily in admissions so GPA isn't likely to be a problem.

 

[Radonc90]

Thank you all for your replies.

I think I can answer this one - I have dual US-Canadian citizenship and went to undergrad in Canada, going to med in the US this August...... Also, if your kids are set on going to med in the US, you don't have any real safeties in the US if you go to undergrad in Canada, because you are an out of state applicant in every single state (and the forms are damn annoying to do, since half of them won't let you pick anything outside the 50 states as your address)....

Just curious: If I live in the US (let's say Omaha Nebraska) and my daughter goes to McGill in Montreal, Canada for undergrad. Then when she applies to US med schools, what address is she listed: Montreal or Omaha, Nebraska? Technically speaking, she is a US citizen with home address in Omaha Nebraska.

 

[Avoidthetiger]

Just curious: If I live in the US (let's say Omaha Nebraska) and my daughter goes to McGill in Montreal, Canada for undergrad. Then when she applies to US med schools, what address is she listed: Montreal or Omaha, Nebraska? Technically speaking, she is a US citizen with home address in Omaha Nebraska.

Her permanent address would be Omaha - her mailing address would be Montreal.

Her state of residency would be Nebraska -- as long as you are still paying for a majority of her living expenses. She would have instate residency for UNMC.