Canadians applying to US Schools

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brandonite

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We tried to start this in another thread, but I think it deserves one of it's own!

How many Canadians are there on here who are applying to US schools? I know there are a bunch of people on here applying to Canadian schools, but I'm curious as to how many of us there are applying down south.

Myself, I applied to Duke, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cornell, UCSF (just for kicks...) and a couple Canadian schools. I want to go to Duke badly (I just love the school...) but I think it's out of my price range!

And, I'm curious as to how you guys are paying for school! I've found a couple good loans (CitiAssist, a couple others), but I'm still not sure if I want to go that far into debt!

Anybody got any other bright ideas?
 
Hi brandonite,

I'm applying to DO schools down in the states and I'm planning on using the CanHELP program, sponsored by the IEFC.
Their web site is
<a href="http://www.iefc.com" target="_blank">www.iefc.com</a>

Someone who's using it right now recommended it to me and it seems pretty good, as long as you've got a guarantor. One of the schools I interviewed at also recommended it.

What's CitiAssist?
 
i applied to several us schools, mt sinai, tufts, washington, etc.

in terms of tuition, i'm borrowing
 
brandonite...why such freakishly competitive schools? I'm pretty sure you're at least at a slight disadvantage trying to get into the U.S. as a Canadian...why not pick some schools that aren't so terribly selective in terms of who they admit? I mean even if you do have a perfect GPA and a 37 MCAT, there's no guarantee (or even something resembling it) at those schools for sure! jase133's choices seem more reasonable, sans Washington, of course.
 
Me too! I am from Vancouver but live in California now, I did undergrad in the US as well. I applied mostly to California schools.
 
i think the important thing is to apply to a whole variety of schools - your top choices and ones that you know you have a relatively good chance of entering... that's pretty key

but yay... at least American schools look at MCATs more 🙂 I know a whole bunch of people with 3.9 GPAs that scored like MCAT 24s who are in meds in Canada - relative to this, I think US schools might offer a better opportunity for me.
 
U.S. medical schools lay down prostrate before the MCAT in awe and wonder, while offering daily ritualistic sacrifices of rejected applicants to its glory.
 
My GPA is 3.87, 38-40Q MCATs, and a ton of research experience and volunteer experience. So, I think I'm competitive at those schools. I'm hoping that one of them might take me... Basically, the only reason I would go to the US is if I think I can get something really special that I can't in Canada. So, that's why I'm applying to those schools.

My home provincial school (University of Manitoba) isn't a bad school, and tuition is only $6000 Canadian (like $4000 US), so unless I'm going to some kind of amazing school, there's no real sense in going away.

The main reason that I'm applying down there at all is that I would have a hard time getting in to a school in Canada other than the University of Manitoba. My GPA is a little low for the University of Toronto (3.82 on their scale), which is usually recognized as the top school in Canada. All of the other really good schools in Canada only take a few people from out of province, those spots are usually handed out on the basis of GPA. So, it's pretty much US schools or U of Manitoba.

Anyway, I've set a limit of $150 000 US. If a school sounds like it's going to be higher than that, I'm not going to apply... I want to get into a good research based school, but not if it means I'll be $250 000 Canadian in debt while doing it...

CitiAssist is a private loan source for Canadians studying in the US. It's put out by CitiBank. So, the interest rate isn't too great, and you need a cosignor, but they'll give you as much money as you need (for tuition and expenses, that is). Basically the same thing as CanHELP...
 
brandonite:
wow! impressive stats, especially the 38 to 40 Q MCAT scores
best of luck to you =)
 
Thanks jase133! I'm not sure how I ended up with that MCAT score, but I'll take it... 😉

I'm sorta in the same boat as you are - my MCATs are really good, but my GPA is not as great, and in Canada, it's the GPA that gets you into medical school.

Anyway, you said you're borrowing $$ to go to US schools. Are you planning to come back to Canada afterwards? I would like to, meaning that I have to worry about the exchange rate and all that. Aren't you worried about spending the rest of your life paying back your loans?

I don't imagine I'll get into Harvard 😀 but I think I have a chance at Yale... So, I really realy hope I get in there, as they'll give me financial aid (meaning I only have to borrow $80 000 instead of $150 000!).
 
yes, if i go to the united states, i would like to come back to canada. my gf, however, kinda wants to go to the us and live there for a couple of years.

honestly, it's too far ahead to tell. everything in canada might work out and i'd end up at ubc or queen's or something - heh!

with regards to the $ issue, i think it's important that if and when i am accepted, i will make a financial plan to save up money in whatever way possible as i enter into medical school, go through residency, etc. ultimately, it's not only about paying off the loan, but one also has to think about family, kids, retirement, and all those things (ok, i might be looking at little bit too far ahead). having a debt isn't really an issue as long as you know how to save and not splurge when you suddenly start making $... =)
 
Originally posted by brandonite:
•Thanks jase133! I'm not sure how I ended up with that MCAT score, but I'll take it... 😉

I'm sorta in the same boat as you are - my MCATs are really good, but my GPA is not as great, and in Canada, it's the GPA that gets you into medical school.

Anyway, you said you're borrowing $$ to go to US schools. Are you planning to come back to Canada afterwards? I would like to, meaning that I have to worry about the exchange rate and all that. Aren't you worried about spending the rest of your life paying back your loans?

I don't imagine I'll get into Harvard 😀 but I think I have a chance at Yale... So, I really realy hope I get in there, as they'll give me financial aid (meaning I only have to borrow $80 000 instead of $150 000!).•••

Hey Brandonite, what type of financial aid do Harvard and Yale offer? And did you apply to Ontario schools? Ottawa is the only one that favours Ontario residents over those of other provinces...
 
They offer the same financial aid package to Canadians that they do for Americans. It's based on a Unit Loan - everybody borrows the same amount ($20 000, I think) and if you need more than that, they give it to you in the form of a scholarship or grant. So, you end up only borrowing about $80 000 instead of $160 000 for med school. So, although it's still a fair bit of money, it's comparable to what you might have to borrow at Toronto...

I had my OMSAS application already to go, and then I decided not to submit at the last minute. Basically, as far as I can tell, outside of Western, most admissions decisions in Ontario are based on GPA. And my OMSAS GPA is only like 3.75, which puts me out of contention in places like Toronto. And I want to go to a research school, which means that Toronto was the school I was really interested in to begin with.

Basically, the strongest part of my application was my MCAT, which means next to nothing in Canada...
 
Is that the same program at both Harvard and Yale? And for the scholarship/grant they give you, is it also enough to cover living expenses too?

Also, how does the CaRMS residency matching work when you go to an American med school? I've been hearing conflicting info as to whether Canadians going to school in the US have to wait until the second round or not. And have you heard from any of the schools you applied to yet? Anyways, since I'm only in third year, I'll just be sticking with the 5 Ontario schools this year. If things don't work out, I'll look into out of province (including US) schools next year. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, though. 🙂 Best of luck with your apps! 😀
 
It's the same basic program at both Yale and Harvard, ya. And it does include living expenses, as they define them (which is pretty reasonable).

There are a lot of good schools in Ontario. Best of luck with all of them!

I have heard both ways about the CaRMS. I'm not terribly worried about that, though. If I go down south for med school, I would do my residency down there too before I come back. It's actually the residency more that I'm interested in - but the very top residency spots go to graduates of the Harvards of the worlds, and not to U of Manitoba graduates. I'd like to get into cancer research, so a facility like Mayo or Dana Farber or Sloan Kettering would just be heaven for me...
 
Originally posted by brandonite:
•My GPA is 3.87, 38-40Q MCATs, and a ton of research experience and volunteer experience. So, I think I'm competitive at those schools. I'm hoping that one of them might take me... Basically, the only reason I would go to the US is if I think I can get something really special that I can't in Canada. So, that's why I'm applying to those schools.

The main reason that I'm applying down there at all is that I would have a hard time getting in to a school in Canada other than the University of Manitoba. My GPA is a little low for the University of Toronto (3.82 on their scale), which is usually recognized as the top school in Canada. All of the other really good schools in Canada only take a few people from out of province, those spots are usually handed out on the basis of GPA. So, it's pretty much US schools or U of Manitoba.

Anyway, I've set a limit of $150 000 US. If a school sounds like it's going to be higher than that, I'm not going to apply... I want to get into a good research based school, but not if it means I'll be $250 000 Canadian in debt while doing it...

•••

A couple things......

I would agree that if you cannot get into a top school in US, then it would be a waste of money o come down to the states over staying in Canada. But if you cannot get into a Canadian school but got into an American, then run away with that acceptance no matter what the tuition is!

I am not sure what your $150,000 limit is. If you get into cornell (and Upenn and Wash U), they would ask you to pay 200k upfront. So that limit of yours is too low. The only possibility is to get into Yale and Harvard and they offer you financial aid in the form of grants and offset that amount. Just wondering....

Have you gotten an interview at UCSF or any of the schools on the list? I am curious since I have not known any Canadians who have gotten interview at UCSF (there are some at Harvard, but I don't know them).

Also do you go to a Canadian undergrad institution? The ones I know who got into Yale and Upenn have near or right on 4.0 with 36+ MCAT. But they don't have good research experience. So don't get your hope too high on a particular school (but you ought to be competitive as well).

Lastly, I would not give up on U of Toronto yet! It is not that expensive to apply and you might as well follow through with your OMSA application. That's just my personal opinion because your chance at U of toronto could be higher than your chance at some of the US schools you listed.

good luck!
 
Thewonderer:

I've been basically told that I have a spot in my home school, the University of Manitoba. They take 70 people from Manitoba a year, and there are only about 1 million people that live in Manitoba. So, it isn't too exclusive.

With regard to the limit - I know some schools would end up costing me more than that. I just don't want to have to borrow more than that. I've been avoiding schools that require you to put down your full tuition on the first day of classes (Washington, Hopkins). Hopefully, after talking with the financial aid people, I can get a pretty good idea. I want to get into research, so maybe I can get a research assistant position or something that would cut down on tuition. I'm going to go through with the application process, and see what happens.

I have not heard back from UCSF. I don't imagine I'll get an interview there. All of the other schools have usually a couple Canadians in every class, so I don't think there's a bias against us. We'll see.

Yup, I did my undergrad up here. My science GPA is 3.97 or something like that - it's just a few Arts classes (and a failed attempt at a French minor) that is pulling my GPA down. So, I think I'll be competitive. Beyond that, I don't think you can really ask for too much more. It's really more a gamble than anything, anyway.

The deadline passed for OMSAS a while ago. The application fee was almost $300 for my whole OMSAS application, and I thought that I could better use that money to apply to more top US schools. Again, it's my MCAT that's really strong, not necessarily my GPA, and U of Toronto is all GPA.

Thanks for your help and advice!
 
Originally posted by brandonite:


With regard to the limit - I know some schools would end up costing me more than that. I just don't want to have to borrow more than that. I've been avoiding schools that require you to put down your full tuition on the first day of classes (Washington, Hopkins). Hopefully, after talking with the financial aid people, I can get a pretty good idea. I want to get into research, so maybe I can get a research assistant position or something that would cut down on tuition. I'm going to go through with the application process, and see what happens.

I have not heard back from UCSF. I don't imagine I'll get an interview there. All of the other schools have usually a couple Canadians in every class, so I don't think there's a bias against us. We'll see.

Yup, I did my undergrad up here. My science GPA is 3.97 or something like that - it's just a few Arts classes (and a failed attempt at a French minor) that is pulling my GPA down. So, I think I'll be competitive. Beyond that, I don't think you can really ask for too much more. It's really more a gamble than anything, anyway.

Thanks for your help and advice!•••

I still think that all Canadian schools are good, unless you want to pursue pure academic medicine, which I perceive from your posts. UBC and U of Alberta also have lots of research going on. Do you plan to apply to them?

Med school is too tough for you to study and be a research assistant and try to earn $$$$. That's not a realistic way of dealing with the situation. Talking to the financial aid person won't help. I tried before and there is simply no other way around. All schools (except Harvard and Yale) simply do not give out financial aid. For them, it is either you put $200k upfront or we won't even bother to accept you. Especially for the caliber of schools you are applying to, they have no problem filling their class with qualified applicants. Therefore, the more realistic goal for the next few months is to gather the loan info from Canadian agencies and get the $200k ready because some schools won't even offer you an acceptance yet unless you show them the money. Or even if they do, classes matriculate in Aug. and from the time of acceptance in April to class matriculation is not that much time. It is easier to get the $$$ ready starting now. I also find that's the attitude of some other Canadians applying on the board. i.e. I will try to get into an American school and wait until I get in first to deal with the money issue..... By that time, it is too late and why waste so much money applying to med schools and FLYING around when you cannot matriculate in the end?

There are some academic-based scholarships available to Canadians and other international students. I got an offer of the Dean's Schoolarship from Case western a couple years ago (that's 20K per year for 4 years = 80K). Another Canadian I know made it to the 2nd round of the academic scholarships offered by Wash U in St. Louis. that carries 30k per year for 4 years. Those are the only two I know in the states.

There are not a couple Canadians in every class. Sometimes there is none. I know some friends in Duke's 2nd and 3rd year class. Apparently, there is 1 Canadian each in Duke's 2nd, 3rd and 4th year class, and they all went to Ivy league undergrad. I believe that there is none in the first year class, but there are two international students from British Virgin Island and Turkey, or something like that. As for Cornell and UCSF, I am not aware if they have any. Should be a couple at Harvard, Yale, etc. but then you also have to understand you are competing with Canadians and other internationals who went to ivy league undergrad in the US and also with high MCAT scores + research + study abroad experience.

The whole application process is pretty complicated! Good luck!
 
Thewonderer:

At one point in time, Duke published a list of where there students did their undergraduate degree. There was a UBC and a U of T on there. So I'm hopeful that they are at least open minded to the idea. I'm counting on my MCATs to convince the adcom that I went to a pretty good undergraduate school (which, at least in Science, I did). As to your point about there being a limited number of Canadians at these schools, point taken. But as to whether that is a problem with them getting accepted, or not attending/applying there due to financial difficulties - that is something that I'm not sure about. Canadians attending Ivy League institutions already have demonstrated a willingness to go big into debt for school, or are independently wealthy, so this isn't a problem for them. I am hopeful I have a shot, and that's all I really ask for.

I want to at least leave the door open for academic medicine. And I want to leave the door open for research. Perhaps not working in a research lab, but maybe in some sort of clinical trial area. That is why I want to go to a good research school.

My background is in spectroscopy. The government has the National Research Council Institute for Biodiagnostics located next to the U of Manitoba medical school, which has big $$ for research. Combined with the cheap in province tuition, the fact that the UofM places more emphasis on the MCATs (the strongest part of my application) than any other school in Canada, I am still of the opinion that UofM is as good as any school in Canada for me.

I have the loan forms sitting on my desk. If I get interviews at the schools (and I should find out over the next month or so), I'll start filling them out. I've already got a cosigner, and most of the financial aid I need planned out. I think I'm competitive at these top 10 schools I've listed. It's just a matter of deciding whether it's worth it.

I suppose when it comes down to it, a MD at the University of Manitoba (cost: $60 000 Canadian, including room and board) is a better idea than an MD at Duke/Stanford for $300 000 Canadian. But a guy can always dream, eh?
 
hey brandonite, I'm interviewing at Duke and I go to a Canadian university. I haven't been accepted yet (obviously) but to make it this far is a huge surprise for me as I don't have the stellar stats that you have and some of the other ivy leaguers have. I am excited about Duke because not only do I want to practice medicine but I am also at heart a researcher. Duke's curriculum is truly unique and I would relish the opportunity to do a whole year's worth of research with some of the best people in my field.
 
Good luck on your applications to US schools! For me it's basically the 5 Ontario schools this year (I'm in 3rd) but I will consider some US schools if I'm not accepted this year. Although it would be nice to go to a big research school in the States, the tuition is a serious limiting factor. Aren't Canadians not eligible for most financial aid down South? I think I have a fairly good chance at getting a scholarship (4.0 GPA, 40R MCAT, some research, blah blah blah) as long as I'm eligible. Does anyone have any more information on scholarships or financial aid for Canadians in the US?
 
moo - good luck at Duke! I've never been there, but it's my top choice, sight unseen! I've been over their website a thousand times, and I just love the cirriculum, the campus, the hospital, etc... Obviously that could change if and when I see the place, but best of luck to you!

cheech 10 - Well, my stats aren't quite as high as yours, but they are in the same neighborhood (38-40Q, 3.87 GPA). Scholarships based on merit are not offered at most schools (Washington University in St. Louis is one of the only ones). In most cases, the only financial aid is based on need, and you need to be a US citizen or permanent resident to qualify for that. Harvard and Yale offer financial aid, and I'm checking on Cornell (they don't consider Canadians to be foreign applicants at the undergraduate level - I sent them an email wondering if it was the same at the medical school). The rest of them have no financial aid (scholarships or otherwise) for Canadians. Some can be particularily evil towards Canadians (Hopkins wants the entire tuition and living expenses for 4 years up front - $180 000 US), and so do several other schools.

That's why I'm afraid I'm stuck at UofM. Assuming I don't get into Harvard and Yale. And even with pretty good numbers, I'm not holding my breath...
 
Too bad, though I figured as much. Actually, I was looking into WUSTL, but like I said, the tuition is just astronomical compared to what Canadian schools ask. As for the stats, well they aren't everything (unfortunately for me!), but at least they really help secure interviews, both in the US and Canada. Best of luck to all applying!
 
WUSTL offers 16 full tuition scholarships a year. If you get one of those, you're set. And Canadians are eligible for those.

If you don't...

So, a list of Canadian-friendly schools seems rather short:

Financial Aid;

Harvard
Stanford
Cornell (??)
Washington - St. Louis (if you get aid)

You can apply, but no aid:
Hopkins
UCSF (but they've only taken 1 over the past 6 years)
UCLA
Case Western
Duke
Stanford
Mayo
and others I don't know about...
 
Originally posted by cheech10:
•Aren't Canadians not eligible for most financial aid down South? I think I have a fairly good chance at getting a scholarship (4.0 GPA, 40R MCAT, some research, blah blah blah) as long as I'm eligible. Does anyone have any more information on scholarships or financial aid for Canadians in the US?•••

Canadians are basically eligible for no financial aid in the US. Brandonite seemed to find that Harvard and Yale are the only exceptions (I have a vague impression of that as well but I am not sure since I never got into those schools). As for academic-based scholarships, they are available for Canadians and other international students at Case Western and Wash U in St. Louis. Those are the only ones I am aware of. Other people can provide more insight.
 
Originally posted by brandonite:
[QB]
Stanford
Cornell (??)
Washington - St. Louis (if you get aid)

You can apply, but no aid:
Case Western
[QB]••

Cornell does not give out aid. In fact, they are the evil ones, along with Hopkins, Univ. of Penn, etc. that want 200k upfront in an eschew bank account (or at least that's the case when I got accepted two years ago).

You put Stanford twice on your list, on both the with aid and without aid sections. I think you meant Yale giving out aid while stanford does not.

Aid and scholarships are vastly different (not that big of a deal but it is better to differentiate them so applicants get a better idea). Wash U does not give aid, but it gives academic scholarship to internationals if you win one. Case Western, the same. It hands academic-based Dean's scholarship to internationals but no aid. By the way, it is hard to get into Case Western in the first place because it has an requirement that it has to matriculate 85% of its entering class with Ohio residents because it is heavily sponsored by the state (although its tuition is still very expensive at 30k/year and not like Baylor's.... odd, eh? see my comments below). A Canadian girl I know who got interviewed at Hopkins, Yale, UCLA and Univ. of Pennsylvania ended up not getting an interview at Case.

Another thing I just suddenly remembered! Baylor College of Medicine in Texas (arguably a top-10 school) has cheap tuition, around 15k a year. However, it does have a strict 90% of its entering class has to be texas residents requirement because it is heavily sponsored by the state. Internationals could get in (but again no aid). But instead of 30k in tuition at places like Duke, Case Western, etc., you get to pay only 15k/year.

Duke med (or Yale med or whichever med) will definitely not be as great as you imagine it to be. I did my fair share of dreaming as a highschooler (when applying to college) and as a premed (when studying abroad at Oxford and applying to med school). And once you get there, the end product is definitely disappointing. There are better things in life than which med school you attend. Or maybe it is just the way I think.

Cheers.
 
Yes, I made a couple of mistakes in my list. Sorry about that. I did it rather quickly. Stanford does accept admissions from Canadians, but they do not offer financial aid (not sure about scholarships). Yale offers financial aid to Canadians (and I think that they are much more likely to offer me admission than Harvard!).

I didn't designate Case Western or Baylor on my AMCAS, so I am too late for them. And it is difficult when you are competing with thousands of other out-of-state applicants for those 10 or 15 spots.

I did apply to Washington, but haven't heard anything back yet. As Harvard and Yale have both changed their policies within the last two years (or so I read), I'll wait and see what Cornell says. As I said before, I sent them an email yesterday, so I should hear back tomorrow.

I suppose you are right about the idea of not being too concerned with where you go to medical school. I had a good SAT score and high school background, and didn't apply to a very prestigous universities for my undergrad, and that is something that I have regretted. I am in the same position now with my MCATs, and I feel I should take advantage of them. I am tired of being looked down upon because of where I went to school. I was a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship here in Manitoba, so I think I am just as capable as someone who went to Harvard, just perhaps without the academic pedigree.

I suppose that 10 years from now, I will be an MD, regardless of where I did my schooling, and that is the thing that matters.
 
Im a Canuck. Suppose money was not a factor, what kind of a chance would I have applying to a US school? (assume avg stats)
 
You would do as well as an average American would. I really don't see there being that much discrimination against Canadians in the US system. We have the same University system as they do, and usually American schools will treat Canadians (at least in the application process) as out-of-state applicants, rather than international applicants. Lots of Canadians do it because they can't get into schools in Canada (there are far fewer med school seats in Canada per capita than there are in the US, so your chances are mathematically better).

The problem is paying for it...
 
Hi all,

I was reading your discussion about financial aid for Canadians, and just wanted to mention that it is possible to finance a med school education in the US if you don't get a scholarship.

I posted this link before (sorry for the re-post), but someone was asking about sources of aid.
There is a program I'm planning on using called CanHELP, sponsored by the IEFC

<a href="http://www.iefc.com" target="_blank">www.iefc.com</a>

Other people I know are using it and have had no problems. Another program is apparantly available through Citibank, called CitiAssist.

Both programs offer full tuition, plus living expenses for the four years, as long as you have a guarantor.
 
Originally posted by brandonite:

I suppose you are right about the idea of not being too concerned with where you go to medical school. I had a good SAT score and high school background, and didn't apply to a very prestigous universities for my undergrad, and that is something that I have regretted. I am in the same position now with my MCATs, and I feel I should take advantage of them. I am tired of being looked down upon because of where I went to school. I was a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship here in Manitoba, so I think I am just as capable as someone who went to Harvard, just perhaps without the academic pedigree.

I suppose that 10 years from now, I will be an MD, regardless of where I did my schooling, and that is the thing that matters.•••


I disagree with the notion that Canadians with money = Americans out-of-state residents. From my and my friends' experience, I still think that it is harder to get into an American med school as Canadian (or an international) than as an out-of-state American. You have to get that acceptance at the end, and then you will see all the nuances coming out and might agree with me on this one. One friend of mine had the money but did not tell the school she wanted to go to when she was on their waitlist. Why? Because she thought that it did not matter. If they want to accept her, then she will show them the $$$... Well, she almost did not make it. She called the school up in July (after sitting on the waitlist for a couple months) and found out that they were hesitant to pull her off the waitlist and accept her because of $$$ issue and yet the school never informed her! So they settled the "misunderstanding" over the phone and is now a happy student there. That is not always the case for every school of course. She got into Wash U in St. Louis in Jan without the school asking $$$ ahead of time (although eventually the 200k bill came right after the acceptance) and she also got accepted to Yale off the waitlist without the school bugging her ahead of time.
But with all of these things happening to my friends and me, the way I see it nowadays is that Canadians = international students, plain and simple. I personally do not see any ambiguity in this, unlike other Canadians I have come in contact with or on this board who make it seem that Canadians = Americans in some way. On the other hand, it is also important to keep the perspective that although you might have a slightly harder chance of getting in, it is not impossible as some people would exaggerate. And be ready to be put on waitlist first and have the schools screening other Americans first and come back to you and ask for 200k upfront (this is an exaggeration but you get the idea).

As for people looking down on you, who has? I am sure that you are as good as anybody going to Harvard undergrad. But you also gotta understand that deciding who are the top students is often subjective! Whether Harvard med accepts you or another person has nothing to do with who you are; sometimes it is just a random of draw or maybe Harvard med just wants a certain profile of their class. Try to not taking things too personally.

As for your response on another thread about Duke essay, I personally wrote about a conflict between my mom and me. If you are stuck, don't write it yet. I and some posters on that thread just ALL OF A SUDDEN found a topic that really clicked and sat down and wrote it in 1/2 hour. That kind of essay is the best since it really is personal to you.

good luck!
 
Hi,
I'm a third year Canadian student at McMaster applying to schools in States. This is my first time applying to medical school so I don't have any experiences yet with medical schools.
My stats are:
AMCAS GPA: 3.84 (3.80 OMSAS GPA)
MCAT: 9(VR), 12(PS), 14(BS), M(WS)

I'm applying to Wash U, Jefferson, Albany, Stanford, and Pritzker. This may sound funny, but the US schools are my backup. I'll rather go to a Canadian school.
One more thing, I got a letter from Wash U inviting me to apply (I already applied) based on my MCAT scores. Is this a good thing? If so, how good? Thanks.
 
Thewonderer, I'd have to disagree with you there. The key is knowing WHAT school to apply to. I mean I don't care if you have a 40+ MCAT and 4.0 and you're applying to some state school like Washington or UNLV, you're not going to get in if you're Canadian plain and simple. But at a lot of the privates (not all) Canadians are treated no different from Americans, at least up to the point where you gotta show them the money. If you can properly document your source of funding for your education then a Canadian has just a good a chance as an American at getting into a private. And to echo the guy who answers the phone at GWU, when I asked him if they accepted Canadians, "What are you talking about? Canadians are Americans!"
 
warpath - Washington sent out a letter to a pile of people asking them to apply. I don't know what the cutoff was, but I suppose you should be honored. They probably only sent it to people that had a chance at getting accepted. Good luck with things!

Thewonderer - I still have to disagree with you on the chances of Canadians getting in. I suppose time will tell, and there are always unwritten rules that are hard to judge, but I have seen no bias against Canadians by top US schools. I think that the Harvards, Yales, Stanfords and Dukes of the world will take the best applicants, regardless of where they're coming from. Look at Original - he's an international student, and he's had a lot of success. Granted, he's a great applicant, but I think that great applicants tend to be accepted regardless of nationality. I think that as you move down the ladder, things get progressively more difficult to get in as an international.

The only thing I think Canadians have going against us is that we (in most cases) didn't go to a Harvard or a Yale for undergrad, so we're lacking that academic pedigree that they seem to value. All I can hope is that my qualifications make up for that. If not, I'll go to UofM, do a bunch of visiting clerkships in the US, and then try for a top residency down there (which is what I really want in the first place).

So, I guess in the end of things, I would have to agree with Moo. Although, I suppose we'll see the answer in a few months. There are a pile of really great Canadian applicants on this board, and if nobody gets accepted, then we'll know the answer...
 
Originally posted by brandonite:
•warpath - Washington sent out a letter to a pile of people asking them to apply. I don't know what the cutoff was, but I suppose you should be honored. They probably only sent it to people that had a chance at getting accepted. Good luck with things!

Thewonderer - I still have to disagree with you on the chances of Canadians getting in. I suppose time will tell, and there are always unwritten rules that are hard to judge, but I have seen no bias against Canadians by top US schools. I think that the Harvards, Yales, Stanfords and Dukes of the world will take the best applicants, regardless of where they're coming from. Look at Original - he's an international student, and he's had a lot of success. Granted, he's a great applicant, but I think that great applicants tend to be accepted regardless of nationality. I think that as you move down the ladder, things get progressively more difficult to get in as an international.

The only thing I think Canadians have going against us is that we (in most cases) didn't go to a Harvard or a Yale for undergrad, so we're lacking that academic pedigree that they seem to value.•••

Again, we disagree on several issues....

First thing first. To warpath, getting the letter means you do well on the MCAT but getting into Wash U is a separate issue. I think that people with low GPA and high MCAT also get that letter. My advice is always apply to as many schools as you can and shoot as high as you can within your budget limit. However, don't put too much hope into Wash U per se. Still take the application as seriously as someone who did not receive that invitation letter.

Secondly. I have talked to admissions officers when I applied and have heard that comment of Canadians = Americans before. In fact, those same officers also say that internationals (i.e. Canadians and non-Canadians alike) with adequate monetary source are treated the SAME as out-of-state Americans. Whether you trust them or not is up to you. I personally do not after I have seen how my friends and my applications have turned out to be at the end. Same attitude exists among a couple of my American friends at my med school who were surprised that I have made it this far because many of their international friends in undergrad pretty much gave up their dreams.

I have hanged out with many fellow Canadians with high numbers. They don't have trouble getting into med school. When I meant "more difficult," I did NOT mean impossible. But even with EXCELLENT numbers, I just feel that Canadians and other internationals somewhat lack the choice at the end because of certain bias (either conscious or subconscious) from the admissions committees. I just think that Canadians are more likely to be put on the waitlists and sort of just hang right there. They also don't tend to rack up multiple acceptances as well as Americans with excellent numbers.

another thing to keep in mind. interview does not equate acceptance, and neither does waitlist. Getting multiple interviews at this point does not equal even getting half of that number of acceptances (or some people do turn all those interviews into acceptances but they are not the norm). It is easy at this point to get excited over your interviews and start thinking about what to do after you get in. I personally interviewed at 10 places back then and only got rejected by one of them post-interview, so I don't think that I screwed up my interviews that badly in general. Yet I was put on the waitlists for all the top ten schools I interviewed. Eventually, i got off three of them and got to choose but somehow the choice was just limited for me. And getting waitlist letter seemed to the norm for a couple months after I secured my first acceptance in Oct. Then that coupled with my Canadian friends' experiences, hence my view. I have known Canadians who have gone to the ivys in the states, Queen's, UBC, etc. I don't see a major difference in their outcome. Yes, excellent numbers mean you will get in somewhere, but I still think that it is more difficult as a Canadian and with some lack of selection at the end.

The bottomline is that I am just a heck lot more cynical than most of you on this board! as simple as that =)
 
Originally posted by warpath:
•Hi,
I'm a third year Canadian student at McMaster applying to schools in States. This is my first time applying to medical school so I don't have any experiences yet with medical schools.
My stats are:
AMCAS GPA: 3.84 (3.80 OMSAS GPA)
MCAT: 9(VR), 12(PS), 14(BS), M(WS)

I'm applying to Wash U, Jefferson, Albany, Stanford, and Pritzker. This may sound funny, but the US schools are my backup. I'll rather go to a Canadian school.
One more thing, I got a letter from Wash U inviting me to apply (I already applied) based on my MCAT scores. Is this a good thing? If so, how good? Thanks.•••

Stanford is probably the toughest to get in on your list. Pritzker, Stanford and Wash U want research! (plus, Pritzker is just weird in terms of admissions policy). you should have a good chance at Albany although their classes are small because many of their students come from combined degree programs with other colleges (such as Union, etc.). jefferson is a good school, but I am not familiar with it, although I did pass by it a couple times. All in all, the most important question is have you interviewed at them so far? The earlier you interview, the better your chances are!
 
warpath - I just noticed. That 'M' might cause you problems... Generally, the US schools won't pay much attention to your WS score as do schools in Canada, but that is a bit lower than most schools look for.

Thewonderer - I suppose I'm just naturally optimistic. And that leads me to take a different approach to things than you do. Again, I would say that at the very top schools, internationals are treated no differently than other applicants. It might be different at second tier schools, and it would definitely be different at state schools. I know internationals who have gotten in at those schools. I know of a bunch of students who went to Canadian schools and are now doing residencies at big US schools - I know someone who is doing their residency at Harvard after doing med school at the University of Manitoba. I realize there is a big difference between a residency and med school, but I think that it illustrates that there is no strong bias against Canadians in the US academic medical community.

But I suppose it just comes down to me being an optimist. Sure, sometimes things don't work out, but I am still going to follow through with the process as if I have a chance.
 
for those canadians who have applied to stanford, i just received a letter from them today - a "thin" letter

good luck to the everyone else

cheers
 
Originally posted by jase133:
•for those canadians who have applied to stanford, i just received a letter from them today - a "thin" letter

good luck to the everyone else

cheers•••

Haha, I got rejected from them too yesterday. Now I've finally heard from all my schools and I can relax a bit.
 
normally, people who have read my posts know i am usually in a jovial mood... but

honestly

i am quite fed up with the american system for applying to medical schools.

there is such discrepancy between the quality of each school's policies and procedures - and i'm not talking about 15th tiered schools here. washington university (st louis) is one which comes to mind that sucks.

considering how much more money it is to apply to us schools than canadian ones, this is such a waste of time and $.

so what does this mean? it means i don't give jack sh** if you got into harvard, etc... two factors probably came into play which added to your success: 1) your mail actually ARRIVED safely at the destination and 2) the admissions staff did not decide to lose your information... so for those who didn't "get in," was it due to your failure or the person handling your application?

To the staff at admissions:

three words: cross reference check

...and keep good records (but this goes without saying, duh)

is that so difficult? perhaps, with 80,000 applications piling in at your door. but what if whoever was writing your pay cheque decided to "lose" it and you won't get it until next year?

for a review of this year's US application process, i give a thumbs down
 
Originally posted by brandonite:
•warpath - I just noticed. That 'M' might cause you problems... Generally, the US schools won't pay much attention to your WS score as do schools in Canada, but that is a bit lower than most schools look for.

Thewonderer - Again, I would say that at the very top schools, internationals are treated no differently than other applicants. It might be different at second tier schools, and it would definitely be different at state schools. I know internationals who have gotten in at those schools. I know of a bunch of students who went to Canadian schools and are now doing residencies at big US schools - I know someone who is doing their residency at Harvard after doing med school at the University of Manitoba. I realize there is a big difference between a residency and med school, but I think that it illustrates that there is no strong bias against Canadians in the US academic medical community.

But I suppose it just comes down to me being an optimist. Sure, sometimes things don't work out, but I am still going to follow through with the process as if I have a chance.•••


I swear (!) that I am not trying to go against you on every single case. But it is really based on my personal experiences versus yours. Now after the disclaimer.....

1) I actually think that Warpath's M on writing would not hurt him. I have not known anyone with writing score as low as his and I am aware of all these crazy writing and verbal score cut-offs at Queen's and Western, but from the few years I have been down in the states, I would predict that the effects of his M will be minimal.

2) Applying to US med school from Canadian undergrad is very different from applying to American residency positions from Canadian med schools. I have heard argument that Canadian med school grads are very favorably looked upon because in Canada, the chance of litigation is small and the lack of personnel + funding allow med students there to do a lot more and carry more responsibility than their counter parts down in the states. However, I did look into the option of going back to Canada for med school but I turned it down because if you want to be a fresh Canadian med school grad coming to the US for residency, you need an J-class working visa. That means at the end of your residency, you will be forced to go back to Canada for two years before being allowed to come back to the US to work (this is called the home-residence requirement). It is meant to protect Canada for obvious reason. There are three ways to by-pass that. One is to hold an American green card then you don't need a working visa in the states at all! Two is to graduate from an American med school and by that, you can opt to go after H1B class working visa after you graduate and work in the states as a resident without worrying about the home-residency requirement. Three, Canadian med school grad can bypass J-class and go straight to H1B IF they pass USMLE step III. The key here is that you are not eligible to write step III until you finish first year of residency. So that does not help much, does it?

Please see the following link:
<a href="http://www.international.duke.edu/int_visa_class.html#clstaff" target="_blank">http://www.international.duke.edu/int_visa_class.html#clstaff</a>


3) I am curious to which Canadian undergrads you know at at which American med schools? Some of those are state schools? Or did you mean that they are Canadian med graduates and gain residency spots in the US (some of which happen to be affiliated with public institutions)? One reason is that I would like to expand my list of Canadian-possible schools. I have known Canadians either getting in or are attending MCW, Albert Einstein, Mount Sinai, Cornell, Case Western, Duke, Hopkins, Wash U in St louis, Yale, U of Penn, Baylor, George Washington, Boston Univ., Columbia, Vanderbilt... Obviously, this list is not exhaustive and I am wondering to you can add to that. And I have not known any Canadian who managed to get into or attend UCLA, UCSF and Stanford.

4) In response to another post, generally, applying to American schools is easier than applying to Canadian schools. But this year AMCAS really majorly absolutely screwed up. But I don't think that one can put his or her finger on a particular school such as Wash U in St. Louis.
 
Jase133 - Sorry to hear about your rejection. I do think that you might be a bit quick to discredit the whole system. I think that AMCAS is just having a very bad year...

Thewonderer - I'm not taking things personally. And I do not doubt that you have more experience in the area than I do. I just know a lot of people in the medical community, who have given me my perspective. I know someone who went to my undergrad, did med school in Canada, and is now doing his residency at Harvard. I know someone who is Canadian, did his undergrad at an unprestigous US school, applied, and got into George Washington for medschool. I know a doctor who got into UCSF as an international (not a Canadian), and has assured me that as long as I have the $$, I won't be biased against at a US school. Come to think of it, I actually know a pile of doctors who did their residencies at US schools after med school in Canada. I realize that residency is a far cry from med school (like you said), but I think that it illustrates the principle that there is no bias against Canadians or their schools in the US medical community.

I do not know anybody who has done their undergrad in Canada and gone on to a US school. A big hole in my argument, I know, but I've read posts on another couple Canadian premed boards from people who have gone from a Canadian undergrad to a US med school, so I tend to believe that it can be done.

Again, maybe I'll have a different perspective in six months time. But for now, I still hold the belief that at Harvard/Yale/Duke/Stanford, there is no bias against Canadians. I am willing to change that belief, but I want to see that for myself.

My main problem with going and doing my residency in the US after med school in Canada is that, as of right now, the specialty I am interested in is radiology (I'm a physics major with a research background in spectroscopy, so it seems like a nice fit). Radiology is probably the second most competitive specialty after dermatology. I strongly doubt that I would be able to get a top residency at a big US hospital after doing my MD at an unknown school. In many ways, the best way I see to get to my goal is by going to a top US school now.

I've read over the visa requirements. I do know a pile of Canadians at US schools for residency, so I'm guessing that there is a way around that. If not, I don't have a problem coming back to Canada for a couple years. However, that's not something I'm too worried about right now. Either I'm going to get into a top US school, and I can get a H1-B without a problem, or else I'll go to a Canadian school and won't be able to get into a good US residency anyway. So, it's not such a concern.
 
brandonite:

true

i do not discredit the entire system. on the contrarly, i do think the AMCAS' performance was quite acceptable given that their really doing their first run through of the system with this application year.

what i am discrediting is the way medical schools handle themselves. this isn't the first year they've had to deal with massive amounts of application materials - they've been doing this all along. what i'm talking about is not "late" application processing, but "lost" applications, that is, they're losing the paper copies I've sent in! Now that's ridiculous... and no, this isn't an isolated incident. I have schools on my list who have notified me promptly that my application is complete and those who've (IMHO) lost my stuff.

Cheers =)
(see? I'm still jovial...)
 
Fair enough. This has been a bad year. I suppose I'm not as upset as most because nothing really bad has happened to me yet. I'm just a bit behind, and most of my schools aren't rolling anyway.

I do agree that schools like WashU should be used to handling piles of paper every year, and there's no real excuse for loosing a letter. or misfiling paperwork Especially when we're paying upwards of $100 to apply (AMCAS + secondary fees). Like I said, everything's gone smoothly for me thus far, so I'm not complaining... My app is complete and in review at a couple schools, waiting for letters at a couple more, and I'm still working on my Duke secondary... 😀

Good luck!
 
Originally posted by brandonite:
•Come to think of it, I actually know a pile of doctors who did their residencies at US schools after med school in Canada

My main problem with going and doing my residency in the US after med school in Canada is that, as of right now, the specialty I am interested in is radiology (I'm a physics major with a research background in spectroscopy, so it seems like a nice fit). Radiology is probably the second most competitive specialty after dermatology. I strongly doubt that I would be able to get a top residency at a big US hospital after doing my MD at an unknown school. In many ways, the best way I see to get to my goal is by going to a top US school now.

I've read over the visa requirements. I do know a pile of Canadians at US schools for residency, so I'm guessing that there is a way around that. If not, I don't have a problem coming back to Canada for a couple years. However, that's not something I'm too worried about right now. Either I'm going to get into a top US school, and I can get a H1-B without a problem, or else I'll go to a Canadian school and won't be able to get into a good US residency anyway. So, it's not such a concern.•••

Hi, I would like to know how your friends managed to finish med schools in Canada and come to the US for residencies. It is irrelevant to me now. But I am curious. Maybe you can ask them if they are on J-class visa and would have the home-residence requirement. If they are not, then see how they go around it. That would be relevant to some people on the board (maybe they finish their internship year in Canada, then take USMLE step III so their can get H1B in the US??). You think that you can get hold of them? Thanks!

Radiology is probably not as competitive as you think it is right now. Definitely not second behind derm. But that could change in a big way. I think that this past year was when radiology skyrocketted in terms of popularity. But all specialities seem to go through wax and wane. Radiology was so easy to get in a few years ago, but right now, it is probably going to get harder. Who know? Maybe by the time you graduate from med school, radiology will be unpopular again or will actually at the height of its popularity. I am sure that you can get a radiology spot somewhere even coming from a lower-ranked school, albeit board score and classroom grades would count more. Also, didn't your friend from Manitoba also get a spot at Harvard-affiliated hospital (I assume that's either Mass
General or B&Y Women)?

Honestly, you will be surprised by how much board score (USMLE) counts toward residency. so coming from any school, you will not be precluded from obtaining whatever residency you want.
 
HI Brandonite,
Any info from your friends on residency visa info? Just wondering... And any news lately?


Good luck!
 
Sorry, been busy with finals. Basically, I know of three Canadians that did their residency in the United States.

Individual one did his med degree at the U of Manitoba, and did his residency at Harvard. I don't know what exact visa he was on, but I can try to find out. He accepted an academic position back in Canada, so that might be how he got around the problems you are describing.

Individuals two and three both did their undergrads at US schools, did med schools at US schools, and did their residencies down there. So, no help there.

So, I don't know of anybody who did their residency in the US after going to a Canadian medical schools and plans to work exclusivly in the United States. Various people have told me that it happens (quasi-reputable people). Whether they're just assuming that happens, or if they actually know, I'm not too sure.

Again, I'll try to get ahold of the guy I know who went to the US after going to school in Canada, and get back to you.
 
How hard is it for a graduate from a Canadian med school to get an American residency? Does it depend on the school you go to?
 
Originally posted by VC15:
•How hard is it for a graduate from a Canadian med school to get an American residency? Does it depend on the school you go to?•••

That is very much a matter of debate. Who really knows?

The answer would be that it's probably possible to do it, depending on visa problems. There are a large number of internationals in the US match every year, and Canadians would be at the top of that list. It is probably easy to get a family practice slot in the US, probably very had to get a residency in derm r something like that. And if you went to McGill or Toronto, you probably have an advantage over all the other schools. Something that would probably help is doing a clerkship at a US hospital. Stanford, Harvard, and Mayo (and Columbia, too, I think) are some schools that I've looked at that have clerkship programs friendly to Canadian schools.
 
1) Hi Brandonite, thanks for the answer!

2) another person asks about canadians in the US, so I might as well revive this thread a little.

3) about getting residency in the US as a Canadian grad... I thought that I gave my answer a little bit earlier already. I agree with Brandonite that McGill and U of Toronto might give you an edge more so than other Canadian schools (I am biased and think that McGill might give even MORE of an edge than U of Toronto, but who am I to say?). I also agree that doing a 4th-year clerkship in the US would help. However, killing the USMLE will probably be the most important factor!

I also heard of argument that Canadian med grads are highly looked upon because of lack of man-power in Canadian hospitals and hence med students there get better training due to more responsibility. That's a rumor I heard. Nothing substantial to back it up.
 
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