Getting in to Canadian medical schools

[Freak705]

I did a search for topics on entrance into Canadian medical schools to avoid making an unneeded topic, but I was surprised to find out what I did, taking this website into consideration:

http://www.futuredoctor.net/canadian_medical_schools1.shtml

From what I've heard on this site, Canadian medical schools have very stringent cutoffs. I read that Queens, for instance, will not consider anyone with a GPA below 3.8, and an MCAT with a Q on the writing sample. However, according to that website, the average GPA is 3.57. Or is this simply the average GPA of applicants and not necessarily the average GPA of people that actually get in?

I've also heard that the price of a medical education in Canada is significantly lower than in the US. From lurking on here for a while, it seems that in the states people are racking up a debt of ~$100,000 - $200,000. What kind of debt can a Canadian medical student expect?

I'm also interested in any other general differences between Canadian and US medical schools if anyone would be willing to help me out. Right now, and it may be naiive, but the only career I can picture for myself that I would truly enjoy lies in medicine. Something mentally stimulating, something that makes a difference in the lives of people around me, something respectable. Something that pays well enough even for the less lucrative specialties. Coming from a background without a lot of money, when I hear people scoffing at any sort of 6 figure income it boggles my mind slightly.

Anyhow, I appreciate any replies =)

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[koopa_troopa]

First off, for most Canadian schools you will need to be a canadian citizen or permanent resident. McGill accepts internationals and tends to accept more US students than non-Quebec Canadians. Since you are listed from Guelph, I will assume that you are Canadian.

Regarding cutoffs, some schools have strict cutoffs, some don't. Western Ontario and Queens have strict cutoffs for both GPA and MCAT (cutoffs for each section of the MCAT). However these cutoffs usually involve some weighting formula. I believe Western requires you to meet the cutoffs for 2 years of full time study. So most likely that average (over fours years) you are looking at is accurate, it is just the accepted students were above the cutoff for 2 of their undergraduate years.

Most other schools don't have a strict cutoff. University of Toronto offers a special weighting formula that drops about 2 courses for every year of full time study. So if you are in high school heading into university, make sure you are taking a full course load (note this is different than qualifying as a full time student).

The debt is dependent on the school and your state residency status. If you are applying from Canada, you will have to pay out of state tuition rates (usually around $30 - $40, 000). So you do accumulate debt well over $100, 000. In Canada, tuition is about half, so your debt will probably less than $100, 000.

Overall the education you get is quite similar quality wise. In the US there appears to be much more research opportunities. I think it really depends on where you want to work. If you want to work in Canada, go to school there. If you want to work in the US, go there. Although you get your MD in one, and do your residency in another country, it can get complicated.

 

[Freak705]

Thanks, that helped quite a bit. I figured it was time to stop lurking and start posting 😛

 

[Vitum Medicinus]

There are more schools in the USA and as such there is a wider range of tuition. While $100k-$200k may be the average, just think about your debt from one of the more expensive American schools, where tuition pushed $60k a year.

With regards to Canadian debt load, a recent study by the Canadian Federation of Medical Students and Canadian Association of Interns and Residents showed Canadian first-year residents have an average debt of $158,000.

More info at http://www.cfms.org/feature_docs/2007%20CFMS National Medical Student Survey - Final Release.pdf.