McGill Med School

[jbish]

I had no problems making friends, but looking back to Med-1, most of my friends were from the small contingent of anglophone Quebec residents who had completed an undergrad degree, international students, or out-of-province students. Basically, anyone who had completed an undergrad degree who spoke English fluently!
After spending 3.5 years with my classmates, I now count many of the pre-med/med-Ps as my friends...I think it just takes longer to get to know them because they're already friends with each other and comfortable in their environment.
I also looked to other faculties for add'l friends and in other years of med school at McGill.

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[FLaughaLot]

Thanks jbish...If you have a chance, do you think you could tell me a little more about what you thought about your experience overall...the good and the bad...?

 

[shan03]

are there any international students on here who're starting at mcgill this fall?

 

[chester1000]

are there any international students on here who're starting at mcgill this fall?

try the pre-allopathic forum. as for me...waitlisted but hopeful.

 

[FLaughaLot]

I might be starting in the fall.

I was wondering if someone could give me an idea of what the class makeup was like in terms of age....I've heard a few different "average age"s and was just wondering what that was like (since I think McGill has a younger class than many american schools because of the mdcm program). Much appreciated.

 

[jbish]

I might be starting in the fall.

I was wondering if someone could give me an idea of what the class makeup was like in terms of age....I've heard a few different "average age"s and was just wondering what that was like (since I think McGill has a younger class than many american schools because of the mdcm program). Much appreciated.

It's not because of the mdcm program, M.D.C.M is the degree you obtain from McGill...Doctor of Medicine, Master's in Surgery (the C.M. stands for Masters of Surgery in Latin). It's because of the Med-P or "pre-med" program that the average age of McGill's students is younger than most American classes. About half of the incoming class will be near 21 as they will have completed 2 years of education after the equivalent of grade 12 (high school in Qc. goes to grade 11, then Cegep goes for 12-13, then the MedPs complete one year of undergrad before starting Med1). The other half of the incoming class will have finished a bachelor's degree, so that means most of them will be anywhere from 22-early 30s. Most, of course, are closer to 22-24 with a handful of "nontraditionals."

 

[Prag]

I agree with JBish...the other difference is that the 80 or so (out of 174) MedP students already know each other the first day of orientation since they all spent 1 year together completing undergraduate pre-reqs (after being admitted to the program)...however, you get to know them through small groups and rotations and the divide becomes a lot less obvious as the years progress...

JBish, hope the match went well! How did the American students in your class fare?

 

[jbish]

The Americans in the class did really well- the few who wanted to stay in Canada got the residency positions they wanted, the rest of us are all heading back across the border. I can only think of 2 unmatched Americans: one person only (supposedly) applied to one program...so not a big surprise, and the other wanted a very very competitive specialty and already has plans to do a research fellowship for this upcoming year and is applying again for 2008. The Canadian numbers are still unknown as Second Iteration isn't for a few more weeks. Quite a few unmatched at this point...but I'm sure most people will pick up a spot in the second round if they want one (almost all unmatched people wanted surgical subspecialties).

 

[Prag]

congrats! heading back to the states I assume? if I remember correctly, gen surg?

 

[operationivy]

The Americans in the class did really well- the few who wanted to stay in Canada got the residency positions they wanted, the rest of us are all heading back across the border. I can only think of 2 unmatched Americans: one person only (supposedly) applied to one program...so not a big surprise, and the other wanted a very very competitive specialty and already has plans to do a research fellowship for this upcoming year and is applying again for 2008. The Canadian numbers are still unknown as Second Iteration isn't for a few more weeks. Quite a few unmatched at this point...but I'm sure most people will pick up a spot in the second round if they want one (almost all unmatched people wanted surgical subspecialties).

If you don't mind me asking, at which institutions and in which specialties did the students going back to the states match?? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[jbish]

Well, I can try to list a few off the top of my head:
I'm going to Stamford Hospital for General Surgery (yes, Prag, good memory!)
the others:
ENT @ NY Eye & Ear
Peds (2) @ NYU
Peds @ Vermont
Peds @ Cleveland Clinic
Family Medicine @ Wisconsin
Psych @ Emory
Radiology @ Yale
Emerg @ Harvard (don't know which program)
Internal @ Mayo-Rochester
Internal @ Rush (Chicago)
Internal @ Georgetown
Anesthesia @ BWH
Obs/Gyn @ Sinai (Baltimore)

There's another Radiology...but I can't remember where she matched. And, we had one person match to Neurology in Germany (American student).
That's it off the top of my head.

 

[mtoto]

I thought that I would just chime in with some info about how students from the McGill Med Class of 2006 did in last years US match... a couple of Canadians in the class even forfeited the Ca match and matched in the US. Of the top of my head:

Pscyh, Harvard x2
Ob/gyn, Tufts x2
Peds, NYU (Canadian, did not match in Ca match)
Peds, Jefferson (Canadian, did not match in the Ca match)
Peds, Boston Children's x2 (Canadian x1, Amer x1)
Aneasthesia, UW
ENT, UT Galveston
Radiology, Drexel
IM, Jefferson (Canadian)
Neurology, NYU (International)
FM, Utah
IM, Kaiser Santa Clara (scramble)
MPH at Hopkins
Psych, Columbia (Canadian)
IM, Tufts (Canadian)
Neurosurg, Vermont
OB/gyn, Vermont
Gen Surg, Florida?
Prelim Surg, Syracuse (scramble, did not match for Gen Surg Cat)
Prelim Surg, UCSF (Canadian, did not match for Gen Surg in Ca and US matchs, scramble)
Radiology, Brown

Decent list I think! And for those surprised that a couple of Ca did not match in peds in the Ca match... peds is very competitive in Ca.

 

[FLaughaLot]

I was wondering if it's hard to take a summer to do an international rotation (and if there's funding available?). Do a lot of students do something like this?

 

[Prag]

I was wondering if it's hard to take a summer to do an international rotation (and if there's funding available?). Do a lot of students do something like this?

It is most definitely feasible though not after first year (that would be "pre-clinical" work mostly--though there are two trips to Peru every year and I believe a new initiative in Benin this summer as well for first year students)...as well, this is the inaugural year for the Guatemala elective in international health (we are given a 4 week elective in third year and some students have chosen to complete this in an organized "Guatemala experience")...You can also request to have your third-year elective first or last and so you will get 8 weeks of elective time/vacation with which you can do stuff abroad (as well as during the 8 weeks of family medicine during the core rotation should you choose to do them as rural options)....many students at McGill choose to do electives abroad as there is a strong interest in international health here (for instance, we just had the McWHO this past weekend--similar to a model UN but for the WHA)...Lastly, you can apply for a set of scholarships (OMAF--Osler Medical Aid Foundation) for clinical electives abroad (these are administered by the student-run McGill International Health Initiative)...hope this helps let me know if you have any further questions at all!

 

[Gabalt]

Hello,
Indeed, we started this year Initiative Benin which will take place for the first time this summer. We are 13 students, 9 med1 from McGill and 4 from UdeMontreal (with 2 Med1, and 2 MED2). We are going for a month and working in villages and Porto Novo (capital). Our website is up, if you are interested (however it is only in french for now... but it will soon be (hopefully) translated http://www.initiativebenin.com

Gab