Online University for Can/US/Aus MD

[latemedgirly]

Hey everybody,

For a bit of a background about myself, I started Undergrad in 2020 as 94% high school grad from one of the best high schools in province. Unfortunately, due to COVID, my family situation, health and mental health took a turn for the worst and one failure led to another, until I was kicked out for having failed more than 6 credits. In the midst of my series of failures, I did some soul searching and realized medicine was my calling but my situation is not ideal by any means. After having done a lot of research, I am finally getting somewhere, so I have questions.

I discovered Athabasca University and really love the layout as a full time homeschooling Guardian and part time employee. It's really the best option for me. However, I wonder whether BSc. Major in Biological Sciences will actually allow me to apply to 1) Canadian 2)US 3)Australian Medical schools (in the given order of preference). If it does, at the time of the application, will I have to provide my grades from my first degree that I was kicked out from or will only the grades from the second degree matter?

Thank you so much for any guidance I might receive. I really appreciate it in advance

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[Highlander455]

You've set an ambitious goal for yourself. There are many challenges. As to doing a BSc online, most (and probably all) med schools require in person laboratory experience. Online won't cut it for that.

Transcripts will be required from all Universities attended. The Ontario Universities Application Service says for med school applications, "Official transcripts are required for each university, college, CEGEP, junior college, graduate school or other postsecondary institution you currently attend, previously attended or withdrew from." Failure to disclose all University transcripts may lead to being withdrawn from med school.

You will need to complete the Medical College Application Test (MCAT) with high scores. You don't necessarily need a BSc in Biology, and in fact might be better to choose a program that will let you get high grades in non-science courses, but you will need to do well in prerequisite courses like organic chemistry, biology, etc. Different schools will have different prerequisites, some may require psychology, statistics, etc.

Canadian med schools are extremely competitive. Even grades in the high 90s are often not enough to guarantee admission. Most Canadian med schools accept only about 3% of applicants. Only about 20% of all applicants Canada wide are accepted. US med schools tend to reserve most of their spots for US citizens, so any international spots are also highly competitive. US schools are also expensive, ie $60,000 US for tuition alone (plus living expenses) and little of this is covered by Canada Student Loans (maybe $12,000 Canadian). Private loans for international med schools are almost impossible to get without significant personal assets or cosigner.

If you are successful in getting accepted to med school, you are looking at about a minimum of 6 yrs full time study (4 for med school and 2 for family medicine residency, which is the shortest residency/specialty program. The application process for residency is also competitive.

Here is a link that provides more detail:

Getting into Canadian Medical Schools: A Complete Guide - My Canadian University

A complete guide to successfully applying to and attending accredited medical schools in Canada - covers key requirements, strategies to strengthen applications, program formats, clinical training, licensure process, job prospects, pros and cons, and expert tips for getting into top Canadian MD...

mycanadianuniversity.com

Good luck.