Options.....how far to go?

[sv3]

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Wow..........how nice to find a thread for non-trads! Feel like I'm wearing a scarlet letter so its nice to know I'm not alone.....

I'm 29, a Canadian, and have decided i want to go to medschool. I already spent 7 yrs in school from 1998-2005 collecting degrees in med sci, bio, finance, and an MBA with a healthcare focus. I've been a consultant to the pharma industry and been fighting the urge to go into medicine for a couple of years but now just can't run from it anymore.

I have all the pre-reqs and just wrote my MCAT (although i am quite sure i blew verbal......but find sciences relatively easy). With that said, my ugpa was 3.4, grad gpa 3.7, and im expecting a 30 on the MCAT. These stats are not good enough to get into a school in Canada or the U.S., so i wanted to know if anyone here has considered or is abroad and how feasible this is?

I thought Australia would be a good option but have heard so many negative things lately - mainly that there will be no intern positions for intl students. Now I'm considering the UK as well.

I guess I'm just wondering what options fellow non trads have considered and if they have worked out or not? I don't want to keep waiting to get into a school in North America as time isn't on my side and its not like i can improve my ugpa or alike. Just gauging whether i am being dedicated or desperate? I keep trying to block out what i'm leaving behind - cushy high paying job, set lifestyle, no debt, etc etc and its tough but i know its not what i really want...........hence me being here.

thanks in advance for the insight

steve

 

[netminder]

With that said, my ugpa was 3.4, grad gpa 3.7, and im expecting a 30 on the MCAT. These stats are not good enough to get into a school in Canada or the U.S., so i wanted to know if anyone here has considered or is abroad and how feasible this is?

sv3,

You should definitely still apply to American (I don't know anything about Canadian) schools. You don't know for sure that those numbers aren't good enough. I don't either, as I'm an applicant myself (a non-trad, too). But it doesn't seem like you should just bail without even trying. You should get the advice of some others here, but go for it. Plus, what if you did much better than you thought on the MCAT? You know? It could happen.

Good luck.

netminder

 

[physicsguy]

I too would be interested to see what some of the successful applicants (and doctors) say about this question. I myself have approximately a 3.3 uGPA and a 3.4 gGPA. I'm still a couple of years away from taking the MCAT, and I'm wondering what type of MCAT score would be necessary to make this GPA even remotely competetive.

 

[QofQuimica]

I have all the pre-reqs and just wrote my MCAT (although i am quite sure i blew verbal......but find sciences relatively easy). With that said, my ugpa was 3.4, grad gpa 3.7, and im expecting a 30 on the MCAT. These stats are not good enough to get into a school in Canada or the U.S., so i wanted to know if anyone here has considered or is abroad and how feasible this is?

A 3.4 GPA and 30 MCAT is on the low side of average, but it's not *that* low. (Averages for matriculants to allo schools are around 3.6/31.) The bigger issue that I think you may face as a Canadian student is that many American schools will be closed to you based on state and national residency requirements. However, assuming the rest of your app is good, I think it's worth a try to apply to some American schools that accept Canadians. You can find out about residency requirements in the MSAR, which is put out by the AAMC every spring. Also, we have some international students in this forum who may be able to provide more specific advice, and/or you can try asking for advice in the International forums. Best of luck. 🙂

 

[sv3]

sv3,

You should definitely still apply to American (I don't know anything about Canadian) schools. You don't know for sure that those numbers aren't good enough. I don't either, as I'm an applicant myself (a non-trad, too). But it doesn't seem like you should just bail without even trying. You should get the advice of some others here, but go for it. Plus, what if you did much better than you thought on the MCAT? You know? It could happen.

Good luck.

netminder

Thanks netminder. I might just do that. I'll have to do a ton of research but i much rather goto the US than anywhere abroad, even if it is another year.

A 3.4 GPA and 30 MCAT is on the low side of average, but it's not *that* low. (Averages for matriculants to allo schools are around 3.6/31.) The bigger issue that I think you may face as a Canadian student is that many American schools will be closed to you based on state and national residency requirements. However, assuming the rest of your app is good, I think it's worth a try to apply to some American schools that accept Canadians. You can find out about residency requirements in the MSAR, which is put out by the AAMC every spring. Also, we have some international students in this forum who may be able to provide more specific advice, and/or you can try asking for advice in the International forums. Best of luck. 🙂

Ah the fifth element has blessed me with some advice...thank you! Your VR post from a long time ago was very helpful - unfortunately i blew it on the real thing and was too slow (although i still think luck plays a part as i was generally between 9-12 which is a wide margin).

Yes I beleive there are approx. 30 US schools that will look at Canadian applicants. I just figured I'd have to be above and beyond the average US candidate to get in, and I realize i do not have those marks. I also haven't come across many schools that really like (give preference to) graduate degree holders either unfortunately.

Nevertheless, I will def look into it. If there's even a small chance its worth it to me since i'm considering the other side of the world if need be. That option though like i said is looking worse due to shortage of intern spots. I cannot imagine being a MD without a place to intern - what a nightmare (nm the $250k debt).

Thanks for the encouragement, i'll see if there's any real hope out there.

cheers
steve

 

[loveoforganic]

Dude, you've gotta give at least one application cycle of US/Canadian schools a shot. The cost of those secondaries and travel for whatever interviews you may get would be so, so negligible relative to the cost of attending an international school. I don't know about Australia, but schools in the Carib inflate their stats by dropping people they don't feel are gonna make it, and if you get dropped you're in a world of hurt, financially and in your pursuit of the MD/DO. Another thing you could look into before international, if the first application cycle doesn't go your way, would be SMP programs (however, I don't know if these are available to Canadians in the US, nor if Canadian schools have these). You basically enlist in a program where you take med school courses and are compared with med students. You do well, you're in a very good position to get accepted. You don't, you're pretty screwed. International would probably still be an option though.

Good luck

 

[sv3]

Dude, you've gotta give at least one application cycle of US/Canadian schools a shot. The cost of those secondaries and travel for whatever interviews you may get would be so, so negligible relative to the cost of attending an international school. I don't know about Australia, but schools in the Carib inflate their stats by dropping people they don't feel are gonna make it, and if you get dropped you're in a world of hurt, financially and in your pursuit of the MD/DO. Another thing you could look into before international, if the first application cycle doesn't go your way, would be SMP programs (however, I don't know if these are available to Canadians in the US, nor if Canadian schools have these). You basically enlist in a program where you take med school courses and are compared with med students. You do well, you're in a very good position to get accepted. You don't, you're pretty screwed. International would probably still be an option though.

Good luck

Hey,

thanks alot. I'm obviously late for the US cycle this year so another year I guess - being early will be super impt for me i think. And to think back in March when i decided i was going to go all out for medschool i thought i was early! But like i said, one more year is totally fine if I were to get into a US school. LOL....if I got an interview in the states I would walk if i had to! Travelling would be something i'd be very happy to do. At the same time, I'd like to think im pretty honest with myself and i just can't see how i'd get in. Some adcom would really have to care a great deal about my life/work exp and graduate degree for me to have a chance. hopefully through researching i'll find a couple of schools where i may have a shot.

Had no idea carribean schools dropped people like that...wow! I wasn't actually considering that route although i was about to look into it. I remember looking into this 4 years ago and decided I didn't want to do it that way.

SMP schools sounds great but don't exist up here. I already did a 4 Honors in medical science but unfortunately back then, i was only concerned with Dean's list which is 80%, never knew I'd need alot more than that. I'd prolly opt to go intl before that route anyhow just cause the med sci degree i did was similar in a lot of ways to the first two years of meds (classroom work wise).

thanks alot for your post though. Just in a tough spot as i walked away from a good career and now that i'm totally in the tunnel so to speak, starting to wonder if there is light on the other side you know? But I'm persistent to a fault so will keep chugging along somehow. I think I'll just swallow the fact that I should wait another year before leaving the continent......things are looking more and more dicey once you leave NA for medical school - at least if your a Canadian, not sure how bad it is if your a US citizen

Cheers
Steve

 

[loveoforganic]

Very dicey for US too. Think match rate for residency from carib is something like 50%. And yeah, if you're dismissed from school, whatever the reason, you're in a pretty hopeless situation for getting in elsewhere - best hope is to work on readmittance at the same school. For this reason, and the obscene cost of the schools, carib is really not anywhere in my personal list of options - maybe if my family had loads of expendable money. Risk isn't worth it.

If you do end up eventually looking international, I've heard good things about German schools, but I don't know where the degree would be valid for.