Questions about the Hong Kong MBBS application process

[ditde]

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[Medstart108]

Hey guys, I have a few questions about applying to Hong Kong.

Here are my stats and misc. info:

- McGill undergraduate, 2nd year, Bachelor of Science
- Current GPA: 3.70 (expect it to be high ~3.7 (3.75 - 3.77) after this current semester)
- Hong Kong resident (I have a HKID)
- High school in Hong Kong; IB score: 36/42 (6's across the board including HL Chem and Bio)
- Currently mulling over whether to waste my entire summer on the MCATs

Relevant extracurriculars:

- Half a year of volunteering at hospital laboratory
- A summer of research at HKU
- Volunteer translator at local Chinese hospital in Canada (Ongoing)
- Volunteer tutor for autistic children in Canada (Ongoing)
- Volunteer in research laboratory at McGill (Ongoing)

I also do a bunch of stuff for fun but I won't bore you guys with that...

Anyway here are my questions:

1. Would a 3.75 - 3.77 GPA get me an interview at either HKU or CU?

2. Does it matter that I'm not a degree holder?

3. Do medical schools look at the trends of my GPA? I had a rough first semester and ended up with a 3.26, but since then I've followed that up with a 3.86 and a 4.00.

4. I'm not taking a full course load this semester because I'm taking an introductory Physics course and Physics (and anything that has to do with numbers) is the bane of my existence. I've always taken full course loads every semester until now, would they care about this at all?

5. Do medical schools require references? Obviously it doesn't hurt to have them but I'm finding it difficult to get to know my professors in such a big school. I may end up asking the professor I did research with in the summer, the doctor that I shadow and one of my high school teachers.

6. Is there any difference between what the medical schools of HKU and CU look for as far as Chinese proficiency goes? I've read that CU requires applicants to be able to read and write, but I've also read that they don't really care anymore...

7. My command of cantonese is shaky at best, though I can have a proper conversation in a casual situation. I don't doubt that it's good enough to get me through the interview process and medical school. However, if it comes to it, I am worried that it will hinder my abilities as a doctor when I'm actually in a hospital setting. Can anyone shed some light on this matter?

Any advice/input is very much appreciated. Thanks in advance guys!

For question 2, I'm pretty sure you don't need to be a degree holder because Hong Kong follows the British style in allowing students to start medicine straight from high school. I don't know if you are thinking of going to HKU without first applying to Canadian schools. I really strongly recommend you stay in Canada. If you leave, you will have a tougher road to come back on and you will likely be restricted to residencies like family med, internal med and psych.

 

[ditde]

I have family in Hong Kong, so if I get into HKU or CU I'd likely stay there.

Thanks for your reply!