Smart Plan

[deleted853480]

Hello I am a Canadian interested in applying for the 2021-2022 cycle. I will be applying with an OD degree from Waterloo and my ugpa is 4.0. I took the mcat a few days ago and believe I will score in the 520 area. Any ways my play is to apply to all the md and or md/phd programs in the us the accept Canadians. Does that seem like a smart plan or a waste of money?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[bluepeony]

Hello I am a Canadian interested in applying for the 2021-2022 cycle. I will be applying with an OD degree from Waterloo and my ugpa is 4.0. I took the mcat a few days ago and believe I will score in the 520 area. Any ways my play is to apply to all the md and or md/phd programs in the us the accept Canadians. Does that seem like a smart plan or a waste of money?

What's the alternate plan?

 

[seren1051]

If your uGPA stays at 4.0 and if you do really get 520ish on MCAT, then assuming all your ECs are checked, it sounds like a smart plan. Might be a better idea to apply to just top tiers.

What's an OD degree btw?

 

[deleted853480]

It’s a doctor optometry degree.

 

[deleted853480]

What's the alternate plan?

Probably to apply to strategically or move to an easy Canadian province or marry an American.

 

[bluepeony]

Probably to apply to strategically or move to an easy Canadian province or marry an American.

I mean if u do get those stats, can't you also apply to your in-province schools as well?

 

[deleted853480]

I can but Ottawa doesn’t look at mcat. Queens and uoft only use it as a cut off. Mac only looks at cars. My score would help out at western basically.

 

[deleted853480]

So I scored 517 on my mcat. Should I rewrite or just apply with that? 132/126/129/131

 

[LizzyM]

If you are applying to MD/PhD programs you have to show that you are a hot shot in the lab and you will be an asset to the lab you wind up in at the medical school. You may also have some struggles in that regard because schools can't use federal dollars toward your tuition and stipend which is how many MD/PhD candidates are funded.

I would recommend going MD and not MD/PhD. Or maybe find an American who will marry you.

 

[seren1051]

I want to say don't retake for American schools, but ugh that 126 is unfortunate for Ontario...

 

[deleted853480]

If you are applying to MD/PhD programs you have to show that you are a hot shot in the lab and you will be an asset to the lab you wind up in at the medical school. You may also have some struggles in that regard because schools can't use federal dollars toward your tuition and stipend which is how many MD/PhD candidates are funded.

I would recommend going MD and not MD/PhD. Or maybe find an American who will marry you.

For the md/phd programs I was gonna talk about how I would like to pursue eye research and then ophthalmology afterwards. I was thinking my background as an od would back that up.

 

[LizzyM]

PhD programs in medical schools are organized by laboratories headed by principal investigators who write grants and obtain funding to conduct research which often includes funding the tuition and stipends of doctoral students (including MD/PhD students) who chose/are chosen to work in that lab and do their dissertation based on research being conducted in that lab.

What is "eye research"? Do you have something like this research in mice in mind, "Metabolic Deregulation of the Blood-Outer Retinal Barrier in Retinitis Pigmentosa"

Do you have any lab skills? Have you presented at a meeting or published? That's the coin of the realm when it comes to getting a coveted slot in a MD/PhD program. The expectation, too, is that you will be 20% clinical/80% research when you are ready to practice so if that is not for you, then the MD/PhD will not be a good fit.

 

[deleted987519]

If you are applying to MD/PhD programs you have to show that you are a hot shot in the lab and you will be an asset to the lab you wind up in at the medical school. You may also have some struggles in that regard because schools can't use federal dollars toward your tuition and stipend which is how many MD/PhD candidates are funded.

I would recommend going MD and not MD/PhD. Or maybe find an American who will marry you.

As an American, let me tell you this is not the easiest thing to do.

 

[deleted853480]

The eye research I was thinking of doing was something to do with the quantum mechanics of the visual process. I did about 9 months of quantum mechanics research as a ug. I was planing on applying to the 7 schools where the md/phd programs take Canadians but their md programs do not take Canadians for some weird reason. I want to be a professor when I graduate anyways so md/phd seems like a good fit.

 

[star-lily]

The eye research I was thinking of doing was something to do with the quantum mechanics of the visual process. I did about 9 months of quantum mechanics research as a ug. I was planing on applying to the 7 schools where the md/phd programs take Canadians but their md programs do not take Canadians for some weird reason. I want to be a professor when I graduate anyways so md/phd seems like a good fit.

I've heard before that the average successful MD/PhD applicant has about the equivalent of 2 years of full-time research work. So, to be honest, if you did a full-time research job for 1-2 years, that might help you a lot.

 

[deleted853480]

I've heard before that the average successful MD/PhD applicant has about the equivalent of 2 years of full-time research work. So, to be honest, if you did a full-time research job for 1-2 years, that might help you a lot.

I’m not banking on those programs. I am applying to 7 md/phd programs which I can’t apply to their M.D. Program anyways. Do you know how much direct patient care helps for md/phd cause I should have 1000+ hours by the time I apply?

 

[Frigidcold]

You need clinical experience, but having 1000+ hours is way overkill for MD/PhD. 9 months of research probably doesn't get you into any program as an American. As a Canadian, I'd say the chance is basically zero.

 

[deleted853480]

You need clinical experience, but having 1000+ hours is way overkill for MD/PhD. 9 months of research probably doesn't get you into any program as an American. As a Canadian, I'd say the chance is basically zero.

I get my research is lacking but I figured my doctorate degree would offset that.

 

[bluepeony]

I get my research is lacking but I figured my doctorate degree would offset that.

Did you do research while completing the OD degree?

 

[candbgirl]

I get my research is lacking but I figured my doctorate degree would offset that.

Why? With your stats you should have a good shot at MD. I don’t think your OD degree will make up for lack of research when applying to MD/PhD. You would be up against Americans that have it all. If you want to be a Doctor apply MD.