University of Toronto then US?? ahhh!

[uwaterloo]

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ok... so I was wondering if I get accepted to UT in 3 years, can I decide to delay the acceptance, finish my undergrad, and then also apply to US med schools? If I get accepted to a really good school in the US, then can I decline the acceptance at UT and accept the US med school?

Also, where does UT fit in terms of reputation for American med schools... I think UT is the most reputable university in Canada...

oh yea... and do u guys think it is possible to get in to top10 american med schools from a Canadian university??

Thanks!!🙂🙂🙂

 

[mmmcat]

If you got accepted to UofToronto medicine, why would you want to go to the US?! I'm originally from Toronto and I understand that you don't have to have a BS to apply to med school, which is a pretty sweet deal!

The University of Toronto is an unbelievable school! Ranked top 30 worldwide every year! The med school is incredible and the city is probably the best in the world! I would definitely choose it over almost all US med schools save for a few. Even then, it would be a tough decision. The University of toronto is a highly reputable institution. Doing residency there would be awesome! I know some residents here in the US who say that their dream would be to do fellowship in Toronto.

I think it is definitely possible to get into a top 10 american medical school coming from U of T!

In regards to your question about waiting a year to matriculate, I would probably look at their website or call their office.

 

[Vihsadas]

UoT is a great school. It's impossible to get into and it's awesome.

 

[Spidey10]

ok... so I was wondering if I get accepted to UT in 3 years, can I decide to delay the acceptance, finish my undergrad, and then also apply to US med schools? If I get accepted to a really good school in the US, then can I decline the acceptance at UT and accept the US med school?

Also, where does UT fit in terms of reputation for American med schools... I think UT is the most reputable university in Canada...

oh yea... and do u guys think it is possible to get in to top10 american med schools from a Canadian university??

Thanks!!🙂🙂🙂

Actually, if you want to get technical, UofT is ranked 4th in Canada. It is behind McGill (1st), UBC (2nd), and Queens (3rd).

Of course, in reality, rankings don't matter because all medical schools in Canada are going to give you pretty much the same outstanding medical education. Some may emphasize certain things more than others, but the idea that there is a wide disparity in the quality of the education is completely wrong.

The quality of US medical education may vary significantly among schools, but that is not true up here.

If you happen to get into Toronto, I would take it. If you happen to get into Toronto and UBC, I would take UBC (I go there, I love the west coast). I would certainly not give up a Canadian acceptance for an American one; not unless it was Columbia, Harvard, Yale, JHU, or Vandy.

 

[uwaterloo]

hey guys, thanks for the reply!!!

ok so lets say that a person has a 4.0 gpa with ~35+ MCAT + 2-3 leadership roles in EC + 1000+ hrs volunteering + 3 yrs research...

Do u think this person has a chance to get into UT in 3 years! How good do u have to be in order to get into UT 3 yrs!!??

thanks!

 

[Spidey10]

hey guys, thanks for the reply!!!

ok so lets say that a person has a 4.0 gpa with ~35+ MCAT + 2-3 leadership roles in EC + 1000+ hrs volunteering + 3 yrs research...

Do u think this person has a chance to get into UT in 3 years! How good do u have to be in order to get into UT 3 yrs!!??

thanks!

That person has a chance sure, but it's not guaranteed. Even if you were to assume you would get those numbers in three years (huge assumption), there are hundreds of people with those statistics competing for a lower number of seats.

Of course, I wouldn't count that person out of the race, but getting 3 years of research (actual research, not lab jockey work) would be hard. First year students don't typically get awarded lab spaces.

 

[Vihsadas]

Some will get in and some won't. High numbers are required for medical school in Canada (3.7+ Out of province to even be considered). If you're from Ontario, you still need really high numbers.

Anecdotal evidence: Friend with a 3.95GPA , 37 MCAT, publications, 1000+ Hours of volunteering was waitlisted at UoT.

Further Anecdotal evidence: Friend with 3.8GPA, 35 MCAT, publications, 1000 volunteering hours got in at UoT.

So noone will be able to tell you whether you'll get in or not. There are NO shoe-ins at schools like UoT. There are no guarantees!

 

[uwaterloo]

Some will get in and some won't. High numbers are required for medical school in Canada (3.7+ Out of province to even be considered). If you're from Ontario, you still need really high numbers.

Anecdotal evidence: Friend with a 3.95GPA , 37 MCAT, publications, 1000+ Hours of volunteering was waitlisted at UoT.

Further Anecdotal evidence: Friend with 3.8GPA, 35 MCAT, publications, 1000 volunteering hours got in at UoT.

So noone will be able to tell you whether you'll get in or not. There are NO shoe-ins at schools like UoT. There are no guarantees!

Hey Vihsadas, r u canadian? Just wondering if u know how OMSAS works... Do they really give u 4.0 GPA w/ marks over 90%?? If this is true, this isnt really fair.... it shud be like 95 or something lol...

Anyways, do u know if UT is big on EC's? I plan on TAing, Science leadership clubs, mentor, research (almost 90% sure I will actually be doing research with a Prof during summer 40hrs/wk 4 months, so most likely for 3 summers of research), campus response team, intramurals, a lot of volunteer exp...

Do ppl who get into UT have more EC's? What kind of activities should i get involved in addition to these??

Thanks so much!!

 

[Lawliet2008]

UWaterloo: I am assuming that you're in highschool right? Let me tell you that the assumptions that you are making are very, very, big.

UT is a very tough school to get a good mark in b/c of the way they mark. There are limited number of A's given to the students, and they put a lot of pressure on the profs to come out w/ a certain class average. Even my Princeton MCAT physics teacher was telling us (he had 4.0 from University of Western Ontario, 41 MCAT after doing his 3rd and 4rth years there. He did his first 2 years at UT and only had 3.3) "UT is where you go to have your dreams die."

Save yourself a lot of stress and headache.

If you have acceptances from other universities for your undergrad, go there and get a really good gpa. In the end, Canadian med schools (especially UT med school) look mostly at GPA and not at the name of your school where you did B.Sc or your MCAT (as long as you get 10 in each section, they don't care if you get a 30 or a 37).

If you're already at UT or it is your only acceptance...God be with you.

 

[uwaterloo]

UWaterloo: I am assuming that you're in highschool right? Let me tell you that the assumptions that you are making are very, very, big.

UT is a very tough school to get a good mark in b/c of the way they mark. There are limited number of A's given to the students, and they put a lot of pressure on the profs to come out w/ a certain class average. Even my Princeton MCAT physics teacher was telling us (he had 4.0 from University of Western Ontario, 41 MCAT after doing his 3rd and 4rth years there. He did his first 2 years at UT and only had 3.3) "UT is where you go to have your dreams die."

Save yourself a lot of stress and headache.

If you have acceptances from other universities for your undergrad, go there and get a really good gpa. In the end, Canadian med schools (especially UT med school) look mostly at GPA and not at the name of your school where you did B.Sc or your MCAT (as long as you get 10 in each section, they don't care if you get a 30 or a 37).

If you're already at UT or it is your only acceptance...God be with you.

hey Lawliet2008! thanks for the reply
no i am a first yr undergrad student, not from UT... have u applied to UT before n got accepted? r u a med student in Canada??? do u know any ECs that will be really helpful to get into UT??

 

[Lawliet2008]

hey Lawliet2008! thanks for the reply
no i am a first yr undergrad student, not from UT... have u applied to UT before n got accepted? r u a med student in Canada??? do u know any ECs that will be really helpful to get into UT??

No I'm not a student there, but I have a lot of friends who go to UT and it sounds like a nightmare from which I try to steer people clear of. I know for a fact that it is almost impossible to get into UT in three years. Canadian schools are trying to phase out of this trend and are accepting fewer and fewer 3rd years every year. This means that for sure you would need minimum 3.9+ gpa to be even considered.

As for ECs, i know that UT is HUGE on research. Like it was said before, you need publications and not just lab jockey work. Start bothering profs early and commit to staying in their labs long enough to be at least co-author on one of their papers. Also, besides the usual hospital volunteer/tutor work, try to do something that shows you have leadership. Join a club or try to get onto the student council (even being a first year rep. would help). If you can, being on a sports team would be a major plus.

In order of priority, these are the ECs that you need.

1.Research (i.e. publications)
2.sports team/club/student council (anything with leadership and is associated with the school)
3.hospital/tutor/community volunteer work (i.e. the usual)

 

[Lawliet2008]

Man, I guess I'm still asleep! I didn't notice your name was uwaterloo! I can't believe I ranted about why you shouldn't do your undergrad at UT.

Disregard the post you replied to...and I think I may need to go back to sleep...

 

[uwaterloo]

No I'm not a student there, but I have a lot of friends who go to UT and it sounds like a nightmare from which I try to steer people clear of. I know for a fact that it is almost impossible to get into UT in three years. Canadian schools are trying to phase out of this trend and are accepting fewer and fewer 3rd years every year. This means that for sure you would need minimum 3.9+ gpa to be even considered.

As for ECs, i know that UT is HUGE on research. Like it was said before, you need publications and not just lab jockey work. Start bothering profs early and commit to staying in their labs long enough to be at least co-author on one of their papers. Also, besides the usual hospital volunteer/tutor work, try to do something that shows you have leadership. Join a club or try to get onto the student council (even being a first year rep. would help). If you can, being on a sports team would be a major plus.

In order of priority, these are the ECs that you need.

1.Research (i.e. publications)
2.sports team/club/student council (anything with leadership and is associated with the school)
3.hospital/tutor/community volunteer work (i.e. the usual)

Ok so how do u get publications if the prof doesnt write anything? the prof that i will be working with in the summer hasnt published anything in the past 4 years... how does publications work??

PS should i choose a prof whose has many recent publications?

 

[Begaster]

You find a different prof.

That being said, people are overstating the publication requirement. It's a nice bonus, but it's not the end-all, be-all of getting accepted into U of T. Plenty of people get in without any publications to their names.

As to your original question - no, you can't. You might be able to get an entrance deferred, but it requires very unique circumstances to do so. Saying "I want to try and get into a different school" isn't going to work out too well for you. Why would you even apply third year if you have no intention of going? It boggles the mind.

Spidey, which rankings are you looking at?

 

[Lawliet2008]

uwaterloo: Actually, for UT, it is very difficult to get in 3rd year without them and it is too much of a lottery. If you really want this school, then a publication (combined with a good gpa) is probably your best bet.

What I would do is just research your profs and yeah...get in touch with one who has a lot of publications (if the prof you contacted doesn't have alot, then ask them straight up if working with them will get you published. They'll either say yes or no and will save you a lot of time). Also, when you get into contact with them, read up on the last few publications, ask lots of smart questions in class to build a good rep with them, and then hit them up for a job. Let them know why you're there from day one (i.e. you want publications and you're serious about med school), and they'll always think of you over the other undergrads when they want someone to do some serious work. Go to work looking good, bring as much innovation as possible by keeping up with the literature...let them know you're really serious. It is a lot of work and involves a lot of creativity, stalking, and sucking up, but its worth it.

A publication would definitely make it easier for UT to accept you if you're a third year (especially since most of your competition are 4rth years).

 

[uwaterloo]

uwaterloo: Actually, for UT, it is very difficult to get in 3rd year without them and it is too much of a lottery. If you really want this school, then a publication (combined with a good gpa) is probably your best bet.

What I would do is just research your profs and yeah...get in touch with one who has a lot of publications (if the prof you contacted doesn't have alot, then ask them straight up if working with them will get you published. They'll either say yes or no and will save you a lot of time). Also, when you get into contact with them, read up on the last few publications, ask lots of smart questions in class to build a good rep with them, and then hit them up for a job. Let them know why you're there from day one (i.e. you want publications and you're serious about med school), and they'll always think of you over the other undergrads when they want someone to do some serious work. Go to work looking good, bring as much innovation as possible by keeping up with the literature...let them know you're really serious. It is a lot of work and involves a lot of creativity, stalking, and sucking up, but its worth it.

A publication would definitely make it easier for UT to accept you if you're a third year (especially since most of your competition are 4rth years).

isnt it rude to ask a prof if working with him will get me published??
I think the prof that i will be working with will have a few grad students + 1-2 undergrad students... so how can i be sure that i will be part of the publication?

 

[blurry]

Hey uwaterloo, I'm a Canadian who has applied and been accepted to a few American schools (one of them a top 10). Just a few things:

1. A 4.0 GPA and 35+ MCAT is awfully ambitious for a freshman. Get that ridiculous notion out of your head now and avoid disappointment. I have seen many people like you in university, nearly all of whom couldn't break a 30 on the MCAT.

2. Extracurriculars are important, but don't spread yourself too thin. Volunteer for a few hours once a week in an emergency room or hospital and maybe ask your family physician for a few shadowing opportunities. I wouldn't bother with school clubs and associations because they're useless. Instead, find something else you're interested in (i.e. a sport, artistic endeavour, etc.). Take this interest, participate in it on a regular and active basis. Show leadership roles in that area, and you'll be fine. For example, I've played soccer competitively for my university, for fun on intramural teams, and also coached young children's team during my summers.

3. If you want research, apply for an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award. All schools with NSERC-funded professors will have these available and usually all you need is a good GPA to secure one. The scholarship pays you to do research with a professor over the summer. Ask your TAs about which professors are good to work with in terms of reputation and possibility for publications. Again, you are being awfully ambitious with assuming a publication will come easy. Also keep in mind that it is most certainly not required.

But most importantly, don't get ahead of yourself. Take it all one step at a time. Forget about U of T right now and worry about it when it comes time to apply.

 

[hp540]

ok... so I was wondering if I get accepted to UT in 3 years, can I decide to delay the acceptance, finish my undergrad, and then also apply to US med schools? If I get accepted to a really good school in the US, then can I decline the acceptance at UT and accept the US med school?

Also, where does UT fit in terms of reputation for American med schools... I think UT is the most reputable university in Canada...

oh yea... and do u guys think it is possible to get in to top10 american med schools from a Canadian university??

Thanks!!🙂🙂🙂

Slow down there cowboy. I can tell you're really keen, but I think you're underestimating the competition for Canadian medical schools ... especially UT!

 

[Dayne]

To get an interview at UofT, your application has to be absolutely stellar in every aspect. And UofT (like all Ontario schools) doesn't give any preference to their residents. The average GPA of the admitted class is usually around 3.8-3.9. You also really need to have truly amazing extra-curriculars, LOR's, and a good research background.

 

[154465]

Go to UT if you get in! Toronto is an awesome city, and UT is a great school. Hell I would go if I had even a chance of getting in.

 

[Pantelich]

It is terrifying what is being asked of undergrads in Ontario. (I'm at a public U in the States). I would not even bother applying to med school in Ontario. Move to the States for undergrad, become a state resident and apply here in a few years after undergrad. All the research, volunteering, and other ECs are just to have a record of how many hours you have removed from your study time. Its complete BS. Sorry, I'm just down on my undergrad university beating me down...

 

[Spidey10]

You find a different prof.

That being said, people are overstating the publication requirement. It's a nice bonus, but it's not the end-all, be-all of getting accepted into U of T. Plenty of people get in without any publications to their names.

As to your original question - no, you can't. You might be able to get an entrance deferred, but it requires very unique circumstances to do so. Saying "I want to try and get into a different school" isn't going to work out too well for you. Why would you even apply third year if you have no intention of going? It boggles the mind.

Spidey, which rankings are you looking at?

The medical school rankings from macleans.ca

 

[Begaster]

Ah. I wouldn't trust those rankings much. U of T's held the top spot for ten years according to them, and it dropped down by three ranks overnight? That's senseless. Wasn't there some sort of falling out between a few schools and the magazine?