US options before Caribbean

[leviathan]

Hi guys,

I'm a 3rd year student who is just keeping his options open in case my grades don't quite pan out for Canada. I know the Caribbean is always a surefire option, but I've never considered the US and wonder if I have a shot.

My current stats are: 3.1 GPA (first two years), 32Q MCAT (10P, 11V, 11B), 1000+ hours in volunteer EMS, part-time work throughout school, hospital emergency department volunteering, a school-related internship in clinical psychology, and a few other things.

I'm hoping I can raise my GPA through this year and next year, but we'll just have to wait and see...at best, I might be able to get an overall 4 year GPA of 3.5-3.6.

Soo worst case scenario (those stats with 3.1 GPA):
1) Do I have a shot at any US allopathic schools?
2) Do I have a shot at any US osteopathic schools?
3)If I do have a shot with either, will I have trouble getting a competitive residency with the issues of having to get a work visa (the same as what will happen the caribbean route)?
4)Do I have a shot at MD or DO schools with a 3.5 GPA and the aforementioned other stats?

Thanks for any advice.

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[xylem29]

Hi guys,

I'm a 3rd year student who is just keeping his options open in case my grades don't quite pan out for Canada. I know the Caribbean is always a surefire option, but I've never considered the US and wonder if I have a shot.

My current stats are: 3.1 GPA (first two years), 32Q MCAT (10P, 11V, 11B), 1000+ hours in volunteer EMS, part-time work throughout school, hospital emergency department volunteering, a school-related internship in clinical psychology, and a few other things.

I'm hoping I can raise my GPA through this year and next year, but we'll just have to wait and see...at best, I might be able to get an overall 4 year GPA of 3.5-3.6.

Soo worst case scenario (those stats with 3.1 GPA):
1) Do I have a shot at any US allopathic schools?
2) Do I have a shot at any US osteopathic schools?
3)If I do have a shot with either, will I have trouble getting a competitive residency with the issues of having to get a work visa (the same as what will happen the caribbean route)?
4)Do I have a shot at MD or DO schools with a 3.5 GPA and the aforementioned other stats?

Thanks for any advice.

I am only a pre-med like yourself but with a 3.1 GPA, I think it would be very, very difficult to get into allopathic schools in NA - maybe osteo schools. However, with a 3.5-3.6 and ur 32 mcat, and ur amazing extra curric record, I think you can get into a canadian school. but it all depens on the applicant's applying during the year u apply to the particular school - if only the top 1000 pass the 1st round (which is based only on ur standardized gpa) and the top 1000 gpa's go only as low was 3.7, then no. one year a 3.5 will suffice, other years it won't. good luck tho - you will need to definetely bring up the 3.1 b/c that is not good enough to be frank - not even for graduate school or dentistry - but with hard work u can do it!

 

[BlondeCookie]

The US has a system of preference based on state residency. First preference usually goes to in-state American residents of the medical school. Second Preference is out-of-state American residents. The rest of us are bottom of the barrel as far as preference is concerned with that. I think the acceptance rates for most American schools are like 85-90% of in-state residents, 10-15% out-of-state residents, and then like less than 1% international applicants. So, while there are lots more med schools in the US, there are many more applicants and they preferrentially admit their own especially from w/in the state that the med school is in. It sucks, I know. Damn yanks. 😎

 

[tupac_don]

Hi guys,

I'm a 3rd year student who is just keeping his options open in case my grades don't quite pan out for Canada. I know the Caribbean is always a surefire option, but I've never considered the US and wonder if I have a shot.

My current stats are: 3.1 GPA (first two years), 32Q MCAT (10P, 11V, 11B), 1000+ hours in volunteer EMS, part-time work throughout school, hospital emergency department volunteering, a school-related internship in clinical psychology, and a few other things.

I'm hoping I can raise my GPA through this year and next year, but we'll just have to wait and see...at best, I might be able to get an overall 4 year GPA of 3.5-3.6.

Soo worst case scenario (those stats with 3.1 GPA):
1) Do I have a shot at any US allopathic schools?
2) Do I have a shot at any US osteopathic schools?
3)If I do have a shot with either, will I have trouble getting a competitive residency with the issues of having to get a work visa (the same as what will happen the caribbean route)?
4)Do I have a shot at MD or DO schools with a 3.5 GPA and the aforementioned other stats?

Thanks for any advice.

Here is the breakdown:

with 3.1 avg

--no shot for MD schools
--possibly a shot for DO schools, but your chances would increase if you had 3.3 for DO schools

3.5 avg

--decent shot for MD, but I would apply as early as possible and to as many schools as possible, good chances you'll get in somewhere
--very good shot to get into DO school

As a Canadian, you will have to do pretty good in boards and do well in school. But shouldn't have too much of problem getting into most specialties. You might have a problem of getting into ultra comp. specialties like plastics or derm, b/c of visa issues. Since they have such a large pool of applicants that they don't wanna bother with an applicant with visa issues if they don't have to. Also realize, that you have 1 year to be on an OPT (optional practical training) visa, during which you can write your step III and get an H1 visa. But I would strongly try to get into US school if you can opposed to Carib. If you want to go to FP or IM, you should be ok if you just go to Carib.



Good luck.

 

[BlondeCookie]

With a 32 on the MCAT and a 3.1 you should be very competitive for DO school. I think you'd be able to be accepted to a DO school easily, but then again. Canadians trying to get into med school in America (DO included) have to be even more competitive than the in-state American applicants. Don't write off Canada just yet! And certainly don't write off the MD school yet either.

 

[docbill]

The other option.. which I would suggest to people with low GPA, is to either complete a second degree a subject you enjoy (Arts, fine arts, basket making - usually 2 years), but at a less prestigeous school... NOT UofT or QUEENS and do much better. OR consider doing a Masters 1-2 years. That will make you more competitive for some schools... depending on your provincial residency.

 

[avenirv]

The US has a system of preference based on state residency. First preference usually goes to in-state American residents of the medical school. Second Preference is out-of-state American residents. The rest of us are bottom of the barrel as far as preference is concerned with that. I think the acceptance rates for most American schools are like 85-90% of in-state residents, 10-15% out-of-state residents, and then like less than 1% international applicants. So, while there are lots more med schools in the US, there are many more applicants and they preferrentially admit their own especially from w/in the state that the med school is in. It sucks, I know. Damn yanks. 😎

this doesn't apply for the private schools.
what you talk about are the state schools, heavily subsidized by the states. just like canada.

 

[leviathan]

The other option.. which I would suggest to people with low GPA, is to either complete a second degree a subject you enjoy (Arts, fine arts, basket making - usually 2 years), but at a less prestigeous school... NOT UofT or QUEENS and do much better. OR consider doing a Masters 1-2 years. That will make you more competitive for some schools... depending on your provincial residency.

The other option I am considering is applying to schools that look at your best 2 years. Unfortunately, I decided it would be a brilliant idea to take organic chemistry this year along with my English requirement, both courses I know I won't do stellar in and will drop my GPA this year. My other 3 courses this term I have either an A or A+ in, and I'm pretty sure I'll do well in all 5 courses next term....oh well, I guess that's Murphy's law. 😛

 

[Dreaming]

What english class did you take?