WAMC Canadian Non-trad

[MDToBe1989]

Canadian resident with following stats looking to get into Canadian school, preferably provincial school in Manitoba:

1. GPA: 3.55/4.0 unweighted GPA (raw), 3.84/4.5 University of Manitoba AGPA (bad exchange rate due to foreign degree per admissions office)
2. MCAT: 508 (124/127/128/129) retaking in January with 515+ target
3. In-Province Residency: Manitoba resident
4. Race/Ethnicity: Black female
5. Undergrad Education: Southern Arkansas University undergrad degree
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer): 300 hours volunteering at 2 hospitals
7. Research experience and productivity: thesis-based MSc. degree from University of Manitoba doing Alzheimer's disease research with patient contact via neurologist liaison; 1 first author pub., 2 coauthor pubs
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented: 48 hours total (radiology and anesthesiology)
9. Non-clinical volunteering: International club banquet fundraising team, highway cleanup for charity
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc): Peer tutor for 3 years in undergrad; TA for Med 1 Neuroanatomy at University of Manitoba Medical School; International Club representative 1 year
11. Relevant honors or awards: Alzheimer's Graduate Research Award during MSc., usual Dean's List, President's list stuff; Research poster award during grad school
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important: Conference poster presentations: Neuroscience Network, Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine Physicians Annual Meeting, University of Manitoba HACS Research Days

Applied in Manitoba (2019/2020 cycle) with lower MCAT (and rejected as expected tbh) but retook and applied again this year because though I didn't improve as much as I'd like, still higher than last time. Also 3rd retake studies underway so hopefully next year's application will be stronger. I also have confirmed rural and socioeconomic coefficients admissions based on my previous application so not sure if that helps at all.

What advice do you guys have to improve profile competitiveness besides MCAT retake?

Thanks to all for any input you have.

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[Faha]

Do you have any interest in attending medical school in the USA ?

 

[MDToBe1989]

Do you have any interest in attending medical school in the USA ?

I would like to attend anywhere I can get in and I actually think I may have a better chance in the US because Canada is even more of a bloodbath than American admissions, but the issue is financing because most Canadian banks will only finance CAD$150k which won't go very far to paying for a medical education in the US let alone for a foreign student. Plus, I don't think my stats are competitive enough, especially as a foreign student so that MCAT needs to rise by a lot!

 

[Faha]

Your chances are good for some US MD schools since there is a demand for applicants who are URM. You may also receive scholarship offers from some MD schools that would offset the cost of attendance. I suggest all these schools with your stats:
Howard
Meharry
UCLA Drew
Boston University
Emory
Dartmouth
George Washington
Georgetown
Jefferson
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
Medical College Wisconsin
Loyola
Michigan State
Wayne State
New York Medical College
Rush
St. Louis
Tulane
Stony Brook
Virginia Commonwealth

 

[MDToBe1989]

Your chances are good for some US MD schools since there is a demand for applicants who are URM. You may also receive scholarship offers from some MD schools that would offset the cost of attendance. I suggest all these schools with your stats:
Howard
Meharry
UCLA Drew
Boston University
Emory
Dartmouth
George Washington
Georgetown
Jefferson
Loma Linda (if you fit their mission)
Medical College Wisconsin
Loyola
Michigan State
Wayne State
New York Medical College
Rush
St. Louis
Tulane
Stony Brook
Virginia Commonwealth

Would I still count as URM even though I'm not African American? When I looked over the AMCAS they make a distinction between native-born/naturalized/permanent resident and foreign URM like African-American and Latino citizens/permanent residents. I had to specify that I was foreign so I'm not sure I qualify for URM status based on the rules.

 

[Faha]

Would I still count as URM even though I'm not African American? When I looked over the AMCAS they make a distinction between native-born/naturalized/permanent resident and foreign URM like African-American and Latino citizens/permanent residents. I had to specify that I was foreign so I'm not sure I qualify for URM status based on the rules.

You will still be considered URM by most schools that you apply to and you did do your undergraduate degree in the USA which does matter.

 

[MDToBe1989]

You will still be considered URM by most schools that you apply to and you did do your undergraduate degree in the USA which does matter.

Thank you for letting me know, Faha! I didn't bother applying because I always assumed that I wouldn't be competitive enough to have any chance of being admitted but now I'll definitely consider applying next cycle.