What should I do!?!?! mcgill/jersey schools

[Yoyomama88]

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[jochi1543]

1) Should I apply now? (If I apply now then I lose realistically any chance of getting into Mcgill, but I might have a chance at getting into one of the Jersey Schools depending on my MCATs)


2) Are the prospects of moving to Montreal and working there for 2 years simply in order to go to their med school, a silly decision? I figure that another year of undergrad will give me a chance to boost my grades, and the work experience(whatever that maybe), would also beef up my application so that I could get in.

3) Should I just wait to apply to medical school after I graduate from undergrad, spend 1 year working in montreal, then at that point in time, i can decide if I truly think that working another year there will be worthwhile in order to get into mcgill. In my opinion this might be the most careful decision because it gives me the most flexibility without closing any doors. If it only took one year to get residency in montreal, then I wouldnt hesitate but I guess Im just afraid that 2 years would be a waste of my time...when I could possiblly become a doctor straight out of school if I stay in jersey.


Any advice on my situation would be greatly appreciated...thanks so much!

Do you have Canadian permanent residency or citizenship? It'd be difficult to find employment without one, as you'll need a company to sponsor you for a visa. Moreover, if you are going to be on a visa, MAKE SURE that the residency rule will also apply to your case. Sometimes you can only become a resident of a state or province if you are a legal permanent resident or citizen of the country. Also, you wanna speak some French to go there (it's not required, but beneficial, both for med school and for employment purposes).

Not going to address other issues w/o knowing your info regarding the above concerns.

 

[Yoyomama88]

No I am not a permanent resident, nor do I have canadian citizenship. Is it really that hard to find work, and Im not sure if the 2 year thing for becoming a perm. resident applies with a visa, it probablly does though b/c the 2 year rule does not apply for canadian citizens... I was hoping I could find some type of expat work...I can read and write in french, but I was planning on improving my french throughout the year before going.

 

[jochi1543]

No I am not a permanent resident, nor do I have canadian citizenship. Is it really that hard to find work, and Im not sure if the 2 year thing for becoming a perm. resident applies with a visa, it probablly does though b/c the 2 year rule does not apply for canadian citizens... I was hoping I could find some type of expat work...I can read and write in french, but I was planning on improving my french throughout the year before going.

I don't know, IMO, you don't sound prepared for the whole McGill route. If you were serious about it, you should have researched this in detail before this app cycle started. If you procrastinate longer, you will be out with US schools b/c you're applying late. Getting a job where they are willing to pay extra to hire you is pretty hard, especially if you don't have any impressive credentials to show, which, as a college senior, you most likely don't. It's easier for someone with 10 years of work experience, but they've got a ton of CANADIAN university grads they can hire without having to worry about the paperwork. I have Canadian PR, so I'm not familiar with the costs in depth, but I know in the US it costs the company about an extra $5000-10,000 to hire a non-US citizen/permanent resident over a legal alien/citizen, and it takes a lot of paperwork. I am not familiar with the job market in Quebec or Montreal specifically. I know everyone's flocking here to Alberta b/c our job market is so hot, but I don't know how much of the immigration comes from Quebec - it's hard to assess because of the language issues (we're a very much English-speaking province).

Are you gonna lose your NJ residency once you move to Montreal? B/c while McGill is not TOO hard to get into as an in-province applicant, it's still competitive, and with your GPA (and absence of MCAT scores at this point) it's hard to take huge gambles like this just because you like a certain city. What if you end up not making it to McGill AND losing your NJ residency? All other Quebec schools are French-speaking only, so you can't make plans on getting into other QC schools.

 

[MundaneMD]

So basically I visited montreal and absolutely fell in love with the place. Ive played hockey all my life, spent alot of time learning french in school and would really like to become fluent, dont really mind cold weather and the women there are absolutely gorgeous .

I don't know if you'll have time for all that in medical school anyway. The NJ route sounds a lot better. Instead of wasting two years and working in Canada, you could become a doctor in NJ, and THEN go hang out with those gorgeous women. Besides, playing hockey while thinking about medical school may not be such a good idea. Try showing up to your interview with missing teeth.

but I know in the US it costs the company about an extra $5000-10,000 to hire a non-US citizen/permanent resident over a legal alien/citizen

That's interesting, I never knew that.

 

[Yoyomama88]

so you guys think I should just apply now? Or should I wait a year and then think of applying? I think I would have a chance at getting into one of the jersey schools even though my grades arent spectacular..Maybe this whole montreal thing is a bit of a long shot. Are there any other options of getting me into montreal without this hassle, maybe if I applied for grad. school? By the way, Im pretty sure I wouldnt lose my NJ residency because my parents live there.

 

[jochi1543]

I don't know about the grad school route, you have to check, again. No one can really tell you those things unless they've experienced them personally, and there probably isn't anyone here who's gone this route.

I know at some Canadian schools the years you spend in the province as a full-time student do NOT count towards determining your provincial residency for medical school admissions. Same in the US with state residencies. Whether it's the case in Quebec, specifically McGill, I don't know, since I'm not a QC resident, but I'm sure the McGill website would address it in detail, and if it doesn't, you can always e-mail them.

Also, McGill's pretty expensive for international students, I don't know whether it's the same for a master's program.

I don't know, I have to admit, I think that's a pretty bizarre plan you got going there. You are risking a lot, thinking of spending a ton of money, wasting two years, and all of that just to MAYBE have a chance (not even guarantee of admission) at ONE school? Seems silly to me. And as someone who's immigrated twice, I'll be the first to say that immigration is a lot harder than you might think it is.

 

[glamqueen]

With your mention of grad school too, it sounds like you are more interested in going to Montreal than actually going to medical school. Perhaps revisit your priorities? Make sure you really want to be a doctor, because if you don't - then you could just move to Montreal. If you want to be a doctor, then I highly encourage you to apply to New Jersey schools and other places in the U.S. Once you are a doctor, there will be plenty of time for you to go live in Montreal. It's all a matter of what your priorities are.

 

[jochi1543]

With your mention of grad school too, it sounds like you are more interested in going to Montreal than actually going to medical school.

That was my impression, as well.

 

[Yoyomama88]

well the thing is, I feel like once I go to medical school I wont have another opportunity to spend an extended period in a place like montreal. It wil be 4 years and then residency, then Im going to go work for the rest of my life...Of course I want to be a doctor, its just whether or not im going to be closing doors for myself so early on. Part of it is also the fact that being in a place in montreal when youre my age (21) would probablly be more fun than when im say 27...im just feel like i wont get this chance again.

 

[jochi1543]

well the thing is, I feel like once I go to medical school I wont have another opportunity to spend an extended period in a place like montreal. It wil be 4 years and then residency, then Im going to go work for the rest of my life...Of course I want to be a doctor, its just whether or not im going to be closing doors for myself so early on. Part of it is also the fact that being in a place in montreal when youre my age (21) would probablly be more fun than when im say 27...im just feel like i wont get this chance again.

Well, go to Montreal then - enroll into McGill and take some undergrad courses to raise your GPA. It'll cost a pretty penny, but if it's so important to you, just do what you want.

 

[Yoyomama88]

I still have time to get my GPA up, I have another year at school..so I should get it up to atleast a 3.5 if not higher...I dont think that enrolling into Mcgills undergrad would help me get into their med school, nor would it get me residency there...overall tho, maybe I am putting too much emphasis on location, I know I can be happy no matter where I end up..appreciate all the advice tho.

 

[WHR]

This is my take as a Canadian student but please read with a grain of salt.

I am not certain of the exact competition level for in-province student is for McGill, but i think it is still difficult get into McGill medicine from my what i have heard since it is regarded as the best school in Quebec. I have personally never heard of someone getting into McGill with GPA lower than 3.6-3.7 and a solid MCAT (33+). It is also important to note that you may be restricted to the English-speaking program of McGill which automatically cuts your chances by half if not more. It seems that there are a lot of "ifs" in your plan to attend McGill. From what I have learned while applying to US schools, you have A LOT more choices in schools in the US that you have a fighting chance.

 

[jochi1543]

This is my take as a Canadian student but please read with a grain of salt.

I am not certain of the exact competition level for in-province student is for McGill, but i think it is still difficult get into McGill medicine from my what i have heard since it is regarded as the best school in Quebec. I have personally never heard of someone getting into McGill with GPA lower than 3.6-3.7 and a solid MCAT (33+).

I know someone who got in with a 3.5 as an IP, but he had a 34S and was in the military (which I think strongly affected his app in a positive manner).

 

[mikkey]

Hey
I am from McGill, so I might be able to help.
First of all, I really hate to break it to you, but you are not going to get into McGill with those stats. The absolute lowest that I have ever seen was a 3.58, and I don't want to know how much that person's daddy paid the administration, seeing as though most people have at least a 3.7. Also, if you want to stand a chance for interviews with low stats you absolutely have to be an in-province, which means you need your citizenship and you need to be a Quebec resident. Not easy to obtain.
Also, you absolutely have to be in province or international, because they only take 3 or 4 people from out of province every year and there are millions of applicants, whereas there are less applicants from Internationals, and 15 seats for them.
The cutoff for interviews if you have a degree from McGill and are in-province is a 3.5. If you don't have the McGill degree and are not in-province, you need a 4.8 on 4.0 as one adviser told me.
What you could do is get 60 credits from McGill, which will be a difficult 2 years because you only take required courses, and then you can do a Masters, because McGill LOVES people who have a graduate degree. Unfortunately, McGill does not put too much weight on the MCAT, so its not a great way to boost your scores. A 30 should be sufficient. (average for matriculants is 33, but I know people who got in with 28)
As for residency and all that, you should really take a look at our system first. It is really crappy, slow and old. It kinda looks like the US's hospitals for people who don't have insurance, except worst. We don't throw people out, but the average waiting time in the ER is like 15 hours, so people just leave. Also, keep in mind that 49 % of the province speaks only accented French.
But the city is wonderful and the people are great. Great place to live.
I really hope this helps, PM me if you need anymore help.

 

[glamqueen]

OP if you are set on medical school, then why don't you concentrate efforts on doing well and maybe getting into Univ of Vermont or Dartmouth. They are both a weekend away's drive to Montreal. Then, you could get a U.S. allopathic MD, which it sounds like is more what you are going to have a shot of, and you could still drive into Montreal to enjoy the city.

 

[Yoyomama88]

I was thinking of Vermont actually because it is very close. I still don't understand why you guys tell me to finish my undergrad at Mcgill? If i am an international student, that isn't going to help me get into medical school there is it? the goal is simply to become a permanent resident because that is the only thing that will help me in admissions, no? By the way Im still not sure if going to school disqualifies you from becoming a permanent citizen there. Also I expect my GPA by the time I graduate to be near a 3.6...I have already taken all my hard classes, and I literally expect straight A's across the board next year, my freshman year GPA was a 2.8...so I have obviously done much better over the last 2 years.

 

[mikkey]

Hey
I thought you were done with your Bachelors. If not, there is no point in changing. Sorry about that.
And yes, being a student does disqualify you from becoming a resident. You can become one even if you have been to school here, but you need to work and live here permanently for a number of years. So coming to school here doesn't give you residency status.
I think you should still do a Masters or a second Undergrad if you plan on coming to McGill, because a 3.6 is still low. The average for in province is 3.7 and international and out of province are very close to the 4.0.

 

[maestro1625]

your GPA is simply not good enough for McGill... moving there in the hope of getting into a single school (even if your GPA were good enough) before even taking the MCAT would be stupid...very stupid.

 

[questionstoask]

your GPA is simply not good enough for McGill... moving there in the hope of getting into a single school (even if your GPA were good enough) before even taking the MCAT would be stupid...very stupid.

this person is correct. mcgill generally wants a min. gpa of 3.5 no matter the mcat or other stats. this applies even to quebec residents. may be they make exceptions, but i wouldnt count on it.
as for your other query, it depends on what kind of job you want? if it's to work as a research assistant in a lab, you'd have to have a master's degree to apply for a position. that's how it is in canada.

to the op: i too am very fond of montreal. and i myself would look into U Vermont. If you can go to school there, it is 90mins from montreal. You can drive up here at 10pm, dance untill 2am and go home. Dont even have to spend a night here.

 

[questionstoask]

Since you do have a publication and research experience, i might suggest a master's program at mcgill(it's not guaranteed that they'd accept you because you're a foreigner with low gpa, so the prof would have to fund you, while there are usually some local students with 3.5+ who get grants). You may contact some random profs to get hired for next yr, and then you could do a funded program with thesis for 18months. You might get to live in montreal for free(not really since you're losing time that you could have spent working as a dr, but still), and then you might apply for various md/ph.d. programs in the states. if your supervisor is a bigshot in the medschool, he might try to get you in(if your mcat is really high), but i wouldnt count on it. But you could probably get into quite a few american schools, whether md/ph.d or just md.

 

[jochi1543]

Since you do have a publication and research experience, i might suggest a master's program at mcgill(it's not guaranteed that they'd accept you because you're a foreigner with low gpa, so the prof would have to fund you, while there are usually some local students with 3.5+ who get grants). You may contact some random profs to get hired for next yr, and then you could do a funded program with thesis for 18months. You might get to live in montreal for free(not really since you're losing time that you could have spent working as a dr, but still), and then you might apply for various md/ph.d. programs in the states. if your supervisor is a bigshot in the medschool, he might try to get you in(if your mcat is really high), but i wouldnt count on it. But you could probably get into quite a few american schools, whether md/ph.d or just md.

I don't know if s/he'd get funding being an international student. I know in the US, I couldn't since I'm not a permanent resident or citizen. You have to look into NSERC grant rules to clarify that.

 

[questionstoask]

Hey
I thought you were done with your Bachelors. If not, there is no point in changing. Sorry about that.
And yes, being a student does disqualify you from becoming a resident. You can become one even if you have been to school here, but you need to work and live here permanently for a number of years. So coming to school here doesn't give you residency status.
I think you should still do a Masters or a second Undergrad if you plan on coming to McGill, because a 3.6 is still low. The average for in province is 3.7 and international and out of province are very close to the 4.0.

hey i just read this. masters wouldnt give you resident status. you need 1yr of work experience before you can apply for permanent residency. if you work in a lab as a masters or ph.d. student, it doesnt count, even though you do get paid a stipend. i think a cgpa of 3.5 could get you in if you have strong recs(supervisor at med school with whom u got a publication) and mcat... but i dont see how the op is going to get a 3.5 or 3.6cgpa if he is already a junior with a 3.3? anyway, i would shoot for uvermont or to just do a masters here, enjoy it, and go back to the states.

 

[questionstoask]

I don't know if s/he'd get funding being an international student. I know in the US, I couldn't since I'm not a permanent resident or citizen. You have to look into NSERC grant rules to clarify that.

all masters students here get funding. if they dont have funding for you, they just don't hire you. to apply to a masters program, you first need to contact professors and when you find one who is willing to hire you, just fill out the application form, and it becomes a formality. if you're an in-province applicant with a high gpa, you can get your own funding(frsq, nserc,etc), but if you're international and your gpa is so-so, then the funds come from the prof's research grants. but most profs when advertising the jobs say that they accept international students. i think someone who has a publication in a relevant area might be attractive to them.

 

[Yehosh]

I agree with the previous replies in this post.

From what I know of Mcgill (and I have a few buddies who are in the MD program there), anything less then a 3.7 for an out of province applicant is a long shot.

 

[Yoyomama88]

x

 

[glamqueen]

Troll...that's just an inflammatory statement.

 

[jochi1543]

i could get my GPA up to a 3.6...i have literally taken all my hard classes, and will be taking classes I know I can do well in...By the way doesnt the fact that I go to wesleyan university count for anything...im sure its alot harder than a majority of the schools that the rest of the in province get their 3.7s or higher at....

I assure you, they likely won't even have heard of Wesleyan University. I went to a high-ranked undergrad, and no one here has heard of it.

 

[WHR]

The easiest way to clarify your situation is to call McGill medicine and talk to the admin people or email them. I called them last year and told them my marks (MSc in neuroscience, UG GPA 3.7, MCAT 38Q) and they told me that I will have a hard time competing for the few spots available for out of province students. The main point is that, from my experience, the McGill admin people didn't seem reluctant to tell you if you have a chance or not. So call them and tell them your stats and what you plan to do (ie. move to get a resident status) and ask if you have any chance.

 

[glamqueen]

You should also read the reapplicant board. It's filled with Canadian students who have 37/38/39 MCATs with a near 4.0 GPA that have been rejected by Canadian schools. If you aren't catching on - they are STILL going to be more competitive than you and they are citizens of Canada (picked first). Why would they pick you over one of their own that has better stats than you? Sorry, but I would revisit your priorities and troll somewhere else if this is a joke...

 

[Yoyomama88]

sounds like a decent plan WHR...I apologize if thats an inflammatory statement but Wesleyan is a tougher undergrad to get into than Mcgill although I realize how many students Mcgill takes, and im assuming Mcgill is the best school in the province of Quebec...Im just trying to make a point that if I have a 3.6 at Xit might have more weight than someone going to a no name undergrad in quebec (something other than Mcgill)..In the U.S. everyone thinks of Mcgill as the best undergrad in Canada, so when I know that Wesleyan has tougher admission standards I assume, my gpa at Wesleyan would look better than any GPA obtained by an undergrad in Canada...maybe its a close minded view...enlighten me.

 

[cleothecat]

McGill has reserved spots for Americans

It is easier to get into McGill as an American applicant than as a Canadian applicant from another province!

 

[AL12s]

Well, as a McGill undergrad who has been to their med school information sessions, i can tell you the following:

With the current GPA you listen, it would be literally impossible to get in. McGill has something like 12 spots per year for out of prevence students, and those spots almost always go to the 4.0/30+ students.

People who told you to enroll in McGill to boost your GPA are sadly misguided, as McGill science is absolutely not the place to try and pad a GPA. Based on my own experience, and observation of the people around me, if you choose to take classes at McGill you will likely not be able to get a 4.0 in your remaining 2 years. I make this statement based on your 3.25 sci GPA.


Honestly you should probably forget McGill and try for one of the NJ schools.