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- Feb 29, 2016
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Hello,
I am a Canadian citizen, but I completed my undergrad in the U.S. Thus, I am not so familiar with the Canadian medical school application process and was wondering if you kind individuals could lend me some guidance/advice. First off, my stats are as follows:
• cGPA: 3.843 and sGPA: ~3.79 (neither GPA are calculated by AMCAS)
• MCAT: Overall 514 (92nd percentile = ~33 old MCAT)
• Ethnicity and/or race: White
• Clinical experience: 100-120 hours (reading to children in pediatric waiting room).
• Research experience: 2 summers of research (one wet lab, other clinical) and one academic year of research while at school. One poster presentation, and one paper on the way soon hopefully (from clinical research summer). This year (2016-2017) I am working full time in a lab in NYC.
• Shadowing experience: ~6 hours (yup, not so much…)
• Non-clinical volunteering: Tutored math/sciences to 6/7/8th graders. Taught and organized weekly, fun “mad science” lessons for fourth graders. Spent two weeks one summer volunteering in a camp for kids with special needs.
• Other extracurricular activities: Wrestled for one academic year NCAA III; was biology tutor and introductory biology lab TA. Was part of leadership for my schools “Canada club.” I played intramural ultimate Frisbee, and strength train regularly,
• Relevant honors or awards: Won a first place in a competition for an oral presentation detailing my clinical research; dean’s list all semesters; Won an award for “excellence in the sciences” upon graduation from undergrad.
My undergraduate institution's pre-med adviser seems to think my overall MCAT is "good enough," but that the score distribution is less than ideal, especially considering I am Canadian (according to her Canadians need to have higher MCAT scores than Americans to be competitive for American med schools). She suggested that I should possibly consider retaking the MCAT and trying to bump my scores 1-2 points in chem/physics and bio. Do you think her advice holds water in general, and especially in the context of Canadian schools? Is my MCAT score more competitive for Canadian schools vs American schools considering I am A) Canadian and
have a good CARS score and from what I hear Canadian med school's emphasize CARs (eg. McMaster).
Also, does anybody have experience with converting American GPAs to Canadian ones? I was getting very confused by the OMCAS chart/particular schools GPA calculations.
Thank you very much for your time and thoughtful consideration
.
I am a Canadian citizen, but I completed my undergrad in the U.S. Thus, I am not so familiar with the Canadian medical school application process and was wondering if you kind individuals could lend me some guidance/advice. First off, my stats are as follows:
• cGPA: 3.843 and sGPA: ~3.79 (neither GPA are calculated by AMCAS)
• MCAT: Overall 514 (92nd percentile = ~33 old MCAT)
o Chem/Physics: 127 (79th percentile)
o CARS: 129 (95th percentile)
o Bio/Biochem: 127 (78th percentile)
o Psych/Soc: 131 (99th percentile)
• Country of citizenship: Canada (Ontario)o CARS: 129 (95th percentile)
o Bio/Biochem: 127 (78th percentile)
o Psych/Soc: 131 (99th percentile)
• Ethnicity and/or race: White
• Clinical experience: 100-120 hours (reading to children in pediatric waiting room).
• Research experience: 2 summers of research (one wet lab, other clinical) and one academic year of research while at school. One poster presentation, and one paper on the way soon hopefully (from clinical research summer). This year (2016-2017) I am working full time in a lab in NYC.
• Shadowing experience: ~6 hours (yup, not so much…)
• Non-clinical volunteering: Tutored math/sciences to 6/7/8th graders. Taught and organized weekly, fun “mad science” lessons for fourth graders. Spent two weeks one summer volunteering in a camp for kids with special needs.
• Other extracurricular activities: Wrestled for one academic year NCAA III; was biology tutor and introductory biology lab TA. Was part of leadership for my schools “Canada club.” I played intramural ultimate Frisbee, and strength train regularly,
• Relevant honors or awards: Won a first place in a competition for an oral presentation detailing my clinical research; dean’s list all semesters; Won an award for “excellence in the sciences” upon graduation from undergrad.
My undergraduate institution's pre-med adviser seems to think my overall MCAT is "good enough," but that the score distribution is less than ideal, especially considering I am Canadian (according to her Canadians need to have higher MCAT scores than Americans to be competitive for American med schools). She suggested that I should possibly consider retaking the MCAT and trying to bump my scores 1-2 points in chem/physics and bio. Do you think her advice holds water in general, and especially in the context of Canadian schools? Is my MCAT score more competitive for Canadian schools vs American schools considering I am A) Canadian and
Also, does anybody have experience with converting American GPAs to Canadian ones? I was getting very confused by the OMCAS chart/particular schools GPA calculations.
Thank you very much for your time and thoughtful consideration
