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Session 129
Today, Ryan and Allison are doing a Q&A show based on the emails coming from listeners who have their specific questions which our hosts have graciously answered to hopefully shed light on them.
Case #1
Is my med school dream over? Currently 1st year student matriculating to 2nd year at a state university. Got GPA of 3.12 with a C+ in General Chemistry and recently a D+ in Chemistry.
Q: Do you think it’s possible for me to get admitted into med school if I constantly receive very high marks throughout the rest of my college career and get a high score on the MCAT?
A: Your med school is never over unless you’re dead. It’s still possible to get in. The question is what you’re going to do now to fix the situation. What matters is for the admissions committee to see that you’ve improved. Figure out why your classes did not go well, how you were studying, where were you studying, and what were your studying methods. Take a step back and evaluate.
Case #2
Canadian undergrad, a freshman and just started college in January but decided to transfer schools when I decided to go to med school. I really want to go to Canada but I don’t know if going to an undergrad school outside U.S.
Q: Is going to affect me too much if I try to get into med school in the U.S. Is getting accepted into Canadian medical schools is extremely hard if you’re an international student? Would it affect if I did my undergrad in Canada and the apply to U.S. medical schools?
A: It is very difficult, in most cases, for international students to get into Canadian medical schools because there are only relatively few Canadian medical schools. Canadian schools are public schools and they want students from their own provinces because they want people to stay and practice and serve that province to ensure they have adequate physicians for their own province to take care of their own citizens. It’s hard for Canadian students to get into medical school and even harder for people from the United States.
To answer the second question, U.S. medical schools would accept Canadian undergrads. There is no difference. GPAs and MCATs for both are basically the same.
Case #3
Q: Struggling on which path to take – nurse practitioning or MD?
A: It all comes down to what level of control, oversight, autonomy, or care do you want to have as a practicing provider. Get in touch with an MD or DO and start learning what a day in the life is like for them as well as with a nurse practitioner and start shadowing the person as well. It’s a matter of what best fits you.
Public Announcement: There are a lot of schools that have early acceptance programs but they’re not very well-advertised. So do some research and take a look at probably a dream program that you want to go to. Check out those programs to see if they have an early acceptance program.
Case #4
High school student who wants to be a doctor ever since a kid and wants to be a cardiologist. But IQ is below average, not fond of reading books, and lacks confidence.
Q: Do you think it’s okay to study nursing for prep for med school and would I be able to attend med school with only a below average IQ?
A: Do not put much emphasis on IQ. If you want to pursue becoming a physician then that’s what you should pursue. Put aside your concerns and ask yourself why you’re thinking about nursing school? Is it just a fallback or it’s because you’re really interested? Go read, learn, and just believe in yourself.
Case #5
Q: Have medical schools started to become more accepting of degrees from distance learning or not? Would they even entertain such degree?
A: Maybe it comes to showing the rigor that is necessary. Contact the medical schools where you’re interested and check out MSAR. Get the College Information book for osteopathic schools otherwise reach out to a medical school.
Do you have any more questions?
Email them to Ryan at ryan@medicalschoolhq.net and Allison at allison@medicalschoolhq.net
Or connect with them on Twitter @medicalschoolhqand use #askmshq.
Links and Other Resources:
- Episode 71: Crushing the Myths of TV Doctor Dramas
- MSAR
- Free MCAT Gift: Free 30+ page guide with tips and trips to help you maximize your MCAT score.
- Hang out with us over at medicalschoolhq.net/group. Click join and we’ll add you up to our private Facebook group. Share your successes and miseries with the rest of us.
- Listen to our podcast for free at iTunes: medicalschoolhq.net/itunes and leave us a review there!
