Thread: Dr. Steph or Anyone??..Really Need some help...please??

hi everyone...

I was just wondering if someone can please give me a suggestion as to what I should do:

*I am a resident of British Columbia, Canada and I applied to UBC for Sept. 2004 but did not get an interview (i sort of knew that I wouldn't)...UBC was the only school I applied to this year because I did quite bad on the mcat and am rewriting it in april.

*Now I am having a really really hard time deciding if I should try applying to canadian schools again next year or if I should aim to get into SGU for august 2004....The problem is that, realistically, I know that I am not very competitive for most canadian schools (my GPA is 3.20)....UBC is quite a long shot in the dark because there is some chance but it's very very uncertain i don't know if waiting for smth so uncertain is a right choice or not.

*I don't want to settle and practice medicine in canada as my family is moving back to my home country at the end of this year....I would like to practice in the states as i do have some relatives living there...so the "coming back to canada" problem does not really apply to me.

So I would really appreciate if some of you out there could give me ur opinions? Should I apply to SGU and start right away (I would eventually like to get into Emergency med, ob/gyn, or peds)? Or should I apply to canadian school again next year and take some courses in the summer to boost up my GPA and if I'm unsuccessful, then apply to SGU? I am just afraid that if i don't get into ubc or some other canadian school next year, then i would have wasted one year when i could have started SGU right away....but if don't try to get into canadian school one more time, i'd regret it later...

i am really going out of my mind thinking about this...i know it might not seem like a very big deal but i am really confused about what should i do....I'd really appreciate any and all of ur inputs...thanx

Originally Posted by spawa

hi everyone...

I was just wondering if someone can please give me a suggestion as to what I should do:

*I am a resident of British Columbia, Canada and I applied to UBC for Sept. 2004 but did not get an interview (i sort of knew that I wouldn't)...UBC was the only school I applied to this year because I did quite bad on the mcat and am rewriting it in april.

*Now I am having a really really hard time deciding if I should try applying to canadian schools again next year or if I should aim to get into SGU for august 2004....The problem is that, realistically, I know that I am not very competitive for most canadian schools (my GPA is 3.20)....UBC is quite a long shot in the dark because there is some chance but it's very very uncertain i don't know if waiting for smth so uncertain is a right choice or not.

*I don't want to settle and practice medicine in canada as my family is moving back to my home country at the end of this year....I would like to practice in the states as i do have some relatives living there...so the "coming back to canada" problem does not really apply to me.

So I would really appreciate if some of you out there could give me ur opinions? Should I apply to SGU and start right away (I would eventually like to get into Emergency med, ob/gyn, or peds)? Or should I apply to canadian school again next year and take some courses in the summer to boost up my GPA and if I'm unsuccessful, then apply to SGU? I am just afraid that if i don't get into ubc or some other canadian school next year, then i would have wasted one year when i could have started SGU right away....but if don't try to get into canadian school one more time, i'd regret it later...

i am really going out of my mind thinking about this...i know it might not seem like a very big deal but i am really confused about what should i do....I'd really appreciate any and all of ur inputs...thanx

Hi spawa,

If I were you, I wouldn't waste another year trying to improve your GPA by 0.2 or 0.3. Apply now to SGU and see what happens. I'm canadian too, and was in the same boat you are in now. Luckily, I got accepted in SGU, and now i'm more confident than ever that I made the right choice.

One thing you gotta keep in mind, is to score high (or have done well) on the MCAT to help out your application.

PM me later if you want anymore details.

Good luck dude.

thank you indianbabu for ur suggestion.....if anyone else has any feedback, i'd really appreciate it...thanx

One big issue for oyu will be visa for US since youre not a US citizen. THat complicates any advice someone may have. To be honest I dont know all that much about these issue for non-US citizens.

Hi spawa,

I feel your plight, since I was also in your shoes applying to all of the canadian universities. Unfortunately, our country is so ridiculous in their admissions standards (yes ridiculous is the correct word here), that they turn aside so many qualified applicants. Nonetheless, anything lower than a 3.80 gpa will rarely make the cut imho at a canadian med school....even worse if you're applying to another province.

However, since you have said you have no interest in returning to canada, and furthermore wish to practice in the usa, then SGU would be a great choice (given the fields you've listed). I am also of course, assuming that you will acclimatize well to the new surroundings on an island etc.

I will be attending SGU in aug2004, and am confident I've made the "right" decision. As a canadian, you should have no problem getting in given your gpa, and maybe a rewrite of the mcat etc. Don't be too discouraged over the visa issue however. I've spoken with some immigration lawyers etc. over this issue, and although it will take some time (likely a break in between your graduation from meds and starting residency) it is entirely doable to obtain a visa for residency. Furthermore, many hospitals sponsor HB-1 visas, so while it's a pain in rear, it's far from impossible.

Anyways, to sum it up...apply to sgu, it certainly can't hurt you....and it certainly won't be a compromise to your medical education....at the very least, you've opened up another door, it's up to you whether you want to walk through it.

Peace,

~~chocolatecowboy

I was in the same boat....UBC an all. I'm a vancouverite now in third year at SGU in Jamaica NY queens. I say...what the hell,....get your end in order...do what you think you can and give the LCME another shot.... secure that knowledge of no acceptance then see where you stand. THis decision is for probably 30 years of practice... you want to be sure. If they give you the ever so delicate UBC sledgehammer rejection......then you can look elsewhere. Other than that.... I'm happy with SGU and the decisions I've made. I'd always recommend my school.
Geoff

thank you guys for your very helpful suggestions.....i'm in the process of filling out the SGU application now...trying to get it all done by next week or so......hopefully i'll have a better idea about what to do in the next while....once again, thanx....this forum is great!!!

Congratulations to all those who get accepted for Aug. 2004
p.s. if anyone has anymore words of wisdom, please keep it coming...

Hey spawa,

Working through the application eh? Must be fun...just make sure your essay is top-notch, it really can be a difference maker, and proof read it like crazy! Most important essay of your life...

Good luck with the application,

Cheers,
IndianBabu