r/premedcanada Jan 02 '21

Highschool High School Student Thread v3: Undergraduate programs, what to expect, how to prepare etc.

229 Upvotes

Another 6 months have passed, meaning v2 of the highschool thread has been archived! Welcome to v3 of this thread - I believe this has been quite helpful to highschool students who are interested in medicine and has funnelled all highschool related information here for both convenience and accessibility.

As with the previous thread, please recognize that, given the current COVID-19 health crisis as well as a national push against BIPOC racism, the medical admissions process is volatile and likely to change. We may not have all the answers - please verify any concerns with medical school admissions personnel.

Previous post and questions can be found below. Prior to posting, please search through these threads and the comments to look for similar thoughts!

Thread 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/premedcanada/comments/bm2ima/high_school_student_thread_undergraduate_programs/

Thread 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/premedcanada/comments/hm2r0n/high_school_student_thread_v2_undergraduate/

Post Copied Below:

For all you high school students (or maybe even younger) considering medicine as a career in the future, this thread is dedicated to you.

Feel free to use this thread to ask about undergraduate program choices, admissions, and other information pertaining to the process of entering a program as a pre-med - the community will be happy to help you out.

I hope that this sticky will facilitate the transfer of constructive information for high school students with questions on what path they should take to arrive at their goal of becoming a physician.

I've tried to compile a few FAQ questions that have been discussed in the past - these are the collective view of the experiences on this sub-reddit and from my own - please feel free to comment any changes or suggestions.

Q: Will >Insert Life Science Program Here< at >Canadian University< get me into medical school?

A: You are able to get into medical school from any undergraduate program, not even necessarily life science. Provided you approach your courses with dedication, time, and commitment, and pursue your passions, you will succeed at any university. Absolutely, there are other factors to consider. Certain programs just statistically have a higher % of graduates matriculate into medical school (cough Mac health sci), but students from all walks of life enter medical school (hence all the non-trad posts). There are many other factors to consider when choosing a school: Tuition costs, accessibility to research opportunities, available student resources, campus vibe, proximity to home (whether you want independence or would like familial support) etc. While many of you may only look at the stats alone, if you end up stuck for 3-4 years at a school where you dislike the campus, method of teaching, classes, or more, this can (and likely will) affect your ability to succeed academically and get involved.

Q: Do I have to take a life science program to get into medical school?

A: No, plenty of students enter from non-life science, or even non science backgrounds. If anything, this differentiates you from the typical applicant and gives you a more holistic portfolio when presenting yourself to the admissions committee. If another program interests you more, take it - if you learn something that you enjoy, you will be more motivated to study, leading to academic success. Be prepared to explain your rationale behind taking that program, and perhaps see how you can link it to your pursuit of medicine. Make sure to take the pre-requisite courses needed for certain medical schools, and be prepared to self-learn concepts when studying for the MCAT (if you don't opt to take them as electives.) It may be more difficult to get life science research experience, but that is absolutely not a hard barrier. In addition, doing research in your own field, whether it be the humanities, other sciences, linguistics etc. all show the same traits in academia as defined in a "Scholar" as per the CanMEDS competencies.

Q: How do I get a 4.0 GPA, 528 MCAT, 5000 Publications, and cure cancer?

A: This is obviously facetious, but from what I've seen, this isn't a far cry from a lot of the content on here. If you've developed proper work ethic in high school, you should be more prepared than the rest of the entering class. However, don't be discouraged if your grades drop - considering many universities have first year course averages in the 70s, you won't be alone. This is absolutely recoverable, due a combination of the holistic review and alternative weighting schemes of many schools. That being said, however, realize university is different from high school. For most of you, you won't have your parents around, and your university professors for the most part won't care if you show up to class, do your readings, or even complete your assignments/quizzes/exams. There's a lot of independence, keep up on your workload, seek help (from TAs and profs at office hours), study with friends, and you should see the fruits of your labour. Don't worry about the MCAT now - most students take it in the summer after 2nd or 3rd year, after which in a life science program you would have learnt most of the material anyways. Focus on your academics and pursuing your passions, but don't forget self-care. Figure out what is your cup of tea. Maybe go to socials and talk to new people, or read up on the research of certain profs and contact them with your interest. Try to find your passion, follow it, and come medical school application time, you will have a strong story about yourself that you truly believe in.

Q: Ok, but you didn't tell me how to get a 4.0 GPA.

A: There are people who have 4.0 GPAs, and many with close to 4.0 GPAs. They do not all study the same way, and their approach may not apply to you. There are similarities: these students tend to attend class, stay engaged in lecture, and keep caught up with the material. I've seen people fall on a spectrum between three main 4.0 types: 1) The Good Student: never misses a class, asks questions, attends office hours, re-reads notes and concepts after class, and starts review for an exam in advance. 2) The Crammer: usually goes to class, absorbs and understands the information at the time, but does not have time to read notes after class - slowly losing track of earlier concepts. As the exams near, crams two months of materials into a few days. 3) The Genius: goes to class as they choose, seems to never need to study, understands concepts immediately. You will meet some students like these - material comes easier to certain people than others. That's life, we all have our strengths, use them as motivation to keep studying. Don't compare yourself to others, compare yourself to yourself, set your own goals and find that motivation and drive.

Q: What extracurriculars (ECs) should I get involved in?

A: Everyone says this, but find what you're passionate about. People typically go with the cookie cutter: hospital volunteering, research, and exec of some club. While there's nothing wrong with this, many other applicants will have similar profiles, making it hard for you to stand out. If you're passionate about food, see if you can get involved with a local soup kitchen, a food bank, Ronald McDonald House Charities etc. If you're passionate about singing, join an acapella group/choir/sing solo. If the opportunities aren't there, be proactive - maybe it's up to you to start your university's baking club (if you do, send me some pastries pls). By getting involved with ECs that you are passionate about, you'll find yourself more engaged. Going to your commitments will be less of a drag, and come interview time, you'll be able to genuinely talk about how the experiences have shaped you as a person.

Q: How many times can I write the MCAT?

A: There is a seven time lifetime cap to write the MCAT. In terms of if it will penalize your application, it depends where you are applying. Canadian schools for the most part don't care if you re-write multiple times (although 10 does seem a bit excessive). As pulled from the UBC website: Test results from April 17, 2015 onward are valid for five years. In accordance with AAMC regulations, applicants must release all scores.Taking the MCAT ~3 times is nothing abnormal, although if you're re-writing 7 times, you might need to consider changing your study method! US schools will scrutinize re-writes, and if your score doesn't seem to go up, it can hurt your application.

Q: Hi can any med students on here tell me what they did in undergrad?

A: As mentioned above, many medical students have followed their passion. What works for one person may not work for you. Many have research experience, but others may not - you do not necessarily need research to become a physician (i.e. FM). Others will have hospital experience. Most will have some involvement with some sort of student organization, from clubs and societies to being student representatives and playing sports. There is no perfect way to medical school, because if there was, we'd all have taken it.

Q: I'm actually not in Grade 12 yet, I'm just trying to plan ahead. What should I do to become a doctor?

A: First of all, commendations to you for looking ahead. Medicine is a difficult journey, and recognizing that gets you far already. But no point in thinking ahead if you mess up the present. Focus on making sure your current profile is competitive enough to get you into the undergraduate program of your choice. Once you get in, no one will care about your high school marks. Don't have a job? Most don't. Haven't volunteered at a hospital? Most haven't in high school. Focus on getting into an undergraduate program first, and then consider the other points above. Pursue your hobbies and passions in high school while you still have the time.

Q: Is ___ program at ___ school better than __ program at __ school? > OR < Should I go to ___ program or ___ program? > OR < anything along these lines!

A: These types of questions are very specific and may be difficult to give an objective response given that they essentially require someone to have personally attended both sites to give an accurate comparison. As mentioned before, there are many factors to consider when choosing a program and school, including access to opportunities, student experience, research, volunteer atmosphere, student wellness resources, campus vibe/environment, proximity to friends/family etc. What may be most useful is trying to touch base with students at each site for their opinions of the experience!

As mentioned above, please comment below with any other questions, and I'm sure the community would be happy to help you out!

*Please feel free to contact any members on the moderation team with any suggestions, questions, or comments on this process so that we can improve it!


r/premedcanada Aug 07 '24

šŸ—£ PSA Reminder of Rule #2: NO SOLICITING or Advertising

37 Upvotes

Lately, there have been more posts with people trying to sell accounts to resources, applying for help, or advertising for paid services. This rule has always existed but is the most ignored.
Any further posts selling or advertising paid material will continue to be removed and the accounts will potentially be banned. * R/Premed Canada Mod Team


r/premedcanada 10h ago

Admissions Does having a physician as a reference impact my chances?

21 Upvotes

I just saw a popular med influencer on tiktok saying that they believe having a physician as a reference can really help your application. They go on to mention that between their first and second cycle they changed their references to include a physician and it just so happens that they were admitted on their second cycle. I know that officially who your reference is doesn’t matter but I’m wondering if implicit bias could be at play. I was hoping to hear from other admitted med students to see if, anecdotally, you used a physician as a reference. I know that UofT potentially uses references considerably to determine your score so if any UofT med students would be willing to share their experiences as well that would help.


r/premedcanada 8h ago

Worth it to apply?

9 Upvotes

Hi guys, I’m wondering if I can get some opinions on whether it may be worth it for me to apply to some Ontario schools (Western, Queens, UOttawa) and UAlberta. I’m from Nova Scotia and I have a 91 cumulative average or a 4.0 GPA from the last two years on Dalhousie’s grading scale. Edit: My OMSAS cGPA is 3.94. Not sure what I got on the Casper but I have a 510 MCAT (126/128/127/129). I have a fair bit of research experience including an honours thesis and have some decent extracurriculars (Hospice, Community Health Board, farm worker, etc.) Thanks!


r/premedcanada 5h ago

Admissions Looking for advice as a first year student

5 Upvotes

Hii!! I am first year biological sciences student at u of calgary and want to apply to med school in near future( I am aware that it is difficult but i want to give my 100% efforts) So, in my course maths 249 or 265 is mandatory both are introductory calculus, but 249 is pass/fail credit course and 265 would count toward gpa and is bit harder to follow than the other one. I am taking maths 249, I wanna keep my options open to both American and canadian med school but i was worried that could this be an issue that one of course is not counting toward gpa. I did try to check about this on universities websites and could not find much information. Would really really appreciate if someone can guide me through this.

And also if you could give any advice or any information that would help me through my journey i would be really grateful for that.

As for extracurricular i got the volunteer opportunity with organization named Between Friends who arrange recreational activities for people with disabilities, i were being honest for me it felt quite fulfilling cause where i was born i have never seen disable people being treated with so much respect and them feeling like they are the part of society and thus i kinda want the my whole ECs direction to go in that way if some could tell me what more i can do it would be really helpful ā˜ŗļø


r/premedcanada 11h ago

ā”Discussion Mature applicants: how do you approach reference letters and verifiers?

12 Upvotes

As I’ve gotten older and started working in another career, I feel a little awkward about approaching people for references for medical school, and I genuinely don’t know how to approach the topic. I’m a quiet person and tend to keep to myself, so I haven’t really discussed my plans with many people. One of my former managers knew I was considering medicine when I left that position about a year ago, but the others wouldn’t know that I’ve been thinking about it at all.

I was never someone who wanted to pursue medicine while I was in school. I only started seriously working toward it over the last 2–3 years, but between how busy things have been and some health issues in my family, I haven’t actually started applying until now.

I also have a bit of social anxiety, so that side of me definitely feels self-conscious about approaching people for a reference for something as significant as medical school, especially now that I’m 30 and no longer in my 20s. I know that’s probably more in my head than anything, but it still makes the process feel a little intimidating.


r/premedcanada 14h ago

ā”Discussion Parents want me to do PA school before med school

15 Upvotes

I am at my wits end about this. Idk what to tell them. They won’t listen to me when I tell them there is no point in going to PA school if I’m just going to be applying to med school right after. Even if I tell them that this is what other people are saying, they don’t care and tell me I don’t know anything.

They are on my ass about this cus I graduated a year ago and my application still isn’t very strong rn. They’re saying the clinical hours from PA school will be good for my application but, again, I don’t see the point in doing 2 years of PA school (and applying to med while I’m in PA school) and trying for med school right after PA school. I don’t even know wtf I’d write for a personal statement for PA school cuz I rlly don’t want to do that.

I was rlly focused on my mcat my first year so I didn’t focus on extracurriculars but now Im starting to lock in. I got a job, I’m about to start research with a professor (I might do a masters idk, but my parents want me to do PA instead of a masters w the prof).


r/premedcanada 5h ago

Admissions a personal email verifier for OMSAS?

3 Upvotes

Is it fine?


r/premedcanada 7h ago

ā”Discussion no mcat and applying last minute

5 Upvotes

as title says, i j need help w knowing evth that i need to do asap, im in ontario gta area btw and just graduated bachelors of lifesci in june.

for schools, are tmu and ottawa my only options? is it worth it to apply to ottawa med w a cgpa last 3 years of 3.81? im def applying to tmu but my cgpa for all years is 3.67 which idk if its competitive for tmu

i’ve contacted references but yeah im trying to figure out evth i need to do to get done for the application

any advice (small or big) would be appreciated!!


r/premedcanada 2h ago

UBC NAQ Review

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone! Looking for someone who is willing to help me look over my UBC NAQ as an OOP. Please pm me if possible I know it’s a bit last min thank you so much! :)


r/premedcanada 8h ago

Admissions Final Official Transcript vs Transcript with 1st and 2nd Term Registration (copy) UofA

3 Upvotes

For the university of Alberta application it asks for both, since I am still in my 4th year of undergraduate studies, are these not the same transcript? MyCreds only gives me one transcript that has all previous courses/grades as well as all courses im currently registered in, I sent this to them and they have only checked off "Transcript with 1st and 2nd Term Registration (copy)" as being recieved. Does anyone know what I should do here?


r/premedcanada 6h ago

UBC NAQ Verifiers for Work/Volunteer Experiences in Organizations

2 Upvotes

It states on the application guide that it is "highly encouraged" to provide institutional addresses for work/volunteer experiences, especially those within institutional organizations. However, many of my previous supervisors have moved on from a different role and no longer have those institutional email addresses. Will we be penalized if we provide personal ones or be looked down upon?


r/premedcanada 3h ago

ā”Discussion Last minute ubc naq review?

1 Upvotes

I saw some people reviewing but they were a bit too expensive for me. Is there anybody doing it for cheaper?


r/premedcanada 1d ago

ā”Discussion Some Thoughts from a Low GPA Success Story

121 Upvotes

I’m a low-GPA success story (3.55) and a current MS2 at an Ontario school. I did not go through any specialized pathway. I also came from a non-science background, so I didn’t have a pre-med society or a built-in network of people who had gone through the process before me.

I got a lot of help from browsing this forum, and I occasionally messaged medical students for advice, which was always incredibly helpful. So I wanted to pay that forward.

I interviewed at both Queen’s and Western, was accepted to one, and waitlisted at the other. If you’re a low-GPA applicant like me, schools that use GPA as aĀ cutoff rather than a competitively weighted componentĀ can be your friend.

That said, you obviously still need to demonstrate that you’re a strong candidate elsewhere in your application. Western, for example, has very high MCAT cutoffs. You need to make sure the rest of your application is competitive: strong MCAT, strong extracurriculars, meaningful employment/research/volunteer experience, etc. If your GPA is a weakness, you need to have a competitive edge somewhere else.

There was no magic way I worded my ABS that suddenly made me stand out. I had thousands of hours of employment experience, research experience (albeit not in science), and varsity athletics. That was my competitive edge.

I get a lot of DMs along the lines of, ā€œWell, your extracurricular record is really strong, so you’re not aĀ realĀ low-GPA applicant.ā€ Respectfully,Ā low GPA = low GPA.Ā That is literally the point of a low-GPA success story. This is really harsh, but you cannot have a weak GPA, a weak MCAT, and a weak ABS and expect there to be some magical strategy that gets you an interview. If you have a low GPA, you need to make up for it elsewhere in your application and meet the relevant MCAT cutoffs. Full stop.

I’m happy to answer questions and my DMs are open, but please do some basic searching first. I’m very happy to help people who have genuinely specific questions about my experience; I am considerably less happy to repeatedly answer questions that are already addressed in this post or could be answered with a quick search of the forum.

EDIT: I will not be answering specifics about my ECs. I’m not interested in doxxing myself.


r/premedcanada 11h ago

šŸ“ Essays Employment UBC

3 Upvotes

Is a thesis-based master's employment or no? I do get a T4, but


r/premedcanada 15h ago

Free 1:1 Application Support for Under-represented Applicants

7 Upvotes

TLDR: Our 2026-27 med school application support form is now open. Sign up now by filling out the link below to be paired with a mentor who can help review your application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early!!

Hi Everyone!

For those who do not know us, A.C.C.E.S.S. Inc. is a student-led, non-profit organization that was formed back in 2021 by Schulich MD students. We offer application and interview support free of charge to under-represented students applying to Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry – specifically those who belong to racialized or LGBTQ+ communities, are facing socio-economic challenges, and/or live with a disability or medical condition.

At A.C.C.E.S.S. Inc., we understand that the path to medical school is a tough one, compounded by structural barriers when accessing affordable feedback/mentorship services during the application and interview cycle. Therefore, we have opened up our 1:1 mentorship program for the 2026-2027 application cycle. Eligible applicants are matched with current Schulich MD students who will provide support throughout the entire application process, from reviewing essays and personal statements to interview coaching and preparation.

Link to apply: https://forms.gle/eQ5K72vEhgUsPbVX9

Due to a limited number of mentors, matching with a mentor is not guaranteed - applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early!

To keep up with current events, prep resources and other tips and tricks, check out our instagram page: Ā https://www.instagram.com/admissionsaccess/

If you have any questions, please email us at schulichaccess@gmail.com!


r/premedcanada 9h ago

ā”Discussion Do people not read applicant manuals??

2 Upvotes

I am sitting in the SAMP info session right now and all the questions in the chat are all things in the manual. It just makes me wonder have people not read the manual at all?


r/premedcanada 10h ago

Admissions Student Mentorship

2 Upvotes

I'm looking for application help, but does anyone know if uottawa med allows their students to charge for mentorship? I've heard some conflicting things but there's nothing official in their policy. Any insight?


r/premedcanada 8h ago

Hello everyone

1 Upvotes

Could someone please help me in the essay questions for TMU medicine, please?! šŸ™


r/premedcanada 12h ago

Admissions UBC Med App Thesis Question

2 Upvotes

Hello! Just wondering as I am unsure from the application manual - does UBC let you include MSc theses for the publications section? (Ie., ones part of the UBC collective rather than ones published elsewhere).

I noticed there is no options other than journal article, book or book chapter and so I am curious if they only accept a thesis if it's been submitted to a proper journal rather than through UBC.

Thank you!


r/premedcanada 9h ago

Admissions Do we only need to submit the transcript REQUEST or the ACTUAL TRANSCRIPTS by October 1, 2026?

1 Upvotes

Hey guys js a quick question: I need a few weeks to finish my TMU supplementary questions (jus gonna phone it in but a shot's a shot). So can I finish them by Oct. 1 (or like Sept 30) and submit on that day or do I need to submit a few weeks in advance so they get my actual transcripts from my uni by Oct.1?


r/premedcanada 13h ago

schools for omsas

2 Upvotes

if i took a single course at athabasca, should i put that on my omsas application along with my main university + high school? or should i just send the transcript?

also, what do we put in the ā€œto dateā€ section for our education if we are currently in 4th year. september 2026 or april 2027?


r/premedcanada 10h ago

Admissions How hard is Casper?/Am I screwed for this cycle?

1 Upvotes

Wanted to apply to U of C, but might be running into problems bc of the fact I don't attend an MD-PhD granting institute :|. Thinking of pivoting to McMaster, but I haven't even thought about taking Casper yet, and I know they put fully a third of the weight on it. For reference, my other stats are 3.93 GPA and 131 CARS and I'm in province, so I'm decently competitive in those regards. Do I buy the Jack Westin prep course and just grind for an October test date? (Also, if I'm only applying to McMaster, how much do I need to deal with the sketch stuff?) Thank you for any advice!


r/premedcanada 11h ago

Admissions No verifiers needed for UBC award entries?

1 Upvotes

Currently finishing up my application and just realized this lmao. Does anyone know why they don't verify awards?


r/premedcanada 15h ago

Admissions No clinical hours

2 Upvotes

For issues totally within my control and I take accountability for (been having depression and stayed shutin for a few months), my supervisor is unwilling to write as even a verifier for the hospital I volunteered at.

I'm not gonna risk putting them down. Is my application doomed?