r/atlanticbridge

I’m just starting to think about this after an unsuccessful cycle in Canada. For those who who have gone to RCSI Bahrain is it basically an Irish School in Bahrain where you become an IMG to try to match back to Canada?

Any movement for the waitlist recently for direct entry?

Did anyone do the interview today and if so, how was it?

Hi everyone, so I’m a Canadian applicant and I’ve applied to TCD, Galway, and RCSI Bahrain. Basically all the 5 year programs as I don’t have an MCAT exam written but do have my undergrad degree which will be complete by August.

Should I be concerned that I haven’t heard back?
When is the deadline for schools to reach out for interviews or rejections? Because I have gotten any kind of response.
Any advice/insight will be much appreciated

I’m a student here and I’m going to answer the questions I wish I had someone answer for me when I was applying! Before I get started, please don’t private message me questions, I prolly won’t respond lol (I don’t check messages), just ask under this thread and maybe I’ll respond or maybe someone else will respond

*IMPORTANT*: I’m speaking from MY experience, please contact RCSI Bahrain for definitive answers to your question’s. Application rules and guidelines change every single year. I also did NOT apply thru Atlantic bridge so I won’t answer anything specific to Atlantic bridge

About me - finishing my first year here, I was accepted into 5 year program upon application, and I applied after completing my undergrad in Ontario (Canadian born and raised). Undergrad was a BSc. Had no research, no MCAT, my avg gpa per semester in my last 2 years of undergrad was pretty good (3.85-4.0 range), also had absurd amount of healthcare related experience working in clinics, hospitals, and volunteer organizations. (Started stacking up these experiences in back in grade 10)

1. How to apply?
   - Atlantic bridge and directly through RCSI Bahrain website
   - I applied directly through the RCSI Bahrain website

2. When to apply?
   - check RCSI Bahrain website for application window dates

3. Things I need when applying?
   - proof of all your volunteer experiences, work experiences + highschool and post secondary diplomas and transcripts (essentially, if u wanna put something in ur application, have proof of it!)

4. I applied, when will they respond?
   - my experience was RCSI responded right away and told me some more things I needed to submit (applied in end of December 2024, final application after adding extra things they needed was submitted early / mid Jan 2025)
   - once everything was set, they reviewed and I got interview notice within following 2 - 4 weeks.

5. When is interview?
   - I got interview confirmation late Jan and had interview in Feb
   - they do interviews in rounds from what I believe, for example, first round interviews early Feb, second round mid Feb, etc
   - Your interview date just depends on when u apply
   - when I applied, I think interviews ran until end April - early may

6. Is applying earlier better?
   - there’s no proof to say yes or no, BUT ill say this, think of it from a institution perspective. Kid applies asap (shows interest) -> gets offered interview in first round -> after interview, if they like u, psychologically they’re only comparing u to the handful of other kids they interview in the first round (rather than comparing you to hundreds of kids who interviewed before you if you apply later and get an interview later)
   - Again, I could be completely wrong, but if there’s the slightest chance my no-proof theory is right, it’s an easy way to up your chances of acceptance
   - This is my mentality with everything from applying to jobs to applying to internships to applying to schools, and it’s always worked out for me!

7. How to prep for the interview?
   - If you’ve put something on your application or personal statement, you better be able to answer questions about it regarding why u did it, what you learnt from it, what it meant to you, etc.
   - be familiar with public health and population health topics in your country. For example, know the prevalent diseases in ur country, what they are, and what you’d personally do to help solve it.
   - Know about RCSI! Standard interview Question in ANY job or school application is “why us?”. Interviewers want to see if you actually care about the school, what they stand for, what they do, etc.
   - staff and interviewers here are lovely and non-intimidating, so don’t be stressed
   - have good questions to ask them at the end of the interview
   - *MY ADVICE*: be confident but NOT cocky - you’re not there to obnoxiously brag about everything you’ve done. You’ve already done that in your application and personal statement, you’re being interviewed because they want to see if your a genuine person who has people skills, communication skills, is able to talk about their experiences in a meaningful manner, etc. Find that balance between being able to present yourself as a nerd who’s obsessed with medicine but also someone who has a life outside of school in terms of gaining healthcare experience, having hobbies, part time jobs, spending time with family, etc!

8. Done my interview, when will they respond?
   - I think they start giving out 6 year acceptances first, then 5 years. They give out acceptances after last interview - I got mine in May

9. Will I get 6 or 5 year program?
   - if u are straight out of highschool, idk u can get either
   - if u have an undergrad, very likely 5 year (i haven’t met someone with an undergrad from North America who was placed in 6 year program)

10. Accepted! Now what?
    - they’ll send u a big checklist of things the school requires and the Bahrain government requires
    - the on-boarding team is amazing here, after being accepted u can ask all the questions u have + even book a call with one of the members to ask questions

11. Accommodation
    - most students live right beside the campus: there’s a bunch of apartment buildings right beside (u can see on Google Maps + on-boarding team will have lots of info regarding those buildings)
    - pros about buildings beside campus: more affordable, walking distance from school, community of students
    - there’s also the other option for those wanting to live a more mature/independant lifestyle which is to live away from the campus. Typically older students, students with significant others, or students who have a bit more money to spend will find accommodation in areas away from campus such as Marassi, Bahrain Bay, Juffair, and Seef
    - if u choose to live away from campus, u don’t absolutely need a car - the uber equivalent here is Careem and careems are 20x cheaper than an uber in North America

12. What’s Bahrain like?
    - best country ever. Moving here was the best decision ever; beautiful weather, amazing people, fun things to do, etc. you’ll get attached to the island trust me

13. Overall experience so far?
    - amazing, wouldn’t change a thing. Best decision ever, I love RCSI, I love Bahrain, I love my life here and I love the future opportunities this school can provide for me. At the end of the day, with good board exam scores, electives, and research: RCSI Bahrain IMGs match in Canada and America. In fact, over the last couple years individuals here have matched to insanely competitive specialties in North America. So you can really do whatever you want post med, just depends on the work you’re willing to put in while you’re in med.

Tired of typing now lol but hope this helps someone

Is RCSI doing interviews on Saturday and Sunday or just Sunday?

Has anyone here gotten off the University of Limerick GEM waitlist and received an offer?

If yes, could you please share the date you were waitlisted and when you received the offer?

Trying to get an idea of how much movement has taken place on the waitlist. Thanks!

I am a bit confused on this school - if someone could give me some answers, I'd be very appreciative!!!

- Am I too old to apply as a 26 year old Canadian who already did undergrad and masters degree? My grad date was sep 2024. If not too old, I am guessing I would be put in the 5 year program?

- When do applications usually open if I plan to apply for sep 2027 entry? This August?

- Is MCAT required?

Thank you!

For anyone that has applied to RCSI Bahrain 6 year program from a Canadian HS and received an offer, what was your guys conditional offer, as in what grades did they say u need to maintain to receive a full offer, Thanks!

Hey everyone! For any Canadians who have graduated from or are currently attending medical school in Ireland i would love to hear your overall thoughts on your program (please specify the school), the main challenges you have encountered, life in Ireland and your experience with clinical placements in Canada as well as matching back. Any insight is greatly appreciated!!!

Edit- I am just gaging if the waitlist of Irish school would move depending on how many people are declining after they have paid the deposit in Irish school

Hey everyone, I'm a Canadian applicant and I was looking to apply next year for the GEM programs but I am not sure how competitive I am? I wanted to ask you guys if you think I have a strong chance based on my stats?

3.68cGPA, 507 MCAT, extracurriculars include lots of shadowing, volunteering, 2 leadership positions at school clubs, and 1 research position.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated

I am currently a HS student in Alberta, Canada and I intend to pursue medicine. I've been fortunate to receive offers from McMaster BHSC, considered one of the better "pre-med" (there aren't any, but it is typically well regarded), alongside two medical school admissions in the UK and a few still pending in Ireland, through the Atlantic Bridge system.

Let us grant that I receive an admission letter from Ireland.

For those who have had a similar experience, either with the Irish med pathway as an IMG or, alternatively, those who took an undergrad in Canada such as Mc BHSC, how did you weigh—and how would you now weigh—the prospect of guaranteed medical school admission as an IMG vs. the nature of a Canadian undergrad and the often cumbersome process of the Canadian medical school admission process?

My current perception of the two options are as follows---correct me if any parts are too idealistic or just inaccurate:

Canadian undergrad pathway (McMaster BHSC):
Cost: ~$300K - $350K (4 yr undergrad + 4 yr medical school including rent, food, etc,.) Note: I am from AB, so presumably I would be renting the entire duration.)
Mc Master historical matriculation rates to medical school: ~60-80%
Residency match rates: high 90s (~95%+)

Pros:

1. Cheaper
2. Higher potential ceiling in terms of medical specialization

Cons:

1. Lackluster backup if med school does not work out. While ~60-80% of students end up going to medical school from Mac BHSC, this does leave 20-40% of students with a health sciences degree that is not necessarily the most versatile.

Direct to Irish med:
Cost: ~$500K-$600k (5 yr program W. IBDP, including rent, food, etc,.)
Match rates back to Canada/US: Some of the websites boast figures in the high 80s to low 90s. Unsure how accurate this is. I presume this figure is higher than it actually is, as individuals who deem themselves unqualified do not go through with this application cycle to begin with.

Pros:

1. Reduced downside risk. If I do not match back to Canada or the U.S., practicing in the UK is always an option (+ the option of transferring to North America after becoming a fully licensed physician, but of course not ideal).
2. Save at least 2 years. If we presume the average age of 1st yr medical student is 23-24, the time saved is ~3 years.

Cons:

1. Expensive/potential debt
2. Lower ceiling in terms of medical specialty: IMGs are typically limited to IM or FM in Canada, and in the U.S. only the initiated elites are granted the privilege of more competitive specialties.
3. NHS is not the best healthcare system to work in.

If you were in my shoes which path would you prefer?

Thanks for taking time out of your day to help!

It's mid-May and I haven't gotten a single email from them. No interview offers nor rejection letters. It's wild how this has gone even later than hearing back from Canadian schools post-interview 😂.

+ as far as I know, they should still send something even if I accepted another Irish school (UCC in my case)

Hi, I applied to UCC for GEM and was wondering if there is still a chance to hear anything? Haven't gotten a rejection, just the email in Feb saying how they received my application. Thanks!

Does anyone know whether the admissions board factors in the (jarring) disparity in grade inflation between Canadian and US undergrad GPA's? I know they will be measured and calculated the same, but perhaps they are regarded differently since a moderate GPA at a top Canadian school would be much, much higher in the US.

I am graduating from McGill with a very average GPA of 3.45, so I am curious.