r/premedcanada

Hi! Looking for insight or personal experiences regarding alternative pathways; Canadian med is not an option for me, but I might have a few adjacent options, and I love hearing other people’s perspectives who are also interested in health care

A. Naturopathic medicine** (4 yrs + specialized training, ND)

Pros: evidence-based program (accredited), strong research (could continue MSc work/collab with institutions like SickKids or CAMH), option to practice in community or hospital, growing integration in Canada, high earning potential + autonomy, good work-life balance, ability to practice in other countries

Cons: long schooling, variable income (especially new-grad), >1 year post-grad exam process to become licenced, $$ tuition, misrepresentation/looked down upon (e.g. from unlicensed naturopaths who cause harm), need to establish practice

**I am not considering ND to discredit allopathic medicine or claim to cure people’s “root cause” with vitamins, I would focus on research, evidence-based practice, and train at integrative practices with MDs in primary care - I am very pro-evidence!

B. Physician assistant (2 yrs, BHSc)

Pros: shorter schooling, lateral mobility, generalist training, reasonable autonomy, can continue research, community or hospital care, growing integration in Canada, $ tuition, decent job outlook/stability, better public perception (?)

Cons: restricted to practice in Canada, government-capped salary (excluding outliers), reasonable autonomy, lack of provincial regulatory oversight (no college), limited career progression, funding insecurity

I’m wondering how I should approach studying for the MCAT given that I’ll essentially be starting from scratch with most of the material. I’m currently close to finishing my psychology degree and will graduate in December. After that, I’ll have roughly six full months dedicated entirely to MCAT prep before writing the exam in June, though I can also begin studying during the school year.

My goal is to score 515+ and I’m trying to figure out whether that’s realistically achievable in this timeframe, and if so, what the best way to begin learning the content from the ground up would be.

Update: Yesterday was an academic disaster lmao. So many side quests just came up out of nowhere. SO, today I am basically doing what I set out to do yesterday. Greatest lock in incoming haha. I need to get to ch 8 psych and soc today to stay on track, so its looking like a long day.

* Will still do my daily CARS passages, and the corresponding Pankow ankis for PS. Putting CHEM and PHYS on hold for today.

Quote: In this great future you can't forget your past.

- Bob Marley and The Wailers

I swore there were none, but why are there all of a sudden so many Canadian medfluencers popping up in the last month, literally right after decisions? Especially on TikTok

Haven't done much besides research so far, I feel pretty behind

i just had a friend get into uoft medicine this cycle as a 3rd year mac health sci student, but there are so many mac health sci students that got into med this cycle compared to what i hear from other undergrads. is it true theyre at an advantage or is it just luck? (btw i i havent applied to med yet im early on in my undergraduate program in case anyone thinks i am downplaying their success bc im truly not and very happy for them! just curious)

Hi,

I graduated a while back from a bachelor of science undergrad and I had been doing min wage jobs, but I have become a bit tired as medicine is taking a few extra years than I anticipated. I heard a lot of people are getting research jobs right after undergrad without having to do masters, so I was wondering how people are landing these types of jobs and what I can do to get them.

Thanks

Hey everyone I’m taking the MCAT this summer and have honestly been feeling a bit discouraged about my GPA, so I wanted some honest opinions. I’m entering 4th year and currently have around a 3.79 cGPA (about a 3.9 for Western). I’m mainly hoping to apply to Western, Mac, Queen’s, and TMU this cycle.

For ecs, I have:
- 1+ year of research experience with 1 publication (not first author)
- Part-time health sci job (3 years and ongoing)
- Customer service uni job (1.5 years)
- Residence Don / Community Advisor (1 year and ongoing)
- University sports team (novice/JV level, 1 year and ongoing)
- Volunteer at a rehab centre for seniors (<1 year and ongoing)
- Clinical therapist volunteer at a sports med clinic (<1 year and ongoing)
- Leadership roles in clubs/nonprofits (exec in 2 nonprofit clubs, VP of a robotics team, lead in a religious club for >3 years)
- Short summer camp counselling/community work with underprivileged children

Assuming I can score decently (especially CARS for Mac), do I still have a chance at these schools? Would genuinely appreciate honest advice, especially from current med students or people who applied recently.

Hi,

I have been admitted into a few programs for university and need to accept an offer by June 1. I am torn between picking IBiomed at Mac or Med Sci at Western.

I was sure of doing Ibiomed until today, when I was accepted into the Scholars Elective Program at Western, which I casually applied for.

I live close to Mac, so the costs are lower since I can commute. My goal has been medical school, but I also think I won't really mind engineering.

Any advice is very appreciated! Thank you in advance.

I'm currently in undergrad at an American university, but I'm planning on applying to both Canadian and American schools. I previously had all As and A+s (which means all 93+ on a numerical scale) but I just got my grades back for this semester and received a B- in Organic Chemistry. It's not ideal, I know, but how bad does this look for Canadian medical schools? I know the grading schemes are slightly different and Canada is quite a bit more competitive. I'm just worried that this will nuke my chances lol.

Hey, so I applied for maybe 8 ish clubs in April/May and got rejected from all and interview for one and i’m unsure if I even will get the position. I’m kinda confused since i do have leadership + relevant experience for the roles that I am applying for. I decided to not apply to any clubs first yr to focus on my gpa which i don’t regret, but i’m worried i won’t have any clubs for 2nd year either. a friend and i r trying to make a club but earliest it can get approved and in motion is by third year. i’m feeling kinda demotivated, i won’t stop applying but how important are they in the grand scheme of things? sorry if this is a stupid question

Hello everyone, I am studying for the MCAT this summer. I am a non-science student and I am studying everything from scratch. I just started BIOchem Chapter 1 and I do not understand anything. I watched all the videos on Youtube and I can't read the Kaplan textbooks. Is this normal? What do I do?

GPA 3.95+?

MCAT 520+?

Are pubs an unwritten 'pre req' for OOP applicants?

Has anyone been accepted without these?

TIA

Has there been any movement so far for any stream? Does anyone know anybody who has got an offer yet? Last year there were a few offers before the end of May deadlines.

just finished my second year. I had 3.55 first year, and 3.73 second year, 3.64 cgpa. Is it even worth pursuing med anymore? not sure what to do lol just feel like a failure idk

Title. I just want to know around when I could expect hearing back.

Hi everyone,

Before I ask my question just for context I am in high school right now looking to go into medicine. I understand that getting in the first application round is extremely difficult, with most people getting in after 2 or 3 tries. I’m just interested in knowing what people do to better prepare themselves for the next cycle? Like assuming your grades and MCAT are good, how much can you really improve your ecs or experiences over a year?

Also (this is somewhat of a side question) is it a good idea to take the MCAT during second year summer. I honestly do not understand how during third year summer people are expected to write the MCAT, Casper, and work on our essays and stuff for applications which are due in October of that year. Wouldn’t taking it second year ease of pressure while still being good to use for at least 2 rounds?

Any advice or information about where I’m wrong or right would be greatly appreciated!

I need to make a big decision dependent on financial factors outside my control, and I would be grateful for any insight and connections to people familiar with this path!

I was recently accepted to RowanSOM USDO in New Jersey this cycle. I love everything about it except for the $160k CAD/year (including tuition ($86k USD), fees, living costs), equating to a cost of acceptance of ~$640k CAD. As a Canadian, I have been going to banks inquiring about LoCs and it seems with my family's financial situation, even with a cosigner, I may not receive the maximum $400k LoC some banks offer. OSAP provides an estimated $13k per year for me, and savings are minimal. I will not have further parental support.

Issue:

• As an international student, RowanSOM can only provide support through institutional merit-based scholarships open after matriculation.
• I have explored US private loans for international students that DO NOT require a US cosigner, like MPOWER and Prodigy Finance, since I have no connections in the US. While students at RowanSOM have used it before, it seems they are not supporting the school at the moment based on their site. There are no other US private loaners I can find. Even if I could get the $400k LoC, I am left with a hefty ~$150k CAD gap.

Before I continue, about me:

• Born and raised in Ontario
• McMaster science undergrad (cGPA 3.91), graduated 2024
• I am in my second application cycle---I spent two gap years working, volunteering, retaking MCAT, and applying for Canada MD and US MD/DO
• MCAT 515, CARS 127 (unfortunuately one point off for UAlberta and UCalgary)
• Casper definitely needed improvement
• I hope to go into primary care (likely IM) and practice in Canada
• I have a guaranteed seat for RVUCOM next cycle (tuition is $70k USD/year)
• Rejected post-interview for TMU this cycle

Next steps?

1. Even if I secured a Canadian student LoC, is funding my education doable and viable long-term? While entering the US with F-1 student status only requires proof of funds for the first year of studies, I would be stranded in the later years when my funds run out and a private loan cannot be attained. Plus, I'll be in massive debt, possibly having to do US residency to pay off the loans before coming back to Canada (I don't mind but would prefer matching back). Scholarships will only do so much.
2. Should I wait another year and re-apply for Canadian MD, cheaper USDO schools (e.g. LECOM), and consider Ireland? What about applying to other healthcare programs like accelerated nursing, PA, etc. as a plan B (my heart says there are no plan B's, but finances were a brick to the face). Spend the year retaking the MCAT, score higher on Casper, and make some money. It would be my third year out of school.

This year has been a rollercoaster. I was overjoyed with my acceptance until I found the harsh reality. If anyone is in a similar situation or knows of someone who is, we are in this unfortunate situation together and we will not lose.

I need some advice. I want to be realistic about my chances as an applicant while considering some other options.

I just wrapped up my final year of undergrad and I'm stuck deciding on what to do next after graduation. I really want to do medicine and I'm writing the MCAT this summer to apply for the upcoming cycle. However, I was also interested in Pharmacy during my earlier years, but switched interests after taking a few classes. I considered grad school too since I really enjoy research but I'm still not sure yet. I also considered a 2nd degree/open studies to try and get my GPA up, but I don't know what to do.

I was wondering if its even a smart idea to go into a PharmD program (if not accepted into med) to also get my GPA up while going through a gap year and apply again next year. I also understand that Pharmacy school is not easy and admission is not guaranteed, but I am interested in becoming a clinical pharmacist (wanting to become a physician is stronger though). Life happened in 2nd year that really plummeted my GPA and I still ended with a pretty low GPA.

Vague stats for context:

• cGPA: 3.572 (aGPA for worse year dropped is 3.637), slight upward trend, dramatic peak in my last year
• ECs: >2000 hrs research, heavily involved in research clubs (won a competition + sponsored project by industry/company), ~700 hrs volunteering with non-profit orgs, ~100 hrs as volunteer advisor, 2 years as student mentor, and 1 year of internship experience
• Awards: won some competitive research awards, international scholarship, deans list, some general scholarships (Jason Lang, etc.)
• (possible) References: 2 research PIs, 2 course professors for academic, my volunteer coordinator, and internship supervisor

I understand that my GPA is quite low compared to the competitive averages in canadian med schools which is why I thought that pharmacy can potentially increase my GPA. I also thought it would be a good back up while I try to reapply every year of pharm school, but if I don't get in at all I could just end up falling in love with being a pharmacist too.

I feel hopeless and I have some regrets but I want to push through and try applying anyways.

Can I realistically get in/good applicant? Should I give up and move on? I would like some realistic honest advice if possible. Thanks everyone.

Hi, so I am already a student in my third year of undergrad but I’ve heard different suggestions in this feed and from other people that easy major will make getting into med school easier. But there is another group of people who says that research experience matters more than high GPA. Also, does research have to be related to medicine and sciences in general to have more chances to get in?

Sorry if I sound silly, I don’t live in Canada too long so still figuring out how things work here.
Thanks in advance for all responses!!!