Ireland

[Jimbo]

Anybody else thinking of applying to med schools in Ireland this year?

[bossman1818]

Hi

Yep, I am just sending off my application now! I am applying to Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland through the Atlantic Bridge program. I am probably in a different boat then you considering I am applying to the six year program (don't have a degree). email if you have any questions.

bossman_joe@hotmail.com

[cali]

Hi Bossman1818,

What situations are Canadians in after graduating from Ireland? Is it tough to come back to Canada?

Also, what kind of stats are needed to enter their schools?

Good luck on your applications!

-Cali

[bossman1818]

Hi

First, it is extremely difficult to enter back into Canada after going to medical school in a foreign country, even if your Canadian, and even if the country you are training in has excellent training (such as in Ireland, Britain, Australia, etc.). To be perfectly honest, from my research and talking with different individuals who are actually in other countries, to not plan on coming back to Canada for residency! (kinda sucks, but what can you do). However, the Irish schools have an extremely good reputation in the States, and therefore, if you do well on the USMLES (think thats right, I usually call them the smelly's), you can land a decent residency in the States. For students planning on entering the six year program, usually 85% average in high school is the average for those accepted. For those that have degrees applying to the five year program, I have heard that anywhere from a 3.3 and up is good. MCATS (not required for Trinity, but for the others) is usually around a 27Q. Any more questions, just ask.

[McGillGrad]

Bossman,

How did your application go?

[Mala2003]

Does anyone know the deadline for applications to Trinity? I might be too late for entry this year but its good to know for next year. Thanks!

[McGillGrad]

The deadline is January 25th (or 15th...I am not 100% sure). But for a $25US late fee, you can apply as long as you get all of your documents in before February 25th.

[sporter1992]

Has anyone here applied to the Irish schools for 2003 admission? I'm here in Canada waiting...Anyone else in the same boat? It would be nice to talk to.

Thanks,
Sam.

[tappety tap]

Hey sporter1992!

I have applied to Ireland (Trinity, UCD and Royal College of Surgeons). I guess you haven't heard anything yet? I have no clue when they send out letters.

[sporter1992]

Hey tappety tap,

Nice to hear from you. I believe that replies will start coming in March, but later in March. Last year, it looked like people started getting replies in February.
Are you applying from Canada? (I am)

You can email me at samporter92@yahoo.com.

Take care,
Sam

[DMacLach]

Hey guys, I'm applying from Canada (Nova Scotia) as well. I applied to Trinity, UCD, and the Royal College of Surgeons. I was wondering if either of you know anything about NUI, Galway?

Thanks!

[tappety tap]

Nope, sorry DMacLach.

[sporter1992]

Sorry, don't know anything about NUI either. Did you mean that you are applying right now, or have already applied?

[DMacLach]

Hi, I already applied to those 3 universities (for September entry).

[sporter1992]

Hi DMacLach,

Same here. Maybe we'll see each other their in september. Best of luck!

[DMacLach]

Let's hope! Thanks, and good luck to you too!

[avaid]

hey does anyone know what kind of verage do u need to apply not an approx because i have heard people say from 3.3 GPA and above is that correct and what if you wanted to do the 6 year program but have not finished a degree in the process.
if anybody knows anythinng about it
thanks

[Kara]

AB people told me that required GPA depends on university reputation. I'm still not sure how they convert Canadian GPAs.

[sporter1992]

I heard the same thing. Apparently if you go to a tier 1 Canadian/USA school and you take a challenging major, a lower GPA would still trump a higher GPA from a small liberal arts college with an easy major.

[avaid]

hey how is everbody?
i had a question regarding when we get a reply from the universities. they send me an email and told me it will come in may or so their replies. what did everybody else get because i heardthe replies come around end of march. thanks

[Kara]

This is what I got in my e-mail:

"The first round of offers is usually finalized in March each year. However, due to the number of application received it is possible that it may be later than March this year."

[sporter1992]

I got the same message as Kara. Did you apply late?

[avaid]

hey kara and sporter1992

no i dont think i applied late. it was before feb 15. are youll appling to the five or six year program because i am applying to the six year program. they said in the email that i got that the reply comes by may and they said the interviews for royal college surgeons of ireland is in like june. i have done two years of university. what is your case.
thanks for the message
where are u guys in canada or us
talk to u soon

[avaid]

hey kara and sporter1992
thanks for the reply
no actually i did not apply late. it was in before feb 15. i have applied to the six year program what about youll. for ucd and tcd they said i should get a reply by may and for rcsi they said they is and interview in june. did youll get that. where are u guys in canada or the us.
talk to u guys soon

[Kara]

avaid,

I'm from Toronto. I graduated from U of T quite a while ago. The only AB school I applied to was Trinity. Didn't really feel like writing the MCAT. I also applied to Mac. If money was not a factor and I could have the freedom to practise anywhere, I would prefer to study at a European medical school like Trinity. I've heard they don't torture their students and interns as much as they do in NA medical schools. Unfortunately $$$ might be a major obstacle should I be fortunate enough to get an acceptance. About $40,000/year for 5 years is a lot of dough.

[avaid]

hey kara,

oh really. i am from toronto i live in richmond hill. i know the money thing but see in due time everybody makes that back. thats the other thing i just dont want to take the mcats. i am sure you will get accepted to trinity. i was planning to finish my degree in biochem and then apply but then i came to know that i could apply to only one the universities without the mcats so i decided to apply this year. maybe this is the reason why they told me in may because i am applying to the six year program. if you go decide to go to ireland would you want to practice in europe or come back to NA or even australia.
talk to you soon

[sporter1992]

Hi avaid,

I already have a degree in biochemistry and wrote the MCAT, so I applied to the other schools in ireland as well. I'm also in the toronto area.

The money thing is also somewhat concerning. And the euro/canada exchange rate is getting worse these days.

[Kara]

avaid,

My problem is not so much about getting the money back after I graduate but finding the $200,000 that I will need over the 5 years. That's a lot of money for me.

If I was a physician, I would practise in Europe if I had to pick one place between the three but would prefer to work both in Europe and Canada. I have no interest in practising in the States.

[tappety tap]

I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of options in terms of loans...There are very few people that actually have that kind of money! I think with the acceptance, they will send info on loans available.

[avaid]

hey everybody
how is it goin?
yeah they send the info how to get the loans. i know there is one that you can receive close to your yearly expenses you just have to have a second borroweror something of that kind.

kara, i totally agree with you about working either in canada or europe. i would not want to work in the states. well working in canada is kinda impossible unless if they happen to change the rules which seems to be possible because of the large number of doctors that will be retiring eventually and also maybe because of the shortage.

does anyone now what the situation is for working in europe or australia. do graduates from the ireland schools have to give exams.

talk to you soon

[Badkarma25]

hi everyone,
just submitted my apps with atlantic bridge to ucd, ucc, tcd, and royal college...was told by them i could expect to hear from ucd and tcd in april/may but the other two would be later because i haven't written the mcat yet...i'm a little nervous because i have seen things about a 3.3 average and honestly if i had that, i would have done a masters and gotten into a canadian or american school...anyone have any input? i was told by ab that the reputation of the school you are coming from does matter a great deal and that the irish schools are not nearly as numbers oriented as north american...what i'm saying is i hope my way less than stellar grades are offset by letters of reference etc. i didn't apply late by the way, i had my app in by january 15 and my supporting documents in before february 15th. any input or info would be much appreciated!!!

[avaid]

hi badkarma
hey i thought the aplication were due by feb 15 and supporting documents by feb 28 thats what it says on the sheet i got. did u apply to the five or six year program. maybe that could be the difference. yeah thats what i heard the school you have gone is of importance to them but not as much as te mark. this is what people told me i dont know they maybe wrong. everybody says different stuff and i asked the people in the office in california and they said they look at everything. i hope this helps.

[Badkarma25]

hi there avaid,

i thought about applying with ab a few years ago but just put it off, and then i just kind of remembered it in early january of this year. i e-mailed them in the first week of january and the guy told me the applications were due on january 15 (just the application form) with the letters of reference and personal statement due on february 15th. he didn't say it was different for a 5 or 6 year program, but i've got a degree so i'm definitely trying for the 5 year. i guess i'm just wondering how long it will take for them to get back to me...i guess it really depends on when you got your stuff in...i'm also worried about marks...mine aren't that great to be honest so i really don't know...i've been told that they're not that important but who knows...hpoe this helps, thanks for writing.

[avaid]

hey badkarma,

what i heard before applying was that they send the replies in march or so. but then i got an email from them telling me i will hear from them in may for ucd and tcd and for rcsi in june. i am right now in my second year of a biochem degree. i have heard that marks matter to a certain degree. where are u at badkarma?
i came to know about the atlantic bridge program in late january and i send them an email and they told me i could apply to the six year program. i dont know lets see what happens. so how does your friend like it over there.

keep in touch

[Badkarma25]

Hey avaid,

thanks for getting back...we should get in touch via e-mail...just to give you some background on me, i have a b.sc. biology from mcmaster and i'm working on a second degree right now...bio marks aren't great (better in the last 2 years bu still not great)...i hope i didn't sound like i thought marks don't matter for these schools...im sure they do but they don't set cutoffs like canadian schools...i was told by an AB admissions officer that they aren't very numbers-oriented in ireland...he said they use gpa for only a very general guideline...anyway my application was due jan. 15 with supporting documents by february 15 which i faxed on valentine's day...i got an e-mail that day saying that ucd and tcd would review my materials and i could expect to hear from them in april or may, but it would be later for rcsi and ucc as i'm writing the mcat this april so they will wait until they get my scores which won't be til june likely. i have spoken to 3 people over there (one is a friend, two are friends of friends), and they all love it and say that the programs are tough but they enjoy it (they are all at UCD). anyway have you written the mcat yet and what school are you at? so they told you that you could expect to hear in march?????

[avaid]

hey badkarma,

hey my email address is avaid76@hotmail.com i am planning to take the mcats maybe this summer. depending on what happens really. no actually they told me that i will get a reply in may or so for ucd and tcd. and in june for rcsi. what would u do if u graduate from there i know we are thinkin ahead but would you work in north america or plan to stay in europe.

i was talkin somebody who has already graduated from ucc and he told me he loved it. he said that their teaching methods are really outstanding.

talk to u soon

[cangirl82]

hi, what is everyone's grades like. I am applying for the six year program and i go to ubc. i have a 3.61 cumulative (which is like a 82%) and 93% from high school. does anyone know if that is good enough?

[avaid]

hey cangirl,

those are real good marks. i guess we both are in the same boat, in university and applying to the six year program. what year are u in. in am in second year. my high school avg was not the greatest and my gpa is close to 3.7.
talk to u soon

[cangirl82]

what uni do you go to and what's your major.
I"m in third year
talk to you later

[avaid]

hey cangirl

i am at u of s. its a good place to study but its boring my sis is in dentistry over here thats why i came here. i am doing a biochem degree what about you.

why are u not applying to the five year program if you are in your third year that way you save a year.
talk to you soon

[cangirl82]

hi avaid,

i didn't specify whether i was applying for the six year or five year program. I'm just assuming that i would be entering the six year if accepted.
see ya

[sporter1992]

this is wierd. why did my application say that the due date was nov15 2003? It sounds like some people here had a due date of jan or feb 2003?

[M0ses]

Hey there,
My due date was also Nov. 15th - I'm guessing that the 6 year program has a later due date...but that's just a wild guess.

Anyhow, about acceptances - I know 2 students currently at ucd, whom last year received their acceptances in mid-feb. and early-march, respectively. Ofcourse, that was last year, and the email i received from The Atlantic Bridge Program stated:

"Their first rounds of offers are usually finalized during the month of March each year. However, this is very much dependent upon the number of applications received and it is possible that it will be later than March in 2003. [Royal College being somewhat later...]"

Cheers,
Andrew

[sporter1992]

I dont understand how rsci is going to interview in june when TCD/UCD give out offers in march. I heard that if you are accepted in march, you need to respond with a deposit (~$4500) shortly after that. The timing is all off.

[Badkarma25]

Hey there sporter,

You heard right...at least for me. My application and fees were due January 15 with personal statement and letters of reference due February 15...yours was due in November? Go figure!

[sporter1992]

hi badkarma,

(hey maybe you should change your name to goodkarma?) Anyways, are you going for the 5 or 6 year program? I'm going for the 5 year, although I dont actually remember saying that anywhere on my application. These dates are bizzare!

[Badkarma25]

Hey sporter,
maybe you're right, i should change my name...couldn't hurt! i didn't actually specify whether i was going for the 5 or the 6 year program but since i have one degree already and am finishing another this april, i guess it will be the 5 unless i send in my high school transcripts (which were GREAT by the way) and tell them i want the 6 year...i'd probably have a better chance lol. but yeah the dates are weird...everyone seems to have different ones...not sure why though...i just want to hear back one way or the other. Do you have a degree already? I guess you must if you're going for the 5 year...drop me an e-mail if you like, badkarma25@hotmail.com

[Badkarma25]

it's actually badkarma_25@hotmail.com (forgot the underscore originally)

[DMacLach]

Hey, I was wondering if you all you guys sent your highschool transcripts? All my stuff was due January 15, but I wasn't aware that we had to send highschool transcripts. Thanks!

[Badkarma25]

hey,
i don't think you need to send your high school transcripts in...i mean no one asked me to, but like i said, it was made clear from the get go that i was applying to the 5 year program...basically, i think if you're applying and you already have a uni degree, your high school transcripts won't do anything...i think they only want them if you're not done undergrad or if you're coming right out of high school...i think i'll e-mail AB and find out though.

[DMacLach]

Thanks Badkarma! I'm finishing up my degree in April, so I guess it doesn't matter that I didn't send them.
Best of luck :)

[avaid]

hey guys
the high school transcrit is only if you dont have an undergrad degree hey i am calling AB and asking them about the dates on monday
later

[avaid]

hey guys
me again and they told me i will hear in may or so why does everybody have different dates
later

[Badkarma25]

hey avaid,
you're going to ask them why we all had different app dates? cool, try to remember to ask the more important question...when we might hear back! look forward to your response

[Kara]

Apparently some acceptances to RCSI have already been sent out. An individual at the student doctor network said he just recieved an offer.

[sporter1992]

Hi Kara,

From what I've heard, RSCI interviews 50% in feb and 50% in jun. Replies are sent within one month of being interviewed. I was told that if I were to get an interview, it would be in june. Sucks eh?

[sporter1992]

Hi folks,

its been pretty quiet of late. We should be hearing from the irish school soon! just a couple weeks to go...

[M0ses]

When do you expect UCD and Trinity to send out their replies?

[avaid]

hey guys
how is everything

yeah hopefully soon we should be getting a reply. i called and they said by end of march.

Good Luck to everybody

[Badkarma25]

hey all,
glad some life has been breathed back into this string...so the consensus seems to think we'll hear from trinity and ucd by the end of the month? that's earlier than i was told by AB (they said april or may)...i do hope it is earlier, the waiting is driving me nuts!!! anyone else writing the april 26th mcat? i'd sure love to find out i got into ucd or tcd before then!
badkarma

[avaid]

hey badkarma

i know it seems that everybody is getting different answers.
well i am sure that when one person receives a reply so will the rest of us.
hey do u think u will take the mcats if u get in

talk to u soon

[Nica7]

Hey everyone,
I am anxiously awaiting a decision from Ireland schools as well. Just a few questions for those of you in the same boat! Why Ireland and not the Caribbean? Do you think it will be hard to come back to North America afterwards? I have been doing a lot of research on this and I always get responses from other people that it is better to go to a good carib school like SGU- since they are geared for the USMLE. Any advice or input would be appreciated! Oh and out of curiosity - does the idea of having a huge debt after all of this keep you up at night (it keeps me up!)- sure tests our dedication to follow this route!

[Badkarma25]

hi there,
i really don't think there are advantages to one type of school over another. st. george's has a great track record, but can it really compare to schools that have been teaching medicine for an average of 150 to 200 years? i hardly think so. and as far as what school prepares you for the usmle, i really don't think it's the school...curricula are the same basically everywhere...about the only advantage to a school like sgu (and i'm not saying it's a small advantage) is the ability to do most/all of your clinical rotations in the states which sets you up nicely for a residency. in terms of reputation, i think it's apples and oranges. i'd personally be more impressed with a european grad over carribean, but my opinion doesn't really count as i'd go to either (though i'm leaning toward ireland)! as far as the debt, it doesn't concern me when i think i'd have to work in the states for a while. i know here in canada the money is good, but you could definitely pay back the debt quicker working in the u.s.

[Badkarma25]

hey avaid,
nice to see you here again...i'm not sure what i'd do about the mcat if i found out before writing that i got into ucd or tcd...i think i'd still give it a shot (would probably do better because i wouldn't be under any pressure)...why would i still write? cuz i paid over 1000 for this kaplan course (which isn't all that great so far by the way) so i'd want to get my money's worth...i could back out and save the test fee but the kaplan money is gone so i might as well give it my best shot...so you think we'll hear this month?

[Nica7]

Badkarma25 - where did you apply in Ireland? Have you applied to SGU yet. Did you have any infro regarding which of the schools are better- Royal College, Trin, UCD or UCC. Good luck on the MCAT- it is a true pain in the $&#!

[Badkarma25]

hey nica,
i haven't applied to SGU and won't apply to SGU...if i had the grades to get into SGU, i'd do a masters and apply in canada or the u.s. ireland requires lower gpa's but i think that's just the way the european schools are. the guy from AB told me they only use GPA as a very general guideline when assessing north american applicants. i want to be a doctor but i'm a realist too; there is no guarantee i'll be able to practice in canada or the u.s., so if i was one of these people with a 3.5 or higher gpa, i'd be sticking with north america. anyway ot get back to your question, i applied to all 4 irish schools (ucd, tcd, cork, and royal college). what i've heard about the best is that trinity is generally most highly regarded...this is sort of the opposite of what i've seen on the boards here, because a lot of people, particularly the u.s. students seem to be talking about royal college (i think because of affiliations that it has)...once again, this is a logic thing....i think i'd rather go to a university that is a standalone university with all different faculties, rather just a private medical university...i've heard from many people i know who are at school there already that in ireland, the royal college is not looked upon as favourably as the other 3. having said that, royal college HAS been teaching medicine for close to 300 years and i'm sure i'd go there if i got in, but i'm leaning towards ucd or trinity myself. particularly trinity...it's seems to be regarded as the best school over there. hope this helps you, if you have any other questions, just drop me an e-mail, badkarma_25@hotmail.com

[Kara]

Badkharma,

Are you sure that Irish schools require lower GPAs than SGU and other Caribbean schools? Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought it was harder (wrt GPA) to get into Irish medical schools. Where did you come across this info?

Thanks.

[Badkarma25]

hey kara,
SGU publishes what they call a recommended gpa (can't remember if it was on their website or if i got an e-mail from them when i asked or if it was literature i got from them in the mail) but the average entering grade is somewhere around 3.5...irish schools don't publish anything like that (a cutoff) but i know many many people with grades nowhere near as high as 3.5 who got in, so that's what i'm basing it on.

[sporter1992]

Maybe it's ignorance on my part, but personally, I wouldn't go to a carribean school. I think the stigma of going to such a school would follow you for the rest of your life. Sure, 99% of your patients would never ask, but its the 1% that would bother me. Maybe I'm watching too much Frasier on tv (probably).

Also, I think it's probably much easier to get into a carib school compared to ireland (from a gpa perspective). And a degree from Ireland makes it slighly easier to get back into Canada...I know some provinces (I think BC for sure) places Ireland in preferential status.

Just my $0.02.

[Badkarma25]

hey all,
i wouldn't go so far as to say i woudln't go to a carribean school because i would and will if that becomes a necessary choice...every doctor i know has told me that no one has ever asked where they went to school, so that wouldn't be a big problem for me (telling patients i was educated in the carribean)...having said that, i know that for canadians, an irish degree is definitely more respected and certain provinces (manitoba, saskatchewan, and newfoundland) all have placed irish grads at the top of the foreign pool...as far as getting into one vs. the other, i don't know what's easier. some carribean schools like windsor or iuhs are a complete joke so anyone could get into those. others like ross, auc, and st. george's are almost as tough as canadian and u.s. schools, and i'm pretty sure it's a bit tougher to get into those or at least equal to the irish...i know people who got into irish schools whose marks etc would not have been as high as the average entering grades for the established carribean schools.

[goleafs03]

Hey guys...I've been reading through this forum and it seems like everyone's trying to get info about entry grades. I'm new at this "international' stuff, so I'm hoping you more educated folks might be able to fill in a couple of blanks for me.

I'm going to be finishing my undergrad soon, and I'm seriously thinking about applying overseas. I wrote the MCAT last year, and I did okay (30+ anyways). My GPA over the last couple of years is alright, 3.5-3.6, though I haven't converted through AMCAS yet. My concern...I'm one of those kids who didn't quite make that crucial "transition" in first year :eek

Anyways...my first year GPA isn't going to help me at all...basically a write-off! (Ahh...to be 18) Over my first three years, it actually brings me down to about 3.2. My question...do you guys know how schools like SGU, and Irish schools like UCD (and the others), look at our grades?

I'm trying to figure out how a bad first year is going to affect me when I apply...and how my MCAT scores, or doing alright in the last couple of years, as well as improving further in my final year, could help out. I know that here in Canada a lot of schools respect improvement, and a lot will only consider your best 2 or 3 years. But...I don't know how foreign schools approach our applications.

Any thoughts you can share would be appreciated, and I look forward to chatting in the future ;)

[avaid]

hey goleafs,

hey im from toronto too, well im assuming your from toronto. well what i think they look at grades just like any other schhol would in canada or the US. it doesnt make a difference marks are marks and from what i have heard i think that is the main focus. i know SGUhas a rolling admission so there are 3 semester in a year you can apply for which i think gives an individual better chance for getting accepted. i personaly think your grade and mcat scores are right on good for you but dont listen to me call the schools and ask them because they know more than we all know. im sorry i dont know much about how the first year marks matter but i would ask them that to but i think if your overall grades and good that should not be a problem.
i hope this helps
keep in touch

[Kara]

goleafs03,

Wrt Irish schools, they don't seem to give out a lot of info but the admissions officer did mention to me that marks are not all treated equally. They seem to look at the reputation of the university you attended. Not sure how they adjust grades using such criteria. Regardless I do think that a cumulative 3.2 is competitive especially if completed at one of the better known universities in NA.

I only applied to Trinity which I'm guessing is more GPA-oriented as no interview or MCAT was required unlike the other Irish schools. On the AB application they ask for cumulative GPA, so I'm guessing that wrt academics this is what they're looking at. Doesn't seem that they consider recent trends in GPA. Non-academic stuff includes a two-page essay, 3 references and a CV.

My non-academic stuff is mediocre at best so I'm hoping my academic stuff will pull me through. Like yourself I've had better grades during my latter years. My cumulative is 3.50 cumulative (OMSAS scale). My first year was a write-off. My last 3 full-time years are good (3.88, 3.60, 3.87, OMSAS ). All my courses were taken at U of T, so that may help me. I also applied to Mac...no luck and Pharmacy...won't know until late June.

Good luck!

[newbee]

Hey Kara:


Western needs at least 3.7 in your best two years (which you have)!!!

Queen's needs a 3.55 in your last two years which you have!!!!!!


Ottawa only looks at your last three years which in your case is a great 3.78!!!!

I'm really curious as to why you didn't apply to the other Canadian Schools. You had a great shot at all of them!

What was your GPA is first year anyways?


Looking forward to your respose
Take care and good luck :)
Newbee

[Kara]

newbee,

I thought of Ottawa but decided against it as I didn't think I would qualify based on my 3.78 GPA, even though I knew I would be close. In fact their cut-off was over 3.8 this year so I saved some dough as my GPA would not have been good enough. I also haven't written the new MCAT so I'm not eligible for the other Ontario schools. So I applied only to Mac and Trinity. I thought about writing the MCAT the past summer but got really lazy and hate interviews. I may write the MCAT this summer but it's been years since I took orgo, physics, inorganic chemistry, so I'm not very confident about it.

I'm currently doing a second degree at U of T and so far have good grades that may put me over the 3.84 or so required for Ottawa. But then again my EC's are lame so there's no guarantee, I'll get interviewed.

Should I get accepted into Trinity, I have no idea what I'm going to do, as tuition cost may be a major obstacle there. If I continue to do really well this year I may just try for Ottawa next year and also write the summer MCAT or may opt for Trinity if I get accepted assuming I can come up with the cash. And then, again I might opt for pharmacy should I big lucky enough to get an offer. Yep, I still have no idea of where I'm going to be next year.

[newbee]

I see your dilema, Kara,

Alot to think about for you, that is for sure.

I was wondering Kara, did you complete the first degree and get less than ideal marks in all the years? Then did you opt for the second degree where you achieved the high marks? If so what did you do your second degree in and what do you think helped you make such an improvement? Anyways, it sounds like your doing great on on your way!!!

On a side note I have a friend in Pharmacy at UofT and she absolutely loves it. They just had a US pharmacy firm take the whole class to the US to woo them, show them around their stores and to talk about the incentives they want to offer such as signing bonuses etc.

anyways Good Luck to you friend ;)

Newbee

[Kara]

newbee,

During my first degree, I began university as part-time student and I only took 3 cources. I got a 2.0 GPA for those 3 courses. I did very little work. The next year I took 4 courses and did better but still was not studying much. In my third, fourth and fifth years I took a full course load (5 full courses/year) and worked harder and did pretty well. Improvement for me was simply taking school more seriously and spending more time studying.


Yep, pharmacy is a good field but that Pharmacy test coming up in less than 2 weeks is worrying me, because you need to get a minimum score on it or you get axed regardless of your GPA. I know of some individuals who had high GPAs who got outright rejections because of failing that component.

[newbee]

Hey Kara,


The Pharmacy test is obviously as you know not the PCAT but more of a "skills" assessment test. My friend strongly suggested that you spend some time shadowing a pharmacist prior to the test. This will provide you with great insights into what they actually do (as a big part of the test is understading exactly what the role of the pharmacist is within the health care system and within society). I would also suggest really conceptualizing why you would like to be a pharmacist as this is also a big part of the test. Plan some well thought out answers before hand and you should be fine.

BTW Kara, How far along are you in your second degree? What subject was your first degree (ie the first five years ) in? IF the second is a BA so you think that a BA is easier than a Bsc?

Anyways if you like me to dig up more info about the Pharmacy test from my friends just say the word ;)

Take Care and Good Luck to you
Newbee:)

[Kara]

Newbee,

Thanks a lot for all the Pharm info. There were some useful posts on that topic in the U of T thread.

My first degree was BSc in Neuroscience. Wrt my second degree, I'm currently in the third year of a 5 year degree program (BSc- Radiation sciences). They transferred 10 courses from my first degree to use toward my second degree.This year they changed this degree program to 4 years.

My only experience with Arts courses are philosophy and English. I did well philosophy courses but got smoked in the only English course I took. So I guess it depends on what arts course you're taking just as it depends on what science course you're taking. Moreover, I think it's an individual thing.

[kellyl20]

Is this offered at UT only? Would this lead to a technician radiation job treating oncology patients? ie docs write out the prescription and the technicians delivery the dosages?

[Badkarma25]

hi there,
right now i think of u of t is the only school to have such a program but i know they are being set up at a bunch of schools (mac too) because the province has changed the regulations; in order to be a radiation tech you will now need a university degree instead of a college diploma so a lot of unis are setting up these b.sc. programs.

[Kara]

Kelly20;

Yep, it's at U of T. The radiation sciences has 3 options:

1. Rad Therapy-which is what you mentioned but also
2. Rad (x-ray) tech.
3. Nuclear Meds

Upon completion, you get a BSc from U of T and Rad Tech diploma from michener. Graduates also have the option to specialize in MRI, CT, ultrasound, Angiography, etc.

[newbee]

Hey Kara:

Sounds like that will be a great career right there!!! Is it not? I guess you don't really have to worry about pharmacy school etc, b/c grads from the rad tech program have a 100% employment rate, do they not?

Is that what you are thinking about doing, staying with the career that the degree will offer you?

If I may ask, is it an expensive program? Are you finding it more difficult to pay for in comparison to the regular undergrad that you completed?

Thanks again

Have a great week ;)

Newbee:p

[Kara]

newbee,

It's a pretty good field but you don't have as much independence as a doc or pharmacist has. It's very hard to open your own x-ray clinic which is what I was interested in, at least in Canada (unless you're a radiologist). Anyway, that's what I've been told. I would have liked the option of being able to work for myself. I don't like working for somebody else.

Yes, you are pretty well guaranteed a job (there's a major shortage of all techs) even before you graduate but one complaint I hear from techs is that the pay is not that great (~$40,000 starting salary) although that may change in the near future as they are seeking a 23% pay increase to the same level as nurses.

Tuition is about $6000/year which isn't too bad especially since I live in Toronto. I'll definitely stay with this program if I don't get any other offers in pharm or med but it is my third choice.

[avaid]

hey guys

just wondering has anyone else other than Moses got a reply.
did anybody else apply to the six year program like me because the wait is just killing me.
keep in touch and good luck to everybody

talk to youll soon

[sporter1992]

nope, nothing from AB yet... :(

[DMacLach]

Congratulations MOses! Hey guys, I called the AB the other day and asked about UCD...they told me that unfortunately I wasn't in the first round picks (but i wasn't rejected) and "this is often the case so hang in there and we'll let you know". So you can call and find out if you haven't received any word. They didn't know about Trinity decisions as of yesterday. Good luck to everyone!

[Badkarma25]

hey all,
i'm wondering if someone out there can clarify something...i hear talk about how AB has a first and second round of decisions and that the first round has been sent out (to people like MOses)...my question is, are these offers being sent out to people who are more attractive (in terms of grades etc) or because these people applied back in nov/dec instead of jan/feb...i'm not saying that if you applied in nov/dec and received an offer that it's ONLY because you applied early, but i'm just wondering how much of a role that plays...i HATE waiting...i have never called AB once yet...i'm wondering if i should tomorrow...just for ****s and giggles...last thing i need to hear is them saying "Sorry but no". later everyone.

[avaid]

hey guys thanks alot for replying

i will call AB tommorow and find hopefully some good news take care and good luck keep in touch everybody

[redshifteffect]

Hey guys,

I was in the same boat as most of you a couple of years ago...

I applied right of highschool and haven't done a degree in Canada.

I'm currently in my second year of Med at the University of Tasmania.

Point is that I applied to RCSI and Trinity college. I got in, and I got a year off my TC admission...but the thing about trinity college is that they didn't have a residence, and I wasn't sure I wanted to move to a city I knew nothing about without some confirmed place to live....RCSI doesn't have that problem but it's more expensive.

If you guys are really into a 6 year program why not consider australia? there are 6, 5 and even 4 year programs here...and it's a lot cheaper because our dollar is worth slightly more.

Anyway it's something to consider.