Canadian going to OZ, hoping to stay in Oz or go to US...

[dasha55]

This is my first time here. I am a Canadian, just graduated, didn't get into Medicine in Ontario this year like many others. I am writting MCat for the first time this August but my GPA is 3.34, so I don"t think I stand a good chance of getting into Ontario anyways. I have applied to 4 Schools in Australia for 2006 entry and have all 4 interviews in the next 3 months (Sydney, Flinder's, Queensland, Adelaide). But reading some of the feedback here make doubt if I am doing the right move of going down under. I hope to either stay in Australia or go to US, not Canada!!! I don't recall in which OZ univeristy prosperus I ve read it, but there is an opportunity for int'l students to stay in OZ and practice Medicine. Can someone confirm that?!
Also, from the feedback I understand, it is a bit tougher to do the USMLE for OZ graduates than say for Carribean. But it is manageable, right?
Last question: I am thinking of applying to US, how do I pick the schools - there are so many!!!
Thank you

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[Off2Oz]

This is my first time here. I am a Canadian, just graduated, didn't get into Medicine in Ontario this year like many others. I am writting MCat for the first time this August but my GPA is 3.34, so I don"t think I stand a good chance of getting into Ontario anyways. I have applied to 4 Schools in Australia for 2006 entry and have all 4 interviews in the next 3 months (Sydney, Flinder's, Queensland, Adelaide). But reading some of the feedback here make doubt if I am doing the right move of going down under. I hope to either stay in Australia or go to US, not Canada!!! I don't recall in which OZ univeristy prosperus I ve read it, but there is an opportunity for int'l students to stay in OZ and practice Medicine. Can someone confirm that?!
Also, from the feedback I understand, it is a bit tougher to do the USMLE for OZ graduates than say for Carribean. But it is manageable, right?
Last question: I am thinking of applying to US, how do I pick the schools - there are so many!!!
Thank you

Heya, I'm also a Canadian working on applying internationally. I've applied to a few Aussie schools, and am now picking schools that are relatively close to where I live in the US as well.

My advice would be to get the MSAR book - it's available on AMCAS's website for something like $17 + $25 for int'l shipping. Anyway, it'll give you a very good idea of schools in the US that are feasible for you, and depending on how you do on the MCAT, your choices may change.

Also something to consider is cost. I'm applying to about 8 schools, and it's going to run me in the neighbourhood of $1000 CDN. That's just for the US schools. I'm also applying to Canadian schools. =)

Hope that helps.

M.

 

[Nora]

For American schools, Canadians can only apply to private schools (or those partially private). I've heard of Canadians at schools such as NYU, Cornell, Stanford, MSU, USC, Case Western Reserve and many more. Your GPA while a tad on the low side for top tier school from what I've read, you should be just fine with middle tier schools. Remember the avg. GPA for matriculants is about 3.5 so a good number of people are clustered around this average. Your MCAT score is heavily weighed in the US, much more than Canadian schools. You could also consider Osteopathic schools. You'd be able to enter residency at the first match or even practice in Ontario after doing a residency in the US without any problems.

I've sent you a PM.

Good luck!

This is my first time here. I am a Canadian, just graduated, didn't get into Medicine in Ontario this year like many others. I am writting MCat for the first time this August but my GPA is 3.34, so I don"t think I stand a good chance of getting into Ontario anyways. I have applied to 4 Schools in Australia for 2006 entry and have all 4 interviews in the next 3 months (Sydney, Flinder's, Queensland, Adelaide). But reading some of the feedback here make doubt if I am doing the right move of going down under. I hope to either stay in Australia or go to US, not Canada!!! I don't recall in which OZ univeristy prosperus I ve read it, but there is an opportunity for int'l students to stay in OZ and practice Medicine. Can someone confirm that?!
Also, from the feedback I understand, it is a bit tougher to do the USMLE for OZ graduates than say for Carribean. But it is manageable, right?
Last question: I am thinking of applying to US, how do I pick the schools - there are so many!!!
Thank you

 

[leorl]

I'll move this to the Oz thread and see if you get more responses there.

 

[Sallyy]

Hello,

I'm thinking of applying to Australia next year and was wondering how it is possible to apply to 4 schools - I thought the limit was 2?

Thanks for any input.

 

[pitman]

I had also thought it was limited to two interviews -- Flinders and one from ACER. I'd like to hear from the OP if there's some sort of loophole!

 

[Cziffra]

adelaide? adelaide doesn't accept people with uni background!!!

 

[pitman]

Hmm.

 

[nani]

If the OP applied to Flinders (in Adelaide) through their direct application, it's not included in ACER. Then USyd and UQ could be the 2 ACER schools.

 

[dasha55]

If the OP applied to Flinders (in Adelaide) through their direct application, it's not included in ACER. Then USyd and UQ could be the 2 ACER schools.

Just to clarify: I ve applied to Flinder's, Adelaide, UWA and Sydney through 2 organizations (eg. Teach Consultants, Kom Consultants) here in Ontario (Canada) that represent Oz and NZ universities - these are like "relay" application centres. Anyways, the only application that came back was from Sydney, they insisted that I apply through ACER! So I did and the 2 schools that I ve put on my ACER application were: Queensland and Sydney. The other schools accepted the direct applications and have coresponded with me via e-mail for the last 2-3 months. I ve also applied to Auckland but haven't heard anything yet, apparently they are taking their time till late October.

Hope that helps

 

[dasha55]

adelaide? adelaide doesn't accept people with uni background!!!

Good God Gracious, I almost got a heart attack lol. I went through all the e-mails and Adelaide U magazines and their website.... and couldn't find where they say that I can't apply with Uni background.

I will contact the Admission Officer (Amanda Hart) tonight and ask. Sounds unbelievable, but they have my UofT official transcripts for 5 year degree, photocopy of my Bachelor's Diploma... and yet they ve set the date for me to fly to Australia to write the PQA test and have the interview the same day (end of August).

Frankly, can't worry about this right now, I have Flinder's interview in 20 hrs from now and I am a little bit stressed. (lol)

 

[spherical]

Hi Dasha:

Your posts are extremely informative and helpful. So, there is something to be said for the "agents" afterall. They can bypass ACER. In essence, it seems that, when used strategically, they can multiply your chances for acceptance!

Adelaide does not discriminate against those with other degrees. I am not aware of any of the Australian medical schools being closed to those with prior degrees (certainly, there can not be many). So much for having bologna thrown at you.

Also, there are people who troll this board soley to pick fights and discredit posters like yourself. They are ignorant and jealous that you got more than they did, were more clever, etc. (They will also be your classmates should you come to Oz.) Narrow minded people who can not think outside their own little boxes.

Best of luck in your interviews!

 

[Cziffra]

Hi Dasha, I thought the PQA is used to determine the interviewees; did you ask to have the interview done on the same day as the PQA? Thanks!

 

[Cziffra]

Someone who attacked others has to do some research here. For one, Monash doesn't accept people with university background. The uni enforces this VERY STRICTLY. They'll refer you to other uni's if you apply there after having attended uni.

 

[pitman]

Also, there are people who troll this board soley to pick fights and discredit posters like yourself. They are ignorant and jealous that you got more than they did, were more clever, etc. (They will also be your classmates should you come to Oz.) Narrow minded people who can not think outside their own little boxes.

Um, no one was picking a fight, spherical. Except maybe you? Maybe everyone should reference your stupid and useless general posts of denigrating spew whenever you open your mouth...

Thank GOD we don't have self-hating PITAs like you at UQ.

 

[dasha55]

Hi Dasha, I thought the PQA is used to determine the interviewees; did you ask to have the interview done on the same day as the PQA? Thanks!

In short, yes.

Well, they said they don't hold the PQA in North America anymore (it used to be in Washington D.C.). So my only options were to go to Oz or East ( Singapore) to write the test. The deadline to write the PQA is mid August, but I am writting my MCAT on the 20 th of August here in Toronto, so there is no way for me physically and money-wise to go down under to write the 3 hr test. So they were linient enough to extend the deadline and let me have the interview the same day.

PM me if you have more questions