US Atlantic Bridge 2016

[Vero Medico]

With your stats, apply DO and MD after redoing MCAT. Not sure how the new scoring works but try to score above 30 and you should get a few acceptances. Being an IMG is a tough road and you will need substantially higher board scores and maybe even research (for Canada at least) to match over an AMG or CMG. Not to mention tuition being as much as 4x as high (assuming in-state) and no guarantee of matching.

These are the tuition fees for the Irish med schools, indeed they are about 2X as much as Canadian med schools!


University College Cork – 40,000 Euros
University College Dublin – 45,000 Euros
The University of Limerick – 41,000 Euros
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland* – 52,500 Euros

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[ann9003]

Hello,

I am applying to Irish med schools for the 2016 entry. I am done with the application, personal statement. However, I am stuck on a decision. I took MCAT in September of this year and got 493 (which I believe hovers around old 21-22) but I am now planning to give it in January as well as I believe I can do much better by preparing for a longer time (will have around 3 months) and doing lots of practice tests. So, in the application where it asks for MCAT dates can I check BOTH the boxes for my previous mcat date as well as the one I will be giving in or is it not a good idea to check more than one box.
I want to keep the first date (September 2015) just in case I am not able to take mcat again or will ABP/universities accept my old scores even though I have not mentioned in the application that I took mcat?

Thanks.

 

[MTL_MED]

Hello,

I am applying to Irish med schools for the 2016 entry. I am done with the application, personal statement. However, I am stuck on a decision. I took MCAT in September of this year and got 493 (which I believe hovers around old 21-22) but I am now planning to give it in January as well as I believe I can do much better by preparing for a longer time (will have around 3 months) and doing lots of practice tests. So, in the application where it asks for MCAT dates can I check BOTH the boxes for my previous mcat date as well as the one I will be giving in or is it not a good idea to check more than one box.
I want to keep the first date (September 2015) just in case I am not able to take mcat again or will ABP/universities accept my old scores even though I have not mentioned in the application that I took mcat?

Thanks.

You have to disclose the date of any MCAT exam you wrote and intend on writing. Tick both boxes (September and January) and if you don't end up writing in January then notify them later on.

 

[Tn615pride]

Hey y'all! Was just wondering if anyone would have an idea of how competitive I am. I am applying to the 5 year programs at TCD and NUIG that do not require MCAT scores. My undergrad cGPA was 3.81 with an upward trend. I graduated in 2015 with a BA in Biology and Psychology. I was the pres of an academic service org and was very involved in my church group, with which I went on several mission trips. I currently volunteer at a clinic for uninsured immigrants and refugees and work at the airport. I did about 2.5 years of "research" (primarily data entry for a registry) while at school as well. I've also shadowed physicians in both surgery and internal medicine. There are some things I wasn't able to touch on in my personal statement due to the short length limit but that I made sure they were included on the resume I sent in. Also, I wasn't planning on sending in my high school transcripts, although I graduated top 8% in my class of 365 people with a 4.3 out of 4.0 GPA due to AP classes. Should I send in my high school transcripts or would they really pay much attention since I have an undergrad degree?

 

[Medstart108]

Hey y'all! Was just wondering if anyone would have an idea of how competitive I am. I am applying to the 5 year programs at TCD and NUIG that do not require MCAT scores. My undergrad cGPA was 3.81 with an upward trend. I graduated in 2015 with a BA in Biology and Psychology. I was the pres of an academic service org and was very involved in my church group, with which I went on several mission trips. I currently volunteer at a clinic for uninsured immigrants and refugees and work at the airport. I did about 2.5 years of "research" (primarily data entry for a registry) while at school as well. I've also shadowed physicians in both surgery and internal medicine. There are some things I wasn't able to touch on in my personal statement due to the short length limit but that I made sure they were included on the resume I sent in. Also, I wasn't planning on sending in my high school transcripts, although I graduated top 8% in my class of 365 people with a 4.3 out of 4.0 GPA due to AP classes. Should I send in my high school transcripts or would they really pay much attention since I have an undergrad degree?

I think you have a great chance. I would send your high school transcripts. Ireland evaluates applicants holistically, they don't have hard cutoffs on what they look at and what they don't.

 

[superbugwoman]

Hi all,
I have applied to the Atlantic Bridge Program however have yet to write the MCAT. I know they accept up to April 2016 so thats what I put down in my application for a writing date, however today I noticed many previous acceptances came much earlier. Am I putting myself at a serious disadvantage by writing so late? Should I try to bump it up by a month or two?
Your thoughts are appreciated.

 

[deleted158872]

Hi all,
I have applied to the Atlantic Bridge Program however have yet to write the MCAT. I know they accept up to April 2016 so thats what I put down in my application for a writing date, however today I noticed many previous acceptances came much earlier. Am I putting myself at a serious disadvantage by writing so late? Should I try to bump it up by a month or two?
Your thoughts are appreciated.

don't wait till April to take the MCAT. first round of acceptances come in March. there is second round for some schools, but fewer seats will be left by then.

 

[MTL_MED]

Hi all,
I have applied to the Atlantic Bridge Program however have yet to write the MCAT. I know they accept up to April 2016 so thats what I put down in my application for a writing date, however today I noticed many previous acceptances came much earlier. Am I putting myself at a serious disadvantage by writing so late? Should I try to bump it up by a month or two?
Your thoughts are appreciated.

You cannot bump it up by a month or two, the only dates between now and April are in January.

 

[MTL_MED]

Hi all,
I have applied to the Atlantic Bridge Program however have yet to write the MCAT. I know they accept up to April 2016 so thats what I put down in my application for a writing date, however today I noticed many previous acceptances came much earlier. Am I putting myself at a serious disadvantage by writing so late? Should I try to bump it up by a month or two?
Your thoughts are appreciated.

Better to write it in April and score well than rush to do it in January and score poorly. If you do well many schools will still be considering students in May when you receive your score, although many offers will have been released by then.

 

[superbugwoman]

Thanks for your input. What if i wrote in January, then again in April if I score really poorly?

 

[drmmh]

Any ideas of what I should be aiming for on my MCAT to have the best chance of getting in?
Aside from the obvious 528...haha


My country of citizenship is: U.S.A
My undergraduate degrees: Biochemistry 3.32 GPA, Global Health 3.79 GPA
My graduate degree: MSc in Immunology, I did this coursework at a University in Ireland, and received a 2:1, which is equivalent to a B average
My MCAT Scores were: writing them in January
EC's: A summer working in a hospital pharmacy in Dublin, 1 year of epidemiology and epizoology research during my undergraduate degree, 6 months epidemiology internship with my county health department, 1 year as the campaign coordinator for GlobeMed, my current job is an environmental health specialist with my county health department

I applied to: UCD, UCC, TCU
I was accepted at:
I was waitlisted at:
I was rejected from:

My first choice school is: TCU

I have applied to medical schools this many times: 1

 

[popeyespinach]

If we are doing this lol, I'll join in.



My country of citizenship is: Canadian
My undergraduate degrees: Pure Math/Applied Math 84%
My graduate degree: Pursuing MSc in Math ~85% so far
My MCAT Scores were: Not writing MCAT
EC's: bunch of math related work experience in tutoring, teaching. Review paper in dosimetry journal. Two summer research terms, one in a math bio and one in computer science/physics. Working at medical clinic right now.
I applied to: TCD, NUIG
I was accepted at:
I was waitlisted at:
I was rejected from:

My first choice school is: Either. From the research I have done, both have a reputation of being fantastic schools.

I have applied to medical schools this many times: 1

 

[b0000ud]

My country of citizenship is: Canadian
My undergraduate degrees: Double major in Biology and Forensic Science, minor in chemistry
GPA: 3.68
EC's: 2 research positions, former varsity athlete, coaching, volunteering in the cancer ward, university paid for me to complete a cultural exchange in China, researcher for my university's medical society, etc.
I applied to: TCD
I was accepted at:
I was waitlisted at:
I was rejected from:

My first choice school is: TCD

I have applied to medical schools this many times: 1

I was wondering if anyone know when we hear back from the schools? Will they email us when they receive our app? Will they email us rejection/acceptance and if so when does that happen? Anyone have any idea what my odds are?

 

[basketball123]

Hey there everyone!
Currently studying at NUIG this is my first year here and if you have any questions let me know !

 

[OcoDoc22]

Hey there everyone!
Currently studying at NUIG this is my first year here and if you have any questions let me know !

Are you in the 5 years program? Can you share you stats, and when you applied/accepted? Also, if you are an American, how did you finance for NUIG? Sorry for my too many questions

 

[popeyespinach]

^What OcoDoc22 above asked and:
1. How many students are in your year at NUIG that are from Canada?
2. Have you heard about any Canadians/Americans who graduated from NUIG and decided to pursue an internship in Ireland? If so, were they successful? How are the options looking for those who want to stay in Ireland? I ask this because with Aus it's really difficult to have fallback internships in Aus, if one isn't able to match back home.

Thanks again basketball123!

 

[Mowgli33]

My country of citizenship is: Canadian
My undergraduate degrees: Biochemistry + Microbiology & Immunology, cGPA: 3.84
My graduate degree: 1-year course and project-based MSc in Microbiology & Immunology (GPA ~3.9)
My MCAT Scores were: 33 (11/9/13)
EC's: Lots of laboratory and research experience (paid and unpaid), tutoring, peer mentor for first year students, executive positions in student organizations, charity representative

I applied to: UCD, UCC
I was accepted at:
I was waitlisted at:
I was rejected from:

My first choice school is: UCD

I have applied to medical schools this many times: 1

Good luck to everyone!!

 

[MTL_MED]

My country of citizenship is: Canadian
My undergraduate degrees: Biochemistry + Microbiology & Immunology, cGPA: 3.84
My graduate degree: 1-year course and project-based MSc in Microbiology & Immunology (GPA ~3.9)
My MCAT Scores were: 33 (11/9/13)
EC's: Lots of laboratory and research experience (paid and unpaid), tutoring, peer mentor for first year students, executive positions in student organizations, charity representative

I applied to: UCD, UCC
I was accepted at:
I was waitlisted at:
I was rejected from:

My first choice school is: UCD

I have applied to medical schools this many times: 1

Good luck to everyone!!

Wow, great stats. I think you chances are definitely very good at both schools. I know the irish schools that don't do interviews care a lot about the mcat and ranked students based on their scores (its more important than GPA for sure). Can i ask why you aren't applying to Canadian or US schools with your scores?

 

[Mowgli33]

@MTL_MED Thank you! I am applying to Canadian schools and some US schools as well, but I thought I'd apply to Ireland just to keep my options open. But also I've spent my whole life living in the GTA area, and have always wanted to live in a different country. I've never been to Ireland, but have heard a lot of good things from people who are studying there/ have lived there. I figure going to medical school would be a good reason to move abroad for a few years.

 

[RCSIGEM1]

Hi all,
I'm a first year GEM student at RCSI (4 year program). I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. I noticed a lot of people are worried about their stats and I would encourage you to relax and apply anyways. I think this program in particular does a good job at looking at the applicant holistically and doesn't just rule people out based on MCAT score. I know someone who was conditionally accepted despite a very low score, based on raising their score a reasonable amount, although to be fair this is definitely uncommon. I think the biggest things they look for, obviously besides from being fairly well qualified academically, is that the person has a strong interest in medicine (sounds ridiculous but you'd be surprised), some experience that has validated this (they are especially interested in biomedical research), and is genuinely interested in being in Ireland.

Good luck to everyone applying and try to stay positive.

 

[Em4234]

Hi all,
I'm a first year GEM student at RCSI (4 year program). I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. I noticed a lot of people are worried about their stats and I would encourage you to relax and apply anyways. I think this program in particular does a good job at looking at the applicant holistically and doesn't just rule people out based on MCAT score. I know someone who was conditionally accepted despite a very low score, based on raising their score a reasonable amount, although to be fair this is definitely uncommon. I think the biggest things they look for, obviously besides from being fairly well qualified academically, is that the person has a strong interest in medicine (sounds ridiculous but you'd be surprised), some experience that has validated this (they are especially interested in biomedical research), and is genuinely interested in being in Ireland.

Good luck to everyone applying and try to stay positive.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our qs. I have recently applied to the 4 yr program as well and I had a couple of questions.
1- I have a 509 MCAT score (above 80th percentile overall - low CARs -the rest of the sections all above 87%) and a 3.7 GPA with lots of ECs. Am I competitive enough ?

2- I am Canadian and just like everyone I am worried about matching (I dun mind moving to states after at all). Based on that is RCSI the best school to attend in terms of the match rate (alum) ? Because it is considerably more expensive than the other 3 (Cork , Dublin, Limerick) and it seems like Limerick had a better 2015 match rate!

3- How do people set up their own rotation ? What % of people are successful doing that ? and when do we have a chance to do the abroad rotation (how many weeks what year etc.) and when students come back from their rotation do they feel like the education system is way too different? Cuz I heard irish schools are all about taking history and students do not do too much procedural typa activities.

4- I have heard some negative comments about RCSI "old" facilities. is that true ?

5- How is the housing environment? and how much would you say you spend a year all included (school, books etc)

6- I know Limerick gives students pdf of the books to help them save money! does RCSI help in that regard? or buying books is a MUST?

7- Considering the increase in # of IMGs would you recommend going abroad based on what youve heard in the school ?

Thank you again. Sorry for all the Qs! It is truly a big decision to make and I want to be prepared for whats coming.

 

[UBC2014]

Thank you for taking the time to answer our qs. I have recently applied to the 4 yr program as well and I had a couple of questions.
1- I have a 509 MCAT score (above 80th percentile overall - low CARs -the rest of the sections all above 87%) and a 3.7 GPA with lots of ECs. Am I competitive enough ?

2- I am Canadian and just like everyone I am worried about matching (I dun mind moving to states after at all). Based on that is RCSI the best school to attend in terms of the match rate (alum) ? Because it is considerably more expensive than the other 3 (Cork , Dublin, Limerick) and it seems like Limerick had a better 2015 match rate!

3- How do people set up their own rotation ? What % of people are successful doing that ? and when do we have a chance to do the abroad rotation (how many weeks what year etc.) and when students come back from their rotation do they feel like the education system is way too different? Cuz I heard irish schools are all about taking history and students do not do too much procedural typa activities.

4- I have heard some negative comments about RCSI "old" facilities. is that true ?

5- How is the housing environment? and how much would you say you spend a year all included (school, books etc)

6- I know Limerick gives students pdf of the books to help them save money! does RCSI help in that regard? or buying books is a MUST?

7- Considering the increase in # of IMGs would you recommend going abroad based on what youve heard in the school ?

Thank you again. Sorry for all the Qs! It is truly a big decision to make and I want to be prepared for whats coming.

Your stats seem decent - why not apply to US medical schools?

Or is the CAD:EURO doing better than the CAD:USD? either way, training will be super expensive with the poor canadian dollar. So make sure before you even apply you have the means to attend, carry the debt load and interest payments, and etc.

 

[Medstart108]

Thank you for taking the time to answer our qs. I have recently applied to the 4 yr program as well and I had a couple of questions.
1- I have a 509 MCAT score (above 80th percentile overall - low CARs -the rest of the sections all above 87%) and a 3.7 GPA with lots of ECs. Am I competitive enough ?

Yes.

2- I am Canadian and just like everyone I am worried about matching (I dun mind moving to states after at all). Based on that is RCSI the best school to attend in terms of the match rate (alum) ? Because it is considerably more expensive than the other 3 (Cork , Dublin, Limerick) and it seems like Limerick had a better 2015 match rate!

I believe the answer is no, if cost is an issue then its worth going to a cheaper school. Match rates aren't really dependent on school. RCSI seems to be the most consistent school but it also has the greatest numbers.

3- How do people set up their own rotation ? What % of people are successful doing that ? and when do we have a chance to do the abroad rotation (how many weeks what year etc.) and when students come back from their rotation do they feel like the education system is way too different? Cuz I heard irish schools are all about taking history and students do not do too much procedural typa activities.

No clue how successful people are now but from people who did school back several years ago it wasn't too hard. Now you just use the AFMC student portal to register for Canadian electives. Irish schools, RCSI, UCD and TCD in particular have agreements with US med schools to send some students to those places each year. Whether you need those agreements its a bit more questionable though.

4- I have heard some negative comments about RCSI "old" facilities. is that true ?

Not sure.

5- How is the housing environment? and how much would you say you spend a year all included (school, books etc)

Not sure.

6- I know Limerick gives students pdf of the books to help them save money! does RCSI help in that regard? or buying books is a MUST?

Not sure.

7- Considering the increase in # of IMGs would you recommend going abroad based on what youve heard in the school ?

Depends on your stats. I would go to the states first before Ireland no question. DO vs IMG is a bit harder question to decide regarding Canadian matching but for US matching DO is definitely the better option.

Thank you again. Sorry for all the Qs! It is truly a big decision to make and I want to be prepared for whats coming.

 

[Em4234]

Your stats seem decent - why not apply to US medical schools?

Or is the CAD:AUD doing better than the CAD:USD? either way, training will be super expensive with the poor canadian dollar. So make sure before you even apply you have the means to attend, carry the debt load and interest payments, and etc.

I have applied to US schools and quite frankly I hoped for a better cycle! Ive seen people with less ideal stats compared to mine getting interviews. I think it has to do with the fact that I am Canadian and the seats are limited for internationals. I loved to attend a US school given the chance ! Would you recommend me to wait a year and reapply or just go to ireland Its a hard decision
In terms of finances, In the website they said that you can easily get loans from RBC, Scotia Bank etc. You would also e considered for grants and even OSAP for irish schools! This makes ireland an easier choice compared to state schools (they end up to be about the same price except getting loans for ireland is easier) , correct me if I'm wrong.

Thank you

 

[UBC2014]

I have applied to US schools and quite frankly I hoped for a better cycle! Ive seen people with less ideal stats compared to mine getting interviews. I think it has to do with the fact that I am Canadian and the seats are limited for internationals. I loved to attend a US school given the chance ! Would you recommend me to wait a year and reapply or just go to ireland Its a hard decision
In terms of finances, In the website they said that you can easily get loans from RBC, Scotia Bank etc. You would also e considered for grants and even OSAP for irish schools! This makes ireland an easier choice compared to state schools (they end up to be about the same price except getting loans for ireland is easier) , correct me if I'm wrong.

Thank you

What was your US school list you applied to?

Regardless, the bank loan + osap, with the current weak CAD will not cover the full Cost of Attendance for most US schools. I am not sure about Australian schools, but i'd imagine it would be tight also.

Also...the loan situation is no different for US v.s. Ireland. I'm not sure why you would think that. Its just a matter if the cost of attendance, if one is more feasible than the other. OSAP works just fine for US schools, as do the same bank loans. Getting loans for ireland is not "easier".

You need to do more research.

 

[UBC2014]

CAD:USD is 1:0.79 right now and CAD to Euro is 1: 0.62

Looking at RCSI tuition its 51K euro alone..so thats about 80K CAD.

Cork is 40K euro.. so about 65K CAD...this would still not be doable on loans alone.

Loans alone WILL NOT COVER your total COA to attend those schools.

So for anyone considering, figure out finances first before wasting time applying.

 

[Em4234]

What was your US school list you applied to?

Regardless, the bank loan + osap, with the current weak CAD will not cover the full Cost of Attendance for most US schools. I am not sure about Australian schools, but i'd imagine it would be tight also.

Also...the loan situation is no different for US v.s. Ireland. I'm not sure why you would think that. Its just a matter if the cost of attendance, if one is more feasible than the other. OSAP works just fine for US schools, as do the same bank loans. Getting loans for ireland is not "easier".

You need to do more research.

I applied to: VCU- Utah - NYMC - Georgetown - GW - Maryland - Boston - Howard - MSU - CMU - Sunny upstate - New Jersey - Jefferson - Upenn - Columbia and maybe a couple more

The financial information is directly from the Atlantic bridge program. I am sure you cannot apply for OSAP to attend US MD schools. Also I have spoken to Scotia and RBC rep and they all said it is very difficult to even get 200k to study medicine in states (you need your parents to cosign it etc) and as you mentioned CAD:US $ rate isnt helping ! here is why I thought getting loans for irish schools might be a bit "easier": (I might be wrong but a couple of friends of mine got into a US Med a couple years back and none of them mentioned getting federal loans !

Canada Student Loan Program
The National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University College Cork (UCC) and University College Dublin (UCD) are considered eligible institutions by the Canadian Ministry of Education. Canadian students are welcomed to apply for Canadian Federal loans, Provincial loans and Federal grants.
The Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) offers financial assistance to those students who have been out of high school for four years and do not have parental annual gross income as a factor in determining the amount of their loan. This is important, as many students studying in Ireland have completed a four-year undergraduate bachelor’s degree at the time of entering one of the universities. The usual loan awarded varies by province.

 

[Em4234]

CAD:USD is 1:0.79 right now and CAD to Euro is 1: 0.62

Looking at RCSI tuition its 51K euro alone..so thats about 80K CAD.

Cork is 40K euro.. so about 65K CAD...this would still not be doable on loans alone.

Loans alone WILL NOT COVER your total COA to attend those schools.

So for anyone considering, figure out finances first before wasting time applying.

Absolutely. I was not planning on relaying on loans alone ! That wouldnt be enough ! not for US Med schools nor for Ireland !

 

[MissGlassSir]

Hey guys,

Gotta question about the Irish (AB) schools and the application timeline and acceptances.

I applied to the 3 Title-IV-funded 4-year schools (UCD, RCSI, and Cork) several years ago... Got my apps in around March, I think, which I was told was late but still OK. My GPA was near their average and my MCAT was wayyy higher than average, plus I have plenty on my rez... I thought I was a shoe-in and was totallh horrified when I received my rejections in, like, June.

I've now decided to apply again; through a casual conversation with one of the admissions counselors (they're all particularly nice, BTW, aren't they?), it came up that I'd applied wayyy late last time and that, even though they, ummm, happily took my application fees, my apps were basically throw-aways... I'm majorly misquoting, of course, but that was the gist of it. They agreed to use my now-expired MCAT as a "stand-in" (especially for the RSCI interviews), especially considering it was very high and I subsequently taught/tutored MCAT for years.

Because this new version is now only given a few times a year, however, I was only able to get an April 1st test-date, which they assured me would be fine; I'm worried, however, that we're
looking at a repeat of my previous experience, as my scores won't even be released till late-April/early-May.

So my question's two-fold...
1) Has anyone had a POSITIVE experience with ABP and late admissions (particularly in regards to late MCATs)?
2) Is there a reason - i.e., a reason that negatively impacts American applicants - that nearly all ABP students are Canadian? Do these Irish schools have affiliations, for instance, with pre-med programs at various Canadian schools, and thus your chances of acceptance as an American grad are much lower (i.e., like how it's way easier to get into an Ivy coming from a fancy prep-school than a zone high school)?

Thanks so much in advance. I'm still applying (already have!) and still sitting for the April exam, but just wanted some feedback on the process... In order, I suppose, to guage whether my hopes are moot.

 

[UBC2014]

I applied to: VCU- Utah - NYMC - Georgetown - GW - Maryland - Boston - Howard - MSU - CMU - Sunny upstate - New Jersey - Jefferson - Upenn - Columbia and maybe a couple more

The financial information is directly from the Atlantic bridge program. I am sure you cannot apply for OSAP to attend US MD schools. Also I have spoken to Scotia and RBC rep and they all said it is very difficult to even get 200k to study medicine in states (you need your parents to cosign it etc) and as you mentioned CAD:US $ rate isnt helping ! here is why I thought getting loans for irish schools might be a bit "easier": (I might be wrong but a couple of friends of mine got into a US Med a couple years back and none of them mentioned getting federal loans !

Canada Student Loan Program
The National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University College Cork (UCC) and University College Dublin (UCD) are considered eligible institutions by the Canadian Ministry of Education. Canadian students are welcomed to apply for Canadian Federal loans, Provincial loans and Federal grants.
The Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) offers financial assistance to those students who have been out of high school for four years and do not have parental annual gross income as a factor in determining the amount of their loan. This is important, as many students studying in Ireland have completed a four-year undergraduate bachelor’s degree at the time of entering one of the universities. The usual loan awarded varies by province.

.... Yes, you are wrong.

I know for a fact that that friends at US schools have gotten 275K with cosigner. I myself received the loan also, before i was admitted to a Canadian program. Whoever you talked to at the bank has no idea what they are talking about, as all of the major banks have given 200k+ to Canadians attending US medical schools, provided they had cosigner(standard practice for anyone going abroad for education).

There is zero difference. You go abroad, its all one and the same, doesnt matter US, Carribean, Ireland etc for bank loans. You will have to have a cosigner.

You also say you are sure that you cannot apply for OSAP to attend US schools...again, this is absolutely wrong. I have friends who are on OSAP, and attending US medical schools.

Heck, I have friends in the carribean who are also using OSAP.

Please get your facts right.

 

[UBC2014]

Based on the quick napkin math, Ireland is not any more feasible than US medical schools.

US Medical schools have the extreme benefit of being...you guessed it...US medical schools. Where will you be doing your residency? Most likely the US.

If you have any idea what USDO schools are, there are a couple of solid programs that are Canadian friendly, that i'd recommend over foreign programs.

The cost issue still remains the same.

 

[Em4234]

.... Yes, you are wrong.

I know for a fact that that friends at US schools have gotten 275K with cosigner. I myself received the loan also, before i was admitted to a Canadian program. Whoever you talked to at the bank has no idea what they are talking about, as all of the major banks have given 200k+ to Canadians attending US medical schools, provided they had cosigner(standard practice for anyone going abroad for education).

There is zero difference. You go abroad, its all one and the same, doesnt matter US, Carribean, Ireland etc for bank loans. You will have to have a cosigner.

You also say you are sure that you cannot apply for OSAP to attend US schools...again, this is absolutely wrong. I have friends who are on OSAP, and attending US medical schools.

Heck, I have friends in the carribean who are also using OSAP.

Please get your facts right.

Thank you for letting me know I was not trying to spread wrong information by any means I simply stated what Ive heard thats all ! I am glad that we do have those opportunities everywhere else Again I certainly would have attended a US school if I could but unfortunately this whole process does not give you much to decide on. So you gotta do what you can with what you have to make it happen.
PS. I am aware that you need a cosigner to study abroad but you should also know that unless your parents have a huge equity (on their house etc) none of the banks are going to offer you 275K! yes I have heard someone get over 300K cuz his parents owned a 5 mil $ house.

Either way thank you very much for taking the time to explain things afterall thats what SDN is for . Helping and correcting each other

 

[UBC2014]

Thank you for letting me know I was not trying to spread wrong information by any means I simply stated what Ive heard thats all ! I am glad that we do have those opportunities everywhere else Again I certainly would have attended a US school if I could but unfortunately this whole process does not give you much to decide on. So you gotta do what you can with what you have to make it happen.
PS. I am aware that you need a cosigner to study abroad but you should also know that unless your parents have a huge equity (on their house etc) none of the banks are going to offer you 275K! yes I have heard someone get over 300K cuz his parents owned a 5 mil $ house.

Either way thank you very much for taking the time to explain things afterall thats what SDN is for . Helping and correcting each other

Happy to help!

 

[RCSIGEM1]

Thank you for taking the time to answer our qs. I have recently applied to the 4 yr program as well and I had a couple of questions.

Hi- no problem, i'm happy to help. Although I will say I'm not well versed in all the stats, just the information that I find important for my particular case. Also, i'm just going to speak to matching in the US/USMLE because I don't know enough about the Canadian program to accurately comment on it.


1- I have a 509 MCAT score (above 80th percentile overall - low CARs -the rest of the sections all above 87%) and a 3.7 GPA with lots of ECs. Am I competitive enough ?
Based on what I know, your stats seem like they would be competitive enough. I know that RCSI may be more stringent this year because last year more people than expected accepted their offer, so they may be likely to give out less offers, at least at first. Regardless, I think your stats are solid.

2- I am Canadian and just like everyone I am worried about matching (I dun mind moving to states after at all). Based on that is RCSI the best school to attend in terms of the match rate (alum) ? Because it is considerably more expensive than the other 3 (Cork , Dublin, Limerick) and it seems like Limerick had a better 2015 match rate! I chose RCSI because I thought it was my best bet in terms of matching.
They tailor their curriculum towards the USMLE, mentioning in particular when something in particular is important to the test or when their lectures lack info that is important to the USMLE. I know in the past they've had an excellent match rate and have a number of strong relationships with US hospitals. When thinking about Limerick, just remember that it is a very new program and that it is based on PBL. They did have a great match rate last year. Other than that, I can't really comment on the other programs and their match rates. If you go to RCSI and do well, do several rotations in the states, and score well on the USMLE, I don't think you'd have any trouble matching (this obviously depends on the specialty you are after

3- How do people set up their own rotation ? What % of people are successful doing that ? and when do we have a chance to do the abroad rotation (how many weeks what year etc.) and when students come back from their rotation do they feel like the education system is way too different? Cuz I heard irish schools are all about taking history and students do not do too much procedural typa activities.
In terms of % of people successful at setting up rotations, i'm not even sure if they release that information and i'm not at that point in my education, but I do know that RCSI helps everyone to get rotations and that if you want to set up your own rotation, it's very important to be proactive and make connections early on your own terms via shadowing and research prior to the program. I did have a cousin who graduate from RCSI and is now an Attending at a well known Boston hospital in heme/onc. He did say that when he came back he felt he was very well versed at taking patient histories, which is incredibly important, but that in terms of following the patients throughout their care, he did have some catch up to play. That being said, he assured me this was not a major discrepancy and is easily picked up once training begins.

4- I have heard some negative comments about RCSI "old" facilities. is that true ? Some of the facilities aren't very new, but they are in the process of constructing some new buildings. The library is relatively small and it's kitchen area is ****. The building in Sandyford, where you'll spend most of your time first year, is nice enough, but it's also a commute (for most people), and isolated from the rest of the RCSI community. You will spend most of your day in one big room with rotating instructors. The dissection room in the main campus, where you will have anatomy, is fairly decent I think. The gym is also tiny with limited resources.

5- How is the housing environment? and how much would you say you spend a year all included (school, books etc) Everyone I know sought out their own accommodation. The housing through RCSI is more for the 5 and 6 year programs. You can avail of it, but it would mean living with 18 year olds. I spend around 700 euro on rent each month to live in a convenient area with one roommate and a decent amount of space.

6- I know Limerick gives students pdf of the books to help them save money! does RCSI help in that regard? or buying books is a MUST? No, but I was able to get almost all books I needed through other students. People are really great about sharing PDFS and I have a surplus of PDF texts, most I don't even use. I wouldn't worry about that. Also, the library has all the texts and they are really accessible. I wouldn't worry about this.

7- Considering the increase in # of IMGs would you recommend going abroad based on what youve heard in the school ? I mean obviously I am biased, because I did..... But from what I know from the later years and people I know who have personally gone through the program, matching is very do-able, provided you plan on putting the time in to do well, secure rotations in the states, and try to make connections, study your ass off and do well on the USMLE. If you have your heart set on a specialty that is difficult to match in (which is probably sort of premature anyways), than I would be wary of studying abroad because it will only be that much more difficult.

If you have any other Q's i'm happy to answer. I have an Irish friend who is in their final year at UL and has 7 interviews in the states, which is wonderful. It seems like you are thinking a lot about their program, and I wouldn't want to deter you at all from that. I just am not the right person to give that info.

 

[deleted212936]

Could you please answer this question from the RCSI thread? https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/rcsi-student-here.979889/page-2#post-17307235

 

[basketball123]

Are you in the 5 years program? Can you share you stats, and when you applied/accepted? Also, if you are an American, how did you finance for NUIG? Sorry for my too many questions

Hey there! sorry for my late reply but I have been busy! I am a Canadian in the the 6 year program. I applied in November and was accepted in i think march? unfortunately you are on your own for funding. TBH the school is not big and I pre much know ALL of the international students (from canada atleast) in first second and third year. The match rate of NUIG is really good last year everyone except 1 person didn't match back and i happened to know the person. In my year currently there is 8 of us Canadians and zero americans. I know there is 3 americans in first year and a couple in 2nd year. Like I said the uni is small and if you do end up coming here I will most likely end up meeting you!

 

[Medstart108]

Hey guys,

Gotta question about the Irish (AB) schools and the application timeline and acceptances.

I applied to the 3 Title-IV-funded 4-year schools (UCD, RCSI, and Cork) several years ago... Got my apps in around March, I think, which I was told was late but still OK. My GPA was near their average and my MCAT was wayyy higher than average, plus I have plenty on my rez... I thought I was a shoe-in and was totallh horrified when I received my rejections in, like, June.

I've now decided to apply again; through a casual conversation with one of the admissions counselors (they're all particularly nice, BTW, aren't they?), it came up that I'd applied wayyy late last time and that, even though they, ummm, happily took my application fees, my apps were basically throw-aways... I'm majorly misquoting, of course, but that was the gist of it. They agreed to use my now-expired MCAT as a "stand-in" (especially for the RSCI interviews), especially considering it was very high and I subsequently taught/tutored MCAT for years.

Because this new version is now only given a few times a year, however, I was only able to get an April 1st test-date, which they assured me would be fine; I'm worried, however, that we're
looking at a repeat of my previous experience, as my scores won't even be released till late-April/early-May.

So my question's two-fold...
1) Has anyone had a POSITIVE experience with ABP and late admissions (particularly in regards to late MCATs)?
2) Is there a reason - i.e., a reason that negatively impacts American applicants - that nearly all ABP students are Canadian? Do these Irish schools have affiliations, for instance, with pre-med programs at various Canadian schools, and thus your chances of acceptance as an American grad are much lower (i.e., like how it's way easier to get into an Ivy coming from a fancy prep-school than a zone high school)?

Thanks so much in advance. I'm still applying (already have!) and still sitting for the April exam, but just wanted some feedback on the process... In order, I suppose, to guage whether my hopes are moot.

There are fewer American applicants mostly because American medical schools are easier to get into than Canadian ones. Most Canadian medical schools, especially so in provinces like Ontario and BC are about as hard to get into as mid to high tier American schools.

As a result, the Canadians who do end up going abroad tend to have better stats than Americans. This generally makes them more competitive than Americans.

 

[CDWelsh]

Got invited for an interview with a representative from the Royal Surgeons College of Ireland. Pretty stoked! Anyone happen to know what I might expect for the interview?

 

[Em4234]

Got invited for an interview with a representative from the Royal Surgeons College of Ireland. Pretty stoked! Anyone happen to know what I might expect for the interview?

Congratz ! Do you mind sharing your stats and whether you are canadian citizen or US citizen? Also were you informed tro email or it was a phone call ? thank you ! and GOOD LUCK !!!!

 

[CDWelsh]

Congratz ! Do you mind sharing your stats and whether you are canadian citizen or US citizen? Also were you informed tro email or it was a phone call ? thank you ! and GOOD LUCK !!!!

I was informed via email at about 2:00 PM (est) yesterday and I'm a U.S. Citizen. Thank you, I'm very excited!

 

[UBC1995]

Congrats CDWelsh!
Anyone else got interviews for Irish Schools?

 

[CDWelsh]

When I called to confirm a time, they mentioned Toronto interview dates were March 1-3, just if that's helpful

 

[CowboyNiceguy]

Is it too late to be worth applying to Ireland for this cycle? The deadline is in about two weeks but I don't know if most spots are filled already. They didn't answer that question in my email.

US citizen, 3.9 GPA 37 mcat, if that matters.

 

[MTL_MED]

Is it too late to be worth applying to Ireland for this cycle? The deadline is in about two weeks but I don't know if most spots are filled already. They didn't answer that question in my email.

US citizen, 3.9 GPA 37 mcat, if that matters.

What deadline are you referring to? On all the forms I saw the application deadline was November 16th.

 

[CowboyNiceguy]

What deadline are you referring to? On all the forms I saw the application deadline was November 16th.

I requested an application for 2017 and they said they aren't taking them yet, but are accepting apps for 2016 with a deadline of Feb 15.

 

[CDWelsh]

Also received an invitation to interview via Skype with UCD today.

 

[jraham]

Also received an invitation to interview via Skype with UCD today.

I was unaware that UCD conducts interviews. I thought only RCSI and Limerick held interviews?

 

[CDWelsh]

I was unaware that UCD conducts interviews. I thought only RCSI and Limerick held interviews?

I mean, it's a Skype interview, for what that's worth...but nope, it's goin down February 1st, it seems!

 

[MTL_MED]

I was unaware that UCD conducts interviews. I thought only RCSI and Limerick held interviews?

Thats what I thought too, thats how it worked last year, evidently its different this year!

 

[jraham]

This was how it worked last year, evidently its different this year!

ABP should update their FAQ perhaps. It doesn't reflect UCD as one of the schools that interviews.

I mean, it's a Skype interview, for what that's worth...but nope, it's goin down February 1st, it seems!

Good luck!