Hey everyone!

I am a Canadian applicant who applied to some US medical schools. I applied relatively early, with all secondaries submitted by the end of July. I noticed that I was rejected from schools such as west virginia university SOM and Anne burnett SOM at TCU. This was unexpected because their MCAT/GPA averages are quite low and according to MSAR (511, 508) they are Canadian friendly.

I also scored a 3Q on casper, and 97th percentile on preview.

I have decent ECs, including: 1000+ hrs of paid research ~900 hrs of clinical work experience 200 hrs clinical volunteer experience ~1000 hrs non medical volunteer experience As well as many ECs (clubs, sports, etc.)

My MCAT is a 513 and GPA is 4.0. I don't believe I had any red flags/poorly written personal statement. I also had my work reviewed by others.

Is this a common occurrence? I am honestly pretty surprised...

Hey everyone,

As the title says, I really flopped my first two years of undergrad, and it’s starting to hit me just how badly this might affect my future.

In my first year, I ended up with a 60% average, failed a couple of courses — including general chemistry, which is a prerequisite for courses like biochem, orgo, inorgo, etc. Because of this, I’ve had to push those important courses back until third year. For context, I’m studying in Canada, and this translates to around a 1.7 GPA or a C-.

Now I’m in my second year, and things haven’t improved much. In first semester, I failed two more courses, including gen chem again. I’m now planning to retake it in the summer, and this time, I’m not allowed to fail. I don’t plan on failing again — I’m putting everything into it.

Looking ahead, I’m aiming to finish third and fourth year with a 4.0 GPA, but that means my overall average would still look something like:

1.7, 1.7, 4.0, 4.0 — or roughly a 3.5 cumulative GPA.

Even with a strong upward trend and hopefully a high MCAT score, I’m really worried about how this will be seen by U.S. med schools. I know some Canadian schools, like Western, drop your lowest two years, but even that’s only one option and already super competitive.

I guess I’m just looking for some guidance or reassurance from anyone who’s been in a similar spot or has insight into how admissions committees might view this kind of trajectory. I’m incredibly anxious, especially since I’m Canadian, which limits the number of U.S. schools I can apply to (around 60 total), and even fewer realistically due to application fees and other restrictions.

Do schools actually value upward trends? Would a 60, 60, 90, 90 with a great MCAT give me a fair shot anywhere?

I’m really sorry for the long post and if it sounds like I’m rambling — I’m just really worried about my future and would really appreciate any advice or encouragement.

I really want to have US as a backup for my med school dreams.

Thank you so much for reading.

Has anyone attended undergrad in Canada and med school in the US? Is this a complicated process compared to attending both undergrad and med school in the US? Is it harder for US citizens who graduated from Canadian universities to get into med schools in the US?

Thanks for your help. I have a student who wants to attend undergrad in Canada but wants to goto med school. But I don’t know anyone who went this route to ask.

Sorry if I chose the wrong flair. Trying to find people with knowledge about Canadian college grads (but US citizens).

Not Canadian, but from what I’ve read, you basically have to cure cancer, have seen your parents murdered in front of you, get a 528/4.0, and have done 7 tours with the peace corp to get into any Canadian med school.

So my question is, to you who have gotten into Canadian schools, what tf do your applications look like? Did you have to murder your competition? Did you just say fuck it, and create your own medical school so that you could become a doctor?

Hey!

Canadian applicant here, fortunate to have interviewed for 1 school I really loved. I can't find much guidance on writing an LOI. Would anyone be willing to read my draft and provide feedback?

Thank you!!

Will going to a US uni for my undergrad help for med school apps in the us? At the same time will it hurt my chances when applying for med school in canada? I cant decide whether to go to canada or US for my undergrad on a premed track

Hey guys! So I’m a Canadian student and am almost done with my engineering undergrad in Canada,. (will be working as an engineer straight after but am looking to apply to the US after.) I did my MCAT last year and got a 525. In Canada, they usually only look at your last 60 credits for GPA (which is my last 2 years). The thing is… my first 2 years were pretty rough. I wasn’t doing great and ended up with like a 2.79 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). But I turned things around in my last 2 years and have a 4.0 GPA (just the last two years).

I’m wondering if any US MD schools would focus more on my last 2 years or do most of them average everything out? I’m kinda worried that my earlier GPA is going to tank my chances completely. Does anyone have experience with this or know of schools that only look at the last 2 years or are my chances in the US over?

Hi! Canadian here looking to apply to both US MD and DO this upcoming cycle. I am missing Organic Chemistry I and II, Physics I and II, and English I and II, which I understand are pre-requisites at many schools in the US.

If I were to take these between September 2025-April 2026, would this affect my chances of admission? For context, I have a BSc and an MPH with a 3.84 and a 4.0 GPA on the US scale, respectively.

Hello! I’m considering the states as an option, and was wondering how much weight is placed on clinical experience? I have no shadowing experience right now as it’s discouraged by Canadian med schools but I would say aside from that my ecs are pretty strong. Stats are also 4.0 gpa and 524 MCAT, would appreciate any insights thanks!

Looking for help finding programs i can apply to as a canadian with a low gpa. Any help would be appreciated or any advice you guys may have. I struggled a lot in undergrad so now i’m looking for a second chance to prove my abilities

Currently hold a bsc in psychology and applying for the next medical school cycle. Interested in forensic psychiatry or functional psychiatry

I have just over 1.5 years ahead of me (best case scenario). In the meantime, are there any certifications or job opportunities I can do that will benefit this future career path? While also giving me something meaningful to do now, and perhaps use it for employment?

I have been stagnant for the past year and would like to take steps in the right direction

I am open to suggestions and feedback

Hi everyone, if I have questions on whether a course would meet prerequisites or if they fall under the science gpa courses, who do I contact? Amcas or the actual school I plan to apply to?

I took a health sciences degree and a lot of my science courses are in this faculty, i.e. biochemistry and immunology but the course code is health science. Wondering if these would still be counted for sgpa? Also, took a research for credit course/honours thesis but it was basically all biotechnology related and statistics through the independent work I did. Though this also has a health science code.

It is a little differently labeled here in Canada but I was wondering how this would translate into US MD schools? Can they still be used for sgpa? Or would it be better to email specific schools with my courses?

Repost, i posted at 3am and got nothing 🥹so posting this again I can’t seem to find any post except 1 that vaguely answers this

I am currently in my 4th year and am planning on applying this year.

I saw somewhere that Candian undergrad GPA is inflated when it is converted to the US requirement. Is this true? If so, is there a specific calculator that I can use to calculate my GPA?

Any help is appreciated!

Would med schools or admission officiate see records of attempted suicide or documents of self harm?

Its my first time applying to USMD and I am so confused right now lol, my stats are as follows:

GPA: 3.95 MCAT: 512 ECs: A lot of EDI and advocacy, 200 clinical hours (canadian so these are hard to get) Prereqs: i have math, physics, gen chem, stats and biochemistry but no orgo or english credits

This is the list I have made so far:

Uni of california, la school Uni of colorado Emory University of illinois Tulane Saint louis Washington uni Geisel Renaissance Sidney kimmel Warren alpert

Hi! I’d like to get this out before it slips my mind, but I’m a Canadian university student with plans for med school, whether it be in Canada, the US, or even the Caribbean. I’m going into my fourth year soon, but sadly, I’ve mucked up my GPA (and my science prerequisites with some Ds and C-s here and there, and my uni won’t permit me to retake as long as I get any passing grade) and likely won’t recover as well till graduation, so upon my first cycle of applications, I’d like to have a plan B as well in case I’m left with at least a year of nothing much to do. The sad reality in Canada is that, unlike the States, post-bac education is not offered, and if there is, I’m not too inclined to trust the programs they offer since they might be scams.

So, one of my back-ups is to do post-bac. Do US schools accept Canadian/International applicants into their post-bac programs? I’m hoping to be able to do post-bac not only to boost my GPA but to also recover my science prerequisites. My only main option in Canada is to do a second degree.

BONUS: For my fellow Canadians here who might have insight, would you say it’s better to take a second degree or do post-bac?

Any insight would be highly appreciated, thank you! ^{_^}

I don't know if Im gonna get hate for this and I know that Canada's health care is farrr from perfect but damn it must suck being an American who needs any healthcare. Im watching news reports about prior authorization policies and "not for profit" for profit hospitals and just how much money the insurance industry makes and I'm feeling like I would hate to be a cog in that machine. It's so competitive in Canada so I will be applying, but the more I learn about yalls healthcare system the more I imagine having the care im providing being compromised and the more desperate I get to be accepted in canada so i dont have to participate in that system.

Hi I’m looking to apply this year as a Canadian and, a few questions if I may.

1. I know most schools accept on a rolling basis and it’s imperative to apply early but truth is I need the extra 2 months to get a good score so I’ll be writing end of June. Am I essentially out of the running? Should I even bother?

2. Should I submit my primary before or after I write my mcat? Can I adjust the school list (like, add schools) after submitting my primary?

3. How is GPA calculated. I’ve looked everywhere online and I read two different versions: 1) there’s some pdf with AMCAS grade conversions online and it has a “Canadian” section with percentages but idk which percentage guide would be used for my undergrad. 2) they use the percentage to grade letter conversion on my transcript, which to that I ask, is A/A+ a 4, A- a 3.7 or 3.5, and what is B+???

4. Are there any Canadians who’ve been accepted who could PLEASE message me for help me out I would appreciate it so much

Your help is DEARLY appreciated

i’m currently finishing up my 4th year while doing a biology major and am conflicted about my next steps so i would really appreciate some insight! i’m doing my undergrad in canada but will be applying to both canadian and american medical schools. despite the overall upward trend, i have a cGPA of 3.2X and mcat score of 509 with some ECs. i will be rewriting my mcat this summer so hopefully i can attain a higher score and will be doing research too.

given my low cgpa, im debating between taking a 5th year or doing a 2-year absn program. i know taking a 5th year won’t affect my cgpa much but im hoping it’ll count enough for schools that look at your last few years of undergrad only (3rd and 4th year gpa have been 3.6-3.7). i am also open to going to caribbean/ireland/australian medical schools rather than taking a 5th year/absn but would like to avoid the risk if possible.

anyways im really stressed about what i should do next to better my chances for medical school (whether that’s in canada or abroad) and would love to hear your thoughts. the overall goal is to match back to Canada/US for residency in a non surgical specialty!

Hello! I have this question- the area i live around [BC CANADA] doesn't allow shadowing (it's straight up illegal) and there aren't really any medical scribe or related jobs available here either.

How am I supposed to get clinic hours? I'm going to volunteer at the hospital but that's not exactly the same. It might not be a big deal if I apply to UBC but if I try to apply to a med school elsewhere or in USA wouldn't the lack of shadowing/clinical experience be a big dealbreaker?

A

Hey everyone,

Was thinking earlier today if I should bother applying in the USA because it's so much money. But as I kept thinking I figured I may have a decent shot. Here's the situation: I've already applied to Canadian schools for 2025, and will likely get an acceptance. So that means I likely won't apply to the US next application cycle and would have to submit my application in the next couple of weeks for this application cycle (which I know is a disadvantage in the USA).

With this, what would be my chances of getting into Harvard, John Hopkins, or NYU if I applied this late in the cycle? Those are the only schools I can really justify going to America for.

Here is the application breakdown:

• 20 y/o male, white, 4th year undergrad
• GPA: 3.98/4 on the Canadian scale. I've heard rumors that Americans take 85%+ as a 4.0 (90+ in Canada)... if this is the case then I have a 4.0
• MCAT: 527 (131 C/P)
• Work:
  • About 1900 hours in medical biophysics research (two pubs, 8 projects total all leading to pubs). PI is vice dean at medical school, and director of research institute
    • Won an undergraduate summer research award worth over $10,000
  • 900 hours camp counsellor
  • 600 hours ski instructor
  • 100 hours physics tutor
  • 100 hours hospital research with patient interaction (neurosurgery clinic)
• Volunteering:
  • 275 hours long term care home
  • 100 hours MCAT and physics tutor
• ECs
  • A unique thing I have is a top player in Rainbow 6 Siege (for those of you who are familiar, think Jynxzi tournaments) >2000 hours
  • Club executive one year
  • Shadowing isn't really a thing in Canada, but I can put maybe 20 hours with a neurosurgeon?
  • Mentor back in high school

Just out of curiosity, what would be my chances applying earlier next cycle?

If I have a shot, how do I go about letters of recommendation... do the profs need to know me personally (in Canada they do)?

I'd really appreciate any input since I have less than two weeks if I were to do these applications! Thanks

Interested in medical school. Sitting at a 3.4 currently, my first year didn't go so well, and was hoping to get it dropped- my undergrad was 5 years.

However, second year I was doing really well and then covid hit, so everything became CR. For the program I am interested in, uofa will drop the lowest year if you have taken 4+ years, and also the CR/NCR year wont be considered for cGPA calculations, so it seems like my first year will be accounted for.

I did really well in my remaining years ( ~4.0 average) but after running it through a gpa calculator, I would need 8 A+ classes in order to bump it up to 3.5- which is pretty daunting.

Any suggestions on how to proceed? Would it be more beneficial to do a masters? I heard it will somehow add points to my application.

Or any other suggestions in improving my chances of making my application considered? Thank you

I am a Canadian and with the state of Canadian med schools I think that even if I pull up my GPA significantly and get an insane MCAT score I still will be unlikely to get in.
Where can I find resources on:
A: Getting a green card/visa/US citizenship in order to move to the US (I have literally no idea how it works)
B: Which MD/DO schools will take Canadian citizens
C: the differences between application processes between USA and Canada
Im not asking for direct answers to these questions (but if you know and would like to share please do), more so looking for resources where I can find the answers to these questions.
Thanks!

Hi! I'll get straight to the point

• Currently 3rd year at a Canadian University, Honours Health Sciences degree
• current GPA: 3.92 (projected 4-year GPA: should be around 3.93-3.94)
• MCAT: 127/126/129/130 (512)
• research assistant for 2 studies
• currently doing independent research right now
• will be doing a rehab practicum (placement) in 4th year
• worked as a pharmacy assistant since 2021
• hundreds of hours in on-campus activities/clubs
• mental health support line volunteer

I'm applying to these schools because I don't have all the US prereqs (+ had to narrow it to schools that allow for international applicants)

1. west virgina
2. tulane
3. George Washington
4. thomas jefferson
5. central Michigan

shadowing is illegal in Canada, so I'm having trouble getting hands-on clinical experience with a physician. i know that shadowing and clinical experience is quite important in the states, but will this heavily affect my candidacy?