An Underdog Story
I've been a long time lingerer of this chat, and at times it made me feel silly for even considering Canadian med. With decisions out, I wanted to share my story (in hopes of giving faith to someone like me). *excuse vagueness, trying not to get doxxed*
First 2 years of undergrad I struggled hard (<3.2 gpa). Decided to take a 5th year, which I just finished. Applying GPA was 3.5x. Wrote the MCAT 3 times (502, 506, 510) and worked full-time during every prep/study stage. Did everything under the sun in terms of ECs (clinical, research, volunteering, leadership roles) and won some awards because of it. Applied to 4 schools (all IP, no regional bias, no pathway) for both MD and MD/PhD.
Result: received multiple interviews, got 1 WL for MD/PhD and 1 A for MD!
I wasn't a perfect applicant (clearly), but I showed my growth and highlighted what I offered beyond my GPA. Also spoke about the challenges that brought me here. To my fellow low-stats applicants, I'm rooting for you!
*edit: DM requests are insane right now, but I'm trying to respond to as many people as I can :)