[canada/uk]Would appreciate some help/suggestions!

[rofldongs]

I'd just like to know anyone's (well, canadians :P) experiences with entering a uk med school while already in a university program. I'm noticing around the forums that you either need to apply right out of high school (based on good highschool grades), or already have to have a degree with a specified gpa. I'm currently starting a biochemisty program a canadian univesity which I am stating this year (sept 09).

Throughout highschool I had straight 90+, unfortunately i messed up my grade 12 marks due to ongoing medical problems. I had a final average below 85. I was researching schools abroad but due to those medical issues it was ideal at the time to stay here to deal with the problem/recuperate. So that's why I'm currently doing this biomed program. I'm reading that these applications for UK schools need to be done before mid-oct. Unfortunately with those grades alone I don't believe I'll be able to get too far.

However, I am VERY confident in my abilities to perform first year and secure a noteworthy gpa. If I apply soon (state my situation in application or to schools, etc) and I'm able to do well in my first semester of courses and get a good ukcat score, what are my chances of getting some sort of (conditional?) application? Or is the only way i can escape the haunting grade 12 scores a BSc of some sort before trying for postgraduate medical programs?

Also I'm assuming this won't work if you need to have ukcat before applying, or if you can do it after, as long as it's done before the consideration phase? Someone please clarify!

Thanks!

[azproc]

Hey mate,

Just to let you know that I happen to have a friend who finished 1st year University and applied during the second year. All the UK universities did not seem to want to look at the university GPA and were only interested in the high school grade (e.g. OSSD or otherwise).

If you'd like to double-check, you can contact the UK universities you may be interested in and see if they'll acknowledge your Canadian university GPA. My guess is that they'll ask you for high school grades and UKCAT/BMAT. It's difficult to convert GPA to the British university scale.

Maybe you should try to do well in your undergraduate degree and apply back home; but contacting the UK universities is what I would do if you're wanting to see if your qualifications are acceptable.

Good luck

[rofldongs]

Thanks for your reply!

Although that is sort of disheartening news, it is expected, albeit silly that they would want to see grade twelve over university marks which are obviously more difficult to obtain. If I'd like to made an an attempt, I would need to apply prior to the middle of october, correct?

[azproc]

I would suspect that you should contact the universities you are interested in ASAP regarding your qualifications. Application deadline is sometime in October, correct. The earlier it is in the better, but ensure you have a strong personal statement and reference as well.

It is unfortunate that you are caught in this situation, but it is because you can't compare the North American system versus the British system. I wouldn't say it's silly; simply appealing to those with good high school marks who may have doubts on their university performance or those who want to get a head start in their career choice.

[rofldongs]

Forgive my ignorance, just need a bit of clarification on something:
is the ukcat a test that needs to be taken before or after some sort of acceptance? Is it something anyone can take which supplements the application (even though it is mandatory, for the most part), or is it something you must take after they acknowledge your fulfillment of other academic requirements?

[Kam14]

you must take it before you apply, UCAS form + UKCAT = whole application

[Canadiangirl22]

Hey,
I'm a Canadian in my second year of uni at University of Alberta. I've emailed a bunch of places regarding my situation and it turns out Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, and Queen Mary's is out for us. Sheffield and Liverpool want us to complete whatever qualification we are doing before we apply. Manchester and Queen Mary's just don't accept Canadian qualifications...or at least Queen Mary's doesn't accept Albertan qualifications. If you took IB that is a different story. And yes, all these places want our high school marks. I don't know how to calculate this exactly, I just took my sciences and a language and got 90. With your marks you can try applying to East Anglia which requires us to have 70-80 and Hull and York which requires and 80. Cardiff also requires an 80. I don't know of a fourth school. You could e-mail Leicester or Peninsula and ask what they require.

[flarestar]

Hi

I just made an account on this forum to answer you're question whilst I was browsing randomly. Just to give a bit of background so as you understand my point of view. I am british but I have my canadian citizenship and have lived in canada or 6 years give or take in my life. I did my a-levels in england, applied for medical schools and didn't get in anywhere so I am now currently doing life sciences at Mcmaster in canada. So I have a fairly good idea about you're current standing sort of.

British people are very patriotic and as such consider their education system better then everywhere else. They generally won't accept your high school results as equivalent to their a-levels although from what I've done so ar at uni and what is required in my courses as pre-aqquired knowledge it is on par with a-levels so don't think you're disadvantaged from other medical applicants in england. Of course the medical schools in uk dont care you're still foreign to them so you must be worse off -_-. Now I'd recomend ringing all 37 medical schools in england , have a lengthy discussion with them ( do not let them put down the phone) and see which ones will accept your high school grades.

The reason why they won't let you apply with your first year results is that they want an overall picture of you're academic abilities so in the same way an applicant in the UK in their first year of uni in any non-medical degree will not have that first or second or third year counted for them and will be only counted after they have completed the degree.

GPA should not matter as much as individual subject scores. They would expect high marks in maths, english, sciences particularly chemistry otherwise they won't be as bothered about the rest.

Yes applications need to be done and submitted by october 15th so I'd hurry, although the longest part will be you're personal statement.

You're UKCAT scores are only looked at after interview to choose places between equally standing candidates most of the time so don't worry too much about it. Unfortunately (not meaning to bum you out) most schools of medicine will i suspect ask you to completre you're degree, if however they don't use you're first year experince in you're personal statement to make you stand out. I know about a month ago peninsula university was still accepting international applications for starting this september so maybe you're compettition won't be as fierce?

As for the actual deadlinefor the UKCAT it needs to be done before you submit youy're application. When you take the test you will gte you're results right away so you can take it on october 15th if you wish. The result needs to be submitted on you're UCAS form so yes you need to do it beore you submit you're application. And don't worry about it, plenty of practise for it is good. It's just how well you can cope under a short amount of time.

So to summarise. Ring around all 37 uni's ( a list can be easily ound on the times web-site). If you can use you're high school scores great! Do UKCAT. fill in UCAS asap*. Apply for funding (not sure how it works for international students) but remember the cost is three times as great for you so hopefully you're rich. Get every other possible problem out the way asap. Let us know how it goes. Post if you have any more questions

*The people who read you're UCAS form generally get more and more forms to read as time passes so getting it read early when these people are in a better mood is a good idea.

[Canadiangirl22]

I agree with flarestar that alot of places won't consider transfer students (Aberdeen, Sheffield, etc). Yet, there are loads of places that will....look into Cardiff, East Anglia, Hull and York, Southampton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Bristol, Brighton, King's College. Yet, some of these requires above 85 and as high as 90 ( Southampton, Bristol, Brighton, King's). Anyways, pm me if you have any questions but the three schools you DEFINITELY need to be looking into with a sub 85 avg are Cardiff, East Anglia, and Hull and York

[florus]

I just checked Hull and York's website and they require Canadian high school leavers to have 5 A's and 1 B at Grade 12, with both Chemistry and Biology at A.