Université de Montreal, Université de Sherbrooke, McGill University, Université de Laval… These are just medical schools in Quebec. Add to that Canadian medical schools such as University of Toronto, McMaster, Queen’s and Western and the list becomes endless. No wonder students don’t know where to start when applying to medical school. There are so many options to choose from just thinking about tackling the research process can create a great deal of stress and anxiety. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Following these simple tips can help you curate a short list of strategic schools that best fit your applicant profile.
1- Outline your non-negotiables
There are presently seventeen medical schools in Canada, each offering different opportunities and experiences. Your school list should reflect your priorities as a student and as a member of your future university community. The most common factors to consider are university and program location, size & strength. Another factor you might want to think about is specific program requirements such as MCATs and language proficiency tests. We recommend starting with outlining the factors and criteria that are most important to you and working backwards from there, eliminating schools that don’t align with them.
2- Pay around the school’s website and department/ program pages
Once you’ve made a preliminary list of universities you’ll be applying to, we recommend you visit the school’s website to see what it has to offer. You can always visit the medicine department pages to learn about specific department- opportunities. Once you that’s done, it’s time to dig into the admissions process. What are the application components, academic vs. non-academic requirements, what are their admissions statistics, their applicant categories, their track record etc. All this information will help you determine whether the schools you’ve chosen best fit your medical school applicant profile.
3- Brush up what current students are up to
Now that you’ve researched the school’s academic offerings, it’s important you take some time to learn about the school’s extracurriculars and campus life. You can do this by finding published videos or blog posts, visiting the campus, engaging in the university’s virtual tour and information sessions or even having a coffee with a current or alumni student. It’s important both the academic and non-academic offerings of a university align with who you are as a student and person.
Creating a list of university’s that resonate with your interests, values and passions is the first step in a successful medical school application preparation. A well thought out and balanced list helps position you competitively among other applicants. Try not to stress about the research process. Researching schools can be a valuable opportunity for learning more about yourself and what you are wishing to get from your medical school experience.
