So it's finally over. What a wild journey! I'd have to say I have been fortunate in this cycle (though I like to think I had a fairly strong application). I'm lucky the US schools came early because they really helped me hone in on bad things I was doing during interviews, which I fixed before Canadian schools.
Onto the school reviews - they will be succinct and really focus in on what I liked and disliked.. going in order of my interviews.
Washington University in St. Louis
Like: Just about everything - amazing school (practically defines 'state of the art'), amazing education and amazing students. The good thing about St. Louis is it's a place where you'll see lots of trauma in hospitals
Dislike: Cost of tuition, you might just become a trauma patient yourself.
Special: Absolutely my top choice if I could've afforded it.. but waitlisted, so not like it matters now.
Columbia University
Like: New York City is hands-down the best place you could ever live... at least to me. Columbia is great if you want to become a neurosurgeon.
Dislike: Not much to dislike here except cost of tuition
Special: Like many have said, unless you came from Ivy League, it seems like your chances are very small.
University of British Columbia
Like: Vancouver is an amazing city, especially if you're into the natural world (mountains for skiing, oceans for swimming, clean air, etc.) UBC has one of the more modern facilities for medical students
Dislike: UBC's match rates are less than impressive.
Special: I've been at UBC too long, which is one of the primary reasons I applied broadly. So I did not give this school full consideration.
University of Calgary
Like: 3-year program (get out sooner) and their focus on communication with patients.
Dislike: 3-year program (less time to explore different specialties), and the city (cold and boring).
Special: Actually, I did not give this school full consideration either because they start earlier (July 30th orientation) and would mess up my summer vacation plans.
Queen's University
Like: Students were friendly, faculty seemed nice.
Dislike: 2.5 years of lectures just doesn't make sense (esp. with cumulative final exams), and the medical students say that too. Kingston isn't as exciting a city, obviously.
Special: I met a special someone on my flight there. :)
University of Western Ontario
Like: Students were friendly and faculty was accommodating, plus the P/F system doesn't hurt. I appreciate and admire their focus on rural medicine.
Dislike: London isn't exciting either, and all flights have to transfer through Toronto (same with Kingston).
Special: Hands-down the students at this school impressed me the most, even if the curriculum did not. They all seem REALLY happy to be at Western. Strong contender for top choice at this point.
University of Toronto
Like: I would say UT, along with McGill and UBC, are the top 3 schools in Canada. Obviously great research potential if you're into that. The city itself is also great, like a mini-NYC. If you want to specialize in something competitive, go here.
Dislike: H/P/F where H is set at 80% (which means everyone can get it which means everyone strives to), lots of lecture time in first year - the medical students admitted it can be brutal.
Special: Least impressed by the students. I'm all for academics, but balance too.. I just really got the impression that UT students are just about academics. Still, can I afford to not go here given the high quality of education/clerkships/etc.?
What I've Learned About Medical School Applications(tm)
- conventional wisdom absolutely holds: good grades, good ECs, good references and a good MCAT *will* get you an interview
- being an expert at an extracurricular activity (musical, athletic, artistic, etc.) is not a prerequisite for admission
- different schools look for different attributes; broaden your experiences so you give a strong application to every school
- apply broadly if you want to get in
- at the interview, show that you are passionate and compassionate (no coincidence that they have the same root word), also show that you are intelligent and can hold your own when asked tough or ethical questions
- It is NOT always true that good X will make up for bad Y; this is probably the most controversial thing I say. Nearly every single person I met at interviews was amazing in terms of resume and personality yet statistics will tell you that half or more will not make it. Endeavor to have good X *and* Y, and for the hell of it, throw in a unique Z in the equation
- for all those of you who may be shy or nervous, here's hope: interview skills can be improved!!! My WashU interview was an absolute mess (I'm talking stuttering and hands shaking), but by the end of this cycle I was cool as a cucumber
- have a backup: things turned out really well, but not having a backup plan for next year really added unnecessary stress and pressure during my interviews
