Research

It is important to have some experience in a research lab as you can gain experiences critically thinking. It also allows you to determine reasons as to why you want to become a physician rather than become a researcher

MCAT

The MCAT is one of the most challenging exams you will encounter in your premedical careers. It is a critical thinking exam rather than a knowledge exam. What that means is that you can't cram for it. You need to learn how to think critically. This can take about 1-4 months. For a student in the sciences, the science sections will be a breeze. The verbal section, however, will be more demanding and unprepared students will find themselves rewriting the exam. BOTTOM Line: FOCUS MOSTLY ON VERBAL

Letters of Recommendation

Although there are no requirements as to who you ask to write your reference letters, choose the following format to maximize your application's credibility:

1 from an educator (university professor)
1 from an employer (lab supervisor, job manager)
1 from a respected member of the community (volunteer supervisor)

HOWEVER it is much more important that the people who write your reference letters know you well and for more than a few months. This is by far the most important consideration. Once this is fulfilled, then follow the recommendation above.

University of Torornto: less than 60% of the courses correspond to the year of study

14) Will my application be affected if less than 60% of my course load corresponds with my year of study? Will it even be considered?
Having less than 60% of the courses correspond to the year of study will not invalidate the application. The main requirement of the Admissions Office is that a candidate is fulfilling their degree requirements. Although no preference is given to program of study, a student’s choices within their given program may be used as an evaluation factor. Examples of aspects examined may be one or all of the following (as applicable):

· Progression from lower level of courses to more advanced ones

· Progression from a general course of study to a more specialized one

· Pursuing an interest in a field of study outside the chosen major

If a candidate falls below the 60% guideline due to the degree requirements of their particular program they will not be penalized in the admissions process.

The Medical School Analogy

In front you is a big white screen. The kind in the large lecture halls used my projectors. This represents all the knowledge you will come across in medical school. You see that little black dot? That tiny pixel on the big white screen that is barely visible. That is the amount of medical knowledge that you will remember after medical school.

Medical school is more of a place where you are familiarized with medical knowledge so that once you encounter it clinically, you can relate to it and solidify your knowledge.

Credits to the professor who made me aware of this.

What is medical school like at ottawa u

From my limited experience, 9-12pm each day of lectures, labs and such. Thats right, only 3 hours of class. The rest of the day is spent studying by yourself and shadowing physicians. Oh, and don't forget partying like you've never partied before. Pretty sweet life, all you have to do is digest a tremendous amount of medical school material. No biggy.

Univeristy of Ottawa Post-interview Evaluation (marking)

At the University of Ottawa, a mark out of 4 is given for the interview performance. There is also a mark out of 4 for your academic status (GPA). The sum of these two marks is what is considered after the interview for ranking. The highest mark is offered a seat first, followed by the next highest mark. This continues until all the seats are full and the waiting lists are full.