FAQ MedicalSchool and the MCAT

FAQ – Med School & MCAT Below is some general information to help you with your applications and questions about Medical School and the MCAT. Remember if you have specific questions please book an appointment with our Career Coordinator at www.science.mcmaster.ca/scce or contact the school directly. MCAT When is the MCAT course? Is there a “real” benefit in taking the course? The 2 most popular MCAT courses for McMaster students are The Princeton Review (www.theprincetonreview.com ) and Kaplan (www.kaplan.com ). Please refer to the websites to find more information and scheduled dates. The benefits of the course depend on you, and how you learn. If you do best with scheduled reviews and being in a classroom environment than the course would be beneficial for you. How many times can I take the MCAT? Do Medical Schools look at all my MCAT scores, or only the most recent one? According to www.kaplan.com, students can take the MCAT up to 3 times a year, but can only be registered for one MCAT at a time. There is no “waiting period”, so students can register for the next MCAT as soon as one day after writing. According to www.prep101.com/mcat , most schools will consider your overall highest MCAT score. However, they will expect improvement between scores due to test familiarity. For the most accurate admissions information, contact the school directly to find out what their policy is. Medical School Can I take summer school? Refer to the OMSAS PDF Instruction Booklet, or the school’s website. Some schools will not consider summer courses. Remember, since you are not taking a full course load during summer school, you may appear less competitive than a person who has taken the same course during a full academic year. Science Career & Cooperative Education Burke Science Building Room 127 www.science.mcmaster.ca/scce (905) 525-9140 ext. 27898 What happens if I failed a course? It will appear on your transcript and count towards your cumulative average. You can repeat the course to attain a higher grade, but your first attempt will still be present on your transcript. What courses do I need to take for Medical School? Refer to www.ouac.on.ca/omsas/ Not every school requires prerequisite courses. Typically, schools who require prerequisite courses, list the following: · 6 units of Biology with a lab component · 6 units of Chemistry with lab component (may or may not include Organic Chemistry) · 6 units of Humanities/ Social Sciences International medical schools may additionally require: · 6 units Physics · 6 units English If you have a question regarding eligible courses, please contact the school directly. Be specific and send the description of the course (from the calendar) as well as indentify the prerequisite you want considered. How many students get in every year? Visit www.ouac.on.ca/omsas for information on applicants for Ontario Medical Schools. For McMaster in 2008, the number of applicants was 4,733 and the class size was 176. Most schools websites will have the statistics available to you. What undergraduate program do I need to be in for Medical School? There is no specific program that is required to enter into Medical School. Students have been known to get into the Medical School program from a variety of different undergraduate programs, ranging from a Humanities degree in Music, to a Science degree in Kinesiology. Use the OMSAS website http://www.ouac.on.ca/omsas/ to evaluate the required prerequisites. This will help you to determine which program you should be enrolled in.