@Joshua Britton I didn't actually - international students have to pay significantly more for tuition so for my first round, I only did Canadian programs. I have friends that did apply though :)
@Eram Sayed Do you mean the PharmD degree from a pharmacy program? This is the only "pharmacy" specific degree and program that I know of in Ontario but could be mistaken.
I went to MD school with a French horn player, engineer, nurses, pharmacists and business school grads, and a lot of arts and sciences grads. I did a Biology degree and it was a lot of help but I didn't have any practical healthcare experience so that was very intimidating. If I had it to do over, I would probably pick nursing or gerontology (I went into IM and Geriatrics). Great video!
Thanks for sharing :) One of my best friends here is a business grad and he's performing exceptionally well 🤙 I can echo what you've said about the lack of practical experience with biology degrees, but we've been trying to learn quick!
Late reply but Gerontology is an undergraduate degree there? What do you study? Is it like sociological studies of the elderly population or more medical? I know there is postgraduate psych and nursing courses in it but never heard of an undergraduate one is all.
First of all, thank you so much for making these videos. They are very well-researched and extremely informative! I’m a first year Medical Sciences student at Western and first semester really kicked my butt, especially with learning remotely and almost completely asynchronously. I always consider switching majors completely and to just quit med school and wondering if it’s even worth it. It’s tough to decide and then commit and I’m in the thick of it. Your videos are super helpful as a resource. Thank you
Hi Amna :D I'm really glad that the videos have been able to help! No doubt that this last year has been really difficult for students so definitely don't beat yourself up about it too much. The good news is that if there was ever a year to not do as well in, then first year would be that year 🔥 There's lots of time to make up for it and many of the Ontario med schools will not look at 1st year at all when you apply. As you said, a large part of it is deciding if its worth it for you personally. Best of luck with everything!
Thank you so much for this video I'm going to be graduating soon and I was interested in getting into med school this video gave me a much better understanding of what to do for undergrad. : )
I majored in Gender & Sexuality Studies... What you said about that subjective grading was something I felt in MY SOULLL. I have no regrets and it drove conversations on its own during interviews, but the standards they put on those 20-page papers left me with nightmares.
Great video! I would actually rank the social sciences and humanities a lot higher because here in the states at least completing pre-med with a major in those show vested interest and some of them are quite good. For some universities a psychology major can have a concentration in neuroscience which help prepares for a career in medicine. And biological anthropology is all about human evolution and biology. Philosophy/classics is good for learning the Latin roots of words and for taking bioethics aswell!
Absolutely love the content on your channel. I wonder if you have heard much about the Queens Health Science program (i know it’s a relative new one). Comparable with Mac?
Just wanted to say thank you for this! I’ve scoured the internet looking for resources for Canadian pre-med students and couldn’t find any until this video, your channel is a godsend! What are your thoughts on Biomedical Sciences at York? I’ve been hearing that Biomed degrees don’t necessarily help with Med School but a lot of the videos and websites were talking about the UK haha 😅 I was wondering if you had looked into it :D
Glad it helped Gurtaj :D I myself completed my degree of Biomedical Sciences at Ryerson before medical school. A friend of mine who is at school with me now who did Biomed at York. I think that Biomed in general is a great premed program and where you choose to study is entirely up to you Best of luck!
Hey! I’m currently a Grade 12 high school student and I’m looking to take the medical route. I’m thinking of applying to UOFT most likely UTSC in Scarborough but one thing one of my relatives told me is that Medical Schools in Canada don’t usually favour applicants from UOFT. I’m not sure if that’s necessarily true but I hit jackpot when I came across your channel finally finding a Canadian Med School Student! Would mean a lot if u can answer my question, Love the videos btw keep em coming for us Future/Current Med School Students! 💯👊🏽
Hey Sameer, congrats on almost being done high school and deciding that you're interested in medicine :D Medical schools in Canada do not "favour" students from any particular school. Applicants are accepted based off of their GPA, letters of reference, autobiographical sketch, MCAT and CASPer scores. Go to whichever university you think that you will do well in! Best of luck 🔥
Hii! I came across your channel and I found it really helpful. I’ve always wanted to be a Dermatologist but I found that before you get there, acceptance to medical school firstly gets in the way. I was thinking of majoring in Clinical Nutrition and possibly double majoring in either Psychology or Human Biology along w Clinical Nutrition. I thought Clinical Nutrition would be a good choice because I thought that regardless I’d have to do the other Science pre reqs and study for MCAT on the side. Sorry for the long paragraph but I was wondering what your thoughts on this is?
Hi Bagel, Dermatology is consistently one of the most competitive specialties to get into in Canada. I'd recommend first looking into what the profession entails and the multiple steps in the process. When it comes to selecting an undergrad degree, I've spoken about the pros and cons of biology and psychology. Nutrition from my understanding does not lend itself well to the MCAT. But you'll want to look into the course descriptions on the university websites. Best of luck!
Finally I found your channel for canadian!!! Great info…Iheard that Neuroscience is good premed. research position available and help to do good in MCAT..but grade will be harder to get.. pls advise Thank you so much 😊 👍🏼❤️
Aha glad to be able to help a bit :D Some students really like neuroscience 🤙 Statistically though, Mac healthsci is at the top for the "regular programs." But Neuroscience is top tier if you like it!
Hi! I was thinking about doing medical sciences at western for the longest time but now I want to do health science at western. The courses teach you about the social determinants of health, health policies, etc. You also get a lot of electives first year, so I can take the prereqs for med school. Do you think it’s a good program? In the list you posted in the video, how many of your classmates were from health sci at western?
I'm currently in an undergrad program in Philosophy with a concentration in Morality, Politics and Law. I'm hoping to apply for a dual JD/MD program. Do you have any suggestions to better prepare me for the medical side? I'm confident in the areas of the LSAT but am concerned for the MCAT
Hey Ryan, that sounds awesome 🤙 I've never heard of a program like that because (as far as I know) they don't exist here in Canada but seem to be much more prevalent down in the US. I have multiple MCAT videos on the channel. Feel free to give them a watch sometime - the MCAT is a beast of a test. Good luck!
Glad to hear it Adam :) I'd say between C+ and B tier depending on the specifics of the program and your elective profile. The problem with nutrition as an undergrad is that unfortunately, it does little to expose you to physics, organic chemistry and psychiatry that would make up a large portion of the MCAT. However from my understanding, the course load is not insanely difficult which may facilitate a good GPA. Best of luck!
I actually just switched from nursing to science because the nursing program in my province is condensed into 3 years so we have no summer break and clinical takes up a ton of time so I figured a science degree would give me more time to study and focus on extra curriculars
What are your thoughts on physical Anthropology? My thinking would be that t's a bit more sciency than other social sciences + it specifically focuses on the human body
Hey :) My thoughts are that if you're sold on a social science then you'd be best to pick the one that you're most interested in 🤙 but also that you should be wondering why you would want to do a social science at all in comparison to an undergrad that'll help you out more with the MCAT (if you want to go to medical school) and then just take some elective social sciences that you're interested in.
what tier would public health be? I saw your response earlier but I was wondering how you thought about the tier specifically :) i'm also considering healthcare administration or healthcare informatics.
Depending on what courses are included (varies from school to school), C+ to B+ tier. GPA tends to be strong, references are applicable in many cases, but finding courses to prepare you for the basic science sections of the MCAT could be difficult :)
Hey man, amazing video! Do you think it was a good idea that I chose York Kinesiology (BSc) over McMaster/Queens Life Science or Western Health Science Program? Please let me know, thanks!
Hey dude, I have a good friend who was supposedly accepted to med from York Kin and another who just graduated optometry - I've heard good things about the program. I think that for the A tier programs, deciding between them is more a matter of personal preference. And now that you've accepted York, work your butt off and do well 💪 Good luck with everything!
We want our son to study nursing for pre medicine since being a nurse could be his back up and have the option to go to RN or PA. But as we can see from your video, nursing is a good pre med major but have very few getting into medical school. Do you know the real reason behind it? Is it because nursing is difficult to get good GPA?
Hi Kurt :) I tried to rank the programs based off of their intrinsic qualities and not their acceptance stats. The vast majority of students who enter a nursing degree do so because they want to go into nursing - not as a stepping stone to medicine. Of my many friends from undergrad that were in nursing (sample size ~ 10), none of them applied to medical school. I do believe that nursing is an above average degree for pre-med, especially when compared to other courses listed in this video. However, it still falls short in comparison to Biomed and the traditional premed programs for the reasons I discussed. You are right however that a nursing degree will allow you to have a career afterwards if you do not wish to pursue medicine. Hope this helps!
I am a high school student who is looking to set myself up as well as possible for getting into med school. I read in another comment that you said that the prestige of the school that you get your undergraduate degree from has virtually no impact on your competitiveness in most cases. I am looking to apply to McMaster and Brock for kinesiology. The reason for Brock is that I could live at home. Do you genuinely think that Brock and McMaster would be viewed the exact same way provided I got the same degree? In my mind McMaster would be viewed in a higher regard, but I’m very curious as to your thoughts on the matter.
Hey Xavier, As I've said many times before, I think a lot of my friends here in med school would have been accepted no matter which program they went to for undergrad because they're very strong students. If you have any reservations or doubts about a program though, then maybe you should just choose the more "prestigious program" so that you don't doubt your decision or have regrets later on. But personally, I wouldn't have chosen a different undergrad university even if I could go back and do it again :) I know doctors who have graduated from Brock, and Guelf, and York, etc. The plus side to the more prestigious universities - like McMaster - is that you get access to more robust research opportunities, anatomy labs, etc. But there's pros and cons to anything. Good luck!
What are your thoughts on Exercise Physiology with a med concentration containing (chem, bio chem, organic chem, physics, molecular bio as electives) would this be comparable to that of Kin. Thanks so much for the vid!
Sounds like it would work great - especially with the added exposure of the basic sciences. Short answer is that I'd give it an A tier, but it depends on what the other courses are and how your time table is set up. Best of luck dude 🤙
If one's eventual goal is to get into med school, but can also consider CS as career (as an alternative).....meaning someone has interest in both say Bio, health Science and Comp Science, how about doing BS computer science and taking the pre req for med school? Take MCAT and try to maintain high GPA, aply med school....if does not work out....may be opt for comp science as career? what are your thoughts about this route.....it is a unique route and could apply to people who seem to have apptitude for both desciplines (although they are indeed different)....interested in your thoughts?
Hi, I hope you are well! I got accepted to Western University for Health sciences... Do you think it's a good pre-med or i should switch to medical sciences? btw i wanna get into med school in Canada. Thanks! and keep going with videos!
Hi,does the university that we attend affects our chances to get into some medschools?for instance if i sudy my undergraduate at queens,do i get a higher chance of acceptance for queens medical school than somone who hasn't suty his/her undergraduate at queens with the same gpa as mine
The short answer is no - but this varies slightly across the country. Recently I reviewed every Canadian medical school's admissions policy and found that only Calgary and McGill had any mention of university prestige affecting your application. Even in these cases, the value of this factor was incredibly small, and in the case of Calgary, it seems like they've only mentioned it briefly in an online webinar. The most important factors are GPA, MCAT and ECs by a long shot. I advise students not to focus on university reputation when deciding where to go :)
There are better programs out there - please see the list 😅 but generally, I disagree with the "do not do biology narrative." It depends on what you're interested in!
Bio engineering covers a good portion of the MCATS(biology, chemistry, o-chem, etc. You have to remember there a lot of different engineering disciplines.
I have no experience with that program personally (I went to Ryerson) but Brock is slowly building a name for itself in the medical sciences and many students have told me that class sizes are smaller than at some other universities which can be a very good thing 🤙
Hello, this video was very helpful! I am currently choosing which university to go to and a little bit confused. Do you recommend the biomedical sciences program at Ryerson or life sciences at UofT?
Hi Shifa :) I think it depends on which program suits you better. U of T has access to many premed resources from what I'm told, but a common complaint I've heard from students is that the culture of the school can be very competitive at times. I loved Ryerson, but that's only my opinion. I think you'd be best off talking to a U of T alumni for their opinion 🤙
What about of Biotechnology? It is under the faculty of engineering and has courses like orgochem, molecular bio, cell bio, genetics, microbiology, biochem and more throughout the 4 years.
B tier :D might be a solid option if you're really into it, but the last 2 years can be very difficult and diverges from science to more math related according to a few of my friends. Guess it depends on the program too since different universities have different biotech programs
Don't know of those programs specifically but differences between similar programs are mostly just in the school that offers them and then the mandatory classes. For example, health science is offered by at least 2 Canadian universities (that I know of, but there are probably even more), so look at each individual program :)
Hey thanks for this video I just have a question. We have to study all 4years or we can just skip some of the units and finish it 3years or less? Thank you in advance
You can't skip units but some students will be accepted in Canada without finishing 4th year. It depends on the school though and some will require a completed degree :)
im in western med sci 2 (and gender studies minor) rn and i think the reason why a lot of us get accepted into med school is that when you look at how med sci works at western, you start with about 700+ 1st year students but it gets narrowed down to ~400 of the best and brightest students by 3rd year when you apply for your module (based solely on ur cgpa). so basically if you end up with an hsp med sci degree from western you ~probably~ have a super high gpa starting from 1st year, which means you probably have a really good foundation for basic sciences that are needed for the mcat - just my observation tho from being in the program!! also yeah i agree that gender studies/humanities courses are so subjective which makes it SOOOOO much harder than objective med sci courses aha but on the other hand it def helps with critical thinking and logic I've been finding is SUPER helpful when studying for the mcat rn!
Hey Jordan thanks so much for the insight into Western Med Sci :D Glad to hear that you've got a leg up on the MCAT section as well 🤙 that CARS section can be brutal sometimes
hey ,hm so im a senior in highschool n i wanna get into med school in the future...the thing im having trouble is deciding on my pre-med major..tho ur video cleared some stuff for me im still stressed abt it...i wanna major on sth i can fall back on incase i delay my med school enrollment ...sth that would make me meet people and travel a lot
The best major id biochmistry if you can di it.. It makes you meet all the prerequisites and prepares you for 75 % of the MCAT exam if CARS is excluded.
What about Biochemistry?? I am thinking about Biochemistry as my possible option because I enjoy both Bio and Chem but idk if it would help me get into Med School.
Biochemistry falls into the same category as chemistry imo. Not a bad program if you're interested in it but not the best all things considered :) At the end of the day though, the best program is going to vary depending on your own interests.
u prob didn’t notice that a small proportion of the “health sciences” students might also come from western cuz they also have that program too (tho not nearly as good as western med sci or mac health sci)
Depending on the school that offers it, it could be between B+ and A tier. Ideally, for A or A- tier I'd want it to include courses like Chemistry and Physics in the 1st and 2nd years to help prep for the MCAT. If it's called "neuroscience" but focuses more on psychology, then I'd group it with psychology. If it's more science-based, then Aish tier it is 🤙
It's a specialized science/biology degree. Fits into the B+ / A tier depending on what you like. I had one of my friends who said that they found it very boring to them and difficult, but someone else that I knew loved the program :)
Parent here. This process is so hard to navigate imho. What do you consider the single best major for med school? You gave broad categories , but I’d love to know which major YOU would specifically choose in 2023? Thank you😊
I 100% agree - especially if you haven’t had any experience with it before. I used to say the same thing to my parents when I started looking at everything. Hard to say because it’s really student preference based. If you can get in to McMaster Health Sci, that’s where you want to be in my opinion - strictly from the stats. However, I’ve also met students who got in and then hated it and dropped out. The program a student chooses has to be one they enjoy and will work hard to do well in. Realistically, anything biomed is my #1 recommendation (unofficially 😅). Helps you get ready for the MCAT and also gives you the building blocks for medical school. I really liked Ryerson’s program back in the day and felt that they prepared me well. All the best and happy new year! :)
@@nxtgenmd thank you so much for replying given this video is 2 yrs old. It’s very appreciated. My daughter starts next fall and thinks BioChem would be a good choice in the off chance she doesn’t make it in pre-med. She is very committed, but knows she needs a useful degree and BioChem appears to offer many avenues for a career. I am glad you recommend anything within the realm of BioMed (unofficially) which I believe BioChem falls into? She wants to be a Dr so badly so I hope she succeeds. It’s already a tough curriculum and I’m simply concerned because she will also be playing Basketball for her University 😬😬😬. Thankfully she’s a self motivated and driven person. Mom is on pins and needles haha ☺️ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
I am planning to apply for biomed but I need to work after my degree in order to get permanent residency first. Do you think there are any job prospects after biomed?
I'm a high school student in the US with a lot of extracurriculars in political policy and health sciences. I'm looking to go to Canada to become a doc, so what do you recommend I do to boost my acceptance into an undergrad Canada school for a health-related major?
Hi S.J :) I don't know much about international acceptance to undergrad programs in Canada but I do know that the process differs from school to school in some cases. I would recommend checking directly with the school websites for each program that you're interested in. Also If you eventually want to go to medical school in Canada, then applying for a permanent residence card would be a big help
@@sirexeters hey think twice before coming to Canada because in the US far more persons get into med school (just the fact that there are more med schools)
Sorry one quick questions. On the chart it says “science”. What is it meant by that? Most of those people come from Bachelors of Science? How would you rate that program as path to med school ?
Hi Gonzalo :) a bachelors of science can be provided for a large number of courses which is why the chart lumps them all together under the category of "science." There is no "Science" undergrad
oops, i was gonna major in math then go to med school, time to rethink my whole life lol. Im Dominant in math and science, i learn complicated topics faster than others. Any tips for me?
Lol don't sweat it... rethinking your entire life is a pretty common occurrence during the pre-med years for most of us 😅 The video isn't supposed to be saying that it's impossible to get into med from any particular program - only that there's many substantial downsides to some programs and upsides to others. Math and science dominant = chemistry or biology/biomed/health sci. You'll be taking a lot of chemistry and physics and some beginner calculus in your first 2 years which should give you enough time to decide if you want to go to med or get into heavy math instead. Medicine in general is not really a heavy "advanced math" field. Good luck!
Hey I am a bit confused like if I take kinesiology will it be easy enough to score a good GPA to go to med school and which courses are like best and easy in science plz reply🥺
There's no way to know unfortunately if you'll get good grades in a particular program. Kinesiology is a good option in my opinion, but as I said, there's better ones too. One of the greatest indicators of success in a program is how interested you are in the subjects :) Beyond that, it comes down to how hard you can work and being efficient with your study habits. 💪
B tier | Maybe B- but not lower. The program loses some points in MCAT prep since I don't think that chem, physics, or psych are mandatory. Nutrition is very applicable to medicine, but I think that it might not go into as much detail for physiology or immunology so I can't give it full points there. Not a bad choice, but not ideal imo :)
Hey Husain :D Get a great gpa in undergrad, kill the MCAT and ace the CASPer test. Also, if you're planning to stay in Canada, get a permanent residency card as soon as you can!
Hi Kitty, I wish I knew more about that specific program, but unfortunately I don't. I've heard great things from UofG in general and like Ryerson, it's a school that continues to build prestige and reputation as time goes by. I'd recommend looking for a former alumni from the program or see if the school has a mentorship program for prospective students :)
Depends on what you're interested in :) I know students who have really liked it, but it does little to prepare you for the chemistry, physics, and bio (surprisingly enough) sections of the MCAT.
a lot of my friends got into med school majoring in public health. keep in mind you’re gonna be taking the pre med requirements regardless of your major
I'm not too familiar with that program, but it depends on the courses 🤔 If its really math and physics heavy, then C tier or lower. More bio and chem with just a bit of physics = B tier 🤙
Hi Mohammed :) I'd say C+ tier to maybe B at best. Many of the Bio Eng students I know say its more Eng than Bio which means that the workload is difficult and the GPA can be hard to maintain 🤔 But I know more than one person who's made it through and even though I don't recommend it, the choice will depend on your own interests. Good luck!
Depends on the courses included which from what I understand, vary from school to school. Ideally you want a mix of something that will provide you with some level of exposure to MCAT tested concepts, an achievable high GPA, and opportunities to complete extracurriculars :) IMO public health as a average would probably be C+ to B tier
Depends on what you think of Biochemistry. If you don't like it, then try to determine why and take a look at the Health Sciences course calendar to see if you think that you'd be more interested in those courses 🤙
@@nxtgenmd I like Biochemistry. I am already a senior, yet in my college they have a program for Health sciences towards Bioscience and if you choose what do you want to do and if you choose Medicine they partner with RFU. Which isn't bad, yet I feel I have to go to this Univeristy and limit me to other Universities. I love Biochem 💗 I was thinking to get a Master in Medical Sciences or Physiology what do u think should I do?
Depends on what your passions are and which mandatory courses they make you take. Try to find a clinical lab science program where you still get some exposure to basic physics and biology in addition to Chem 🤙
Hi! Physical Therapy is an udergrad degree in my country and is a pretty common pre-med major here. Do you think it’s a good one or not? I hope you can answer, thank u sm!
Hi! PT is not an undergrad program that I'm familiar with (especially in other countries). But if it's common, your best bet would be to try and find someone who's done it and ask them directly. Ideally, what you need is a program that'll allow for the best GPA, MCAT score and extracurriculars/references
well currently i have passd my diploma(dental hygienist) course! (three year) course which undergraduate degree should i take ? bachelor in health science? or any other
Congrats :D Choosing a program will depend on a few factors - I'm not trying to sway anyone in one direction or the other, but I've discussed a few pros and cons of each in this video. An undergrad in biology, biomedical science or health science are definitely the most common options though
@@nxtgenmd Thank you 😊! i appreciate your response! can we directly apply to bachelor in dental surgery?after dental hygienist...?? i have studied physics, chem, bio in my first year, and anatomy physiology second and third year!
I opted for biochemistry, if i change my major to bs biology after a semester will it create a negative impact on my profile. Already it is hard to get in med school as an international student will it get more tough?
Truthfully I've never heard of that program :) but go through the course calendar and see what will be expected of you. If it checks the same boxes as one of the premed courses, then it'd have the same grade
Not the worst choice if it's something that you'll enjoy but minimal exposure to physics, chemistry and even more advanced genetics and physiology (at least from what I've heard). C+ or B - tier depending on the program itself :)
C+ to maybe B at best. Many of the Bio Eng students I know say its more Eng than Bio which means that the workload is difficult and the GPA can be hard to maintain 🤔 But I know more than one person who's made it through!
@@nxtgenmd thank u I appreciated , actually after med school I wanna be physician researcher I don't know the full process but I think it's related to residency I believe it possible to do both but can u tell me the process please and what's the proper undergraduate major for what I wanna do in ur opinion?
Most students do not go to pharmacy school just so that they can get into medical school. The commitment alone has me place it in F tier although I suppose it would help you prepare very well
C tier in my opinion :) From what my friends at Waterloo U have told me, it gets pretty math focused after the first year and less medically-oriented. Not an impossible undergrad to make work, but not an easy one either!
Sorry, but I'm not familiar with that program unfortunately. Depending on the courses it entails, could be anywhere from B-A tier (sounds like a "traditional program" to be but can't be sure.)
Hi nice video. can you help ranking my offers for me if I want to be doctor later？ I am really confused here. 1. Queen's Health sci. 2. Western Med. Sci. 3. Macmaster life sci. 4. Ottawa health sci. Thanks a lot
Congrats on all the offers! Those are a bunch of great programs and you should consider things like scholarships and living situation too when making your decision. It's hard for me to rank them tbh and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Maybe 2,1,3,4? but really, it depends on what you're looking for. Good luck!
