I still remember the day when my school handed out one of those log-in details for Ontario Universities’ Application Centre – OUAC, as it’s known. Suddenly, it felt like my entire future was in my hands. While I was grateful to know what I wanted to do, I knew very little about how university worked – let alone the medical school admissions process. Neither of my parents had attended university in Canada, so they weren’t familiar with the Canadian post-secondary system, leaving me to navigate it on my own.
In a desperate attempt to set myself up for success, I started searching for the best undergraduate degree to apply to medical school with. Not surprisingly, the most popular choices were Life Sciences or Health Sciences. I applied to as many programs as I could since I was convinced that my life would be over if I didn’t get into any of them. At the same time, I tried to keep an open mind towards other professions like nursing, radiation sciences, and even engineering. But like many other ‘pre-meds’, I ultimately decided that more typical programs like life sciences should be my priority.
Where did I end up applying to?
As I mentioned, my anxiety about not getting accepted led me to apply to a wide range of programs. If you’re curious, I applied to programs like Life Sciences, Health Sciences, Radiation sciences, Nursing, and Engineering at schools including the University of Toronto, Waterloo, McMaster, the University of Ottawa, Toronto Metropolitan University, and more. Life Sciences and Health Sciences were obvious choices for an aspiring pre-med student, and I definitely put more emphasis on those. However, I also wanted to apply to Radiation Sciences and Nursing, since they offered exposure to clinical settings along with great job stability after graduation. Engineering also made it onto my list mostly because of my parents’ suggestion that I add some variety to my application – and to be fair, it did have a solid future outlook.
Looking back on my undergraduate application process, it was one of the most anxiety-provoking times of my life. I mean, as a 16- or 17-year-old, that’s a pretty big decision to have to make. But at the same time, I wish I had focused mostly on the applications that mattered the most to me at the time – like Life Sciences or Health Sciences. This might sound like an excuse, but the grade 12 senioritis unfortunately hit me really hard – you know that classic grade 12 slump where all you want to do is nothing. Combine that with the stress of applying to so many different programs, I didn’t put in my best effort in applying to more competitive programs. Reflecting on that, I realize that burnout really got the best of me during such a critical time.
Fast forward through that anxious waiting period, I ended up getting accepted or waitlisted to most of the programs I applied to, except for the hyper-competitive ones like Engineering and McMaster’s Health Sciences. I was pretty devastated at the time, knowing that McMaster’s Health Sciences had a reputation of being a golden ticket to medical school. At the same time, I came to accept it as I knew I hadn’t given it my all.
So.. How did you choose your program?
Out of all the programs I got into, the programs I seriously considered included Life Sciences or Radiation Sciences at McMaster, Nursing at University of Ottawa, and Life Sciences at University of Toronto. I ultimately thought Life Sciences would work better because it would help me prepare for the MCAT and fulfill prerequisite course requirements for some schools, like the University of Ottawa. Subsequently, my decision came down to Life Sciences at McMaster or University of Toronto. While McMaster had always been my top choice, I had a sudden last-minute thought that crept in – one that might have completely changed the course of my life.
So, here’s the story. While exploring programs and universities, I came across a lot of advice from others suggesting that neither the undergraduate degree nor the university’s name has a significant impact on your chances of getting into medical school. Being an egotistical pre-med that I was, I thought this couldn’t possibly be true – I was convinced that there was no way all programs and universities were considered equal in the eyes of medical school admissions. Surely, I thought, the harder the program or the more prestigious the school, the more it would work in my favour. So that’s how I ended up choosing University of Toronto’s Life Sciences program – the one that is notorious for how difficult it is to earn good grades.
In my defence, I didn’t only choose University of Toronto’s life sciences program solely for its prestige. It was also the closest university to my home, with my support system nearby. I also felt that I should challenge myself to better position myself for studying medicine in the future. Although this decision turned out to be horrible for my grades, it taught me a valuable life lesson – resilience.
Was it a good choice?
Like I mentioned, my grades took a rough turn, so I wouldn’t necessarily call it a good choice. If I’m being completely honest, I think it’s fair to caution others to look the other way first. However, I also want to note that it is not entirely impossible if you put the time and effort into your work. Basically, earning high grades at University of Toronto may require more effort than in other programs – but honestly, being hardworking is also an important quality for all doctors anyways.
Personally, adjusting to the sudden rigor of university was extremely difficult for me at the time. And truthfully, I can’t say with confidence that things would have been any different at another university or programs. One thing I can say for sure is that I learned a valuable lesson in resilience. I know this sounds a little corny, but getting back up after that initial failure became the foundation for who I was becoming. It helped build my character and gave me the strength to persist through the challenges I would face moving forward.
So, while I say it was a bad choice for my GPA, it was without a doubt one of the most pivotal lesson in my life. And to be fair, not everyone will end up in the same situation I did regarding the academics as well. You absolutely can succeed in University of Toronto. If you have a strong reason to be there, don’t let its reputation scare you off. Just make sure you go in prepared for the challenge, because it will challenge you.
Looking back…
Looking back at undergraduate application process, there are definitely a few things I wish I had done differently.
First and most obvious, I wish I had been less anxious. Applying to so many programs, including the ones I never seriously considered attending, only added to my stress and ended up being financially draining. I would have rather focused more on the programs that were actually relevant to my goals and situation at the time.
Another thing I would change is how much weight I placed on a university’s reputation or program’s difficulty. The reality of Canadian medical school application is that they usually do not care about either of those things. What they care about is your GPA, your unique experiences, and extracurriculars. If maintaining a strong GPA is a priority – and it should be – I’d recommend choosing a program where you believe you can thrive, not just survive. Again, that’s not to say you should avoid challenging programs or universities altogether – if you are someone who wants to push yourself and grow through that experience, then absolutely go for it. Just be intentional and realistic about what you need to succeed!
Lastly, I wish I had chosen a more practical program – one that could have given me a clear path to employment if medicine didn’t work out. While life sciences is great for preparing for the MCAT and the learning is definitely fun and interesting, many of my peers struggled to find jobs directly related to the degree after graduation. Obviously, that’s not to say it is impossible since some go on to become research assistants or research coordinators. Others pursue graduate studies like master’s or PhD, but the options can feel limited.
At the end of the day, there’s no single right answer when it comes to choosing your undergraduate path. I truly believe it should be a combination of your personal situation, goals, and interests. If you commit to making it work, you can succeed anywhere! I did terribly in my first semester at University of Toronto – there’s no sugarcoating that. But once I made the decision to improve and stay focused, I was able to bounce back and my grades improved significantly. To me, that experience reinforced something really important: it’s not about the university or the program – it’s about your mindset.