The Student Room Group

Canadian High School Student Applying to Medical School... HELP!!!

Hello everyone!

I am a Canadian student in high school Grade 11, and am hoping to apply for entry into medical school in the UK during Fall 2013. I have been in contact with international advisors that are trying to help with the whole application process, however I am a little bit worried. People all over the internet are saying how competitive it is for international students to attain a position in a UK medical school, so I was wondering if anyone could help me decide if I really have what it takes to even consider applying to these schools. If I do, it would be nice if someone could suggest any universities that I stand a better chance at being accepted! I have been working extremely hard over the past few years with medical school as my only long-term goal, and I know I will do whatever it takes to get a spot at any medical school in the UK!

Here is some information on my grades and credentials:

95% in Chemistry
95% in Biology
96% in Physics
99% in Functions
90% in English

Gold Level achievement of Duke of Edinburgh award
Over 200 Hours of volunteering at Hospital, wildlife sanctuary, and food bank
Spent 3 weeks volunteering at a hospital in a third-world country
Spent 2 weeks shadowing a general practitioner and geriatrics specialist
I have my Standard First Aid and CPR license
I am one of 5 members of my high school competitive science team
Competitive and High School volleyball player for the past 4 years (H.S. captain)
I play competitive and High School touch football (Competitive MIP)
I am a peer mentor at school for young students

I am doing all that I can to improve my chances at being accepted to medical school, but am still worried that my chances are extremely slim. Could someone give me any advice or tips?

Thanks so much to anyone that is reading this! :smile:
Reply 1
Original post by eevans74
Hello everyone!

I am a Canadian student in high school Grade 11, and am hoping to apply for entry into medical school in the UK during Fall 2013. I have been in contact with international advisors that are trying to help with the whole application process, however I am a little bit worried. People all over the internet are saying how competitive it is for international students to attain a position in a UK medical school, so I was wondering if anyone could help me decide if I really have what it takes to even consider applying to these schools. If I do, it would be nice if someone could suggest any universities that I stand a better chance at being accepted! I have been working extremely hard over the past few years with medical school as my only long-term goal, and I know I will do whatever it takes to get a spot at any medical school in the UK!

Here is some information on my grades and credentials:

95% in Chemistry
95% in Biology
96% in Physics
99% in Functions
90% in English

Gold Level achievement of Duke of Edinburgh award
Over 200 Hours of volunteering at Hospital, wildlife sanctuary, and food bank
Spent 3 weeks volunteering at a hospital in a third-world country
Spent 2 weeks shadowing a general practitioner and geriatrics specialist
I have my Standard First Aid and CPR license
I am one of 5 members of my high school competitive science team
Competitive and High School volleyball player for the past 4 years (H.S. captain)
I play competitive and High School touch football (Competitive MIP)
I am a peer mentor at school for young students

I am doing all that I can to improve my chances at being accepted to medical school, but am still worried that my chances are extremely slim. Could someone give me any advice or tips?

Thanks so much to anyone that is reading this! :smile:


I can't comment on your grades as I have no idea about the Canadian system, but they look good. Your work/voluntary experience etc is very good.

You'll need to sit the UKCAT for the vast majority of medical schools. You can sit this and get your score before applying. You can then apply accordingly, i.e. it makes sense to only apply to schools with high UKCAT cut-offs if you do very well..

As part of the UCAS application you'll also need to write a personal statement. This should explain why you want to study medicine/be a doctor and why you'll make a good candidate. You need to use your work/voluntary experience and extracuriculars as evidence for this by reflecting on what you've learnt from them. Simply writing a list of everything you've done will get you nowhere.

Lastly, there are schools in the uk that favour international applicants from developing countries or those with inadequate medical training, but there are also plenty that don't discriminate. St. Andrew's takes many Canadian students each year and even has an agreement with a Canadian university. You'll need to do some reasearch.
Reply 2
Thanks for the advice!

I am writing the UKCAT in September, so I have a lot of practicing ahead of me! Apart from the University of St. Andrews, do you know of any other schools that accept many international students?

If I was to be accepted into medical school, I would be interested in practicing in Canada afterwards. Do you know what the odds are that I would be able to return to Canada?

Thanks for your help!
Original post by eevans74
Hello everyone!

I am a Canadian student in high school Grade 11, and am hoping to apply for entry into medical school in the UK during Fall 2013. I have been in contact with international advisors that are trying to help with the whole application process, however I am a little bit worried. People all over the internet are saying how competitive it is for international students to attain a position in a UK medical school, so I was wondering if anyone could help me decide if I really have what it takes to even consider applying to these schools. If I do, it would be nice if someone could suggest any universities that I stand a better chance at being accepted! I have been working extremely hard over the past few years with medical school as my only long-term goal, and I know I will do whatever it takes to get a spot at any medical school in the UK!

Here is some information on my grades and credentials:

95% in Chemistry
95% in Biology
96% in Physics
99% in Functions
90% in English

Gold Level achievement of Duke of Edinburgh award
Over 200 Hours of volunteering at Hospital, wildlife sanctuary, and food bank
Spent 3 weeks volunteering at a hospital in a third-world country
Spent 2 weeks shadowing a general practitioner and geriatrics specialist
I have my Standard First Aid and CPR license
I am one of 5 members of my high school competitive science team
Competitive and High School volleyball player for the past 4 years (H.S. captain)
I play competitive and High School touch football (Competitive MIP)
I am a peer mentor at school for young students

I am doing all that I can to improve my chances at being accepted to medical school, but am still worried that my chances are extremely slim. Could someone give me any advice or tips?

Thanks so much to anyone that is reading this! :smile:


Your grades are good and I don't see it being a problem whatsoever in terms of entry requirements. You have a lot for extra-curricular, but it will be all down to your PS and how well you show what you have done. PS is about reflection. It isn't a time for "show-boating" but pick things that you are passionate about to reflect on. Also depending on which unis you'll be applying to, you will have to do BMAT/UKCAT.

If you are really determined to study medicine, you'll have to be very strategic in picking your universities which may mean making sacrifices. I think the biggest thing I would advise to you is do A LOT of research in the uni you are interested in. The course, the uni, the facilities, the city, costs, the future, etc. It's a big change for intl students and a big decision.
Reply 4
Hi! Your grades are PHENOMENAL - it's most certainly better than mine for sure.

As magichearts said, your PS needs to be in a top form. It's not about how many things you have done. Rather, it should be a showcase of what you have learned from each experience and how you could apply and transfer those skills into your future career.

Make sure to look at the medical schools carefully and go for the med school that you feel is perfect for you. Do not apply to certain unis just because of their prestige - in the UK, the medical schools are all up to par.

Don't worry, concentrate on what is laid out in front of you. Best of luck!


PM me if you have any further questions!
Reply 5
Thanks so much for all of the replies!

I have done a bit of research on universities that I feel I would enjoy the most. Academics are very important to me, however I am more concerned that the university I attend has an atmosphere that suits me. I am looking for a school that is realistic for me to be accepted into, has friendly people, a long history, and is situated in an area that is a little bit quieter than London but still has a good night life and is fun for students. For these reasons, I am leaning towards Sheffield, but some of my other options are:

Birmingham
Aberdeen
New Castle
Queen Mary
Peninsula
Leeds
St. Andrews

If anyone has any suggestions for me, I would love to hear them ! :smile:
Reply 6
I'm pretty sure Barts doesn't accept regular highschool diploma. Possibly the same with Peninsula (which is now split up into 2 medical schools - the policies may have changed). Why don't you try to contact them by phone or email? :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by eevans74
Thanks so much for all of the replies!

I have done a bit of research on universities that I feel I would enjoy the most. Academics are very important to me, however I am more concerned that the university I attend has an atmosphere that suits me. I am looking for a school that is realistic for me to be accepted into, has friendly people, a long history, and is situated in an area that is a little bit quieter than London but still has a good night life and is fun for students. For these reasons, I am leaning towards Sheffield, but some of my other options are:

Birmingham
Aberdeen
New Castle
Queen Mary
Peninsula
Leeds
St. Andrews

If anyone has any suggestions for me, I would love to hear them ! :smile:


Hey!
Have you considered what type of medicine course you're looking for? In the UK we have 3 types, Traditional, Integrated and PBL. You'll need to research which type of course that you'd prefer which will narrow down your uni short-list hugely.
As the above poster said, Peninsula does not exist anymore, it has split into the University of Exeter Medical School, and the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.
In all honesty, if the course is right for you, then you'll enjoy it pretty much anywhere; pick the type of course you want first, and the university afterwards.
Best of luck! :biggrin:
Original post by eevans74
Thanks so much for all of the replies!

I have done a bit of research on universities that I feel I would enjoy the most. Academics are very important to me, however I am more concerned that the university I attend has an atmosphere that suits me. I am looking for a school that is realistic for me to be accepted into, has friendly people, a long history, and is situated in an area that is a little bit quieter than London but still has a good night life and is fun for students. For these reasons, I am leaning towards Sheffield, but some of my other options are:

Birmingham
Aberdeen
New Castle
Queen Mary
Peninsula
Leeds
St. Andrews

If anyone has any suggestions for me, I would love to hear them ! :smile:


Woot Sheffield!

Do you know what sort of learning style suits you? Don't really know what's going on with peninsula due to the split...so can't really comment on the course. And last I heard, Barts doesn't take Canadian high school diploma students. I believe all the other unis you have picked are integrated learning except for St Andrews, which is Traditional.
Reply 9
I am definitely considering the integrated medicine course. Do some universities only teach using a certain style? The course I want to apply for is the A100 medicine and surgery undergraduate course.

So St. Andrews is crossed off the list... Does anyone have any other university suggestions for me? Preferably a school that accepts more international students, is in a very student-friendly city, and has better chances that I will be accepted?

I am also confused about how medical students from the UK can return to Canada to practice. Does anyone know what my chances would be like if I wanted to come back to Canada?

Thanks for all the help everyone! I really appreciate this!
Reply 10
Original post by eevans74
Thanks so much for all of the replies!

I have done a bit of research on universities that I feel I would enjoy the most. Academics are very important to me, however I am more concerned that the university I attend has an atmosphere that suits me. I am looking for a school that is realistic for me to be accepted into, has friendly people, a long history, and is situated in an area that is a little bit quieter than London but still has a good night life and is fun for students. For these reasons, I am leaning towards Sheffield, but some of my other options are:

Birmingham
Aberdeen
NewCastle
Queen Mary
Peninsula
Leeds
St. Andrews

If anyone has any suggestions for me, I would love to hear them ! :smile:


I recommend that you take the UKCAT first before refining the universities that you chose. If your UKCAT results are good, it would be easier to obtain an interview from universities that focus a lot on the UKCAT, like Newcastle (they operate via a cut-off score). If your UKCAT results are not so good, then it might be better to apply to universities that put less emphasis on the UKCAT like Aberdeen (UKCAT counts for only 8% of total admission score), or even to universities that don't require admission tests like Birmingham. Do research on how different universities grade applications :smile:
Original post by eevans74
I am definitely considering the integrated medicine course. Do some universities only teach using a certain style? The course I want to apply for is the A100 medicine and surgery undergraduate course.

So St. Andrews is crossed off the list... Does anyone have any other university suggestions for me? Preferably a school that accepts more international students, is in a very student-friendly city, and has better chances that I will be accepted?

I am also confused about how medical students from the UK can return to Canada to practice. Does anyone know what my chances would be like if I wanted to come back to Canada?

Thanks for all the help everyone! I really appreciate this!

St. Andrew has a program for Canadian students

As for going back to Canada it will be very difficult bar the St. Andrews program.

International student places at UK universities are about as competitive as for EU nationals so they're not really super competitive.

Your grades and extracurriculars are great, in your PS focus just on healthcare stuff when it comes to volunteering though so you can put in as much as you learnt as possible.

Also Queen Mary is in London :smile:
Original post by eevans74
Thanks so much for all of the replies!

I have done a bit of research on universities that I feel I would enjoy the most. Academics are very important to me, however I am more concerned that the university I attend has an atmosphere that suits me. I am looking for a school that is realistic for me to be accepted into, has friendly people, a long history, and is situated in an area that is a little bit quieter than London but still has a good night life and is fun for students. For these reasons, I am leaning towards Sheffield, but some of my other options are:

Birmingham
Aberdeen
New Castle
Queen Mary
Peninsula
Leeds
St. Andrews

If anyone has any suggestions for me, I would love to hear them ! :smile:


Being an international student myself, I would say birmingham is a really internationally friendly university. ( most of the UK unit are anyway. :biggrin: ) There are about 30 places for international students, the most in UK.There about 5/6 canadians in my year itself doing medicine. And Birmingham tends to give importance to acadamic results and Work experience and doesn't require you to take any admission tests as well. But remember birmingham is changing the way they interview this year. ( introducing MMI format)

All the best :smile:
Original post by Helloworld_95
St. Andrew has a program for Canadian students

As for going back to Canada it will be very difficult bar the St. Andrews program.

International student places at UK universities are about as competitive as for EU nationals so they're not really super competitive.

Your grades and extracurriculars are great, in your PS focus just on healthcare stuff when it comes to volunteering though so you can put in as much as you learnt as possible.

Also Queen Mary is in London :smile:



EU nationals are considered as home students for admission process.
Competition for International students for medicine is way much higher than that.

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