Admissions Blog

The latest updates from the MD Admissions team.

Offer Notifications Sent

By Admissions on May 12, 2017 At this time of year, we always wish there were more spots available in the class so we could invite more of our outstanding applicants to join the program. By now all applicants have been notified of the admissions decision on their file. Happy news or sad, we thank you for applying to UBC and participating in the admissions process. If you did not receive an acceptance this year and plan to reapply, the application for 2017/2018 will open in mid-June. Permalink | No Comments

Waitlist Questions 2017

By Admissions on

UBC’s waitlist is a bit complicated, so we hope these FAQs will help to answer some of your questions about how the waitlist works. These questions are mostly reprinted from an earlier post – we have not made changes to how we handle the waitlist this year.

Waitlist questions: applicants who have an application status of Waitlisted

1. Can you tell me where I am on the waitlist? How long is the waitlist?

No, sorry. Our waitlist is more complicated than most due to the four sites, and we don’t reveal where applicants are on it, how long it is, how quickly it’s moving, etc.

2. When will you send the next round of offers?

It will be after the deadline for this round (Friday, May 26). We will try to send them on Monday the 29^th or Tuesday the 30^th and will update the blog when the next round has gone out.

3. I am on the waitlist but received an offer from another Canadian medical school. Can I accept the offer at the other institution but still remain on the waitlist for UBC?

Yes, that’s fine. If you get an offer from UBC and want to accept it you will need to withdraw your acceptance from the other school.

4. How long will I be on the waitlist?

That really depends on how many people decline their offers. We don’t give estimates or chances or anything like that to applicants because we don’t know how many people will decline, either. We usually try to shorten the waitlist at some point during the summer, but unfortunately it’s possible to stay on the waitlist until late August.

Waitlist questions: applicants who have received an offer

1. I received an offer, but it wasn’t to my first choice site. What are my options?

a. You can accept the offer and most likely stay on the waitlist for your first choice site (and second choice and third choice sites, if applicable). There are a couple of rare exceptions, which is why we say you will “most likely” stay on the waitlist – applicants who selected the NMP but did not complete the Rural Training section of the application will not be waitlisted for the NMP, for example. However, the majority of applicants will be on the waitlist for their preferred site(s). This happens automatically so you don’t need to contact us about it. Please note that if you accept the offer, you are agreeing to go to the site listed on your Response to Offer form. You will not be able to change sites unless you get another offer.

b. You can decline the offer to that site and most likely stay on the waitlist for your more preferred site(s). Same as above – the vast majority of applicants will be waitlisted for their preferred site(s), and this will happen automatically. The difference is that you are declining the offer and the site. This is taking a risk since you may not get an offer to a more preferred site, but sometimes you know a particular site just won’t work for you, and in this case it’s better to free up the spot for someone else. Please note that accepting or declining the offer won’t make a difference in terms of your position on the waitlist for your preferred site(s) – your waitlist position will be the same either way.

c. You could decline UBC completely. This would remove you from the waitlist and you would not get any further offers from us.

d. You could not submit the Response to Offer form at all (although we would prefer you did!). Not submitting the form removes you from the waitlist for your preferred site(s) and prevents you from receiving any other offers from UBC

2. Is my position on the waitlist of my preferred site(s) affected by accepting or declining an offer to a less-preferred site?

No, your position is the same whether you accept or decline the offer.

3. What if I have accepted an offer to my second (or third or fourth) choice and have decided I want to stay there? Do I have accept an offer to my first choice site if I get one?

You can stay at a less-preferred site if you want. We will take you off the waitlist for your preferred site(s). Please email us to let us know, and be aware that this decision is final. You will not be able to be put back on the waitlist for your first (or second, etc) choice site.

4. What if I have received an offer to my first choice site but I want to go to my second (or third or fourth) choice?

If you receive an offer to your first choice site you will have to stick with that site. You won’t be given any other offers. This assumes you have not already accepted an offer to the second (or third or fourth) choice site – if you have please see #3 above.

Permalink | No Comments

The Return of the Early Application Deadline

By Admissions on Mar 31, 2017

The early application deadline is back! It’s earlier this year – August 1. However, the incentive is the same as before. Applicants who submit all required documents and fees by August 1, 2017 at noon Pacific Time and who are invited to interview will receive their interview invitations a day early. We inform applicants whether or not they have met the early deadline, so it can be a good way to receive confirmation that your application is complete in terms of the items that are required by the regular September 15 application deadline. If you find out that something is missing from your application (like a transcript that never arrived, or your proof of BC residency), you would hopefully have enough time to submit the missing item in time for the regular application deadline. Meeting the early deadline does not give you extra points or any other advantages in how your application is evaluated, though.

Please note that MCAT scores and WES/ICES evaluations are due later and do not have to be submitted by August 1 to meet the early application deadline.

Permalink | 6 Comments

Upcoming Info Session at UNBC

By Admissions on Mar 10, 2017

Are you a prospective or future applicant who lives in the Prince George area? If so, please check out the poster on the left for details about an upcoming info session at UNBC (click to enlarge). The Associate Dean of Admissions and MD Admissions staff will be available to answer questions and provide information about the program. We hope to see you there!

In addition to Prince George, information sessions are held in Kelowna, Victoria, and Vancouver. Please visit our Information Sessions page for upcoming Vancouver dates and links to dates in other cities.

Permalink | 4 Comments

2017 Pre-Medical Diversity Symposium

By Admissions on Feb 17, 2017

The following is a message from the organizers of the 2017 Pre-Medical Diversity Symposium (click poster to enlarge):

Are you interested in a career in medicine, but don’t fit the traditional premed mold? Are you curious or confused about the road to applying to medical school? Do you want to hear from medical students who also come from diverse backgrounds?

Then this symposium is for you!

The UBC Faculty of Medicine invites people of all walks of life to apply to medical school. The Premedical Diversity Symposium is designed to support applicants who identify as “non-traditional” for reasons such as a difficult financial or family background, a non-science degree, indigenous ancestry, rural origin, parenthood, or applying later in life.

Schedule

March 4th, 2017, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

Registration and breakfast opens at 9:00 am
Symposium programming from 10 am-3:30 pm

This full day event will feature sessions on:
– The importance of diversity in medicine
– Student stories from current non-traditional medical students
– Q&A breakout sessions in small groups with a medical student
– A brief overview of the UBC medical school admissions process
– How to finance your way through medical school

Light breakfast and lunch will be provided!

Please RSVP at http://bit.ly/2kTtH92

More information can be found on our Facebook event page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/244966189279635/

Where does this event take place?

This event takes place in Vancouver and will be video-conferenced to to Kelowna, Victoria, and Prince George. You may attend this event at any of the following sites:

Vancouver:
Medical Student Alumni Centre (MSAC)
2750 Heather St, Vancouver, BC

Kelowna:
Room 148, Reichwald Health Sciences Centre
1088 Discovery Ave, Kelowna, BC

Victoria:
Room 246, Royal Jubilee Hospital Coronation Annex
2221-2357 Richmond Rd, Victoria, BC

Prince George:
Room 9-370, Dr. Donald Rix Northern Health Sciences Centre
3333 University Way, Prince George, BC

Questions?

Thank you and we hope to see you there!