The latest updates from the MD Admissions team.
VFMP Site Profile
By Admissions on Feb 15, 2017 Thank you to Khalil for answering our questions!
- What do you like best about your site? Vancouver. Is. Incredible. The huge benefit of having your program in a city centre is that you’re a hop skip and a jump away from all Vancouver has to offer. Whether that be a morning bike ride on the seawall before histology, a night ski on a local mountain after class or even a wander through Gastown with friends, the diversity in Vancouver is unparalleled. Being in Vancouver offers an enormous amount of freedom. Vancouver’s extensive bus and Skytrain system makes easy to get around even if you don’t have a car. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an outdoorsman, foodie or coffee connoisseur, we’ve got you covered. And since VFMP has the largest class size of all the sites, there’ll always be someone to come with you on the many adventures you’re sure to have.
- What makes your site unique or special? If the nine beaches, three local mountain resorts, 230 parks and incredible downtown core weren’t enough to sell you, then yes there is more: – At the VFMP we’re fortunate to have access to the amazing Medical Student Alumni Centre, just a 5-minute walk away from the Diamond Centre at VGH. The MSAC is open 24/7 and boasts a free gym and numerous multipurpose rooms that are all equipped with videoconference technology. Unsurprisingly, this makes MSAC the heart and hub of over 50 clubs, organizations and interest groups within the Faculty of Medicine. From Bhangra and Hip-Hop to Political Advocacy and Meditation, there is literally something for everyone. – Another advantage of being at the VFMP is being able to access all of the AMS facilities at UBC and participate in AMS clubs and events. Events like Storm the Wall and Day of the Longboat are always crowd-pleasers and participation in Intramurals is a must (Go Herniated Discs!).
- What are some challenges associated with life at your site? Since VFMP is a larger program, it can be a bit more difficult trying to meet everyone in your program. The distributed sites definitely have more of a cozier feel to them. On the bright side, there is always someone new to get to know! Since we have a larger site, there are more places available for students to go for family practice or clinical skills. This is a bit of a double-edged sword, because although it allows for a diversity of clinical experiences, there have certainly been times where I’ve been making the mad dash from a morning Family Practice session in Surrey to catch the anatomy lab at UBC in the afternoon (Dr. Doroudi makes it worth it).
- What kind of person would really like living and studying at your site? Someone who is adaptable and likes a fast-paced life style. You’ll likely never be in the same small group session with the same people more than once and your placements could be anywhere across Metro-Vancouver. In a nutshell, if you love the hustle and bustle of living in a big city, Vancouver is the place for you.
- Is there anything else you would like to add? No matter what site you pick, you’re going to have an amazing time! There are no wrong choices (except for not picking VFMP)! Every site is unique and filled with wonderful people 🙂
Recommendation: Take the MCAT Early!
By Admissions on Jan 16, 2017
Starting with the upcoming 2017/2018 application cycle, only the current version of the MCAT will be accepted. This is the MCAT version that launched in April 2015 with the sections BBFL, CPBS, PSBB and CARS. Many applicants will need to take the MCAT in 2017, either for the first time, or because their old scores will no longer be accepted. This means that test dates in BC may be in particular demand this year (even more than usual, that is!). If you can arrange your study time and work/school/life schedule to accommodate one of the earlier exam dates, we would strongly recommend doing so for a couple of reasons.
The first reason is that the latest test dates do not allow you to receive your scores before the application deadline. We recently posted the interim stats, and as you can see, there were a lot of ineligible applications this year. Many of these were ineligible due MCAT scores. Applying without having your MCAT scores first means you are taking a chance that your application will become ineligible as soon as the scores are released. That would be such a waste of time and money! If you receive your scores before the deadline and they don’t meet the minimum, at least you can save yourself the application fee.
The second reason we recommend taking the MCAT early is because, at least anecdotally, applicants seem to be experiencing more computer problems during the exam. This could perhaps be due to the longer duration of the current exam. Whatever the reason, the earlier you write the exam, the better chance you have of rescheduling a retake on a date we can accommodate if any testing difficulties do arise. Even if there are no testing issues, if you take the exam early and it does not go as well as you had hoped, you might have time to take it again before the end of August.
We understand that writing an earlier exam won’t work for everyone, and in terms of your application, results from an August 24 exam are treated exactly the same as results from a June 1 exam. However, if you can wrap up your preparation a bit earlier and write on an earlier date, it might save you from a disappointing situation later on.
The schedule of MCAT exam dates and release dates can be found here. Good luck to all 2017 test-takers!
Permalink | No Comments2017 Pre-Medical Diversity Symposium Date Set
By wong79 on Jan 06, 2017
The 2017 Pre-Medical Diversity Symposium has been scheduled! It will be held on Saturday, March 4. This event is organized and hosted by UBC medical students and is geared toward prospective applicants who consider themselves “non-traditional.” These applicants may be a bit older, may have experienced certain challenges in their life, or may simply come from an academic or personal background that seems different from that of a “typical” medical school applicant.
More details to come, including time and locations.
Permalink | 2 CommentsInterview Notifications Sent / Holiday Closure
By Admissions on Dec 15, 2016
All of the interview notifications have been sent and everyone has been updated on their application status. Regardless of what that status is, we acknowledge and appreciate the substantial amount of time and effort you have put into your application, your education, and your activities. We wish you all the best in 2017.
Speaking of the new year, the Admissions Office will be closed from December 23 at noon until January 2 (we will reopen January 3). During the closure, we will not be available to answer emails or phone calls.
Permalink | No CommentsPre-Interview Scoring and FAQs 2016/2017
By Admissions on Dec 12, 2016
This year’s applicants have demonstrated impressive academic and non-academic achievements, and as always, we are sorry that we must limit the number of applicants we can invite to interview. Those of you not invited to interview may want more feedback on your application. We cannot provide individual feedback, but we hope this explanation of scores can help to answer some of your questions. There are some FAQs below as well.
OGPA = Overall GPA in UBC percentage
AGPA = Adjusted GPA in UBC percentage
AQ Score = OGPA (if not eligible for AGPA) or AGPA, converted to a number out of 50 (50 is the maximum score). The AQ score is just your OGPA or AGPA, automatically converted to a number out of 50 by our application system. The exact conversion mechanism is confidential. It is important to emphasize that the calculation is automatically determined. This means if your OGPA/AGPA is correct, your AQ score is also correct. If you are a reapplicant and your AQ score is different from last year, that’s ok; the scores are standardized against the current applicant pool, which changes from year to year. This means your AQ score can change even if your OGPA/AGPA stayed the same.
NAQ Score = The score given for the non-academic portions of the application, converted to a number out of 50. In order to make sure applicants receive a fair score for this section, all file reviewers are carefully trained, there are various checks throughout the process to ensure consistency in marking, and the NAQ score is standardized to make up for any scoring variations between reviewers. Due to these safeguards we do not accept requests for re-evaluation of the non-academic section.
Please note that while we look for the same aptitudes and qualities each year, we periodically revise how we evaluate and score these qualities. Additionally, every year there are changes in the applicant pool which affect the scoring of the non-academic section. These include the competiveness of the pool, the addition or deletion of activities from an individual’s application, and adjustments made to the average candidate profile that reviewers use to help evaluate the non-academic sections. Therefore, NAQ scores may fluctuate from year to year.
TFR Score = AQ Score + NAQ Score. Your TFR score might be really close to the cutoff. We have double-checked these files for accuracy, so unfortunately you might just be one of the unlucky ones whose score is really close but not quite high enough to get an interview this year.
FAQs
Feedback
I was not invited for an interview; can I talk/meet with someone to discuss my application? I would like some more feedback.
Due to limited resources, we regret that we are not able to offer any feedback advising to applicants who were not granted an interview, nor can we provide any further information about the evaluation of your file. More information about scoring can be found on our Evaluation Criteria page. Reviewing the Interim Statistics on our Statistics page may also help you to identify some potential areas of improvement in your application.
I can tell why I didn’t get an interview, but how can I improve my scores?
Unfortunately, we cannot give you individual feedback about improving your scores – each person’s situation and application is unique and we do not have the resources to offer this type of advising to applicants.
In general terms, improving one’s AQ score seems fairly straightforward, in that the only way to improve a GPA is by taking more classes and achieving higher grades in those classes. It’s the related if/how/when/why/is it worth it type of questions that are much more complicated. You know your situation, capacities, future plans, and personal resources the best, and you are the best person to make this kind of decision. We cannot tell you what impact improving your GPA would have on your ultimate chances of acceptance.
For NAQ, we look for several things when we evaluate the non-academic portions of the application: longstanding, meaningful commitments; leadership; service ethic and altruism; ability to work with others, especially people outside of your peer group; and diverse interests and experiences. We also recognize exceptional achievements in some areas. With NAQ it is important to remember that the applicant pool isn’t made up of the same people you might normally compare yourself against, like your classmates or coworkers – it is made up of highly accomplished individuals just like you. Unfortunately we cannot offer specific ways to improve your NAQ score.
AQ
My AQ score seems too low for my GPA.
The AQ score can look really low sometimes. This is a result of the conversion mechanism we use (which is confidential). The AQ score is a number that is meant to be compared to other AQ scores only; it doesn’t have much meaning on its own. Sometimes applicants will see an AQ score of 10 or something similar and will think we are giving them a 10% (an F). We’re not! Please try to use your AQ score for comparative purposes only. The GPAs published on the interim stats may be a useful comparison tool as well. Finally, as a reminder, as long as your OGPA or AGPA (if applicable) is correct, your AQ score is correct.
I think that there has been a mistake in the academic evaluation of my file.
The academic evaluation was based on the credits and grades entered by applicants. If you believe that there has been a specific error, please send an email via the application system detailing what you believe the mistake to be. Please note that some applicants entered wrong information – eg. did not include all courses, excluded failed courses or used letter grades instead of percentages. In these instances the Admissions Office had to correct these mistakes by verifying courses and grades on official transcripts. Therefore, there may be a discrepancy between averages calculated by an applicant and the grades as they appear on the Application Status page of his/her application.
The calculation of the AQ Score is automatically performed by the application system, so as long as your OGPA or AGPA (if applicable) is correct, your AQ Score is also correct.
I am a re-applicant. I have not taken any further coursework so my OGPA/AGPA is the same (or I have taken further coursework and my OGPA/AGPA is higher than last year), but my scores have gone down. Why?
For the academic section of the application the actual evaluation criteria remained the same and there were no changes to the grade conversion tables used. However, academic scores, like non-academic scores, are standardized against the current applicant pool. You can check your AQ score by looking at your OGPA or AGPA (if applicable): if your OGPA/AGPA is correct, your AQ score is also correct.
I thought I should have been eligible for the AGPA to determine my academic score, but it does not seem to have been used.
The AGPA was calculated based on the courses and grades entered by applicants. The application system automatically determined (a) the lowest academic year which could be eliminated and (b) if this year could be dropped (i.e. if there were still 90 remaining credits with grades at the time of application, excluding summer 2016 courses). The Admissions Office verified that grades had been entered accurately by comparison with the official transcripts.
My overall GPA (or adjusted GPA if applicable) is slightly below the 75%/85% cut-off but I still feel my non-academic experiences are very strong and should have been reviewed.
Although we look for excellent non-academic qualities, these must also be accompanied by very good academic qualities to demonstrate an applicant’s ability to successfully handle the rigorous MD Undergraduate curriculum. It was determined that a lower AQ score (below 75% for BC and below 85% for OOP) cannot be offset by a strong NAQ score; hence these files were not reviewed.
I attended a university that did not use percentages for its grading scheme. How did UBC calculate averages from universities with different grading schemes?
Information on grade conversions, including our grade conversion tables, can be found on the Evaluation Criteria page of our website.
NAQ
I am not happy with the non-academic score I received. Can I request another review?
We understand that you may be dissatisfied with the scoring of the non-academic portion of your file, but would like to assure you that the non-academic portion of your application was reviewed and evaluated fairly and consistently. We will not re-evaluate the non-academic section of your file. At the beginning of each cycle, with guidelines provided by the Admissions Policy Committee, we establish a profile of an average applicant as a benchmark and points are allotted accordingly. Reviewers are trained and files are cross-checked. Although there cannot help but be a degree of subjectivity involved, we feel the standardized process keeps this to a minimum.
I am a re-applicant. I feel I have more activities, volunteer, and employment experiences than last year, but my NAQ score has not increased. Why?
Each year, the applicant pool is different, as is the average applicant profile used by non-academic evaluators. In addition, while we look for the same aptitudes and qualities each year, we periodically revise how we evaluate and score these qualities. All of these may contribute to a lower-than-expected NAQ score.
General
I was not invited for an interview and would like to appeal the decision.
We realize the importance of your application and appreciate that the results may be disappointing. Please be aware that we do our best to ensure that our evaluation practices are fair and consistent. Files are often double and sometimes triple checked to ensure accuracy. While we are unable to discuss your application over the phone, you may email Admissions through the application system if you have any specific concerns regarding your file evaluation. Please note that we will not re-evaluate the non-academic section of your file. We will not make appointments with the Dean, Associate Dean, or Admissions staff to discuss your application.
I’m not sure if I am seeing the right thing under the scores line on my Application Status page.
This is what you should see, depending on your application status:
Ineligible: no scores
Regrets, Partial File Review: OGPA, AGPA (if applicable)
Regrets, No Interview: OGPA, AGPA (if applicable), AQ, NAQ and TFR
Invited to Interview: no scores