My Premed Journey: Being Accepted Into A CANADIAN MEDICAL SCHOOL Without Being Perfect

Exactly 1 year ago today, I remember sitting down at my desk on a late night as I finished up my med school applications. I promised myself that if I ever made it in, I would make this video to inspire others to keep following their passions - just like how other people had inspired me.
The value of hard work can't be stressed enough. Don't give up on your dreams and when times get hard, always remember that a lot can change in 1 year.
Time Stamps
Intro - 0:08
Canadian Medical Schools vs. Harvard (by the numbers) - 2:59
My Stats When I Was Accepted - 3:31
Some Background Info About Me - 3:36
Highschool: 5:13
University + GPA - 7:45
The COMEBACK - 12:38
The Road to Straight As - 14:49
The MCAT - 16:45
How to PROPERLY approach the MCAT - 18:52
Extracurriculars - 21:14
My 5th Year of Undergrad - 23:29
Interviews - 25:14
Conclusion - 27:53
You're Never Alone - 28:38
As always, thank you very much to the very talented Lakey Inspired for providing the background music. This track is called... "Find a way" (pretty suiting for the topic :) ) anyways it can be found here: kzbin.info?even...

[@nxtgenmd]

So to provide even more evidence for me being less than perfect, I accidentally misspelled Happy Birthday wrong with the amino acids at 20:34... I was up late with editing and the Phenylalanine's should both be Prolines! Don't get it wrong on your instagram story when you're studying for the MCAT! LOL

[@sipanh4496]

This was one of the most honest videos I've watched not just on a topic related to being "premed" (which is notorious for neuroticism and hyper-competitiveness) but also on life and the highs and lows that come with being in university and trying to accomplish a dream. Thank you so much for making this video. Shoutout to Ryerson biomed! Glad to hear somebody else in med school who realized their dream found the first and second years to be a huge challenge.. Thanks again man.

[@nxtgenmd]

First off - it's so nice hearing from a fellow Ram 🔥💪 But thanks so much for this comment bro, I'm glad the video helped. Premed has all these negative stereotypes associated with it, and I was just looking to try my best to dismantle a few of them. It sounds like you really understood what I was trying to say though. Keep working hard towards your dream and help out others once you get there. All the best buddy :)

[@SinghDabb]

Thank you so much for being so transparent, I’m a non-traditional med school hopeful and am constantly feeling the highs and lows. Your story really is inspiring and gives me hope that I may have a chance, keep up the great work!!

[@amarawynn8129]

Very inspiring, thank you! Your energy is contagious

[@nxtgenmd]

Aha thank you very much :) and its no problem - best of luck on your own journey!

[@jessicapt.3728]

Needed this video today. Thanks for sharing :)

[@nxtgenmd]

No problem Jessica! glad it helped :)

[@sheyn2991]

So I might have teared up a little every now and then. Thank you for your hard work and your genuine sincerity. It really is a breath of fresh air :)

[@nxtgenmd]

Just imagine my reaction when I finally got my acceptance letter... It really can be an emotional journey sometimes :) Thank you for this comment Sheila, I'm really glad to hear that. Best of luck with your own journey 🔥

[@lydiafarag7403]

Love this channel- super inspiring :). Best of luck!

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks so much! :) best of luck to you as well.

[@charlottechan8624]

Dude you're just amazing. Like I swear I have shivers from watching until the end of your video. Absolutely amazing. SOOoososo many congratulations!

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks so much Charlotte :) I really appreciate it! Good luck with your own journey 🤙

[@shreekar10]

You're just Brilliant man! These videos are totally gonna make so many lives better:) Cheers to you and keep this spectacular work coming! And a Big congratulations on your achievement! 🤛

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks so much Shreekar :D I'm glad that I'm able to help out a bit and I appreciate the support 💪 See you around

[@panda7022]

This is definitely one of your older videos, but I've just been watching all of your videos recently and it's definitely been such a big help. I feel like i've always been scared of medical school even though I've always wanted it so bad, but all of the info that you've laid out in your videos and how you tell your story really gave me the perspective that I needed -- there really isn't anything to be afraid of, and the fact that others can achieve it doesn't show me that I can't but rather that it's possible for me as well. Thanks a bunch (:

[@nxtgenmd]

I'm really glad that my video was able to help you reach that conclusion Kaitlin :) Work hard, try to have some fun and best of luck with everything!

[@potatoesunite9431]

I just found your channel and I’m currently in my first year of biomedical sciences at Ryerson! Can’t wait to watch more of your content as I’m looking to apply to medical school in the future :)

[@nxtgenmd]

Woo! Hope you have an awesome time at Ryerson when we can all actually go back to campus 😅 Best of luck with it and feel free to reach out if you have any questions :D

[@Ramstermon15]

Congrats buddy its soo nice hearing the Rye story that we pulled threw together. Now we both out here in med school killing it.

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks buddy. We did it together - especially with those MCAT study sessions at SLC that saved my butt in organic chem 😅 Hope everythings going well at your med school too. Let me know if you ever have some free time when you’re home - at some point in the future, we need to get you on the channel 🤙

[@monarchv3113]

I don’t usually comment, but I just want to thank you for this amazing video! I just finished first year at UofT, and my GPA’s not that great, and when I watch you tubers with godly stats I get super stressed😞 but watching your video gave me hope! Keep up the good work! But now I’m scared for second year😅

[@nxtgenmd]

I'm glad it was able to help :) LOL yeah in my case second year was a little rough - but it doesn't need to be that way for everyone! The most important part though is recognizing what you need to improve early on and then fixing it 💪 Good luck with your studies 🔥

[@anlai1467]

Thanks for your informative video on your journey. :) This makes me more motivated although I got such a long way to go.

[@nxtgenmd]

No worries and I’m so glad to hear it :) Aha it really does feel like a long journey in the beginning but we all gotta start somewhere 🤙 Best of luck!

[@valentina9988]

I usually never comment on youtube, but you are AMAZING! Your energy is so great and your story is just inspirational. The fact that you are not afraid to show that you made mistakes and that you are not perfect makes this video so great. It shows a great deal of perseverance and passion. You know...I have a 4.0 GPA, I am doing pain research, volunteering, working, and studying to take the MCAT this summer. However, I still feel that I am not good enough to get accepted at McMaster. Seeing your story and how you managed to improve is just inspirational - it made me realize that I just need to change the way I think and continue pushing. I wish you the best and I hope you are enjoying med school!

[@nxtgenmd]

You're too kind Valentina, thank you so much ☺️ Unfortunately, many applicants might be reluctant to share their stories on KZbin if they didn't have perfect stats but was glad to offer my own experience. On the other hand though, your application sounds amazing and I reckon that you'll do well on the MCAT if you approach it the same way that you did with your GPA! It's a killer of a test, but with the proper plan, it's totally manageable 💪 I do think that's a very mature thought on your part though - we all have growing to do, myself included. I find it best to stay humble and always look out for areas where you can improve... Don't sell yourself short though, you sound great aha :) Best of luck and I am DEFINITELY enjoying medical school (albeit from home right now)

[@ruoqihuang7394]

Speaking from heart, you are by far my favorite MedSchool youtuber.

[@nxtgenmd]

Just trying to help out :) Thank you Jokkei!

[@elyasa123]

Very informative video, inspired me a whole lot!

[@nxtgenmd]

I'm so glad to hear that :) always good to hear from you Elyas. Hope everything has been well the last few weeks.

[@high-density-awesome2725]

oh boy this came at a good time with me switching my entire undergrad to focus towards getting to med school.

[@nxtgenmd]

Alright! Glad this video found you then aha :) best of luck with your journey 🔥🤙

[@aserrtryyfgrcffgfgg]

I usually never comment but OMG! I am literally him when he just finished second year. Lol, I was just looking at all the requirements and I keep shying away. Its soo inspiring to see someone from Ryerson and someone who had similar marks as me in the first and second year (lol mines a little lower still) get into a med school. Thank you soo much for this I really needed to see this! No less than As from now on.

[@nxtgenmd]

Aha I'm so glad you were able to relate and that the video was helpful :) Just set those goals, make a plan and then focus on doing what you need to in order to make it happen. Good luck! 🔥

[@xnn12ty]

Hello there! Thank you very much for this video! It gave me a sprinkle of hope (this is enough actually especially to what I’m feeling right now) . Although I still have doubts with myself. I am in my second year and I’m also a university student here in Canada. It’s also really nice to hear from someone who studied in Canada when almost all youtubers in the pre-med/MD line are Americans. I feel like we have similarities with our first 2 years in university studies (especially when you talked about high school: my dream to become a doctor also spiked during grade 11!!). You had higher GPAs than mine though during 1st year. It’s still the end of Fall semester in my 2nd year so I have another semester to ace everything to boost both my 2nd year GPA and my cGPA! (Hopefully) You really made me feel better. Thank you very much!

[@nxtgenmd]

Hi there and nice to meet you :) I'm really glad that the video was able to help you out a bit. I think self-doubts are totally normal, but try not to be too hard on yourself - the energy is better spent elsewhere 🔥💪 It definitely sounds like we have a few similarities - don't hesitate to reach out on Instagram if you ever have any questions :D

[@Sergio-qm9ij]

This is the kind of sincerity that a vast majority of youtube channels lack. Genuine advice with a genuine desire to help others. Thank you very much.

[@nxtgenmd]

I’m glad it helped out, thanks so much for that! 🤙 :)

[@kater6873]

You're so amazing! :) I feel so inspired after watching this. Thanks so much for making this. You are going to be a great doctor. You seem like a very empathetic and kind hearted person. I think the struggles that you have gone through and the adversity you have overcome will definitely show in the level of care you give to your patients. I have had a chronic illness since childhood so have spent a lot of time in hospitals. School was also a really tough journey for me because of my disability. I am really glad someone like you will be in this profession. :) Keep making these awesome videos! Looking forward to seeing your journey through med school. Wishing you all the best!!!

[@nxtgenmd]

Wow Kaitlyn, its comments like yours that leave me at a loss for words :) I'm glad that you feel motivated and I'm sure that you're equally as amazing. Thanks so much for the support and for sharing your story. I love what I do, here in medical school and also on KZbin. I think that you're entirely right in saying that our own personal experiences and perhaps even our hardships, shape us as people. I think that the message I try and relay to people is to stay positive, be the best YOU that you can be and to help others - and from your comment, it sounds like you're doing a great job with all of these things :) Thanks to you and others, I promise that I'll have no lack of motivation when it comes to being a great doctor or making these videos. So thanks again, and all the best to you as well!! - Gianluca

[@kater6873]

​@@nxtgenmd Thanks a lot for taking the time to reply, Gianluca!!! :) I hope you will continue working hard and trying your best!!!

[@theabbynica]

Another great vid ! I see big things for you and wish you the best. I hope to make it there soon haha. I'm not perfect either and it's good to know you don't need to be a super genius just to make it in this world. Xx

[@nxtgenmd]

Thank you so much :) and keep pushing forward. I really hope that you can make it here soon too! I do have some pretty big things planned, and I can’t wait to share them with everyone on here! You definitely do not need to be a super genius... although I don’t think that it would hurt your chances lol 😅 all the best and keep up the hard work 💪

[@charlottechan8624]

Thank you so much Gianluca. SOooooOSOoSosososoooo much appreciated :)

[@landizhou7500]

Absolutely inspirational! Hope I get into med one day like you ;)

[@nxtgenmd]

Lolll I laughed a bit too hard at this... Yeah man hopefully you get into med soon, like before our next mandatory lecture ;)

[@geraldjagger3711]

Video is fire as usual , but please make them in 1080, it would be amazing. Keep it up:)

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks so much dude, really appreciate it. I totally agree, the 720p hurts my soul as a filmmaker, but that's just a consequence of some equipment insufficiencies on my end (that med school student budget doesn't help lol). I'm actively working on coming up with a solution though so stay tuned :)

[@_macm]

Gianluca (got your name right this time hahaha), this was so motivating! Thank you so much fro sharing and for being so honest throughout the video!!! I moved to Canada by myself at 21 - I am 27 now, will probably get into med school around 30 -, self-studied to get into Pre-Health, as an international student, then got in Bachelor of Nursing and graduated last year with honors from York U, while working at my clinical placements and two part-time jobs. It definitely wasn't easy but I am as determined as you were to become a doctor. I do not see myself doing anything else. I don't have research experience but I do have some interesting extra-curriculars (skydiving, riding horses since younge age and then volunteering with it in here, volunteer with LGFB cancer patients at PMH, and all my part-time jobs throughout nursing school that really helped me achieve the CanMEDS categories), not to mention all the direct patient care during the 4 years of school. Hopefully, I will be able to self-study for the MCAT without most of the "pre-reqs", rock it, and get in a good Med School :) Congratulations on your journey and hopefully I'll see you on the floor one day! :D Once again, thank you so much for your videos!

[@nxtgenmd]

Ahaha thank you very much 😂 And thanks so much for sharing your inspirational story too! It's awesome to see that we've done some similar-ish things like skydiving and volunteering at PMH. Just as a small tip, I would recommend doing some research if you can. It's not mandatory, but it could really help later on :) I really admire your dedication and I wish you the best of luck with your studying and your applications! Thanks so much for reaching out and for the kind words. I definitely hope to see you on the same floor some time. Take care for now.

[@_macm]

@@nxtgenmd I've been looking into getting into research, just have a hard time since there were no opportunities during my undegrad. I am trying to find volunteering spots so I can get into the field somehow. Any tips would be highly appreciated! :) All the best to you. Definitely will see you around the floor some day! :)

[@malickturenne3969]

Man that was very inspirational and also very relatable. From struggling early in UD to getting an average first MCAT score. That’s literally me right now. You seem to have CARS figured out. Would love to hear your study strategies for that section so that i can try them out next summer!

[@malickturenne3969]

Oh waw i just realized you already have a CARS video nvm😂

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks so much for leaving this comment Malick. I'm glad that there's someone out there that can relate with what I was saying :) Lol its no worries, my CARS video definitely outlines how I went about prepping for my test, but I've definitely improved in how I go about explaining things in my videos over the last few months. If you need any clarifications, just let me know and I'd be happy to help. Good luck with everything and keep working hard!

[@malickturenne3969]

NXTgenMD thank man really appreciate it! Good luck to you too!

[@marymontgomery-gomez5314]

I just wanted to say that this video of yours provided a great deal of hope and motivation for SO many of us. This is honestly one of the most life changing videos I've watched on KZbin because its very rare for someone to be so honest. Thank you so much for being so forthright and sharing your journey so candidly! I've been sharing your video with my friends because its so helpful for all of us!!! Can you also please make a very detailed MCAT video soon? I'm starting to study in 2-3 weeks and would love to get some guidance. Thank you again! :)

[@nxtgenmd]

Well Mary, I think what’s also important to remember is that you and everyone else commenting have also provided a great deal of motivation for me - your comment especially just made my entire day! :) thank you so much for the support, honestly and truly. I just really wanted to help some people who might’hve been in a similar situation that I was in. Now for the MCAT video. I had originally planned to delay that one into the new year, but I can definitely move it up. When is your test day scheduled for?

[@marymontgomery-gomez5314]

@@nxtgenmd Thanks so much for the super sweet reply - its so nice to hear from you!!! Once again, I just wanted to say that you're a wonderful person for making these super informative videos, esp the ones for each Ontario med school because they really highlight the most important info. You're the best!! :) For the MCAT, that would be life changing honestly to get your perspective. I plan to study from mid-october to mid-january and write afterwards (but lets see how the practice exams go yikes)

[@nxtgenmd]

@@marymontgomery-gomez5314 Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it and I'm glad you've liked them so far :) Ok done! I've also had some other people ask for the MCAT videos sooner rather than later, so expect them in the near future! I'll be sure to talk about practice exams too lol. Best of luck for now and keep up the hard work!

[@marymontgomery-gomez5314]

@@nxtgenmd Thanks so much, that would be absolutely amazing and very much appreciated. Good luck with all of endeavours in the meantime as well!! :)

[@tao072002]

Great video Gianluca! I'll never forget the co-op station we did together :)

[@nxtgenmd]

Aha now that’s a story that I definitely won’t forget... Making friends mid-interview - that’s how its supposed to be done 🤙

[@sharkie9663]

Great video, really inspiring!

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks Sharkie 🤙 best of luck with your own journey!

[@lauriedaigle5267]

Thank you so much for this video! I'm currently at CEGEP (pre university college in Quebec), and I really want to get into Medecine at uni! Anyway, I needed to hear your video, thanks!😊

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks for letting me know that Laurie :) I can speak from experience is saying that medical school has been awesome so far. Good luck on your journey!

[@ewendawson3914]

Officially starting my post secondary school journey in January, So nervous but hope I can get my undergrad at McMaster next year! I love the school and hope we cross paths!!!

[@nxtgenmd]

I’m excited for you Ewen :) best of luck and please say hi if you ever happen to see me around campus one day (or in the hospital)!

[@anamartin5136]

I got into McGill undergrad and I’m planning on doing both arts and sciences but with all the requirements I’ll need to be ready for med school. This really helped me bc the lack of clear info and difficulty of the requirements are incredibly demotivating... thank you!

[@nxtgenmd]

Congrats on getting into McGill - I hear great things about it! 🤙 And it's no problem! That was definitely a shared feeling when I started out in undergrad. I'm excited for you though - best of luck with your med journey :)

[@anamartin5136]

NXTgenMD thank you so much! I cant wait!!!

[@rimal6399]

I totally feel you on that second year drop. I'm in that spiral. Third year was much better. Not a high come back but still a lot better.

[@rimal6399]

Do you think you could have done it without the fifth year?

[@nxtgenmd]

I think it happens to a lot of students unfortunately 😪 but I'm glad that 3rd year was an improvement for you :) And yes actually I think I could have! Because I was accepted during 5th year, my 5th year grades actually didn't factor into my acceptance at all. On the other hand though, I was able to get some great experience with research and ECs that year as a result of projects that I worked on at school. I think the take away is not to sell yourself short - apply and try your best, but also keep doing things that will make your application more competitive 🤙

[@a-namnguyen]

I just want to say that I'm really happy for you! I often struggle with planning and making goals. But that's no excuse for me to not try. Like you said, we need to try. Thank you so much for taking the time to make this videos. Falling down a lot with so many lows, I have to try and get back up each day often not always meeting the schedule that I put down for myself. Then just going back and revising my schedule again, and noting my sleeping patterns and focus. I like that you keep staying positive and wipe the plate clean and use your environment for the moment to just move on and get back at a new goal again. That's probably what goal-making look like. I'm going to try that white board method! :] I hope you have a wonderful day!

[@nxtgenmd]

Thank you so much - I'm so glad the video helped! I think it's so important to remember that the path isn't always easy - and unfortunately some people have it harder than others. But staying positive and getting back up one more time than you've been knocked down really are powerful forces to achieve your goals 🤙 I'd 100% recommend the white board method! Best of luck with everything :)

[@a-namnguyen]

@@nxtgenmd Thanks so much for cheering me on! I just saved your message. It's been really helpful connecting with people who understand. You're amazing. I hope you keep taking care of yourself and do the great things you're meant to do each day. Please take care.

[@nxtgenmd]

@@a-namnguyen Thank you, I really appreciate it :) I might not know you personally, but you sound pretty amazing as well 🤙 If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out!

[@a-namnguyen]

@@nxtgenmd I'm going to add you into my support group! :] I'm working on my planner now that I bought. Working at it!! It'll happen! Many thanks! I'll check in and give some updates. I'm a non traditional pre med and currently applying for grad school first. It'll be a long road, but I was listening to this TedTalk about first focusing on the first step in front of me. That's all, and keep moving step by step. You got this!

[@nxtgenmd]

@@a-namnguyen Sounds great! I 100% believe in just taking the first step. Best of luck and def keep me posted 🤙

[@cristianosigns2422]

Bro I'm one of your first subscribers hopefully I see you on campus I'm doing life sciences first year

[@nxtgenmd]

Man thats awesome, I really appreciate the support :) and yeah definitely! If you ever want to meet up on campus for a coffee or something, just shoot me a message over on instagram. Best of luck with Life Sci!

[@noorz29]

You know that feeling of "Shit. I can't do this. I'm done" that you had? I'm having that right now. My story is the same as yours. Breezed past highschool and am currently getting my butt kicked in uni. I'm in my first year and I got all Bs. I feel so in over my head rn. But I've still got 2nd year, 3rd year and 4th year coming up and hearing you talk gave me the boost I needed. When you said you went to your whiteboard and wrote "No more B's", I paused the video, walked up to my blackboard, and did the exact same thing. I think I'm still in my self pity phase rn but once second year starts, no more Bs. Thank you for being to me what your brother was to you. I really appreciate it.

[@nxtgenmd]

Hi Nooriya :) I'm really glad that the video was able to help out a bit... premed is hard and the expectations can be really heavy sometimes, but keep your mind on the goal and find your reason to keep going 💪 Enjoy your summer, refresh and then get ready to turn the tables in second year. I wish you all the best of luck!

[@noorz29]

@@nxtgenmd thank uu. Seriously. Thank u so much. I will. I'll give it my 200%.

[@binsualskztxtgf6587]

Omg you are from Vaughan?!! I am too and I want to be a doctor as well but I am thinking of going to York's Biochemistry as my undergraduate. I am going to start university next fall and I hope I will have the right studying mindset by the time I start. You really gave me hope though 👍✊

[@nxtgenmd]

Born and raised 🔥😎 LOL. That's so awesome dude, one of my best friends from my class right now did their undergrad at York :) Best of luck with your studies and keep up the good work 💪

[@arpitabarua4235]

I was very demotivated about myself because I am in my 2nd year at York and taking organic chemistry. I did very poor on my first midterm but in 2nd midterm I increased by 18% but It isn't enough and I am not happy with it. Now I've only got my exam to get my A letter grade. I felt like no matter how much effort Im putting Im not getting the expected result. My current gpa is 3.3 and I'm mentally, emotionally drowning because med school is definitely high gpa. I came through this video while I was about to start oranic chem lab report,. Just want to say Thank you again for this masterpiece video, you have a energy thats very positive and hopeful. Please continue to be like this because students like me who wants to get into med school but not in a great position needs guidance and your type of energy. Lots of respect to you.

[@arpitabarua4235]

Also another qs how you managed such a good GPA with a full course load in your undergraduate?

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks so much for this comment Arpita and I am so glad that you found this video. The first thing that I want to say is to not beat yourself up over this course or your GPA. Being a premed isn't easy and unfortunately, we often need to compare ourselves to other people who are setting incredibly high standards just to remain competitive. A 3.3 GPA is not a bad GPA, but you have already acknowledged that you definitely want to try and bring that up moving forward - that's the first step :) Work as hard as you can towards this final exam and give it your best shot! I remember being mentally and emotionally drained as well just a few years ago. Take some time to yourself and do some things that you enjoy doing - not to neglect your studies, but just so that you have a day to rest before you come back in full force. And if you ever get too stressed, find someone to vent to (my parents had to sit through more than their fair share of me venting about hard courses lol). Here's what I want you to do - write down what your goals are for the end of this semester and try your absolute best to get them done. Come up with a plan and work towards them 1 step at a time. And just remember that in a few weeks you'll have some time off :) Don't worry about me, I'm not going anywhere and won't allow myself to change. Feel free to leave a comment here if you ever need to ask me a question. Best of luck to on that lab report and lots of respect to you as well - being a premed might not be easy but we all find our own way.

[@arpitabarua4235]

@@nxtgenmd Thank you so so mso uch for this motivation reply with tips!!!!

[@pumpkin629]

Thank you so much Gianluca for sharing your personal experiences. I had been feeling down about my grades in school but your way of motivating yourself (writing down one set goal on your white board) has inspired me into doing the same. For a few months now I'd been trying to better myself but with all the things I wanted to accomplish in a short time, I realize that my expectations were unrealistic. I would like to think of myself as a hard worker but I've definitely let myself slip up more than a few times. I'm hoping with your inspiring story as an example, I can stay motivated for a long time and become a doctor someday :) Also, you talked about how you worked part time on the side as a lifeguard, right? When you have exams coming up, did you go to your job or did you sometimes take days off to study? I know that the leap from high school to university is grand, but in terms of studying, how much longer did you study for and how different was it?

[@nxtgenmd]

Hey it's no problem :) Feeling down about yourself is a totally normal part of the process (unfortunately) 😅 The most important part is that you come out of it feeling better and more motivated than before! Just remember that its a journey and that small incremental improvements make a huge difference after a few short months / years. But be sure to keep your optimistic mentality :) I tried to give up as many shifts as possible when exams were coming up, but as I got promoted, there were less and less people qualified to take my shifts so it was hard at times. This is why I recommend for people not to put their job in front of school in undergrad if they're interested in med. The leap from high school to university is going to be different for everyone deepening on how they worked in high school, and their new program in undergrad (some undergrad programs are harder than others). I would say that the hardest part for me was the 4 hours or more per day spent commuting in undergrad, coupled with the about 3 hours of dedicated* study time that I needed to do nightly - although some nights it was more than that. The most important thing to remember is to make a schedule, and study effectively. Stay active and set aside time to hang out with friends and spent time by yourself. Hope this helps!

[@pumpkin629]

@@nxtgenmd What a speedy reply :D Thanks again for the advice ^•^

[@jiagilani1756]

i want to see a video on how you decided on doing a fifth year vs masters!

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks so much Jia, glad you liked it :) and ok then, I’ll add the masters vs. 5th year topic to the list! Hopefully I can fit it into the schedule sometime soon.

[@tomlee9625]

Hi nxtgenmd! Thank you for making this inspirational video! Something that really resonated with me is that you said that there's nothing separating yourself from people out there who succeed. I'm trying to keep a positive mindset like that but i cant help but worry that there is something innately different about me than there is about others who succeed (like they're smarter than me or better at cramming etc.) I've watched videos from people who have succeeded and they also say that they don't think that they're extremely smart, but I can't help but feel that they might be going through imposter syndrome. Of course its possible that I might also be going through imposter syndrome, but the worry that I'm not is whats bugging me. I consider myself reasonably hardworking but I worry that it won't transition into success (I'm in an off year from high school to get some things sorted out). I'm wondering if you have any strategies to deal with this feeling. Thanks for making this video!

[@nxtgenmd]

Hey Tom, I'm so glad that you liked the video. You sound like a very introspective person and I can definitely relate. One thing that I want to say is that over the years, I've come to adopt the philosophy that there really are individual differences when it comes to abilities in certain areas - however, I also know for a fact that if you work at something for long enough and with enough dedication, then getting better at it isn't a matter of "if's" , it's a matter of "when's". I have no doubt in my mind that you'll accomplish whatever it is that you define as being successful (if you go about it properly), but you just need to make sure that you carefully decide what success will be before you head after it. If I could go back in time about 5 years, I'd give myself 3 tips about how to do things. The first thing is to decide what you want to do, and make a plan on how you're going to get there (and write it down). The second thing would be to monitor my path as I moved along, and adjust my plan accordingly (if something works, why did it work? If it didn't, how am I going to fix this?) The third thing that I'd say is to trust the process and enjoy it :) This one's especially important. We don't actually always know if we're doing everything the right way, but if you can still see your goal in mind, then keep working towards it and smile more along the way. I'd say imposter syndrome is a real thing. It hits me every so often too - especially when people ask me for advice and I'm left with this feeling that there are better people than me out there to be giving it to them. But the important thing is not to pay it much attention. Don't doubt yourself, keep working hard, and don't ever let the journey or the destination become unenjoyable. Hope this helped out a bit and I'll see you around :)

[@tomlee9625]

@@nxtgenmd Thank you for your reply and advice! Yeah I think that sometimes I spend too much time reflecting haha. So you said that if you work for something hard enough anyone can do well. But I can't help but feel a small concern inside me that for me to succeed I'll need to put in more work than I can handle (like literally not being able to sleep). I don't know, when I'm in the thick of things I guess. won't have to much time to worry and will hopefully have proved to myself that I can do well, but I sometimes do worry at this point in my life.

[@nxtgenmd]

@@tomlee9625 It's no problem man. I think that's definitely a very normal feeling to have and unfortunately I don't think that there's really any easy fix for it. Here's the cool thing though. Improvement is a gradual process - oftentimes, it happens so slowly that we might not even be able to notice ourselves. But there's no reason why you wouldn't be getting better as long as you're being consistent with it - even if you don't see it for yourself. On the other hand though, you don't want to be in a situation where you're putting so much pressure on yourself to meet unrealistic expectations that you're not happy. Its not going to be easy, and when you're working hard, it won't feel like its fun all the time. But only you can decide how much you'd like to work in order to get to a certain spot. At the end of the day, the whole point is doing something that will make you happy - and it's up to you to figure out what that is :)

[@tomlee9625]

​@@nxtgenmdOh that's good to know. Do you think that things like your memory can improve? Like whenever I heard a new weird biology term in high school it took me some time to get to remember it. I am willing to work hard but I'm just worried that I would learn so slowly if my memory stays like it is now.

[@hamnatahir8548]

Omg thankyou so much for this I needed this.I am a Pakistani and I'm thinking of studying in canada.No matter how hard its gonna be I'm gonna do it

[@nxtgenmd]

No problem Hamna, I'm glad it helped! Best of luck with it :)

[@gamalrifai5984]

Your videos are super informative and I look forward to them. How long did you study for the MCAT before you wrote it? Were you taking any other classes while you were studying for the MCAT?

[@nxtgenmd]

Sorry Gamal! I was going through my content creator page just now and for some reason, your comment was initially flagged asa spam. I'm still relatively new to this KZbin thing, so I just learned about how to undo this. Anyways, I'm glad that you like them so far :) I studied for the MCAT for 3 months and did not take any other classes while studying. I wrote twice, but that's definitely something that you should avoid if possible (paying for the test twice really sucks) lol

[@GracinaA]

Hi Gianluca, great video as always but...we are still waiting on the MCAT video🙃 In your opinion, what are the best pre-med courses that best helps one from a non-science background prepare for the MCAT? I have a Bachelor's in Nursing and Master's in health management from MacMaster. Also, I am experiencing some difficulty in securing a research assistant position...any tips?? Many Thanks!!!!!

[@nxtgenmd]

Ha, sorry about that Grace 😅 i was originally going to wait until spring for that one, but I’ve decided to move it up in the schedule due to popular demand 🤙 (3 part series coming right up!) Great questions - so for premed courses, you’re going to want to have a background (ideally) in physiology / systems biology, molecular biology + genetics, physics (I and II), general chemistry (I and II), organic chemistry, biochemistry, psychology and some course that encompassed looking at research statistics... thats best case scenario anyways. I would say that at least a one semester course in general biology, physics, chemistry and psychology would be a good idea for “getting a feel” of what these disciplines are like. Now some people have been successful on the MCAT without previous experience in these courses, but from my own experience... that would definitely require much more studying for the MCAT than someone who had a science background would need. Now research is a different story. In general, many students find it difficult to secure research positions because the professors are always super busy! Don’t be discouraged if they don’t answer you emails. Look up some professors that you are interested in, and read at least 1 of their papers. Send them an email talking about how you read their paper and how you’re interested in their work (include some specifics for bonus points!). Then request a meeting regarding possible lab positions or clinical research :) Message as many professors as you can to improve your odds, but remain genuine when speaking with them. Also, you could always speak with a research coordinator at a university if that service is available to you. Personally, I was more of a fan of speaking with professors in person regarding research and would do this after a lecture or by setting up office hours - some professors may not like this but it worked for me. Your Masters in health management is definitely impressive and the nursing experience will do you well in medical school from what I have seen thus far! Good luck!

[@sebastianvelez2242]

I really loved this video. Seriously. Finally I'm able to relate with someone, because I'm currently doing Life Sciences at U of T and at times, it gets very difficult and I ask myself if maybe I would have performed better at a different school. I'm in my second semester of first year and I've been so nervous about everything. I started having doubts, honestly. Every video along the topics of "How I got into Canadian Medical School", they had 4.0 GPAs, Perfect MCAT and CASPer, won 5 noble peace prizes and cured cancer. Watching this however, I genuinely felt hope. I have ADHD. I've never said that publicly, but I want to mention it here in case you're reading this. Truly, I have just been struggling to study efficiently and I truly want to perform to the best of my ability, however, I have trouble doing so. Do you have any advice for me (as vague as that may sound)?

[@nxtgenmd]

Hey Sebastian, thank you very much for sharing your story with us :) I'm genuinely very happy to hear that the video had a positive impact on you and wish you the best going forward. My advice is 2 fold - first off, quite a few of my classmates in medical school have ADHD and are doing quite well. In speaking with them, they've suggested making an appointment with your primary care provider sooner rather than later if you can. Proper medical management might make things a lot easier for you. Secondly though, my advice is to set goals - small but achievable ones that amount to large accomplishments with your studies over time. Personally, I found it very difficult to sit down and study for hours on end in the first and second years of my studies. However, I found that by starting with an hour per night and gradually increasing the time spent studying, it made quite a difference in my ability to concentrate. Also, experiment with music that you listen to and try to stay consistent with some form of physical activity. I know this advice isn't a magic solution by any means, but I hope it helps a bit!

[@sebastianvelez2242]

@@nxtgenmd Hi Gianluca, Thank you so so much for your sincere response, it truly means a lot to me and it’s definitely reassuring to hear that there are Canadian medical students with ADHD in your class. As far as the primary care goes, I’ve been suggested to switch medications, however, they decided not to do so until AFTER the semester is over. I’m writing a 1700 word paper today on Biomedical Ethics and will somehow have to study for 3 exams I have next week but I will definitely be taking your advice into consideration! Thank you so so much again for this, I will continue to watch your videos for as long as you are active on KZbin. Thank you so much for everything that you do! :)

[@nxtgenmd]

@@sebastianvelez2242 You've got this buddy 💪 keep your head up and give it your best shot! Thank you for the support and hope to see you around at some point :)

[@sebastianvelez2242]

@@nxtgenmd I hope to see you around at some point too! Thank you for the well-wishes, I wish you the best of luck in matching into your residency!!! 😁

[@frankofrroku599]

Thanks so much for the video! I was wondering for the MCAT, what study plan did you follow? Did you spend the first 2 month learning the content from textbooks, or did you do practice questions for the entire 3 months?Also, how often would you take a practice test? Thanks so much for your help!

[@nxtgenmd]

You're welcome! For the MCAT I followed a very regimented study plan that basically worked out to 6 days a week and 10 hours of studying per day for around 3 months. Content review took me around 5-6 weeks for a first pass, and then I took a second pass that was broken up and ran in parallel to me doing practice tests and things of that nature. My recommendation for practice tests is to do as many of them as your budget will allow and to do them at strategic intervals. I will definitely be making a detailed video on this sometime before the next MCAT "study season." My general rule is that the first practice test should be done after only 2 weeks of studying. Just so that you know what you're up against in the coming months. Also, save the official AAMC practice tests for the final month of studying since these are the best and most predictive tests. Basically, the first practice test after 2 weeks, then one every week or 2 weeks depending on your needs and how your content review is going. Until you get to the last month before the test. During this time a minimum of 1 test per week is ideal. for the finally 2 weeks of studying, I did 1 test every 3 days. The schedule at the end was do a test on one day and then do some CARS practice before I went to sleep if I wasn't exhausted. Then the next day, I would go through the entire test in a process that took 3-5 hours and made sure that I understood why I got the questions wrong. Then the day after that, I would go back to content review tailored to my difficulties from the test that I had just taken. Then repeat that 3 day cycle until the day before your test... study half the day before your test (final review) and then sleep and hit the gym! You worked hard, now you just need to remain de-stressed (or try to LOL). Its no problem at all! Best of luck with everything and see you around :)

[@abdulsameekanth821]

Man i just graduated high school and i really want to go into medicine. Your video motivated me to work harder and made me realize that it is possible with hard work.

[@nxtgenmd]

Man that's so awesome, thanks for letting me know. I still remember coming out of the 12th grade like it was yesterday - the time flies. You're exactly right to think like that. Keep working hard with whatever you're doing and enjoy the process along the way. All the best, and remember that you can do anything you want to :)

[@abdulsameekanth821]

NXTgenMD thanks a lot for the motivation. I’m currently taking a gap year as I didn’t really know what undergrad I should go into. Thinking of going into nursing and then med school from there but still not sure.

[@nxtgenmd]

@@abdulsameekanth821 Its always better to take some time and think about things when you're not sure - a gap year is very useful in the right situation :) I know someone here at Mac who comes from a nursing background and says that it has been a big help so far. Also, you can't really go wrong with a biomedical science background either, but that's just my own 2 cents. Best of luck!

[@abdulsameekanth821]

NXTgenMD here in Alberta I think the traditional pre med takes biological sciences, even though medical schools take people from any undergrad. I’m worried that if I go into bio sci it won’t offer me any job opportunities afterwards and if I do not get into med school it will not have much value. But on the other hand I’m worried that nursing might be too hard to maintain a high gpa. As for biomedical I have not looked much into it and not sure if there are any job opportunities. I am really thankful for the time you’re taking to make these videos and reply to me.

[@nxtgenmd]

@@abdulsameekanth821 Its really no problem at all. I can definitely remember being in your shoes a few years ago so I'd love to try and help :) Albeit, it is a tough decision to make and unfortunately it'll be one that you make for yourself. Here are some tips: When it comes to choosing an undergrad program for med, the most important thing is that you find the content INTERESTING. In my opinion, its much easier to do well in something that you enjoy doing - even if its a little bit more difficult. I think that it is really important to consider options if med doesn't work out for you, but on the other hand, you need to consider why you want to go into med in the first place. Truthfully, I'm not too informed on the nursing programs are per se, but I can tell you a little bit about the bio side. There are plenty of job opportunities with a bio degree! A few might require some additional schooling like a Master's degree or even a PhD depending on what you want to do specifically. But it gives you a large umbrella of things to choose from. Regarding programs - If you're already completely sold on med and cannot see yourself doing anything else ever... Then I would say to go with bio or bio med. The bio and biomedical programs seem to prepare students much better for the MCAT, because you get expose to a lot of those courses like physics, chem, orgs, etc. in undergrad. vs. nursing. Take some time though. Now's a great time in your life when almost every career door is still open, so think it through. See what you like and don't like doing and understand that although med is awesome, (and comes with cool backpacks and a stethoscope LOL), you also end up giving up a lot to be here. Hope this helped a bit, best of luck Abdul

[@timothyliu1476]

Hi Gianluca! Thank you for making this video! I'm a bit late to it but I've just discovered your amazing channel and I'm looking forward to binge-watching the rest of your videos haha. I'm in grade 12 right now and I've applied to some schools. I consider myself relatively hardworking but not a genius by any means (probably just a regular person in terms of ability to think critically and retain information), and I'm hoping to get into medical school after I finish undergrad. I found your story of hard work really inspirational and I love your positive energy! I'm wondering if you have any advice for things that I can do at the moment to improve my chances of getting a high GPA in university, in terms of learning how to do well before I get into undergraduate. I'm concerned that there isn't really a way for me to practice and learn how to study because university is such a huge gap from high school in terms of difficulty. Best of luck in medical school!

[@nxtgenmd]

Hi Timothy, sorry I'm late to reply but it was a busy week! It's no problem, I'm glad you liked the video :) And congrats on applying to university. There's definitely some advice that I can offer in terms of learning how to do well in university. I made a video in the past where I talk about 5 tips to do well in undergrad where I talk about how to maximize what you can get out of going to lectures and even how to navigate around some of the harder university courses. Tomorrow I'll be posting a video discussing how to study properly and some of the tips that I use here in medical school that you can apply to undergrad. You're totally right that university is going to be harder than high school, but don't worry about it too much - its also a lot of fun! If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them for you.

[@timothyliu1476]

@@nxtgenmd Thank you for your response! Yes, I watched both videos (and loved them). So I was wondering what you think that transition is like from HS to university. I know that you, and most others, have a difficult time. What part about university makes it so much different from HS so that people mess up?

[@nxtgenmd]

@@timothyliu1476 Sorry for the delay buddy, for some reason KZbin's system flagged this comment and kept it hidden for a bit 😅 (don't know why this happens sometimes) So the HS to Uni transition is definitely variable depending on the student. I think for me it was fairly difficult from a time management standpoint because I was spending upwards of 3.5-4 hours or more in commute every day and that made it difficult for me to study as much as I would have liked. (Plus I felt like I was always tired because my sleep schedule was flipped totally upside down). For other people, the transition can be hard if they are moving out of their home and will need to worry about cooking or just being without family for the first time. Personally, I think that can really be hard for a lot of new uni students. I definitely don't want to scare you though! Uni can be great and honestly, I really had a great time even with the constant pressure that came with the looming reality of low medical school acceptance rates. The key is to make it fun. I really think this is the best advice that anyone can offer to new students. You need to do your work, but you should make sure that you try your hardest to enjoy little things as you make your way through. Keep the end goal in mind and make sure that you have a few close friends or family that you can hang out with in your free time. Beyond all that, go to class, study hard, and don't lose track of your goals 🤙

[@timothyliu1476]

@@nxtgenmd Thank you! Yeah when I originally posted the comment it didn't show up either haha. Do you mind if I ask how you decided on which to attend? Like what made you know that Ryerson was best for you?

[@nxtgenmd]

@@timothyliu1476 Sure thing! Personally I chose Ryerson for a few reasons. One of which being that I really wanted to experience going to school downtown - which was totally different from where I went to high school. I also really liked that ryerson was so close to a major hospital network - the UHN. It worked out very nicely this way since I would be able to walk from class to Princess Margaret when I had a volunteer shift. Ryerson also gave me a decent entrance scholarship and I was very happy with the way that their courses were laid out. That's what was going through my head at the time I accepted the offer. Looking back though, the most important thing was probably just that I really liked the school's atmosphere. Premed courses are very similar across most universities, (with a few notable exceptions). One of the most important factors is choosing a school where you'll enjoy yourself but won't be too distracted to study. Now I'm not trying to promote Ryerson (not a sponsorship 😅) but if you're still unsure about where to go, you can always consider these factors when you go and see the schools for yourself. In addition, try and find a school that can provide you with resources to help out with preparing for medical school if you know that's something that you want to do. That's the only place where personally I found that other school's excelled at a little bit more.

[@arianmoradi1846]

Thanks for the beautifully informative video! Just wanted to ask what advice would you give anyone who is not so socially outgoing and is generally socially anxious but is interested in going to medical school? Thanks!

[@nxtgenmd]

Hey Arian :) glad you liked the video, and thanks for the great question. I would say that generally speaking, a solid set of interpersonal skills is important for anyone who wants to enter the medical field. This is because a lot of what we do requires patient communication and trying to bridge a gap between health science and the public. Having said that, not every medical student is a social butterfly and I actually used to struggle a fair bit with social anxiety - although this is something that I really tried my best to work through. I would say that if going to medical school is something that you wanted to do, then don't let the fact that you're not socially outgoing hold you back. Reflect on why you want to go to medical school, and then identify if being anxious is holding you back from that goal. And if it is, just know that it is something that you could work on and that for me at least, has gotten much better (although, filming in public is still pretty awkward aha)

[@minananananan1842]

Crazy how similar we are, when you talked about mid 80s in highschool wanting to be a doctor I said to my self I bet he’s a lifeguard like me and you were lol

[@nxtgenmd]

LOL there's something about being a lifeguard that lends itself well to medical school - more than a few of my friends here were lifeguards too :D

[@austinnuazubelu5976]

Very informative video man! Got to know the reality when applying to med school 👍 I am in my first year psychology major @ UVic. Unfortunately, I have been withdrawn from the program due to i did not meet the required CGPA and had to stop for atleast 1 year before I can reapply again :(. Will that affect my chance of getting into med school?

[@nxtgenmd]

Hey buddy thanks for that :) So there's two parts to this - first off, some medical schools have courses that need to be taken as prerequisites, and if you fail these, you'll need to retake them again in the future. The second half is that many medical schools will look at what's known as your cGPA or the sum of all grades received during your undergrad. In this case, a low GPA in first year can keep your cGPA down almost indefinitely and therefore would affect your ability to get into medical school in the future. Some schools however, only look at your last 2 years of undergrad (i.e Queens) or best two years (i.e Western) while others like Ottawa will look at your final 3 years. I would first recommend you look at how each of the different schools treats GPA - the earlier in undergrad that you do this, the better you can prepare yourself. What you should also be doing right now is understanding why your first year went the way that it did. Write down what worked for you and what didn't and make a plan to do better when you go back 💪 And remember that many applicants with >3.9 GPAs still don't get into medical school, so your job is to make yourself as competitive as possible :) Hope this helps.

[@kristaklark249]

I was looking for premed videos journey and found yours, excellent and very inspiring video! as I was feeling hopeless and Im currently in my first year of anthropology as my premed at the USask. I have a very bad 2 semester as I failed 4 classes right now :( I am struggling with the transition from highschool to uni. Is there any way I could still apply for med school If I have failed classes?

[@nxtgenmd]

Hey Krista, sorry to hear about your situation - feeling hopeless about med school is a pretty common experience for a lot of premeds. I'm not going to lie, having failed courses isn't the most ideal situation, but there's always a work around! The most important thing right now in my opinion is that you identify why you didn't do well in those courses and change it moving forward. The transition from high school to uni can be very difficult, so write down what's made it so hard for you and see what you can do to change it :) As for med admissions, some schools will only look at your final 2 years or best 2 years (Queens and Western respectively). Some programs will also have required courses that you need to have passed (I think U of Ottawa in this case) so be sure to check those out well in advance too. To make yourself as competitive as possible you'll need some straight A's and a killer MCAT score. If that still doesn't help, a 5th year or a second undergrad might work, but those are still far away right now. Getting into med school in Canada definitely isn't easy, but step 1 for now is to improve your GPA moving forward as best as you possibly can!

[@emmaleemaynard5055]

I’m a senior in high school and am no genius , but I have had the opportunity to do something called college credit plus. Im able to take all my classes at a university about 20 minutes from my high school. I’m planning on majoring in biology with a focus in biomedical sciences, and have been taking classes that follows the requirements for this degree. When I graduate I will already be finished with my first year of college essentially entering my second year. I will end up, at the end of the semester, having a 3.96 gpa. I want to go to med school. I just have it pounded in my head that I won’t be god enough, or I will fail. I’m just terrified of failing because I don’t know what else I would do🙁

[@nxtgenmd]

Hey Emmalee, if there's one thing that I've learned, it's that step 1 is believing in yourself 💪🔥 being accepted into medical school isn't easy, completing medical school isn't easy and working as a doctor for a career isn't easy. But, if it's something that you want for yourself, your best bet is to give it the best shot that you have so that you can be happy no matter what happens. Keep working hard and best of luck with everything :)

[@saharnoori1710]

Is it better to to do a co-op program at UTSC as pre-med or a normal program? Does co-op negatively affect my chances of getting into a prestigious medical school? BTW, I am an international student.

[@deideraakatsuki6215]

You know how you were talking about the difficulty difference between uni and high school? How about if you take the ib program during high school do you think it will still be as big of a jump?

[@nxtgenmd]

Yes :) All students feel some sort of gap, but for some students it will be felt to a lesser extent. Many of my friends in IB still felt the gap, but by contrast, some for my friends without the IB training did not. These are all individual differences

[@aryansaeedi7618]

Hey thank you so much for spending time for us to share your valuable knowledge and experience. Such a heart warming video. I also have a question. So I didn’t attend high school in US therefore, I had to start from a community college. Most of people believe the medical schools don’t want to see you have started from a community college because it’s not credential and reputable. What are your thoughts on this? Not that I have any other choice but I’d love to know other medical students opinion on that. Thank you in advanced

[@nxtgenmd]

Hey Arian, thanks so much for this comment - glad the video helped 🤙 personally, I’m not an expert on american medical school admissions nor am I familiar with community college vs. high school. I found a video from Dr. Andre Pinsette on youtube though where he talks about community college for med school prereqs - hope this can be of a little bit of assistance! kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3nYo4GHhM6Bg8k feel free to reach out on instagram if you need more help :)

[@aryansaeedi7618]

Omg thank you so much!! I will check this out

[@esfandiarnajafizadeh1430]

Hey Gianluca, my name is Alex and I’m currently in my first year UD at McMaster University in life sciences. I am really struggling with all the work and can’t wrap my head around the fact that I need high marks for medical school. I work hard for a few days but after 2-3 days everything is downhill again and I can’t be consistent. Love your videos and hopefully I can get to meet you one day, is there any other way I can be in contact with you? Thank you so much and best of luck.

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks Alex glad you like the videos! If you ever want to reach out, you can send me a message @NXTgenMD on Instagram :)

[@sopanharachea7781]

Lesson of this video: get yourself a whiteboard 😂😂

[@nxtgenmd]

😂😂😂 I don't disagree

[@vvvv3932]

Omg Im at rye and in 1st year! Im an aspiring premed too and PHYSICS KILLED ME😭

[@nxtgenmd]

Aha I still remember that class vividly... we had lectures like Tuesday mornings and Thursday nights in DSQ🔥 But don’t worry, its a hard one! Keep up the hard work and it’ll get better.

[@vvvv3932]

NXTgenMD Do you think that me being in biology instead of Biomed will give me a huge disadvantage applying in the future? Because all the people I know from rye that got in to med are all biomed peeps :(

[@nxtgenmd]

Honestly that was an observation that I made when I was a Rye too. In theory, there really isnt a major between the programs, although there are some courses in the biology program that were apparently pretty hard (botany and calc 2 - both of which are optional for biomed students). Other than that though, the major difference is that in biomed there are a much higher percentage of people who want to get into the medical profession - and as a result, the program is geared slightly more towards the human body* in bio, there are less students that wanted to be doctors - from my small sample of friends that I had in the bio program. Because there are more students who want to get into med in biomed, it makes sense that the majority of success stories will come from that program. Ultimately though, it doesnt matter. I know a student who was accepted into med out of the RTA program at Ryerson. Keep your head up, set your goals and give it your best shot. :)

[@alexandraarell4525]

Is it a good idea to start preparing for the MCAT since my first year of pre-med?

[@rhythalvargau5449]

Your video is so good. Working towards med school is really hard and like you said we have to keep moving. I really had a doubt about one thing. I am in my 2nd year and due to poor health I had to drop a course, so can dropping a course impact my admission to med school, like a wd on the transcript? Some guidance would really help for I am freaked out about this right now!!

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks Rhythal, I’m glad that you were able to find some value in it :) I’m sorry to hear about the bump in the road with your health, but I’m happy to tell you that this shouldn’t impact your application at all! I’m assuming that you’re an Ontario student, and in that case, the main concern would be U of T since they require you to take a full course load in order to be eligible for their GPA weighting formula. However, they also have an academic explanations portion with their application and will usually take your reason for dropping a course into consideration - especially if it was for health reasons (now I can’t guarantee this, but this is my understanding) If you’re not applying in Ontario or talking about other Ontario schools, then dropping 1 course is usually not a major concern when it comes to an applicant anyways. It’s not a good thing, and you definitely should try to keep a full course load when possible, but 1 course isn’t bad if you have a good reason. In any case, you sound like you’ve got a very motivated mindset. Keep moving, do your best from now on and I’ll be wishing you the best of luck! :)

[@rhythalvargau5449]

@@nxtgenmd Thank you so much for your reply and your wishes :) I dropped the course as I missed the midterm due to my health issues and my final was like 80% so I was worried that it would impact my GPA and everyone says that GPA is very important for the application I am really interested in U of T and McMaster University. It is so good that you are at McMaster and I wish all good and success for you. I hope that dropping the course does not impact my application to McMaster. I also wanted to ask that is it important for McMaster also to have a full course load and like a good GPA and how you managed such a good GPA with a full course load in your undergraduate? were there ups and downs for you too? Some tips and guidance would really help and do you need a perfect GPA for all your semesters? Your videos are very nice and informative and I absolutely love them😊 Keep them up 👍

[@nxtgenmd]

@@rhythalvargau5449 GPA is definitely one of the most important parts of your application, but its definitely not the only thing that they consider! Having said that, its incredibly important to keep your GPA as high as possible to stay competitive. Thank you so much Rhythal, I've been loving it so far :) All of the Canadian schools are great from what I hear, and dropping 1 course will not hurt your chances at McMaster from what I understand. You can also look up their admission criteria on their website or watch my video that explains the things that they looked for in students during this past cycle. As a general rule though, just to set yourself up for success at multiple Canadian medical schools, you definitely want to keep a full course load whenever possible. For me, managing a good GPA took a little bit of practice. I talk about it starting at 7:45 in this video but there were definitely ups and downs. Once I found my footing though, I was able to keep the straight As coming which really helped my application. So to answer your first question, you don't need a perfect GPA in all semesters, but there are lots of students out there that do have perfect GPAs and you will be competing with them. I know its not easy, but you just need to set your goals and then do whatever it is that you need to do to get them done. But don't forget to take care of your own wellbeing too. Being too stressed out is sure to hurt your performance in school. I made another video on this channel about getting a great GPA in undergrad. Give it a watch if you have the time, I think it could help out a bit. Thanks so much for the support, I really appreciate it :)

[@nafisakazi-kw6mu]

Hello! Im going to study biochemistry for undergrads and i wanna apply to med school. Im gonna study at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Could you plz tell if its a good pre med major? Thank you Or like i should go for pharamcy and then med. Im actually kinda confused.

[@krishnavenypathmanathan5920]

In high school did you take any AP courses. My high school doesn’t offer AP courses and I wanted to know if it affected your chance of getting into a Canadian university.

[@nxtgenmd]

I didn't take AP in high school (my high school also didn't offer them). Personally, I do not think that AP vs. academic / university-suited courses makes a difference for undergrad admissions. The more important thing is your grades received (80% vs. 90% vs. 95+%). For reference, I was accepted into all 3 of my choices for uni out of high school (without AP courses) and I have friends from my same high school that were accepted to some of the most competitive undergrad programs in Ontario without having taken AP. That's just my experience though :) best of luck!

[@Thomas-jo8hz]

Can you go into an engineering undergrad if u want to apply to med school later on? Or would it be best to follow sciences?

[@nxtgenmd]

You can definitely head into engineering before medical school if you’d like - however this isn’t very common. Engineering as a program is often described as very difficult to maintain a high GPA. More importantly though, most engineering courses do little to prepare you for certain sections of the MCAT which is a turnoff for some applicants. But I’m sure it has been done :)

[@umaimanadeem7657]

Hey ,your video was really motivating and I really liked it. I just wanted to know which degree did you take in Ryerson University?

[@nxtgenmd]

Glad you liked it :D I was in Biomedical Science at Ryerson

[@umaimanadeem7657]

@@nxtgenmdThank you for your response,I have been accepted into a University In Canada and there are two programs which I think could be helpful to me when applying to a medical school in future. -Biological sciences -Biochemistry Which one do you prefer is better and could potentially help me In MCAT ?

[@ceilidhallan935]

What happens if you don't make the GPA cut off or just don't have a high enough average coming out of undergrad?

[@nxtgenmd]

Unfortunately, if you don't make the GPA cutoffs, then you wouldn't be eligible to apply to that school. In that case, students could consider a few options including: A fifth year of undergrad, an entire second undergrad or a master's degree (depending on the requirements of the school that you're interested it). Hope this helps :)

[@Joshua-zj3id]

Hey, great video. I am in highschool in canada and wondering if the university where you do you pre med matter when getting into med schools. If I do it in mcmaster, and have the same gpa and mcat score as any other regular university, would I have a greater chance??

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks Joshua 🤙 I talk about this a little bit more in my video about tips for high school students. The general consensus is that where you went for university has very little bearing (if any) when it comes to applying to med. The most important factors are GPA, MCAT and ECs (and the rest of your supplemental applications). The answer to your question is a little bit nuanced, but just know that I have friends who were accepted to medical school from many different "less-prestigious" universities. Hope this helps

[@Joshua-zj3id]

@@nxtgenmd yep, thank you. Looking forward to ur video

[@gracepark1000]

Are there required courses you need to take in your undergrad for med schools in Canada?

[@nxtgenmd]

Depends on the university. Some have course prereqs (like UofT or Ottawa) and some don't (McMaster, etc.) its always best to check directly with the schools' websites :)

[@anmolpreetkaur5281]

Do McGill University require MCAT. Could you please tell requirements for McGill University?

[@nxtgenmd]

Full breakdown for McGill and all other schools in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIKvimaMaZ19mtU Good luck!

[@isco8075]

Since where you do your undergrad isn’t a factor that determines if get into med school as we can see with you. Does the med school you are in have any affect your options for residency like are you limited if you go to med school in Alberta rather than one of Ontario and vice versa. Do you have to do residency at the same location as your med school or can you go anywhere in Canada? If so Are you limited to the options at your med school?

[@nxtgenmd]

It's assumed by most students that you have an advantage at matching into residency at your home school vs. at other schools, but you definitely aren't limited to your home school. People match at other programs all the time! Additionally, you could always finish your training in one province and then move somewhere else for work 🤙

[@isco8075]

@@nxtgenmd thank you love your content keep it up 👍

[@GursimranKaur-nk7rp]

Hello I am currently in Philippines in grade12 and want to pursue MD in Canada but my parents wants me to study my Premed in Philippines and have my way to Canada for MD. I am really confuse about it. I want to know that what premed should I do and is seeking undergraduate degree from Philippines will be valuable ?? Please do reply

[@peacewellnesshealth8995]

Hi have extremely low GPA. 2.8 I completed bachelor degree 10 years ago. Is there any medical school in Canada that accept less GPA? I am planning to score high on MCAT. I have a recurrent dream of disappointment of not having enough knowledge to help people.

[@nxtgenmd]

Hi there :) I know this sounds cliche but I just wanted to start off by saying that going to medical school isn't the only way to help people. Don't hold yourself to those standards - there's plenty of ways to help. Now I'm not the absolute authority on the matter and don't know all of the data. Having said that, I've never heard of a medical school in Canada that's accepted someone with a 2.8 GPA unless they've come from one of the special applicant pools. Even then I believe that it would be difficult. Some schools only look at 2 years though and others will look at 3 years of undergrad GPA. But baring that, a second undergrad is often needed to pursue medical school in cases like this. I have a video that looks at each school in Canada's stats. Feel free to check it out if you're interested and good luck!

[@rarestpepe7157]

I really fucked up my first year because I chose to commute for 2 hours (4 hours total), and was depressed... I feel like it's not gonna be aite so I'm binging videos about people getting into MED.

[@nxtgenmd]

I'm sorry to hear about that. As someone that did the commute too, I can say with certainty that it really isn't great. But if there was ever a "good" time to have a bad year (not that it's ever ideal) first year is that year! Rally for the second year forward and things will work out :) It's definitely not over yet!

[@JosephHenein8616]

I am currently in first year and my Mark's are really bad. is there still hope for me lol

[@saranav]

I’m starting my third year for biomed and didn’t exactly know what I wanted to be for the longest time and I ended up with a 2.3 gpa during my first two years. Now I realized that I wanted to be a pediatrician and I’m committed now more than ever to change my gpa. I was wondering if you think my chances of getting in would be better with a 5th year or with a masters degree?

[@nxtgenmd]

Hi Sara, I think it's awesome that you found a new sense of resolve for your studies! Are you an Ontario student? Some medical schools in Ontario (i.e Queens, Western, Ottawa), only look at either 2 or 3 years of grades. For low-GPA applicants, I would recommend a 5th year over a masters. This is also what I chose to do :)

[@saranav]

@@nxtgenmd yes I am an Ontario Student and Im hoping to getting into one of those 3 schools. Also, being in Ontario, how did you obtain your clinical/research experience to help you gain experiences to solidify your career choice especially as a pre-med?

[@antonijablonski861]

Get me that whiteboard of yours! XD

[@nxtgenmd]

Ahah not chance XD I need it these days more than ever😅

[@rg1531]

Plzzz inform regarding mccqe1 n volunteer work plzz

[@nxtgenmd]

Hi there :) What would you like to know specifically? I'll try to get around to it as soon as possible.

[@labemontfort6548]

How do you apply for pre med as an international student

[@nxtgenmd]

Every school is different :) check with the websites directly 🤙

[@nadiarose8113]

I was wondering why you wanted to become a doctor/how did you know it was for you?

[@nxtgenmd]

Hi Nadia, great question - and most likely something that I will be elaborating on more in a future video :) I wanted a career that would make me feel like I was doing something that would help other people and society as a whole. At the same time, I also wanted something that was going to be challenging and would require me to keep learning new things as time went on. Central to it all though, I wanted my career to reflect my curiosity for science (especially biology) and would allow me to engage in person to person interactions daily. After speaking with a few doctors and volunteering at the hospital for a while, it seemed like a perfect fit for me!

[@TheGrapplingNinja]

I’m in undergrad at mac and I want med school at mac I’m scareeeed

[@nxtgenmd]

Lol that's totally normal! Keep working hard and best of luck with it :)

[@waelalkhoury2647]

Great video, can you pleas explain to me how I can study neurology in Mc Master. thank you very much

[@nxtgenmd]

Thanks Wael :) and I can definitely try to help but I just need a bit of clarification. Do you mean studying neurology at the undergraduate, masters or MD level?

[@waelalkhoury2647]

@@nxtgenmd I want to go to medical school to become neurologist. thank you very much for your time and help

[@waelalkhoury2647]

@@nxtgenmd I also need your help if you don't have a problem. is there any way to text you. thank you very very much

[@nxtgenmd]

Ok that helps. So the first thing that you would need to do is go through high school and obtain a high school degree. Then from there you need to start looking into the the different medical schools (they have official websites) so that you could see what the requirements are for how you can get in (they’re all different). For mcmaster specifically, you can also check my channel for the video on how to be accepted. Now once you know what the schools are looking for, you need to go to a university. A 4-year bachelors degree in some sort of science is normally the preferred route. You can study anything you want and even take courses in neurology if that interests you, but make sure that you are completing the prerequisite courses for medical school... and getting good marks! Then you write the MCAT when you’re ready and apply to medical school. After completing med school (3-4 years), you still won’t be a neurologist. You’ll be awarded an MD, but thats about it. You then need to complete a residency training program (another 2-7 years depending on your specialty) so that you can work as specialized doctor. Its a long road, so be sure to look up as much as possible on the medical field to see if it interests you! And forsure! If you have any questions, you can always message me on instagram @nxtgenmd or @giancalcag and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can! Best of luck :)

[@waelalkhoury2647]

@@nxtgenmd Thank you very much, you are a very nice person and I wish the best for you :)

[@nalankurnaz]

How can the graduation be delayed? I mean all the grades are okay to graduate and delaying a year? How is it possible to do that? Thanks

[@nxtgenmd]

The process could be different at your school, but in my case I had to fill out a form to retract my request to graduate. In March of 4th year, we were all responsible for filling out our own "request to graduate form" if we had met all of the requirements. About 2 weeks later, I filled out the form to cancel the request. Talk to your careers centre at school if possible :)

[@nalankurnaz]

@@nxtgenmd Thanks a lot!! I also have one more question to ask. Do you recommend to study biomedical sciences in co op program? I have had this problem among my classmates so since you're an expert, you may have an opinion about it. Thanks in advance!

[@nxtgenmd]

@@nalankurnaz No problem :) While I'm not technically an expert, I've definitely put some thought into this question myself. I do not recommend the co-op option for students who want to go to medical school. Co-op is designed for students who wish to start working in their field of study. I have friends that did co-op for biomed and worked with industrial vaccine manufacturing for example. In that case, your 4 year degree gets extended to 5 years. In addition, my friends told me that because they had to deal with the additional stressors of co-op (finding and applying for jobs, working through the summer, etc), they were left without a lot of time to study for the MCAT. Really its a matter of personal preference. I don't think that co-op will hurt your application, but I also don't think that its worth it if your primary objective is medical school.

[@HISANY83]

Would you say Life Science at UofT is a bad/way too diffiult undergrad for med school?

[@nxtgenmd]

Hey Hisan :) personally I can't really speak on that since I wasn't a student there myself. However, I have 3 friends that have been accepted to med from a UofT life Sci undergrad (1 of them went on to do a Master's at UofT first). In speaking with a few undergrads though, I will say that many have expressed their concerns that U of T's "school culture "wasn't really the most conductive in undergrad" - and a few have even said that the courses were unnecessarily difficult. But I've also heard the same from fellow classmates who have been to Ryerson. Take the opinions of others with a grain of salt BUT do keep in mind that stereotypes about certain schools and programs were developed by previous students for a reason. Grades received in undergrad are treated equally regardless of which university you went to when it comes to applying for med. A 4.0 from Ryerson = an 4.0 from U of T = a 4.0 from York (as per the OMSAS GPA conversion) So don't choose a university based on prestige but rather, where you're most likely to succeed - if you're thinking about applying to med :) Also, the right attitude and some good schedule organization does go a long way when it comes to the more difficult courses. Hope this helps - but let me know if you have any other questions!

[@HISANY83]

@@nxtgenmd Thank you for such an honest answer! Yours is probably the only one I received that was without an sugarcoating! I'll keep what you said in mind. 🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍🙂🙂🙂

[@nxtgenmd]

@@HISANY83 Aha no worries buddy. Best of luck 💪

[@HISANY83]

@@nxtgenmd Thank You!🙏

[@JosephHenein8616]

I heard if you apply in 4th year they will drop your 1st year. is that true

[@nxtgenmd]

All of the schools look at GPA differently :) some will drop first year at least

[@ysmaster507]

Do you have any tips for undergrads in biomed at ryerson?

[@nxtgenmd]

I definitely do! I think my tips are pretty universal for all schools but I promise that I bled blue and gold by the time I left Ryerson aha. Any specific question?

[@ysmaster507]

NXTgenMD How do you think would be the best way to prepare for first year in terms of exams or mid terms?

[@nxtgenmd]

@@ysmaster507 Tip #1: Make an organized study schedule - don't overstudy for one subject and then show up underprepared to another. An F in one class and an A in another usually results from a bad study schedule. Tip #2: Handwritten notes are best but make sure to answer practice questions too - look for old exams floating around online or from friends and do those questions as practice if you can. Tip #3: (from my brother who's at Ryerson right now) have an exam ritual for yourself. He likes to wear the same "lucky shirt" every time he goes in... he says he washes it between exams though 😅

[@ysmaster507]

NXTgenMD Thank you so much 😀

[@RockieAtlas]

I feel what may let my chances down is my course load of 4 courses per semester instead of 5. I currently have a 3.88/4.3 GPA and over a year research experience. But I don't have any extracurriculars either which may hurt my chances, as I'm always so busy in the semester.😣

[@nxtgenmd]

All of the schools are different! Some don't care much for ECs pre interview (like mcmaster), and some don't require a full course load of 5 courses per semester. Convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale and see how your application will fit with each of the different schools. Don't count yourself out yet though :) Worst case scenario, just focus on how to make yourself more competitive moving forward 🔥

[@CorpoCanadense]

What do you prefer today, be Spider-Man or a doctor?

[@mdfahad8646]

What was your major???

[@nxtgenmd]

Biomedical Science :)

[@yeetyoloy3643]

Man said he played volleyball all hs 😭 volleyball is a whole ass passion for me but its only a hobby ;( its okay biology is way too fun as well :))

[@nxtgenmd]

Aha, I'm almost positive that you're wayyy better than I was though 😅

[@yeetyoloy3643]

NXTgenMD We should definitely play some time and find out 😂👀

[@tobemoye2028]

Can u have a family in medical school?

[@nxtgenmd]

I have a few friends in my class who do have families :) I can imagine that it must be very difficult trying to balance your time, but they seem to be handling it very well

[@kidsstorytelling187]

Everything is just fine unless the music ones that you added was annoying when I was listening to this video though.

[@nxtgenmd]

yes I agree :) Its been reduced throughout my KZbin career