My uncertain future
With graduation looming ever closer, I face a choice: med school, grad school, or a gap year.
- Med school: Out of the seven that I applied to, I have an interview at one. I’m pretty sure that the problem with the others was my poor MCAT Writing Sample score. The one interview that I have is for the University of Saskatchewan, and considering that the interview is mid-March I probably won’t know if I get accepted until April.
- Grad school: I have applied to exactly one Master’s programme: International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. I missed the deadline for all of the others, because I hadn’t thought much about alternatives to med school until I started getting the rejection letters. Considering the radical change in subject matter (biochemistry/computing to political science/development), my chances are slim. My reasons for applying are thus: I want to continue my extracurricular/volunteer work in a professional capacity that would pay for me to live. If I could do that, I think that I’d be a happy person.
- Gap year: If all else fails, I’ll be taking the year off to work and (hopefully) travel. I’ve been looking at the SWAP programme, which I think would be perfect for me. For all the time, money, and effort went into my med and grad school applications, this is my favourite option. It’s too bad that the Canadian system, especially within medical schools, makes it so difficult to do a gap year.
Until I hear back from the universities that I’ve applied to, it’s really out of my control. I hate the uncertainty, and I’ll let you know when it’s decided.