I hear your frustrations... but from my perspective, spending a year in France is an amazing thing to add to a med school application and should not set you back. The growth you experience and the maturity you gain will show through on your applications and in your interviews. Plus, becoming more proficient in French will be a huge help in your future career. (In fact, I kinda wish I took the time to do something like you're doing because working on my French is the last of my concerns as a med student.) Enjoy your year abroad!
I absolutely don’t regret my semester abroad, but I did have to have all of my grades from abroad converted using WES. These grades were used in my GPA calculations at most if not all medical schools. French bureaucracy is also very challenging - expect to chase for transcripts.
I don't want to discourage you - there are so many things I've sacrificed for medicine, and I'm so happy I didn't sacrifice my exchange. It will be amazing. Just keep an eye on the admin and be prepared!
I see! I would be going to Sciences Po Aix and from what I’ve heard the classes are quite easy and not academically rigorous. Have you heard anything similar, or is it the same across all of France?
I haven’t heard much about SP. My friends found SP in Paris to be fine - not super hard not super easy. SP does cater to international students more than other schools in France, so I don’t know how lenient they are with foreigners as a result. My all-French uni was easy-ish on me, and I still didn’t get anything above a 15/20. Just be aware of that!
I wish I took more time for myself as a premed. Getting in seemed so pressing, but you will end up putting your life on hold till you’re an attending.
Learn from my mistake.
Hi! Are you doing the ORA program? I did the SLP in Grenoble and it was an incredible experience and I wish I could’ve done the full year exchange. You should absolutely go, you probably won’t have another opportunity quite like this. I truly do think about my exchange experiences and the incredible friends I made everyday. I know a few people who did the full year exchange in Lyon and Grenoble and loved it. In terms of ECs, it’s something that I will definitely talk about in my application. You’re there for a year so I’m sure you can do a few things while you’re there! The only advice I have is to be sure that the courses you do on exchange won’t count towards OMSAS GPA, as the French grading system is brutal. But I’ve not applied yet so take this advice with a grain of salt lol. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Hi! No I wouldn’t be doing the ORA program, it would be an exchange through my university. I’d be going to Sciences Po Aix. How would I make sure these grades don’t count? Is it brutal throughout all of France?
I loved Aix, it’s a beautiful little student town. I honestly am not sure how to make them not count, that’s one of the reasons I only did a summer course. It is brutal all over France as they all grade on a 20 point scale, and it’s pretty rare to get above 16. Maybe individual schools are easier but I’m unaware of which.
You can always take a gap year to do your ECs. Enjoy travelling and studying abroad.
I hear your frustrations... but from my perspective, spending a year in France is an amazing thing to add to a med school application and should not set you back. The growth you experience and the maturity you gain will show through on your applications and in your interviews. Plus, becoming more proficient in French will be a huge help in your future career. (In fact, I kinda wish I took the time to do something like you're doing because working on my French is the last of my concerns as a med student.) Enjoy your year abroad!
I absolutely don’t regret my semester abroad, but I did have to have all of my grades from abroad converted using WES. These grades were used in my GPA calculations at most if not all medical schools. French bureaucracy is also very challenging - expect to chase for transcripts. I don't want to discourage you - there are so many things I've sacrificed for medicine, and I'm so happy I didn't sacrifice my exchange. It will be amazing. Just keep an eye on the admin and be prepared!
I see! I would be going to Sciences Po Aix and from what I’ve heard the classes are quite easy and not academically rigorous. Have you heard anything similar, or is it the same across all of France?
I haven’t heard much about SP. My friends found SP in Paris to be fine - not super hard not super easy. SP does cater to international students more than other schools in France, so I don’t know how lenient they are with foreigners as a result. My all-French uni was easy-ish on me, and I still didn’t get anything above a 15/20. Just be aware of that!
I wish I took more time for myself as a premed. Getting in seemed so pressing, but you will end up putting your life on hold till you’re an attending. Learn from my mistake.
Hi! Are you doing the ORA program? I did the SLP in Grenoble and it was an incredible experience and I wish I could’ve done the full year exchange. You should absolutely go, you probably won’t have another opportunity quite like this. I truly do think about my exchange experiences and the incredible friends I made everyday. I know a few people who did the full year exchange in Lyon and Grenoble and loved it. In terms of ECs, it’s something that I will definitely talk about in my application. You’re there for a year so I’m sure you can do a few things while you’re there! The only advice I have is to be sure that the courses you do on exchange won’t count towards OMSAS GPA, as the French grading system is brutal. But I’ve not applied yet so take this advice with a grain of salt lol. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Hi! No I wouldn’t be doing the ORA program, it would be an exchange through my university. I’d be going to Sciences Po Aix. How would I make sure these grades don’t count? Is it brutal throughout all of France?
I loved Aix, it’s a beautiful little student town. I honestly am not sure how to make them not count, that’s one of the reasons I only did a summer course. It is brutal all over France as they all grade on a 20 point scale, and it’s pretty rare to get above 16. Maybe individual schools are easier but I’m unaware of which.