Hi!

I'm currently studying at McGill and I applied to transfer to Mac for fall 2013. I applied to 3 co-op programs in science (biochem being 1st choice) so I just wanted to get some more info about what the program is like etc.
1. Does Mac help you find a co-op or are you basically left on your own once you pass the interview?

2. How competitive is it to get into one of these programs?

3. In general, what is the biochem program like? How big are the courses usually (class size) and how challenging?

1) A lot of the work such as your resume, cover letter is all you but we have a course called SCI 2C00 which is a required co-op course for co-op programs where they teach you to write them. And there is an office for any questions or other help needed, so they do provide help but it's still on you to go and ask

2) I don't know about the other programs but I'm in biochemistry with specialization ( there's biomed and biotech) and I didn't think they were that competitive to get into. As long as you had the grades. It's a small program and not many people do the specialization, in fact a lot drop out of it

3) biochem courses are pretty good. Each one has a pbl project with a group where you might research on a given paper with a group or pick a topic of your own as a group and try to find research for that. There is a practical lab course all about teaching the techniques of the lab, we are isolating DHFR protein, which is interesting. Classes are not those BIG lecture rooms because its somewhat of a small program, so class size is about medium if that helps give you an idea

Why would you leave McGill for Mac, just curious? Does McGill not have co op programs?

1) You are left alone to find your own work (this is standard for coop programs in Ontario). We have a course which "teaches" you how to apply for a job and write a nice looking resume, but they don't do much else.

2) Generally it's not competitive to get into a coop program. You need a 60+ average for most of them, only.

3) Depends. How smart are you?

Getting into the co-op program requires an interview that is weighted more heavily than your grade average, and competitiveness depends on how many people apply. They have a limited number of spots, so it gets more competitive as more people apply. In my program, they had about 20 applicants for 6 spots (I wasn't in biochem so I'm not sure what the numbers are like there, but there are ~80 students eligible for co-op...not sure how many of them actually apply, but it's probably different each year).

Yeah as for finding a job, they have a few postings online that you can apply for but most people find their own jobs.

Ok thanks!!
McGill doesn't really have any co-op programs and because it's in Quebec, you basically have to be fully fluent in French to get an internship or even a part-time job for that matter. I'm from Ontario and I don't really speak French so I can't even volunteer anywhere.
As a pre-med, I really want to gain relevant work/research experience and that's not going to happen as long as I'm at McGill.
Also, none of the majors here are really interesting or unique either, so I would basically be walking away after 4 years of suffering with an average major and nothing else.. that's not my idea of a good experience.