Cooper Choi’s Experience in UCalgary’s Health Sciences Program

Written By Finley Kudar and Caleb Muotoh

Cooper Choi is taking UCalgary’s BHSc (Bachelor of Health Sciences) program which contains

three majors: Biomedical Sciences, Bioinformatics, and Health and Society. The UCalgary

BCHs is offered in collaboration with Cumming School of Medicine, and often is used to apply to

postgraduate programs in Canada, as it provides a solid foundation in health sciences while

emulating a realistic work environment. This broad design appeals to many students with its

opportunities to branch out to numerous careers. For Cooper, maximizing free time in the first

year to take leadership positions in extracurricular activities is essential for strengthening

applications to medical school. Postgraduate admissions heavily emphasise personal attributes

and a concise essay. For example, tutoring demonstrates skills in communication and

leadership, and is a great option for students seeking extracurricular activities.

Academic Intensity

Cooper notes that the academic intensity of the BHCs greatly increases from the first to the

second year. The first year lays a base for the following years of study, and focuses on

fundamental science and research skills, while the second year builds on that with organic

chemistry courses and preparation for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). It also

continues to heavily develop academic writing. Third and fourth years allow the student to

specialize in the area of their choice, writing a mandatory thesis project in their fourth year. A

thesis project is essentially a high-level research paper that demonstrates a student’s ability to

perform independent study. Additionally, it is a contributor to their scholarly profile.

Extracurricular Importance

Cooper believes that academic performance remains the priority, although extracurriculars are

vital not only for professional applications but also for personal development. Cooper’s variety of

activities in high school including student council president and participating in competitive

hockey, coaching, and hospital volunteering were essential to developing leadership, teamwork,

and confidence needed for healthcare. At university Cooper is an active participant in the

Children’s Health Advocates club, which fundraises and volunteers for pediatric healthcare, as

well as the Health Sciences Student Association, organizing events and fostering community

engagement. Cooper advises new students to balance academics with extracurriculars,

especially those that provide involvement in the community. He expresses the importance of

these activities for developing crucial skills that also align with healthcare’s service oriented

nature.

Financial Aid

The university of Calgary offers two types of scholarships: entrance awards which are one time

grants of lower value and prestige awards which are multi year and of higher value but both are

accessible through a common application after admissions. Copper received about a $10,000

grant in entrance scholarships, which fully covered his first year tuition of about $8,500 which is

awarded for exemplary academics and grades above 95% as well extracurricular leadership.

The prestige award available to specifically BHCs students, the Chancellor’s Award, provides

$16,000 annually for four years, although it is highly competitive with an application process

requiring multiple applications, reducing its accessibility. Cooper recommends prioritizing

entrance awards for financial aid due to the relative ease and significant impact, although he

advises students to pay more attention to their university applications as opposed to time-

consuming prestige awards.

Career Aspirations

Cooper personally hopes to apply to medical school in his third year. Generally, MCAT exams

are written in the second year, highlighting the accelerated timeline those in healthcare

education face. If accepted, he plans on pursuing a medical career could potentially relate to the

Canadian Armed Forces, which would provide student debt repayment for doctors, while

allowing a combination of healthcare and service, expanding upon Cooper’s strong bond with

the community and his values of duty and contribution. He also expressed his openness to

staying in Canada and particularly Alberta for his studies and career, although acknowledges

the possibility of employment in the US where Canadian medical graduates experience a much

more simplified and straightforward transfer of credentials than alternatives such as Europe.

Cooper remains confident that success in the healthcare industry is not necessarily contingent

on attending top level universities abroad, and feels that Canadian programs such as BHSc

provide solid career foundations.

University Environment

University of Calgary is often described as largely a commuter school as many students choose

to live at home rather than in the campus provided residences, which vary in quality and have a

tendency to be cramped. The downside of this commuter culture is a campus with a much less

vibrant social life compared to larger universities that receive more out of province and

international attendees, however clubs and social events continue to provide valuable

community and friendship opportunities. Cooper appreciates living at home for the stability,

comfort and free transit, which allows him to fully turn his attention towards academics during

the transition to a university lifestyle. He encourages students who find themselves concerned

about the social life of living at home to not worry since meaningful connections can always be

developed through clubs and smaller social circles.

Closing Remarks

For students hoping to follow in Cooper’s footsteps, he recommends keeping a good balance

between extracurriculars and academics and encourages students to build on their leadership

skills and community involvement as he did. He also recommends not being concerned about

fitting into the university community while living at home, but joining extracurriculars while

attending university can be an easy and effective way to build connections. His degree heavily

focuses on building professional academic writing skills as well as providing a wide range of

variety through specialization and plenty of distinct career paths in the medical field. For

students interested in the medical field during their undergrad, a Bachelor of Health Science will

provide exceptional exploration and opportunity in the field.