Matching To Ubc Without History In Bc?

[lisasimpson]

I'm a little early on this one (still in pre-clerkship) but thinking ahead to strategies. I want to do psychiatry. UBC has a lot of focus on the type of work I want to do (harm reduction, addictions, reproductive mental health) but I've been told that anyone who doesn't have a really strong link to BC (i.e. grew up there) has pretty slim chances of matching. I've visited BC and liked it, and I have a couple of cousins and a handful of friends out there, but I grew up in Ontario/lived on the east coast for several years/am back in ON for med school. Not a strong connection by any means.

 

Any advice on this? Beyond doing a visiting elective and trying to be super impressive, and emphasizing the specific parts of UBC's program that really appeal to me, how could someone like me be convincing? Thanks!

[TechToMD]

Really? I was under the impression that at the residency matching stage, geographic ties matter much less than actual competency. If you do an elective there and shine, I don't see why they would consider you any less than someone from anywhere else.

[JohnGrisham]

Really? I was under the impression that at the residency matching stage, geographic ties matter much less than actual competency. If you do an elective there and shine, I don't see why they would consider you any less than someone from anywhere else.

This

[#YOLO]

Not this

[rmorelan]

This...not this.....

 

This can be confusing because CARMS and centres are not homogeneous.  It is very program specific with some regional flare thrown in. 

 

Best to talk to the residents in that program at your school to get the lay of the land I think - use active residents are an under utilized resource of medical students I find. We went through CARMS and usually know how it works. 

[Bambi]

And stick to your Plan but apply broadly by doing electives elsewhere as well. The one thing I learned at CaRMS is that it is impossible to know where lightning is going to strike!

[ameltingbanana]

Geographic ties matter, but so do elective performance and networking with residents at the site. I don't think having a strong geographic tie would outweigh a poor elective performance at a site. As others have said, this is very program and year - dependent. There's a few people from my year that matched to BC psychiatry with their only major connection being an elective out west (to my knowledge at least)

[Edict]

It is definitely possible to match out west if you haven't been there. Do some electives there, show that you are interested in moving out west and its done. 

[bearded frog]

Schools want to know why you are passionate about their program. A lot of the time you have a connection to the community and want to give back. Just as valid is a passion about unique aspects of a program. I would recommend that if you have a particular program in mind you see what is important to the program and immerse yourself in that. Look at what UBC Psych has said their mission is, talk to residents and the program director, and research the population. If you familiarize yourself with the populations that you would be serving, and demonstrate and interest in them, then that will be very attractive to the program, regardless of where you are from.

[ArchEnemy]

As rmorelan have said, this question is highly specific to the site & program. Excelling in your on-site electives, and perhaps working on a research project relating to your interests in Vancouver will showcase your enthusiasm in their program.

 

A few of my classmates have matched to UBC Psychiatry with no obvious ties to the region (at least none that they are telling me about). 

 

Best of luck!

[ellorie]

For what it's worth, I had no geographic ties to BC and did not do an elective and I got an interview for UBC psych. I was not asked any questions about my ties to BC at the interview, and they told me that they were very interested in me and wanted me to match there. I ended up matching above UBC on my list so who knows, but that was my experience.

[lisasimpson]

Thanks y'all, this is very comforting and helpful advice!