McMaster vs U of A??

[newuser2019]

Hi everyone! This forum has helped me a lot through my med school journey, and I was hoping to gain some insight into a difficult decision. I am currently needing to choose between McMaster and U of A (I live in Calgary)- I understand the pros/cons to each but I was wondering if current students or those who have made decisions such as this can help me out! Thank you so much in advance!

[bigboydyo]

Obviously the biggest differentiator is the 4 yr vs 3 yr program -- consider the implications of this. You will graduate a year earlier from McMaster, and this will require a more intense 3 years of Med School with minimal summer breaks. Having 4 yrs allows you to use the longer summers to carry out research or relax, among other activities. On the flip side, saving a year means a year less of schooling = a year extra of work and income. Of course, there is also an argument to be made that doing a 4 yrs programs gives you more time to adequately prepare for matching to a residency of your choice, and this extra preparation time may be key if you wish to enter a competitive residency. But McMaster does bolster a solid match rate, so it's definitely a good choice regardless. 

Other people can chime in on the experience of living far from home vs staying IP, which is also another major factor to consider in your case. 

[Bcemslayer]

U of A all the way. 
It's so nice to be able to quickly drive down to Calgary on the weekend. Plus the summers after 1st and 2nd year were the best time, and Edmonton in the summer is such an amazing city (and in the winter too)
U of A also has a great match rate consistently which is nice. 

I would only go to McMaster if I had ties there, or I was an older applicant. 

[ChemPetE]

Alberta. You’ll be able to do electives in Calgary so much easier through networking if your goal is to get back to cowtown.

[Medinterested]

If you belong to Alberta, then no point to relocate or go farther from family or support group.

[X Æ A-12]

Alberta 100%

[photato]

 

 

 

On 5/14/2019 at 5:41 PM, Bcemslayer said:

U of A also has a great match rate consistently which is nice. 

Match rate is one of the last things I would look at when picking a med school. It doesn't tell you if students are matching to specialties or locations that they want. The match rate could be high because students are pushed to back up or to apply to a million programs in locations they aren't interested in. Match rate can also change a lot over four years and can be very class dependent. 

Pick where you want to live, where your supports are, and where you think would be the best fit. I would also caution choosing based on the facilities you're shown during interviews. Schools like to show off all of their fancy facilities even if medical students don't typically have access to them. My school likes to show off the sim lab even though we were only there maybe 1-2x/year.