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Picking between U of T and Western PT


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Hello all!

Congrats to those who got in (or will get in from the waitlist). Those who did not, I wish the best in the future!

I got accepted into U of T and Western, and I have been waitlisted for Queen's. I am only considering the two that I got in. I am trying to pick between the two and I have made myself a list for each university and how it would affect me. I currently live in Richmond Hill (just North of Toronto). 

U of T

·        Close to home & easier + MUCH cheaper

·        More emphasis on research (or so I have heard?) (not my biggest area of interest, but I would LOVE to dip my feet into research to see if it is a possible career path. I have always loved teaching, so a PhD could be a great gateway into that.)

·        Clinical placements will be closer to home and may result in building connections to help with job finding in the future and close to my home

·        Rent is insanely expensive should I decide that the bus/subway is too much of a hassle and I would like to move out (possibly with my gf)

·        Well-known teaching hospitals

·        APPARENTLY a larger focus on hospital physiotherapy (not my biggest interest)

·        Larger class sizes - I do prefer the smaller sizes that Western offers, as it just seems more family-like and easier to make friends 

Western

·        More emphasis on sports/orthopedics and manual therapy  (or so I have heard) which are my personal interests (I am not a huge fan of modalities, and strongly believe in manual therapy). Apparently Western has some of the best manual therapists 

·        Large area for placements… I may have to get a car or move again just to be close enough to my placement, which is even more costs (or even double rent)

·        Groceries may be far, as I have heard there is only a Loblaws nearby which is a 20 min bus ride away

·        College experience (I went to York and was a commuter, so I never got the dorm experience)

Thanks so much in advance for your help, I truly appreciate it! Wishing everyone health and safety in these crazy times!

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I am an OT student at Western who will be starting second year. Well I can’t speak to the PT program I can answer questions about the university itself. We are in the same building as PT as well as audiology and SLP. I moved from BC so it was all very new to me, feel free to message me if you want to know more about Western and “Elborne College” which is the building where all rehabilitation programs are offered or have any questions :)

 

 

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15 hours ago, mgn04 said:

I am an OT student at Western who will be starting second year. Well I can’t speak to the PT program I can answer questions about the university itself. We are in the same building as PT as well as audiology and SLP. I moved from BC so it was all very new to me, feel free to message me if you want to know more about Western and “Elborne College” which is the building where all rehabilitation programs are offered or have any questions :)

 

 

Hey! Thank you for your response. If you are okay with it, I prefer to discuss with you here so that others can benefit from our discussions as well! (:

It seems like the placements are somewhat similar in terms of catchment area and being located. What is your experience? Will I really have to bust my butt to a super far city for some of my placements? How easy/difficult is it to get placements outside the catchment area? I would preferably try and do one in Toronto (where I am now), the Queen's one (Western area of the catchment area is less than an hour from where I live), and the McMaster one (the Eastern area is 30-45mins away from where I live.)

And how about travelling to school/groceries and rental availibility/prices?

The more I think about it the primary thing holding me back from going to Western is the difficult I may face with transportation. The prestigious teaching hospitals U of T is known for are also a factor, but a much smaller one.

Thanks again!

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14 minutes ago, rtorkii said:

Hey! Thank you for your response. If you are okay with it, I prefer to discuss with you here so that others can benefit from our discussions as well! (:

It seems like the placements are somewhat similar in terms of catchment area and being located. What is your experience? Will I really have to bust my butt to a super far city for some of my placements? How easy/difficult is it to get placements outside the catchment area? I would preferably try and do one in Toronto (where I am now), the Queen's one (Western area of the catchment area is less than an hour from where I live), and the McMaster one (the Eastern area is 30-45mins away from where I live.)

And how about travelling to school/groceries and rental availibility/prices?

The more I think about it the primary thing holding me back from going to Western is the difficult I may face with transportation. The prestigious teaching hospitals U of T is known for are also a factor, but a much smaller one.

Thanks again!

Hi! I did my undergrad at Western and would love to answer any questions! 

Right now housing is looking really promising, since there are lots of international and OOP students subletting their places for the fall for cheap! Many are doing 4 or 8 month sublets, and the pros to subletting is that if you get a placement elsewhere, you dont need to keep paying rent there! Ive found theres always so many people subletting rooms. There are numerous areas within London close to campus that have grocery stores walking distance, and a bus pass is also included in tuition so its really easy to get around. Housing you can find lots of places walking distance to the PT building, or a short bus ride away! You can find rent between 450-600/month with utilities included.

Im not sure about the placements and catchment area, but Western does have a teaching hospital right on campus, and numerous hospitals and private clinics within the city.

Theres a rideshare group that you can find rides to/from London with other students, as well as many bus (greyhound) and train options from the gta!

I spoke to a friend in the program and she said the profs did an amazing job during the transition online in terms of hosting virtual office hours and spending lots of time connecting with the students! Western is hosting a town hall tomorrow to discuss the plan for the fall, and Ill likely accept my offer after that :) But it sounds like they are well prepared and motivated to ensure a good online experience for such a hands on program!!

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46 minutes ago, Soccerstar8 said:

Hi! I did my undergrad at Western and would love to answer any questions! 

Right now housing is looking really promising, since there are lots of international and OOP students subletting their places for the fall for cheap! Many are doing 4 or 8 month sublets, and the pros to subletting is that if you get a placement elsewhere, you dont need to keep paying rent there! Ive found theres always so many people subletting rooms. There are numerous areas within London close to campus that have grocery stores walking distance, and a bus pass is also included in tuition so its really easy to get around. Housing you can find lots of places walking distance to the PT building, or a short bus ride away! You can find rent between 450-600/month with utilities included.

Im not sure about the placements and catchment area, but Western does have a teaching hospital right on campus, and numerous hospitals and private clinics within the city.

Theres a rideshare group that you can find rides to/from London with other students, as well as many bus (greyhound) and train options from the gta!

I spoke to a friend in the program and she said the profs did an amazing job during the transition online in terms of hosting virtual office hours and spending lots of time connecting with the students! Western is hosting a town hall tomorrow to discuss the plan for the fall, and Ill likely accept my offer after that :) But it sounds like they are well prepared and motivated to ensure a good online experience for such a hands on program!!

Hi there! Could you explain more about the international and OOP students subletting their places for the Fall? Wouldn't they need to come back to campus if it's going to be a blended model?

Also, if it's for 4-8 months would we be able to find something easily after that period? (First time possibly moving to campus so very new to finding housing!)

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11 minutes ago, newtoOT said:

Hi there! Could you explain more about the international and OOP students subletting their places for the Fall? Wouldn't they need to come back to campus if it's going to be a blended model?

Also, if it's for 4-8 months would we be able to find something easily after that period? (First time possibly moving to campus so very new to finding housing!)

So in London most people sign leases anywhere from October to March for the following year, and now some programs will be entirely online, and they can't cancel their lease. Or if it is blended, some people may consider to commute just for the few days they need to be on campus. Theres a website called uwo off campus housing that has listings, but many are posted in a facebook group as well. Ive know friends who've found/sublet their places through it!

Yes absolutely! Its very easy to find places to live in London :) Lots of people sublet regardless of covid, or you could find a 12 month lease starting in May! Or if you have placement somewhere else, you can just find somewhere to live there instead of in London all together.

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I believe that Western placement area spans all of Southwestern Ontario from what I heard! I heard from past students that it can go all the way to Owen Sound at times or other places and would have to find a place to live for 6 weeks. I believe that you also have to do 2? placements outside London area (If anyone can clarify that part). The only downside (if you think from that perspective) of their placement destinations. Hope that helps!

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19 minutes ago, t1997 said:

I believe that Western placement area spans all of Southwestern Ontario from what I heard! I heard from past students that it can go all the way to Owen Sound at times or other places and would have to find a place to live for 6 weeks. I believe that you also have to do 2? placements outside London area (If anyone can clarify that part). The only downside (if you think from that perspective) of their placement destinations. Hope that helps!

I think thats the case! But I believe they also allow 1 placement done internationally? I would love to go abroad!

As good as the placements sound for UofT, it does extend kinda far and the commutes within the GTA are AWFUL. I would hate to pay rent in Toronto to then be up in Barrie.

 

Edited by Soccerstar8
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26 minutes ago, Soccerstar8 said:

So in London most people sign leases anywhere from October to March for the following year, and now some programs will be entirely online, and they can't cancel their lease. Or if it is blended, some people may consider to commute just for the few days they need to be on campus. Theres a website called uwo off campus housing that has listings, but many are posted in a facebook group as well. Ive know friends who've found/sublet their places through it!

Yes absolutely! Its very easy to find places to live in London :) Lots of people sublet regardless of covid, or you could find a 12 month lease starting in May! Or if you have placement somewhere else, you can just find somewhere to live there instead of in London all together.

Wow that's great info! Thank you so much. I'm guessing it's even more affordable to find a place than to live on residence?

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5 hours ago, Soccerstar8 said:

Hi! I did my undergrad at Western and would love to answer any questions! 

Right now housing is looking really promising, since there are lots of international and OOP students subletting their places for the fall for cheap! Many are doing 4 or 8 month sublets, and the pros to subletting is that if you get a placement elsewhere, you dont need to keep paying rent there! Ive found theres always so many people subletting rooms. There are numerous areas within London close to campus that have grocery stores walking distance, and a bus pass is also included in tuition so its really easy to get around. Housing you can find lots of places walking distance to the PT building, or a short bus ride away! You can find rent between 450-600/month with utilities included.

Im not sure about the placements and catchment area, but Western does have a teaching hospital right on campus, and numerous hospitals and private clinics within the city.

Theres a rideshare group that you can find rides to/from London with other students, as well as many bus (greyhound) and train options from the gta!

I spoke to a friend in the program and she said the profs did an amazing job during the transition online in terms of hosting virtual office hours and spending lots of time connecting with the students! Western is hosting a town hall tomorrow to discuss the plan for the fall, and Ill likely accept my offer after that :) But it sounds like they are well prepared and motivated to ensure a good online experience for such a hands on program!!

Wow awesome insight! Noob question: where do you recommend I look for sublets/rentals? My friend did send me a Facebook page for finding roommates. Anywhere else?

Thank you for the encouraging info! The buss pass is AWESOME.

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4 hours ago, t1997 said:

I believe that Western placement area spans all of Southwestern Ontario from what I heard! I heard from past students that it can go all the way to Owen Sound at times or other places and would have to find a place to live for 6 weeks. I believe that you also have to do 2? placements outside London area (If anyone can clarify that part). The only downside (if you think from that perspective) of their placement destinations. Hope that helps!

Yeah that is what I have heard as well, thank you!

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4 hours ago, newtoOT said:

Wow that's great info! Thank you so much. I'm guessing it's even more affordable to find a place than to live on residence?

My friend who is in MPT at Western said that they don't give residences to graduate students..

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On 5/30/2020 at 9:14 PM, rtorkii said:

Hello all!

Congrats to those who got in (or will get in from the waitlist). Those who did not, I wish the best in the future!

I got accepted into U of T and Western, and I have been waitlisted for Queen's. I am only considering the two that I got in. I am trying to pick between the two and I have made myself a list for each university and how it would affect me. I currently live in Richmond Hill (just North of Toronto). 

U of T

·        Close to home & easier + MUCH cheaper

·        More emphasis on research (or so I have heard?) (not my biggest area of interest, but I would LOVE to dip my feet into research to see if it is a possible career path. I have always loved teaching, so a PhD could be a great gateway into that.)

·        Clinical placements will be closer to home and may result in building connections to help with job finding in the future and close to my home

·        Rent is insanely expensive should I decide that the bus/subway is too much of a hassle and I would like to move out (possibly with my gf)

·        Well-known teaching hospitals

·        APPARENTLY a larger focus on hospital physiotherapy (not my biggest interest)

·        Larger class sizes - I do prefer the smaller sizes that Western offers, as it just seems more family-like and easier to make friends 

Western

·        More emphasis on sports/orthopedics and manual therapy  (or so I have heard) which are my personal interests (I am not a huge fan of modalities, and strongly believe in manual therapy). Apparently Western has some of the best manual therapists 

·        Large area for placements… I may have to get a car or move again just to be close enough to my placement, which is even more costs (or even double rent)

·        Groceries may be far, as I have heard there is only a Loblaws nearby which is a 20 min bus ride away

·        College experience (I went to York and was a commuter, so I never got the dorm experience)

Thanks so much in advance for your help, I truly appreciate it! Wishing everyone health and safety in these crazy times!

Hey! First year MPT student at Western and I wanted to give my insight. I cannot recommend Western physio enough. The courses are structured so well and the instructors are amazing. Not only are they very knowledgable but they have the students' interests at heart. I am a shy person but I find myself being able to ask them questions in labs without fear of being judged or incorrect. Due to COVID, the profs switched to online format last minute and did so fairly well and maximized communication to the best of their abilities (ex. Zoom office hours, emails, forum questions).

In terms of placements, I have accepted that I will probably have to do double rent so if it is cheaper to stay in Toronto that is totally understandable. Similar to yourself, I did my undergrad in Toronto so I never got the dorm experience. I remember being super nervous entering a new city knowing no one. But another reason I recommend Western physio are the classmates. The smaller class size means a more tight knit community. I found my classmates to be fairly genuine people who are like minded, fun and eager to collaborate. Although most have their designated friend groups, I still see and experience lots of communication between classmates through new learning groups, intramurals, etc. So if you choose Western, don't be afraid to approach the second years as we are willing to help! We pair you up with a second year mentor to help show you the ropes too :)

There are more than one grocery store in London. I would say find a location where the buses run more frequently or groceries stores are in walkable distance. I would recommend checking out Oxford/ Wharncliffe, Oxford/Wonderland, and Sarnia/Wonderland. I don't drive and I find doing groceries pretty decent tbh. I typically shop at Oxford/ Wonderland because there is a Sobeys, the Asian supermarket, Chatime/Coco and LCBO. There is Costco nearby too!

These are my thoughts. Congrats on getting in and good luck picking! :)

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20 minutes ago, PeaTea1996 said:

Hey! First year MPT student at Western and I wanted to give my insight. I cannot recommend Western physio enough. The courses are structured so well and the instructors are amazing. Not only are they very knowledgable but they have the students' interests at heart. I am a shy person but I find myself being able to ask them questions in labs without fear of being judged or incorrect. Due to COVID, the profs switched to online format last minute and did so fairly well and maximized communication to the best of their abilities (ex. Zoom office hours, emails, forum questions).

In terms of placements, I have accepted that I will probably have to do double rent so if it is cheaper to stay in Toronto that is totally understandable. Similar to yourself, I did my undergrad in Toronto so I never got the dorm experience. I remember being super nervous entering a new city knowing no one. But another reason I recommend Western physio are the classmates. The smaller class size means a more tight knit community. I found my classmates to be fairly genuine people who are like minded, fun and eager to collaborate. Although most have their designated friend groups, I still see and experience lots of communication between classmates through new learning groups, intramurals, etc. So if you choose Western, don't be afraid to approach the second years as we are willing to help! We pair you up with a second year mentor to help show you the ropes too :)

There are more than one grocery store in London. I would say find a location where the buses run more frequently or groceries stores are in walkable distance. I would recommend checking out Oxford/ Wharncliffe, Oxford/Wonderland, and Sarnia/Wonderland. I don't drive and I find doing groceries pretty decent tbh. I typically shop at Oxford/ Wonderland because there is a Sobeys, the Asian supermarket, Chatime/Coco and LCBO. There is Costco nearby too!

These are my thoughts. Congrats on getting in and good luck picking! :)

Thank you so much for your response!

Any idea how labs/classes will work this year given the COVID situation??

I've heard a lot about the tight-knit community which is a big reason I am attracted to Western! 

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1 hour ago, PeaTea1996 said:

Hey! First year MPT student at Western and I wanted to give my insight. I cannot recommend Western physio enough. The courses are structured so well and the instructors are amazing. Not only are they very knowledgable but they have the students' interests at heart. I am a shy person but I find myself being able to ask them questions in labs without fear of being judged or incorrect. Due to COVID, the profs switched to online format last minute and did so fairly well and maximized communication to the best of their abilities (ex. Zoom office hours, emails, forum questions).

In terms of placements, I have accepted that I will probably have to do double rent so if it is cheaper to stay in Toronto that is totally understandable. Similar to yourself, I did my undergrad in Toronto so I never got the dorm experience. I remember being super nervous entering a new city knowing no one. But another reason I recommend Western physio are the classmates. The smaller class size means a more tight knit community. I found my classmates to be fairly genuine people who are like minded, fun and eager to collaborate. Although most have their designated friend groups, I still see and experience lots of communication between classmates through new learning groups, intramurals, etc. So if you choose Western, don't be afraid to approach the second years as we are willing to help! We pair you up with a second year mentor to help show you the ropes too :)

There are more than one grocery store in London. I would say find a location where the buses run more frequently or groceries stores are in walkable distance. I would recommend checking out Oxford/ Wharncliffe, Oxford/Wonderland, and Sarnia/Wonderland. I don't drive and I find doing groceries pretty decent tbh. I typically shop at Oxford/ Wonderland because there is a Sobeys, the Asian supermarket, Chatime/Coco and LCBO. There is Costco nearby too!

These are my thoughts. Congrats on getting in and good luck picking! :)

Hey, thank you for the info! Just a quick question - I believe Western focuses a lot of emphasis on ortho/MSK/manual therapy. I completed my master's in pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation; would you say that there is a decent amount of cardio-resp content and that there are a lot of opportunities for placements within cardio-resp or is everything more-so MSK-based? I've been accepted to both U of T and Western so just offhand, I'm thinking U of T would provide more cardio-resp opportunities than Western but want to make sure. Thanks so much! 

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1 hour ago, rehabchick said:

Hey, thank you for the info! Just a quick question - I believe Western focuses a lot of emphasis on ortho/MSK/manual therapy. I completed my master's in pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation; would you say that there is a decent amount of cardio-resp content and that there are a lot of opportunities for placements within cardio-resp or is everything more-so MSK-based? I've been accepted to both U of T and Western so just offhand, I'm thinking U of T would provide more cardio-resp opportunities than Western but want to make sure. Thanks so much! 

So far, my experience at Western seems more MSK based. We start MSK related stuff in term 1 and we start cardioresp in term 2. According to the curriculum on Western's site we continue both and neuro into year 2. In terms of placement, I know we need to be exposed to all 3 branches of physio at least once but I am unsure whether we have more cardioresp opportunities than UofT. I know cardiac rehab programs are primarily in hospitals and Toronto has more hospitals downtown. To my knowledge, London doesn't have a lung transplant physio program but UofT does at Toronto Gen. Hope this helps!

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2 hours ago, rtorkii said:

Thank you so much for your response!

Any idea how labs/classes will work this year given the COVID situation??

I've heard a lot about the tight-knit community which is a big reason I am attracted to Western! 

I believe they are aiming for hybrid so mix of online and in class (most likely for labs). Which is nice to practice on hand skills and to meet your peers!

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On 5/31/2020 at 3:13 PM, Soccerstar8 said:

I think thats the case! But I believe they also allow 1 placement done internationally? I would love to go abroad!

As good as the placements sound for UofT, it does extend kinda far and the commutes within the GTA are AWFUL. I would hate to pay rent in Toronto to then be up in Barrie.

 

U of T also allows for international placements

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