Year 2 Mac OT Student- Ask Away!

[OTPT2019]

Hey everyone,

I understand this can be a very stressful time for all of you. I applaud you all for putting yourselves out there and for applying to some of the best programs in the country! I am a year 2 Mac OT student and I'm here if anyone has any questions! Wishing each of you the best of luck on this daunting but incredible journey!  

[ClarissaJ.]

What GPA did you get in with? And how did you study for your MMI's. Overall how would you say the workload and classes are in comparison to undergrad? 

[OTapplicant19]

Thanks for offering your insight! Wondering how you found the anatomy portion of the program? Coming from someone who has zero anatomy background from undergrad. 

[OTPT2019]

6 hours ago, ClarissaJ. said:

What GPA did you get in with? And how did you study for your MMI's. Overall how would you say the workload and classes are in comparison to undergrad? 

Hi there, 

My GPA was 3.8 but I know the GPA cutoff for an interview for our class was 3.72. Once you're offered an interview at Mac and you do the MMI, your GPA is only considered 25% of the final decision, and the majority of the decision is made based on how you did on the MMI (75%). You get offered an interview based on your GPA, but the deciding factor really is your MMI. 

I did MMI training to prepare for it. My friend, who applied for the Doctor of Dentristy program at another university, and I did it together so we'd have better chances of doing well. 

The workload is definitely a lot. However, absolutely doable. If you're a hard worker and you're willing to put in the time and effort, you'll do great. I found Term 1 of Mac OT to be very time consuming because I had no prior anatomy background and I spent all of my free time studying for anatomy. You'll be expected to be on campus and in-class at lot during this program. I think in Term 1 you have most Wednesdays free. 

[OTPT2019]

4 hours ago, OTapplicant19 said:

Thanks for offering your insight! Wondering how you found the anatomy portion of the program? Coming from someone who has zero anatomy background from undergrad. 

Thank you for the thanks! 

I came into the program without any prior anatomy knowledge as well. It was tough, I'm not going to lie. I had to put a lot of time and effort into studying for anatomy at home, and in the lab studying the specimens. In Term 1, you're only in class for 8 or 9 weeks and then you go on placement for 4 weeks. You learn just as much anatomy in those 8 weeks that you would in a full course in undergrad. It is a lot of information and it is fast-paced but it is absolutely doable! And the first two academic terms fly by so fast that it'll be over in no time. I wish you all the best!! 

[otmac]

Thanks for offering your insights, OTPT2019! I accepted my Mac OT offer last night, and am feeling so grateful and excited.

I have a few questions!

What did your weekly schedule look like, throughout the terms in year 1? What hours did you have class/group projects? How much time did you/classmates have for jobs/hobbies/pets?

I'll be moving to Hamilton from out of province. When do Sept-start rooms-for-rent usually get posted? What neighbourhoods should I consider?

Will there be an official Facebook group made soon? :)

That's all for now. Thank you in advance for your time and help!

[OTPT2019]

On 5/19/2019 at 5:59 PM, otmac said:

Thanks for offering your insights, OTPT2019! I accepted my Mac OT offer last night, and am feeling so grateful and excited.

I have a few questions!

What did your weekly schedule look like, throughout the terms in year 1? What hours did you have class/group projects? How much time did you/classmates have for jobs/hobbies/pets?

I'll be moving to Hamilton from out of province. When do Sept-start rooms-for-rent usually get posted? What neighbourhoods should I consider?

Will there be an official Facebook group made soon?

That's all for now. Thank you in advance for your time and help!

Yay! Congrats on choosing McMaster and for beginning your OT journey! 

The weekly schedule in year 1 is pretty extensive. Expect to be in class from 9-4 Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday and have PBT for 2.5 hours on Friday. You will likely have most Wednesdays off. Your first academic term will go from Sept-Nov with placement for 4 weeks in Nov-Dec. Not many classmates had jobs throughout the program. There were some that worked weekends. Expect to be pretty busy in term 1 and 2 for sure. 

Rooms and houses are typically posted right now! I recommend looking here: https://macoffcampus.mcmaster.ca/classifieds/category/gradfacultystaff-rentals/. & Look in the Westdale and surrounding area around McMaster. I lived on the Mountain in Year 1 and deeply regretted it with the commute + paying for parking at mac + walking from the parking lot (~20 mins to our building). Living in Westdale/within walking distance to school is well worth it. 

The OT student council made last year's Facebook group. Our class (Class of '19) will be handing the torch over to the Class of '20 within the next week as we finish up the program. If you don't see one by July- make one! 

So excited for you! OT school is a wild ride. Welcome to an extremely rewarding and exciting career! 

[otmac]

OTPT 2019 - thank you so much for the warm welcome and detailed reply! I'm so excited for this new adventure. Can I send you a message if more questions come up? Congratulations (in advance) on graduating, and best of luck on your next chapter!

[PT19944]

Hello and thanks for your help! I am wondering what the curriculum is like? Online it is very general and I would like to know what I can expect to learn. Also, I would like to know more about the Student Evidence Based Practice Projects. How do you decide on a project, and is there an opportunity to do some 'research' for it or is it mostly literature reviews?

 

Thanks again.

[OTPT2019]

On 5/24/2019 at 1:47 AM, otmac said:

OTPT 2019 - thank you so much for the warm welcome and detailed reply! I'm so excited for this new adventure. Can I send you a message if more questions come up? Congratulations (in advance) on graduating, and best of luck on your next chapter!

You're too nice! Send any questions, any time. I'm happy to help my future colleagues!

[OTPT2019]

 

 

1

10 hours ago, PT19944 said:

Hello and thanks for your help! I am wondering what the curriculum is like? Online it is very general and I would like to know what I can expect to learn. Also, I would like to know more about the Student Evidence Based Practice Projects. How do you decide on a project, and is there an opportunity to do some 'research' for it or is it mostly literature reviews?

 

Thanks again.

Hey there! 

Just wanted to clarify before I begin that I'm only familiar with the OT curriculum and not so much the PT curriculum. I say this only because your username is PT19944.

It is hard to explain the Mac OT curriculum because you're going to learn so much!! You graduate from OT school as a generalist- i.e., you learn assessment and treatment in working with pediatrics, adolescents, adults, & seniors. You learn about the OT role in hospitals, schools, long-term care, community, etc., and all about the OT role various areas of rehab such as cognitive rehab, physical rehab, environmental modifications, neurological rehab, mental health assessment and treatment, and so much more. 

You typically take Professional Reasoning & Skills, and Inquiry & Integration in every term of Mac OT school. PRS is where you learn your skills and I&I is more theory based. In term 1 you learn solid interviewing skills in PRS, and about OT models of practice in I&I. You will also be taking a foundational knowledge course in term 1 that covers anatomy, research, and social sciences. They really jam a lot of content into the short 8-9 week term. In year two you take PRS & I&I as well as the evidence-based practice courses which is where the projects are initiated. If you have a topic of interest for a research project, you can run with it! My current project was a sequential mixed-methods study we conducted over a period of 6 months and are presenting at the national OT conference. There is absolutely opportunity for research

Let me know if you have any additional questions! I hope this helped. 

 

[OT2019]

Hello, 

Thank you for answering all these questions, it is deeply appreciated. I will be commuting in from Brantford and was wondering what parking/ parking passes are like? I also have the option of taking the GO. And more generally, where can we find out information regarding McMaster Student benefits (i.e. health and dental benefits, fitness memberships, bus passes, computer software etc.)? 

I'm not sure if you would be able to answer this next question, or if you know where I should direct this question but, I would like to know more about scholarships and bursaries/ funding. I have looked over the ones on McMasters website but I was wondering if there is other funding I should be aware of and where can I find information regarding how to applying for these (and the ones on the website). When would you normally apply for scholarships?

And lastly, are there any books or resources that you recommend reading that pertain to anatomy, that will give me a good head start? Even if there are a list of topics I can begin to look into or find podcasts for.

Thank you again!