UBC vs Calgary, revised.

[Guest puddlediver]

Ok Ive put more thougt in this time...

Anyone there has this choice, or has had it? If you chose U of C, why?

 

Ive been out of school for four years; Ive done the travelling and had my down time already so dont feel I need (as much) those extra summer months that you get in a four year program. I dont have a significant other and love my family but dont need to be next door...I think I have a clear idea of what sort of things I want to do with medicine (but who knows really til I start). I want to save money. I loved the chill, mature vibe at Calgary and I keep hearing its a "fun town".

 

Buuut...I got into the Island program at UBC and I already *know* I looove Victoria. I worry Calgary doesnt have enough leftist/artsy tendency for me, nor warmth--tho yes, yes I know about the chinooks!. Plus I might want that extra time to stay in electives.

 

So a few questions, as this is a tough call.

 

1) is it really that much cheaper to do 3 years? Any estimates there on how much Calgary has saved you vs doing a four year program? I remember someone in orientation saying "dont go here because its cheaper, because it really *isnt*. UBc tuition is $18000 including supplies, book, student fees. I see that here its $8400- times it by two for the year and then by three for the total?

 

2) Im not interested in research- I think- so this emphasis on research being integrated into everything right away not only doesnt interest me, but also doesnt appeal. Im assuming its non-research friendly too?

 

3) How much less elective time do you get, anyways, vs a 4 year program? or do you just get less time before you make your choices. Is there pressure to spend your scant vacation time on electives/research to make up for lost time?

 

4) How "self motivated" do you really need to be? I also like knowing whats expected of me, and what I have to do to get there.hopefully that still works. thoughts?

 

5) How bout the PBL? I like being all team oriented but actually have heard criticism that its a more innefficient way to study. ubc has it too but I dont know how much more or less than calgary.

 

6) How do you cope with the two weeks off only at summer and winter? in second year do you get vacation during the summer?

 

7)anything else that anyone whos looked at both can add. Please.

 

 

In the end Im stoked I have choice, just want more to work with.

ps I want to hear the good and the BAD!

[Guest Jerika81]

First off, check out the 'big decision' thread, because it will answer some of your questions- perhaps I will change the title of that thread to 'why choose U of C?' so it's more clear what it's about.

 

As for your questions:

1) I'm pretty sure it is a bit cheaper to go to U of C and pay a year less tuition. I think U of C tuition is still around $15000 a year (look at the tuition thread to get more specifics) but this doesn't include books or anything since you can spend as much or as little as you want on books. The reason it might not be "that much cheaper" to go to U of C is that you can work during the summers between 1st and 2nd, and 2nd and 3rd year at most of the 4 year medical schools- of course, a lot of people don't use that time to work, in which case it would probably be significantly cheaper to go to U of C.

 

2) I'm not sure how you got the impression U of C has a big emphasis on research, must have been something someone said at the interview, but anyways, I don't think U of C emphasises research any more than any of the other schools. I too do not have a love for research and I went through my 3 years without doing any- there are a lot of choices where you can either do research or do clinical electives in the hospital, meaning it works well for both the research inclined and people like you and me who would rather just see patients. The only thing research related you "have" to do is a few critically appraised topic things where you have to do a literature review on some topic, but these are generally pretty easy.

 

3) Check out the other thread about the elective stuff because it's discussed extensively there.

 

4) In my opinion you don't really need to be any more "self-motivated" than anywhere else, and you certainly know what's expected of you. U of C is not MAC, in fact it's probably more similar to UBC and U of A than it is to MAC but often gets confused with MAC since they're both three years. At U of C you have blocks of systems that are usually about 5 weeks long and you have an exam at the end that tests you just on that block, so it's pretty clear what's expected of you- pass the exam! There is a little more free time than there is at some of the other schools- we get a lot of half days- so if you felt you were getting behind I suppose it would be wise to use this time to study, but in general if you go to all the lectures and small group sessions then you probably don't need to put in much additional study time until 2 weeks before the exam, and I'm pretty sure this is similar to what you could expect from somewhere like UBC. The only thing you have to figure out is how much you as an individual need to study in order to pass an exam.

 

5) We don't actually have PBL either, at least not in the traditional sense. My impression is that PBL is where you get together as a group and you have a clinical problem and everyone is assigned an area of the problem to research and you go off and research your specific topic and then come together again and teach your topic to your group and learn about the things other people researched. (some one correct me if this is an inaccurate description of PBL). At U of C we don't (or rarely) do this. In our small groups you will have a number of cases that you are encouraged to read before hand and try to solve on your own -but in reality no one actually does this. What usually happens is you get together with your group (~17ppl) and a preceptor who is a clinician in the area you are studying, and the preceptor works through the cases with the group and when the group is over you *usually* don't have any work to do afterwards on your own.

 

6) The vacation time isn't as big of an issue as it seems. In reality it is only one summer vacation that you are missing because I'm pretty sure none of the schools give time off during the summer that you are in clerkship, and I'm pretty sure most schools only give 2 weeks off in the winter. As for the one summer where you get 2 weeks off and everyone else gets 3 or 4 months off- it's not so bad because you get 2 weeks off in June and then you have 4 weeks in July during which time you are supposed to do an elective. A lot of people choose to do international electives during this time and go to places like South Africa, Thailand, Trinidad, etc. so it ends up being a pretty enjoyable "vacation-like" experience anyways.

 

7) I didn't apply to UBC so I can't comment much about the program there and what advantages/disadvantages it has compared to U of C, but I'm sure someone else can.

 

Good luck making your choice- as I've said before, all of the medical schools are so great that you will be very happy no matter where you choose.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

A couple of years ago I was in the position to choose between UBC and UofC and I chose the latter. I love Vancouver, knew the city fairly well, and would have been very happy to attend UBC but I chose Calgary, a city which I knew very little at the outset, in comparison.

 

It's difficult to pinpoint the factors that will ultimately help you make your selection as it's a very personal process, however, some of the biggest factors for me were: 1) the 3-year program; 2) some very nice scholarships (and hence, lower costs); 3) a very friendly reception by students and faculty; 4) a smaller class; 5) a city that was nascent to some great outdoors and inexpensive to live in, relative to Vancouver. There are are many other factors that will be important in your decision and I'd suggest constructing a wee list over days or a few weeks to help you make the decision. That's what I did to help make the decision and haven't regretted it.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest marbledust]

a city that was nascent to some great outdoors and inexpensive to live in, relative to Vancouver.

 

Ah yes, but all good things come to an end eventually, don't they? :hat

 

I was helping a friend scope out places to live on the weekend. It's a little disturbing how much rents have jumped in the past 6 months or so. The apartments in her building are renting for $400 a month more than they were at Christmas time--and they were quite high even then. Many good things about living in a boomtown, but also some not so great things. :rolleyes

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hey there,

 

True, true. That's why it was a great idea to buy some Calgary real estate a couple of years ago. 'Twas a similar phenomenon when Nortel had their huge manufacturing plants in Calgary, too. In fact, I heard recently that the condo market in Calgary is pretty wild. A real estate agent pal of mine in Calgary noted that he's recently been seeing condos going on the market and receiving offers within hours and sales in days.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest ezemt]

Here is some of my reasoning for choosing UBC...

 

UofC= 8343 x 2 x 3 = 50,058

UBC=14,000 x 4 = 56,000

 

There is really very little difference between the two, and in the long run, UBC may actually come out cheaper, taking into account astronomical Calgary rent prices, which just keep getting worse! Also, contrary to popular belief, many med students actually do work during their summers (can you imagine sitting on your ass for 3 months?), at least part time or temporary. Also, there is much more time to do valuable overseas volunteering and traveling.

 

Timing is very difficult at the UofC, as CARMs matches would have to be submitted at the end of your second year. This is extremely stressful, and has led to some problems with depression. I chose UBC because I think I'm interested in some more competitive residencies, so I need some time to decide if this is really right for me, as well as get some experience and network with mentors.

 

In the end, both are great schools, but I want to have some time to myself and enjoy before the real madness of residency begins. Plus I **LOVE** the ocean, and it's something cowtown is seriously lacking! I hope to see you at UBC next year!

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

Contrary to what is mentioned above, UofC students do not submit CaRMS materials at the end of their second year. They are submitted 7 months or so into our third year. Our schedule is thus:

 

Year 1: Beginning of August to the following May.

Year 2: May to March.

Year 3: March to the following May.

 

We complete 4-7 weeks of electives in year 2 and then another 10 weeks in year 3. CaRMS applications are due in the autumn of year 3.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest Jerika81]

Also, contrary to the above post, I am 99% sure there are no statistics on U of C students being more depressed than students at other school, so I'm not too sure where that comment came from??

My general impression is that the vast majority of students at U of C are very happy, but I'm sure this is true for UBC as well, so you really can't make a wrong choice.

[Guest btrots]

"UofC= 8343 x 2 x 3 = 50,058"

-actually, with the rebate, tuition/fees is more like 14000 per year, so around 42G for three years (assuming, of course, that the further increases are still being covered by the goverment a couple years from now). Plus, I'm not sure what kind of bursaries are offered at UBC, but I paid significantly less than the 'sticker price' for my first year here at UofC...

 

re: rent prices in Calgary, they haven't really seemed to keep up with the buyer's market, but that's starting to change from what I hear from the renters in the class. You could still do much worse (ie Van), although there's something to be said for being right near the ocean, even if you're paying a couple hundred more for a place that's 1/3 smaller.

 

As far as CaRMS goes, as Kirsteen mentioned, we still have a significant amount of time to gain experience and to travel, if we so desire. I'd be lying if said we don't feel the pressure of having to choose a direction earlier on, but you've got plenty of time to explore options and play the field, and how much time you spend doing that is entirely up to you. Decision-making difficulties aside, Calgary does quite well w/ CaRMS matching, from what I've heard.

 

All in all, from someone that's lived in both Calgary and on the west coast, and gone to both UofC and UBC, there's alot to be said for both. Personally, I'm quite happy that I've ended up at UofC for the time being, mostly because of the medical school itself, despite the fact that I'm going to do everything I can to end up back out on the coast down the line.

 

b

[Guest puddlediver]

thanks guys! food for thought, for sure.

[amichel]

Obviously this is a super old thread, but does anyone have any new thought on this? If I'm lucky enough to be accepted to both , I'll need to make a decision within 1-2 days (only time I could get to Calgary to look for lodging is May long weekend), so I'm trying to decide what I would do in all scenarios.

[Renoir]

Obviously this is a super old thread, but does anyone have any new thought on this? If I'm lucky enough to be accepted to both , I'll need to make a decision within 1-2 days (only time I could get to Calgary to look for lodging is May long weekend), so I'm trying to decide what I would do in all scenarios.

 

Man, really reaching to the bottom of the barrel on this one, eh?

 

Haha, I was worried for you having time to book viewing appointments, but I think the hope seems to be that the decision should be out a little bit earlier in the week rather than later. Did you interview at Edmonton as well? I'm interested in the differential "place looking" in Calgary too, so looking forward to hearing your findings...

[amichel]

Man, really reaching to the bottom of the barrel on this one, eh?

 

Haha, I was worried for you having time to book viewing appointments, but I think the hope seems to be that the decision should be out a little bit earlier in the week rather than later. Did you interview at Edmonton as well? I'm interested in the differential "place looking" in Calgary too, so looking forward to hearing your findings...

 

Haha! It's what came up when I googled ubc vs Calgary!

 

I did not interview at U of A.

 

I am also worried about booking viewing appointments. And flights, hahah. But the only other alternative is Canada day long weekend, but I'm going to Mexico from the 5th to the 15th, which would leave very little time to get my life together, haha. Especially since I live at home now so I have no furniture or anything of the sort.

 

Also, "differential place looking"?? Maybe it's my exam brain, but I'm confused, haha.

[Hyperalgesia]

Just a quick heads up, the rental market is terrible in Calgary right now, as many people had to re-locate due to the flood last summer. If you do decide to come to UofC, definitely plan to come here in May to check out places, as you don't want to leave that to the last minute! Best of luck with your decision.

[amichel]

Just a quick heads up, the rental market is terrible in Calgary right now, as many people had to re-locate due to the flood last summer. If you do decide to come to UofC, definitely plan to come here in May to check out places, as you don't want to leave that to the last minute! Best of luck with your decision.

 

Good to know, thanks!

[nick]

Just a quick heads up, the rental market is terrible in Calgary right now, as many people had to re-locate due to the flood last summer. If you do decide to come to UofC, definitely plan to come here in May to check out places, as you don't want to leave that to the last minute! Best of luck with your decision.

 

Thanks for the heads-up! Very considerate of you.

[Renoir]

Also, "differential place looking"?? Maybe it's my exam brain, but I'm confused, haha.

 

Haha, I was thinking 'differential' as in differential diagnosis/comparison/best fit...

 

Thanks Hyperalgesia - you're very right, I was blown away by some of the prices around the hospital. Those University place condos look very nice, but they are starting at $1400 for a 1 BR. Craziness!

[amichel]

Haha, I was thinking 'differential' as in differential diagnosis/comparison/best fit...

 

Thanks Hyperalgesia - you're very right, I was blown away by some of the prices around the hospital. Those University place condos look very nice, but they are starting at $1400 for a 1 BR. Craziness!

 

I'm rationalizing it with the logic that Calgary would be much cheaper tuition wise than they other schools I interviewed at, so if I have to pay astronomical rent prices, it's not the end of the world.

[Hyperalgesia]

Haha, I was thinking 'differential' as in differential diagnosis/comparison/best fit...

 

Thanks Hyperalgesia - you're very right, I was blown away by some of the prices around the hospital. Those University place condos look very nice, but they are starting at $1400 for a 1 BR. Craziness!

 

Yes, unfortunately rent prices are pretty high in desirable areas here. You can definitely get more reasonable prices the farther you get from the school, but then you have to factor in the cost of a vehicle/parking, as Calgary is not really a super transit-friendly city. It's a pain haha.

[amichel]

Yes, unfortunately rent prices are pretty high in desirable areas here. You can definitely get more reasonable prices the farther you get from the school, but then you have to factor in the cost of a vehicle/parking, as Calgary is not really a super transit-friendly city. It's a pain haha.

 

Do most people drive? I got the impression that Calgary is most definitely a car city unless you live right by school.

 

And even that close, I'm not sure I could go back to not having a car. Especially in weather that is ~30 degrees lower than I'm used to, haha!

 

Is parking at the university really bad?

[Hyperalgesia]

Do most people drive? I got the impression that Calgary is most definitely a car city unless you live right by school.

 

And even that close, I'm not sure I could go back to not having a car. Especially in weather that is ~30 degrees lower than I'm used to, haha!

 

Is parking at the university really bad?

 

People generally have cars here, you're correct. Pretty challenging to get around without one haha. Although I've heard the Car2Go system is pretty decent?

 

Parking at the hospital is not the best, but it'd do-able. You can buy a parking pass at the hospital itself for.. I think it's just over $100/month now? You can also get passes at the lot across the street (the Stadium Shopping Center) and at the McMahon stadium, which is about a 10 minute walk. Not sure how much those are, but I believe they are somewhat cheaper than the hospital passes. As well, sometimes people in the area will rent out parking spots in their driveways or whatnot, which can be cheaper as well.

 

The weather's not so bad! I know a guy who came here from BC for his residency, and although he had a hard time at first, he doesn't even notice it anymore haha. You get used to it!

[amichel]

People generally have cars here, you're correct. Pretty challenging to get around without one haha. Although I've heard the Car2Go system is pretty decent?

 

Parking at the hospital is not the best, but it'd do-able. You can buy a parking pass at the hospital itself for.. I think it's just over $100/month now? You can also get passes at the lot across the street (the Stadium Shopping Center) and at the McMahon stadium, which is about a 10 minute walk. Not sure how much those are, but I believe they are somewhat cheaper than the hospital passes. As well, sometimes people in the area will rent out parking spots in their driveways or whatnot, which can be cheaper as well.

 

The weather's not so bad! I know a guy who came here from BC for his residency, and although he had a hard time at first, he doesn't even notice it anymore haha. You get used to it!

 

Oh I'm sure I'd get used to the weather if I ended up there! I just don't relish the thought of waiting at transit stations in the winter.

 

Thanks for the info though.

[No1Dr.Ozfan]

Calgary is rough in the winter, but there's no city in Canada I'd rather be in during the summer. Lots of blue sky and mountains.

[DarkGhost]

I'll also add that I recommend looking at CaRMS match reports.

 

Last year, UBC had a lower (-6%) 1st choice match rate then the UofC, despite having very similar percentages in the number of applicants applying to each discipline. Furthermore, with only one obvious exception (i.e. urology), UofC graduates did equal to, or better, in the match then UBC graduates in almost every discipline as well.

 

Something to consider.

[amichel]

I'll also add that I recommend looking at CaRMS match reports.

 

Last year, UBC had a lower (-6%) 1st choice match rate then the UofC, despite having very similar percentages in the number of applicants applying to each discipline. Furthermore, with only one obvious exception (i.e. urology), UofC graduates did equal to, or better, in the match then UBC graduates in almost every discipline as well.

 

Something to consider.

 

Yah, I've looked through that, but thanks for the succinct summary. Matching/electives is basically my only worry about U of C, I loved the rest, so it's good to know that shouldn't be a problem.