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Reapplicants, how did you maintain/improve NAQ


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I reused most of my application. My NAQ carried one year's application, almost getting me an interview despite a crappy GPA (82ish%). I dragged that up to 87% the next year, so I knew I just needed to keep my NAQ stable to get the interview. I kept doing what I had been - continued volunteer activities, advanced in some (hospital ER volunteer -> ER volunteer Trainer, for example), but kept as much the same on my app as possible. Same wording was used on many, and improved on others. I got in with the next application!

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23 hours ago, notagunner said:

This is something I really like. I applied to only 2 schools in Ontario last year and they of course didn't give any feedback at all. But I'm excited to see what UBC's NAQ for my app. Finally an objective-as-possible assessment of my non-academics. That could give me a reality check if I need to seriously improve or if I'm doing okay, etc.

Exactly! There's no better way to see where you're at than to see how UBC ranks your application.

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  • 2 months later...
On 9/14/2019 at 11:41 AM, Condude said:

I reused most of my application. My NAQ carried one year's application, almost getting me an interview despite a crappy GPA (82ish%). I dragged that up to 87% the next year, so I knew I just needed to keep my NAQ stable to get the interview. I kept doing what I had been - continued volunteer activities, advanced in some (hospital ER volunteer -> ER volunteer Trainer, for example), but kept as much the same on my app as possible. Same wording was used on many, and improved on others. I got in with the next application!

Hey! If you don't mind me asking, how many points was your TFR off from the cut-off when you first applied? I'm in a very similar position as you were right now and just got an interview rejection and was devastated. But seeing this, your post is giving me some hope for next year.

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13 minutes ago, mangostrawberry said:

I reused most of my application, changing some wording here and there. Added new activities and continued others. Last year my NAQ was 55 and this year was 47. Went from being waitlisted after the interview last year to no interview this year. Sigh....

You mean TFR right? :o

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On 12/9/2019 at 10:40 PM, mangostrawberry said:

I reused most of my application, changing some wording here and there. Added new activities and continued others. Last year my TFR was 55 and this year was 47. Went from being waitlisted after the interview last year to no interview this year. Sigh....

It blows my mind that someone can be waitlisted one year and then not get an interview the next. Being waitlisted means that you were a solid candidate and that they were interested in you. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I really wish UBC did something more for waitlisted applicants who apply the next year. Wishing you the best. 

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2 hours ago, ShadesofCyan said:

It blows my mind that someone can be waitlisted one year and then not get an interview the next. Being waitlisted means that you were a solid candidate and that they were interested in you. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I really wish UBC did something more for waitlisted applicants who apply the next year. Wishing you the best. 

It blows my mind as well — in one sense, absolutely ridiculous that they'd be passed over in favour of people who didn't get an invite the year prior (or were straight up rejected after interview) even though their NAQs have had an extra year added. The other thing, I think, is that they do say there are far more qualified applicants then there are seats. They could probably randomly select from the vast majority of the applicant pool and get good physicians out of them all.

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Okay, last year I had an overall TFR of 35 (so low!) and a lowish GPA too, but this year, I really revised my application and got an interview. I only added one even to my application but just completely revised how I wrote the others. 

I will do a much longer post on this once applications open in the summer but here is a quick recap. 

1. Use strong descriptive words and action words for your tasks.

I literally googled 'strong action words' etc when writing my entries and I found this very helpful. 

2. Emphasize HOW you did an activity.

So they say in the help guide that they just want you to talk about your duties and what you did, but I think it is important to emphasize HOW you did it, meaning did you do it diligently' or 'enthusiastically'. It makes a big difference to say "I was a server at a restaurant where I greeted customers and I took orders" than saying "Enthusiastically acted as a first method of contact for customers, and effectively precisely rang in orders ensuring optimal service." 

3. Descriptive pieces

Provide the reader with some description into your activity, whether that be quantitive facts "I worked with over 20 different individuals" or the name of a place you volunteered, etc. 

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On 12/9/2019 at 10:10 PM, plsdontletthisbeawaste said:

Hey! If you don't mind me asking, how many points was your TFR off from the cut-off when you first applied? I'm in a very similar position as you were right now and just got an interview rejection and was devastated. But seeing this, your post is giving me some hope for next year.

I applied three times overall. First time I was off by ~9 (I was using my first app to see how close I was - this isn't the one I was referring to). Second time (The one I was talking about) I was off by around 0.5 points. Third time, I got in!

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I saw this post a lot earlier but couldnt find time to write sooner due to first year exams. This advice isnt specific to UBC as it helped me breach from rejection to interview broadly across all programs.

1) I organized all my activities into the Canmed roles and then sorted to see which quality I was lacking in and tried to get more experiences catered towards those areas. Ie I calculated how many of my activities were perceived as scholar, teamwork, etc and tried to balance them out

2) I rewrote my descriptions (see later)

3) I took a gap year and chose to volunteer at multiple places over the course of the year. By the end, I added 4 activities with substantial hour counts that helped with goal 1. 

If I've learned anything over the years, its that the process if highly competitive and variable. I had a blank year in 2018 where I went from 2 interviews to none, then 3 again after. Its also very difficult to mitigate some elements of subjectivity within the whole writing process. The best due diligence you can do for yourself is to repeatedly question yourself how what you've written will be perceived by a diversity of reviewers (I know this might sound theoretical). At one point, you'll hopefully find a format or writing style that is able to be positively received by -most- people and just go with that.

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The other thing I'd add is that everyone has their own path. You know yourself and your application better than anyone else, so play to your strengths. I really think there are a variety of paths to get into med school, but it's up to you to figure out which one works best for you. Use advice as guidance, not as a template.

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