CaRMs Anxiety: UBC FM program

[CaRMsAnxiety]

I have been working on my application since the summer and with CaRMs application deadline coming closer and closer, my anxiety level keeps increasing.

I had to uproot my life in BC to study medicine in the east coast. I would love nothing more than to come home to BC to practice Family Medicine.

I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss my life in BC.

My partner, who is also from BC, feels the same way too. I really want to go back home to take care of my parents and raise my family. 

I've heard that UBC's FM program accepts 80% UBC students and only 20% OOP students. Though I've been told that I am a strong student with diverse life experiences (non-trad, older applicant, 10+ years work experience), I'm worried that I won't make the cut. From the program description, UBC only looks at the personal letter and and reference letters to generate a score for the file review. Without my CV nor transcript to support my application, I fear that I might not be good enough. 

I won the CFPC medical student scholarship for my school, would that be enough to get me an interview? How else do I stand out from the other applicants?

Thank you in advance for your advice. 

[unmatch]

All of my friends from my home school who wanted UBC FM got it. They also gave everyone interviews regardless of how obvious it was they were backing up from another specialty.

 

You might not necessarily get your first choice site within UBC since they're all small but you have a very good chance of being within the school.

It's normal to feel anxious around carms, and I'm sure a lot of it is stemming from you being home sick. Don't let that stop you from getting what you want. You got this.

[JohnGrisham]

1 hour ago, CaRMsAnxiety said:

I have been working on my application since the summer and with CaRMs application deadline coming closer and closer, my anxiety level keeps increasing.

I had to uproot my life in BC to study medicine in the east coast. I would love nothing more than to come home to BC to practice Family Medicine.

I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss my life in BC.

My partner, who is also from BC, feels the same way too. I really want to go back home to take care of my parents and raise my family. 

I've heard that UBC's FM program accepts 80% UBC students and only 20% OOP students. Though I've been told that I am a strong student with diverse life experiences (non-trad, older applicant, 10+ years work experience), I'm worried that I won't make the cut. From the program description, UBC only looks at the personal letter and and reference letters to generate a score for the file review. Without my CV nor transcript to support my application, I fear that I might not be good enough. 

I won the CFPC medical student scholarship for my school, would that be enough to get me an interview? How else do I stand out from the other applicants?

Thank you in advance for your advice. 

I had a resident friend apart of the admissions process, and it is closer to 50:50 for UBC MD students and other MD students. 

Plenty of strong MD students dont match locally to their medical school for family, especially in UBC and UofT, given desirability of both places.

IF you apply to all of UBC's FM sites, it increases your odds greatly to securing a spot somewhere in the large province. But you might not match to  your top 3 choices, and certainly many who only rank urban sites don't match to UBC at all, but end up at excellent FM programs elsewhere in the country.

All in all, assuming you are clearly a FM applicant with some FM electives and a breadth - you will almost certainly get a FM interview at UBC. Then if you rank most of the BC sites, there is a strong chance you will match somewhere in BC, with decreasing odds if you only rank metropolitan Vancouver /Vancouver Island sites, because that is where the majority of OOP students are also applying etc. 

Assumingely, having won a major award like that for your discipline, will put you towards the top of the pile  
 

[JohnGrisham]

1 hour ago, unmatch said:

All of my friends from my home school who wanted UBC FM got it. They also gave everyone interviews regardless of how obvious it was they were backing up from another specialty.

 

You might not necessarily get your first choice site within UBC since they're all small but you have a very good chance of being within the school.

It's normal to feel anxious around carms, and I'm sure a lot of it is stemming from you being home sick. Don't let that stop you from getting what you want. You got this.

This part is slightly untrue, from what i've seen UBC FM will interview almost everyone ~80% of applicants - and  have denied interviews to those whom are obviously backing up(but also still grant to vast majority whom do back up).

[CaRMsAnxiety]

2 hours ago, unmatch said:

All of my friends from my home school who wanted UBC FM got it. They also gave everyone interviews regardless of how obvious it was they were backing up from another specialty.

 

You might not necessarily get your first choice site within UBC since they're all small but you have a very good chance of being within the school.

It's normal to feel anxious around carms, and I'm sure a lot of it is stemming from you being home sick. Don't let that stop you from getting what you want. You got this.

Thank you so much for your encouragement. I needed that. Wish you a wonderful new year!

[CaRMsAnxiety]

1 hour ago, JohnGrisham said:

I had a resident friend apart of the admissions process, and it is closer to 50:50 for UBC MD students and other MD students. 

Plenty of strong MD students dont match locally to their medical school for family, especially in UBC and UofT, given desirability of both places.

IF you apply to all of UBC's FM sites, it increases your odds greatly to securing a spot somewhere in the large province. But you might not match to  your top 3 choices, and certainly many who only rank urban sites don't match to UBC at all, but end up at excellent FM programs elsewhere in the country.

All in all, assuming you are clearly a FM applicant with some FM electives and a breadth - you will almost certainly get a FM interview at UBC. Then if you rank most of the BC sites, there is a strong chance you will match somewhere in BC, with decreasing odds if you only rank metropolitan Vancouver /Vancouver Island sites, because that is where the majority of OOP students are also applying etc. 

Assumingely, having won a major award like that for your discipline, will put you towards the top of the pile  
 

That is very reassuring to hear. Except for some super rural locations (aka Prince George), I'll likely be ranking most training sites. 

Thank you again for your comment. Wish you a wonderful new year! 

[JohnGrisham]

2 hours ago, CaRMsAnxiety said:

That is very reassuring to hear. Except for some super rural locations (aka Prince George), I'll likely be ranking most training sites. 

Thank you again for your comment. Wish you a wonderful new year! 

If you think Prince George is rural....then you may want to look more into the spread of BC training sites Most would not classify Prince George as rural! 

[CaRMsAnxiety]

12 minutes ago, JohnGrisham said:

If you think Prince George is rural....then you may want to look more into the spread of BC training sites Most would not classify Prince George as rural! 

Ah true! I guess I meant to say it's quite a distance from home!