Taking time off after Second year Med at Western?

[Guest uptownyeung]

I was just wondering if any of the current Western class of 2006 students can help me out with this...I contacted Admissions and asked about transfer just recently but was told that it would largely depend on whether spots are going to be available (even when I have a valid reason). I couldn't get any info as to whether anyone is planning to take a leave of absence, to work on Joint degrees or for some other reasons (I guess they didn't know for sure yet at this point but I figured you guys probally know your fellow classmates better)...please do me a favour. Thanks so much!:\

[Guest aneliz]

I don't know of anyone planning to take any time off in our class... there is nobody in Meds 2006 in the MD/PhD program...but we do have one person joining our class next year who is just finishing the PhD portion of their MD/PhD (started medicine with meds2003?)...so that is one 'addition' that we are getting already for next year. We had one person take a one-year leave of absence this year (ie after year 1) and they will be rejoining the class of 2007 in Sept...

 

Of course anything is possible between now and Sept...but I can't think of anyone planning to take time off.

[Guest blinknoodle]

Under what conditions could you take time off? Could you decide to do a PhD after second year without doing the combined program (so that you wouldn't be limited to research at Western)...

 

I'm curious..

 

-blinknoodle

[Guest lcloh]

best place to contact would be admissions... i personally feel that if you said something like that in an interview, they would tell you to do your PhD first and reapply once you're done.... that's the way Western's been with deferrals and I don't see them being that different with in-course time off...

just my opinion though

 

L

[Guest aneliz]

According to Dr Silcox, you are allowed a one-year leave of absence (for whatever reason - family, personal, health, etc) without questions. If you want more time off (multiple years), you are going to have to do some work to convince them to let you do it.

 

Most people that have taken a year off have done it for personal/health reasons...not to pursue other degrees, travel, etc.

[Guest blinknoodle]

ok, that's what i figured, but i thought i'd ask anyhow. thanks for the quick responses.

 

-blinknoodle

[Guest lcloh]

wow.. one YEAR off no questions asked... *thinks*