Apply To NOSM Extenuating Circumstances?

[InsomniKat]

Hello,

I am currently an x-ray technologist and I'm looking at applying to NOSM. 

NOSM has a Indigenous application track. I am Cree, but was adopted. I have my adoption paperwork stating that my birth family on my maternal side was Cree. Throught the adoption and no fault of my own I lost out on my connection to my people and culture.

I am currently active in my local urban Indigenous community as an Indigenous Member of the Muskoka Indigenous Friendship Centre and volunteer with them.

I am co-running my local chapter (get it up and running etc., all volunteer) under the Muskoka Indigenous Friendship Centre and am a member of the steering committee for that chapter as well (all members must be Indigenous). I plan programing for the local Indigenous community through the chapter and volunteer to run these programs and set them up.

I am sure that the President of the Muskoka Indigenous Friendship Centre would write me a letter.

I am also part of the Orange Shirt Day Organizing  Committee for my home town.

Should I apply through the Indigenous Admission Stream?

 

My other question relates to the extenuating circumstances part of the application.

I have two undergrad degrees. My first one I struggled, but didn't know why at the time (2.7 cGPA). Long story short, I had severe undiagnosed and untreated OCD which popped up during my last year of high school we believe. When I say severe OCD, I mean hours out of my day performing routines (yes I thought it was normal and my family didn't know I was struggling). During the beginning of my first year of my second degree I went to the doctor and was told I had the worse case of OCD they had ever seen. I was told it would take up to 6 months to see a psychiatrist, but they would push to get me in ASAP. I was in with the psych 3 days later. They diagnosed me formally with severe OCD and said that they normally wait 3-4 sessions minimum to medicate a patient, but I was told I would not be leaving without medication that first session. Between the psychiatrist and tweaking my medications, we found a working combo and my grades improved drastically. The cGPA for my second degree was 3.64 (vs. the 2.7 cGPA of my first degree). 

Is this worth filling out the extenuating circumstances aspect of the application for? Being diagnosed and treated seriously changed my life for the better.

 

INFO

Born and raised (33 years) in a community considered northern by NOSM (they have a Local NOSM group at the hospital I work at).

Rurality Index for Ontario (RIO): 62

Undergrad 1: 2.7 cGPA

Undergrad 2: 3.64 cGPA

Mature Student

Medical Work Experience as an X-ray Tech: Approximately 4 years (8720 hours documented) working directly with patients and an interprofessional team in the ER, OR, Endoscopy Suite, ICU, CT. Assisting  radiologist with interventional procedures.

Clinical Training Hours in Hospital with Patients for X-ray: 1347 hours. Worked directly with patients and an interprofessional team in the ER, OR (orthopedics), Endoscopy Suite, ICU, CT. Assisting radiologist with interventional procedures.

2.5 years as the Clinical Coordinator for X-ray Students at my current hospital with emphasis on retaining students to work at hospitals in our northern area. Working on developing our teaching program at the hospital from scratch.

• Educating students on how to perform all x-rays, working hands on with patients, performing cases in OR, Endo and fluoro. 

• Working in a classroom setting each with x-ray students teaching them everything from image analysis, to image correction, studying for the licensing exam etc.

•  Currently, I am trying to expand the program to our sister hospital so that we can have more students that can learn here and hopefully stay to practice in the north.

• Work with two other local northern hospitals (not including the two hospitals I currently work at) going above and beyond what is required of the college the students come from and letting the students experience rotations at other, bigger northern hospitals to spark interest in things such as orthopedics and interventional imaging and other possible work environments in the north.

• Helping students to apply for x-ray positions at northern hospitals as they come up, practicing mock interviews, going over cover letters and resumes to help retain students in our northern communities. 

Volunteer Work:

 

• Emergency First Responder with the University of Toronto Emergency First Response team for 2 years. 

  • Provided medical care to students and non-students on and around the UofT St. George Campus.

  • Attended Bi-Weekly intensive medical aid training sessions (we carry an AED, oxygen etc. and needed to keep up on our knowledge).

  • Volunteered with Toronto  public school students for half a day on basic first aid techniques. 

  • Volunteered at a “Mock Refugee Camp” where various Toronto public schools sent students to learn about refugee camps. In our tent, taught them basic first aid for things like a minor head wound, broken wrist etc.

• Archery Coach at UofT 1.5 years (2016-2018)

  • Participated in running archery classes teaching new members about archery and how to properly and safely shoot. 

  • Helped members improve their ability to shoot.

  • Set up and ran various fun archery events for the members.

  • Responsible for opening the archery range and all ensuring safety of all members present while open. 

  • Hosted an archery event for at risk Indigenous High School students in downtown Toronto.

    • Taught them about archery and how to shoot properly.

    • Ensured a safe, fun and educational environment while providing one-on-one instruction.

 

• Volunteer Student Ambassador for the Union Station College Show (downtown Toronto)

  • Represented the Michener Institute/University of Toronto’s Radiological Technology program from the student perspective.

  • Answered questions regarding the program, outlook after graduating, life at Michener and the University of Toronto etc. to prospective students and their families. 

 

•  Michener Institute Campus Day (2015, 2016)

  • Volunteer tour guide.

• The Michener Institute of Education at UHN Spring Fling (2016)

  • Volunteer tour guide.

• The Michener Institute of Education at UHN Spring Fling (2017)

  • Volunteered as a Radiological Technology Program Ambassador

• UofT Radiological Sciences Calling Campaign (2017)

  • Called prospective students who had applied for the joint Michener Institute/University of Toronto Radiological Technology program.

  • Answered any questions they had about the program, student life, my experience so far as a student of the program, residence, MMI style interviews etc. 

  • The representatives for the Michener Institute/University of Toronto Nuclear Medicine program did not show up, so I stayed later once finished with the phone calls for my program and also called prospective students of the Nuclear Medicine program and answer questions to the best of my ability about the program as well as the other aspects of student life listed above. 

Awards

• Dr. Jim Sieniewicz Radiological Technology Scholarship 

  • Must be nominated to be eligible to receive. Nomination submitted by teacher and Michener's Radiological Technology Program Chair Alex Gontar. This award is presented to one student who has made a significant contribution to the Radiological Technology program. The recipient of this award is selected by the Program Chair.

  • Criteria 1: Maintained good academic standing.

  • Criteria 2: Consistently made positive contributions to the program.

 

Thank you for your time!

 

[GH0ST]

Best is to talk to NOSM admissions instead ... no one here can answer your unique question here with enough accuracy. 

 

Good luck

- G