easier medschools

[Guest drEvil]

Thanks alot for all your responses. That's a great idea riffraff! Different medical schools are structured in different ways. I know UofO has exams every block (or 6 weeks). Queen's on the other hand has exams all bunched up at the end of the semester. I'll take a look at others and see what best suits my style of learning and lifestyle.

Evil

[Guest xylem33]

I believe that most American schools use the pass/fail system. If you do not hold permanent residency or citizenship, then US schools will cost you, as an international applicant, Dr. Evil, about $40K for tuition. Add about $10K for living expenses and that's about $50K USD per year - all Canadian schools are cheaper than all US schools if you are Canadian.

 

Honestly tho - the board exams or whatever they're called, is standarized so it doesn't matter which school you go to, you all write the same licensing exams. This means, drEvil, that if you are willing to put less time into your studies and more time into other aspects of ur life - which you didn't do while in undergrad - and are willing to graduate near the bottom of the class and just want to be a GP anyway (u're suggesting you don't want competitive residencies anyway) - then it actually - lo and behold - doesn't matter which school you go to!!!!

 

Seriously, you might have to work a bit harder at one school than another if you want to be in the top 10% of your class - but if you don't care about that - then I don't think any of the schools will affect how harder you have to work to sit at the bottom 10% - who's with me on this one? Make sense? This ultimately means: the city (large, diverse vs small town), proximitiy to family, friends, partner should help u decide which school to attend.

 

[Guest g22g]

I am going to try to provide my input without causing a knee jerk response...

You want easier for whatever reason:

 

Canada vs US vs Gernada. pick Canada by far. The USMLE causes most non-canadian programs to adapt thier curriculm to that test which you will have to pass (spend your summer of the second year doing so) and doing really well on if you want a decent residency. The Canadian Boards are taken after you have matched and many schools give you a month to study for it (except UofT???).

 

U of O is amazing in its flexibility for the first two years. 13 exams split into blocks. 12 weeks off first summer 8-10 weeks second summer for research or travel or electives...

Grading during first two years is pass fail honours, during the second two years is pass fail (although there is an outstanding nomination which is a psuedo high high honours)

 

If you just sqweaked by the first two years and didn't do any electives then...

You will get your body parts handed to you in 3rd year (where at UofO there is tremendous clinical responsiblity in internal, emerg, psychiatry, and Peds) because you will find ward work so difficult and you will be clinically ineffective to the point that it will be quite a miserable experience. The residents think you are either too stupid or too slow or too dangerous...

 

So I like the quote about the likeing your work. I feel that way right now on the Peds wards.... (I ordered 22 tests, 5 consults, 4 investigations, for one FTT 5 month old today). AWESOME!!

 

Have fun and make a difference in whatever you decide,

g22g

p.s. I don't think you would be my first choice for me to get medical help from...