Queens or Western?

[Guest e142857]

Hey all!

 

I just had the honour/luck to be accepted into both Queens and Western. Quite frankly I didn't think I'd be able to make a choice. But now I really don't know which to choose. I was hoping you guys and gals could talk me through this...maybe share why you picked queens or western, pros and cons, or any advice you could provide. I'd really appreciate your help. Thanks for your time.

 

~e

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Both are good schools.

 

That's probably the last thing you want to here right now.

 

Here's one way to decide. . .

 

London: more clubs, better golf courses

 

Kingston: more pubs, better hiking, camping and canoeing

 

There are several differences in the curriculum as well.

 

Don't know if that helps either.

 

Good thing is, I don't think you can make a wrong choice here!

[Guest coastalslacker]

I didn't apply to Western (gpa too low), but from everything I've heard the schools are fairly similar. One difference is that UWO gives out fat entrance scholarships based, as far as I know, purely on academics. They also tell you whether you get them right away. I don't know whether the scholarships continue in such abundance after first year. In contrast, Queens has very few entrance scholarships, but an insane amount of money to give out for bursaries-up to 12k per year. You get reevaluated every year, but as your debt increases, so to does your chance of getting a bursary. This is based purely on financial need so, if the 'rents are footing the bill, you won't get much, if anything. Although, some people pull sketchy accounting, which pisses off those of us who are truly in debt!

 

The curriculums are also designed very differently. From what I understand, UWO goes through the physiology and anatomy, system by system in first year, and then goes back in second year, does it all again, but adds diseases and treatments. They have tests more frequently, and are in school longer in first and second year. Clerkship starts at the beginning of 3rd year, runs til xmas of 4th, and then you go back for four months of the bs stuff like epidemiology etc.

 

Queens we have a bs first semester that is pretty damn easy where we go through anatomy, some basic physiology, other basic science stuff (genetics, biochem), a very solid month of pharmacology, and assorted other bs that I can't remember. It is a good time, over half the class traditionally gets honours, and those of us without strong science backgrounds get a chance to catch-up. The rest of our time until clerkship is real medicine stuff where we learn the physiology, diseases, treatments etc all at once. We end up spending less time on the physiology (since UWO hits it twice), but more on the medicine (this is just an impression). We get nice long summers (3mo after 1st year, 4 mo after 2nd), but are required to do a critical inquiry project after 2nd year. This can be indepth, or, you can do it quickly (ie 4 weeks) and get out of dodge for the rest of the summer. The extra summer time gives you the opportunity to explore areas you might be interested in, get clinical exposure, work, travel...it gives you freedom (a huge plus in my mind....next summer, 3 months in Asia!!!!). Since we start clerkship after christmas it runs right to the end of fourth year.

 

From what I've heard clinical skills in stronger at Queens. This is just based on comparison of what a first year student at Queens and a first year student at UWO is required to know by the end of first year.

 

One last plus that just came to mind for Queens is proximity to great places to visit. Close enough to go skiing in Vermont and Placid in NY, quick trip to Montreal, Ottawa and TO, took us about 5 hours to get to Boston-lots of great places close by. For someone not from Ontario, Kingston is a great place to explore the east from.

 

As was previously mentioned, it's hard to go wrong because they're both great schools. There are definitely less differences between Q and UWO than say between either of them and UofT or Mac.

[Guest peachy]

There are definitely less differences between Q and UWO than say between either of them and UofT or Mac.

I understand why someone would say that Mac was really different, but I'm just curious why you'd say that about U of T?

[Guest squeegy80]

over half the class traditionally gets honours

 

I thought Honours went to the top 15% of the people? Would you (or anyone who knows) be able to explain how it works?

 

Thanks,

squeegy

[Guest UWOMED2005]

There was no rule as to how Honours could be applied at UWO. Roughly half the class got honours in any course in 1st year, 10-20% in any course in 2nd year (I would guess.)

 

Truth is. . . 'honours' in 1st and 2nd year was more often a reflection of what people took in undergrad. The biochem majors got honours in biochem. The physiology majors got honours in physiology. The kin majors often got honours in anatomy. It often WASN'T related to how smart or hard people worked.

 

And it had very little correlation to how people did in 3rd and 4th year, or how people did in the match. That's why they canned it. THERE IS NO LONGER ANY HONOURS AT UWO (or a bunch of the other schools either!)

 

As to Queen's vs UWO. . .

 

Nuts - the Queen's student put more effort into their post

than I did.

 

Does this mean I need to make more of an effort to promote UWO?

 

Well, I'm done at UWO and don't really owe them anything so. . . I'll stick to my statement that in the grand scheme of things it's a toss-up between the two schools. . . one's bigger, one's smaller, one has half a pediatrics hospital, the other has a floor of pediatrics,* and really, they're fairly similar overall.

 

The fact Kingston is closer to Whiteface, Vermont and Tremblant is SOO true! The downhill skiing around London almost killed me.

 

Thank god I matched to residency in Calgary.**

 

* and I've had friends from both Queens and UWO match to good pediatric residency programs, despite neither center having particularly brilliant peds facilities

 

** Disclaimer - skiing only had a bit part in the decision. . . but I gotta admit it's kind of nice to be close to Fernie, Sunshine and Louise!