UBC vs. others, UBC and life after med

[Guest kp2006]

Wow, comments on here have been so helpful!

 

I wanted to know if UBC grads do really well after they graduate. Are they really competitive in residency matches and get into their specialties? Are there some fields that UBC does better than other Canadian med schools?

 

I LOVE BC and have every reason to stay here, but I also got into U of T, and ppl say that it's a better med school? Anyone else in the same boat or can comment on this? Is it worth it to choose Toronto in the long run...does it give any advantage over UBC?

 

thanks so much all of you!

kp2006

[Guest ssc427]

I LOVE BC and have every reason to stay here, but I also got into U of T, and ppl say that it's a better med school?

 

That’s ridiculous. A UBC MD will be no better or worse than a UofT MD. It in no way affects your chances at the residency match. People who try to choose a Canadian medical school based on rankings and reputation are out to lunch. Pick a school because you like the city and the system. UBC has more PBL and is systems based. UofT has a ‘spiral’ curriculum, which to me just means it’s a traditional curriculum but they don’t want to call it that because of the stigma associated with UofT. So what style of learning do you prefer, how much does it cost, and what city do you like better. I think those are the only real factors you should consider when choosing a school.

[Guest GundamDX]

hum.... moreover not a lot of people are in the situation where they get accepted by multiple schools ! Geez, getting into ONE is hard enough but then again, when you're more qualified I guess you have more choices.

 

I am just fortunate that I am going to a Canadian medical school, so I won't complain about which one is better than the others (even IF there is a difference). Med schools in a lot of other countries dont care about anything else but grades... and doctors coming out from those systems are... well, sometimes not as "professional" in many ways. Don't wanna get into the details as others might get offended, but I found this out firsthand from exp. with my grandpa and grandma in another country.

[Guest nucleardove]

Hi, I'll chime in here.

 

I got into both schools (UBC and U of T) last year, and I chose U of T due to relationship/family reasons (more work for my SO out here).

 

I looooooved BC too, and I must say I've been pining for it all year long. Med school will be a much more sane, supportive (and happy!) place for you if you: a) love where you are (ie: not smoggy T.O.), have family and friends nearby. Aaaaah, BC, my spiritual homeland.

 

Unless you want to be a hardcore uber-researcher in some specialized area, I really would not come to Toronto as opposed to UBC. That is the only conceivable advantage I could see to choosing T.O. (since everything else you love is in BC). (Even then, UBC is also in a huge centre... research galore I'm sure.) Toronto will not give you any advantage in matching well.

 

Anyhoo, that's my 2 cents, ymmv.

 

ND

[Guest ubcredfox]

Let's say you move somewhere else to do your residency, but you want to come back to BC to work...is that feasible?

 

I mean, can you get a job as a practicing physician in whichever province you like?

 

I know for some specialties, like FP, that's relatively straightforward, but what about hospital-based specialities?

e.g. If I do an anesthesia residency in Toronto, can I come back and work/live in Vancouver? (and no, i'm not really interested in anesthesia...)

[Guest ezemt]

I can't comment to much because I didn't interview at UofT, but I think UBC would win hands-down!

 

For me, it's really about lifestyle. I would much rather be at UBC, near the ocean, not too far from skiing in Whistler, with a great arts scene.

 

T.O. is probably a great place to live as well, but it's a GIGANTIC city, and doesn't really fit me. However, Toronto may be a better choice if you're specifically interested in doing a residency in Toronto in the future.

[Guest grobz]

One thing to add for T.O is that Toronto really is the really Mecca of Canada. It’s our New York. Having recently returned from the T dot I was amazed at the food, the arts, the opera...etc. I also lived in Van city for two years and felt like it was town compared to Toronto. If big-city life and lots to do, i.e. the Jay the Raptors, the Leafs, is what your after Toronto is amazing. Also, I don’t really know this for a fact, but if you want to be a world leader in medicine or like a Nobel laureate, the connections and contacts in Toronto are probably better than Vancouver.

 

p.s I'm on the wait list for UBC

 

Grobz

[Guest ssc427]

Sure – if you like big city life go to T.O. If you like outdoor life go to UBC (though I would say Vancouver isn’t exactly Tuktyuktuk).

 

But what exactly about the UofT curriculum do you think would make someone a ‘world leader’ in medicine compared to UBC? Yes, UofT medical research is, in general, ‘better’ than UBC, but do you really think you’re going to win a nobel prize in 6 months of summer research? And certain disciplines are in fact ‘better’ at UBC. I’d say aspects of cancer research are some of them.

 

Do you think the doctors you’ll shadow and spent time with in Toronto are better and more ‘connected’ than those in Vancouver? I doubt it. In terms of patient resources the cities are the same. Yes – Toronto has more of them, but they have a bigger population. So the amount you’d be exposed to them remains the same. And I’d guess that your experience at UofT is dependent of the Academy you get stuck with. I’ve read posts from a few students at UofT who are unhappy with the level of clinical exposure they get (though I’m sure you’ll find UBC students who say the same things).

 

The point is that IMO choosing UofT over UBC because of it’s research reputation is ludicrous. Go to UofT because you like the city and the style of teaching.