Advantages/disadvantages to applying as a "Mature Stude

[Guest MFC]

Hi everyone,

 

For the NOSM submission under question 1 they ask "Type of Application" and state you can be considered in a separate admissions stream if you are a "Mature Student", defined as applicants who are 25 or older on October 1, 2005. I have an MSc and was working as an environmental consultant, but don’t consider myself THAT mature (just turn 25 this summer). Can anyone think of the advantages/disadvantages of being considered in a separate stream of mature students?

 

Cheers!

[Guest Kidha]

can you cut and paste where you read that Mature Students are considered under a separate stream?

 

I'm sure you don't get docked or bonus points if you are a Mature student. Infact the average age getting in for the charter class was 27-28.

[Guest MFC]

They are not explicit, but I'm inferring this from the following

 

"All applicants will be considered in the general admissions stream, unless you choose one or both of the following two specialized streams. These are voluntary selections.

 

Aboriginal admissions stream (proof of ancestry will be necessary)

Mature Student (answer question 8 on the previous page) " - Taken from Question 1 of the school submission section of the online application.

 

In the OMSAS 2006 instruction booklet it then states under the section heading "Mature Applicants" that …

 

Applicants who are 25 years of age or older on October 1, 2005 will be eligible for admissions consideration based on completion of a three-year undergraduate university degree in any discipline. Weighted Grade Point Average determination is detailed above. Mature students who have completed a four year undergraduate degree will be assessed for admission using the WGPA method outlined above for applicants applying with, or in progress of completing, a four-year degree."

 

PS – do you know where the must up-to-date stats are for the NOSM charter class?

 

Thanks!

[Guest Kidha]

I wouldn't infer that there is an advantage or disadvantage to being a mature student. As a mature student the only thing different for you is that you will not need a 4 year degree. If it was like last year....that's it ...and nothing more.

 

Being first nations or francophone will earn u some bonus points in your overall score. Being mature student will not (if it is like last year which i think it is)

 

I don't have stats that you canlook up. But i do know the following:

 

Average GPA getting in is 3.5

 

Average Age was 27

 

I believe that 70ish percent are female

 

52 people were accepted from Northern ontario....4 were from other areas. One of those four were special category applicant (ie Francophone, first nation)

 

For more stats look at a past post...i can't find it now.

 

later

[Guest docormama]

I thought I read that the 52 accepted were from northern OR rural communities....I will try to find this out

[Guest Matt66GT]

The mature applicant status is not a separate stream all together. I asked about this during my followup as it applied to me. Obviously they are looking for the 56 best candidates as they submit their data but if you flag yourself as mature or aboriginal there is a different sort of consideration aside from the "typical" applicant.

 

And the 52 people are not all from northern ontario - they had satisfied the admissions criteria of being from rural or remote areas....could be anywhere.

[Guest Kidha]

well I asked Dr. Konkin when I got my follow up and I was told that 52 were from northern ontario and 4 were from rural communties not from northern ontario. Where did you get your info from Matt66GT?

[Guest Matt66GT]

Kidha,

 

"78% lived in Northern Ontario for 10 years or more" - That works out to 44 people. I think the 52 you're referring to include those 44 plus others who have satisfied the NOMS criteria for living in rural or remote areas not necessarily in Northern Ontario.

 

"7% are from out of province" that's 4 people - so 52 are from Ontario, not necessarily Northern Ontario but communities in S.O. which fall into rural or remote.

 

The only published stats available are those from the original offers which we know about half accepted. Below is what's on the NOMS website and the Liberal Gov't press release after McGuinty attended the opening. Again just the offers.

 

I could be wrong.....either way, they have a mandate of training those from here to stay here, just proves their point.

 

Of the 56 students who were offered a coveted spot in the School’s 56 seats: 50% had lived ten years or more in rural or remote communities, 41% had lived 10 years or more in Northern urban communities, 17.8% were Francophone, 17% were bilingual, 12.5% were Aboriginal, and 7% were from out of the Province. These statistics will fluctuate in the coming weeks when the second round of letters are sent to students on the waiting list in order to fill any remaining vacant seats.

 

www.normed.ca/events_publ...elease.htm

 

 

The inaugural class of students began formal classes on September 6, 2005. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine received 2,100 applications for the 56 positions available in the first year.

Of the 56 students who were offered a place:

§        18 per cent are francophone

§        11 per cent are Aboriginal

§        78 per cent have lived 10 years or more in northern Ontario.

www.premier.gov.on.ca/eng...05_bd1.asp

T

[Guest Kidha]

Oh i didn't even see this till today Matt. Thanks for posting the stats ....

[Guest Sarah371]

Here is more stuff from their website

 

Admissions Process for the 2005 Charter Class - May 31, 2005

 

• The mandate of the Admissions Committee of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is to reflect the demographics of Northern Ontario in its medical school class.

 

• The following groups were given modest advantage in the admissions process: applicants who have spent 10 years or more in Canadian rural, remote or northern urban communities, Francophone applicants, and Aboriginal applicants.

 

• Admissions to the Undergraduate Medical Program at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine is very competitive.

o 2098 applications were received.

o 396 applicants were interviewed.

o 56 positions are available: 24 at

Lakehead University in Thunder

Bay and 32 at Laurentian University

in Sudbury.

 

• Candidates were invited to interviews in March/April 2005 based on their scores in three areas: 1) weighted GPA, 2) application questionnaire and autobiographical sketch, and 3) context. The context score was based on where the applicant has lived and is living in Canada.

 

• The minimum weighted GPA for admission consideration was 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The average weighted GPA of applicants invited to an interview was 3.6.

[Guest opiedog]

The class this year is definitely made up of people from a broad range of areas. But note that having lived in a small town is also of benefit, so declaring your postal code of where you grew up is important as it is identifiable to the admissions committee the population of that town. Of our out-of-province group, most still came from small/rural areas. There is also a huge range of different educational backgrounds, and although the ones without science backgrounds are being thoroughly challenged, so are the ones WITH science backgrounds. The bottom line is, they look at the big picture that you paint for them with your application. Make sure you offer everything that you can, so that they know who you are and that you are serious about your intentions with school. Nothing is ever engraved in stone, and if you state your case in a way that makes you stand out, you have a better chance of being looked at closely:)

[Guest hickfromsticks]

Just out of curiosity, is anyone in the charter class from Toronto???

[Guest opiedog]

Not that I know of, but I can't speak for both campuses. There are some from larger centres though.