indirect rural experience

[wisdomtooth]

Hi,

I know this questions regarding what is considered rural experience comes up constantly in these forums and I've read most of it. From what I have gathered rural experience definately increases once chance of getting in and it is not necessary that one must have lived in a rural setting. However, my question is whether or not volunteering with organizations located in urban cities that are concerned about rural issues genuinely shows one's interest in rural medicine?. I'm currently in the process of becoming a tutor for aborginal women in Toronto in order for them to complete their high school education and get their high school diploma and I'm further researching volunteering organizations that specifically target rural issues, not just health but also agricultural and education issues. Is this a step in the right direction?

thanks for your help

-wisdomtooth

[scarface]

Definitely a step in the right direction. As the great philosopher Lao-tzu once said in his much quoted cliche, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

 

However, I'll be brutally honest with you. Your chances of getting in are not that great unless you have actually lived in a rural setting. It is definitely not necessary to have lived in a rural setting to apply to NOSM. After all, if it was they would explicitly say so on their website. And it is definitely not impossible to get into NOSM having not lived in a rural setting. Although I would calculate the odds of achieving this feat roughly the same as winning the lotto 649 (okay maybe greater).

 

I am not the be all end all authority of NOSM admissions, I am just telling you this based on what I believe to be common sense. If you were to relocate to an aboriginal reserve and tutor their citizens for 5+ years, than your chances of getting into NOSM would improve exponentially.

[Icarus]

I have to agree with Scarface. "Indirect" rural experience isn't really rural experience at all as far as NOSM is concerned. You will benifit slightly from showing an interest in First Nations people, however, it will not demonstrate that you are familiar with life and medical practice in a rural/northern community.

[Talon01]

"Indirect" rural experience is defintely better than no rural experience (if that's your alternative)!

[BigFace]

yur right icarus...Call me crazy but how can an experience be indirect? You may have met someone from a remote community, but you cannot have an indirect rural or remote experience....this is why they are looking for people from these regions...otherwise we all would be viable as having "indirect experiences"...just my take.

 

BigFace,

[wisdom_tooth]

yur right icarus...Call me crazy but how can an experience be indirect? You may have met someone from a remote community, but you cannot have an indirect rural or remote experience....this is why they are looking for people from these regions...otherwise we all would be viable as having "indirect experiences"...just my take.

 

BigFace,

Hey BigFace

 

I think you're taking the indirect part too literally, maybe my choice of word was wrong. All I was trying to get at with the word "indirect" is not having direct experience in a rural community but instead having some sort of interaction with people from remote rural communities. I do agree with icarus, at least it shows that one has the initiative and interest in working in a community of that sort. It's very hard for someone who lives, works and goes to school in the city to just pack up and start volunteering in Northern Ontario; well at least that's the case with me.

 

- wisdom_tooth

[wisdom_tooth]

thanks! I'll need it. I'm pretty sure I won't get an interview my marks are sufficient it's just that I feel as though I'm not competitive enough mainly because I'm not from rural Ontario nor do I have direct experience in rural communities. But we'll see what happens. Good luck to you too!

-Wisdom_tooth