Application Question: Rural Interest Statement

[Jixe]

In regards to the question:

 

"Are you interested in pursuing your medical education in the Northern Medical Program? If so, tell us why. Explain why you are a suitable candidate for education in a rural or northern context. "

 

Does this answer play a critical part in the chances of interviewing/acceptance?

[dr nomis]

As of last year, no. The question was only used as a "survey" question, to determine the number of students that might be interested in the rural medicine program. It was only seriously considered once a student had been accepted; then, the NMP admissions sub-committee would look at these to determine which 24 of the 224 students they wanted.

 

However, the question you stated below is worded differently than years past and the above information may be no longer valid.

[Kuantum]

If the NMP committee thinks you are suitable, but you select VFMP or IMP as your first choice, which one will you be placed in?

[GotRice?]

It looks like the question is there for the NMP selection committee to pick which students are suitable for their program. I think how you answer this question will play a part in your chance of getting into the NMP program, but not into the VFMP or IMP ones.

 

If the NMP committee thinks you are suitable, but you select VFMP or IMP as your first choice, which one will you be placed in?

 

If you're accepted to both the VFMP and NMP programs, and you selected VFMP as your first choice, you'll be placed into VFMP.

[dr nomis]

If the NMP committee thinks you are suitable, but you select VFMP or IMP as your first choice, which one will you be placed in?

 

Whichever one UBC decides to put you in. I know of a student going to the NMP this year who chose NMP as their 3rd choice, has lived in a city all his life, and didn't try to 'sell' himself as being rurally suitable at all. Yet, at the same time, there are students who stated 'no choice' for program choice, and are in the VFMP.

[soulstress]

Would it look negative if I choose not to fill in this rural interest statement at all?

[dr nomis]

I wouldn't risk it. You can lose marks (they have a section for Negative NAQ when they total up the NAQ marks) if you have "lack of due care for your application." This can include spelling errors, fudging hours, omission of information, a very short essay; I believe you could extrapolate and include not filling out the RIS in this list.

[Kuantum]

I wouldn't risk it. You can lose marks (they have a section for Negative NAQ when they total up the NAQ marks) if you have "lack of due care for your application." This can include spelling errors, fudging hours, omission of information, a very short essay; I believe you could extrapolate and include not filling out the RIS in this list.

 

Thanks for the heads-up, is there anything else we should know? I'm almost ready to send my application, I've just been wondering if I should fill out the rural interest statement.

[Jixe]

I called them yesterday in regards to filling out the statement. I told her I had no interest in the Northern program and asked whether simply stating "No" would affect my chances. Her words were, "Not at all. It does not factor in whether we interview you or not. It would only be brought up during your interview."

 

Someone want to call and re-confirm that?

[ddawkin]

i don't know if it was just me and my decidedly computer-unsavviness, but the ubc system would not let me submit without making a rural statement.

 

dd

[Jixe]

I just entered a little blurb stating that I was not interested.