HannaLee Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 http://www.ouac.on.ca/news/medappstats.html look at the jump in applicant numbers this year!!! :eek: 2005--->2006 uoft: 2105--->2763 mac: 3907--->4602 queens: 1780--->2205 western: 1872--->2531 ottawa: 2645--->3161 i'm not feeling too good about these odds:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuantum Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Yes...very competitive...but that's just one of the many roadblocks towards getting to medicine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMmd Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 wow! that is insane there is an increase of about 500 applications per school this year... the double cohort cannot be the sole reason for this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blinknoodle Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 http://www.ouac.on.ca/news/medappstats.html look at the jump in applicant numbers this year!!! :eek: 2005--->2006 uoft: 2105--->2763 mac: 3907--->4602 queens: 1780--->2205 western: 1872--->2531 ottawa: 2645--->3161 i'm not feeling too good about these odds:( Those numbers are from the last application cycle (you can use NOSM as a guide). I don't think they have published the numbers from this cycle yet but I imagine they will be the same if not higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmyMax Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Hey, I'd say that it is most definitely a double cohort effect. Of course, the ever-popular and growing expectations of pretty much every parent with a child in university that their kid should apply to medical school could have a lot to do with it as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuantum Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 ^^True true. I am seeing a lot more people interested in medicine before they enter university or developing an interest once in university. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostintime Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Anyone else surprised that Western got more applications than Queens? I thought they weren't accepting 3rd years this year? Shouldn't that cut down on a lot of applicants? *puzzled* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmyMax Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Hey, One must also consider the fact that Western went ahead and published a set of "preliminary cutoffs" waaay back at the beginning of the application cycle that were lower than the final cutoffs, which I didn't agree with doing, BTW. This "preliminary" set was much lower than the final set, which is determined by the applicant pool, as they are every year, and is used to decide who gets offered an interview (the final set, not the preliminary set). Since the initial set of cutoffs published was much lower than the final set, a lot of people were filled with a sense of false hope (hence my disagreement with publishing a "preliminary" set- it gives people false hope) and went ahead and applied. Now, as you no doubt heard, the "final" set of cutoffs was published sometime in January and wasn't all that dissimilar from the final sets of cutoffs from recent years, so a greater number of applicants than usual were left on the outside looking in. That's the most likely explanation for the jump in applications to UWO last year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverjelly Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Hey, One must also consider the fact that Western went ahead and published a set of "preliminary cutoffs" waaay back at the beginning of the application cycle that were lower than the final cutoffs, which I didn't agree with doing, BTW. This "preliminary" set was much lower than the final set, which is determined by the applicant pool, as they are every year, and is used to decide who gets offered an interview (the final set, not the preliminary set). Since the initial set of cutoffs published was much lower than the final set, a lot of people were filled with a sense of false hope (hence my disagreement with publishing a "preliminary" set- it gives people false hope) and went ahead and applied. Now, as you no doubt heard, the "final" set of cutoffs was published sometime in January and wasn't all that dissimilar from the final sets of cutoffs from recent years, so a greater number of applicants than usual were left on the outside looking in. That's the most likely explanation for the jump in applications to UWO last year! Okay, TimmyMax, but UWO didn't do the same thing this year, did they? I'm pretty sure that their non-SWOMEN cut-off of 10, 10, 10, Q is pretty much set in stone. And if they weren't, I can't imagine actual cut-offs being higher than those lofty requirements! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blinknoodle Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Okay, TimmyMax, but UWO didn't do the same thing this year, did they? I'm pretty sure that their non-SWOMEN cut-off of 10, 10, 10, Q is pretty much set in stone. And if they weren't, I can't imagine actual cut-offs being higher than those lofty requirements! Yeah but coupled with the lower prelim cut-offs last year, they also suggested that qualities other than the GPA and MCAT would be used for interview invites... which turned out to be whether you were a SWOMEN applicant and not your ABS, etc. Remember that the course pre-reqs have now been eliminated in lieu of an honours degree.. who know how many more people will apply. The cut-offs are completely based on the applicant pool so we will only know in late January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac_attack Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Yup it sure is competitive. It seems to me that everyone now a days wants to apply to medicine because they see it as a stable career with good pay. Maybe if medical schools had some actual requirements (medically related course work, volunteer hours, research) then it would be easier and more fair for people who actually had a desire to do medicine to get in, but instead every single person who needs a good steady job applies to the field. And why wouldn't they when all you need is a good GPA? Who cares what you studied, if you have the 4.0 you will beat out the kids who take human biology, immunology, virology, etc etc. We have to compete with every undergraduate who just decided to apply for the heck of it. I know this is off-topic but it's just my personal opinion on things. Looking through my university's course offerings, you can by far get through undergrad taking all the bird courses (and admit it we all know that our schools have those bird courses everyone wants to take), get the 3.9 or 4.0 GPA, throw in some volunteering and have guaranteed interviews. People do this too often and it's ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuantum Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 Hey, bitter much? I don't think it's as 'crazy' as you say it is, where every joe-blow from commerce to engineering is deciding all of a sudden want to study medicine. The pre-req / MCAT / OMSAS is such a massive deterrent (not to mention competition), that I'm pretty sure most people applying have some sort of strong conviction this is the path they want to take. And the reality is, anything will be competitive, whether it's med schools, law schools, dentistry, or my commerce friends applying for positions at the top IBanking/consulting firms. Fact of life. As for bird courses - I think you should give the average applicant the benefit of the doubt? I'm sure the bird-course takers are a minority - university is too rewarding (and expensive) to waste it taking crappy unfulfilling GPA boosters. If only that were true. With the increasing competition associated with gaining entry into professional programs, people will find any and all loop holes. Thus, what a bunch of people will do is take the requirements and fill the rest with the easiest courses they can find. That is why I like how UofT does it, they actually look at the rigour and coherence of the program so that its not just a bunch of random courses. A 4.0GPA in Engineering Science is a very different story than a 4.0GPA in Psychology (sorry psych people...it was the first thing that came to my head). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jixe Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 If only that were true. With the increasing competition associated with gaining entry into professional programs, people will find any and all loop holes. Thus, what a bunch of people will do is take the requirements and fill the rest with the easiest courses they can find. That is why I like how UofT does it, they actually look at the rigour and coherence of the program so that its not just a bunch of random courses. A 4.0GPA in Engineering Science is a very different story than a 4.0GPA in Psychology (sorry psych people...it was the first thing that came to my head). It's not very hard to take bird courses and make it seem like you aren't. Easy upper year electives (with fancy course codes/names) are very well-known. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuantum Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 It's not very hard to take bird courses and make it seem like you aren't. Easy upper year electives (with fancy course codes/names) are very well-known. This was a comment supporting exactly what I said right... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostintime Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 If only that were true. With the increasing competition associated with gaining entry into professional programs, people will find any and all loop holes. Thus, what a bunch of people will do is take the requirements and fill the rest with the easiest courses they can find. That is why I like how UofT does it, they actually look at the rigour and coherence of the program so that its not just a bunch of random courses. A 4.0GPA in Engineering Science is a very different story than a 4.0GPA in Psychology (sorry psych people...it was the first thing that came to my head). I don't think U of T really does that though...I think someone mentioned before they only look down upon people who take the same type of course, i.e. Calculus under different names. Everyone knows there are some programs that are less challenging than others (sure it's nice to think that everything's equal, but obviously not the case), but at the end of the day, the 60% academic is looking at your GPA, not what program you chose. That being said, being in an "easier" program won't serve you well as a back-up plan, but then again, it could make the road to med easier, who knows. I would still opt for a back-up plan though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuantum Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 I don't think U of T really does that though...I think someone mentioned before they only look down upon people who take the same type of course, i.e. Calculus under different names. Everyone knows there are some programs that are less challenging than others (sure it's nice to think that everything's equal, but obviously not the case), but at the end of the day, the 60% academic is looking at your GPA, not what program you chose. That being said, being in an "easier" program won't serve you well as a back-up plan, but then again, it could make the road to med easier, who knows. I would still opt for a back-up plan though. I completely agree...I think if you were to see the courses I am taking (compared to my peers) its quite obvious I have considered a back-up plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac_attack Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 I don't get why everyone always claims that i'm soo bitter about things? I'm not trying to be bitter at all I'm just stating the reality. Maybe some of the people on here are hard core keeners who take all the challenging classes because they have this super strong conviction to know everything about everything. And don't get me wrong I'm not saying this as if it's some bad thing. I admire that you have a drive to learn what you can. Personally, I like to be challenged as well; I like walking out of a course at the end of the term and knowing that I learned something useful and applicable to the real world, not that I just memorized things for the exam. everyone wants to get the most for their money. But if you have known for a while that med school is for you, you probably have a different approach. And man I wish I had someone older to tell me exactly how it goes and how truly competitive and unfair this entire process is. I know many people at my school, through athletics, living in rez, etc. and I'm sure you do to. And to be honest, MANY people will call each other up in may and discuss what classes are easy to take for next fall, Where will I get the A+?? Do we know older people who took this so we can get assignments, old tests?? I hear things like this ALL the time: "Who cares if this is boring, you don't have to do anything to get an A+", "I know that you hate psych but the prof has open book midterms", "there's no exam in this class". Most people know the importance of a 4.0 and will base their course selections on the easiness of the class. If I knew what I know today and could go back to first year my entire course selection throughout university would most likely change! And so you see that although you and I might strive to take challenging things like Biochemistry and Virology, want to learn something that one day we could apply to medicine, want to feel prepared for medical school, there are people out there taking 4 classes in popular music (at my school its 1 midterm, 1 exam for the second year course, and the prof has been using the same midterm for the last 2 years), geography (mostly online quizzes you can print off and work with friends so everyone gets 100%), the history of rock/roll etc etc. the way I see it 3 types of students will get into med school: 1. keeners who took tougher courses and never left the library so they managed a high GPA anyway 2. those who filled up on bird classes to boost their marks 3. those who were taking all random bird classes in the first place, ended up with a higher GPA, realized there isn't much of a career after pop-music, and decided they have a great shot at med school because they're so 'well rounded'. Sure maybe they won't tell me what mitosis is, but they have this great personality from all the social sciences they've taken, and they sure can lecture me on Michael Jackson and Nirvana when I'm dying in the ER. So that's why I blame the medical schools for dropping requirements, people who don't really work hard in undergrad will beat us out because we were over-achievers and took the intelectually challenging courses, while they became so "well-rounded". I'm surprised that you are all against me on this because in the end if you were the hard-working, lets take the interesting science classes student, you will most likely lose a spot to some dude who can recite the history of rock and roll but couldn't tell you what the left ventricle does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverjelly Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 ANYhoo . . . back to the UWO talk (not to take away from all the bitterness, or anything ). Are the 10/10/10/Q cut-offs already set, or will they post the actual cut-offs in January? From their site, it sounds like the former. And mac_attack, I agree with you on certain things, it's just that you do have a tendency to sound bitter, rather than say, just state the facts (which I believe you also did, with a little touch of lemon!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirsteen Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 And so you see that although you and I might strive to take challenging things like Biochemistry and Virology... the way I see it 3 types of students will get into med school: 1. keeners who took tougher courses and never left the library so they managed a high GPA anyway 2. those who filled up on bird classes to boost their marks 3. those who were taking all random bird classes in the first place, ended up with a higher GPA, realized there isn't much of a career after pop-music, and decided they have a great shot at med school because they're so 'well rounded'. Sure maybe they won't tell me what mitosis is, but they have this great personality from all the social sciences they've taken, and they sure can lecture me on Michael Jackson and Nirvana when I'm dying in the ER. Hi there, I agree with you on some points, i.e., that many folks are interested in knowing what's ahead of them, difficulty-wise, re: courses. We even do this throughout medical school with our pre-clerkship courses and clerkship rotations--it's good to know which experiences are going to be challenging or not so much, so that you can adjust various factors accordingly, i.e., the number of times a week you'll be able to hit the squash court, for example. As for the three types of folks getting into medical school, I'm not sure if your point, above, is tongue and cheek, and if it's not, I'd disagree. Now that there are literally thousands of applicants for 60-300 spots per medical school, chances are that you're going to find bright people who managed to do well in school and who also had rich lives outside of the studying. When I look around my class, I see that everywhere. Very bright folks who are high achievers in many different areas outside of their academic pursuits. Also, in terms of Virology courses, every UofT student seemed to know that Dr. Abouhaidar's course would guarantee you an A+. (Easy multiple choice exams with binary, true/false answers can do that.) Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bioboy2007 Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 ANYhoo . . . back to the UWO talk (not to take away from all the bitterness, or anything ). Are the 10/10/10/Q cut-offs already set, or will they post the actual cut-offs in January? From their site, it sounds like the former. They will post cut-offs in January. The 10/10/10/Q cutoff was for last year's application cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverjelly Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 They will post cut-offs in January. The 10/10/10/Q cutoff was for last year's application cycle. Cool, thanks. Wonder what they'll be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bestknightmare Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 double cohort graduation time, hence more people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 As for the three types of folks getting into medical school, I'm not sure if your point, above, is tongue and cheek, and if it's not, I'd disagree. Now that there are literally thousands of applicants for 60-300 spots per medical school, chances are that you're going to find bright people who managed to do well in school and who also had rich lives outside of the studying. When I look around my class, I see that everywhere. Very bright folks who are high achievers in many different areas outside of their academic pursuits. LIkewise, that sounds a lot like my class - a bunch of high achieving Type A's who put in tonnes of hours at the library, are neck-deep in extra-curriculars, sports, student government, clubs, community groups etc, and still go out and party like rock stars. It's not an "either/or" thing. Med schools want those who can do both. I still don't know how I got in... pb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everyoneloveschem Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 If it is reassuring to anyone, there are a couple of us at UofO who wonder how we got in . Not because we lied or anything, but because everyone else is sooo smart. Maybe it was our life experience, or really good interviews, but what I am getting at, is that there is some hope for people who don't study ALL the time. I'll be honest, I practically failed first year calculus. So, yeah, try to keep your chin up and work toward what you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmyMax Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 Hey, I'll be honest, I practically failed first year calculus. Lucky for poor schlepps like us, 1st year calculus performance doesn't seem to be all that predictive of later success in gaining admission to medical school! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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