Interview invitations?

[momo]

Hi all!!

 

It's been sooo quiet on this board compared to the other ones:)

 

I was wondering if anyone has heard anything yet about interviews? I know last year people started to get their invites around this time....does anyone know if I have not head yet if it means a "no"? For OOP?

 

Just wondering....

 

M:)

[Guest davehead]

Hi momo,

 

No need to worry, U of S will wait until the 15th to send out notifications according to their website:

 

February 15

General letter about interviews mailed.

 

March 1 – 10

Individual notices of date and time for interview mailed.

 

March 24 - 25

Interviews will be held.

 

(http://www.medicine.usask.ca/admissions/calendar-for-applicants/)

[momo]

Hi Davehead,

 

thanks for the post!! I am asking though b/c although that's what the website says, I've heard from people that for OOP, if you did get an interview, they tend to email you a lot earlier to give you enough time to make travel arrangements. That's why I am curious...but again, thanks

 

M

[Guest davehead]

Oooh, that's interesting! I hadn't heard that before, although it does make sense. Either way, I would imagine someone would have posted if they got an interview, but who knows! I'm an OOP hopeful as well, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[Isosceles]

If you look back on the forum, we first started seeing last-year's OOP applicants get email invites on Feb.1.

However, there weren't many - only 2 or 3 I think... so there is always the possibility that no one who posts here (OOP) will receive one.

Not trying to be pessimistic... I'm sure some will, and I doubt they have started yet. Personally, I'm hoping for Monday (the 5th).

[UofS2010]

Hi guys,

If i remember correctly, i did get my OOP interview somewhat earlier than the 15th....i think it was about the 8th-9th. Shouldn't be too long be4 u guys hear sth.......it will be via email (and snail mail will follow).

UofS2010

[momo]

Thanks for posting...I don't mean to be whiny, just a little antsy...unlike some, I have heard nothing BUT good things about UofS - small classes, friendliness so this is actually my #1 school, believe it or not, being OOP. I know I know....my chances are small, but there is always hope:)

 

I do have a question however...I am really really interested in rural medicine...how much exposure do UofS med students get to rural medicine?

 

Thanks!

 

m

[frenchfrog]

Here's some examples of the exposure to rural medicine you will get as a med student at the U of S:

1) First year students are invited to participate in what's called a "Rural Bus Tour" sponsored by the SMA I think. I went this year and had the best time. Basically, every participant piles into a bus early in the morning and drives out to some rural town in SK (This year it was Rosthern, next is Meadow Lake, maybe). Once there, you split into small groups and tour the town's health care facilities to basically see first hand what it's like. Best of all you get to talk to the town's physicians, so having your questions ready beforehand is a sure-fire way to find out what you want to know. We also visited the near by Beardy's first nation to get an idea what health care on a reserve is like.

2) The family medicine club has a "mentorship" program that pairs med students up with family doctors, and a good portion of the volunteer mentors are from rural areas. So, what you use your mentor for is really up to you, but opportunities for shadowing are definitely a possibility.

3) During the summer after first year, there is the option to participate in a "Community Experience". The whole point of this experience is to show you what rural medicine is like. It involves spending 2 weeks in an underserved community, observing and interacting with patients and health care professionals.

4) The summer after second year, you can apply for funding to do a SAHO externship (4,6,8, or 10 weeks). This is a work experience in rural or regional SK. Again, the main objective of this is to acquaint you with rural practice.

 

If I remember anything else, I'll be sure to post it.

[UofS2010]

Hi momo,

there are lots of rural experiences to be had. First week of school there is a rural bus tour so you will go out to one of the small towns in Saskatchewan for a day and get to know some of the physicians there, see what some of the local health centers/hospitals look like, what kind of services they offer (and wat would need to be transferred out), visit some of the natives and what are some of their health concerns and values + get introduced to alternative/complimentary medicine, and learn to do somewhat cool things like suturing

The second big rural experience you will get is a 2 week community experience at a rural setting in basically any town/small city/aboriginal setting you want at the end of 1st year. I've heard great things about this experience and that you are given many responsibilities already and will get to use all the clinical skills you learn during 1st year. Whats great is many of these places will host you and provide transportation and meals too if needed.

And then theres summer--where there is also many rural paid experiences:D to work in northern communities and of course there is also your normal paid summer research projects or just take it easy+sleep:)

[UofS2010]

hehe i didn't realize that frenchfrog just posted also ....i think theres a special connection btw us today

[momo]

Thanks guys for the thorough info!! These sound really great...I really like the Bus Tour, that's such a cool idea:) Now, the only other question I have is...I read somewhere that UofS has a Centre for Intergrative Medicine...has anyone heard anything of it? Like what sort of connection it has to the school of Medicine?

 

I have somewhat eclectic ideas about my future medical practice LOL...but I am very very much interested in finding a school that has an interest in finding a common ground between "alternative" medicine and mainstream medicine. I am wondering, IF I get an interview, whether mentioning my interest in alternative medicine (with the MMI format this might be hard, but if such an occasion arises) would be a good or a bad thing.

 

I was raised at an airfield (my Mom flew, my Grandpa was an airplane engineer), and so my ideal situation for practice would be to work in remote/rural areas, and of course fly my own plane:) but I am also very much interested in aboriginal methods of healing. I am just wondering if, since there are substantial First Nations communities, that aspect of medicine is ever discussed/learned about.

 

Sorry for such a muddled post but I am a stream of consciousness kind of writer:)

 

Many thanks, M

[momo]

One more question (frenchfrog I was re-reading your post), when you get paired with a "mentor" is it just following someone around or do you actually get to participate? Or does it depend on who mentors you entirely? I am just wondering how much hands on, real-life exposure there is at UofS.

 

Thanks again, m

[frenchfrog]

As for how much hands on you get while shadowing your mentor, I would say it definitely depends on the mentor.

 

The U of S does have a Centre for Intergrative Medicine

( http://www.usask.ca/medicine/integrativemedicine/ ) though, as a first year, I haven't really heard much about it, so I couldn't tell you exactly what sort of connection it has to the College. However, our class has had lectures by some of the CIM Faculty. Plus, the College seems to find it pretty important to integrate the information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into the 4-year curriculum (There's a huge poster up in the hospital on the 2nd floor detailing this).

I don't see any harm in mentioning your interest in evidence-based CAM. I think it shows you're open to new therapies and are devoted to what is in the best interest of your patient, even if that doesn't involve the conventional. As long as you don't express any ideas that are too radical and extreme, I can't see why your views wouldn't be received very positively.

[momo]

Thank you very much frenchfrog, you are, as always, very informative. Thank you for taking the time.

 

M.

[UofS2010]

So its the 5th hehe...anyone recieved any news yet?

[momo]

Nothing here...why are we supposed to?

 

But then again, I AM OOP so the chances are slim in the first place:) So I am probably not representative.

[Guest davehead]

Nothing here either. OOP as well, I think Sask would be a great school to interview at. The wait continues

[frenchfrog]

I'm part of the committee organizing an informal reception for all interviewees, and we were consulted as to putting a little blurb about this in the interview invitation packages you will all be getting. So, we have until tomorrow (Tuesday) at the end of the work day to make changes to our letter...meaning no one should be getting any news until at least wednesday or thursday at the earliest.

Just thought I'd let you all know

[momo]

Thanks much for this frenchfrog!!! and that was really sweet - "the interview letters we'll ALL be getting":)

 

it's been a tough week for me...so a positive outlook is much appreciated:)