Tsk...took a look at my OMSAS sketch and...

[Guest diencephalon]

OK,

 

I finished by Omsas sketch with 45 entires....but 3/4 are from high school, and 1/4 are from university. Morever, when I look all of them printed on a sheet of paper, it doesn't seem like I've saved 60 orphans with leprosy from a fire in rural Tanzania..I cannot tell if my sketch has substance or not..

 

Can anyone help me with this?

 

Thanks

 

diencephalon (aka "kk")

[Guest UWOMED2005]

It's pretty easy to get freaked out when applying to medicine that you aren't up to par with the other applicants. I remember after sending my application into OMSAS that my feelings ranged from "wow, I'm a lock for medical school" to "I have no chance in he11 considering the candidates I'm up against." As it turned out I was wrong on both counts - I didn't get into every school I applied to, but I did get in.

 

And from talking to my classmates at UWO, people's backgrounds are extremely varied. While I don't think anyone has specifically "saved 60 orphans with leprosy from a fire in rural Tanzania" there are some people whose UG activities come close. There's also, on the other hand, a significant number of people who were accepted with not really that many extra-currics at all.

 

It's not like Schools add up the entries on the autobio sketch, give a value to each activity, and then total up the score. They are looking for people who were involved, but they want this only as an indicator of a person's personality. And based on some of the questions you've asked about how to fill out the OMSAS app, it looks like you've got some pretty good background activities indicating an interesting personality who is willing to work hard to succeed (ie much better Royal Conservatory success than I ever had!)

 

So don't worry about it. Just keep your fingers crossed for some interviews invites in Feb-March, and good news next June.

 

Ciao

[Guest tutifruiti]

The important thing to remember during the interview (something I didn't know!) is that you can lead it. Even if some of your experiences don't physically (unless you have decided to type your most important entries in CAPITAL LETTERS!) stand out of your application, you can manage to make your interviewers ask you questions on those particular experience. Practice before hand to RELATE all your experiences together so you will be able to easily follow predefined chains of ideas at the interview (ei: sport question, talk about swimming, follow with you lifeguard courses and then explain how you reacted in sumulations of emergency...). This is something I did not do btw, but if I had known I would have done it!!!!

 

your autobio sketch doesn't seem to shine at your eyes because you have edited it too many times!! I remember having that feeling too. It will shine to the eye of your interviewers!

 

btw 2: I did have an experience in a 3rd world cuntries, it wasn't even discussed during the interview )o. I could have included it somewhere though )o.

 

I'm francophone, hope you understand my English!

[Guest diencephalon]

Thanks for your help guys...making me feel a lot better

 

hey tutifruit your eng isnt bad at all...would have never known you were a francophone...plus looks like we have somethings in common too (went to 3rd world country, an active swimmer, also lifeguard which reminds me how I had to save some kid who tried to impress his friends by jumping in the deep end tsk)

 

 

Cheers!

[Guest diencephalon]

hey for your 3rd year volunteering overseas...did you put it under "volunteer" or "other"...I want to really emphasize it and since its masked by my other volunteer activites, think it might stand out more if I put other?

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Try using two lines instead of one to describe it - I think that would make it stand out better.

[Guest diencephalon]

Hey,

I think they might have changed the application form from last year, because you only have one line to describe each activity...you can't fill in anymore for that entry once its done..

 

I think last year they might have given you 48 lines that you could use as you please..but this year, its like you "click" on activity number 1, then a line pops up, you fill it, then push submit....then you click on activity #2, and do the same thing...

 

is this what you had last year too? Im starting to get really confused haha

 

Diencephalon

[Guest JSS02]

When I asked OMSAS last year, they told me that we definitely should NOT be using more than one line in describing each activity. I guess what the actual schools think about it is what matters, though.

[Guest me]

We may not be able to use more than one line for each activity, but it's certainly at our discretion to describe one activity as more than one, if we want to, isn't it? E.g. if someone was really involved in the school paper, they might have "news editor - school paper" listed as one entry, and "writer - school paper" listed as another, etc.. To highlight the differnet responsibilities that someone had.. ??

[Guest JSS02]

If you consider both roles to be significant, then sure, I think it's fine to list the two responsiblities separately.

[Guest tutifruiti]

Sorry for the delay! I put my experience in Vietnam in the JOB section!!! for many reasons:

 

1- I assumed that adcoms would not even notice/care the place I put my entries, moreover that I could have put that experience in many sections (research, other or volunteer - tough it was mostly a selflearning experience). And indeed, they didn't even notice.

2- I finally decided to put it in the employment section because these entries are higher in the 48-entries list and would somehow be more likely to be discussed. However, as you know, my strategy didnot work!! I believe it was beacause the short description I wrote for the entrie did not grab their attention (and because my interviewers decided to ask me many questions on ethics!!) I should have writen: "Poverty reduction exploratory research in Vietnam" instead of "International Seminar in Vietnam" which doesn't mean anything to them. Now you're better off than me last year!

3- It would have been more appropriate to record the entry in the "other" section, but this section is at the bottom of the 48-entries list. I decided not to.

 

I don't remember what else you asked me in your reply, I hope this helps for the moment! where do you apply? Good to know that you are a lifeguard aswell! I never had the occasion to apply that skill though )o. good luck!

[Guest tutifruiti]

As have said JSS02, OMSAS told me not to use 2 lines for 1 entry. I am SURE you can reedit your 48 item list!!!

[Guest diencephalon]

Hi tutifruit..

 

I just noticed something..When I list my 3rd world experience under "other", the Ottawa Detailed sketch doesnt have a section for it, which means that they won't consider it for purposes of interview selection?

 

And that 3rd world experiense isnt a volunteer job perse...its mostly a self learning experience as you say..so what section do you think I should place this?

 

thanks

[Guest Sil]

Perhaps under extra-curricular?

[Guest dienceplahon]

I could do that, but I already have 15 entires there :eek

 

izzat too much?

 

maybe i should caps lock the entire damn thing so they can notice it? haha

[Guest Sil]

I think as extra-curricular sounds good. 15 entries, I don't think is too much. But I think 3 world experience looks really good and maybe worth taking something else out if you think you have too much extra-curricular.

[Guest tuti]

I put in the Employment section because it lasted 7 weeks (more or so thelenght of a summer job). I didn't want to put it in the Ecs section because there were already too many entries compared to my Employment section. Don't put it in other!...