stick Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 I've been fortunate enough to be accepted at both Western and U of T, but am having a really hard time deciding which school to go to. Ever since the interview, I have had a slight preference for Western because of the positive "community feel" that I got from the students there. But today, one of the residents at the hospital where I'm working at mentioned that a number of people that he knows who graduated from UWO meds had a really hard time being matched to the programs that they wanted to be matched to. I am from the GTA, so I would like to be able to keep my options open to do my residency in Toronto. Can anyone give me any insight into how difficult it is for a UWO grad to be matched to a residency program in Toronto (say in the less competitive family medicine, or the slightly more competitive paeds?). Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1234 Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 into family med or paeds? UWO is more than sufficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Can anyone give me any insight into how difficult it is for a UWO grad to be matched to a residency program in Toronto (say in the less competitive family medicine, or the slightly more competitive paeds?). Thanks! Blinknoodle's gonna have to help me out here with the details, but UWO Meds '08 matched ridiculously well to ultra-competitive specialties across the country in CaRMS this year. Plastics, Derm, Rads, ENT, a bunch into ophtho (not all in Toronto, obviously). I was seriously impressed when I saw their match results. Moral of the story: good performance on away electives can make up for not doing your preclinical years in a certain city. On the other hand, I think a large fraction of UWO Meds '09 has decided to screw medicine and apply to teacher's college instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blinknoodle Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 41 people from the class of 2008 are heading to Toronto this July (over one-third of the class). I'll just say that lots of people are going into family at Toronto, and I know 3 people matched to Toronto paeds. I don't think we had any problem matching to Toronto (this is where the largest cohort of students is going). If you want to go to Toronto for residency, then you will need to do well on your electives there, etc. It doesn't matter what medical school you are from. Granted, if you are doing medical school in Toronto then you would have a greater exposure to people in that specialty. Good luck with your decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy_N Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 41 people from the class of 2008 are heading to Toronto this July (over one-third of the class). I'll just say that lots of people are going into family at Toronto, and I know 3 people matched to Toronto paeds. I don't think we had any problem matching to Toronto (this is where the largest cohort of students is going). If you want to go to Toronto for residency, then you will need to do well on your electives there, etc. It doesn't matter what medical school you are from. Granted, if you are doing medical school in Toronto then you would have a greater exposure to people in that specialty. Good luck with your decisions. Where do you get these stats from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blinknoodle Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 They were released to the class. If you would like a copy of the presentation, PM me your email address. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FockI'mOld! Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 On the other hand, I think a large fraction of UWO Meds '09 has decided to screw medicine and apply to teacher's college instead. I'm sorry...is this some kind of inside joke? Or do some med students actually decide to screw medicine and go into teaching? I'm shocked because teaching - like medicine - is known to have a high rate of burnout. It just seems funny to me that someone would swap one profession for another that's just as stressful and pays substantially less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I hope it was a joke! I will say, however, that teachers' salaries are fairly comparable to residents' salaries despite working fewer scheduled hours and having way more vacation time, so I understand the appeal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medwannabe08 Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I'm sorry...is this some kind of inside joke? Or do some med students actually decide to screw medicine and go into teaching? I'm shocked because teaching - like medicine - is known to have a high rate of burnout. It just seems funny to me that someone would swap one profession for another that's just as stressful and pays substantially less. your internet sarcasm detector might be malfunctioning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I'm sorry...is this some kind of inside joke? Or do some med students actually decide to screw medicine and go into teaching? I'm shocked because teaching - like medicine - is known to have a high rate of burnout. It just seems funny to me that someone would swap one profession for another that's just as stressful and pays substantially less. Hey, Sorry for the misunderstanding. I was being a bit flippant. My class is at the 3/4 mark of third year. I think it's safe to say that we're not as bright-shiny-keen as we were in September. pb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I hope it was a joke! I will say, however, that teachers' salaries are fairly comparable to residents' salaries despite working fewer scheduled hours and having way more vacation time, so I understand the appeal! No call. Less paperwork. No poop (unless you're teaching the junior grades). No inane pages from the floor at 3AM. Your students aren't trying to scam you into giving them opiates or signing their long-term disability form. Summers off. Great pension plan. Recess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FockI'mOld! Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 No call.Less paperwork. No poop (unless you're teaching the junior grades). No inane pages from the floor at 3AM. Your students aren't trying to scam you into giving them opiates or signing their long-term disability form. Summers off. Great pension plan. Recess. Whew! I should have picked up on the sarcasm, I'm cool.... but since we're on the topic let's compare professions. Cons of teaching: Marking tests = lots of paper work First 3/4 years of teaching = lots of prep work, I've heard teachers will work 60-70 hrs/ week when they first start off so it's kinda like residency Little respect from society when they certainly deserve more Poor job prospect in major cities, not enough spaces for HS teachers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostintime Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Sorry I'm new to this..but when you say "do well on electives", does that mean you get a number/grade for electives? I thought everything was pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory? That brings up my next question...if that is the system, are reference letters the ONLY thing that distinguishes b/w applicants for CARMS? *confused* Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darla Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 are reference letters the ONLY thing that distinguishes b/w applicants for CARMS? *confused* Thanks! Your CV is important as well - what research you've done, community activities you've been involved in (on campus and off) and awards you've received. There will be several talks over the next few years where residents from specific specialities come to talk to the first and second year classes and answer our questions about the match pretty honestly. The "interest groups" facilitate this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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