Why NOSM?

[unknown user 7]

So I was curious as to what attracted you all to NOSM?

[unknown user 7]

I'm bumping it, cause I realize that it seems to be getting a lot of views.

 

Lol. Yet, there are no responses.

[rogerroger]

I can tell you why I applied.

 

In terms of proximity to my home town UofT is the closest medical school. Yet, the next closest is NOSM. I personally identify more strongly with smaller communities rather than the metropolitan centers. My home town has between 100,000-150,000 people. I see myself living in a place like that 10 years from now rather than a place with millions of people crammed together.

 

I spent time volunteering overseas in native communities literally in remote jungle where one needed a satellite phone to communicate and a helicopter to get around. I really enjoyed the challenges of working in these remote regions and with the native peoples.

 

These two factors are what drew me to consider NOSM. But apparently these reasons were not good enough as I was rejected pre-interview. Whatever, NOSM's loss... Toronto's gain.

[researchgirl]

hi! the proximity to home was definitely a big factor for me; but like rogerroger, i'm really interested in international work (i would love to get a chance to do an elective somewhere in ghana).

it also had to do with the class size; i love how there are only 56 kids so i know we'll be getting a lot of specific instruction from the profs.

yay nosm!

[unknown user 7]

I can tell you why I applied.

 

In terms of proximity to my home town UofT is the closest medical school. Yet, the next closest is NOSM. I personally identify more strongly with smaller communities rather than the metropolitan centers. My home town has between 100,000-150,000 people. I see myself living in a place like that 10 years from now rather than a place with millions of people crammed together.

 

I spent time volunteering overseas in native communities literally in remote jungle where one needed a satellite phone to communicate and a helicopter to get around. I really enjoyed the challenges of working in these remote regions and with the native peoples.

 

These two factors are what drew me to consider NOSM. But apparently these reasons were not good enough as I was rejected pre-interview. Whatever, NOSM's loss... Toronto's gain.

 

Haha, really? Well, I guess it depends on which campus you go to. I walk by the medschool everytime I go to the gym, but I'm originally from T.O. Lol.

 

Yeah, for some reason, I'm a bit uneasy about their program...mostly because its new and everything and I'm sure they had a few things they had to work out as the Charter class went through...which I'm hoping are worked about already. Lol.

 

Researchgirl:

- they allow you to do international electives?

[researchgirl]

hii,

they sure do.. you have to apply and have it approved by NOSM, but i know a couple people who have gone abroad in thier second and third years (no fourth year yet hahah) - in fact, i was planning on volunteering abroad over winter break for the upcoming year so i can reapply for an elective in third year

hope that helps!

[unknown user 7]

hii,

they sure do.. you have to apply and have it approved by NOSM, but i know a couple people who have gone abroad in thier second and third years (no fourth year yet hahah) - in fact, i was planning on volunteering abroad over winter break for the upcoming year so i can reapply for an elective in third year

hope that helps!

 

Yeah, it does for sure.

[CinnamonQueen]

I too have a very strong desire to practice in a setting that serves the needs of northern Ontario, as well as an interest in working with underserviced populations regardless of where they are (i.e., both here in Canada and internationally).

 

Given that NOSM's mandate is specifically to train physicians who will live/work in northern Ontario, do you think it would work against me at all in the application process if I indicate that in addition to wanting to work in Northern Ontario that I would also really like a career in international health?

 

Thanks,

CinnamonQueen

[rogerroger]

Yeah, for some reason, I'm a bit uneasy about their program...mostly because its new and everything and I'm sure they had a few things they had to work out as the Charter class went through...which I'm hoping are worked about already. Lol.

 

 

Yeah, I felt the same way. Each school in Canada has pros and cons and that was a con for NOSM in my mind. It will be interesting to see how NOSM's first class matches in CaRMS. Due to the mandate of the school I suspect you will see a higher than average FM match rate due to the type of students they preference. It will be curious to see how many actually do remain in the north. If 50% of the class bolts to places in Southern Ontario (not necessarily Toronto) then the whole point of the school is pretty pointless. Also if you want northern experience the opportunities seem to exist no matter where you are as I have a good friend at Western who just finished first year and is spending his summer up in Kenora. It will be interesting to see how NOSM evolves and how strongly its northern mission will be emphasized in the future.

 

Personally, I would have put a medical school at York instead. This school could have simply emphasized family medicine as many places in Ontario, not just the north, are desperately in need for FMs. Nevertheless, rumors still say that such an idea is currently being considered, so maybe York meds will still come into fruition in the next 10 years.

 

One thing I learned via the application process is that international opportunities exist for all the Canadian schools. I talked at length with second year Ottawa and Toronto meds during my interviews and both assured me that it is ridiculously easy go overseas in the summers etc. So perhaps my idea that NOSM would provide an advantage in this respect was misplaced?

[maserati]

Hmmmm

 

Still don't know if NOSM would accept students who're from Toronto uh?

I wish they're very direct about their admissions policy.

 

" NO WE DO NOT ACCEPT STUDENTS FROM SOUTHERN ONTARIO "

 

instead of

 

" we give strong preference to northern rural ... but will not exclude southern from applying cause we need great applicant #'s so we can prove that people actually want to come here "

[unknown user 7]

Personally, I would have put a medical school at York instead. This school could have simply emphasized family medicine as many places in Ontario, not just the north, are desperately in need for FMs. Nevertheless, rumors still say that such an idea is currently being considered, so maybe York meds will still come into fruition in the next 10 years.

 

 

I still don't understand you would put a medschool at York. I mean UofT is there and wouldn't that just encourage more potential FPs in the south where most of the M.D. saturation is?

 

Thanks everyone for all of the posts.

[maserati]

has anyone from toronto been accepted yet to NOSM

[researchgirl]

" we give strong preference to northern rural ... but will not exclude southern from applying cause we need great applicant #'s so we can prove that people actually want to come here "

 

- high applicant number so they can PROVE that people want to come here? over 1800 people applied this year, and over 2000 in previous years for an incoming class of 56.. i don't think NOSM is including southern ont. applicants to prove anything hahahah.. including everyone means a better pool of applicants from which to select the incoming class

[highheat]

" we give strong preference to northern rural ... but will not exclude southern from applying cause we need great applicant #'s so we can prove that people actually want to come here "

 

- high applicant number so they can PROVE that people want to come here? over 1800 people applied this year, and over 2000 in previous years for an incoming class of 56.. i don't think NOSM is including southern ont. applicants to prove anything hahahah.. including everyone means a better pool of applicants from which to select the incoming class

 

Out of curiosity, do they publish statistics on where the majority of the successful applicants call home? For those of you from S.Ont, this would probably be quite telling as to whether or not its worth it for you to apply

[rogerroger]

I still don't understand you would put a medschool at York. I mean UofT is there and wouldn't that just encourage more potential FPs in the south where most of the M.D. saturation is?

 

Thanks everyone for all of the posts.

 

The idea that the south is saturated with doctors is a myth. In my home town just north of Toronto only 25% of a 150,000 people city have a family doctor. Many other cities in the south are in the same position. The only difference is that more people affected in these population centers because they are larger. A school with a mission objective to produce FM docs would be beneficial to these regions.

 

York Meds might not be that far off...

 

This is a direct quote from the York web site:

 

"Mamdouh Shoukri, the Egyptian-born engineer who moved into the president's office at York University July 1, is already in renovation mode, ready to expand Canada's third-largest university with an increased emphasis on science and engineering and the addition of a medical school, wrote The Globe and Mail in a front-page feature July 9."

[unknown user 7]

Yeah, my post wasn't saying trying to say that the south is completely saturated with docs, but the most saturation (or the greatest number of docs) out of the "few" we have overall are mostly located in the south (hence why we have NOSM to try to remedy and even the distribution). Would this not be correct?

 

 

The idea that the south is saturated with doctors is a myth. In my home town just north of Toronto only 25% of a 150,000 people city have a family doctor. Many other cities in the south are in the same position. The only difference is that more people affected in these population centers because they are larger. A school with a mission objective to produce FM docs would be beneficial to these regions.

 

York Meds might not be that far off...

 

This is a direct quote from the York web site:

 

"Mamdouh Shoukri, the Egyptian-born engineer who moved into the president's office at York University July 1, is already in renovation mode, ready to expand Canada's third-largest university with an increased emphasis on science and engineering and the addition of a medical school, wrote The Globe and Mail in a front-page feature July 9."

[rogerroger]

Yeah, my post wasn't saying trying to say that the south is completely saturated with docs, but the most saturation (or the greatest number of docs) out of the "few" we have overall are mostly located in the south (hence why we have NOSM to try to remedy and even the distribution). Would this not be correct?

 

Well, yes and no. The north does badly need doctors. It probably is harder to recruit them to these locations. Yet, at the same time many many places in the south are in need of doctors just as badly. Just look at Alliston. There has been a chronic shortage of doctors at their hospital causing various departments to close due to few or no doctors being available. This is only 60mins north of Toronto! The reality is doctors especially FM docs are needed all over. If NOSM doctors head south they are still filling gaps. If UofT docs head north they are filling gaps. So what I am saying is who cares about recruiting manly north or south when gaps exist all over. I have issues with prioritizing north or south as areas of need when the shortages are comparable in many regions regardless of the latitude on the map.

 

I am pretty sure this will be my view as long as my home town which is 2hrs away from three medical schools has over 70% of its residents without a family doctor.

[maserati]

From the class profile on their website:

 

"51 students in the class (91%) are from Northern Ontario.

 

5 members of the class (9%) are from rural and remote areas in the rest of Canada."

 

 

 

 

 

WOW.

 

Why are we ( non northern / rural people ) even bothering with this?

[supafield]

I met a higher-up from York a while back at a social event.... S/he said s/he thinks its very unlikely that York will get their med school anytime soon despite how adamant the new president is.

 

Apparently Western and UofT are against the idea and are using any influence they have to tell the government that if they are able to provide more funding for med school spots in Ontario that they already have the infrastructure to expand and would be better off to accept any expansion to Southern Ontario's medical training.

 

Just what I hear ; )

[unknown user 7]

I met a higher-up from York a while back at a social event.... S/he said s/he thinks its very unlikely that York will get their med school anytime soon despite how adamant the new president is.

 

Apparently Western and UofT are against the idea and are using any influence they have to tell the government that if they are able to provide more funding for med school spots in Ontario that they already have the infrastructure to expand and would be better off to accept any expansion to Southern Ontario's medical training.

 

Just what I hear ; )

 

Which I think is true. No?

[supafield]

I'd imagine so? lol