Choices

[flamesfan]

i am deciding between ubc and u of a and I was wondering if anyone could post the "typical day" at U of A. there is currently a thread on the U of C board that I thought was quite helpful and this could help those in a similar situation!

 

some aspects I am curious about:

 

class size

 

-networking: related to class size and resources but I am curious how easy it is to forge relationships with faculty

 

-teaching mix: what are the methods of teaching - PBL vs. lecture? Can anyone elaborate?

 

-marking style: not sure?

 

-curriculum: although this information is posted I feel the best opinions come from those actually learning it

 

-hospitals used

 

-city

 

a typical day or anything else students feel important to share

 

thanks!

[apache]

it may be my drunken stupor... and perhaps the fact that i'm waitlisted at u of a, thats saying, do ubc... u go the beach, the coast, a great exciting city, you'll get to get away, whats better ?

[Icebox]

Hey flamesfan,

 

I'll answer each of your concerns and then I'll state why specifically UofA, IMO. The following all relate to the first 2 years of the program, as I can't really speak on clinical years.

 

Class size: I'm not sure how big the Class of 2013 is supposed to be, but it's somewhere between 156-188 (the Class of 2012 is 156, and the increase in seats to 188 may be all in this year, or progressive over a few years). In my class of 145, we get along quite well - I know everyone by name and vice versa. There are individual groups of friends that hang out, since it's kind of tough to regularly interact with every single classmate, but we have many full-class social events.

 

Networking: In terms of making connections with faculty/program members, easily doable as long as you make the effort. The Deans know many students by name, particularly if they're more active somehow in med-related extracurriculars. There is plenty of time to shadow, and if you do so and show interest in that field, the docs that you shadow won't forget your name. In the field I'm interested in, I've emailed a few of them for advice regarding my future - they all immediately replied, and either gave their thoughts or set up times where we could discuss it.

 

Teaching mix: We have 5 hours of PBL per week (2, 2, and 1 on Mon/Tue, Wed/Thur and Fri respectively) and each block lectures average out to about 8 hours per week. Depending on the block it can be somewhat random... you can have times where you have 12 hours in a week and 4 the next. There are also anatomy labs (again vary for each block), clinical skills sessions relevant to each block, site visits and pathology labs.

 

Marking style: Pass/fail for everything pre-clinical. Every block exam is multiple choice (with the exception of two of them, which have some short answer). You write your exam, and right after the exam period, the answers are posted and you can look at them for your own knowledge/benefit. Eventually you can see your score online as the undergrad office posts them (confidentially - you don't see anyone else's mark but your own).

 

Curriculum: Like you said, most of this is online - we have a block system: First year = Intro, Infections, Endocrine, Cardio, Pulmonary, Renal; Second year = GI, Repro, MSK, Neuro, Oncology. It's hard for me to say how efficient this system is since I haven't applied my knowledge yet on a regular basis, but I feel like I've gained a pretty good understanding of medicine thus far.

 

Hospitals used: You can spend 100% of your time at solely the University Hospital if you want. However, pretty much every major hospital in Edmonton is a teaching hospital - every one is involved in clinical rotations and you can shadow at any of them if you arrange it. So there's University Hospital, Royal Alex, Misercordia, Grey Nuns, and the Sturgeon. The Sturgeon is unique in that there are no residents there, so depending on what you shadow you may be able to do more. The Royal Alex you can get to by bus, but the rest you'd likely need a car for (which is why a car is essentially mandatory for 3rd year).

 

City: I'm from Calgary, so I'm biased. But Edmonton isn't as bad as people say it is to me. A lot of the regular amenities - restaurants, bars, movie theaters, etc. - are there and I'm happy with them. The river valley is right by school and is a great place for running. The transit system works well if you're heading downtown, a lot of good stuff is walking distance from school though. I have a car for convenience but I only use it maybe once a week. The winters aren't great, no question, but if you're from Calgary they're tolerable.

 

Now for my personal opinions on selecting a school, and I know you're thinking about here versus UBC (which I know nothing about):

 

- Many of the factors such as class size/social aspect, networking and marking style end up being consistent across the board. All med students are very similar, and no matter where you go, you'll have fun. Also, no matter where you go, you'll be able to network with faculty & program directors/docs, etc., as long as you take initiative to do so.

 

- With regards to curriculum and learning style, UofA's is fairly balanced and provides a decent mix of things. Depending on your learning style, this may be a good thing or bad thing. If you like the concept of PBL and want it emphasized, then a school focused more on self-directed learning may be a better fit. If you like different types of styles to help a concept sink in, I think UofA is a fine choice.

 

- 99% of people will tell you Edmonton is not the city to be in. I'll tell you that Vancouver, Calgary, and most cities in the east definitely sound more appealing, but Edmonton is not as bad as people say. To me, your happiness will depend more so on your social circle - your class and your roommates. I absolutely love it here mainly because of people in my class, and many friends from Calgary have come up here and made the experience so much more meaningful.

 

- Many doctors I've met have said that in the long run, you can go to any school for pre-clinical education, and that regardless you'll come out with the necessary knowledge & skills to take on your clinical years. This is where the difference truly, lies between schools - see below.

 

The two main reasons why I think UofA should be a serious choice for anyone:

 

1. The first 4 months of the year are comparatively easy - the first few blocks really get you settled in and are more or less a transition period into med school. As such, you have time to get to know your class very well (social events several times a week), which can make things much easier down the road. You can also choose to shadow during this time and make those connections that you're interested in. Even if you don't have the knowledge base for all the specialties at this point, you can very well show interest in any field and it's always a positive.

 

2. The clinical experience. Again I can't really comment, but I've heard that years 3 and 4 are really the strength of UofA. This seems to be the major health care center of Western Canada (or one of them); we have every single program here, the faculty are top of the line, all sorts of procedures are done here, you see unique cases, and you learn and learn and learn. The third years I've talked to have nothing but great things to say about their experience thus far. Additionally, the Edmonton Clinic is currently being built (which is supposed to be the 'equivalent' of Mayo in Canada) and is projected to be done within a few years. This would be the place if you're highly interested in learning about medicine, and a great place for residency - you could definitely become a big shot in your field.

 

Overall, I try not to sway people either way - go to the school that fits your learning style, personality, and where you'd want to live. What matters most is your own personal happiness.

 

Hope this helps.

[flamesfan]

Thank you!^^