SpanishFly Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 Hey guys! I've been accepted to two schools in Canada this year and am wondering if any current med students/current applicants can shed some light on the pros and cons of a 3 year (u of C) vs. a 4 year program (UWO)? I'm very torn and I have to make a decision soon! I don't think I would be as torn if I was going to the London campus, so if any Western students have anything to say about the whole Windsor/London thing, that would be greatly appreciated! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 Hey guys! I've been accepted to two schools in Canada this year and am wondering if any current med students/current applicants can shed some light on the pros and cons of a 3 year (u of C) vs. a 4 year program (UWO)? I'm very torn and I have to make a decision soon! I don't think I would be as torn if I was going to the London campus, so if any Western students have anything to say about the whole Windsor/London thing, that would be greatly appreciated! Thanks Hey SpanishFly, First off, congrats on your multiple acceptances! There is really no way to lose now as both the schools offer great programs, but here's my take on 3 years versus four years, and why I personally chose Western from the multiple acceptances I had: 3 yrs: Many students agree that you need to work harder to stay attractive for competitive residency programs given the limited time available in the three year programs. Its definitely doable, but some say that it may result in burnout. You may also have to make a decision as to which specialty to pursue earlier on. My take on this is that its entirely dependent on the individual-it depends on the degree of intrinsic motivation and the strength of the work ethic that you possess. On the plus side, you graduate a year earlier and this may be appealing to you. 4 yrs: Obviously, you have an extra year to gain experiences and make connections before the CaRMS applications. Plus, the summers are off, so you may be able to explore potential careers in greater depth before arriving upon a final decision. What I love about Western: The overall impression I got from my research about Western and from the people that I have talked to is that it does not only offer a top class medical education, but it is also a great way to spend 4 years of your life! To name a few of the pluses: IMO, Western has a rigorous pre-clerkship curriculum (search in the UWO thread for the daily calendar that somebody put up) with enough flexibility so that you can get yourself involved in your outside interests very well (there are plenty of med student groups at UWO-in one document (I can't remember which one), it said over 60 extracurricular groups just by med students) and explore potential career options through shadowing. The teaching methods are diverse so that might be a factor to consider. Finally, Western has a very enviable clerkship structure-you complete all your core rotations in third year and spend the first half of fourth year doing electives. This means you are well prepared for your electives and that you have downtime after your clinical electives to study for MCCQE part 1 and prepare for CaRMS interviews. To me, it almost seems like the perfect way in which a clerkship should be arranged. Regarding Windsor, I believe the W24 med students are treated very specially (they even had a CBC news segment covering the inauguration of the windsor meds program last year), and I believe the faculty works hard to ensure that the medical education you get at both sites is comparable. Ultimately, as I said before, you cannot go wrong with either school as both of them are excellent. Consider all the facets of both programs and make the decision that works for you. I am sure current med students can comment further on the Windsor program. Best of luck in making your decision! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jokur23 Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 Biggest issue about Western - they want a four year HONOURS degree. This means that you need to have a degree in 1. Honours Specialization 9module only offered at Western) or 2. a double major. Honours doesn't mean you graduate with above 80% apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estairella Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 Biggest issue about Western - they want a four year HONOURS degree. This means that you need to have a degree in 1. Honours Specialization 9module only offered at Western) or 2. a double major. Honours doesn't mean you graduate with above 80% apparently. Biggest issue is about you is that you're full of shiat. The honours degree required at UWO is defined as a degree which would be acceptable as a prerequisite to graduate programs... in order words, pretty much any bachelor's degree will do. /Plus, the OP is already accepted to medical school Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 Biggest issue is about you is that you're full of shiat. The honours degree required at UWO is defined as a degree which would be acceptable as a prerequisite to graduate programs... in order words, pretty much any bachelor's degree will do. /Plus, the OP is already accepted to medical school Yeah, as estairella points out Jokur23 is not correct. Pretty much every standard 4 year program is an Honours degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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