Advice for choosing b/n UWO and Ottawa

[Guest LKesq]

Hi everyone,

 

I've narrowed it down to going to UWO or U of Ottawa for meds in september, but I'm having a hard time with my final decision.

 

I grew up in London and did my undergrad there, and I love the school, the people, and the "work hard play hard" attitude. I have a lot of friends returning to UWO, my serious girlfriend lives in London, I have great contacts in London Health Sciences, and Western's clerkship program is amazing.

 

I never lived at home in my undergrad, but I've still got this feeling I should "get away" from London...an itch I feel I need to scratch if you will. I wanted to do my undergrad at Dalhousie (but didn't get into residence there so I didn't go) and ended up at UWO by default. Don't get me wrong, I totally loved it, but I've still got that urge to get away. Going to Ottawa would be a great chance to figure out if I'm up to the challenge of being completely independent, etc. Their program is also similar to Western's though not quite as traditional and less time in lectures. Ottawa is a beatiful city with lots to do, close to Montreal (a city I am very fond of), and I'd more than likely learn French while I was there. But most importantly, it would be a change of scenery, a blank slate, a totally new experience.

 

I've talked to a number of physicians and current med students at both schools, and I won't regret my decision either way as they are both great places to learn medicine. I'm just looking for other how other people are going about making decisions about where to go, etc. Any advice would be appreciated from others who are in a similar position.

 

Thanks

[Guest fever meds]

serious girlfriend. how serious? i am not sure how thrilled she'd be if she found out you wanted to do the long distance thing simply because you wanted to reinvent yourself, especially considering both schools in your mind are relatively equal. maybe if she is serious to you, put your relationship first.

 

just my thoughts.

[Guest Scared in the Woods]

why not take her to Ottawa with you? I left home to go to university and it was a great thing for me. Just a thought...

[Guest jmh2005]

Don't forget, that you can also 'go-away' for residency...if you decide to stay at UWO for meds. Yes, it would mean 4 more years in London before that, but as the above poster asked, you need to examine your relationship situation too...

 

Ottawa is a great city (very cold in the winter) and if you can learn french while you are learning medicine, I'm impressed...

 

Good luck with your decision, you are lucky to be in such a position...

[Guest hizo1]

hey,

 

that's a really tough choice. i grew up in ottawa and it is a great city; getting away from home to go to a city like that can really help one grow as a person (cliche i know). however i've also had an awesome time in western meds. i don't know much about ottawa's program, but i know their exam schedule is 20X better than ours.

 

having good contacts at lhsc can really help you with certain residencies if you're thinking competitive specialty (bonus points if the faculty are friends of family). also living away from your gf sucks, especially given how far ottawa and london are. then again maybe you're ready for a change

 

good luck with your choice. i think it's one of those where you'll be just as happy with either one.

[Guest LKesq]

Thanks for the prompt replies everyone. To answer some questions, as far as the relationship goes, it's really my first serious relationship so it's a very new situation for me. I don't have the experience from previous "loves" to judge how much weight a relationship should have in this decision.

 

The girl is from the other side of the country as well, and only has more year at UWO so that makes things even more difficult. However, she is open to the idea of staying around, possibly doing some college here after she's finished her degree.

 

We've talked about me going away, and she said if she were in my position, she would probably go. After all, she left BC to come to Ontario because she felt the same way I do about needing a change. In that respect she is very understanding. We'd try to make it work, but the distance between London and Ottawa would make it hard. Ottawa also has mandatory PBL classes Monday and Friday mornings, so it's not like I could skip one of those days to have some extra time in London. If anyone has dealt with a similar problem, more advice would be great.

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Ottawa is a great city (very cold in the winter)

 

Bah!! Why does everyone in Southern Ontario say this?

 

It's the NORMAL and APPROPRIATE temperature for a CANADIAN city (that's not right on the ocean. . . ie Van/Vic/Halifax.)

 

What do you think Edmonton, Calgary (when no chinooks are present,) Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Sudbury, North Bay, Montreal, and Quebec city are like in the winter?

 

Just because your part of the country is nothing but an appendage of Ohio is no reason to assume it's a "normal Canadian Winter."

 

It ain't! :rollin

 

(Sorry JMH. . . I hope you realize I am TOTALLY kidding. I just had to deal with 4 years of southern ontario wussies @ UWO complaining about how -5 degrees C in January was "so cold." Any TRUE Canadian would realize this is balmy! :rollin

[Guest UWOMED2005]

On a more serious note. . .

 

Hmm. One year might be doable London-Ottawa. There's tons of opportunity post-undergrad in Ottawa as well - good professional and grad schools at U of O and Carleton, work with the federal government, etc.

 

Probably better than what's available in London!

 

Ottawa might actually work better in that regards once she graduated. But that's entirely speculation.

 

If you were doing more than one year London-Ottawa, that would be tough. . . ironically I ended up breaking up with my Ottawa girlfriend 6 months after choosing UWO, but that would have been a 4 year commitment to 600 km down the 401/416.

 

I'd more than likely learn French

 

Ooh - that's a bit of stretch. Ottawa does have a significant French presence (particularly in the Hospitals and Gov't) but you can still avoid French if you want, and I wouldn't assume you're just going to pick it up living in the City.

 

But you CAN find chances to practice it if you look!

[Guest jmh2005]

UWO my friend, you are too funny!!! You feel pretty strongly about that, don't you?? I too, was somewhat kidding...but it is definately a fact that Ottawa is colder than London by more than just a degree or two...I grew up in Sudbury, which has a very similar winter climate to Ottawa...

 

I will fully admit that I am now a southern Ontario suck when it comes to weather, anything below -5 C and I get very, very cranky...that's what happens after 12 years of decent winter weather!

 

Hope all is well

J

[Guest UWOMED2005]

LOL - I totally forgot you were from Sudbury.

 

You lived in Hamilton for 3 years and you're already a winter wus?

 

anything below -5 C and I get very, very cranky...that's what happens after 12 years of decent winter weather!

 

Decent weather? You call slush puddles and cold wet (trench) feet decent weather?

 

I'll take a nice -25, a roaring fireplace, and somebody to warm me up over that anyday.

[Guest AMG82]

Hi,

 

This is my first time writing anything on here, but I am also trying to decide between UWO and Ottawa right now so I thought I could ask for some feedback.

 

There are things that I find appealing at each of the schools, and things I find comparable ... and both would be a new school in a new city for me, having completed my undergrad at Mac and my family living in Burlington. So although I am leaning towards UWO because of factors such as friends in the area, closer to home, etc., I guess my decision will basically come down to the difference in how the curriculum is set up.

 

I know Ottawa tests after every unit (so every 4-6 weeks), while UWO tests after every three units (? - 3 exam periods in an academic year). hizo1 wrote that Ottawa's exam schedule was 20x better than UWO's - can anyone elaborate, disagree, etc??

 

Also, what are people's thoughts on the greater amount of traditional lecture time at UWO?

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[Guest cutieyellow]

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[Guest hizo1]

hizo1 wrote that Ottawa's exam schedule was 20x better than UWO's - can anyone elaborate, disagree, etc??

 

that's hizo being bitter about writing 4 exams in the next five days (and we had an osce last week to boot).

[Guest JSS02]

I thought our exam schedule was on the rough side as well. The first year was divided up into quarters and the second year into trimesters (now the first year is also trimestered, I believe), and you have 3-5 exams at the end of each. It can be hard to keep up when exams aren't for another 8 or 9 weeks, but if you don't do anything at all until the last 2 or 3 weeks they will be absolute hell for you (at least in second year). Don't know anything about the Ottawa exam setup so I can't comment.

[Guest Ruenil]

if you can learn french while you are learning medicine, I'm impressed...

 

I've been told that there is an opportunity to take a second-language elective in first year at Ottawa U (very cool)- you could always take french!

[Guest blinknoodle]

Actually, I didn't find our exam schedule to be *that* rough.. I think they changed things a bit this year for us 2008s. We had quite a few assignments throughout the terms which reduced the amount of info on our exams (ie. pathology case study, anatomy assignment, embryology assignments, biochem & genetics quizzes, etc).. it really wasn't that bad.

[Guest UWOMED2005]

I would never make a decision about medical schools based on 1st and 2nd year.

 

All 1st and 2nd year is for is to give you some idea about the basic language and background theory of medicine.

 

Exams are stressful at UWO. But (almost - with FEW exceptions) everybody passes. Then 2nd year is all over, you're in clerkship, and you realized how useless that 1st and 2nd year worrying was.

 

Clerkship is where medicine is really learned. If your going to be concerned about academics compare that aspect of the curriculum.

[Guest TimmyMax]

Hey,

 

I'm with UWOMED2005 when he says to choose a school based on the overall curriculum, not the first two years, where exams are going to be stressful and the exam schedule is going to suck no matter how you slice it. Use that to make your decision.

As for Ottawa, well everyone seems to keep singing its praises, but to be perfectly honest, I've been there four times and I have yet to be impressed. Not to say that London is all that great by any stretch, but Ottawa is a lot of hype, so decide for yourself.

Unless, of course, you like losing to the Leafs in the playoffs every year that there isn't a lockout!

 

Best of luck!

Timmy

[Guest AMG82]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the input everyone ... I totally understand that the first 2 years are going to be comparable between any schools, and probably stressful regardless of where you study. I think when I read that UWO's exam schedule was "20x" worse, I just felt the need to explore that a bit ... it may only be the first 2 years, but you still have to get through them right? haha ...

 

And truly, I don't think I could see myself living in a city surrounded by Sens fans ...

[Guest Gill0927]

Ok, enough knocking of the Sens everyone...I live in London now, but I'm still a true Sens fan...

 

Just to put in my two cents: I had the same decision last year (there was another school in the mix as well, but that doesn't really matter). However, I'm from Ottawa (see Sens fan comment above) and did my undergrad there, so there was that aspect of 'needing a change' in addition to other factors. But I have to say, when it came down to it, I chose UWO and haven't regretted it for a second. (and not just for the milder winter...but it is a perk, I'll admit!).

 

I mainly chose UWO for its clerkship, because I'd heard so many great things about it. I also liked the idea of coming back to school at the end of fourth year as opposed to doing electives after Carms, which didn't make any sense to me. I'll admit, one perk for Ottawa was the exam sched -- they have exams every six weeks or so on one block, before they start the next one. We do a few blocks and then have a bigger set of exams, as was noted in previous posts. But the advantage to UWO in 1st and 2nd year, for me, was the fact that we see the systems (or 'blocks') twice, in essence...which, for someone like me with no science background, limited attention span, and not the greatest long-term memory, was good, I thought.

 

Enough rambling...just want to say that I'm SO glad I chose UWO (so far!)...maybe we'll see you in the fall!

 

Gill