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NOSM OMSAS questions


medZ

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Hello

 

I have decided to take my chances and apply to NOSM. However I seem to be running into some difficulty with question 2. I am not sure how to approach this one...will having a lack of rural experiences hurt my application? I know why I would want to study at NOSM but I feel I lack the practical experience :( ..any one else had problems with this?

 

Thanks

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2. How have your academic, work and life experiences prepared you for being a student at NOMS and for studying and working in rural, remote and/or northern urban communities? (1,500 characters)

 

No question this is a problem for anybody who has no significant rural experience. It is a longshot. Do you have French? They have taken city dwellers with no rural experience who speak French.

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My french is weak but I am hoping they will acknowledge my research, volunteer experience etc. So far I have been able to express why my academic background has prepared me for NOSM...but I cannot seem to incorporate valuable work experience in these areas. I have spoken to a lot of ppl as part of my volunteer work who are from rural areas, but I doubt this will help much :confused:

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4. List activities and interests outside academic and work environments not detailed elsewhere in the application

 

I was wondering how to interpret this one. Would you suggest talking about hobbies?

 

For the "interests" portion could I mention research and things that I did during my summer job that relate to research? Because the question asks about interests outside academic environments. But what if you natural interest is in research, teaching etc?

 

Thanks in advance

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4. List activities and interests outside academic and work environments not detailed elsewhere in the application

 

I was wondering how to interpret this one. Would you suggest talking about hobbies?

 

For the "interests" portion could I mention research and things that I did during my summer job that relate to research? Because the question asks about interests outside academic environments. But what if you natural interest is in research, teaching etc?

 

Thanks in advance

 

I talk about playgroups with my kids, geocaching and geological hobbies (yeah, mesa mega nerd), setting up my telescope, canoeing, etc. Stuff that I can technically only verify through family and friends--and point this out.

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4. List activities and interests outside academic and work environments not detailed elsewhere in the application

 

I was wondering how to interpret this one. Would you suggest talking about hobbies?

 

For the "interests" portion could I mention research and things that I did during my summer job that relate to research? Because the question asks about interests outside academic environments. But what if you natural interest is in research, teaching etc?

 

Thanks in advance

If you talk about stuff you did during your summer job, that's a work environment, is it not?

 

I talked about music, since I play an instrument that's not too popular among med school applicants (like piano, guitar, etc.) I also talked about some other hobbies I have that I think are interesting.

 

Personally, I think this question is asking you specifically about unique hobbies without being too direct. It's a way to see who does the basic things (research, hospital volunteering, etc.) and who does things that are different.

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I think this is another great opportunity to show your potential "well-roundedness". Use it to sell something about yourself that could not really fit into the sketch. Remember - it's always a good idea to connect what you say, to the application .... the "so what" factor, if you will. Why are they important to you, how have they impacted you and why do they make you ready to go into med (or more importantly, med at NOSM) etc.

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Hey

 

Just wanted to thank everyone for their help. I am finishing up the autobio sketch. Just wandering what do you put under the geographic location, I was trying to enter the city but It does not fit so should I just leave it as Toronto? assuming most of the activities were in toronto?

 

Also just to verify we should add our formal education here to even though they are listed under postsecondary education?

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I talk about playgroups with my kids, geocaching and geological hobbies (yeah, mesa mega nerd), setting up my telescope, canoeing, etc. Stuff that I can technically only verify through family and friends--and point this out.

 

Hey Cnussey! :)

We have to put down verifiers for that too? I have some rather different interests/hobbies and there isn't really a way for them to get verified by others...

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Hey Cnussey! :)

We have to put down verifiers for that too? I have some rather different interests/hobbies and there isn't really a way for them to get verified by others...

 

Hey again! Well, if you can, yes! But my answer is read such that they know these activities would only be able to provide familial verifiers...like I mention that I used to do a fair bit of canoeing, etc., but now most of the physical activities and extra time I have are focused on my children. It's worded quite neatly. Play around with it!

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I wanted to add some work experience that I had at a senior residential. But the supervisor I worked under is no longer there. Do ALL activities need a verifier? Should I even bother adding it?

 

Thanks for your responses in advance

 

If there is a record, you can call someone who works in admin and ask them if someone is willing to answer a call and verify you did what you say you did--they don't need to have actually known you, just verify!

 

If not at all possible, you can give the particulars of the company/etc. and use that specific question to mention your experience and the difficulty in finding a verifier.

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Typically how many activities are most people entering for the sketch. I am finding it hard to extend it to 30:confused:

 

And when filling out the verifiers section there is a section called 'comments' not to sure what to put in this field.

 

Thanks for your responses in advance.

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Typically how many activities are most people entering for the sketch. I am finding it hard to extend it to 30:confused:

 

And when filling out the verifiers section there is a section called 'comments' not to sure what to put in this field.

 

Thanks for your responses in advance.

 

I have about 35, but I'm older than you are...presumably.

 

Verifier comment section: nothing, unless necessary. I commented on how someone was able to verify an activity, but was actually new to the position and the original person in charge had retired.

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Hey Cnussey

 

Thanks for your reply. I have two degrees :confused: and still am low on activities. I guess most it can be owed to the fact some of my employment is ongoing and long term.

Just out of curiousity how far back do your activities date? Did you mention anything you did in highschool or did you focus on activities during your undergrad?

 

Thanks

 

I have about 35, but I'm older than you are...presumably.

 

Verifier comment section: nothing, unless necessary. I commented on how someone was able to verify an activity, but was actually new to the position and the original person in charge had retired.

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After cutting back a large number of possible entries I still have 48. That being said, I'm old and have a lot to chose from! They don't look so much at the number, as they do what it is that you list. It what you have a 28 decent entries, then that is great! As they say, "quality over quantity".

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Try to think of things you haven't thought of. Go through everything you do in a week and every random event you've gone to in the last year and see if any of those are relevant. I thought I had very few things before I started thinking about it like that. That being said, I think quality is more important than quantity. I think the point is to show that you do useful things with your time. As a simple example, volunteering at one place for 20 hours is no better or worse than volunteering at two different places for 10 hours, but the first one gives you one thing to put down and the second gives you two. I think the adcoms understand that. And I'm almost 28, almost have a PhD, and I think I've "only" got about 35 things. Definitely not 48.

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Where does it say that?

 

Here is what I see:

"The remaining applications are then assigned a total application score based on the grade point average (GPA), the autobiographical sketch and school submission questions, and context." (pg 23)

 

It is my understanding that they certainly do score you on three things preinterview:

1) GPA

2) Sketch and School Submissions

3) Context

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Where does it say that?

 

Here is what I see:

"The remaining applications are then assigned a total application score based on the grade point average (GPA), the autobiographical sketch and school submission questions, and context." (pg 23)

 

It is my understanding that they certainly do score you on three things preinterview:

1) GPA

2) Sketch and School Submissions

3) Context

 

This is my understanding as well. The sketch is used.

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