Number of Applicants

[Guest MayFlower1]

Good morning everyone,

 

Someone in the Mac forum quoted the number of applicants that have applied to their program this cycle and indicated that there has been a significant increase this year (astronomical, actually) with the bulk of increases occurring at Mac and Ottawa. Can anybody verify the number of applicants to Ottawa this cycle?

 

Peter

[Guest UOMeds06]

Hi Peter,

You know, it's kinda funny cause last year I initially heard that about 2200 people applied. I am now told by someone in second year who apparently heard from someone in the faculty that the number last year was closer to 4800! I DO know that the numbers at Mac are inflated due to the lack of the MCAT component and the numbers at Ottawa are a little higher still. Just be weary of any number that you get unless it comes from the Fac. directly. I can ask next time I'm in the office...if I remember.

 

Good luck Peter (crossing my fingers and toes)

UOMeds06

[Guest MayFlower1]

Thanks UOmeds06!

 

You're right about being careful about the numbers. I was more looking for large variance relative to last year like appears to be the case at Mac. Also, to keep things in perspective, my guess is just because there are significantly higher numbers of applicants, one can't conclude that these applicants are all "top notch."

 

Anyway, it would be interesting to find out how many people actually applied to UofO this year...if you do happen to find out please let me know.

 

Peter

 

P.S. We should plan a pre-christmas get together with MN...drop me a line sometime when you're not too nuts with studies.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi Peter,

 

You might have already spotted it already, but just in case you didn't, on another thread Aneliz divulged the applicant numbers for all five Ontario schools, provided to the offices at Western.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest Tanya24]

There has been some discussion as to why Ott/Mac increased in # of applicants while the others decreased. Aside from the obvious early MCAT score availability, perhaps it's due to all the recent publicity re: dr. shortages in Ontario. Perhaps university students are more apt to apply to med these days (esp to schools w/out MCAT) because they think they're chances of acceptance are better. Maybe they think there will be more 1st year spots to compensate for the dr. shortage?

 

However, I have my doubts as to whether the quality of the applicant pool has increased dramatically. (I am obviously biased since my hat's in the ring....would hate to think that I am screwed.)

 

Just my humble opinion. Comments?

Tanya.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there Tanya24,

 

Just some thoughts to add to your thoughts...

 

It's possible that there may be an additional factor that may be contributing to the sway in medical school application numbers. There could be a change in the pattern of applications due to the change in the economic climate over the past few years, and it may be fortified by the increased acceptance/confidence among applicants who have been out in the workforce, to return to school. If more "non-traditional" applicants are feeling that the time is right to return to school (due to the bruised economy), they may also be boosted by a confidence derived from: a) seeing that many Canadian medical schools (especially those such as McMaster) are receptive to candidates with their array of life experience; that more and more people in similar positions are successfully making similar life choices. This being the case, then an injection or upswing of more seasoned applicants to medical schools may result. Consequently, it's then arguable that if these "seasoned" numbers are higher, the quality of the applicant pool (as long as that quality is partly dictated by extracurricular activities, etc.) will increase slightly, in tandem.

 

I know a few people in the above situation who have been interested in medicine for a while, but have spent the past few years in other careers. Up to this point, however, they hadn't been serious enough to consider sacrificing the time to take the MCAT. As such, it doesn't seem as much of a stretch to test the waters and apply to the two schools in Canada that do not require the MCAT--McMaster and Ottawa. It would be interesting to see, from their applicant demographics, how the proportion of "non-traditional" applicants to McMaster and Ottawa has changed over the years.

 

Just some meanderings on a chilly December afternoon!

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest Sil]

I tend to think that the increases in Ottawa and Mc are mainly due to the MCAT being available earlier. If I had access to my mcat scores before the dealines to apply last year I would not have applied to Queens (since I would not have made their cuts).

 

As well I would not worry too much about the pool being that much more competitive. A large majority of people applying to med schools don't have the minimum required GPA's. I don't mean the are .01 or 0.02 off, I mean they are applying with GPA's like 3.3 or even lower (not that I think 3.3 is a bad GPA)

 

If the figures quoted in the OMSAS thread are right then 2040 people applied to U of O last year. Of those only 700 made the GPA cut offs (only around 30%). Of the 700, I think 450 were interviewed. I suspect that this year 2384 people applied and I would not be surprised to find out that 30% of those meet the cut off roughly 820.

 

Rumour has it there will be an increase in 10 spots (don't quote me) perhaps they'll try to increase the number of interviewees to match this (as I seem to recall Western was thinking of doing the same thing this year, increasing the number of interviewees to fill a larger class).

[Guest MayFlower1]

Kirsteen,

 

EDIT: Oops...I just saw aneliz's latest post on the omsas forum. A few more hundred applicants to the pool will make very little difference at the end of the day in my opinion.

 

With respect to your hypotheses on why applicant numbers are up this year with Mac and Ottawa...I think you may have hit the nail right on the head.

 

 

Peter

[Guest MayFlower1]

Sil,

 

Thanks for the encouragement and information. I agree with you with respect to people with lower GPAs. I know several people that have applied to Mac with 3.1 something averages, hoping that other factors offset their GPA relative to other candidates. This also fits nicely with Kirsteen's hypothesis that with the state of the economy and the "need for more docs in Ontario" that more people are giving it a shot.

 

Peter

[Guest UOMeds05]

Wow, my first day in the forum and i'm posting everywhere.

 

Again, misimformation... it is everywhere! Yes, applications have gone up a considerable amount this year, in fact more than 17%. This application year (for Sept. 03) there are 4,469 applicants to the 5 Ontario Schools at which there are 692 positions (according to the Executive Director of OMSAS as published in The Toronto Star article which ran a number of weeks ago). There are over 4000 applicants to Ottawa this year (which has never happened before-last year included-from the same source as above there were only approx. 3800 total applicants to the 5 schools last year). Now, none of this is to spook anyone, because it is not to say that any of these applicants are actually qualified. I know that Ottawa is making every effort not to increase the wgpa cut-off marks since they prefer a well-rounded student rather than just great marks... i don't suspect that this will be determined until some time in the new year.

 

I hope this may help clarify some things... you should look up the Toronto Star article... rather interesting.

 

Oh yeah, and as a post-script... the last unconfirmed number of interviews for last year's selection (from an admission's officer) was well over 500 for the 135 positions granted.