how to fill in Ottawa sketch?

[Guest diencephalon]

Well, I finally was able to fill in the omsas sketch...have a total of 43 entries,...hopefully they look balance overall...done some music, business stuff, volunteering, research, etc...anything to make me a well rounded-applicant.

 

Mayflower (you here Mayflower? =) commented on how she wrote continously...

 

And I'm not sure how I would elaborate on my activities..

 

As an example, here is the stuff I put for my job as a lifeguard

 

For the first part where you have 100 characters to describe whether full time/part-time and whether it was during the summer or not. I put :

 

Part-time;

Mid-Academic & Summer Year;

 

there wasnt a need to put in the number of hours or if it was when you were in university or highschool, because there were seprate lines for them. That is definetly not 100 characters as you can see, but I'm not sure what else to put, as they say they want you to be consice and to the point...anything else I should put under that "Full/Part-time - Summer or Academic Year" Section?

 

For the second part, where it asks for your responsiblities, I put:

 

Was a lifeguard at 3 pools. Duties: ensure patron safety, observe/enforce rules, clean pool, maintain water chemistry, keep good customer relations.

 

...I cant fill anything more, but Im just wondering if this is the correct way of describing your activites...seems kinda thin to me..

 

Thanks guys

[Guest Tanya23]

I think that is exactly what they are looking for. I get a very clear idea of your overall job just by reading that 150-character synopsis. They want it concise and brief. What I would like to know is how much does it take to be competitive in terms of volunteer, ec's, work experience? Since there certainly isn't a lot of room (150 chars) to describe your responsibilities/role, are they relying heavily on HOW LONG and HOW OFTEN you are involved? Any ideas?

Good luck with your application!

[Guest diencephalon]

Thanks Tanya,

 

I have no idea as this is my first time applying..

 

But my reasoning is that under EMPLOYMENT, length should not really matter, as the objective of employment is to make money and get different experiences to prepare you for your next job (I highly doubt people keep the same jobs for more than a year..otherwise, how wil you "grow" as a person)

 

That said however, things change under the EXTRACIRR./VOLUNTEER section since I'm sure med ad coms dont care so much as how many volunteer activites you have done, but rather how much time you have devoted...the very definition of the word volunteer means to devote time to others, so amount of time is really important...If you volunteered for 100 organizations in a year, unless you never slept, you probably didnt contribute that much to each organization and I think the ad coms will see that..any thoughts?

 

Cheers,

 

diencephalon

 

P.S. Is there anyway I can add "diencephalon" to the end of my posts automatically as a signiture or something? Really gets annoying when you have to type diencephalon 1 X10^7 times!

[Guest Tanya23]

lol! I guess you could "copy and paste" or change your username! Very true what you said about employment. You probably gain more diverse experiences if you move around a bit. Shows that you are open to new experiences and personal growth. You may be considered more "well-rounded". As for volunteer/ec's, I think you're right; dedication speaks. I had a summer job as a hospital volunteer coordinator for teens, and you wouldn't believe how many people sign up to volunteer for like one month just so they can "put in on their resume." Then they asked me for a med school reference?!? After 10 hours of service?? Adcoms will see right through this. It is the volunteer who has returned for several summers in a row that will impress. Perhaps Ottawa (given that they rely heavily on volunteerism, ec's, etc.) has encountered a great deal of "embellishment" from applicants and thus think it's important to know more about the time commitment of the volunteer. Good luck! Tanya.

[Guest diencephalon]

Hey Tanya,

 

you by any chance aren't going into your 3rd year of B.Sc at Western are you?

 

Cheers,

 

Diencep.

[Guest V]

Do both of you go to UWO?

 

What program? I just graduated from the B.Sc.

[Guest diencephalon]

Hey V, nope sorry I don't go to UWO I go to good ol' Queen's...doing also a B.Sc....just in what major I dont know yet

 

I managed to obtain a copy of omsas from last year and it seems that Ottawa changed their requirements for the sketch...for last year it says something like "explain how it relates / prepare you for medicine"

 

but for this year it says nothing like that...instead, they just want how many hrs, competition involved, details of duties, etc....seems so impersonal

 

I have a question about the Nserc jazz...for the research (for both this and last year) section, it says "to specify your role in the project i.e. second author of five on paper " ...but I m not sure the results will be published so Im not really sure what to put for this section...

 

Lastly, although ottawa wants stuff from secondary school in the sketch, is it bad to have too much extracirruclars done in high school instead of university? Out of 43, perhaps half of the sketch is high school stuff.....think its ok?

 

Sorry for all the questions!

[Guest V]

I think all that high school stuff is fine. Just make sure you have recent stuff (university) to talk about. You don't want to look like you did so much stuff before, then came to a halt.

 

As for the NSERC, I would just write down, "At this time, our results have not been submitted for publication" or if you are doing a thesis work, you can write "I will be authoring a thesis for submission at the completion of the academic year".

 

I really don't think having publications in undergrad will make or break you, so dont sweat it.

[Guest diencephalon]

Thanks for tips V! One last thing though...and this might be anal or something, buuttt..

for last year's application Ottawa said this:

 

"Volunteer Activites - Tell us how many hours you spent in these activites, why you chose to volunteer in those particular areas, what exactly you did and what lessons you learned"

 

For this year, they changed it to"

 

"Indicate hrs per week and number of years. Provide the location where the volunteer work took place and briefly describe your responsibilities."

 

Would you recommend us to shove in "why we chose to volunteer in those particular areas, what lessons we learned" even though it wasnt explicitly stated in the 2003-2004 application?

 

Thanks

[Guest Tanya23]

I actually finished my HBSc this year! I share your concerns about the Ottawa sketch, diencephalon. The sketch for 2003 is quite different than previous years. I don't think they want us to include the info about "how it made you a better person" or "what you learned". They only gave us 150 characters per entry this year -- barely enough room to describe the basics! Perhaps the evaluation process has become more structured/objective? Who knows. We just have to jump through the hoops we're given. It might be worth an email to Nina or Nicole Racine to double check.

 

By the way, it should be fine to mention your thesis is in-progress and MIGHT be published later in the year. I did that, too.

[Guest V]

I think that if you had space, to definately put in what you gained or learned from the experience... It adds a bit of uniqueness and personal flair to your application.

 

For example, last year I wrote about my volunteer work with Alzheimer's patients and finished off with something like "I learned of the importance of treating a patient as an individual rather than a disease" or something like that. It not only contributes some personality to an otherwise monotone discussion, but also can shed some light on personal qualities that haven't been explicitly stated in your application.

 

Remember, this is only if you have room. I think one sentance is more than enough.

 

Thus,

 

Title of postion,

Where and Duration/number of hours

responsibilities

what you learned/gained from it

 

I think that if you use point form (just like they say to in the Ottawa admissions book) and carefully phrase your points, you should be fine. Remember, this isn't something you should finish in 2 or 3 days. You have time to edit and spice things up (I believe its not due until Mid-October).

 

Keep us posted on how things are going. ALWAYS REMEMBER, THIS IS JUST MY VIEW.

 

 

PS. I like the "might be anal, but" pun Diencephalon. T'was quite a funny.

 

V

[Guest bk2bk]

hi guys,

 

did you write the Ottawa in pointform or in full sentences? the app says to be "consice, as you are not writing a personal letter" so does that mean they they do not want full sentences?

 

eg. V put "I learned of the importance of treating a patient as an individual rather than a disease" ...

 

would it be better to put " learned importance of treating patients as individuals, not disease"

[Guest Sil]

I did mine in point form only. My sentences were pretty choppy But guess there is more than one way to do things.

[Guest V]

I think you should write it the way you did. I just remember I wrote a line something like that. When it comes time to editing your application, list it the way it sounds the best to YOU.

 

In terms of the point form note, if you peruse the Ottawa portion of the OMSAS booklet, it say something like, POINT FORM IS EASIER TO PERUSE. It may have changed, so please read it carefully.

Post here after reading it. I'll read this year's and try and post it soon....

 

Everyone I knew who had interviews either wrote point form, or point form with some full sentences as introduction. Again, make it as you wish as long as you follow the rules. A little uniqueness can go a long way.

[Guest V]

For the point form note, PLEASE SEE PAGE 14 OF THE OMSAS 2003 BOOKLET. It is on the bottom left hand side, and reads "ANSWERS IN POINT FORM ARE EASIER TO PERUSE". You can check it out at the OMSAS website under the 29 page PDF file.

 

Hope this helps your application process

 

V

[Guest Ceds]

Hey V,

 

Congrats on all your acceptances. I always knew what you would be doing Sept '02, just wasn't sure where. Glad to know I have a place where I can follow-up! Drop me a line, as I would like to keep in touch. My e-mail is cs.law@rogers.com

 

Your former classmate,

Cedrin

[Guest V]

What's up buddy!!!!

 

Leave your email on a post here, and once I get a U of O one set-up I will email you with my address. Feel free to email me anytime to ask any questions regarding the process.

 

Believe me when I say, you will be there in Sept '03.... I have complete faith.

 

V

[Guest b2kbk]

I email admissions on mon to ask if we should put "what we learned, etc.."..but they still have yet to respond!

[Guest Tanya23]

Hi b2kbk, that's great - thanks! I emailed Nina/Nicole a question about 3 weeks ago and JUST got a response. They are probably really wrapped up, so it might take awhile. Thank you!!

 

You guys have been great. I wonder if I could ask your advice about something that's bothering me.... I dread the August MCAT. Have always been a perfectionist, the thought of going up against an ego-threatening test makes me ill. I really want to attend Ottawa, and I THINK I have at least a shot at an interview. 3.85 - 3.90 WGPA and about 2,500 hours of volunteering/ec's over the last 10 years (healthcare, music, school, camps). Interviewing has always been a strength for me, so I *hope* I could pull that off decently. Did any of you guys do the MCAT if you had your hearts set on Ottawa?? It seems like a lot of stress and money if Ottawa truly is my best shot. Any thoughts would be deeply appreciated.

[Guest Sil]

My job is so very boring, thank goodness I am quitting Friday.

 

I wanted to come to Ottawa because of family reasons. But I still wrote the MCAT I did not do particularly great but managed to get interviewed at UWO. If I were you I would write the MCAT to maximize your options. That being said I know of people that were dead set on Ottawa, only applied to Ottawa and got in. It all depends. Have you though of only applying to Mc and U of O for this year and if you get interviews not writing the MCAT. If you get interview you will find out on June 1, 2003 and if you get accepted then you won't have to write the MCAT .

 

The only thing is that for me I did not do as well as I would have liked on the MCAT and I did not think that my interview went well. So I wanted to retake the MCAT and I wanted to take a course . Obviously the course started May 27 and there would have been 3 classes before I found out if I was accepted or not so I paid the $400 for deposit (I am glad that they refunded the full amount). But you can see if by chance you get waitlisted next year you won't know wether or not to study for it. I know someone who only applied to U of O and got waitlisted. He found out he got in the day before he had to write the MCAT. Just some things to think about before you make a decision

[Guest JSS02]

Tanya, unless you don't have any background in the material covered on the MCAT (which is unlikely, since I think Ottawa requires a few science courses), it's probably worth giving it a try. Even if Ottawa is your first choice, less than 40% of the people who get an interview eventually end up being accepted, including off the waitlist. So it's worth applying to any schools you're eligible for (within reason, I'm not suggesting you apply to all 16 Canadian schools) to maximize your chances.

[Guest UofCMeds2005]

Hey I just have one quick tip. If you were a life guard you must of had first aide and cpr training. I think adding this info into your job description would be an excellent way of adding a medically related area to your employment sketch...

 

Example:

 

Lifeguard (3 pools)

Duties: supervise & ensure patron safety, maintain pool & water chemistry, & serve as first aide & CPR responder during emergencies.

 

You could even list your first aide certification in brackets etc.

Also, in my app I used the & sign - it usually allowed me to add a couple extra valuable words...

 

Anyways, as someone else already said these are just suggestions and my opinion - use them if you think they will help...

[Guest V]

Tanya,

 

I would definately write the MCAT. Maximizing your options is the best idea, especially when competition is so fierce. Getting into your #1 choice is a real privelage, but many do no have those options. Moreover, sometimes people know a lot about some schools and very little about others, and thus tend to be very biased. When you are eligible to many schools, and have invites to them, your attitude towards them (and hence maybe your #1 pick) may change too.

 

I love U of O, and it wasn't my first pick way back in October when applications were due. As I went through this process, I learned so many interesting things about the program, and only after months of research, was I comfortable to say it was now my #1 choice. I think that by keeping your options and eyes open, you will only be doing yourself a favor.

 

I hope this helps a bit, and good luck with your application.