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To qualify for NOSM...


Leon

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Just to verify, you're automatically disqualified if you don't meet at least one of the following criteria, right?

1) Must have lived in a rural area in Canada for a certain number of years

2) Promises to work in a rural area for a certain number of years upon graduation

 

?

Thanks

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yes, neither 1 nor 2 is accurate. Point 1 is a great benefit and your chances improve dramatically if this applies to you, but each year there is a small selection of students admitted, where this does not apply.

re 2: although they are looking for people who are likely to practice and serve the people of the north or remote areas, there is nothing to bind you to this post-graduation.

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yes, neither 1 nor 2 is accurate. Point 1 is a great benefit and your chances improve dramatically if this applies to you, but each year there is a small selection of students admitted, where this does not apply.

re 2: although they are looking for people who are likely to practice and serve the people of the north or remote areas, there is nothing to bind you to this post-graduation.

 

I'd be curious to find some stats that show relationship between those interviewed and admitted vs. those who chose to practise in northern/rural areas to determine if we think there's some unstated bias happening.

 

I'd like to setup shop in an areas like Collingwood but doubtful that would be a textnook definition of rural yet it IS definitely not situated within a major area/community.

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Holy **** srsly? I've no idea why but I never looked into NOSM because I was under the impression that you need to fit either 1 or 2. -.-"

Ok, that's another school to apply for then!

Thanks SO much everyone, much appreciated

 

Just to warn you - without rural experience or if you haven't lived in a rural area for a long time, chances are slim...

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That being said, this is the class profile of this years entering class:

 

A total of 1,756 applications were received.

395 applicant were interviewed.

There are 64 places in the class.

The average GPA of the members of the class was 3.72 (on a 4.0 scale).

The average age of the members of the class is 25 years.

There are 42 females (66%) and 22 males (34%) in the class.

There are 5 self-identified Aboriginal students (8%) in the class.

There are 13 self-identified Francophone students (20%) in the class.

60 students in the class (94%) are from Northern Ontario.

4 members of the class (6%) are from rural and remote areas in the rest of Canada.

In the class there are 7 students who have a a Masters degree and one PhD degree.

 

If your not from Northern Ontario, or another area of rural/remote Canada, your chances are very slim (just not impossible).

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What's the criteria for being a "resident" of NW-Ontario?

 

You'd have to contact them directly for an official answer, but I know that if you attended high school in NWO that's one criteria. If NOSM is going along the lines of other school's residency requirements, you'll have had to live and work in NWO for a certain period of time if you didn't grow up there. Going to Lakehead for 4 years during university won't count (I don't think).

 

Again, contact them for an official answer.

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You need to have lived in NO (or NWO in your case) for 5 years and as the previous poster stated not during your university studies.

 

Im not sure about the high school component, I do believe that is an important consideration as they ask you outright about whwere you did your highschool and no doubt it is somehow factored into yoru context score.

 

I called them about whether I was considered a NO resident after 6 years in North Eastern Onatrio and they wouldnt give me a straight answer. Although I know I probably am considered this by now, I was not considered NO resident on my previous application in '07 (the last time I applied) and was told by one of the financial officers that "time in Northern Ontario would strengthen my application" hence the reason I waited 4 years before bothering tp apply again.

 

So pretty much just put down on paper your various addresses and they will figure it out for you ... of course at this point there is nothing you can do about your residency status; either you are or you aren't.

 

Beef

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I got an interview this last cycle and was quite surprised given I was born and lived until I graduated from high school in a small city (40k) 2 hours West of Winnipeg. Is that considered rural? I don't really think so but who knows. Since graduating I lived in Edmonton for sometime (8 years) but then lived in a small town in New Brunswick for a year (8k) and then in Manitoba (1.5k) for 4 years.

 

Oh and I did a two year mission for my church where I spent 8 months up in Northern Quebec (Abitibi Temiscamingue) working with Franco and Aboriginal populations.

 

Any thoughts on rurality?????

 

In the end I got put on the reserve waitlist. Maybe if I totally rock the MMI I could do better or possibly get in???!!!

 

Hoote

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You'd have to contact them directly for an official answer, but I know that if you attended high school in NWO that's one criteria. If NOSM is going along the lines of other school's residency requirements, you'll have had to live and work in NWO for a certain period of time if you didn't grow up there. Going to Lakehead for 4 years during university won't count (I don't think).

 

Again, contact them for an official answer.

 

Thanks. I'm aware that four years at Lakehead doesn't qualify one as a resident, but was wondering if not going home over those four years (ie. working in Thunder Bay each summer) would provide any benefit at all.

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Thanks. I'm aware that four years at Lakehead doesn't qualify one as a resident, but was wondering if not going home over those four years (ie. working in Thunder Bay each summer) would provide any benefit at all.

 

I have no idea of how NOSM would look at that. You can try contacting them directly, they're good about responding quickly. I would imagine that would help your case more than someone who went home every summer, but I still don't know if that's enough.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I got an interview this last cycle and was quite surprised given I was born and lived until I graduated from high school in a small city (40k) 2 hours West of Winnipeg. Is that considered rural? I don't really think so but who knows. Since graduating I lived in Edmonton for sometime (8 years) but then lived in a small town in New Brunswick for a year (8k) and then in Manitoba (1.5k) for 4 years.

 

Oh and I did a two year mission for my church where I spent 8 months up in Northern Quebec (Abitibi Temiscamingue) working with Franco and Aboriginal populations.

 

Any thoughts on rurality?????

 

In the end I got put on the reserve waitlist. Maybe if I totally rock the MMI I could do better or possibly get in???!!!

 

Hoote

 

Good job on interviewing last year. How are the other aspects of your application (i.e. GPA, other ECs, volunteeting)? Also how have you improved your application since last year?

 

Good luck.

 

Beef

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Good job on interviewing last year. How are the other aspects of your application (i.e. GPA, other ECs, volunteeting)? Also how have you improved your application since last year?

 

Good luck.

 

Beef

 

OMSAS GPA is not great (3.31 would be higher but they don't count my college courses) but I have a ton of EC's including time in Northern Quebec as a missionary serving Franco and Aboriginal populations. I am also in the military and have served overseas. Since last year the only things I have done to improve my application was continue to be the President of Youth Organization and assist Aboriginal parents living on a reserve in getting their kids to youth activities in larger centers. I've been gone on military service too much to have had time to take additional courses. I've been spending most of the time I have had studying for the MCAT so I could be competitive at other schools.

 

I was really surprise I got an interview. And I agree, it will be near impossible to go from the pool of 400 to one of the 64. I really can't change my demographics (from Mb and AB) and it will be almost impossible to do a 2nd degree part time. I guess what I can work on is ECs and MMI.

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Hoote: Yes you will definately want to rock the MMI. It does sounds like your competitiveness will greatly be affected by your MMI performance and the applicant pool. That is if the applicant pool is weaker than in previous years your chances will be higher than vs a stronger applicant pool.

 

Good luck. You sound like you have some unique experiences that definately make you stand out amongst a pile of cookie cutter applicants. I look forward to hearing how you make out.

 

Beef

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  • 2 weeks later...
Real Beef, we are not "cookie cutter applicants".

 

The new class is outstanding and my friends who did not make it are not cookie cutter either. We all bring something original to the table.

 

Dude, my comment was not a personal attack. Rather stating that out of the 1700-2000 applicants his unique experiences will allow him to rise above a portion of applicants who ARE cookie cutter applicants, i.e. straight out of undergrad with average GPA and 1-2 years hospital volunteering or similar. I have met many NOSM students at my organization who were doing their Aboriginal community placements and have been impressed with their backgrounds and personalities. I am also in agreement with you that a portion of those who were not successful in previous applications are not cookie cutter or average either ... hell I was one of those previous non-successful applicants and I think Im pretty great :D

 

Beef

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