Rext Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Hey guys! Looking for some insight from upper year Mac students (and current applicants)! What, in your opinion are some advantages and disadvantages of the regional campuses? Before my interview I was pretty dead set on Hamilton but after the interview I'm seriously considering Waterloo now as well because of two main reasons: 1. Anatomy: I really think the structured anatomy style lectures at Waterloo with their bell-ringers would really help my learning. I know that the resources are available at Hamilton too but I think it just won't be the same experience as a regularly, structured, didactic (which I think is advantageous for anatomy) experience. 2. Clerkship opportunities: I've heard the rumour floated around that regional campus students get more clinical exposure during clerkship simply because the faculty to student ratio is lower. The main drawback of the regional campuses as I can see is that you don't have the same breadth of extracurricular activities as those from the Hamilton campus have. What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holiday1001 Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 I just want an excuse to buy a car... not even kidding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tb123 Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Most of the students but a car regardless. With horizontal electives and such, you sort of need one, even during pre-clerkship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holiday1001 Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 hmm are you a student there? I asked a few on the weekend and the impression I got was that not many hamilton campus students have one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 I spoke with the med students at the Waterloo booth. They told me that the regional campus was good for emergency medicine exposure. There wasn't as much research opportunities (they are working on that) and not as much exposure to the specialties...only certain procedures are done in a major center like Hamilton. Hope that provides some useful information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tb123 Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Not a student, but everyone I talked to, both at the interview and others said that almost everyone has a car. Probably low sample sizes for both of us at work. Regardless, the way I look at it a 3 year program saves me 30-40k, and I'll need a car in clerkship, so I can afford to buy one a year earlier to treat myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_robin Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Not a student, but everyone I talked to, both at the interview and others said that almost everyone has a car. Probably low sample sizes for both of us at work. Regardless, the way I look at it a 3 year program saves me 30-40k, and I'll need a car in clerkship, so I can afford to buy one a year earlier to treat myself So... in my head, I've already spent my Line of Credit on a NEW CAR! I spent two hours yesterday choosing between a Lexus and a Mercedes. Just kidding. Maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caduceus Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hmm, this is really a tough choice for me too. I have heard that if you want to do a surgical specialty, that Waterloo is better, but what about other specialties? I know Emerg was mentioned above, but are there any others (radiation oncology specifically)? Also, it would be nice if some current students could comment on ECs that they do there (I didn't get a chance to talk for too long to the people at the booth during my interview...). Waterloo is definitely a nice city, and the new facilities make it enticing, as well as the much smaller class size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Generally speaking, the opportunities at a satellite campus are much better in so many ways. Re a car, the way to do it is when the new models come out, make a deal with the dealer for a one yr old car that the manager used and it will have something like 12,000 km on it OR a rich dude is trading in a one yr old car and you pick it up at a bargain. With promotions at that time, you likely will get it interest free over 4-5 years so you don't take a big hit. Good luck all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holiday1001 Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Generally speaking, the opportunities at a satellite campus are much better in so many ways. Re a car, the way to do it is when the new models come out, make a deal with the dealer for a one yr old car that the manager used and it will have something like 12,000 km on it OR a rich dude is trading in a one yr old car and you pick it up at a bargain. With promotions at that time, you likely will get it interest free over 4-5 years so you don't take a big hit. Good luck all! i was gonna buy one outright with my 250k hehe.. but I'm definetely going to try to get a used one a few years old. take advantage of that depreciation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_robin Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 i was gonna buy one outright with my 250k hehe.. but I'm definetely going to try to get a used one a few years old. take advantage of that depreciation Which bank is giving 250k?! Clearly CIBC's 200k is not the best deal in town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_robin Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Also, what are the Pros/Cons of the Niagara campus versus the Kitchener campus. Both are equidistant from Toronto. Both are smaller = easier to get shadowing and clinical opportunities. Niagara is out of the wing of a new? Hospital; while Kitchener is in a new building. Both have poor public transit and no significant student population in the immediate area. Please correct me if I'm wrong... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted April 3, 2012 Report Share Posted April 3, 2012 I'll only speak to the Waterloo campus because I live in the area. UW and Laurier are reasonably close the school but not in the immediate vicinity. Grand River Transit is not terrible and there is a Greyhound on Charles St...very close to the school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friendlyghost Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 I feel so out of the loop...I'm not even sure where my head was for half the interview :S How do we make campus selections? Is that coming in an email closer to the notification date? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_robin Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 I feel so out of the loop...I'm not even sure where my head was for half the interview :S How do we make campus selections? Is that coming in an email closer to the notification date? Thanks! I'm pretty sure they've sent the e-mail out already... It's the one that says McMaster Campus Ranking. PS: your username is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
japlanet Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 In terms of Hamilton versus regional campuses, one big drawback is the teleconferencing. As a Hamilton student I've only been on the video side once or twice and it was brutal. I don't know how those guys put up with it. In terms of the car, some Hamilton students get away with it for the first year or so, mostly by bumming rides off those who do have a car. By clerkship though you definitely need a car if you like your sanity. In terms of clerkship opportunities, the regional students certainly get more 'hands-on' and there are none/few residents around. The flip side is they are at smaller centres where the really ''cool" stuff get sent out, and there is less chance to network with program directors, residents, etc. Just some of my thought, hope they are helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caduceus Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 I'm pretty sure they've sent the e-mail out already... It's the one that says McMaster Campus Ranking. PS: your username is awesome. I never got any email either. Are you sure about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinre Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 OK. so i got the email: one important question. it says "by NOT choosing a second and/or third choice, your acceptance to the medical school may be bypassed if you are chosen, through the rank-weighted lottery, to recieve your second or third choice; or if you are wait-listed and the only campus(es) with open positions are at those you have not ranked." this sentence is extremely poorly worded, but what i get out of it is: if my primary choice is hamilton, and that campus is full, if i don't select a second and/or third choice, they will skip me in the list and select a person below me who has selected a preference for either of the other 2 campuses. alternatively: if i select niagara as my second choice, and it is full but waterloo has spaces left, someone below me on the list who selects waterloo will get into that campus before i will. is this correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Sloth Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 I never got any email either. Are you sure about this? There is definitely an email. I interviewed on the 24th and received my email on the 30th. I imagine anyone who has yet to receive theirs interviewed on the 31st? If not, maybe best to call in and see what's happening because my campus survey had an expiry date of April 6th at midnight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcoast11 Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 My OMSAS ID is 10 digits, but the campus selection survey only allows us to enter 6 digits. Any reason for this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benge88 Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 Leave out the 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcoast11 Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 Leave out the 2012 Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friendlyghost Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 I received my e-mail today In the spirit of moving forward maybe we can revive a discussion about the pros/cons/realities of each site? Some of the things I'd like to hear about are cost of living/rent and lifestyle/recreation in each city and shadowing and research opportunities at each site. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perigirl Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 Any problems if you put no preference? would it work against you in any way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 "The information in the “Feedback” survey cannot be connected to the “Campus Ranking” survey and therefore cannot be used in decisions about your offer of admission" It's in bold in the e-mail. I think its pretty difficult for the admissions committee to make it any clearer than that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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