gt3rs Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I recently received an offer from University of Alberta, and I am trying to decide if I should send a deposit to them. I have read this thread already (http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63358) I am trying to decide between University of British Columbia and University of Alberta. I am Out of Province for both universities so I will be moving away from home and family. Now I understand that all Canadian medical schools give a good education to their students. But this is once in a life time opportunity, and I want to make the best decision possible for myself. If the current students from these schools (or anyone else, it doesn't matter) can provide insight into these schools, it would really help me out. My reasons for going to UBC: - It is in Vancouver - It is a bigger university - It has a lot more residency positions available for future (I know grads from one school can match to another school but the home school is usually the candidates best shot) - Vancouver is very culturally diverse which is good for me, because I was born outside of Canada so it might be an easier move for me My reasons for not going to UBC: - I heard they have a lot of PBL and most students do not find it useful. I think I prefer lecture style. - Honours/Pass/Fail. I know honours usually doesn't matter but there will always be this extra pressure to get it. - All exams at the end of semester (some UBC students said it is very stressful) - I read on this forum that since the class size is big and UBC expanded too fast, there are problems in clerkship sometimes and getting your choice of electives. - Just wanted to mention here that I am not too familiar with the school and curriculum because I couldn't attend the information session since I had a flight to catch. So please add any information to help me. My reasons for going to University of Alberta: - I really like their curriculum. - It is pass/fail. - The students seemed very happy and it seems there are a lot of activities to do - I really like the Dean's speech about caring for patients and centering the medical education around patients My reasons for not going to University of Alberta: - I heard it can get very cold. I am from Toronto and it can get cold here. I am not sure how much colder Edmonton is. - There are not as many residency positions at University of Alberta compare to UBC. - I may have hard time meeting people from my own ethnic background (not a big deal. Just wanted to mention it) I think that's it. If someone can provide some useful advice it will really help me. This is one of the biggest decisions I will make so I just want to make sure that I can get all the advice and information I can get before I make my final decision. To be honest, I don't really care about the location that much. My biggest priority is getting the most out of my education and having the most opportunities available for future. Thank you for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I don't go to either, they are both great, I would select Alberta, but flip a coin. Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 FWIW, just from reading what you wrote, it sounds like you prefer U of A, and I'd go with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 2 vs 0. .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnb88 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I recently received an offer from University of Alberta, and I am trying to decide if I should send a deposit to them. I have read this thread already (http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63358) I am trying to decide between University of British Columbia and University of Alberta. I am Out of Province for both universities so I will be moving away from home and family. Now I understand that all Canadian medical schools give a good education to their students. But this is once in a life time opportunity, and I want to make the best decision possible for myself. If the current students from these schools (or anyone else, it doesn't matter) can provide insight into these schools, it would really help me out. My reasons for going to UBC: - It is in Vancouver - It is a bigger university - It has a lot more residency positions available for future (I know grads from one school can match to another school but the home school is usually the candidates best shot) - Vancouver is very culturally diverse which is good for me, because I was born outside of Canada so it might be an easier move for me My reasons for not going to UBC: - I heard they have a lot of PBL and most students do not find it useful. I think I prefer lecture style. - Honours/Pass/Fail. I know honours usually doesn't matter but there will always be this extra pressure to get it. - I read on this forum that since the class size is big and UBC expanded too fast, there are problems in clerkship sometimes and getting your choice of electives. - Just wanted to mention here that I am not too familiar with the school and curriculum because I couldn't attend the information session since I had a flight to catch. So please add any information to help me. My reasons for going to University of Alberta: - I really like their curriculum. - It is pass/fail. - The students seemed very happy and it seems there are a lot of activities to do - I really like the Dean's speech about caring for patients and centering the medical education around patients My reasons for not going to University of Alberta: - I heard it can get very cold. I am from Toronto and it can get cold here. I am not sure how much colder Edmonton is. - There are not as many residency positions at University of Alberta compare to UBC. - I may have hard time meeting people from my own ethnic background (not a big deal. Just wanted to mention it) I think that's it. If someone can provide some useful advice it will really help me. This is one of the biggest decisions I will make so I just want to make sure that I can get all the advice and information I can get before I make my final decision. To be honest, I don't really care about the location that much. My biggest priority is getting the most out of my education and having the most opportunities available for future. Thank you for your help. I can't speak for UBC/Vancouver (last time I was out that far I think I was 2....) but I can tell you a bit about Edmonton. UofA does have PBL-type things too. Actually every university in the country has to in order to be accredited (it's just the amount that differs from school to school- Mac with almost everything PBL to UofT with minimal PBL and all the schools in between). UofA is a GREAT campus. As a medical student, once you're in a building, you can get to any other medical building without going outside. This helps for the really cold days! The UofA Hospital complex includes the Katz building (where our lecs are), a Medical Sciences building (where a lot of labs/profs do their research), the University of Alberta Hospital (which is a great hospital complex- every room has natural light. You'd think it wouldn't make much of a difference, but it does), the Stollery Children's Hospital, the Mazankowski Heart Institute, a new complex they're hoping will be the "Mayo Clinic of Canada", and a bunch of other buildings I'm forgetting. Point is, they're all connected. And down the street is the Cross Cancer Institute. Point being, you can basically have any exposure to pretty much any field you want within about a 5 block radius in Edmonton. Not sure if you can get that in Vancouver. I'm not sure about your ethnic background, but there is a good mix of all people in med (and in Edmonton). Not quite as much as Toronto, but the bucket isn't just white meat out here! As for the cold... yes, it does get bloody cold in the winter (-20 is common throughout from November to March). It's a different cold than Toronto- there's almost zero humidity in Alberta, so I find it a little bit easier to deal with than Toronto's cold (when they're closer to the same temperature of course). There's a ton of snow though, and Jasper (and therefore Marmot ski basin) is only a 3 hour drive away- easy for weekend trips if you like/have wanted to try skiing. I can't sugarcoat the weather. It does get bloody cold. The good thing is is that it doesn't get AS insane in the summer. We get our days of the low 30s... but it stays there because of no humidity. Air quality is also better in Edmonton. It takes some getting used to for sure, but buy a warm coat, gloves, touque, and winter boots and you'll eventually get used to it! If you find a place really close to campus, or right on the LRT line, you wouldn't have to walk far in the cold to get to where you need to go. And it doesn't rain constantly here. Haha. I can't quite tell if you're a guy or a girl, but there's West Edmonton Mall (great shopping... massive... giant pirate ship... it's great). The river valley is also one of Edmonton's pride and joys. It's great for biking/running if that's something you're into. Edmonton is also a big city without the crowded feel- there's a lot of open/green space and traffic isn't that bad (compared to TO's 401 or Gardener at rush hour!). If you're into skiing/boarding, there's also a ski hill right in the city. If you're into hockey, there's a lot of men's beer leagues (and ones that are more competitive). There's a lot to do in and around Edmonton. The professors at the UofA are also world class. And let's face it, the Oilers are a much better team (and fan base) than the Canucks . Also, if memory serves me correctly, tuition is cheaper at the UofA (around 11k for the year). There's also no provincial sales tax (just the 5% GST), gas is super cheap (around $1 right now), and a lot of food is just cheaper period. Edmonton is farther away from the US/Canada border, so if you're used to doing a lot of cross-border shopping, you may have an issue. Rent will likely be cheaper in Edmonton than in the heart of Vancouver too. I hope this helps give you a bit of a better picture of Edmonton! If you have any specific questions about the city, you can always send me a quick PM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real Beef Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I'm not sure about your ethnic background, but there is a good mix of all people in med (and in Edmonton). Not quite as much as Toronto, but the bucket isn't just white meat out here! LMAO!! ... 10 char Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt3rs Posted June 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Thanks everyone. If anyone else have any other advice, please post here. I still have a few days to decide. cnb88 - I might PM you later on if I have any other questions. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medaholic Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 I would just like to say that residency spots shouldn't be a big consideration when picking a medical school... People move around a lot after they graduate, residency & CaRMS and all that is more a reflection of the individual than the school. So I would put less weight on that. I would say location is probably the most important, where do you see yourself being happier? Would you like a smaller program or a bigger program. Both schools are great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardiomegaly Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52062&highlight=cardiomegaly argument for my school. PM me if you want to know about clerkship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt3rs Posted June 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 cardiomegaly - I will send you a PM now with some questions. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asta Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 First of all, congrats on your acceptances! Now, both UAlberta and UBC are great schools. Honestly you can't go wrong with either of them. I never applied to UBC or Alberta so I can't comment on which one is "better (whatever that means) " However, when I was deciding where to go, here were my criteria in order of importance (1 being the most important). If you have a significant other, that would be important (very important) as well. 1. Residency 2. Research/elective opportunities/research funding amount 3. Money (debt, scholarhips, grants, living expenses...etc) 4. City Location 5. Class size/faculty-to-student ratio/school atmosphere 6. Reputation/ranking Good luck! and Congratulations again Similarly, when I was deciding between Queen's and U of A, I made a fancy spreadsheet. I had 11 factors that I ranked in order of importance for me (ex. curriculum, facilities, city, interview video...) and then I decided which school was better in that area. I came up with a score for each and Queen's won. Also, by making the sheet I realized that I really wanted Queen's to win, so what I wanted became pretty clear. For what it is worth, I would choose UBC, but that is more based on location (I'm from BC and want to move back, and I love to spend time outdoors) than anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boodog Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Similarly, when I was deciding between Queen's and U of A, I made a fancy spreadsheet. I had 11 factors that I ranked in order of importance for me (ex. curriculum, facilities, city, interview video...) and then I decided which school was better in that area. I came up with a score for each and Queen's won. Also, by making the sheet I realized that I really wanted Queen's to win, so what I wanted became pretty clear. For what it is worth, I would choose UBC, but that is more based on location (I'm from BC and want to move back, and I love to spend time outdoors) than anything else. U of A is hands down better. As to reasons why, well: 1) You don't have to live in Vancouver...some of them can be pretty snobby... 2) You don't have to deal with lots of rain 3) It isn't grey outside all winter in Edmonton, yes cold, but sunny 4) Clinically, you get more elective time in Edmonton, especially precious pre-carms electives 5) Edmonton has a bunch of brand new awesome facilities ie. Edmonton clinic 6) Overall a better city to live in, vancouver is nice to visit, but not all that liveable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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