pheochromocytoma Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 hello fellow med students. so today i got a email from my university (not the med program, the university) sayin that they have reviewed students file in summer and selected a group of students who may be candidates for the rhodes scholarship -> covers tuition, university fees, and a stipend for living expenses for 2-3 years of schooling at oxford university [sick!] (most people do a masters or D.Phil) and that i am one of the students that they have chosen. so, I am in meds, and you cannot defer the scholarship. meaning that if, by som miracle, i am selected i would have to take 2-3 yrs off meds. this scholarship requires a personal essay, 6 refs, etc etc plus interviews. in other words this wil be very time consuming n i am busy as it is already, and i dont know if i would want to take the time off of school, or if id even be allowed (i have to talk to my program directors i s'pose) question: have any of you done this b4? how much work/time/energy is involed in the process? have you herd of students taking that much time off in meds w/o being in md/phd stream? im honored to be considered eligible for this award but i dunno if i should spend the time and energy pursuing it. intelligible info greatly appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheochromocytoma Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 yeah, im dead serious whatre your thoughts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheochromocytoma Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 im tryin to get work done right now but i cant concentrate cuz im pumped at this opportunity but also know that i probs wont be elected as winner and dunno if i can afford the valuable time it will take to try to win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheochromocytoma Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 i have looked it up, i know its an incredibly prestigious award, but for me medschool > rhodes scholar, but i wanna know if i can have both [greedy?] i'd choose finishing med over rhodes any day tho if i had to choose bw the 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgt.pepper Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Do you just want this award for bragging rights or do you want a life in academia where this can help you. If its just something to put on your CV, well IMO I think if youre competitive enough to get the award your CV is better than 99% of people applying for Residency. And then it is a nice experience in itself. And I think the school would allow you take time off or can't you do this before residency? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheochromocytoma Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 i would love the opportunity to further my education at oxford, not just for braggin rights tho i wouldnt complain about the cv boost. just so youre clear i havent won this award, i was chosen by my school as being a student that they believe is eligible and want to support (i have rsvp'd to invite only info seminars that they are putting on). so, in the case that i won, no i could not do it before residency, the canadian rhodes website has an faq that states that there can be no deferrals and that the recipient must attend oxford startin the following october Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus89 Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 hello fellow med students.so today i got a email from my university (not the med program, the university) sayin that they have reviewed students file in summer and selected a group of students who may be candidates for the rhodes scholarship ... and that i am one of the students that they have chosen. Is this the email you got? Dear X, A Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University is a tremendous opportunity. Each August, UBC reviews its records to identify students who MAY BE a candidate for the 2013 Rhodes scholarship. I'm pleased to advise that you are in this group; provided that you also meet the criteria outlined in the Rhodes Scholarship application- see attached Appendix for details. This is a two-step process. All applicants who meet the criteria may apply to the UBC Rhodes Selection Committee (see Appendix for details). This Committee selects only the most outstanding individuals to apply to the Regional Rhodes Selection Committee(s), who make the final decision. The Rhodes scholarship process is very competitive. I encourage you to do your research, review their website at http://www.canadianrhodes.org as it has information on past winners, the selection criteria and FAQs that will give you a clear picture of the type of candidate who should apply. If you have never thought of yourself as a potential Rhodes Scholar, you'll be encouraged to know that many past recipients never considered themselves as potential scholars. Past UBC recipients include Aneil Jaswal, Kayli Johnson, Jaspreet Khangura, and Dominic Barton, CEO of the global consulting firm, McKinsey & Company. If you see yourself as a stellar candidate and wish to learn more about the process, please attend an Information Session on September 11th, 2012 at 6:30 pm. For the Vancouver campus, the session will be held in Irving K. Barber 182. RSVP at https://secure.students.ubc.ca/workshops/finance.cfm#2458 For the Okanagan campus, the session will be held in EME Room 4216 (Alumni Avenue). RSVP at https://secure.students.ubc.ca/workshops/finance.cfm#2459 Aneil Jaswal, BC Region's Rhodes Scholar for 2011, who just completed his first year at Oxford, will be in attendance to answer your questions about the Rhodes process and studying at Oxford! If you plan to attend the Information Session on September 11th, please RSVP by September 05, 2012. For any questions, please email UBC Rhodes Inquiry at Rhodes.inquiry@ubc.ca. I encourage you to begin working on your Personal Statement now as it requires time to prepare. Hope to see you on September 11. Sincerely, Anne DeWolfe Director Student Financial Assistance and Awards I don't think they're that selective for the first stage, and judging the profile of previous winners there's no way in hell I will come close to winning this, so I'm not even trying... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markov79 Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 still lowly UG student here... but why not call up rex murphy, bill clinton, bob rae, or marc kielburger, and see how it was? haha... just making the same point as what's been said before: it's a scholarship designed for people destined to be bosses. in the same vein, you did say you were busy, but apply anyway and cross the bridge when you get there, if you are indeed accepted. most probably wouldn't murder, but many people would cheat or worse to have the choice between med and that scholarship. so if your sched is packed... then whatever. but don't pass it up lightly! edit: although... if your choice is all ready set in stone that you'd definitely finish med instead of doing the scholarship, i guess it makes no difference if you apply, and there shouldn't be a question! haha... but obviously i'd still say apply: you might change your mind later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camillott Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 cool. I was actually going to apply to Rhodes this year as I had a supervisor at Oxford who was thinking of taking me on for a DPhil and wanted me to apply. But I realized in the end that it wasn't the right choice for me atm. Basically I would say, ask yourself whether or not in ten years you will regret not having at least tried for rhodes, and if you dont think you will regret it, then just keep doing med since that's what you said you would prefer to do. But I find the "will I regret doing/ not doing this" question really helps with these situtations. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chamilt Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I say apply, IF you get it and still want to finish med and you decline it, than saying you were offered it and declined it is still something I think you could put on your CV/resume that looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bored Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 so ubc checks your meds marks to select potential candidates? I say do it and hope for some luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Hood Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 hello fellow med students.so today i got a email from my university (not the med program, the university) sayin that they have reviewed students file in summer and selected a group of students who may be candidates for the rhodes scholarship -> covers tuition, university fees, and a stipend for living expenses for 2-3 years of schooling at oxford university [sick!] (most people do a masters or D.Phil) and that i am one of the students that they have chosen. so, I am in meds, and you cannot defer the scholarship. meaning that if, by som miracle, i am selected i would have to take 2-3 yrs off meds. this scholarship requires a personal essay, 6 refs, etc etc plus interviews. in other words this wil be very time consuming n i am busy as it is already, and i dont know if i would want to take the time off of school, or if id even be allowed (i have to talk to my program directors i s'pose) question: have any of you done this b4? how much work/time/energy is involed in the process? have you herd of students taking that much time off in meds w/o being in md/phd stream? im honored to be considered eligible for this award but i dunno if i should spend the time and energy pursuing it. intelligible info greatly appreciated You have to chose between med school and an MSc or PhD at Oxfort, and it depends on what your goal is. If you want medicine, then don't bother with the application, because I heardly see how can a med school allow you to defer for a MSc or PhD somewhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Hood Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 One of my biggest regrets is not applying for this thing when I was young, bold and idealistic. Yes, I definitely had a shot at it. I didn't go for it. What a stupid move. Apply for the damn Rhodes Scholarship.If you get it, your credibility in the subjectively pathetic world of clinical medicine will trump those who are evaluating you. And what if he fails to go back to med school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 You have to chose between med school and an MSc or PhD at Oxfort, and it depends on what your goal is. If you want medicine, then don't bother with the application, because I heardly see how can a med school allow you to defer for a MSc or PhD somewhere else. A guy who went through clerkship with me was a Rhodes scholar who took a leave of absence to go to the UK in the middle of med school. It would be foolish not to let the student go. Rhodes scholars look very good on a university. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aKGDH Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 There is someone who is joining my class for clerkship. He is a Rhodes Scholar. Aside from taking some time away from med school, I don't think there is any real reason not to at least try for it. Seems like an opportunity of a life time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bored Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 And what if he fails to go back to med school? If someone is a rhodes* scholar, no med school will say no to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm88 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Definitely opens up a lot of doors. In the last two years my alma mater has sent a Rhodes scholar to Oxford each year. They did well while they were IN school and have basically paved the way for a successful rest of their lives (judging from the very fruitful careers of past Rhodes scholars). You really can't go wrong in trying for something that awesome. DO IT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheochromocytoma Posted September 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 thanks guys, for yur input. im thinking ill go to the info sessions to get the deets, search oxfords site to ensure they have a masters program that directly correlates wiht my career goals. ive got some interestin work that ive done that i think would def set me apart from other applicants but this would be a huge uphill battle for sure.. but like many of you said its worth tryin for. anyhoo back to work for me. peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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