Coldfood Posted September 11, 2012 Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 Hello I am a Chinese Canadian citizen whom have a BScN from McMaster with GPA of 3.5, I did quite a lot of music related EC, and I was involved with NGO's as a health consultant. I landed in Toronto when I was 13 and back in China I always lived in a really "socialist" community where people take care of each other, and I recently moved up to Sudbury for a full time job and I am loving the place in terms of natural beauty and how intimate work place and life felt. I always wanted to persue a life of medicine but I always thought practice in the south is too fast-paced and disconnected, after discovering NOSM, I felt like this is the school where I can really fulfill my desire to get more involved with patient's life. I know that Francophone, Native, or raised in the North status raises the chance of getting in NOSM, but have you guys ever heard a case like mine? And what do you think my chance of getting accepted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojoluvsu2 Posted September 11, 2012 Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 You'll probably have to spend a few years working in Sudbury before you'll be a competitive candidate. You can always apply for the experience and maybe you'll even land an interview, but statistics over the last 4 or 5 years show that you'll need to be in the north for quite a bit longer to make yourself more competitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalkeener Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 I am Francophone, natiive, and from a very rural part of Canada. I did not get in after the interview (I got an abysmally low spot on the waitlist, #74). I did, however, get into other schools. This tells me two things: 1) They are looking for more students from the North of Ontario, so definitely get yourself over there to live! 2) They are looking at very specific things in the interview, so my guess is that you should perhaps think about what it would mean to you to practice in N Ontario rather than anywhere else in Canada, and what it would mean to practice in a small town, and integrate that into your interview answers. I didn't do that, and it may have hurt me. This is my speculation, of course. I think it would really help though, considering that the interview is really, really important at NOSM. All this aside, I think I just haven't lived iin a super small/remote place recently enough for my passion for living in a small/remote place to show through (I am now adapted to bigger cities!), which might be a bad thing for my future patients if I decided to study there, as there might be a significant risk of me going back to a non-northern Ontario place. The whole point of NOSM is to get (mostly) doctors for the northern towns of Ontario... That is my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalkeener Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 I did fall in love with NOSM and the surroundings though (interviewed in T Bay). What a school mission, a great program, and a supportive atmosphere. I loved the people. It is well worth a shot if your values align closely with their mission. Good luck, Coldfood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldfood Posted September 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 Thanks for the feedback, my problem was that I never lived in one spot for more than 4 years, so I can't really say if I am a city person or country person. However, the most happy and memorable time of my life had been spent in rural China. After university I just couldn't make myself staying in Toronto anymore. Anyhow, I guess my question was focused on this: yes it is a fact that NOSM wants people to stay in the north, but I don't think its a dicotomy of either you lived in north or not, and for me it's a unique situation of being an landed immigrant (well citizen now) and wants to work in the rural settings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalkeener Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 That is fair enough! My point was that you should get more points starting now by living in N Ontario specifically; something like 99% of the class is hand-picked from thee, so that says more than a little something about their selection process. Just trying to help you be more competitive... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real Beef Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 If you are living in Sudbury now and working FT then your context score is growing by the month. It is worth applying of course, the chance is unlikely that you will get in however it is good to go through the process and once you become competitive with your context score you will be a good candidate for an interview. Any chance of doing a masters part time? while you wait for your context score to grow. The class avg of those getting is is closer to 3.7 so you will be at a disadvantage in two areas: GPA and context. And when applicants are seperated by fractions of a point you need everything you can get. Beef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benhc911 Posted September 30, 2012 Report Share Posted September 30, 2012 Its hard to convey true passion from raw context, and the essay questions are tricky because you need to balance your statements so they seem genuine... but if you can get to the interview than all bets are off. If you truly care about norther practice, understand the pros (scope of care, independence etc) and the cons (lack of services and support, risk of burnout etc) and how you plan on dealing with them (rewards of service, support structures etc)... while touching on some of NOSMs key tenants (canmeds roles, social accountability, aboriginal and francophone health challenges) etc then it shines through the rest. I can't say you will get an interview, but if you do, what I'm saying is that passion ends up mattering more... more than someone from the north who clearly plans on practicing in Toronto. good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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