Regional Campus Acceptee Thoughts?

[danisings]

If anyone is like me, I ranked the Hamilton campus at Mac as my first choice, but was accepted at Waterloo. I'm hoping we can discuss the pros and cons of the regional campuses and share any information we have on the cities/progams.

 

Personally if I had got into Mac at Hamilton it would have been an easy decision for Mac, but now being accepted at Waterloo, my offer at Queen's is looking more appealing.

 

Also I'm thinking of road tripping to Waterloo from Mississauga to look into it further, if any one wants to join, message me!

[thehumanmacbook]

Same...

 

I'm actually pretty peeved about the Niagara campus. It's really putting Mac out of the picture for me and I'm strongly leaning towards U of T or UWO (if I get off the waitlist).

[looseseal]

Congratulations on you acceptances! What an accomplishment after such a long time of hard work and study!

 

I am a Niagara campus student and very happy with my schooling and clinical opportunities. I will gladly answer specific questions or give my general impression about certain aspects of the school (anatomy, clinical skills, elective opportunities, clerkship, etc).

 

This is a general comment that is not directed towards any one poster, but I will not be responding to negative comments directed at either regional campus made on this forum from people who do not train there.

[bubug]

What's the housing situation like in NRC? Did you live in Hamilton for the first foundation?

 

What about facilities? and transportation around the city to the various hospitals?

[danisings]

I am a Niagara campus student and very happy with my schooling and clinical opportunities. I will gladly answer specific questions...

 

Thanks you so much for your time!

 

OK so here's a question, how did you handle the first 3 months in Hamilton vs. the rest of the year in Niagara? Did you sublet, commute, couch surf?

[silverlinings]

Just got accepted to Waterloo yesterday, and I'm pretty pumped!

 

For those of you on the regional campuses -- how hard was it to find a place in Hamilton from August - December?

I have a feeling this whole housing thing might be an issue...

[NutritionRunner]

I guess people either don't have cars or don't want to commute?

 

I'm on the waitlist for Mac, but I've commuted from Guelph to Hamilton before without any problems (and know many people who commute Guelph to Toronto on a daily basis, since Guelph housing is much, much cheaper than Toronto). Waterloo to Hamilton wouldn't be any more difficult than Guelph-Hamilton.

 

If I get accepted off the waitlist, either to Hamilton or Waterloo, I'll continue to live in Guelph and just commute, at least until clerkship. If I were accepted to Niagara, then I would have to seriously think about moving (or just deal with the longer commute). Waterloo is my preferred choice, but I will naturally be happy to get accepted to any campus!

[aaronjw]

I guess people either don't have cars or don't want to commute?

 

I'm on the waitlist for Mac, but I've commuted from Guelph to Hamilton before without any problems (and know many people who commute Guelph to Toronto on a daily basis, since Guelph housing is much, much cheaper than Toronto). Waterloo to Hamilton wouldn't be any more difficult than Guelph-Hamilton.

 

If I get accepted off the waitlist, either to Hamilton or Waterloo, I'll continue to live in Guelph and just commute, at least until clerkship. If I were accepted to Niagara, then I would have to seriously think about moving (or just deal with the longer commute). Waterloo is my preferred choice, but I will naturally be happy to get accepted to any campus!

 

2-3hrs (depending on location and traffic)/day is a lot of time spent sitting in a vehicle while in med school I would think?

[shady]

^ your signature makes me angry

[NutritionRunner]

2-3hrs (depending on location and traffic)/day is a lot of time spent sitting in a vehicle while in med school I would think?

 

It's about 40-45 minutes from my house in Guelph to McMaster, and I've never had problems with traffic going into Hamilton, even at rush hour. I don't see that much travel as a problem during preclerkship. Unless the schedule is a lot more jam-packed then I've been led to believe?

 

Obviously things will change during clerkship, but I honestly don't see it as an issue until then.

[aaronjw]

^ your signature makes me angry

 

And it makes me angry that people have such disgusting views.

[aaronjw]

It's about 40-45 minutes from my house in Guelph to McMaster, and I've never had problems with traffic going into Hamilton, even at rush hour. I don't see that much travel as a problem during preclerkship. Unless the schedule is a lot more jam-packed then I've been led to believe?

 

Obviously things will change during clerkship, but I honestly don't see it as an issue until then.

 

Yeah perhaps. I do 50mins each way as it is and it's annoying as heck but I also have the ability to take the train on some days but driving just seems like a huge waste of time. At least on a train I can do some reading, for classes or enjoyment.

[danisings]

^ your signature makes me angry

 

I think it is a public shaming of "medigeek". I'm hoping.

 

Also on the topic of regional campuses, the reason I wouldn't want to commute is that especially at the beginning of the school year, that's when everyone makes friends and gets to know each other. I want to be able to go out for sushi with 10 minutes notice with our classmates instead of being like, okay can you guys wait 1.5 hours and I'll see you there! I know this might not matter as much for people who are kind of established in a particular area already, but I'm a tumbleweed so I'd rather live wherever things are happening.

[looseseal]

What's the housing situation like in NRC? Did you live in Hamilton for the first foundation?

 

What about facilities? and transportation around the city to the various hospitals?

 

Quite honestly, the most difficult part of a regional campus student's living arrangements is finding a place to stay for the first three months in Hamilton. I found the rental market in Hamilton quite congested; a short-term lease was like pulling teeth. For the sake of commuting, most students did choose to look in Hamilton. I ended up staying in a guest house, which worked out fine for me but was a little out of my budget. Some were successful with short-term rentals and found quite comfortable places, while others just took anything they could find and were less than satisfied. Some students did move to St. Catharines right away and commuted so it is certainly doable, but it is exhausting. I would advise getting started right away and post questions on the class Facebook page.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/454928591255850/

 

Finding a place in St. Catharines was relatively easy for everyone. Most of us have at least one room mate who is a fellow Mac student and some us live alone. The average rent is about $500 - $700 for some very comfortable places. Everyone lives all over town - most are in the Glendale area and a few in Thorold. Again, this is something the upper years can help you with but the take home message is finding budget wise accommodations in a safe area with a short commute is totally possible.

 

Most of the class in MF2-MF5 takes place at Brock with the exception of the occasional clinical skills session or additional seminar at the hospital or another centre. We have a newly constructed learning facility: computer lab, lounge/fridge/coffee, lockers, access to the Brock gym, clinical skills rooms, and anatomy lab. Anatomy has always been, imho, quite weak at the NRC. I can't comment any further because I know that they are currently revamping the anatomy program with a new anatomist. I expect the anatomy teaching to be much more effective in the future because some of the Hamilton staff are quite heavily involved, but I loathe to speak of things of which I cannot confirm.

 

Obviously, St. Catharines and the Niagara community can't lend themselves to the same level of care that certain fields in Hamilton can offer. As an NRC student, I was able to attend some electives in tertiary care in Hamilton and it was always worth the drive in. There are also several research opportunities that are more convenient for Hamilton students and their interest groups are much more active (more to come). For the most part, however, I chose to stay in the Niagara area. The new hospital is fantastic and has some regional services that previously were not offered including a brand new cancer centre. You can also expect very little wait time to access preceptors in most fields and it's not difficult to secure long-term horizontal electives. OB/GYN, dermatology, diabetes care, and anesthesia are the best examples that come to mind. Of course I can't compare the NRC to the other campuses, but I can't image a better administrative staff than the wonderful people we have. They take such good care of us and really go above and beyond with everything we need. I've been given personal support with an independent research project and able to do quite well with it. I can't quite effectively put into words just how amazing they are, but I will say if you're lucky enough to have any one of them in your corner you'll know what I mean.

 

The administrative and teaching staff make it as easy as it can be to participate in research and interest groups. You'll have to expect that you need to take a lot of initiative to accomplish this, but the opportunities are there is you take/make them. For example, the NRC research team is developing quality improvement research projects for students. Of course we all gripe about them, but they are fantastic opportunities. Another example are clinical electives in a clinic for migrant workers that was developed in part by our assistant dean. As far as I know, there are opportunities unique to the NRC.

 

I will say this about my training: I'm lucky. I'm supported, encouraged, and taught by residents and physicians that I admire and I'm inspired by my classmates.

 

You can feel this lucky at any campus at any medical school if you go to the school that's right for you. It's all about fit. If you feel drawn somewhere particular, I really encourage you to listen to that voice. Three or four years is a long time and the time you spend in school is too significant to spend somewhere that isn't the right place for you.

 

I have to apologize -- I'm tired and didn't proofread. Hopefully this makes sense and isn't grammatically offensive.

[thehumanmacbook]

Quite honestly, the most difficult part of a regional campus student's living arrangements is finding a place to stay for the first three months in Hamilton. I found the rental market in Hamilton quite congested; a short-term lease was like pulling teeth. For the sake of commuting, most students did choose to look in Hamilton. I ended up staying in a guest house, which worked out fine for me but was a little out of my budget. Some were successful with short-term rentals and found quite comfortable places, while others just took anything they could find and were less than satisfied. Some students did move to St. Catharines right away and commuted so it is certainly doable, but it is exhausting. I would advise getting started right away and post questions on the class Facebook page.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/454928591255850/

 

Finding a place in St. Catharines was relatively easy for everyone. Most of us have at least one room mate who is a fellow Mac student and some us live alone. The average rent is about $500 - $700 for some very comfortable places. Everyone lives all over town - most are in the Glendale area and a few in Thorold. Again, this is something the upper years can help you with but the take home message is finding budget wise accommodations in a safe area with a short commute is totally possible.

 

Most of the class in MF2-MF5 takes place at Brock with the exception of the occasional clinical skills session or additional seminar at the hospital or another centre. We have a newly constructed learning facility: computer lab, lounge/fridge/coffee, lockers, access to the Brock gym, clinical skills rooms, and anatomy lab. Anatomy has always been, imho, quite weak at the NRC. I can't comment any further because I know that they are currently revamping the anatomy program with a new anatomist. I expect the anatomy teaching to be much more effective in the future because some of the Hamilton staff are quite heavily involved, but I loathe to speak of things of which I cannot confirm.

 

Obviously, St. Catharines and the Niagara community can't lend themselves to the same level of care that certain fields in Hamilton can offer. As an NRC student, I was able to attend some electives in tertiary care in Hamilton and it was always worth the drive in. There are also several research opportunities that are more convenient for Hamilton students and their interest groups are much more active (more to come). For the most part, however, I chose to stay in the Niagara area. The new hospital is fantastic and has some regional services that previously were not offered including a brand new cancer centre. You can also expect very little wait time to access preceptors in most fields and it's not difficult to secure long-term horizontal electives. OB/GYN, dermatology, diabetes care, and anesthesia are the best examples that come to mind. Of course I can't compare the NRC to the other campuses, but I can't image a better administrative staff than the wonderful people we have. They take such good care of us and really go above and beyond with everything we need. I've been given personal support with an independent research project and able to do quite well with it. I can't quite effectively put into words just how amazing they are, but I will say if you're lucky enough to have any one of them in your corner you'll know what I mean.

 

The administrative and teaching staff make it as easy as it can be to participate in research and interest groups. You'll have to expect that you need to take a lot of initiative to accomplish this, but the opportunities are there is you take/make them. For example, the NRC research team is developing quality improvement research projects for students. Of course we all gripe about them, but they are fantastic opportunities. Another example are clinical electives in a clinic for migrant workers that was developed in part by our assistant dean. As far as I know, there are opportunities unique to the NRC.

 

I will say this about my training: I'm lucky. I'm supported, encouraged, and taught by residents and physicians that I admire and I'm inspired by my classmates.

 

You can feel this lucky at any campus at any medical school if you go to the school that's right for you. It's all about fit. If you feel drawn somewhere particular, I really encourage you to listen to that voice. Three or four years is a long time and the time you spend in school is too significant to spend somewhere that isn't the right place for you.

 

I have to apologize -- I'm tired and didn't proofread. Hopefully this makes sense and isn't grammatically offensive.

 

^this is a great post.

 

I really think that Niagara can't offer me the opportunities I want, as the research and observerships in the specialty I'm interested are in Hamilton. No one can change the fact that Niagara is more than an hour away, the staff are in Hamilton who coordinate research, travel time which I could use studying, doing research, participating in interest groups, etc.

 

I'm really sorry that this didn't work out I would have went to Mac Hamilton in a heartbeat. I got the package today in my mailbox and I didn't even want to open it. But I guess it's a good change for me to try another school, another learning style and different things to try!