Ottawa - Detailed Autobiographic Sketch

[ntvli]

Hey guys for the Ottawa detailed autobiographic sketch (top 3 for each category), do we need to write additional description on top of the max 150 char description required by OMSAS?

[toastman]

Hey guys for the Ottawa detailed autobiographic sketch (top 3 for each category), do we need to write additional description on top of the max 150 char description required by OMSAS?

wow is it top 3 for each category this year? or top 5....soon it'll be top 1

[Hockeynut]

wow is it top 3 for each category this year? or top 5....soon it'll be top 1

 

 

Its now only top 3 as per UofO site.

[Savac]

Hey guys for the Ottawa detailed autobiographic sketch (top 3 for each category), do we need to write additional description on top of the max 150 char description required by OMSAS?

 

If it's like last year, no additional room will be provided.

 

Also, this is a very interesting direction that Ottawa is heading. It either shows an even larger move away from ECs toward GPA, or it shows that they REALLY value people that have a few long-term commitments.

[meaningful_life]

Also interesting that they now specify the activities must be during one's university education, this was always kind of a known thing about the school, but now they are being explicit about it. I wonder if you have activities that continued from high school-university, that are super long-term, it would be acceptable to include...

Definitely an interesting shift though.

[Riskybusiness]

are there any current UO students (or people who were just accepted) who can shed some more light on this issue?

 

I.e. people who listed awards/ECs from highschool and received an offer

 

I feel like it will be a tricky balance between choosing long-term ECs and those that have impacted your decision to pursue medicine - both have their merits for including in a top 3. In an ideal world, your long-term ECs will have impacted your decision, but who knows!

[Savac]

are there any current UO students (or people who were just accepted) who can shed some more light on this issue?

 

I.e. people who listed awards/ECs from highschool and received an offer

 

I feel like it will be a tricky balance between choosing long-term ECs and those that have impacted your decision to pursue medicine - both have their merits for including in a top 3. In an ideal world, your long-term ECs will have impacted your decision, but who knows!

 

No one can really answer this, since it was top 5 for the past application cycle, and we were permitted to use high school ECs if we wanted.

 

It's definitely difficult to select your activities, but you need to use your own discretion. Paint a picture of yourself that you want the admissions committee to see.

[lovestruck]

are there any current UO students (or people who were just accepted) who can shed some more light on this issue?

 

I.e. people who listed awards/ECs from highschool and received an offer

 

I feel like it will be a tricky balance between choosing long-term ECs and those that have impacted your decision to pursue medicine - both have their merits for including in a top 3. In an ideal world, your long-term ECs will have impacted your decision, but who knows!

 

I had some activities that I had participated in since high school and still did so I listed those. However, I had no high-school only ECs. I used the top 5 picks to highlight positions I had during my grad degree that otherwise would be overlooked because they didn't occur in undergrad.

[FrenchToast]

are there any current UO students (or people who were just accepted) who can shed some more light on this issue?

 

I.e. people who listed awards/ECs from highschool and received an offer

 

I feel like it will be a tricky balance between choosing long-term ECs and those that have impacted your decision to pursue medicine - both have their merits for including in a top 3. In an ideal world, your long-term ECs will have impacted your decision, but who knows!

 

Employment: I only had 3, 1 of which was from high school only.

Volunteering: 4/5 were high school only.

ECs: 3/5 were high school only.

Awards: 3/5 were from high school.

Research: I only had 2... none of which were from high school (as one would presume).

 

I still got in. Honestly, props to people who have 5+ in each category after only 2 (or even 3) years of undergrad.

 

Unfortunately, this won't actually be helpful for you guys applying this year .

[rcmp1234]

so we cant include any high school awards? that sucks...I only have 2 university awards (one entrance, another gpa-based). Does anyone know if I can include the governor general award, or is that considered "a high school activity" as well?

[meaningful_life]

so we cant include any high school awards? that sucks...I only have 2 university awards (one entrance, another gpa-based). Does anyone know if I can include the governor general award, or is that considered "a high school activity" as well?

 

Yep, you can check out the update on their website since OMSAS stuff isn't released yet.

 

If you're referring to the Governor General Award for having like the highest average in Gr. 12 , then yeah, that's clearly high school. I wouldn't worry too much if you've got 2. You can always put Dean's Honor List, if your school has that kind of thing each year. Hope that helps!

[Savac]

so we cant include any high school awards? that sucks...I only have 2 university awards (one entrance, another gpa-based). Does anyone know if I can include the governor general award, or is that considered "a high school activity" as well?

 

That's an awesome award, but you can't use it (unless it's the silver or gold governor general's medal )

[lovestruck]

Here's the info from UOttawa: http://www.med.uottawa.ca/Students/MD/Admissions/eng/detailed_autobiographical_sketch.html

 

To me, it seems this is a move to eliminate "fluff". People put random volunteer things they did for one day in high school with attempts to get as many of the 48 slots on the OMSAS application filled. By only looking at your top 3, this eliminates the fluff!

 

Good move I think. Only issue would be for grad students. Do activities done in grad school still count as "university" level?

[greenturtles]

Activities in grad school should count as I listed several of these activities in my top 5 this year and I managed to get accepted.

[meaningful_life]

Here's the info from UOttawa: http://www.med.uottawa.ca/Students/MD/Admissions/eng/detailed_autobiographical_sketch.html

 

To me, it seems this is a move to eliminate "fluff". People put random volunteer things they did for one day in high school with attempts to get as many of the 48 slots on the OMSAS application filled. By only looking at your top 3, this eliminates the fluff!

 

Good move I think. Only issue would be for grad students. Do activities done in grad school still count as "university" level?

 

I agree. And grad school is university-level education so it definitely counts! I think the purpose here is that with a high GPA req school like Ottawa, a lot of students spend their first few years of undergrad overtly focussed on school that they are really not getting meaningfully involved in much else and end up putting high school activities on the ABS that can be overlooked and mistaken for undergrad activities. The ability to manage a good GPA with measurable co-curricular involvement during the academic year is important and I feel like this is what Ottawa is getting at.

[UottawaMedHopeful]

possibly a very dumb question, but I have never completed a med school application. Will we be able to submit everything via OMSAS or are ABS separate also when does OMSAS for this cycle open up?

[Savac]

possibly a very dumb question, but I have never completed a med school application. Will we be able to submit everything via OMSAS or are ABS separate also when does OMSAS for this cycle open up?

 

1) All at once

 

2) Soon

[Hockeynut]

possibly a very dumb question, but I have never completed a med school application. Will we be able to submit everything via OMSAS or are ABS separate also when does OMSAS for this cycle open up?

 

Application should open up in the next week or so

[Symbol]

I had done some volunteer work the summer after high school and before univeristy. Would that not count at all?

[Bridget]

I won't be applying for another year or two but I'm just wondering if anyone could explain the distinction between volunteering and EC's? Aren't many EC's volunteer positions? Or in this case is "volunteering" referring to only outside of school/in the community?

[future_doc]

Volunteering are altruistic activities where you are helping one or more individuals in your community, be it through an organization or helping out an elderly or sick or disabled neighbor on your own initiative. Volunteering might be on campus, e.g., helping with blood drive or being involved in sexual counseling.

 

ECs are involving yourself in activities such as musical, sports, artistic pursuits where you may develop expertise, communication, collaboration skills which generally speaking are not done to help others.

[Loagden]

You're right, I would call volunteer positions ECs, but I would not necessarily call ECs the same as volunteering.

 

For example, being on a sports team or in an chamber music ensemble is clearly an EC but not a 'volunteer' position. Meanwhile, volunteering in a hospital you might consider both, so I would put it under volunteering.

 

This is how I would separate them.

[DocMC]

Hey guys,

 

Would it be appropriate to include babysitting on my ABS? Throughout all of university I babysat my nieces for about 10 hours/week. Not sure if this is allowed considering it is family? It was unpaid BTW. If so, would it be volunteering? EC?

 

Thanks

[DocMC]

bump... anyone?

[premed1992]

You can put it down, but not necessarily put it as one of your top 3.