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Awesome, thanks for the info.

I have one more question. After talking to a lot of western med students I have gathered that it is actually better to study at the Windsor (smaller class size) campus rather than the main campus. This is because you would have much more opportunities to get involved and exposed because of the smaller number of the med students. In addition, it is so much easier to get the clerkship you want due to less demand and that's why I ranked Windsor higher. I was wondering if the same goes for the smaller Niagara and Waterloo campuses at Mac. And if all specialties available at Hamilton are also available at Waterloo and Niagara.

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Awesome, thanks for the info.

I have one more question. After talking to a lot of western med students I have gathered that it is actually better to study at the Windsor (smaller class size) campus rather than the main campus. This is because you would have much more opportunities to get involved and exposed because of the smaller number of the med students. In addition, it is so much easier to get the clerkship you want due to less demand and that's why I ranked Windsor higher. I was wondering if the same goes for the smaller Niagara and Waterloo campuses at Mac. And if all specialties available at Hamilton are also available at Waterloo and Niagara.

 

I can't speak about Western's education but there are a bunch of other factors people base their decisions on. Personally I would want to live in London over Windsor just because I like the city more.

 

I would say getting involved is about the same but be prepared to do a little bit of traveling. Our campuses are closer ~45-50 mins vs london-windsor's 2 hour commute.

 

It's easier preclerkship to get spots but with the way Mac does things, its not hard for Hamilton people to set them up either.

 

Clerkship streams are probably equal across all three campuses.

 

Pretty much all specialties are available except the ones that are really super specialized. Neuro surgery etc. even then if you do want to do one you can just drive to hamilton.

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I can't speak about Western's education but there are a bunch of other factors people base their decisions on. Personally I would want to live in London over Windsor just because I like the city more.

 

I would say getting involved is about the same but be prepared to do a little bit of traveling. Our campuses are closer ~45-50 mins vs london-windsor's 2 hour commute.

 

It's easier preclerkship to get spots but with the way Mac does things, its not hard for Hamilton people to set them up either.

 

Clerkship streams are probably equal across all three campuses.

 

Pretty much all specialties are available except the ones that are really super specialized. Neuro surgery etc. even then if you do want to do one you can just drive to hamilton.

 

About the specialities, is OB/GYN available at McMaster in all campuses?

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About the specialities, is OB/GYN available at McMaster in all campuses?

 

 

You will get to do OB/GYN during clerkship (the later, clinical half of medical school) no matter which campus you are at. And there's opportunities near all of the campuses to set up electives for this during pre-clerkship. We've had some trouble this year in Niagara getting labour and delivery shifts for pre-clerks, which if I understand correctly hasn't usually been a problem here, but there's still plenty of opportunities. At the main campus, getting Labour and Delivery for preclerkship is tricky anyways, as there's generally a lot more people interested than spots, so there's a bit of luck to getting them. But as said, at any campus you will definitely be able to do this during clerkship, and if you want during your summer electives after first year.

 

I'm biased, but I'd strongly recommend either regional campus over Hamilton. I'm not sure if I could really pick between the two regional campuses, but there are many advantages to both of them (small classes, staff that are willing and able to go the extra mile for everyone, free food, better anatomy education, some extra sessions). The only occasionally annoying thing is the extremely occasional mandatory thing in Hamilton, but they bus us down for those, or some optional sessions where you really need to be there in person for them (but it's really not that far of a drive from either regional campus to Hamilton).

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My #1 suggestion would be that (if you can make the time) you should do a tour at the regional campuses. You'll be hearing about the sites on interview weekend and have the chance to ask questions there, but if you can squeeze in a tour/visit at one of the regional sites you'll get a much better idea of what it's like!

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  • 2 weeks later...

the hamilton campus is usually ranked first because its the bigger city. people without ties (family or otherwise) to the regionals do not usually rank them first. that being said, it's quite possible that more than 28 people rank each of the regional campuses first - i don't know if any of us know that.

 

admission to neither is competitive. it's a rank based lottery. the better you do on the MMI the higher your chances of getting your first choice. but it's still a lottery. i was accepted off the waitlist to hamilton.

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Do regional campuses have their own interest groups? Or do you have to go to the Hamilton campus for those?

 

And are there a lot research opportunities at the Waterloo campus? Or do students typically engage in research at main campus?

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Do regional campuses have their own interest groups? Or do you have to go to the Hamilton campus for those?

 

And are there a lot research opportunities at the Waterloo campus? Or do students typically engage in research at main campus?

 

Regional campus students can set up their own interest groups, but most events to take place in Hamilton. Usually groups arrange video-conferencing for meetings so that regional campus students can attend.

 

We have a research coordinator at Waterloo Campus to facilitate you joining an existing project or supervisor and starting a new one. I believe Niagara has a similar set up. That being said, since Hamilton campus is the main academic centre, it may be easier to find research opportunities/supervisors there depending on the kind of subject material you're looking for.

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Do regional campuses have their own interest groups? Or do you have to go to the Hamilton campus for those?

 

And are there a lot research opportunities at the Waterloo campus? Or do students typically engage in research at main campus?

 

 

Niagara actually has tons of research opportunities. Pretty much the entire class is doing quality improvement projects organized through the staff at the campus, and like Waterloo we have a research coordinator and some other staff to help us with research. If research is your thing, Niagara is definitely a good option for it.

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How does rent compare between Niagara and Waterloo?

 

I cannot speak to Niagara, but Waterloo has a ton of student housing for around $500 per month if you are willing to live in a house or apartment with 3 or more other people. Nicer places can be found too for anywhere from $700 to $1300 (or more) for a 1 bedroom. My last place was 2 bedrooms right in uptown for $1150 per month.

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