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Essentially zero context score: still apply?


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I have always lived in big cities. My father lived for a while in a town of about 20,000, but because my parents were separated and I always went to school in Toronto, I don't know that I would qualify on any scale.

 

Before I even started on the road to applications, I dreamed of having some of my practice in the city where I live, and commuting part-time to a Northern Community. My father was a psychiatrist, and some of his friends/colleagues went up to (what was then NWT, now Nunavut) for several weeks each year.

 

I don't know if that dream/intent would make any impression on admissions staff because it would be impossible for them to determine whether it is sincere or just a convenient story to tell to gain admission.

 

My GPA is 3.83 and I have a pretty wide variety of life experiences (I'm 39 with 2 kids, been a teacher for 15+ years, a wide variety of athletics and volunteer work, a published article, and some research).

 

Is there any way they would consider an applicant like me or is it impossible to distinguish between me and other applicants who have absolutely no intention/interest in serving Northern Communities?

 

TIA for any replies.

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Believe me when I say everyone on interview day says they want to commit their lives to Northern Ontario and vulnerable populations. Upon admission you start to see people extending their career aspirations well beyond the confines of NO from small comments made. Nothing wrong with that because things change over time but it is a bit funny.

 

 

NOSM looks for individuals who have an increased likelihood of practicing in the North from verifiable experiences (i.e. place of high school, place of residence, ECs and so on). The saying 'Words are cheap' comes to mind when people say how much they love NO but have no life commitment in the North. Heck I know of classmates who have grown up in NO and according to algorithms should be very likely to stay and practice in the North but I know from discussions with them as soon as they graduate will be heading straight out of NO for residency and plan on practicing in Vancouver and Toronto for most of their practice careers .. I can think of four classmates off the top of my head right away.

 

No one is forced to work in Northern Ontario so they are not evil or did not trick the system but they are looking for those who are more likely too stay. In your case indeed your context is virtually zero, and perhaps your chances of admission are virtually zero however if you don't apply you definitely have a guaranteed zero chance of admission.

 

Good luck.

 

Beef

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