length of med school years

[Guest notold]

This is a pretty basic question but is Mac the only school that has an extended year or do all the med school programs have a longer than typical year?

 

I'm kind of wondering with NOMS being a PBL format-why they are doing a 4 year program rather than a three like Mac.

[Guest drews97]

Well, at Queen's we go till late May first year, so I guess you could consider our first year to be extended. The university of Calgary has a format very similar to Mac so you're looking at about 11 months of the year in school there as well.

[Guest fox]

In first year at U of A we go until mid-May, and in second year we go until the end of May.

[Guest macMDstudent]

I wouldn't think of Mac's year as "long." Rather, think of the whole program as "continuous." There is never a longer break in the program than 2 weeks from the time you start to the time you finish. Between the end of the first year and the beginning of second year, you have 9 weeks that includes a mandatory 8 weeks of elective and only 1 week of vacation. On elective, you have to be present for the full time hours of the MD who acts as your supervisor usually never less than 35-40 hours per week, sometimes much more.

 

I am looking forward to 4 weeks of elective that starts the end of November for me, again it will be full time clinical work. We then get two weeks of Christmas holiday and it will be the beginning of clerkship the first business day of January for the entire 12 months of 2004 during which we get 2 weeks off in the summer and then again 2 weeks next Christmas (I think.)

 

From January 2005 until May 2005 we do further clinical electives, lectures series to review for licensing exam (LMCC) and a series of topics about the ethical/legal responsibilities of physcians.

 

It is not a "long year" but rather 33 continuous months of medical education at Mac. I believe Calgary is the only other 3 year continuous schedule of med schools in Canada. Hopefully moderators from other schools will help clarify that.

[Guest aneliz]

UWO has 'extended years' as well.

 

1st and 2nd year classes begin the day following Labour Day (Sept 2 this year)

and go until the Fri before Christmas (Dec 19 this year). !st and 2nd year get two weeks for Christmas and start again on the Monday following New Years. We get March break in mid-march and then the year finishes at the end of the first week of June giving you about 10 weeks of summer to play with.

 

The third years start clerkship in early Sept and, once you start clerkship, the program is continuous until you graduate...

Clerks get one week in December off (either Christmas or New Years, but not both), one week in March and either the last week of Aug or first week of Sept depending on the year. Fourth year starts one week after the end of clerkship and lasts until late May when you graduate. You then get ~6 weeks off before residency starts on July 1.

[Guest notold]

I like the idea of continuous.

I would certainly prefer to go year round for 3 years rather than stretch it out to four.

 

I'm really kind of amazed that in this day and age university in general isn't offered on a more continuous basis. There are very few that offer a true tri semester or continuous intake.

 

I know a lot of students want to work in the summer but i would bet there are just as many who would rather go strait through-don't you think?

 

 

Thanks for the details.

 

notold

[Guest UWOMED2005]

I think it depends on how the university students in question fund their education.

[Guest peachy]

I much prefer both non-continuous and four years, though I recognize the benefits of doing it the other way around. It's very much a personal decision! After all, the non-continuous really refers to two very short summers, which means opportunities to work, to relax, to travel, and so on. I prefer to have vacation time. And four years means more time before matching. Honestly, for me personally, doing med school in four years sounds pretty stressful (wrt CARMS, choosing a specialty, and so on), and I think I'd go crazy doing it in three.

 

(I'm definitely NOT implying that three years isn't enough time, I'm sure that McMaster and Calgary students are very well prepared for the match. I would just personally find it stressful to have the shorter period of time.)

[Guest aneliz]

I was quite happy to have my summers during undergrad....because without them, I wouldn't have been able to pay tuition! Going continuously is fine and wonderful, but coming out of high school, you have 8 weeks max to make money....if this is your only opportunity for the next ~32 months (8 semesters x ~14 weeks each)...that is going to be pretty tough....I for one don't know of any desirable job where you can make upwards of $50 000 in 8 weeks with a high school education....

 

I needed my four months per year of 'work time' in which I worked two jobs (min ~60 hours/week) to make enough money to return to school in the fall....it wasn't about 'liking' to work in the summer....it was a 'need' to work or can't continue situation....