Dr. Zoidberg Posted March 30, 2017 Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 Thought that this was a very helpful thread so I'm resurrecting it instead of starting a new one with my questions. Maybe it could get stickied? If there are any current students: What does an average week in first year look like (including time spent studying)? How's the social/student life? Is there a fun community atmosphere? In general, how well do you feel supported by the faculty and administration? Are they really receptive to feedback and willing to go the extra mile to accommodate? For the 4th years and alumni: It appears that 4th year has alotted for much more elective time than many other school (24 weeks vs 12-16 weeks at many Ontario schools). Did you feel this gave you a significant advantage over other schools for CaRMS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeisawesome Posted April 1, 2017 Report Share Posted April 1, 2017 I'll take a stab at answering your questions. What does an average week in first year look like (including time spent studying)? We have class from 8 - 5 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. From 8 - 10 am we have "case-based learning" where we are in small groups (about 8 people) with a tutor. We go through a case and learn along the way. We then have lecture based class for the rest of the day. Usually Wednesday afternoons are anatomy days and Friday afternoons are histology days, but this can change. Tuesdays and Thursdays are either clinical skills or family practice placement/family practice seminars. These are for half days. The other half of the day is for study time. I find it hard to study after doing full days of classes (M, W, F) so I usually don't study in the evenings on those days. I try to study Tuesdays and Thursdays and I personally spend almost all weekend studying (mostly catch up). How's the social/student life? Is there a fun community atmosphere? I believe it is what you make of it. There are always tons of things to do. The hard thing is finding the right balance between studying and socializing. There is definitely a fun community atmosphere, there is a Facebook group where events are constantly being posted. You will not lack for social events. In general, how well do you feel supported by the faculty and administration? Are they really receptive to feedback and willing to go the extra mile to accommodate? I think because the curriculum is so new (we are the second year of it), the faulty and administration are quite open to feedback. We constantly receive forms to fill out, or can report any feedback we have to our student council. They are in constant communication with faculty. Of course things don't change over night, and there are a lot of growing pains with the curriculum (in my opinion) but I do feel they are trying to improve it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46dr Posted April 5, 2017 Report Share Posted April 5, 2017 I've got a quick question. I've been waiting to get surgery on my ankle for several years and due to school and now work I haven't been able to take the time to get it done. I need to be off it completely (wheelchair for a week, then crutches) for 6 weeks, then a boot for another 6 weeks. If I get in, I'd like to try and plan it so that I only need to take the 6 weeks prior to starting off of work. Would it be a problem to be in a walker-boot for the first 6 weeks of the school year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SillyPanda Posted April 5, 2017 Report Share Posted April 5, 2017 ^ A number of my classmates were on crutches at some point throughout the school year. Might make some activities more difficult (standing in anatomy labs, etc) but you definitely won't be the first person to have gone through that. You should be able to discuss with the faculty to set up any accommodations if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithril Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 For the 4th years and alumni: It appears that 4th year has alotted for much more elective time than many other school (24 weeks vs 12-16 weeks at many Ontario schools). Did you feel this gave you a significant advantage over other schools for CaRMS? Not really other than when compared to the 3-year MD programs. CaRMS is very early into 4th year and you have three 4-week elective blocks and one 3-week elective block before you're on break for CaRMS. All the other electives after CaRMS won't help you for CaRMS but may help you for residency as long as it's not some slack elective you will never see in practice. It may not give you a significant advantage over most other schools but it does give you enough elective time to look good for CaRMS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pretty daffodils Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 Another question here: Overall, how well do you feel supported by your instructors, CBL tutors or preceptors? If you had questions, concepts you didn't understand, or need some things to be explained again, are they willing to meet out of class time to help you or answer email questions? If you don't know the answer to something, do the preceptors keep asking you (aka "grilling you") questions? Also can someone elaborate more on the OSCEs? How are they run? Are you able to practice for them (ie. say on your classmates or friends/family)? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithril Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 Most of my PBL tutors were easily accessible. I only had a few bad ones. Class instructors in preclinical years were not as accessible for office hours. The class is big and the instructors are also often clinicians or professors in other areas at UBC. The lectures in the first two years in terms of accessibility of the instructors felt no different from my experience in a science undergrad. Preceptors in clinical years and especially residency are much, much more accessible. I was able to call or text mine at any time. You may even have dinner or drinks with them or go hiking/boating/camping/skiing with them. One of my rural rotations was in Squamish and I even stayed at my preceptor's place for a time. During clinical years and residency was where the vast bulk of my learning happened. Honestly, my FM residency was probably the most fun two years I've ever had in my life. Preceptors will grill you but that is to be expected and it depends on who the preceptor is and what rotation. For example, in ortho rotations I was often grilled on carpal bones, ossification centres in pediatric elbows, or the muscles surrounding the anatomic snuffbox. In palliative (residency FM rotation) I was grilled on how to convert SC hydromorphone to a fentanyl patch. If you're on a specific rotation you should be comfortable being grilled on basic concepts. OSCEs are run just like MMIs or OSCEs anywhere else. There is a problem on the door and you are asked to do a focused history and/or physical in the alotted time, and there may be questions for you to answer afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedZZZ Posted May 14, 2017 Report Share Posted May 14, 2017 Hi Upper Year Medical Student, I have a question about CPR/AED certificate. I was wondering if there is going to be a course organized by upper year medical students or the program itself or do you recommend taking the course through the Red Cross, St. John's Ambulance, etc? Any help would be much appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B3.572A Posted May 14, 2017 Report Share Posted May 14, 2017 Hi Upper Year Medical Student, I have a question about CPR/AED certificate. I was wondering if there is going to be a course organized by upper year medical students or the program itself or do you recommend taking the course through the Red Cross, St. John's Ambulance, etc? Any help would be much appreciated I am from the Class of 2019. I personally do not know a course organized by upper years or the Faculty, but I could be wrong. You can also post this in the facebook group. The Faculty requires CPR at the HCP level. It does not matter where you got it, at least for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kekappo Posted May 14, 2017 Report Share Posted May 14, 2017 I'll take a stab at answering your questions. What does an average week in first year look like (including time spent studying)? We have class from 8 - 5 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. From 8 - 10 am we have "case-based learning" where we are in small groups (about 8 people) with a tutor. We go through a case and learn along the way. We then have lecture based class for the rest of the day. Usually Wednesday afternoons are anatomy days and Friday afternoons are histology days, but this can change. Tuesdays and Thursdays are either clinical skills or family practice placement/family practice seminars. These are for half days. The other half of the day is for study time. I find it hard to study after doing full days of classes (M, W, F) so I usually don't study in the evenings on those days. I try to study Tuesdays and Thursdays and I personally spend almost all weekend studying (mostly catch up). How's the social/student life? Is there a fun community atmosphere? I believe it is what you make of it. There are always tons of things to do. The hard thing is finding the right balance between studying and socializing. There is definitely a fun community atmosphere, there is a Facebook group where events are constantly being posted. You will not lack for social events. In general, how well do you feel supported by the faculty and administration? Are they really receptive to feedback and willing to go the extra mile to accommodate? I think because the curriculum is so new (we are the second year of it), the faulty and administration are quite open to feedback. We constantly receive forms to fill out, or can report any feedback we have to our student council. They are in constant communication with faculty. Of course things don't change over night, and there are a lot of growing pains with the curriculum (in my opinion) but I do feel they are trying to improve it. 8-5 monday, wed, fri?? thats a lot im assuming you do anatomy lecutures on those days for total of ~15hrs per week??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeisawesome Posted May 17, 2017 Report Share Posted May 17, 2017 8-5 monday, wed, fri?? thats a lot im assuming you do anatomy lecutures on those days for total of ~15hrs per week??? It is a lot, they are long days. The 8 - 5 does include gross anatomy lectures and anatomy lab. We have a lecture immediately followed by lab, on Wed or Friday afternoons. It is usually once a week, especially during first semester. In second semester there is considerably less gross anatomy, but you start getting into the fun of neuroanatomy and neuroanatomy labs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Zoidberg Posted May 17, 2017 Report Share Posted May 17, 2017 Asked this in another thread but might as well ask here too: With that schedule, do you normally make time for observerships and shadowing specialties on the weekends or do most students do that in summer and other break periods? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SillyPanda Posted May 17, 2017 Report Share Posted May 17, 2017 ^There is free time on Tuesday and Thursday mornings that a lot of students use for shadowing, although you may also be able to set things up at other times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Posted May 18, 2017 Report Share Posted May 18, 2017 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGrisham Posted May 18, 2017 Report Share Posted May 18, 2017 Hey everyone, I was wondering how much pre-CARMS elective time UBC students have?! If its solid, im gonna accept my offer tonight woooo. Its in fluctuation with the new curriculum. It should be enough regardless of what it ends up being. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maruo Posted May 18, 2017 Report Share Posted May 18, 2017 Hey everyone, I was wondering how much pre-CARMS elective time UBC students have?! If its solid, im gonna accept my offer tonight woooo. This is a topic currently being discussed by the faculty as it is changing in the new curriculum. Last I heard was that there will be 24 weeks of pre CaRMS electives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Zoidberg Posted May 18, 2017 Report Share Posted May 18, 2017 This is a topic currently being discussed by the faculty as it is changing in the new curriculum. Last I heard was that there will be 24 weeks of pre CaRMS electives. ^This. I asked admissions about this and they said that the actual elective period could be anywhere from 16-24 weeks once the 2021's reach 4th year. The current outline says 24 but it sound like they'll be cutting down on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGrisham Posted May 18, 2017 Report Share Posted May 18, 2017 ^This. I asked admissions about this and they said that the actual elective period could be anywhere from 16-24 weeks once the 2021's reach 4th year. The current outline says 24 but it sound like they'll be cutting down on it. The real question to ask is what types of restrictions you have on what you can do for those electives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Posted May 20, 2017 Report Share Posted May 20, 2017 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithril Posted May 20, 2017 Report Share Posted May 20, 2017 I accepted my offer so I'm in it either way ... Thanks everyone! Not sure if I should break the ice in the 2021 group, its quiet I guess it's still early eh. Just do it, man. It helps to be outgoing. Make connections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Posted May 21, 2017 Report Share Posted May 21, 2017 Yeahhhh I feel ya. Once everything is set in stone I definitely will, I'm excited! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedZZZ Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 I was wondering if anyone's SSC has been updated? Mine doesn't say anything about the program and stuff and it says I am not eligible for registration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46dr Posted May 26, 2017 Report Share Posted May 26, 2017 I was wondering if anyone's SSC has been updated? Mine doesn't say anything about the program and stuff and it says I am not eligible for registration! Haha I know we all want to keep moving and ticking off the boxes, it's been such a haul just to get here. I'm pretty sure they'll stay true to the timelines in the welcome letter on OAS. Go have a beer and relax! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellow daisy Posted May 27, 2017 Report Share Posted May 27, 2017 Would you recommend living on campus at UBC better or living off campus near VGH? If I live at UBC, housing is a bit more expensive, but I save time; if I live at VGH, housing is a bit cheaper, but then it may take longer to get home? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchpress Posted May 27, 2017 Report Share Posted May 27, 2017 Would you recommend living on campus at UBC better or living off campus near VGH? If I live at UBC, housing is a bit more expensive, but I save time; if I live at VGH, housing is a bit cheaper, but then it may take longer to get home? I've been living in the VGH area and commuting to UBC for work for years. I love it. The commute to UBC takes me only about 40 min on the 99 bus, door to door -- the bus ride itself from Granville st. is often only about ~15-20 min, and ~20-25 min from willow st (near VGH). The 99 bus can be kind of nuts at rush hour, and at key times every hour in the mornings that correspond with getting people to UBC just in time for classes. But most of time it's actually pretty reasonable, and if you're going in for 8am or leaving after 5:30pm it's a breeze. One of the things I like best about living near VGH is how easy it is to get around the rest of Vancouver. Most things of interest downtown or in east Vancouver are a short bus ride away. And there's a lot within walking distance if you like to walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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