Context Score: Born And Raised In No, Now Living In So

[potatohead5]

Hi all, 

 

I'm wondering if I could get some opinions on my context score. I applied to NOSM a couple years ago and was rejected pre-interview. I have since completed my MSc and now have a wGPA of 3.63 and lots of ECs and research. 

 

I was born and raised in TBay and lived in another rural town in NO until I was 10 years old. I then moved just outside of Ottawa until age 18 and have completed my degrees and been working out of Burlington (GTHA) until now (age 26). 

 

I have been away from NO for quite some time now and I'm wondering if me growing up there will help my context score, or if me living away for so long will negate my northern connection. 

 

Any honest opinions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

[Med_Pack]

So you were in N.O for 10 yrs then as a kid?  I don't think anything can negate the time that you spent here. I would imagine your context score would be comparable to someone else who spent a later part of their life here (not for post-sec). The time that you've been doing your post-secondary education from what I've heard isn't viewed the same way for NO connection so you're probably OK there. I don't think anyone really knows how long you need to be in N.O to get the best context score, I know from the admissions info session last summer they said rural NO gets you more points than urban NO (Sudbury and Thunder Bay) so your rural years would probably help you there. I guess you'll never know until you apply but given you do have a good number of yrs in NO, my opinion (and this is just what I would do) would be to apply next cycle because it seems worth applying and then after that, it's really up to them. In terms of GPA, you mention wGPA is 3.63 but OMSAS calculations can be different from other weighted calculations. Do you know what your GPA is on the OMSAS scale? Of course, you can always apply if you meet their min of 3.0 but it just won't make you as competitive as a higher GPA would, and that part is marked out of 10 as well (with 10 being 4.0 I think)...again that info is directly from the admissions info session. They will probably have another one this summer (last time it was in July) and they do they webinar with it so even if you're not in TBay or Sudbury, that session would probably help answers a lot of your questions. They also take questions even for distance folks. Hope that helps!

[potatohead5]

Hey Med_Pack, 

 

Thanks for your input! That's right, I was is northern + rural until I was 10 (so as a kid). I spend my first 4 years in TBay and then 6 years in rural/northern. I was so unsure if this time would even count because I've been away for 16 yrs now.

 

And woops, think I meant to clarify that my GPA is 3.43 and I have my MSc +0.2 so my GPA for NOSM would be 3.63. 

 

Thanks for the info about the session and being able to join via webinar. I will definitely mark that in my calendar. 

[Med_Pack]

Make sure to check the NOSM website around late spring and just keep checking until they post the date for the info session. I actually found the session super helpful and an efficient way to answer a lot of my questions. Even just to have some general idea of where they are getting their points from is helpful. When it comes to the context score, they are not too specific but that being said, they do still give some general guidelines on how they derive that and even if you were to ask them your question after the session, you could probably get at least some clue of whether it would be worth applying- ie would I still be looked at as a NO resident? Not so much asking how do you think I will score on context (because they won't tell you that of course) but I think a fair question would you still be considered an NO resident in terms of NOSM's definitions and whether when those years are spent (recent history or distant past) are considered within the context score. Hope that helps!

[kbinners]

Hey potatohead,

 

Just noticed this post of yours -- sorry I didn't mention NOSM in the little post I wrote about Ontario schools! They don't require the MCAT either, as I'm sure you've already read if you're looking into info on context scores. They slipped my mind because I can't apply there (I'd have a context score of 0) but I admire their program so much. Have you watched the TV show based on NOSM? (Hard Rock Medical, TVO. Script can be a little thin, but I love it anyway.)

 

Kat