Volunteering In A Rural Hospital For A Month

[Locke]

Hi,

 

I live in Toronto and go to York University.

 

I was hoping to apply to NOSM this cycle, but I have no volunteering experience in rural areas. Would volunteering at a rural hospital (say Campbellford or Temiskaming Hospital) for a month (July to August) be sufficient to demonstrate interest in rural medicine for the adcom?

 

What is considered to be rural anyway? For example, Campbellford is around 35 km from Belleville and 45 from Peterborough.

 

I hope to get a reply.

 

Thanks,
​Locke

 

[Nyscol]

Nobody can really say what is sufficient, everything seems to be kept under lock and key. Take what I say with a grain of salt of course. But if volunteering at a rural hospital is something you want to do, outside of any perceived benefits that it might yield to an application, then I say go for it. But if it makes a difference, I would guess that in the grand scheme of the application it would likely be negligible. The breakdown of pre-interview scores are roughly 1/3rd context (where you grew up, went to high school) 1/3rd GPA and 1/3rd ABS. I suppose that it could give you a few points in the ABS/ questionnaire, but a month really isn't that long and I would think that the adcoms would like to see something more long-term.

 

If it is something that you genuinely want to do, go for it. I grew up in Temiskaming Shores and I might be biased but I can't imagine anywhere more beautiful to spend a summer. But if it is prohibitively expensive for you to do so I think there are other things that you could do that would yield a greater benefit at a much lower cost.

[Locke]

Nobody can really say what is sufficient, everything seems to be kept under lock and key. Take what I say with a grain of salt of course. But if volunteering at a rural hospital is something you want to do, outside of any perceived benefits that it might yield to an application, then I say go for it. But if it makes a difference, I would guess that in the grand scheme of the application it would likely be negligible. The breakdown of pre-interview scores are roughly 1/3rd context (where you grew up, went to high school) 1/3rd GPA and 1/3rd ABS. I suppose that it could give you a few points in the ABS/ questionnaire, but a month really isn't that long and I would think that the adcoms would like to see something more long-term.

 

If it is something that you genuinely want to do, go for it. I grew up in Temiskaming Shores and I might be biased but I can't imagine anywhere more beautiful to spend a summer. But if it is prohibitively expensive for you to do so I think there are other things that you could do that would yield a greater benefit at a much lower cost.

Much thanks for your informative reply!

 

​I read on the main site of NOSM that the University is geared towards creating doctors in rural areas. I figured that meant that having rural experience is a must? But from what you are telling me it isn't? I am confused on that point.

[Nyscol]

If you aren't familiar with it already I would read over the FAQ on context scores. I'm certainly not saying that it's impossible for someone to get an interview from urban Southern Ontario, but it will be a major uphill battle. Context is based solely on where you grew up/ went to high school and it is roughly one third of the pre-interview score. Assuming that you grew up in Toronto, you likely would not score anything on the context section. You can however, make up a few points in the autobiographical sketch and questionnaire by showing an interest in rural/northern medicine but it would be very difficult to overcome no (or a low) context score in other areas of the applications. It would likely take a massive commitment on your part, and huge gambles to increase your score. This is all speculation, but there are people who have actually moved to Northern Ontario and have spent 5-10 years here to start accumulating that context score.

 

Certainly not saying don't apply. If your GPA is high enough it isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility to get an interview. I wouldn't bank on it though, and I would definitely direct more attention towards studying for the MCAT and focusing on other schools.

[thestar10]

Much thanks for your informative reply!

 

​I read on the main site of NOSM that the University is geared towards creating doctors in rural areas. I figured that meant that having rural experience is a must? But from what you are telling me it isn't? I am confused on that point.

 

NOSM was created to make doctors more likely to PRACTICE medicine in Northern and Rural Ontario. I would say that most people who are accepted there don't just have a rural experience, they have lived there for many years or have strong ties to the North. 

 

If I were too look at an applicant who lives in Toronto and went to school in the GTA with no other apparent ties to the North or rural Ontario, I would not believe that the applicant would want to practice in Northern Ontario and would not offer them an interview.

[_ _]

Much thanks for your informative reply!

 

​I read on the main site of NOSM that the University is geared towards creating doctors in rural areas. I figured that meant that having rural experience is a must? But from what you are telling me it isn't? I am confused on that point.

 

Rural experience is a 'must'. But 1 month isn't what they mean by 'rural'. They mean living 5-10 years in a northern/rural area. if you look at their class stats, 100% of their class comes from rural areas.

 

And no, the area you're speaking of isn't what they mean by rural. Basically the whole Ottawa-London stretch and isn't what they mean by rural

[ralk]

Rural experience is a 'must'. But 1 month isn't what they mean by 'rural'. They mean living 5-10 years in a northern/rural area. if you look at their class stats, 100% of their class comes from rural areas.

 

And no, the area you're speaking of isn't what they mean by rural. Basically the whole Ottawa-London stretch and isn't what they mean by rural

 

Eh, Campbellford's probably rural enough - it's in one of the gaps in the Ottawa-London corridor and the area has a high enough Rurality Index. If it doesn't count as rural, then basically nothing in Ontario outside of the North would.

 

That said, totally agree that a 1 month volunteer stint doesn't come close to cutting it, not even close.

[bornandraised]

I personally don't think one month suggests dedication to Northern/rural practice.

 

ps. saying that 100% of the NOSM class comes from rural areas is simply incorrect. I believe it is more like 95% Northern Ontario (both rural and small urban), 5% other rural areas of Canada. I would also argue with the statement that nothing from Ottawa-London stretch is rural. There are most definitely rural areas of Southern Ontario.