The Reasons To Choose Ottawa for Medicine

[Guest 0T6]

This thread got buried in the archives and I thought I'd revive it.

 

(Mods please sticky, g22g I've updated some stuff )

 

If anyone wants to add anything, just reply in this thread!

 

1.

Vijay: our anglophone histology prof for memorizing 100 student names, for shaving his hair to raise money for cancer, and calling you "Smart girl" or "Smart guy." (g22g)

2.

TWO!! weeks of orientation (g22g)

3. It's the closest Ontario school to Montreal.(noncestvrai)

4. a guilt-free WORK-FREE weekend every 6 weeks (tt)

5. THREE weeks off for xmas break in first year (tt) [editor's note one student in the second year class went to Africa for a clinical elective by getting an extra week off].

6. protected nap..i mean..study time...(tt)

7.

PBLs starting on Monday and ending on Friday which means you are forced to study at least a little bit from week to week. (g22g)

8.

Technology: we have a dedicated laptop program so if you want to get techy, like record lectures, avoid writers cramp, instant message a friend, or use a web based dictionary to clarify a term you can. (g22g) The laptops for Meds09 are tablets!

9.

...their Admissions office people really seem to care. I sent a wee note to Nicole a few weeks ago, inquiring about a few things. The Asst. Dean of Admissions sent me an e-mail at 7am yesterday morning (a Saturday), asking me to call him. Since I was on the computer at that time, and figured he'd be there, I did. His first question: "What Asst. Dean of Admissions in Canada would do this?" I had to give him that as this was the second time this year that I'd spoken to him early in morn. [it was Richard Hebert (please insert the accent, my keyboard is not compliant!). I find him to be perpetually helpful, insightful and generous with his time. ] It would be great to see some other schools follow suit. I've only been impressed by these guys...

(Kirsteen)

10.

Clinical exposure - can start doing electives/observerships right away if you want to. There's protected time on our schedule to do it.(Tash000)

11.

Supportive staff - they actually ask for and respond to feedback (Tash000)

12.

City - great urban and outdoor life. Clubs, restaurants, bars are great. Close to water and snow...almost everyone skiis or boards in my class...I'm trying to learn! (Tash000)

13.

Systems based - just makes more sense. You learn everything about a single system at the same time. Most schools are like this now.(Tash000)

14.

PEOPLE - great, relaxed group of people! This is the most important, I think. Super friendly and generally laid back students. If you crave competition, this isn't the place to be! (Tash000)

15.

E-curriculum - all the sources you need are at your fingertips. Also makes PBL a lot more interesting since you have diagnostic info integrated into the case (ie. videos of echos, heart sounds, etc.) (Tash000)

16.

Ottawa is bilingual, so is the university and the MD porgram. I believe it is part of our national culture/history and everybody who wish to honor our national tradition, improve their french and study medicine, should choose UO.

(Tutifruiti) If you want to learn French, there are FREE courses at the school to do so!

17.

I love the E-curriculum, I download all the powerpoint presentation AND online notes on which I am able to take notes, highlight, underline. This is super cool since I don't have to carry huge binders (they grow very fast!) and am able to zoom on picture which are in colour! Paper notes users don't have that chance. Moreover, the library and classroom are all wired for internet so during a lecture if you don't understand something, you can immediately look online. Yep, I am very enthousiastic about the e-curriculum... it is a must for all computers and technology lovers!

(Tutifruiti)

18.

The program also offerers small group learning as large classroom sessions. So if you learn best through self learning you can chose to not go to lectures (one or two of my classmates prefers this option). You have to go to small group sessions (PBL) but it may not be the primary focus of your studies (like me, for example I prefer lectures). And if you get something from both methods of learning then I think you would be in the majority of the class. (Sil)

19.

You have a lot of free time, at least 3 afternoons free per week. We are encouraged to follow physicians around to rule specialties in or out. I started doing a thoracic surgery elective and while in my first month in med school, I had my hand inside somebody's thoracic cage and was feeling a tumour. And I have classmates who have rotated throughout different specialties, seen births, etc. (Sil)

20.

The location of the school is great we are between 2 major teaching hospitals. The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario which is great place to do rotations and work. And the Ottawa General Hospital. After classes you just have to walk over and do your elective. As well, within the city we have the Heart Institute which is world renown for cardiology. Ottawa being the second largest city in Ontario has specialists in every discipline and usually our tutors for PBL are specialists of whatever block we are studying (for example I had a cardiologist for cardiology, a nephrologist for renal, etc). (Sil)

21.

My classmates are great. I constantly get e-mails from individuals from the class (people that are not necessarily my friends) telling us about extra-resources that they have found on line, tables they have created or notes that they are sharing. As a class we are very cohesive. I find that med students in my class hang out together a lot of times (soccer games, movies together, girls and guys night out, block parties, diners, intramurals, etc, etc, etc). (Sil)

22.

I really like the e-curriculum. I cannot say enough about that. At the beginning of the block we are handed all of the notes that we need for the block (the power point presentations and extra writing the profs want us to have). These power point presentations are also available online. So I can make my notes directly on the computer. Many books are available online. The advantage is that I can go to the library with my laptop and my course notes and leave most of my books at home (my laptop is way lighter than Harrison's Internal medicine). As well, if I need to look up a medical term I don't need to carry with me (or borrow) a medical dictionary, is all online (provided by the university). Many of the extra materials are provided online also for example we got extra CDs with breath sounds, heart sounds, and extra random material some PBL tutors give us. A student was hired by the faculty and took pictures from prosections of anatomy specimens. I can easily study for this at home, at the library, from a PBL room, ie the night before an exam (well you get my drift. And without my laptop would I have enough time to check this site non-stop ? (Sil)

23.

I don`t find the med school location a bother at all....for us southend-ers it`s closer and has less traffic flow during rush hour. The 85 (bus) takes you downtown within a matter of 10 minutes. Altavista, although not a bustling neighbourhood, is fairly close to St. Laurent Blvd. which provides easy access to a huge mall, 24 eateries, golf courses, a Hooters, and the ever popular nuDEN!!! (James W.)

24.

As far as Ottawa goes as a city to live in...I've travelled and spent significant time in all major Canadian cities and have also spent time in many of the less-known cities...I would say I have a pretty good handle on what other Canadian cities are like. I would say, in my opinion, the three nicest places to live in Canada, in order of my personal preference are: Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver. Ottawa is an amazing city. I lived here when I was younger and it was pretty lame with respect to night life, etc. Ottawa currently has a great night life scene...the market is really fun...and Hull is right next door. Good restaurents are everywhere. Ottawa is also very clean and safe, as major Canadian cities go. Our cost of living is also excellent relative to other major cities in Canada.

Ottawa also has lots of great things to do outside...if you're sporty...there are miles and miles of bicycle/blading/running paths, we have the canal...the gatineau is right next door for hiking and cross-country skiing in the winter...we have world-class bass, pickerel/walleye, musky fishing within 15-30 minutes of downtown...(Peter Hill)

25.

Ottawa's a great place to visit. I did an away elective there and absolutely loved it. The downtown area is a lot of fun, and the staff and residents at the hospital were some of the happiest and friendliest that I've ever had the pleasure of working with. (Ian Wong)

26.

Because of the e-curriculum, you can confidently dose through lectures and know that you can download relatively detailed sets of notes for the classes you missed.*(Mistah Anderson)*mistah anderson does not advocate sleeping in class. However he currently holds the record for most classes slept thru for meds 2007.

27.

Our med school, is physically attached to *two* hospitals: the Ottawa General and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. This means that not only do you have two training hospitals and two places to do on-site electives... but you also have multiple cafeterias to choose from for lunch. (Mistah Anderson)

28.

We get complementary newspapers each morning by stopping by the education office. (g22g)

29.

Like Mac you are relatively high on the teaching food chain (There aren't a great deal of residents between you and the patient). For instance great practical hands on expeirence like CABG. (Steph Macdonell)

30. I am here. (Steph Macdonell)

31.

Graduate students are given special considerations. (Dave M.)

32. Beautiful scenere in Gatineau Park (Dave M.)

33.

Its great to come to Ottawa and see more Leaf's fans at the coreal centre watching the Sens get whooped in overtime. (Demetrios S.)

34.

Ottawa has the best fan base and club for the Minor League Hockey. (Misha M.)

35.

Mentor night: about once a month or two you hang out for dinner and an activity with one or two physicans and few third, second, and first year colleagues. The docs typically pay. And if you happen to miss an activity they will call to check up on you to make sure everything is alright. For instance we are going skate the canal, try beavertails, and have dinner at their house this Feb. weekend. The entire project is lead coordinated by the med students.(g22g)

36.

Student leadership and Community health groups: First year students will be given the opportunity to mentor a child stricken with cancer, provide health education to high schoolers, coordinate a summer elective in Bear country, and attend weekly seminars on international health. Click here for details mededu.med.uottawa.ca/aesculapian/HTML/CommunityInternationalHealth/CommunityHealth/groups.htm (g22g)

37.

So you think you are SMRT? SMRT club: Stands for Seminars on manuscripts that Revolutionize Therapies: It’s a journal club organized by the first year class to cover tomorrow's therapies today. Sessions are lead by an enthusastic student and with the audience of a faculty member experienced in the topic of the month. Click here for the web page: mededu.med.uottawa.ca/meds2007/SMRT/ (g22g, shameless plug)

38.

EGSO, a group of forty first year students that work together to answer and share the learning objectives given by the faculty in a particular block. Student answers are further screened by two peer reviewers. Excellent collaboration!(g22g)

39. Med Show. Somebody tell me why this is a reason?

40. Our academic assistant dean shaved HER (yes.. HER) long blonde locks to raise money for paediatric cancer research!

41. PSD (physician skills development) has you doing histories on REAL inpatients during the SECOND week of classes!

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(We will add more numbers till we get to 100 and then also do a "top ten list vote")

[Guest Talon01]

O-Week was wicked awesome.

[Guest satsumargirl]

We did NOT get 3 weeks of x-mas break this year!!

 

But Ottawa is still great!!

[Guest Talon01]

FREE shuttle bus that runs from main campus to RGN (and a few stops inbetween of course!)

[Guest hydes79]

I have few questions about Ottawa MD program. First, do you guys get the summer off during stage I (first two years)? What do students usually do in the summer of the first two years? Is it possible to do research in the summer or during the elective time?

 

Second, what is the size of the groups during the clinical rotations in stage II. How often do these groups change?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Guest 0T6]

Yeps, summer after first year is 3 months, and after 2nd year is 2.5 months.

 

You can do whatever you want in the summer.. what-ev-er at all. I'm doing an elective in rural medicine for June and then clinical research in Toronto for July/August

 

Good question about the stage II groups, I believe they're 12-16 but I'm not sure how they change, I believe you might be in the same group for a few rotations but I'm not certain about this. Good question for your interview since you'll have a 4th year there

[Guest hydes79]

Thank you OT6. You have been very helpful.

[Guest 0T6]

BUMPED! For the newly accepted/deciding

[Guest g22g]

Thanks OT6,

 

I saw your work for the list today. It is now Sticked.

 

We got three weeks for the 2007 classes, it has been reduced to two...

 

 

Cheers,

g22g