Ottawa University

[xylem29]

Hey I was just wondering if anyone knows anything about Ottawa's med school - I applied this year and I am from TO and I don't speak french. This school has priorties which essentially give preferences to francophones from out of ON, then to franchophones in ON, then to billingual (eng and french) resid of ON, then to ppl from rural areas in ON, then to ottawa residents, then to ON residents - i think that is roughly it. I'm on the bottom of their priorities list and I wanted to know I have a shot of getting an interview.

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[psrai85]

Hey I was just wondering if anyone knows anything about Ottawa's med school - I applied this year and I am from TO and I don't speak french. This school has priorties which essentially give preferences to francophones from out of ON, then to franchophones in ON, then to billingual (eng and french) resid of ON, then to ppl from rural areas in ON, then to ottawa residents, then to ON residents - i think that is roughly it. I'm on the bottom of their priorities list and I wanted to know I have a shot of getting an interview.

I'm an undergrad at Ottawa U and they have seperate category for English and French. So they only accept a certain amount of french speaking ppl. But to get in you need a 3.7 + GPA.

Good luck

 

[xylem29]

I'm an undergrad at Ottawa U and they have seperate category for English and French. So they only accept a certain amount of french speaking ppl. But to get in you need a 3.7 + GPA.

Good luck

I know they have a bilingual program vs an english one - the bilingual program is obviously for ppl who can speak both french and english - but for the english one - they have a priorities list where they say what kind of applicant (based on language and origin ie TO vs owen sound etc) and I'm near the bottom - i think only "english speakers from other provinces" are below me. I'm the next category up. Obviously there are not too many canadians using this site...i wonder if there is a canadian version of this site somewhere....

 

[xylem29]

I'm an undergrad at Ottawa U and they have seperate category for English and French. So they only accept a certain amount of french speaking ppl. But to get in you need a 3.7 + GPA.

Good luck

I know they have a bilingual program vs an english one - the bilingual program is obviously for ppl who can speak both french and english - but for the english one - they have a priorities list where they say what kind of applicant (based on language and origin ie TO vs owen sound etc) and I'm near the bottom - i think only "english speakers from other provinces" are below me. I'm the next category up. Obviously there are not too many canadians using this site seeing as how only one person responded...i wonder if there is a canadian version of this site somewhere....

 

[docbill]

I wonder if there is a canadian version of this site somewhere....

http://p090.ezboard.com/bpremed101

 

[AliatUofT]

Hi guys

i am a first year student at U of O
if anyone has anay questions regarding the med school, cirriculum etc
drop me a message and ill get back to you

good luck

Ali

ps i got in from Toronto, and no french. so it is possible

 

[xylem29]

so let me ask you this - here are my stats regarding my course loads. Y1(4), Y2(3), Y3(5), Y4(4), Y5(2.5) - with some summer courses to fill in the rest. As u can see, I have completed my 20 creds in 5 years, and only completed full course load in one year. I think Ottawa calc your best 3 years where you've done full course load (or 4 during year but followed with 1 in summer, which I did not do)...so am i screwed or what???

 

[AliatUofT]

so let me ask you this - here are my stats regarding my course loads. Y1(4), Y2(3), Y3(5), Y4(4), Y5(2.5) - with some summer courses to fill in the rest. As u can see, I have completed my 20 creds in 5 years, and only completed full course load in one year. I think Ottawa calc your best 3 years where you've done full course load (or 4 during year but followed with 1 in summer, which I did not do)...so am i screwed or what???

as far as i know i believe u will be screwed..
i reread the UofO admission info packet (which i can send to you if u like) and it states clearly that u need at least 3 years of full time study to be eligible. so given your stats i am not sure if yours qualifies.
Now if u want u can always give them a call and ask them how u can get over the hurdle.
hope that helps

Ali

 

[AliatUofT]

so let me ask you this - here are my stats regarding my course loads. Y1(4), Y2(3), Y3(5), Y4(4), Y5(2.5) - with some summer courses to fill in the rest. As u can see, I have completed my 20 creds in 5 years, and only completed full course load in one year. I think Ottawa calc your best 3 years where you've done full course load (or 4 during year but followed with 1 in summer, which I did not do)...so am i screwed or what???

as far as i know i believe u will be screwed..
i reread the UofO admission info packet (which i can send to you if u like) and it states clearly that u need at least 3 years of full time study to be eligible. so given your stats i am not sure if yours qualifies.
Now if u want u can always give them a call and ask them how u can get over the hurdle.
hope that helps

Ali

 

[hj714]

Last year's GPA cut off for Ontario resident (English) applicant was 3.83

yes, it was pretty high..but about 600-800 applicants still made this cutoff.

 

[xylem29]

as far as i know i believe u will be screwed..
i reread the UofO admission info packet (which i can send to you if u like) and it states clearly that u need at least 3 years of full time study to be eligible. so given your stats i am not sure if yours qualifies.
Now if u want u can always give them a call and ask them how u can get over the hurdle.
hope that helps

Ali

hmm...there is a way to get over this?? whom do i call??? the general admissions office?

 

[emack]

so let me ask you this - here are my stats regarding my course loads. Y1(4), Y2(3), Y3(5), Y4(4), Y5(2.5) - with some summer courses to fill in the rest. As u can see, I have completed my 20 creds in 5 years, and only completed full course load in one year. I think Ottawa calc your best 3 years where you've done full course load (or 4 during year but followed with 1 in summer, which I did not do)...so am i screwed or what???

You probably need most of your degree to have been completed as a fulltime student. Regardless of the school's specific policies (which I don't know anything about) it makes sense that med schools prefer full-time students. Regardless of why you only went part-time for all those years, the admissions people need to be 100% sure that you can handle a workload that's more like doing 8 undergrad courses at once-- way more work than you'll be used to. I did 6 full courses my last year of undergrad, and worked part-time, and still had a social life, and that was a breeze compared to MS 1 so far.

 

[northcountry]

Hi guys

i am a first year student at U of O
if anyone has anay questions regarding the med school, cirriculum etc
drop me a message and ill get back to you

good luck

Ali

ps i got in from Toronto, and no french. so it is possible

How is Ottawa's reputation regarded in Canada?

 

[brightblueeyes]

How is Ottawa's reputation regarded in Canada?

Any attempt I've seen to compare Canadian schools generally ranks UofO fairly low. But no one in Canada really cares. Unlike in some countries (especially the US), within Canada, all the med schools are treated more or less the same. I believe they all have similar admissions standards and I've never heard someone make a convincing argument for one school having a better program than another.

Students tend to go to a med school in the province in which they live since Canadian med schools often have regional preferences. This is a bigger factor than a school's reputation.

 

[knitwitty]

double post...

 

[knitwitty]

How is Ottawa's reputation regarded in Canada?

Ottawa? There's a university in Ottawa? (Yes, I have heard this... this was not in context of the med school though).

In French-speaking Canada, U of O is very well known, with a good reputation. In English-speaking Canada, not so much.

I don't feel that it has a particularly good reputation. But it doesn't have a bad one either. Just sort of neutral. Like Switzerland.

Bonus points for the cool laptops though. I heard them described as "James Bond laptops". They're those tablet ones that the screen flips over and you can write on them with a stylus.

Brightblueyes is right though, no one in Canada cares about med school reputation. Competition for admission is so stiff that you usually apply everywhere and just go where you get in. It doesn't matter for residency where you went for med school either (unless you're going back to the States... that's a whole different animal).

Good luck at your interview.

 

[northcountry]

Thanks for the posts! Honestly, I've been wanting to move back to Canada since I moved to the States as a kid. I think I've been caught up in the US way of things where reputation plays a big role in college admissions that I unknowingly forgot why I wanted to get into medicine in the first place. I would be honored to have the opportunity to study medicine where patients are not discriminated against. As you said, I think it's wise to go to where they want me!

 

[Smilemaker100]

Thanks for the posts! Honestly, I've been wanting to move back to Canada since I moved to the States as a kid. I think I've been caught up in the US way of things where reputation plays a big role in college admissions that I unknowingly forgot why I wanted to get into medicine in the first place. I would be honored to have the opportunity to study medicine where patients are not discriminated against. As you said, I think it's wise to go to where they want me!

I spent some time as a resident in a US hospital and I was quite appalled by the medical system as well. For instance, in the ER , I remember a number of patients who were classified as DNR (do not resuscitate) because of their economic status. I contemplated moving to the Boston area at the time but I'm frankly scared of moving back for that specific reason (medical system). I've heard of nightmarish stories that even occur to people who have private medical insurance.

Although the two tiered system is somewhat in its embryonic stages in Canada (particularly out West), at least in the present, medicare is not as bad here. However, I am slightly concerned about any health care reforms under the new Harper government He is an economist after all...who knows what ideas he will have.

If you want to study medicine at a school with a great reputation and have fun in a college town , come study at McGill U (U of Toronto is reknown as well but we all know that Toronto is not only boring but is dangerous like any large American city nowdays ). Montreal is THE place to be if you're a university student. The only thing to keep in mind is that you'll have to be bilingual in order to practice here and you'll most likely be forced to practice in remote towns for a few years once you finish your residency (as dictated by the government).

 

[SomeGuy]

If you want to study medicine at a school with a great reputation and have fun in a college town , come study at McGill U (U of Toronto is reknown as well but we all know that Toronto is not only boring but is dangerous like any large American city nowdays ). Montreal is THE place to be if you're a university student. The only thing to keep in mind is that you'll have to be bilingual in order to practice here and you'll most likely be forced to practice in remote towns for a few years once you finish your residency (as dictated by the government).

"We all know that" Toronto is somehow boring and should be avoided, but being forced to practice in a remote town is okay?

Not sure how you figured that the 3rd largest city in the country is a "college town"

Anyways, go where you get in. If you're privileged enough to choose between, spend a week(end) in each city to evaluate the cities themselves.

Any Canadian university with a medical school will have a decent scene (methinks).

 

[trustwomen]

The cutoff this year for the French program (Ontario residents) was only 3.4. Don't know about the English one. (You might want to learn French!)

They look at your most recent three years of full-time study. This means 5 courses/term OR 4 courses a term with the other two made up in the summer (they don't count the summer grades though). Your years 1,3,4 may fit. Take GPA from most recent year x3, one before x2, one before that x1 and then divide by six to get your overall GPA for them.

Good luck.

Cat

Hey I was just wondering if anyone knows anything about Ottawa's med school - I applied this year and I am from TO and I don't speak french. This school has priorties which essentially give preferences to francophones from out of ON, then to franchophones in ON, then to billingual (eng and french) resid of ON, then to ppl from rural areas in ON, then to ottawa residents, then to ON residents - i think that is roughly it. I'm on the bottom of their priorities list and I wanted to know I have a shot of getting an interview.