The latest updates from the MD Admissions team.
Writing Tips: Non-Academic Activities and Employment History
By Admissions on Aug 23, 2017 We recently saw a post on Pre-Med 101 that asked about omitting common punctuation in order to increase word count in the Non-Academic Activities section. The sample provided by the inquirer read something like this: “students&helped” instead of “students and helped.” We respectfully ask that you do not write your Non-Academic Activities and Employment History sections that way. Omitting punctuation significantly reduces the readability of your application. To demonstrate, ifwewroteourbloglikethis, you would have a hard time understanding it. The same rule applies to the Non-Academic and Employment History sections. Also, texting language is not ubiquitous, therefore we recommend against abbreviating your words. Or, you may use AYOR. TY! While we will certainly evaluate your application as best as possible, writing in this manner exhausts evaluators, and makes comprehension more challenging. If necessary, you can use a sparingly placed symbol. However, we would encourage you to spend the time phrasing your entries so that you capture the essence of your role and your primary duties and responsibilities without resorting to such tactics. If necessary, you may use action based sentence fragments like, “Led student group of 50 members,” or “Played board games with seniors.” End each phrase in a period to indicate that the thought or action has concluded. While we do not deduct points for poorly constructed entries, it is in your best interest to ensure that your application is readable, uses appropriate English grammar, is accurate, and effectively conveys the information and tone you want the Admissions Selection Committee to see. This aspect of the admissions process lets us catch a glimpse of who you are on paper. What do you want us to see? What judgments do you want us to make about you? If you are not sure how you come across, have someone who you respect, and can provide an unbiased opinion, read what you wrote and provide you feedback. We will not be able to do this for you. If you have already submitted your application and included entries written in the manner above, there is nothing that can be done at this point. If you used a few small symbol replacements, please do not worry about it. We will contact you if we have any questions. Happy writing! Permalink | 2 Comments
Verifier Questions
By Admissions on
Verifiers can be a source of confusion and anxiety for some applicants. Our verifier guidelines have not changed since the last cycle, so we hope this post from last year can help with some common verifier issues you might encounter.
Some verifiers are easy to choose: your current supervisor, your former coach, your guitar teacher. Others are more problematic. Because the Admissions Office has a responsibility to verify the accuracy of applications in order to ensure fairness for all applicants, we require a verifier for all non-academic, employment, and rural training experiences. However, we recognize that it can be hard to find a verifier for some entries. We hope these questions can help if you are struggling with a difficult verifier situation.
- I worked somewhere/did something a long time ago and have lost touch with my supervisor.
This is a common problem. Sometimes the organization will keep records, so you might be able to put down the current HR person. Remember, the verifier only needs to be able to confirm the details you list on the application – they don’t have to know you personally or comment on your performance. Alternatively, you might be able to reach out through social media to get in touch with your former supervisor. The ‘last resort’ is to use a coworker. You may do this at your discretion, but please note that in some cases we may contact you to ask for a different verifier. We do not accept things like certificates, newspaper articles, or other non-human forms of verification.
- I have a hobby I usually do on my own. You say not to put yourself down as a verifier, so who should I put?
For solo hobbies, you may choose a friend or family member who knows about your hobby.
- I own my own business and work by myself. Since I cannot put myself down as a verifier, who should I pick?
A business is more formal than a hobby, so we prefer that you not use a friend or family member. You might consider using someone like an accountant or lawyer who can confirm the basic details of your business. Clients are a bit trickier because they may not know the total number of hours you work or the start and end dates of your business.
- I work for a family business. You say not to use friends or family members as verifiers, so who should I choose?
Ideally, you could pick a non-family member who supervised you, but we understand that many family businesses are small and are staffed only by family members. In this case, if there is no one else, you may use the family member who supervised you.
- The only people who can verify my activity are also applying to the MD program.
Sorry, applicants should not verify activities for other applicants. Please try to find someone else.
- What happens if the Admissions Office thinks I put down an inappropriate verifier? Will the activity be automatically disregarded?
We will not automatically disregard an activity unless you put yourself down as a verifier or enter something like “no verifier”. As long as you have made an honest attempt to list a suitable verifier, we will contact you if we need to verify the activity and we have concerns about the verifier. We are not looking for ways to disregard activities or withhold points – we really want to reward your accomplishments and experiences. We just need to make sure the entries listed are accurate.
Ultimately, verifier choice is your decision. The Admissions Office cannot give you permission to list a particular verifier on your application or help you if you are trying to decide between two or more potential verifiers. Please use your best judgement to work within the guidelines provided.
Permalink | No CommentsMED 2021 Class Finalized
By Admissions on Aug 22, 2017
Orientation for the class of MED 2021 started yesterday, which means the class is now finalized. This may be disappointing, although perhaps not unexpected, news to those applicants who were still on the waitlist. Even though it is tough to know you won’t be joining the class this year, making it so far in the application process is a true accomplishment. Best wishes to all returning and new applicants in 2017/2018.
Permalink | No CommentsNorthern and Rural Training Section
By Admissions on Jul 21, 2017
As you are working on your application, you may have some questions about the Northern and Rural Training section. This section of the application is for applicants who would like to be considered for the rural positions in the MD program. These positions include all 32 seats at the Northern Medical Program in Prince George, up to 10 seats at the Southern Medical Program in Kelowna, and up to 2 newly added seats at the Island Medical Program in Victoria.
One question we often get about this section is “Is my experience rural enough?” Please don’t worry about judging how rural or not rural your experiences are. If you are interested in the rural seats and have experiences, ties and/or activities that you believe are relevant to rural living, please complete this section of the application. This is especially true if you are considering whether you would like to attend UBC medicine at the NMP. You will not be considered for the NMP unless you complete the Northern and Rural Training section; you will also not be considered for the other rural positions in the program. However, you will be considered for the non-rural positions. Applicants who do complete the Northern and Rural Training section are also considered for the non-rural positions.
The Northern and Rural Training section helps to us to determine your suitability for the rural positions in the program. It is evaluated separately from the rest of the application, so it’s ok to repeat activities and experiences listed elsewhere on the application. In addition, since it is evaluated separately, the evaluation of the Northern and Rural Training Section does not impact the evaluation of the rest of your application.
Please read the Help Guide for more specific information on how to fill out the Northern and Rural Training section, and message us with any questions.
Permalink | 4 CommentsOffers 2017 – Waitlist Shortened
By Admissions on Jul 05, 2017
The waitlist was shortened today. Although it’s never easy to receive disappointing news, we hope that being informed of the final decision on their application will help applicants who are no longer on the waitlist move on to their future plans. Waitlisted applicants who did not receive an application status update today are still on the waitlist, but it is unlikely that a position will open up in the class. It is best for these applicants to think about their future plans as well.
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