[randombrowndude]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone here has any +/- feedback on this McMaster program. I am hoping to either apply this year or next year.

Is it worth it in terms of:

1. Applying as a male? (dumb question but just confirming what i know)
2. Volunteering overseas with MSF right after you graduate?
3. Working in the ER?
4. Light or heavy Academic deluge?
5. Teaching style?

From the obvious stuff i have looked up so far. One needs above a standard "B-" to be accepted. Is anyone willing to share what grade / extra cirrucs. they applied with and got accepted? Any special things i need to worry about? I am looking to either volunteer overseas after the 2 years, or work as a ER nurse until i get accepted to medical school (if i don't right after, which i really am aiming for).

As for the application, the overall concept is the same as the Health Sci Undergrad application i think. You must be "PBL" oriented.

Any helpful knowledge is valued. Thanks alot!

[thegoose]

I can try to give you some information, although I dont' know how well I'll be able to answer the specific questions.

1. being male - not sure what you already know about this. Do you mean preferential consideration? Even if this was the case, I'm not sure any university would necessarliy admit to this

2.MSF - that query would be better directed to MSF, I don't think McMaster has anything specific to do with it. I also think MSF looks at a whole range of things to make sure you are a suitable candidate.

3. ER - if you mean getting a placement which would help you get a job, there are placements available for sure, however ER is a competetive placement and you have to go through an application process. If you mean working in ER after school - well that's really up to you! If that's what you want, your education certainly wouldn't hold you back from it. It would be up to you to do well in an interview for that position (even if you never had an ER placement you can still get a job).

4. I went to MAC and most would agree it's a heavy workload. In the accelerated program you don't get the summers off. You must have some indication of the workload - it's 4 years of education in about 2 and a half years. And if it wasy easy - or any accelerated or regular program was easy - would that make it worth it?

5.teaching style is PBL, it is different from what most people are used to. There is info on it out there in the literature (this is a very PBL answer to your question) if you have a look at it. The main advantage I felt was the smaller class sizes. However you have to get used to sourcing the answers on your own as the teacher is not there to just give them to you directly.

It sounds like you're not doing nursing for the sake of nursing. McMaster Medicine does not give prefence to those who did an undergrad program at McMaster, just so you're aware. And I don't think Medicine programs in general give preference to nurse applicants. I believe you can still volunteer overseas (in various capacities) and apply to medical school though other means - you must have some post seccondary ed already to be a candidate for the accelerated program - a degree in any field is all you need to apply to med school in some cases.

If your heart is not in nursing, it will be a very difficult two years. Nursing degree is not the same as other degrees. The learning style is very different and there is the clinical componant that really weeds people out - not due to difficulty of the requirements, but because people realize it is not the field for them.

I hope i was able to give you some usefull information and constructive feekback to your queries.

Best of luck.

[randombrowndude]

That helps, thanks