What I Wish I Knew Before Med School in Canada
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2024
- A year ago I was waitlisted for a Canadian Medical School, and a couple months later I was accepted. I'm sharing what I wish I knew a year ago before starting as a med student in Canada, that would have better prepared me for my first day.
I love to hear your questions or comments. Leave one below and I will do my best to respond!
About Me 👇:
My name is Dani and I'm a Canadian 🇨🇦 Medical Student at the University of Calgary 🏫
My TH-cam videos provide a Canadian 🍁 perspective on pursuing a career in medicine from high school to med school and beyond.
My goal is to provide you with the most useful and valuable content for your journey to practicing medicine 🩺
My videos touch on various topics like getting involved in research, improving your grades, studying for the MCAT and more 📝
Feel free to get in touch with me via my Instagram page @Dani_Kilani 📱
I hope you find this channel valuable 😊
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Ask me your questions about how to prepare for medical school!
What should I be doing in first year uni to prepare for med school?
@@BillybopMC There's a lot you could start doing with your goal of being admitted to medical school. The most important thing during your first year of University is getting settled academically. University can be a big transition, and I wouldn't overwhelm yourself too much with becoming over involved. As you start to get the hang of things academically, start to take on some more extracurriculars. A great place to start is trying out a few different extracurricular activities to find a few that suit you, then continue only the ones that are worth your time. It might take some time to find opportunities that align well with your passions and what you hope to get out of the experience. Avoid taking opportunities just because you think they will look good on an application and try to find things that allow you to make a genuine impact while also being able to grow your skills. You can also consider getting involved in research if that is something you're interested in. The nice thing about research is that there are many different ways of doing research, and so many different topics of interest that there is a very good chance that you will find a role you enjoy. Last of all, make sure you enjoy the process!
@@DaniKilani thank you so much for your response. Really appreciate it.
Hey Dani! I remember just over a year ago I was watching all your videos and asking questions about med sci and modules… a year has passed and I will be entering med this September! Thanks so much for the content that you make :))))
Congrats, that’s major!! So glad I could help along the way 😁
Hi Dani, I’m currently a nursing student and am not finding many research opportunities. If I graduate and work as a nurse for a couple years, will that make up for my lack of research when applying to medical school? Is research something that all of your peers have a background in?
Hi Nour! It sounds like you're making progress in the right direction. Research is certainly not a requirement for admission to medical schools, although it can be an asset if it's something you would like to pursue. It's worth noting that there is research done by nurses if that is of interest. In my experience there are a good number of Canadian medical students who have never done research before medical school. Some only start once they're in medical school or during their residency. While working as a nurse wouldn't be equivalent to doing research, you are likely to be exposed to experiences and learning opportunities that could contribute positively to your self-development and application. My recommendation would be to stick along the path you're on, but also consider whether research is something you are interested in. If so, look out for opportunities to pursue it. Hope this helps :)
I should also ask what your process has been like for looking for research positions? I understand how COVID has affected the process, but maybe I can offer some advice
@@DaniKilani Hi Dani, thanks for the very informative response, it’s appreciated! Personally, I’ve just tried asking a couple of my Professors if they’re looking to hire any students for help, but none are currently looking for students. I go to UofC and I’ve heard of PURE, but I have yet to apply since I don’t know much about it or anyone who has applied to do research. Overall, I’m really interested in doing some nursing research and am thinking of pursuing a nursing role that involves some research when I graduate. At the moment, that might be something like an occupational nursing role where I would take more initiative and conduct some individual secondary research for employees who work for a private company. Upon graduation, I’m unsure how likely I am to actually be hired for this role, but I’m going to try. If not, then I’ll probably work as a more common nursing role, such as in the hospital. I would love to get some of your opinions on this or tips for applying for studentships if you have any :)
@Nour Baker Hi Nour, no problem at all! Asking your professors is a great start, you can also expand your search using contact lists like this one for the UofC Faculty of Nursing (nursing.ucalgary.ca/research/a-z). PURE seems like a great opportunity, it's similar to other research opportunities in that you need to find a supervisor first before applying. My recommendation would be to find a supervisor first and then work on the logistics of getting funding later. Occupational nursing sounds like it could be a great experience to have. If you're looking for more specific direction in terms of getting involved in research at the university level, I have a video on the topic: th-cam.com/video/02MhuRRTJRg/w-d-xo.html
What did you do while on the waitlist? How did you handle the stress/anxiety?
Being on the waitlist was brutal in my experience, especially on top of the beginning of the pandemic. I had plans to do summer research just in case I didn't receive an acceptance, and that was a part time job. Luckily that ended up getting converted into an online studentship, so that kept me busy part of the time. I also started to try and get back into my hobbies that I kind of neglected after starting university. For me that was reading and making a podcast. I also tried to talk about it rather than hide it from friends and family. That definitely has it's pros and cons, because you're able to get things off your chest but then people start asking for updates 😅. At times I was anxiously thinking about what I must have done wrong to not have been accepted. It started to become a bit of a toxic thinking pattern. By the time UCalgary Med was starting their semester, I still didn't receive an offer so I assumed the worst and began working on my applications for the next year. Then a few days later I heard back with an acceptance. I can't say I handled the stress and anxiety well, but I suppose the best way to move forward is to do things that would benefit you regardless of what happens. That means continuing to do the activities you enjoy, and taking more time for yourself to recover before you have to be ready to start either medical school or another application cycle. Some of the most stressful aspects of being waitlisted for myself was the fact that I had to plan two futures at the same time, which mentally is quite overwhelming. I wish you all the best with the waitlist!!
@@DaniKilani Thank you so much for your response & your well wishes! 😊
What was your undergrad major ?
I majored in Medical Sciences at the University of Western Ontario