Medical School Interviews Prospective Students for Coming Year

Nearly 400 prospective medical school students were recently at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) campuses in Sudbury and Thunder Bay to undergo in-depth interviews as part of their application to the School’s M.D. program.

This year, NOSM received 1,845 applications. The applicants, many from Northern Ontario, are competing for 56 coveted student seats. Roughly half of the candidates selected for interviews were assessed in Sudbury at the School’s East Campus on March 28 and 29, 2009 while the remainder was assessed in Thunder Bay on April 4 and 5, 2009.

“This year marks the fifth year the Northern Ontario School of Medicine has accepted student applications. Just as in previous years, we are searching for highly motivated students from a variety of backgrounds who are self-directed, and who will excel in a small group-based, distributed learning environment,” said Dr. Marc Blayney, Associate Dean, Community Engagement. He added, “Our goal is to find those who have a strong interest in practicing medicine in communities in Northern Ontario.”

Candidates in both Sudbury and Thunder Bay were also given the opportunity to tour the medical school buildings and facilities, the respective city, and meet with currently enrolled students. “We have a team of trained community volunteers, medical school faculty, staff, and medical students helping us with the interview process,” said Dr. Blair Schoales, Assistant Dean of Admissions. “We sincerely thank all the volunteers for giving their time and expertise. They certainly made all the candidates feel welcomed.”

NOSM seeks to reflect the demographics of Northern Ontario, and encourages applicants who have spent five years or more in rural, remote or urban communities in Northern Ontario, as well as those who are Francophone, Aboriginal, or from other parts of rural Canada. Eighteen percent of the 391 interviewees self-identified as Francophone, while seven percent self-identified as Aboriginal. Females accounted for 62 percent of the applications, while 38 percent of the candidates were male.

Offers of admission from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine will be sent out to successful candidates on May 15, 2009. Orientation Week for NOSM’s entering class of 2009 will begin on August 24, 2009.