T E S T I M O N I A L S
The class of 2013 shares their thoughts about choosing Schulich and being a student here...
Having completed my undergraduate and Master’s degrees at Western, I questioned whether spending four more years in London was the right decision for me; it turns out that it was the best decision I could have made. Western has a fantastic, balanced curriculum that encourages you to become the best physician, and allows you to maintain a life outside of school. You can expect to have a nice mix of lectures, small group discussion and clinical sessions, and still have a couple of morning or afternoons off per week. The curriculum itself is divided into systems-based blocks which are graded on a pass-fail basis; this allows you to become an expert on a topic and be motivated by your own enthusiasm and interest, not grades. The pre-clerkship years are also unique from other institutions, as you have ample opportunities to observe local physicians in a variety of settings and specialties. Much more involved than the shadowing you did as an undergraduate, you may have the opportunity to perform a physical exam or suture a wound, all in your first year! 
I completed my undergrad at the University of Toronto. I had a great experience at U of T, and although I was sad to say goodbye after 4 years, I was excited to become a member of the Class of 2013 and return home to London. So far it has been an amazing experience! There are many reasons why I choose Schulich, but after spending some time here the biggest strength of Schulich for me is the true sense of community. From day one, I have felt extremely welcome. Whether it is faculty members going to the extra mile to help us understand the material, upper year students passing on words of advice about upcoming blocks, or fellow classmates offering to help out, I truly feel like everyone here wants to help us succeed. The size of the class and the wide variety of activities (both inside and outside the classroom) has made it possible to get to know my classmates and learn what an amazing group of people they are! Schulich offers so much more than a medicine education and I have had a great time here! Best of luck throughout the interview process!!
As a Queen's graduate, I've often joked about having an identity crisis jumping the fence over to Western turf (I felt my heart break a little when I bought my first purple T-shirt). BUT the transition has been nothing but fantastic. London provides a perfect combination of a university town community feel - where heading over to a friend's house to watch Grey's is just a short walk from campus - and large city diversity - with tonnes of places to eat, drink, party, or just chill out with a book. The faculty members and physicians we encounter everyday are very enthusiastic about making our experiences worthwhile, and you always feel a constant supportive vibe from the student affairs office, your peers, and infinite amounts of advice from upper years. We have great mentorship groups where they place at least one student from each year with a physician, just to meet up and chat about life! There are so many opportunities to share your talents (musical, artistic, culinary, and whatever else you can think of) through the countless activities that Schulich Meds get involved in. You'll also be surprised to find how easy it is at Western to arrange a day to see your first bypass surgery or describe your first X-ray to patients, all within the first few months of starting school. Whatever personality you have, as a class everyone really gets along, and there are always different events going on whether it be a movie night in one of our classrooms or a night out dancing. In summary, Schulich gives you a superb quality of education, and an enriching environment to foster your other interests. I will always sing the Oil-Thigh in my heart but it's just so fun and easy to form a "W" with your thumb and index fingers and chant "WESTERN! WESTERN!" It's wonderful. Congrats on getting this far and we hope this weekend will give you a glimpse into what life at Schulich is like!
Having thoroughly enjoyed my undergrad years at Mac, I was not entirely sure that any other educational experience would be able to match up. Being a part of the Western Meds 2013 family however, has not only matched up to my undergrad experiences, but surpassed them! There are just so many incredible things about our program, city, and campus.. where do I begin?
After four years at the good old U of T, Schulich Medicine has been a welcome change and a great experience for me. It is a program that promotes patient-centred care and building the whole physician. With a great mix of small group learning as well as lectures, the different learning modalities have challenged me and provided me with varied perspectives to “be the best I can be”. The physicians and professors here have been monumental in facilitating my learning, not only intellectually but also practically. I will never forget the feeling of stepping into the OR for the first time and even throwing in a few sutures! With such great opportunities, Schulich Medicine has taught me a lot in the beginning of my journey into medicine. Outside of school, I have been able try new sports at the wonderful student clubs, as well as joining communities of people who share my hobbies. When I’m not thinking about medicine, volunteering, hockey, choir, band and other extracurricular activities keep me busy as a bee – the way I like it!
Coming from the University of Ottawa and having lived in Ottawa my entire life, moving to London was a big deal for me. It was difficult to decide whether or not to choose a school closer to home, but I ultimately made the decision to attend Western based on main 2 factors: first, I heard from countless people that Schulich’s clerkship is extremely strong and well-structured, and it gives its clerks a lot of responsibility in order to prepare us for how medicine really works! It also makes a whole of sense to have finished our rotations before CaRMS and to review before the licensing exams. In addition, I preferred to have structure in the pre-clerk curriculum, which is facilitated by lectures (organized into blocks), small groups, and anatomy labs (and we get to do our own dissections!). The second thing that influenced my decision was my experience at the interview weekend: out of all the schools at which I interviewed, Western had the most student representation and the most amazing school spirit, hands down! There are plenty of ways to be involved, including TONS of clubs – there is definitely no shortage of activities to keep you busy, and there is something for everyone. My experiences so far have surpassed all my expectations, and I can’t imagine being anywhere else but Western with my Schulich family! 
Words cannot encompass how awesome Western is, so I will use an anecdote instead. Imagine the first day of medical school, with everyone excited but a little nervous, and the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs strolls up in front of the class and asks that you all arrange to meet with him individually so that he can take the time to know you. That moment confirmed what I heard all along: Western is a school that cares. The school regularly touches base with its students, forming regular focus groups on the effectiveness of its curriculum, changing assignment and exam schedules to better suit major student conferences and events, and provides cookies and fruit juice during examinations. What does this mean for you? This means you’ll be joining a class that snacked on chocolate chip cookies during an exam on Friday, set off for a medical student conference next Saturday, party until you’re the last medical school on the dance floor, and be the last school to go home because all the other medical schools didn’t change their exam schedule to suit student needs. You’ll hear every other school claim that they have the most fun, but it’s hard to back that up when Western is the only school still clubbing at the conference while you’ve gone home studying. Even better, while other schools may be studying from books, Western has one of the best clerkship programs in the country. Here you will finish all your core rotations and clinical electives BEFORE you apply for residency, allowing you to receive the most clinical experience and set up the most competitive application for CARMS. Together, you will not only receive an outstanding medical education, but you’ll feel cared for, and have a lot of fun along the way.
Hello there! I remember myself one year ago: prepping for interviews with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Fast-forward one year and here I am; I’ve met some amazing people and experienced great stuff along the way! 
My name is Mike Verbora and I am from Windsor, where I did my undergrad (B.Sc) and my masters (MBA). Without a doubt Schulich was my top medical school choice. Its curriculum appeared to be well balanced and based on past student experiences the clerkship experience is the best in the country. Additionally, the city of London was a balance between living in a huge city versus a more rural one. The vibe I got from students when I came to visit made me want to come to this school. I definitely felt like Schulich was a family, with numerous resources, unlimited clubs and great student life. After being here for half the year I am happy I chose Schulich!
The past 5 months at Schulich Windsor have been incredible! First of all, the student support, plethora of extracurricular and leadership opportunities, and all-around fun of Western undergrad are only amplified at Western Med! Secondly, the advantages to the smaller satellite campus are endless. Not only do we have an easier access to observerships, a dedicated administration who knows us all by name, more study space than we could use in our own building, a more intimate learning environment and a close-knit class, but the supposed disadvantages have turned out to be much exaggerated. For example, many assume that videoconference lectures would be a drawback and that the opportunities for involvement are few. However, VC means that you can clarify a point with your neighbours during lecture without disrupting the class, and that your peers from across the room can help you if you get put on the spot to answer a question. As to extracurriculars – we have teams in almost all the intramural sports, we are subsidized for travel to London for the ridiculous amount of class-wide socials, events, and trips throughout the year, and the majority of London clubs have a branch in Windsor. With its constantly evolving curriculum, phenomenal people, and unending opportunities both in and out of the classroom, Western Med definitely deserves its slogan of “the best student experience”!
When I was accepted at Western, I was overjoyed as it was my first choice. Although I do miss the West Coast from time to time, I have no regrets. I chose Western for its excellent 3rd year clerkship and because of all the wonderful people here! Initially, being placed at the Windsor campus left me with one big concern. As an out of province student, I had not had the opportunity to visit Windsor on my interview weekend and knew nothing whatsoever about the city. If this is your situation as well, have no fear! There is a lot to see and do in Windsor, whether you like clubbing, festivals, live music, jogging beside a beautiful river, dining out at a wide range of multicultural eateries, or anything else. Plus, there is Detroit 5 minutes away and all the big city attractions that it brings. On top of this, my educational experience here has been top notch. The ultra-modern facilities and extra attention that comes with a small class size make for an amazing learning experience. Whichever campus you choose, choose Western!
I did my undergrad at the University of Western Ontario in the field of medical sciences – physiology and pathology, and was a member of the Scholar’s Electives program. I absolutely loved my undergrad experience at Western, so when I was accepted to their medical program at Schulich, I was thrilled! After doing my undergrad in London, I decided to try something a little new and chose to go to the Windsor campus – a home away from home. I can honestly say that my experience as a Schulich student has been even more amazing than my undergrad experience! The students at Schulich are incredibly positive, supportive and great fun to be with. An added benefit to the Windsor campus is the smaller class size, our ability to socialize and get to know the other classes here, where we all help each other, go out for dinner and have great inter-class social events. The staff here are our family away from home; they are always willing to help you with problems, be there to chat with, and take care of everything from OSAP to observerships to restaurant recommendations. I love being a medical student, especially one at Schulich. This has been the greatest experience of my life, and I can only imagine it will get better as the years go on! See you in September!
Come acceptance time, I had a decision to make - stay out West or come to the faraway land of UWO. You know what I chose, and I have absolutely no regrets. Perk 1: average "winter" temperature is 10-20ºC warmer. Perk 2: higher population density means tons of traveling! Detroit, London, Toronto, Quebec City, Montreal, Kingston, Chicago are all trips I've made this year. Didn't think much of the U of A undergrad experience? Western's got awesome school pride, and highlights which include homecoming, REPRESENTING at Medgames, a beautiful campus and a buzzing city. 