Round Two... Here We Come!!!

Good news for the waitlists... Round Two is almost here!!!
The round one offers expire on June 5th and hopefully everyone has had a chance to make a decision they are happy with and submit the appropriate paperwork (and send your monies and transcripts).

For myself, I've sent my response and transcript request to ORPAS. Then I submitted the electronic response that McMaster requested, along with the deposit. Now I'm in the process of getting my health forms filled out (I've never had a TB test before), scheduling a first aid course, getting my CPIC (criminal record check for working with vulnerable populations), and trying to take a reasonable photo of myself to submit to McMaster for their ID cards (you have to send in the info 6 weeks before registration!!).

For the CPIC, McMaster sent links to the Hamilton Police Force website and they have a special deal with them so that it only costs $15. However, I don't live in Hamilton to pick it up when it's ready. So, I'm looking into what it will cost to have it done in Peterborough, which is where I currently live. In reviewing the acceptance packages I got (before I recycled them) I also noticed that Western recommends a central service for these things that provides you with the report and a wallet card indicating your clearance that are both good for the 2009-2010 academic year. I checked it out and it seems pretty good... plus I can do it from a distance and they will mail me the report. The catch? It costs $40.
I thought I'd post the link to the website for this service anyway... just in case there was anyone who might find it useful. The service is called the Ontario Education Services Corporation and the link is in the title. It looks like it's primarily set up for students in Teacher's Ed programs... but as I mentioned, Western recommends it.

Anyhoo... now for the ranting portion of my blog. I don't rant very often. I find it is usually unproductive and just puts bad ju-ju out into the world, but today I find I am compelled to rant a little. I just found out that the ex-girlfriend of one of my friends... a woman who came to my home once when she was sick with an unspecified illness for which she was taking antibiotics... actually had TB!!!!! So, I'm freaking out a little. And perhaps I'm overreacting, but I'm genuinely concerned that my TB skin test will be reactive... which just makes the health screening SO much more complicated than it need be. So my rant is... why do people who know they are sick with contagious illnesses feel compelled to attend social events where they will expose other people? Especially with something like TB :( *kicks sand* And who even gets TB anymore?!
Nothing to do now but get tested and hope for the best.

Best of luck to all the Round Two people and congratulations on your decision to all of the Round One people!!
Pretty soon we'll all be searching for room mates (I already got dibs on the best one!! ;) and hunting for apartments (already started this one too, lol... I'm such a nerd). The summer is going to fly by and this will be the last one we have before diving into our program! Enjoy it!!
SweetPea

I DID IT!!

I got off the fence! I signed on the dotted line. I paid my money. I'm filling out my forms.

McMaster, here I come!!

It seems like I may have put myself through the wringer for nothing, because I clearly was leaning toward Mac in the first place. But it was part of my process. I needed to "try on" the different options to make sure I purchased the one that fit... in a manner of speaking. I'm thrilled with my choice and I feel all the more certain about it for having really wrestled with the decision. As you can probably tell by the rest of my blog as well... I don't take these things lightly.

Anyway, now is the time for celebrating! I feel like I can finally enjoy the success of being admitted now that I don't have the big decision looming over me.

And for those of you on the wait list for Western and Queen's OT... one spot just opened up on each list!! Hang in there! ;)

If you're reading this and also become a member of the McMaster MSc OT Class of 2011, drop me an email! We're classmates!!

:)SweetPea

Fence Sitters Anonymous...

Hello. My name is SweetPea. I have been sitting on the fence for 10 days now. Sometimes I tip one way and I think I'm going to get off the fence, but then I tip back the other way and I get nowhere. I want to kick my fence-sitting habit and commit to one yard. My butt hurts.

I debated about whether to make this post or not, but I thought the decision making that has been torturing me for the last 10 days has been a significant part of my journey thus far. While most people won't have to deal with this, some will... and I want you future choice-makers to know you're not alone!!

My paperwork is not in yet... so it's not like I'm off the fence and can speak from experience. However, I'd give this advice based on my own trials:
- Find someone who will listen to your convoluted thought process about how to decide and not judge you.
- It's helpful if this person knows what they're talking about... either knows you really well or knows the programs you're deciding between.
- It's more helpful to have people's opinions rather than just their support. You might not adopt their view as your own, but at least then they've articulated some arguments for or against a choice that you might not have considered.
- Be kind to yourself. Beating yourself up with ideas about what you should do is unhelpful. It's also self-defeating if you pile anxiety about choosing on top of anxiety about the choice itself. Believe me. I know.

I'm feeling very close to a decision and I think it's for real this time. Wanna know how I know? One option makes me certain that I won't second guess the choice, even if it's a tougher row to hoe.
I'll let you know when I've signed on the dotted line and sent in my monies!
:)SweetPea

ACCEPTED AT MAC!!!

Woohoo!!
The ORPAS site is not updated (yet?), but one of my commenters suggested that I was incorrect about that and it won't be updated. What we all need to do is check the email account that we indicated on our applications.
Anyway... no news from anyone else yet.

But I got in at McMaster!!!!! Woooooohooooo!

SweetPea

p.s. I'm totally freaking out... I'm giggling, I'm crying, I have a smile that won't wipe off. This just feels so surreal. Probably because it's after midnight so I can't call any of the people I normally would to celebrate this news with. *happydances*

Decisions, Decisions

First, I would just like to say:
ONE MORE SLEEP!!!
And I know I won't be the only one who stays up way past midnight tonight to repeatedly check the ORPAS site in case they update early! (although I recognize that it's not likely)

So the thing that's on my mind lately is:
If I get more than one offer, how do I choose?

I thought I knew which program I wanted to get into, but the more I consider the options the more I see how each of them has advantages. In the end I don't think that one is better than another and I'll be thrilled to get into any one of them. But that makes the decision even harder in some ways. There is no clear singular choice, only equal but different choices.

So I'd like to ask... and I sincerely want feedback from others if you're willing to share... how are you making your choice?
Is it based on features of the program?
The university? City?
Is your choice based on practical considerations?
Or maybe personal and emotional ones?

Please comment with the program you will choose/have chosen and the reason you selected it.

I wish the best of luck to everyone!
Good, bad or ugly... at least tomorrow the wait will be over!!

SweetPea

Admission Offers, Provisional Acceptances & Waitlists, Oh My!

In doing my research and reading for this blog I do a lot of hunting around the internet and integrating information from different sources. I keep track of where I get most of my information, but in cases where the info is repeated a number of times on different sites in different ways I sometimes lose track. This is what has happened with the admissions information and now that I've found some conflicting information it's a problem.

A couple of posts ago I stated that:

"If you get in at one place but waitlisted at the place you really wanted to get into, you can provisionally accept the one you got and then there will be an option you can select that will keep you on the waitlist of the 2nd institution. However, I think all provisional acceptances need to be made firm by June 5th. Or maybe it's the 12th? They'll tell you anyway."

I know I didn't make this information up... but I can't find the original source where I read it. The ORPAS site does note a June 12th deadline for provisional acceptances to become firm acceptances, but does not explain what that means. To make matters worse, I've since read this little tidbit of information posted in a 2007 document from Queen's:

"If an applicant accepts an offer from another Occupational Therapy Program through ORPAS, that applicant will in effect be taking themselves off the waitlists for any other OT programs. Alternatively, if you accept an offer from Queen’s occupational Therapy Program, you will not be eligible to remain on the wait lists of other Occupational Therapy Programs. Since there is no provisional acceptance to the OT programs through ORPAS as of 2007, you will need to respond to only one offer. When you accept the offer you are agreeing that other OT programs will cancel your application as you have firmly accepted an offer of admission. If you have applied to physical/Physiotherapy (PT)programs, your application to PT may remain active."

So, if you find yourself in this situation... you are waitlisted at the university you really want to get into, but accepted at another university... read the instructions in the packet carefully with regard to how you should proceed. And, I'm sorry if my previous post caused confusion for anyone.

Less than a week to go now! And I'm freakin' out! Fortunately, the course I'm TA-ing starts this week, so that will provide me with a little bit of distraction at least. It just feels like there's been SO much build up... and everyone I know who applied to a non-rehab program has already found out where they'll be next year. :(

Here's hoping this week goes by quickly and that Friday brings good news!!!

SweetPea

Interview Prep, Part I

Okay people!! Less than a week to go!!
Have you figured out why you want to be an occupational therapist yet?
Have you decided what you're going to wear to your interview?!
Have you taken a passport sized photo of yourself (in your interview outfit) for your file?!?!
If not, DON'T PANIC! Just grab a towel ;) <-- (Nerdy reference for the day, likely to be appreciated only by those who read/watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, lol.)

There's still ample time to get ready, so don't sweat it too much. Odds are that you have already put a lot of thought into this career choice before you put out the up to $500 in application fees. And you've done a lot of research in order to write your statements for the application package to other universities! So at this point, it's all about getting focused on what's important, refreshing your memory about what you know, and nurturing a sense of calm confidence.

So, in Part I I'm going to refresh your memory about some key points to do with the profession of Occupational Therapy.
Then, in Part II, I'll review some of the McMaster specific issues to remember.
And then I might tack on a Part III: Questions to encourage self-reflection. We'll see how it goes. :)

Part I: Key Points about OT
(all content appropriated from other sources, primarily from the CAOT website)

The Profile of Occupational Therapy in Canada (2007) identifies seven main roles for an occupational therapist:
1. Expert in enabling occupation.
2. Communicator
3. Collaborator
4. Practice manager
5. Change agent
6. Scholarly practitioner
7. Professional

What the heck do they mean by each of those terms?? Good news... you can download a copy of the Profile where they define each. For a quick overview, scroll down to page 28 of this document.
Some questions you may want to ask yourself are:
- What personal characteristics do I have that will help me be good at each of these roles?
- Describe an occasion where I have exhibited each of these characteristics.

From Enabling Occupation II: Advancing a Vision of Health, Well-Being and Justice Through Occupation (Townsend & Polatajko, 2007), there are five essential elements of occupational therapy practice (this goes with #1 from the list above).
1. The presence of an occupational challenge
2. The possibility of solutions that enable occupation
3. Client-specific goals/challenges/solutions and client-centred enablement
4. Multi-disciplinary knowledge base
5. A reasoning process that can deal with complexity.

Some things to note are:
- Demonstrate knowledge of these concepts in your answers about the OT profession.
- Emulate these characteristics in other responses... for example, in ethics questions demonstrate that your reasoning process appreciates the complexity of the given scenario.

Last, but not least, TRENDS! Those that affect OT and those within OT.

Current Trends Affecting OT:
- An aging population
- Increased awareness of the needs of persons with disabilities
- Higher survival rates from accidents and injuries
- Increased emphasis on health promotion and prevention to keep healthcare costs down
- Higher incidence of mental health and family problems
- Changes in working conditions, such as job stress and early retirement
- A more informed public, regarding health and health concerns.

Not sure how each of these applies to occupational therapy? Check out the CAOT position statements :)

Emerging Practice Areas in OT:
- Private Practice
- Home Modifications
- Assistive Technology
- Ergonomics
- Research
- Retail Business
- School Systems
- Long-term care settings
- Higher Education Programs

What do these trends have to do with your interview? Well, you need to be familiar with the profession and that means knowing what the hot-topics are! Again, I highly recommend reading the position papers to get a sense of the issues that current professionals are dealing with. Volunteer experiences are also invaluable... but try to connect your experiences to the larger issues they represent.

Okay... enough writing for now! I have to go and answer some of these question myself, lol.
But in the days to come, Parts II and III will follow.
Good luck in your preparation!!
And seriously... don't forget to take your picture :D
SweetPea

Still waiting...

Only two weeks until I hear back about Mac Interviews!!!!! *fingers crossed*

I'm also still looking for advice from anyone who has been to an admissions interview for OT before... whether it was at McMaster or elsewhere. If you've been to one... or conducted one!!... please comment.

Other than that life is just really busy right now. I'm beginning the data analysis on my thesis this week, and have a meeting with my advisors on Wednesday to discuss it. The thesis itself is due in two weeks!! I can't believe the year has gone by so fast. And I also can't believe how much work I have to do in the next two weeks! Yikes!

I've also been invited to go to a local grade 11 Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology high school class to talk about what it's like to be a Psyc major. I think that will be pretty fun, and I had fun putting together the presentation itself.

Then the weekend of April 4th I've volunteered to be a student rep at the Psyc Dept's table for my University's Open House weekend. I did it in the fall too and it was really fun. I enjoyed answering all the students' questions and helping to put their minds at ease. Plus, we get free lunch! :)

And I'm just putting the finishing touches on my Statistics Exam-Aid session for the second year students. I host a session before each exam and all the money raised goes to charity. I usually have about 20 students come out and the feedback I've had on the session in the past has been really positive. It makes it a really rewarding, feel-good thing to do... so although it sounds weird to most people to call anything to do with statistics "fun"... I really do enjoy it.

So, the moral of the story is I have lots to keep me busy in the here and now. But my mind is elsewhere, focused on my goal... occupational therapy.

Wish me luck!! :)

SweetPea

MMI - Scenario Ten

Station 10: Standard Interview 2

What experiences have you had (and what insights have you gained from these experiences) that lead you to believe you would be a good occupational therapist?

Discuss this question with the interviewer.

MMI - Scenario Nine

Station 9: Preferential Admission (Knowledge of the Health Care System)

Due to the shortage of occupational therapists in rural communities, such as those in Northern Ontario, it has been suggested that programmes preferentially admit students who are willing to commit to a 2- or 3-year tenure in an under-serviced area upon graduation.

Consider the broad implications of this policy for health and health care costs. For example, do you think the approach will be effective? At what expense? Discuss this issue with the interviewer.

SweetPea ~ Note that I changed the wording from "shortage of physicians" to be for OTs. However, this may change how you read/interpret the health care costs bit. Still, it's good practice.

MMI - Scenario Eight

Station 8: Parking Garage (Communication Skills)

The parking garage at your place of work has assigned parking spots. On leaving your spot, you are observed by the garage attendant as you back into a neighbouring car, a BMW, knocking out its left front headlight and denting the left front fender. The garage attendant gives you the name and office number of the owner of the neighbouring car, telling you that he is calling ahead to the car owner, Tim. The garage attendant tells you that Tim is expecting your visit.

Enter Tim’s office.

SweetPea ~ Who wants to bet that Tim is hopping mad? I'm suddenly thankful for all the customer service jobs I had dealing with irate customers! :)

MMI - Scenario Seven

Station 7: Class Size (Critical Thinking)

Universities are commonly faced with the complicated task of balancing the educational needs of their students and the cost required to provide learning resources to a large number of individuals. As a result of this tension, there has been much debate regarding the optimal size of classes. One side argues that smaller classes provide a more educationally effective setting for students, while others argue that it makes no difference, so larger classes should be used to minimise the number of instructors required.

Discuss your opinion on this issue with the examiner.

MMI - Scenario Six

Station 6: Circumcision (Ethical Decision Making)

The Canadian Pediatric Association has recommended that circumcisions not be routinely performed. They base this recommendation on their determination that the benefits have not been shown to clearly outweigh the risks and costs. Doctors have no obligation to refer for, or provide, a circumcision, but many do, even when they are clearly not medically necessary. Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) no longer pays for unnecessary circumcisions.

Consider the ethical problems that exist in this case. Discuss these issues with the interviewer.

MMI - Scenario Five

Station 5: Standard Interview 1

Why do you want to be a occupational therapist?

Discuss this question with the interviewer.

MMI - Scenario Four

Station 4: Deterrent Fees (Knowledge of the Health Care System)

Recently, the Prime Minister of Canada raised the issue of deterrent fees (a small charge, say $10, which everyone who initiates a visit to a health professional would have to pay at the first contact) as a way tocontrol health care costs. The assumption is that this will deter people from visiting their doctor for unnecessary reasons. Consider the broad implications of this policy for health and health care costs. For example, do you think the approach will save health care costs? At what expense? Discuss this issue with the interviewer.

MMI - Scenario Three

Station 3: Air Travel (Communication Skills)

Your company needs both you and a co-worker (Sara, a colleague from another branch of the company) to attend a critical business meeting in San Diego. You have just arrived to drive Sara to the airport. Sara is in the room.

SweetPea ~ This one is observed by the "interviewer" who just watches the interaction between you and an actor. What is not said here is that when you get into the room Sara is going to be really upset. She will reveal that she is scared to fly, and though she has travelled a lot in the past she has not been on a plane since the tragedy of 9/11. I only know this additional information because this scenario was used as an example in the training manual I linked earlier. I think it's safe to say that in any of these interactive scenarios we can expect that the situation we walk into will not be entirely what is on the description we're given in advance.

MMI - Scenario Two

Station 2: Aspartame (Critical Thinking)

A message that recently appeared on the Web warned readers of the dangers of aspartame(artificial sweetener – Nutrasweet, Equal) as a cause of an epidemic of multiple sclerosis (a progressive chronic disease of the nervous system) and systemic lupus (a multi-system auto-immune disease). The biological explanation provided was that, at body temperature, aspartame releases wood alcohol (methanol), which turns into formic acid, which is in the same class of drugs as cyanide and arsenic. Formic acid, they argued, causes metabolic acidosis. Clinically, aspartame poisoning was argued to be a cause of joint pain, numbness, cramps, vertigo, headaches, depression, anxiety, slurred speech and blurred vision. The authors claimed that aspartame remains on the market because the food and drug industries have powerful lobbies in Congress. They quoted Dr Russell Blaylock, who said, “The ingredients stimulate the neurons of the brain to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees.”

Critique this message, in terms of the strength of the arguments presented and their logical consistency. Your critique might include an indication of the issues that you would like to delve into further before assessing the validity of these claims.

MMI - Scenario One

Station 1: Placebo (Ethical Decision Making)

Dr Cheung recommends homeopathic medicines to his patients. There is no scientific evidence or widely accepted theory to suggest that homeopathic medicines work, and Dr Cheung doesn’t believe them to. He recommends homeopathic medicine to people with mild and non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, headaches and muscle aches, because he believes that it will do no harm, but will give them reassurance. Consider the ethical problems that Dr Cheung’s behaviour might pose. Discuss these issues with the interviewer.

Admissions Interview for McMaster Occupational Therapy - The Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI)

In my asking around about the admissions interview for McMaster I got a second hand account of the process. The sister of a classmate attended the interview two years ago and summed it up simply as "It was weird!" O_o This made me even more curious to find information.

Although I'd been unsuccessful in finding specific information online about the admissions interview for the Masters in Occupational Therapy program (actually, an MSc (OT) program), I was not deterred. When I dug a little further I found that the McMaster University medical school pioneered a new approach to admissions interviews that has since been adopted by many other schools, in a variety of health sciences disciplines. This approach is called the Multiple Mini-Interview or MMI. If you look it up there's a ton of available research on it. And if you were expecting a traditional interview but got this instead, you would definitely walk out thinking "That was weird"... so I think it's a safe assumption that this is the kind of interview us OT applicants can expect as well. And, while I don't like assumptions generally, I think this one's a safe bet. The rehab programs fall under the umbrella of the Faculty of Health Sciences, so it makes sense that they would use the same interview format that is favored by other degree programs in the department. And barring any revelations between now and my interview date, educated guesses about what to expect are all I have!

I won't go into great detail about the MMI, because there is readily available information about it online. I even found a "Training Manual" for interviewers that you can check out!

In a nutshell, the MMI is a series of 8 minute interviews that you will have at different "stations" with different interviewers. Before each interview you'll be given a topic to discuss or a scenario related to the interview for that station and have 2 minutes to prepare. Here's the quote about them from the McMaster website:
"During the MMI, applicants will move between interview "stations" in a 12-station circuit. Each station lasts ten minutes (two minutes to read the scenario and eight minutes of interaction). At each station, applicants will interact with, or be observed by, a single rater. The stations deal with a variety of issues, which may include but are not limited to, communication, collaboration, ethics, health policy, critical thinking, awareness of society health issues in Canada and personal qualities. Applicants are not assessed on their scientific knowledge."

Also, they don't note it here but they do in the training manual for interviewers... there are no right or wrong answers. What they want you to do is demonstrate communications skills, the ability to express an opinion and articulate your reasons for support. As well, the ability to see an issue from more than one point of view and empathize with others is taken into consideration.

For some people, this style of interview might cause nightmares. But for others (me included!) I'm excited by the diversity and the opportunity to interact with many evaluators, rather than being dependant on the impressions of a few people in a single interaction. I think the idea with this style is that each candidate is bound to flub a few and shine in a few but that, on average, the school will get a fair assessment of the applicant. Furthermore, you can't just give canned responses that are prepared in advance. You need to think on your feet, be a little flexible, and while you're doing that your true colours will show through. Fakers will be found out!

In my next few posts I'll put up a number of practice scenarios I've found. Feel free to discuss what you think they're looking for in the comments section!

I hope others found this as useful as I have. And, naturally, I'll post back after my own interview to confirm whether or not this is the style used for the OT Masters program.

SweetPea