Life Sci on Exchange

EMILY SEALE & ANUSHA KAMESH

LIFE SCIENCE EXCHANGE DEPUTIES

Agenda•Why go on exchange•Considerations•Eligibility and Application•Steps after Nomination•Opportunities abroad•Resources

Why go on exchange?•To develop cultural sensitivity and competence•Learn about/adjust to living in a different culture•Gain exposure to academics/research in a different setting•Become more globally-minded•Networking

Considerations•Location & time zone •Semester and break•School involvement•Living cost •Grading•Teaching Style•Culture

Other Considerations SSP vs Major

◦A lot easier if you are a Major. Winter term is ideal for SSP but a full year is possible

499 Project◦You may be limiting some courses and a 499 project◦May be more difficult to go as SSP than as a Major, especially as a biomedical discovery student (requires BHCM 310)

Other Considerations Life at Queen’s

◦ Not all universities have the same culture at Queen’s

Language Housing (Subletting/Rent/Pay)

◦ What are you going to do with your room/stuff?

◦ Agreement with you housemates?

More considerations Orientation Week

◦ If you want to be involved in orientation week, you would have to go second semester

Life Sci Courses◦ Look at which courses you want to take in third year

MCAT◦ Check the testing dates and pick when you want to write

◦ I would recommend in the summer after second year

Applying to Medical Schools•Applying to Medical School and going on exchange are not mutually exclusive•Use ICES/WES to convert grades if necessary•Queen’s Med will consider your grades from exchange•It varies per school, so it would be best to check the school you are thinking of applying to

Natasha Goumeniouk – University of Manchester

Eligibility•3.0 GPA for 1st round or offers, 2.6 for 2nd round•Second year (third year students may apply for an exchange in fourth year, but there are more restrictions – please talk to IPO office)

Exchange Programs•Bilateral •Consortial•Special Programs•Transaltlantic Science Student Exchange Program (TASSEP)•Exact same application process as bilateral•Allows students to go to European schools•Generally easier to find courses that fit•Some schools have language requirement

Exchange Programs•Canadian Field Studies in Africa•Study Abroad Programs•Not affiliated with Queen’s, must be released on a letter of permission. More logistically difficult

Other Opportunities •OUI summer research programs•Ontario Baden Wurttenburg (Germany)•Ontario Rhone Alps (France)

•RISE – research internship in science and engineering

Application Decide on Exchange Type

◦ Bilateral is more common Application consists of

◦ Statement of interest (30%)◦ Research into school (15%)

◦ Resume (15%)◦ Academic transcript (40%)

Nominations are released before Reading Week

Application TimelineLook at schools, and what they have to offer

◦ Course selection◦ Have other Life Sciences students attended these institutions?

Work on making your resume less than two pages◦ Most relevant experiences◦ Career Services

Begin writing your Statement of Interest early◦ 500 word essay◦ Checked for spelling and grammar errors

Nomination In your application, you’ll state your top 6 choices Nomination means

◦Queen’s nominates you to the exchange school◦Basically saying “we believe this student is well prepared to go on exchange to your school”

Next Steps ◦You will have to actually apply to the exchange school◦Won’t go into detail, IPO will take you step by step

Steps before leaving•Course approvals•Applying to the exchange university•Finding accommodation/applying for accommodation•Visas •Trip Planning•OCASP (Off-Campus Activity Safety Policy)•Checking passport expiry, immunizations + other docs to ensure they’re up to date•Health insurance

Rachele Filippini: University of New South Wales

Course Approvals•Most important step•Once you have received your nomination•You must plan ahead to your 4th year at Queen’s•Katherine Rudder•Must do this before you leave for Exchange•Keep a paper-record trail

Course Charts •If one person goes, the other people also going to that university can access to classes that have previously transferred •Course charts will be sorted through the Life Sciences office so that the information is most up to date•Go to the Life Sciences office after nomination

Opportunities on Exchange•Research positions• obtained just as you would obtain one at Queen’s – it is up to you

to approach professors•Part-time jobs•Volunteering•Clubs and societies•Trying new activities• Travelling•Arriving early, leaving later?

Kellie MacDonald – University of Glasgow

Resources •Exchange deputies (qlifesci.exchange@gmail.com)

•QLifeSci website: www.qlifesci.com

•International Programs Office (IPO)

•Queen’s University International Center (QUIC)

•Arts and Science Faculty Office (F200)

•Life Science Department (Botterell, 8th Floor)

•Queen’s University Information and Student Help (QUISH)

•Upper year students

Curious to where we went? Emily’s exchange - University of St Andrews, Scotland - Robert Tyre Jones Jr Award for a full year exchange at St Andrews Anusha’s exchange - University of Otago, New Zealand - 1 semester (5 months) from February to June

Questions?