Life Sci on Exchange

1. Life Sci on Exchange Emily Seale & Anusha Kamesh Life Science Exchange Deputies

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

3. 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

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

5. 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)

6. 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?

7. 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

8. 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

9. Natasha Goumeniouk – University of Manchester

10. 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)

11. 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

12. 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

13. Other Opportunities • OUI summer research programs • Ontario Baden Wurttenburg (Germany) • Ontario Rhone Alps (France) • RISE – research internship in science and engineering

14. 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

15. Application Timeline Look 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Rachele Filippini:University of New South Wales

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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?

25. Kellie MacDonald – University of Glasgow

26. 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

27. 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

28. Questions?