A look into Mac's new IBEHS program

By: Saad Ejaz

McMaster University’s new health sciences-engineering program, while offering a unique education comes with an unexpected fee.

Launching in the Fall 2017 term, the new Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences program is the first of its kind in Canada. It will offer students an interdisciplinary education that will build on a strong foundation in both the engineering and health sciences.

The application process consists of two components that will be used to assess students for the program. This includes a competitive admission average and a supplementary application component that will consist of three unique questions – two video responses and one written response. Students will be given only one chance to answer all three questions in a closed time period.

The supplementary application will be administered by an external third party company called Kira Talent, who will be evaluating and scoring each applicant’s answers.

The supplementary application to the new IBEHS program will cost the high school or transfer student an additional $40 on top of the Ontario University Application Centre fees to apply. This would entail $150 plus $40 if the program choice is a part of the students top three preferred university programs, or $50 plus an additional $40 if the program is an additional preference after the top three.

The additional fee for the program has generated mixed reviews from students and has raised questions on why the program is set up to include a supplementary application with a $40 price tag.

Prof. Hubert de Bruin explained that grades alone are no longer a reliable tool to assess students, and the supplementary application will help find students that are more than just the average student with competitive grades. This includes competence in areas such as leadership and professional dialogue. He mentions that while the cost could be an added burden to students from low-income households, the worth is incomparable.

“$40 is pretty small potatoes when you consider the cost of even going into an education endeavour,” he said.

Applying to the new IBEHS program would cost an applicant nearly double compared to other university programs without supplementary application fees. Taaha Muhammad, a fourth-year health sciences student mentions how the additional fee conveys the notion of prestige and legitimacy to the program, while creating a spectacle of deterrence to students who may be considering the program.

“...The downside is that if students are unsure about which programs to apply to – especially if they are considering a program like this, it may kind of dissuade them – the fact that you have to pay double just for this program,” he said.

The program will be accepting applicants from across Canada, and the university expects thousands of applicants to the new IBEHS program for a total of 140 estimated seats. Although the program may be among one of the most competitive undergraduate programs across the country, Delsworth Harnish the associate dean from the faculty of health sciences mentions it is likely there are many applicants that would thrive in the program that are unable to make it.

The notion poses the question of whether the supplementary application process is effective in achieving its intended purpose, as the rejected students are likely just as qualified as the accepted ones.

“The Bachelor of Health Sciences has a supplementary application and what we continually tell students after they get here is that it was a bloody lottery - that in truth we could have taken a different 160 students and they would be just as successful,” he said.

Although the program has a limited number of seats, Paul O’ Bryne, the dean and vice president from the faculty of health sciences mentions that over time the program will expand to enroll a greater number of students similar to the expansion of 80 to 240 students in the health sciences program.

The new program is expected to help students prepare for Canada’s newly emerging biomedical engineering industry.