I am in a terrible purgatory.
Montreal slowly emerges from its winter-y cocoon, occasionally regressing but generally moving forward, and people seem happier. Last night, all over town, hopeful youths tested out their spring clothing (read: short skirts and striped shirts) and blessed the warmth that is 8 degrees Celsius.
I'll admit that I fell into the trap: after a delightful final four beer tasting championship at Dieu du Ciel I convinced the group to head to Casa de Popolo in the hope that the patio would already be open. It wasn't. It is still cold. We are fools.
Fucking Squirrels. Ate my bike seat. That is what long winters lead to: Desperation. I should blame winter. I should blame me - we could have fed those squirrels and they wouldn't have needed to resort to faux leather. I am sure there is a lesson here somewhere.
Back to purgatory. First, an introduction:
I have finished my med school interviews. Halifax, Calgary, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Here are my thoughts:
Halifax:
First interview so I was nervous. Stayed with Ian and saw Halifax though him and his girlfriend. The school seemed nice and the medical students, like all the students, seemed to like their school. Still, it lacked some energy. The city was damp and slushy. Ian was a little bitter. Lael and Sean bad mouth the city all the time.
I'll be honest: the city is important. I know that medicine will be pretty encompassing but still, I want to enjoy my city. I am not sure that I would enjoy Halifax.
But Dalhousie does have some interesting ideas about combining medicine and the arts/music and they are devoted to global medicine.
Calgary:
This place was surprisingly great. The school is only 3 years which I appreciate and they really pushed the PhD/MD route as an option and were not opposed to my suggestion of mixing the MD with a humanities PhD. The students were the best of any school that I had been to.
This city is maybe not that great but again, the only cities I really, really want to be in are Toronto or Montreal and that is not in the cards, at least for the next 4 years. Calgary is close to Banff and the Rockies and the students seemed to bond over hockey with is my new favorite sport so it would probably be fine.
Hung out with Grant and Sara and went to bars that I didn't really enjoy (though I loved the company). I think that my life in Calgary would certainly involve avoiding the bar scene and that cannot be bad. I would spend a lot of time skiing and heading to the mountains.
Vancouver:
I do love Vancouver but I am afraid of it now. I don't know why. This confusing fear is warping my feelings on the medical school. I didn't go on the tour nor meet many students but I feel like I know that UBC is good. It is a big class and I may have to be at UVic but still, it would be a great place to be at school.
Winnipeg:
I had a great time in Winnipeg but that may not be representative of Winnipeg in general. That said, the people who love Winnipeg love it a lot. But I am reading a Miriam Toews book that speaks on a sign on the outskirts of the city that cheers the mosquito bite rate decreasing from 48 bites per minute to 2 at the end of the rainy season. I hate bugs. I may hate bugs more than anything. Plus, can you imagine how rural the rural component would be at Manitoba. Jeebus.
The medical students were, for the most part, in Cuba so I couldn't interact with them all that much but the education centre was amazing. New next year and incredible. And I guess that the fact that all the students were together in Cuba means that it is a close knit group. I understand that there is a lot of drinking ... and I like drinking.
Those are my four options. McGill and Toronto rejected me and I hate them. I could reapply next year to McGill as an in province student (with the concurrent increase in likelihood of acceptance) but it is risky and the application process sucks.
So, here I am. I have 4 potential schools but I will not know anything until May 15th. Until then, I know nothing and I can decide nothing. I feel like I am in purgatory.
6 comments:
Matty!
I am going to send you an email in response (who knew checking your blog after 4 months would yield fruit?) but in case I forget:
No matter where you go, you'll become a good doctor. The standards only vary in teaching style.
No matter where you go, you'll hate the preclinical years and love the clinical years.
3 years is pretty short. Nursing takes 4. Look at the U of A students (med2010 on youtube) to see what kind of educational experience you can look forward to. I know, Edmonton & Calgary are different cities, but still...
Vancouver is not scary. UBC appears scary, but is just another school. You can play ultimate year-round, but hockey is really hard to find.
Winnipeg would be a unique educational experience - my friend saw AXE WOUNDS in her pediatrics rotation. You would study lots and get lots of clinical experience, which you don't get at bigger/more urban hospitals. You still have to live in Winnipeg for 4 years.
All that aside, it doesn't matter where you go, cos you'll still end up being able to practice medicine. Especially since Canadian med seems to run on the pass/fail basis - grades will no longer be part of your ability to move around once you graduate.
Finally: You are great! You will make a great choice! Med school is more fun than anyone will tell you, and MUCH less work than you think.
Apparently, this is my letter. So, I miss you, I send you love and luck. I await further information!
it's alive!
don't listen to gargantuana - if you go to calgary you'll become a shitty shitty doctor. 3 years? to become a doctor? please. sometimes it takes me that long to wake up in the morning.
though, on the topic of axe wounds, in ancient greece, if a man suffered axe wounds, the axe was put on trial, and if found guilty, it was flung over the city walls.
kayak budget!
Dude, I AGREE with the 3 years = shitty doctor principle. But sometimes you don't have a choice. Canadian med school is not known for it's flexibility/understanding of circumstance/desire for doctors who are socially functional...
Yes, I'm snide. Ancient Roman medicine is terrible - there's no such thing as bad blood. Although arsenic is currently being used as a cure for cancer.
My cousin's finishing at Calgary right now and I think she loved it. But apparently it's a 12 month teaching schedule or somesuch. So, less summer fun. But here's the big upside: you'll be an MD before you're 30! I think that staying in school into your 30s gets really psychologically costly. Also, I figure that if you want to take some philosophy courses or phd coursework, you'll feel a lot better about that if you're finishing your medical degree a year sooner. And I suspect that other schools aren't probably going to be as flexible on the md/phd stuff. I think UBC is notoriously selective and protective of its md/phd programs. Anyhow, med students down here tell me that 4th year is a waste of time anyways. Having said all that, everyone I know that's spent any time at Dal loved it (and Halifax).
(Let me know if you want me to put you in touch with my cousin -- she's off to UofT for a psych residency next year, fyi).
Anyways, Congratulations! 4 interviews is a big deal, no?
p.s. when are you coming down to nyc again? Godfrey's in town April 24-27 in case you're looking for an excuse.
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