Dear QMR,Welcome to our advice column!
Read about some of the questions the QMed community has asked QMR about Kingston, QMed, and life in general. Have a question? Ask QMR in the field below! |
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Dear QMR,
How did you navigate residency with respect to matching to a specific city/school? Sincerely, How do I CaRMs Dear How, Ahh, the wonderful black box that is CaRMs …how lovely. Before we get started, there are few things that you need to know about the CaRMS process: #1: Whether it takes you two years, five years, or fifteen years after medical school- you will be a doctor, and you will be okay. #2: You will know people who go unmatched. If you are comfortable with it, reach out to them to make sure that they are doing alright. In your time of celebration, they may need you the most. With that aside… There is no rulebook for CaRMS. Every school and every specialty evaluates candidates differently. By the time CaRMS rolls around, you will have shortlisted a single specialty, or a few specialties, that you would be happy matching to. The fact of the matter is that all QMed grads have the capability to do exceedingly well in a number of specialties. You need to ask yourself what the most important thing to you is. Most times, people take some sort of combination of “geography-centric” and “specialty-centric” approach to the rank order list. If you would only be happy in one specific specialty, you need to accept that you may need to spend many years away from the people and places you love to train in that specialty. If you care most about being in a specific place, then the first thing that you should do is secure an elective at schools in that place. You are more likely to be favourably ranked if the program knows you personally and has worked with you in the past. If you have a connection to the place, you should consider including that information in the personal letter that you write to the program, and also consider discussing it in your interview. That said, do not fret if you are unable to get an elective at that school; schools typically also keep track of people who have applied for electives, even if they do not actually obtain them. I also have colleagues who have done related electives at the school, and met with the program directors of the program that they are interested in, to at least put a face to a name. At the end of the day, there are no rules and there are no rulebooks. Most of the time, your gut will be right. For more on this topic, check out the CMAJ Podcast episode with Dr. Jillian Horton from Jan 4, 2019. Sincerely, I got 99 problems but CaRMS ain’t one
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Dear QMR,
Medical school is a short and sweet journey. Medical school debt, on the other hand, is longer, and much less sweet. Does the debt ever become less anxiety-inducing? Were CaRMS expenses as astronomical as everyone makes them out to be? I'm not quite yet at the point where I'm pinching pennies, but as someone who relies solely on my LOC to support me, I prohibit myself from enjoying lots of activities because of my fears of debt. For example, I feel compelled to spend my last summer of pre-clerkship working, whereas I wish I could be travelling or doing something more fun. Do you have any advice for me? Sincerely, $trapped for Cash Dear $trapped, Your first sentence says it all. Medical school is short and sweet. You want to squeeze all of the experiences out of this unique time in your life, because let’s face it, when you become a resident, and you’re doing 24hr call (yes, even you family gunners, prepare for off-service), you’re going to wish you accumulated exciting memories instead of working to stash cash under your mattress. I know thinking about debt can be overwhelming, but let’s put it in perspective. The average medical student graduates with roughly $160,000 in debt (or if you’re like me closer to $300k, but who’s counting?). The average take-home pay for a doctor in Ontario is $150,000 a year, or $12,500 a month. Let’s say you have $200k on your LoC, if future-you diligently pays $4000 monthly to said LOC, you can pay if off in 4-5 years. With some quick math, one can see $8500 is left for everything else that is life, and that doesn’t include the potential second income from a partner. Looking more manageable? Now picture yourself working as a lab tech this summer, $20/hr. You’re feeling good, but then you realize, your earning potential is 1/5 of doctor-you. At this point, $10,000 takes 500 hours to make, instead of 100 as an attending. What might take a few months will soon take only a few weeks. Your time is better invested making memories and relationships you’ll cherish for a lifetime. So, splurge on that bottle at Stages, go on that dream trip to South East Asia this summer, get extra guac on your burrito. You’ve got upwards of 30 years to pay off your debt, thank future-you for taking on that burden, and do something fun with what little free time you have left. Sincerely, In Debt We Trust Dear QMR,
Why is QMed so cliquey? Sincerely, Cady Heron Dear Cady, Oh, the classic cliques. You would think after leaving high school people would collectively start to grow out of this habit. However, it is not necessarily ill-intended, as it is also human nature to feel secure in a select group of people you know you can be included with. As a wise second-year, I can tell you that the “cliques” will always have some framework in class, but the “cliquey-ness” starts to become more fluid. The more you are exposed to different small groups and participate in different events, the more opportunity you will have to meeting new people. Also, everyone will calm down from the initial first year hype and people will start to open up more. That being said, be the change you want to see in QMed. If you want to see less cliquey-ness, host a social event that includes many people, such as a dinner party or a games night. Put yourself out there, don’t be worried to step out of your comfort zone to explore other friendships, and help advocate within your class to encourage the whole group to be more inclusive. Good luck! Tina Fey Dear QMR,
How do I get a medical school boyfriend/girlfriend? Sincerely, Hopeless Romantic Dear Hopeless, The question isn’t, “How do I get a medical school partner?” but, “Do I even want a partner in medicine?” There are both advantages and disadvantages to this, and you need to think about what you want. If your partner is in medicine, you can share the highs and lows of your work life with someone who truly understands the nuance of the profession, and this can provide an incredible support. At the same time, you will both be working in demanding professions, and it can be challenging to co-ordinate working in the same location, child care, vacation, and others. Below is a tried-and-true recipe for finding a medical school significant other. Proceed with caution, for with great power comes great responsibility: Step 1: Make the decision and tell all of your friends and classmates that you would never date someone in medicine. Step 2: Create an online dating profile (Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, whatever floats your boat) that not-so-subtly indicate you are in medicine. A photo of in you with your stethoscope, or looking extra cute in your scrubs, is perfect. Step 3: DO NOT swipe right on any QMed interests when using aforementioned dating apps. You want your crush to know you are single and available, but still play hard to get. Step 4: When your crush mentions seeing you in an online dating app, joke about how hard it is to meet people outside of medicine. Step 5: Try to get closer to your crush: Start an interest group, Join MedsHouse, bribe Dr. Sanfilippo to putting you in an SGL with your crush. Do whatever it takes. Step 6: If somehow, the above steps don’t work, just go to the MedLaw mingler and settle for a lawyer. Good luck, Here’s Looking At You, Kid Dear QMR,
What do you do if you fall in love with a competitive speciality too late in four years? Sincerely, Head over heels but not enough time Dear Head, Ahh, every med student’s biggest fear: finding your “soulmate” specialty too late. I have two thoughts on this. First, how late is “too late”? As avid planners and overachievers, I think most med students feel very uncomfortable jumping into something they didn’t prepare for. But that doesn’t mean discovering you love OB in Block 5 is actually “too late.” Most preceptors in your new chosen field are thrilled to help you discover their career and write letters, and you can reorganize your electives up until 16 weeks before they begin with ease or up to six weeks with some difficulty. You could actually argue that it makes your “story” (which you will write about ad nauseum for CaRMS applications) more interesting. The true “too late” is after CaRMS applications, which are due in November of your fourth year. But even then, many people switch in residency. You’ll hear of them a lot more in clerkship, but it happens all the time. So I don’t think you’re ever truly stuck, it just depends on what you’re willing to do to get to your “dream job.” Which relates to my second thought: know yourself! Are you someone who struggles with risk? Does the thought of not matching make your literal skin crawl? If so, going through the process of a truly late switch might not make the most sense for you. You have to live through the journey, and it can’t all be about when you’re an attending in X number of years. This is about making a choice that is right for you, as a person and as a med student, and accepting that there are so many ways to be happy and find your niche in medicine. I hope this helps! Sincerely, All you need is love Dear QMR,
Is research really necessary for CaRMS? Sincerely, P-Values get me down Dear P-Values, It’s never a bad idea to get involved in some research but don’t lose sleep over it. The name of the game for CaRMS applications is to make yourself stand out from other applicants and show your dedication to the field you’re applying to. That can be through unique electives, leadership in the field, volunteer work, research, or anything else. If you’re applying to a non-competitive specialty (based on supply-demand ratios released by CaRMS) and are flexible with location, then I would say don’t worry about research. There’s no right answer to this because each individual’s pre-med experience, medical school involvement, and desired program/specialty is different. Participating in research will never hurt so if you have the time, interest, and a project available – do it. If you have a heavy research history prior to medical school, maybe that’s enough. CaRMS has become more transparent over the years. Each specialty and all programs now list components of the file review (leadership, research, publications, CV, electives, etc.) and how heavily they are weighted. Go look at this. Some programs will want research experience. For example, orthopaedic surgery at the University of Toronto evaluates “Success in publication [and] quality of work.” Whether or not you need research will depend on what you want to do. This being said, it’s ok if you don’t know to which programs you want to apply. Research skills are transferrable regardless of the subject, so if you decide to do research you can likely apply it to any program or specialty. If you are early in your QMed career, get involved doing research because you may have more free time. Opportunities pop up throughout clerkship as well if you don’t manage to get yourself involved in preclerskhip. If you’re a 4th year and never did any research, include your Mini-Scholar assignments in the research section of your CV and hype them up. Include your Critical Enquiry Project. Include pre-med research even if it was just for a summer. Don’t leave this section blank. Good luck! Sincerely, brokebuthappy Dear QMR,
Can introverts thrive in medicine? Sincerely, Demure Doctor-To-Be Dear Demure, In a word – yes! In my first week of Medical School, a faculty lecturer implied that introverts would have a tough time in medicine making friends and staying connected to the community. I left that class wondering the same thing as you – how would I make friends and succeed in a field that often demands direct leadership and meeting new people each day? I think that being an introvert in medicine is actually a secret strength. You will understand team dynamics through observation, make patients feel comfortable by giving them one-on-one time, and already have built resiliency skills for times in medical school when you’re inevitably more alone or isolated. A few ways to put yourself out there:
Best of luck – you’ve got this! Cheers, A Perky Wallflower Dear QMR,
How do I get a medschool boyfriend/girlfriend? Sincerely, Looking for someone to pull my chordae tendinae Dear Looking, I don’t have the answer to this. But let me try. If this is a priority for you, then think of it like getting into medical school: you decided you wanted to be a doctor and then worked hard, were at this for years, (likely) got rejected a few times, but you’re here. You made it. The way I see it, there are two ways to approach this: passively or actively. If you’re looking for love passively, you might think, “when the time is right, the person of my dreams will walk into my life, we’ll meet in a cute book store, and it’ll happen.” On the other hand, an active seeker might think, “This is something I want in my life, and I’m going to make an effort to make it happen.” With the active approach, it might mean getting yourself on to an online dating app (the stigma of this is GONE) – especially in a place as small as Kingston, it’s a great way to meet new people! It may be going to parties, socializing, or telling your friends you’re single and ready to mingle (then being open to meeting new people that way). Ask people out – let go of the ego of not wanting to make the first move. Don’t take rejection personally – you deserve to be with someone who’s bending over backwards to be with you and if they’re not then let them go. I encourage you to think about what’s important to you in a partner but also to not make a list of checkboxes that your partner has to meet. I strongly feel that there is no one single person that will meet all your “checkboxes” and honestly, you won’t meet all of them for your partner. You will crush on people who don’t like you back; but you’ll also be crushed on by people that you don’t like back – this works both ways. Love thy self. Sincerely, Brokebuthappy |
Thank you!Thank you to all our contributors to this column. All advice and opinions belong to our QMR contributors and do not reflect the opinions of the Queen’s Medical Review.
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