How Residents Spend Their Day
I remember when we were pre-med students, we looked up to those who were already in med school and thought that their life was smooth sailing. Then once we proudly got into med school, we became “firsties” and looked up admirably to the fifth semester honor students as they walked across the stage during white coat ceremony, having their words of wisdom read out. Then once we finally reached where they were and became clinical students, we realized we were at the bottom of the pecking order again, and looked up to the residents we worked with and couldn’t wait to get to where they were. And now that we have made it to residency, we are back at the bottom of the rung again.
I don’t remember where I found this image, but I thought it was funny and wanted to share. After four hard years of studying, we finally get to practice (some) medicine! Looking forward to residency!
Hi. I’d just like to say thank you for making this site and sharing your journey with everyone. It really helps to give insight into the process. It also makes those of us who wish to chart the same path feel as though we have a big brother in the class ahead of us. Thanks again to you and your lovely family for sharing.
Thank you for the nice comment and wish you the best in your path!
Hello Benji,
I am a nurse practitioner who is interested in continuing my education and pursuing a medical degree. I live in Canada where acceptance rates to medical school are between 15 and 20 % of applicants.
I will apply here but doubt I will have much success here given my GPA and MCAT scores. It sounds like I might be competitive for your program however.
So, did you think you got a good education? And, would you recommend your program to others? Also, are there Canadian students who get Canadian residencies? And, how much debt were you left with in the end (if it is not too personal a question). Thanks!
Monica
Hi Monica,
If you plan on matching in Canada, I would highly recommend you retaking the MCAT and improving your GPA, and try getting into a Canadian medical school. I think it is harder for a Caribbean medical graduate from Canada to match into Canada than it is for you to get into a Canadian medical school. It is that competitive. There are quite a few Canadians at my alma mater, but only a few of them, the top of the top, get into Canadian residencies. The rest either match into a US program or don’t match at all.
Also, my debt is around $317,000, which includes money I borrowed for both tuition and living expenses. The debt will only get heavier as tuition increases yearly, which happens at every school.
Best,
Benji