Free Stuff Day

This morning started at the very pleasant hour of 9:30. It was a much appreciated change from yesterdays 7am start. We began with presentations from the various sponsors of our 'Free Stuff'. We heard from MD Financial (the financial services arm of the Alberta/Canadian Medical Association), National Bank, Scotia Bank, the Library, and we finished with a scintillating presentation (I only fell asleep three times) about Stethoscopes. We then got to go to the various booths and collect swag - pens, hand sanitizer, candy, note books, knee hammers, backpacks, etc. So all in all the morning was quite informative.

Following the swag collecting I went and purchased my first stethoscope, likely to become my constant friend and companion. As such, I am now the proud owner of a 'burgundy' Cardiology 3 stethoscope...believe it or not I do not feel endowed with any magical powers yet but I'm hoping they come. I have yet to listen through the 'scope but I'd imagine I'll hear a number of sounds that will have absolutely no meaning to my untrained ear...but that will come. When I described my stethoscope as being 'ketchup coloured' one of my classmates decided that coagulated blood was a more accurate colour. I'm not sure how reassuring a patient would find the description of a 'coagulated blood coloured stethoscope'. I might have to stick with red.

The focus of the afternoon's sessions was professionalism. We had a brief lecture about successful and professional students - a bit heavier than the warm welcomes we'd received earlier in the week. In fact, we heard about consequences and 'bad stuff' however, no one ran out crying so I guess we all survived. We then divided into small groups to continue a case based discussion of professionalism. We were reminded that we have now entered a profession. We may be in the larval stages but we are the lowest rung on the ladder of doctor-hood, and as such we have entered into a social contract that requires us to act in a certain fashion. That being said most of it seems like common sense and good behaviour so hopefully none of us get caught in any pitfalls.

We were told the ABC's of successful medical students -

A- Active learning

B- Balance

C- Cultivate Humility

D-Diligence

E- Ethical Behavior

According to this guide I need to make sure to eat some more vegetables than I have the last couple weeks and my days of procrastination, however only 3 years will tell.

My peers seem like a fantastic bunch of people and we are all glad to have put the process of applpication behind us. We commiserated today for all those in the position of applying to medical school. From this side it is something we are VERY glad to have put behind us. For those who haven't applied or who will be starting this fall, good luck, when you start med school it will still be painful, but it will be worth it.

We are done for the week now and I'm quite looking forward to a weekend with healthy amounts of sleep. I know that this isn't even a sample of a real week at school but I think sleep is going to become an even more precious commodity. So, the sun is shining and I'm going to find some groceries...preferably something green and crunchy.

Also, I hope to post some pictures of Dr. to be Lewis before too long, I now have a hospital ID, I'll be getting a white coat on Tuesday, and I have a stethoscope so watch out...I'll be the best dressed 'doctor' around come Halloween.

Orientation

At 1:00pm July 29th, 2009 the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine Graduating Class of 2012 met for the first time. It felt quite surreal walking into Foothills Hospital in my dress clothes. However, the surreal feeling soon wore off as we began typical Orientation activities - slightly immature, somewhat enjoyable, combined with lots of waiting, insufficient food, and poor ventilation. That makes it sound worse than it was; however, it didn't quite live up to what I'd expected of Medical School. We paid some fees, got pictures taken, had a bit of a tour, and stood around a LOT.

Today was much better...although it started at the shockingly early hour of 7:00am. We arrived at school and began placement testing. I'm not certain of its purpose. There were three components - the first was a clinical skills test. In a team of four we opened a door and found an upper year student with a dummy and a table full of tools. We were told the 'patient' was not breathing and we had to intubate them. Our lack of knowledge proved to be deadly and our patient died, with chipped teeth from the laryngoscope and the wrong tube in their mouth. The morning continued with a variety of tasks, written tests, a bell ringer anatomy/pathology test that became quite amusing. I identified the crusty wart lesion and described ballotment of kidneys - when you register them to vote and give them their ballots for the election.

Following this activity we were divided into different groups and constructed a somewhat anatomically correct individual using a large amount of candy and some pipe cleaners...and we only ate a small amount of candy. After a break and lunch with the Dean of Medicine we had a more thorough tour and lecture, in small groups about the nuts and bolts of medical school at Calgary.

We were encouraged not to stress about choosing a specialty right away but to instead enjoy the ride and get some experience first through shadowing and other opportunities before we narrowed our choices down for the Residency match in the spring of 2012.

We finished up around 4:30 and tomorrow we get free stuff, as well as begin picking up our equpment. I'm going to get my first stethoscope...which for some reason I'm finding quite exciting. I don't now what colour yet but I suppose I'll know by tomorrow evening.

University of Calgary Medical School

This is another background post for those who are interested. There are 17 medical schools in Canada, all accredited by the same licensing body. What this means is that all the schools provide you with more or less the same 'quality' of education. The programs might be different in structure but each student has to pass the same exams at the end.

So, what makes Calgary unique and why did I choose it? Firstly the reason I went to Calgary is it felt right. That seems sort of nebulous and strange for a 'scientist' but there are some decisions you have to trust your gut on and this was one of them. The other thing is I had no guarantee of a spot at Queen's, even though I was on the list. I could have received word that I had a place the day after I took my name off the list, on the 25th of August or not at all and I wasn't prepared to gamble.

Calgary is a young school - the medical school started around 1970 and as such has a reputation as a 'young' school. It is innovative and on the cutting edge of clinical research as well as pedagogy. The biggest difference from the vast majority of Canadian schools is the 3 year program. Barring major sickness and failures I will graduate in May of 2012 which is less than 3 years away. Only one other Canadian school has this kind of program so it makes Calgary stand out. Instruction is based on 'schemes', cases, and presentations. Instead of taking five different classes - anatomy, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, etc we have 7 different courses over the first two years of our degree. These courses have names like 'Blood, GI, and Fever'. We will study various presentations (e.g. a patient comes in with anemia) and then learn the various pathologies that could lead to anemia. Each course has a large number of lectures regarding the various components (anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, etc) but they are directed towards the specific presentation and case at hand. Our learning in the first two years comes in three forms - lectures, small group learning, and clinical core group learning. In small groups we discuss cases, lectures are self explanatory, and in clinical core group settings we visit the hospital and meet patients with the ailments we are discussing, as well as practicing clinical skills like intubation.

The third year of med school will be composed of the clerkship. During these 54 weeks we will go through a number of different rotations in the various core specialties - internal medicine, surgery, family medicine, ob/gyn, etc....and in three years I'll have an M.D.

All that will be left is to get into a good residency program, then perhaps a fellowship, and then find a job somewhere;-)

Getting to Calgary

After at least 10 years of planning, dreaming, scheming, and work I began medical school. July 29th, 2009 will be a fairly important date in my life I believe. I guess I should start with a bit of background.

Since I was seven or eight I wanted to become a doctor. As a kid I didn't really think much about what it entailed other than to know I needed to do well in school so I could get scholarships. As my years at secondary school progressed the knowledge that entrance to medical school was competetive provided sufficient motivation to keep me working. As a child and young teenager I informed the world that I wanted to become a neurosurgeon. As my understanding of the world, process of medical training, and life increased I became much less set on this specific specialty.

My three years at Acadia University in Nova Scotia and one year in New Zealand were all shaped by my intention to apply to medical school. I had fabulous years during my undergraduate degree but I think I can safely say that other than driving my relatives car off a cliff while in New Zealand applying to medical school was one of the most stressful situations in my life.

The application process began in September when the applications for the Ontario schools were due. Then, University of Calgary in October, and finally McGill in November. I had written the MCAT twice (another excessively painful experience) and I submitted my scores, hoping they were good enough. With the submission of all my documents I heard nothing from any of the schools until the first week of February when I found out that I had interviews at Queen's University and the University of Calgary. Then came the worst part of the process.

The interviews themselves were alright but they were completed by the end of February. Then came the agonizing wait. Between the 1st of March and the 15th of May I had no personal communications in regards to my application from either school. During this time period I completed my undergraduate (BSc, biology, minor-history) and returned to Alberta to await the results. During this period I was plagued with doubts, questioned my motivation, plans, choices to that point, and was quite unhappy. However, on the 15th of May I received word that I had been accepted to the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, and I was on the waitlist for Queen's. After some thought and discussion I accepted the position at Calgary and took my name off the wait list at Queen's.

In June I came to Calgary and found an apartment within walking distance of the Health Sciences Campus and here I am.