A Partial Exhale

Well, today is the CaRMS Application submissions deadline. I've submitted seventeen applications to my field of choice, spanning fourteen schools. Some of my colleagues have applied far more broadly, some far less; some are still wrapping up their applications, taking advantage of the final five or so hours we have to make edits. I'm waiting … Continue reading A Partial Exhale →

The “Definitive” Guide on Packing for Electives

Every summer/fall, final year medical students across Canada embark on what is colloquially known as the "CaRMS tour". We pack our stethoscopes and white coats, board planes or trains or cars, and make our way to hospitals and clinics across the country to scout out potential programs and living places, secure reference letters, and hopefully … Continue reading The “Definitive” Guide on Packing for Electives →

On Depression, to my Thirteen-Year-Old Self

You don’t know (and won’t know that for many years yet) that this feeling you can’t find words to describe –the excessive guilt, the lying awake ruminating on things long past, the somatisation (those stomach aches, those headaches) – is depression. You’ve always heard that you’ve periodically been an “anxious child” but this will only … Continue reading On Depression, to my Thirteen-Year-Old Self →

12 Day Dubai + Maldives Itinerary (from Toronto)

We're getting married in under a year (!!) and my medical school graduation is about 12 months away. It's a hectic time right now, what with wrapping up my core clerkship rotations and wedding planning, and naturally I'm looking ahead to what comes after - my graduation trip and our honeymoon! Deciding where to go … Continue reading 12 Day Dubai + Maldives Itinerary (from Toronto) →

How I Travel with an 18+4L Backpack (and my purse)

It's that (travel) time of year again! I'm writing from a train to Toronto, where hopefully I'll be able to upload pictures and this post (fingers crossed; the WiFi bandwidth isn't great). This year's trip is to Italy, purely for leisure, with a friend. We're starting off in Rome, travelling to Isola d'Elba to soak … Continue reading How I Travel with an 18+4L Backpack (and my purse) →

OSCEs

Hands up if performance evaluations are the bane of your existence? That's definitely my case. It's interesting, because I like performing on its own. Auditions? Not so much those - but I'm considerably less nervous when I'm standing on stage, where my objective is to enjoy whatever it is I'm presenting. Raise the stakes, however slightly, … Continue reading OSCEs →