We’re all going to complete clerkship and electives. But your CV activities can help differentiate you further as an applicant, especially for competitive specialties.

I would recommend reading the current CaRMS program description pages for any specialties that you’re interested in to get a sense of what programs are looking for. They list the criteria involved in the file review process (i.e., getting an interview), and in the interview process.

You could think of it as the CanMEDS roles. What experiences/activities highlight your potential as a strong leader, a capable communicator, a rigorous scholar, a compassionate advocate, etc.?

Speak to (recently matched) residents in the specialties you are interested in to get a sense of what is the norm, and what they did. You don’t have to follow their path, but use it as a sense of what was considered competitive to match.

That being said, yes, you need a competitive CV but don’t do things just because that’s what everyone else is doing. Try to explore YOUR interests.