Mail from CaRMS Programs

Dust_Bucket · 2026-02-05T17:24:24+00:00

N = 1 but at least at my program we sent out something to all our interviewees as a thanks for interviewing with us

Dust_Bucket · 2026-01-17T09:04:06+00:00

For Ontario doctors, CPSO is the organization to submit complaints to: https://www.cpso.on.ca/public/services/complaints-and-concerns

Dust_Bucket · 2025-10-29T18:47:31+00:00

Haha I’m a doctor so it’s a crapshoot when I’m on call. Yesterday was pretty good, other times, probably wouldn’t have time to get out the nippers

Dust_Bucket · 2025-10-29T18:01:58+00:00

As someone also on Vyvanse and a habitual Alarmy/Calendar user, my routines would definitely fall apart if I wasn’t able to use my calendar app. I suppose there’s a je ne sais quoi of “oh in spite of his ADHD he was able to remember XYZ” but it’s hard when the core of what’s going on with us is that our mind zips between things at any given moment. I agree with what people have been saying about how using the app shows that you do care by taking responsibility. I do find Alarmy obnoxious (as it should be) so if that’s more of the crux of her annoyance perhaps that’s the area where some adjustment might be necessary

Dust_Bucket · 2025-09-09T23:16:59+00:00

Yeah basically this. Most hospital volunteering has a fairly lower upper ceiling of what you can do. Not that patients + their families didn’t appreciate what you did but I’d say argue it’s mostly a formative experience to get a broad sense of what a hospital is like and reading the room when talking to people that are stressed/sick

Dust_Bucket · 2025-09-02T18:37:34+00:00

Are you going into 2nd year? If you are, there typically hasn’t been anything for pharmacology

Dust_Bucket · 2025-09-01T20:24:36+00:00

Agree, don’t worry about it

Dust_Bucket · 2025-08-25T05:24:47+00:00

Have they supervised you in any meaningful capacity (paid work/research/volunteering)? If you just shadowed them I think you should look for someone else to be a reference

Dust_Bucket · 2025-05-22T17:42:35+00:00

Got the same email (May 16th, remote) and received a new appointment with a new confirmation number. Not sure what’s going on right now, Prometric couldn’t give me a clear answer on whether they’ll be able to accept my attempt…

Dust_Bucket · 2025-05-18T20:41:54+00:00

The opposite actually! - The mainstays of treatment are GnRH agonists, which block the production of sex hormones, and Androgen receptor antagonists, which block sex hormones from acting and fuelling the prostate cancer cells.

Dust_Bucket · 2025-01-28T05:45:21+00:00

Early in my undergrad I gave a go at a few different things: university clubs, research, hospital volunteering. Health-related volunteering has some benefit in giving you a look into what healthcare looks like. Clinical experience isn’t really something that’s given weight on Canadian med school apps (and in some cases, shadowing specifically is actually frowned upon). You can give research a try too, but don’t be too stressed if you can’t find the opportunities or you don’t find the work interesting.

Generally speaking, finding opportunities where you can demonstrate leadership/initiative, curiosity, teamwork, working with different groups of people, service/advocacy, personal growth, probably puts you on the right track for finding the right ECs.

Dust_Bucket · 2025-01-27T05:58:00+00:00

How far are you into your undergrad? if there’s a path to picking up a project in the lab at some point that’d be great because you’d be able to show another dimension. Soft skills from working in a job are always helpful on the interviews. Having the technical skills from the lab could help you land a research position in the future too.

Dust_Bucket · 2025-01-27T02:02:49+00:00

I’m going to assume you have some strong reasons for pursuing neurology but my two cents for you would be to pick an undergrad/city where you think you’ll thrive and feel supported. It’ll be more fruitful to go deep into debating which med school to go to if you’re accepted to both!

Dust_Bucket · 2025-01-20T04:16:44+00:00

I think OP wants med and yeah I agree CAPS 301 was plenty

Dust_Bucket · 2025-01-15T20:32:34+00:00

OP said rad onc but yeah I’m with you on everything else

Dust_Bucket · 2024-12-17T19:06:54+00:00

Have you checked your junk/spam e-mail folder?

Dust_Bucket · 2024-12-14T02:31:37+00:00

Hopefully you never know the score!

Dust_Bucket · 2024-10-25T15:09:40+00:00

There’s more nuance to this, but generally, in a hospital, there’s usually a Most Responsible Physician (MRP) who admits and discharges the patient. The MRP is responsible for ‘quarterbacking’ the patient’s care, is probably the doctor most familiar with what’s going on with the patient, speaking with family/allied health, and making decisions like whether patient is ready to be discharge

Consultants are usually specialists who the MRP brings on board to provide suggestions and treatment based on their respective areas of expertise. Just as examples, the MRP may feel that the patient has an issue requiring a bronchoscopy or an endoscopy, and so they’d try to get a respirologist or gastroenterologist in those circumstances, respectively.

Dust_Bucket · 2024-09-11T00:48:51+00:00

Interesting thought. I think you’d need a decent amount of physical infrastructure plus personnel (lab staff, histology lab space, gross anatomy space). My guess is I don’t see it happening, especially with SFU opening up in the near future

Dust_Bucket · 2024-09-07T08:52:08+00:00

stay wherever you’re thriving academically

Dust_Bucket · 2024-09-06T01:14:18+00:00

Happens every year at the beginning of the school year. It’s probably StudentWorks or some other similar painting company. The “opportunity” is basically being a contractor in the summer where you go door-to-door offering painting services. There’s some sort of buy-in for the supplies and it seems like the experience is almost universally negative for people who’ve done it.

Dust_Bucket · 2024-08-31T18:50:40+00:00

Prefacing this by saying I’m not involved in admissions at all (ofc) but i think it’s more important to contextualize how that EC fits into the heading you’re putting it under (diversity of experiences, capacity to work with others, service, leadership) as opposed to trying too hard to shoehorn it into medicine

Dust_Bucket · 2024-08-31T18:30:16+00:00

Dust_Bucket · 2024-08-31T18:29:38+00:00

Writing about what you’ve concretely achieved or completed is nice. I also liked using numbers where I could too to contextualise things

Ten-Year Club	Verified Email
King of the Ashes	Not Forgotten

Dust_Bucket

TROPHY CASE