There's an entity known as Match Day (yes with the capitals because it's That Important) in Canadian medicine training. It's the day that months of fussing over personal letters, sleepless jetting across Canada for interviews and toying repeatedly with a rank order list pays off (or not) for residency. It's the day that medical students across Canada open their browsers and make a bee-line for CaRMs website. It's the day that we found out where we go for the next many years of our lives. Which specialty did we match to. Which school decided we were worthy of being trained to be Real Doctors.
March 1st passed, and the dust is still settling. Me? I'm leaving my comfortable Southern Ontario burrow and going to the east. Way, way east. I landed on the mainland and haven't left it since 17 years ago. This summer I'm packing up and moving to Newfoundland. It's a little daunting.
The number of times I've had to explain that no, I'm not being forced out there. No, it wasn't the bottom of my list. Yes, I really made it my first choice on the rank list is impressive. Something about me doesn't scream island life, apparently. Maybe because I finally bit the bullet on going rural. I've loved rural and done rotations rural since early medical school (was that 3 years ago?) but the prospect of fully committing to it still seems like a big step.
Taking that step all the way across the country. It's gonna be exciting. At least I have an apartment so I'm not homeless now. All the fish I can eat.
To the east coast I go!
