Education

Do NOT include high school (unless requested or

you’re a child prodigy and high school was last year)

Doctor of Medicine (candidate) 2003-PresentQueen’s University, Kingston ON

Bachelor of Science (candidate) 2000-2003University of Western Ontario, London ON

- left after 3 years to pursue M.D. program - D.F. Jing award for excellence in microbiology

Describing Clinical Experience

Cardiac Surgery April 2003 – May 2003

Toronto General Hospital, Toronto ON

* You may wish to include pending electives as well

Attended pre-op clinic, valve clinic and ORs (performed sternotomy) and participated in the staff surgeon teaching programme.

Describing Clinical Experience

Rural/Remote Family Medicine (4 wks) Mar 2005-Apr 2006

The Pas, MB• Saw patients independently during 2 weeks of family medicine

clinics in Blackfoot General Hospital/The Pas.• Worked independently and with supervisor during ER shifts and

anesthesia; plus first assist in OR (gen surg); spent one day on air ambulance.

• Attended to own family medicine patient list during one week visit to remote northern community hospital.

Publications, Abstracts

Author names (bold yours). Title of publication. Journal of Something, October 2002.

Author names (bold yours). Title of publication. Journal of Something. (In press).

Author names (bold yours). Title of publication. Journal of Something (Submitted).

Author names (bold yours). Title of publication. Journal of Something (In preparation).

Research Experience

• Can include: • summer work• observerships• volunteer work• academic work

• Name of supervisor(s), institution, location, date

• Topic or title• Significant findings or

goals• Publications, abstracts,

conferences

Additional Experience

• Relevant or professional work experience

• Student leadership activities

• Community service• Conferences attended• Presentations given• Interests

References

• Banish the boring• Consider relevance,

reputation• Help them to help you• Twice is nice• How many is too many?

Personal Letter Ingredients

• Opening statement

• Why this specialty?

• Skills developed

• Relationship to goals

• Why their program?

Application Pitfalls

Avoid:

Telling the Program Director what his/her specialty is about

Anesthesia is both an intellectually and technically challenging specialty.

Better:Talk about why the specialty

fits you

I enjoy continuously applying my knowledge of physiology, pharmacology and internal medicine in anesthesia. The fact that diagnosis, treatment and results often happen within a short period of time is exciting and sits well with my need to see the results of what I do.

Application Pitfalls

Avoid:

Vague, “supposed to” statements

“I am inquisitive, hardworking and enjoy medicine immensely.”

Better:

Show, don’t tell

“I served one year as the Chairman of the Physician Supply Committee which opened my eyes to the politics and difficulties of managing health care at the population level.”

Application Pitfalls

Avoid:

Spiralling down into negatives

“I found my family medicine electives very routine and boring after a while and would much rather spend my career in a more interesting specialty such as dermatology.”

Better:Show the connection with what

you DO like about this specialty

“I found that I was consistently fascinated, often to the point of distraction, by the dermatological aspects of a patient while working in my family medicine electives. I strive towards a future focused on this intriguing specialty.”

Great Beginnings…

A large part of why I entered medical school was because of the various physicians I had met who had an incredible passion for medicine. One particular physician gave me a powerful impression about his life in medicine when he said to me, “A doctor never stops being a doctor.” When I got into medical school, I was eager to find a specialty that I too would be passionate about and was more than just a job, but a part of my life. That specialty is internal medicine.

Great Beginnings

An approachable “people-person”, an international traveler and a compassionate ophthalmologist: these are what I wish to be known for. Through the new few paragraphs, I will endeavour to give you a glimpse of who I am and why I aspire to become an ophthalmologist.

Great Beginnings

I have always had diverse interests that included both life and technical sciences. While the latter led me to pursue an engineering physics degree, the former motivated me to enter medicine. In radiology, I have found a career that can combine both interests.

Why This Specialty?

I am not suited for very many occupations. It is not that I lack the skills or competence, but that I am very specific in my professional aspirations. I want to be able to make comical, happy faces as a routine part of my daily work. I seek opportunities to practice my jokes and puppetry skills on an audience who might actually laugh. Even on the busiest of days, I want updates on the nuances of the Barney and Teletubby culture. Fortunately, children’s medicine is one of those rare fields that offers all of these things. In addition to the playful, I am drawn to the serious aspects of pediatrics…

Why This Specialty?

My initial clinical exposure to Obstetrics and Gynecology was in an Adolescent Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic with Dr. Someone Important. I left that clinic exhilarated and inspired by the dynamics of the specialty and the physician I was fortunate enough to observe. This observership surpassed my experience in other specialties and heightened my interest to learn and experience more. I was also fortunate to be able to shadow Dr. Someone Else Important, Dr. Absolutely Dazzling and Dr. Known Everywhere during my summer back home in Toronto. My aspiration and potential to become an accomplished surgeon is fueled by the scope of innovative advancements in laparoscopic surgery, ultrasonography, surgical procedures in Urogynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, among others.

Why This Specialty?

I remember the intrigue and attraction of my first exposure to plastic surgery, witnessing a gracilis muscle transplant in the hands of two pioneers of facial reanimation. As I watched the procedure unfold in wonder, I thought to myself, this is what I want, to be doing cutting edge medicine, to one day be a pioneer. This desire was fostered as I became involved in research both in Toronto and at Queen’s University. The culmination of these experiences provided me the opportunity to give presentations at two national meetings (CSPS, RCPSC), reinforcing my aspirations of an academic career.

Skills Developed

One reason to consider me for your program is my strong academic performance as evidenced by my attaining the highest standing in Immunology and Histology. I was also selected as one of six medical students to dissect cadavers and teach anatomy to first year medical students based on my academic performance in anatomy. Recently, I was granted a Medical Research Council of Canada Summer Studentship, a University of Somewhere Department of Surgery Summer Scholarship in Surgical Science, a Hospital Summer Scholarship and the Some Important Person Memorial Scholarship for having demonstrated evidence of excellence in academic and clinical surgical performance.

Skills Developed

My electives exposed me to the broad range of responsibilities faced by anesthetists. Although I spent most of my time in the OR with adult patients, I made a special effort to experience pediatric and obstetrical anesthesia, try my hand at some regional anesthesia, participate as a member of the trauma team and acute pain service, and take part in a day of training with an anesthesia simulator. My elective in pediatric ICU sparked an interest in critical care.

Skills Developed

In Some Small Town, B.C. I worked in the hospital’s Emergency Room and attended calls with the EMS team. Over the four weeks I participated in the management of a broad spectrum of presenting complaints, from oil field traumas to drug overdoses to childbirth in the E.R., in a diverse patient population. I practiced Emergency Medicine skills such as suturing, casting and lumbar punctures and further developed my clinical and decision-making skills—at a rural hospital with few specialists and limited investigations possible, the latter was necessary.

Relationship to Goals…

In my future, I would like to pursue further research, e.g. PhD, in the field of Something Related, which is a field that has captured my imagination. During my elective in Some Town, I was fortunate to partake in a study, and submit a paper to Neurosurgery for publication, that attempted Something Neurologically Fascinating. I have enjoyed exposure to laboratory research dealing with Some Other Neurological Topic. More recently, I have had exposure to neuroscience research in the form of projects dealing with Some Brain Disorder and Another Brain Disease. The Brain Disorder research is currently being done as we are developing Something Cool to Combat It. I had excellent exposure to the modern, highly sophisticated technological aspects of neurosurgery with my Special Research Project at Some Neat Place. Potential applications of this work could be in Some New and Novel Area.

Relationship to Goals

During one of my medical school interviews several years ago, I was asked to name a role model. I cited Dr. Helen Caldicott, the physician nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her work campaigning against the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the 1970’s and 1980’s. At the time, I admired her work as a doctor, not thinking specifically about her specialty, pediatrics. How interesting that as I discovered my passion for children’s medicine, she continued to be an ideal role model. Like her, I hope to balance my career in clinical medicine with continued work on community issues such as environmental conservation.

Relationship to Goals

Palliative care is also a facet of radiation oncology that interests me. Taking care of Carol in the last few months of her life taught me how fulfilling palliative care could be, both personally and professionally. I find that radiotherapy, in a setting of crisis intervention such as hemorrhage, has rewards comparable to those of surgery. In the end, Carol was thankful for our ability to control her symptoms of physical distress that allowed her to write letters to her daughters. The personal satisfaction I gained is immense, and is an area of radiation oncology that I find tremendously rewarding.

Why Their Program?

Through my interactions and inquiries with your residents and faculty, I have become aware of your program’s strong emphasis on research and academic excellence – a unique feature that attracts me to your program. I have experienced first-hand, through my electives at NYGH and MSH, the level of expertise, education and training provided in community and tertiary centers by your highly accomplished and regarded staff. With family and friends living in the greater Toronto area, I am enthusiastic to return and complete residency in Toronto.

Why Their Program?

Much of my surgical experience has been at the University of British Columbia and I am fortunate to have had these opportunities. Both of my summer research positions and my elective with Dr. Someone Special were extremely positive experiences. This was in large part due to the outstanding mentorship and teaching that I received from the staff, fellows, and residents. These people have played a large role in my choice of surgery as a career. The opportunity to learn from, be part of, and contribute to the group of people affiliated with your program is one of the primary reasons that I would like to train at UBC. As well, your program offers unparalleled educational opportunities with respect to patient volume and diversity, clinical teachers, and the opportunity to pursue research through the Surgeon Scientist Program.

Why Their Program?

The Dalhousie University internal medicine programme is of particular interest to me for a number of reasons. I have had occasion to visit Halifax and the QEII Health Science Centre and was impressed with the medical facilities. The inclusion of the teaching and practice of evidence-based medicine and opportunity for learning in the ambulatory care setting are two aspects of the Dalhousie programme that hold special appeal for me.

Risky?

“My spouse and I plan to have another child during residency and we hope to plan this birth with appropriate faculty such that an ideal interim is attained for both the residency programme and our family.” (Psychiatry)

“Achieving balance in life is very important to me. The personal time I spend with my wife Claire, family and friends is an essential part of my life.” (Anesthesia)

Switching Streams

It is my suspicion that I arrive at the process of applying for an internal medicine residency position from a bit of a difference background and pathway than most applicants. Early in my medical career, I expressed an interest in cardiac surgery and quickly became swept up in all that I was told or perceived was necessary for a successful application to a cardiac surgery residency program. While I enjoyed many aspects of this interesting surgical subspecialty, I discovered that the part I found the most interesting was the medical care of the surgical patient and the management of their concomitant illnesses. My clerkship core rotations in internal medicine provided the opportunity to confirm my previously latent desire to pursue a training position in this specialty.

Switching Streams

After multiple electives and clinical experiences in obstetrics and gynecology, I found that the part of obstetrics I liked best was counseling my patients and helping them deal with their interpersonal and emotional difficulties. A subsequent psychiatry rotation with Dr. Great Mentor gave me an excellent view into what it is like to be a resident in psychiatry. This wonderful experience and Dr. Great Mentor’s support were most influential in my decision to pursue a career in psychiatry.

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