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45 minutes ago, NLengr said:

Just shadow some surgeons. See if you like it. That's all you need to worry about at this point. 

Sounds good, I plan on doing so! I was also curious about what kind of things Gen Sx program directors look for when evaluating prospective candidates. I know it's a moderately competitive specialty so I presume apart from elective performance and fit, research productivity and ECs are valued but won't make or break one's app?

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6 hours ago, Sxgunner said:

Sounds good, I plan on doing so! I was also curious about what kind of things Gen Sx program directors look for when evaluating prospective candidates. I know it's a moderately competitive specialty so I presume apart from elective performance and fit, research productivity and ECs are valued but won't make or break one's app?

You are right, its about elective performance. That's what matters. Most programs don't care about research or ECs. Great if you have them, but they won't take a worse performing candidate based on research and ECs.

Don't sweat stuff like this yet. Just shadow and see if you like it. Most people who started med school with me and wanted to be surgeons ended up in non surgical programs (I had a non surgical class. <10% of the class are surgeons now).

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When I was doing an elective in a surgical specialty,, I was hard working, collaborative, friendly and stayed late to help out the resident. The attending saw something in me and despite the fact that I had no interest in applying in this field, he tried to convince me and he finally succeeded! I was the least qualified of all applIcants, 40 interviewees for just 3 spots. Every gunner who had done everything right for consideration was rejected. I was considered to be a good fit. They were right. I love the field. It came down to being myself, my soft skills and pure luck. Listen to NLengr. 

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35 minutes ago, Bambi said:

When I was doing an elective in a surgical specialty,, I was hard working, collaborative, friendly and stayed late to help out the resident. The attending saw something in me and despite the fact that I had no interest in applying in this field, he tried to convince me and he finally succeeded! I was the least qualified of all applI can’t, 40 interviewees for just 3 spots. Every gunner who had done everything right for consideration was rejected. I was considered to be a good fit. They were right. I love the field. It came down to being myself, my soft skills and pure luck. Listen to NLengr. 

There are two significant caveats to your story:

 

1. You're in the Quebec system. It's a different game

2. Nobody knows what you look like. This is important in a subjective system.

 

Your story is an exception.

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This forum needs a general flowchart on how to match lol. 

 

Step 1: Chill, shadow, see if you like it. If the specialty is competitive, shadow early to decide if it’s something you want to pursue.

Step 2: Be chill, get to know the residents and staff

Step 3: Maintain chill, book your electives and take part in some research or ECs as available and time permitting in your schedule. Earlier is best yet for competitive fields.

Step 4: Read around your specialty of interest

Step 5: Use step 2, step 3 and step 4 to impress on electives. 

 

Thats it. After step 5 you just hope for some good luck. 

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