Tips on how to be more competitive for residency

[Boomchikapopcorn]

Hey Guys! Im a first year medical school student at UBC, and I was just wondering, how do I become more competitive for residency? I want to go into internal medicine, like oncology. Radiology is very interesting too. Are these specialties particularly competitive in Canada?

Looking at these posts, it seems as if residency matching is just as hard as getting into Med school haha. 

Also, does your GPA in medical school count towards residency?

Thanks in advance for your input!

[gangliocytoma]

Start school first and all will be revealed shortly after. Take this summer to relax and don't worry about residency yet. Schools in Canada are pass/fail.

[Edict]

The specialties you are interested in aren't so competitive that you need to be gunning this early since you are going to a 4 year school. Your GPA from UG doesn't count for residency apps generally (not like it matters anymore since your GPA is set in stone). Enjoy your summer!

[Bambi]

Soft skills are key. You need to be able to get along with colleagues, be an enthusiastic and hard worker, work late when helpful to the resident, show interest, ask intelligent questions and constantly gain knowledge.

Matching in residency will be the most I portant step in your career! Part of the process involves luck. It is important to be flexible when Application time comes. In my case, I applied to 3 fields, each one of which I knew would make me professionally and personally happy. I ended up in a competitive surgical specialty - all due to my soft skills. I was not a gunner, and I thoroughly enjoyed each of my summers in R & R.