Early exposure to the clinical fields

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

A while back, UofT's medical program offered a service called "Choices" that permitted medical students to shadow clinicians in various specialties of medicine and surgery. Someone recently mentioned that this program has dissolved, but has been replaced by another that is similar. Do any current UofT medical students have any details on this new program, or perhaps a weblink that is shareable?

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest bj]

Hey Kirsteen,

 

Not being in second year, I don't know too many details but I can share what I have heard in the halls. The Choices program has been replaced by CEM (Career Explorations in Medicine) a series of days set aside for clinical shadowing. It's the first year this is being offered so the program will likely change over the coming years. Currently I think it is 5 full days (might be half-days, sorry!) throughout the year for shadowing of any physicians who are willing to have an observer.

 

In addition, there is a ton of time built into the second year curriculum for shadowing. Most physicians I have approached (even as a lowly first year) are more than willing to have someone tag along with them for the day.

 

Hopefully a second year will write in and supplement (or correct) the CEM info.

 

Best of luck!

 

bj

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hey there bj,

 

Cheers for the information. Is your class happy with the five days? It's great that you have some opportunity for exposure during first year, but five days doesn't sound like all that much (although this is coming from someone totally on the outside ).

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest aneliz]

Five days of dedicated time is definitely more than is available at UWO.... We are free to arrange 'electives' any time that we wish...but there is no dedicated time to do so and no requirement either. Many UWO students shadow doctors while they should be in class (ie 'skipping' lectures) and/or do evening or weekend shadowing in areas like emerg and delivery room.

 

While 'career exploration' in first and second year is a good thing, your real exposure to the different specialties and areas of medicine happens in third year during your clerkship. During that time, you spend a lot more time with the departments and see a more global picture of everything that goes on in an area rather than just shadowing individual doctors. It is hard to get a true sense of what a specialty is all about by shadowing a single doctor for a day or half day....in my opinion anyway!