Peds at Mac vs. UBC?

[lefty07]

i'm applying to peds this carms cycle (i know it's super early lol but my situation is a little atypical so i'm thinking about it early) and am wondering how peds at mac compares to peds at UBC? i love the culture at mac - everyone is really nice, good work/life balance, night float instead of traditional call, not too many fellows. however i LOVE vancouver and have always wanted to live there. i've heard the ubc peds program is tough because of the traditional call, too many fellows, maybe not the most emphasis on learning... but does it really make a difference? can anyone weigh in on either of these programs? 

[bearded frog]

3 hours ago, lefty07 said:

i've heard the ubc peds program is tough because of the traditional call, too many fellows, maybe not the most emphasis on learning...

I didn't do my residency at either program but UBC definitely has night float although there is fly-in call on the weekends. UBC has 15 fellows per year vs 9 for mac but they both have 1 per year for each subspeciality they have a fellowship in, so NICU and GI are going to have the same fellow situation regardless. Some things, like the lack of cardiac surgery at mac, actually matter very little as the UBC residents get very little exposure to those patients beyond the general cardiology you would get at other programs without cardiac surgery. It's up to you if the difference in volume vs fellow numbers is important for you, personally. Also keep in mind the UBC program is roughly twice the size of the mac program, 17 to 9 new residents per year, which may also affect your choice.

Honestly, you will get an excellent education at any pediatric program in Canada. I recommend applying broadly, and ranking by proximity to your support group - friends and family. Beyond that, consider where you want to work after, as you do a lot of networking in residency and its easier to transition to a local job. After that it's really what kind of program size you're looking for and what kind of city you want to live in.