timing of electives

[howdy]

Hello,

 

First of all, congrats to all those graduating this year! All the best with the next stage of your medical careers!

 

I will be finishing med school in 2010 and hope to do a residency in rural Family Medicine. So far, I've done some overseas electives in rural general practice and obstetrics, as well as electives in emergency and general surgery in Canada. Therefore, I actually haven't done any electives in rural Family Medicine in Canada yet. I'm planning to do 4 weeks of rural family med this Nov/Dec, but am wondering if I should try to do a rural family elective during my summer break so that I have one completed before CaRMS applications are due. How much weight is given to electives completed after CaRMS applications are due (but before the interview period)? Is it crucial that I complete a rural family medicine elective prior to the application period?

 

Also, how important is it for rural Family Medicine residency programs to complete electives in the location of the programs that I'll be applying to? I will be completing my rural family medicine electives in ontario, but hope to apply to programs in BC and Alberta in addition to those in Ontario. I am from BC, so I hope this helps for the programs out West, but will they hold it against me for completing my rural family medicine electives only in Ontario?

 

Any advice, particularly from those in or going into rural family medicine, will be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

[kate]

I feel that the advantages of completing discipline-specific electives prior to the CaRMS deadline are:

 

1) Gaining first hand knowledge of the programs that you are interested in

2) Obtaining letters of recommendation

3) Making yourself "known" at particular program so that they are more likely to grant you an interview

 

If you are familiar with the programs you are applying to and if you are set with respect to letters of reference, you're probably okay completing electives after the November deadline. (The interview offers tend to go out in December and January, so you will still get points for item 3, if applicable.)

 

Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

Kate