Tell me about Ottawa!

[Guest McMastergirl]

Hi, I'd love to do my residency in Ottawa... would anyone care to comment on their experience with the city/school/hospitals? thanks!

[Guest MayFlower1]

Good morning McMastergirl!

 

Glad to see you're considering Ottawa as a place of residency. What area of medicine would you like to do your residency in?

 

With respect to Ottawa as a place to live...it's a great city. Small enough to get around in easily...large enough that you don't feel you're in the country. The weather, as you might expect, is similar to what you're used to, although, I believe the winters in Ottawa are likely more harsh...we usually get a 2-4 week period that is quite unbearably cold >: If you're an outdoorsy type, winters aren't as bad...we've got the Gatineau which is about a 20 minute drive from Ottawa...you can cross-country ski through the mountains until you drop...we've got several places to go down-hill skiing within 30 minutes to one our from the city, depending on which hill you go to. We've also got the Canal...and, of course, Winterlude. The summer, on the other hand, is amazing (I'm obviously not a winter guy...I like to go warm places in the winter). There are tons of things to do in the summer if you're outdoorsy...rollerblading / bicycle paths all over the place...world class fishing within 30 minutes of the city (Bass, Pike, Pickerel primarily)...you've got the Gatineau mountains for walks and picnics...tulip festival...you can't get bored in the summer, that's for sure. Ottawa has a great Market...it's really the primary hotspot for restaurants, dance bars, martini bars, etc. Elgin Street isn't too bad either...but, personally, I find Elgin Street a bit seedy. The housing situation in Ottawa is a bit tough...very low occupancy rate which makes apartments more difficult to find than in other cities. If you look early (i.e., at the beginning of summer) you have a much better chance of finding something in the area you want to be living. One of the nicest things about Ottawa is that it is safe...you can walk pretty much anywhere and feel safe. This also makes it great for people with kids. Another great thing about Ottawa is that you can have all of the positive things about living in a city...and be in the country within minutes.

 

Hospitals...hmmm...we've got several hospitals in Ottawa that you could be working in during residency. My wife did two years of residency in Obs/Gyn and then switched to Family Medicine. She mostly worked at the Civic Campus and General Campus, CHEO and the Elizabeth Bruyere (sp?). She also did some work at the Montfort hospital (Francophone hospital). The nice thing is that these hospitals are all within 15 minutes of downtown...quite convenient.

 

Anyway...that's a bit of an overview...I'm sure others will bring other perspectives. If you have particular interests, questions, etc., please post them and I'd be happy to give you my two cents worth.

 

Peter