Guest Kirsteen Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 Hi there, For those of you at MUN who might have already tried this, I'll be heading up to northern Newfoundland shortly (in March) to complete a 3-week elective in surgery. If any of you have ever spent some time up there either to do an elective or to just hang out, I'd love to hear any tips that you might have, e.g., good items to bring at that time of year, etc. My preceptor tells me that March is polar bear season? :eek Unfortunately I don't own one of those massive snow-cats. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ronin Posted October 12, 2005 Report Share Posted October 12, 2005 The Northern Peninsula is cold, windy, and fairly isolated (depending on how far north you go). In March...well, it'll be brutally cold. If you're not used to cold weather, bring some really really thick clothes, and a really good jacket (think something from Mountain Equipment Coop or the like, designed for outdoor survival). I'd also suggest you bring some of your favourite, hard to find amenities (favourite snacks, etc). The local grocery stores will probably have little selection. I was about to tell you that there are no polar bears in Newfoundland...but apparently I'm wrong. Check out this website from some senior scientists www.sae.k12.nf.ca/Sightings.htm I'm not a med student, but I grew up in Newfoundland, so I'd love to hear about your experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted October 13, 2005 Report Share Posted October 13, 2005 Hi there Ronin, Thanks for the info. I'll make sure to pack some woolies and some luxury goods. As for the link, that's exactly where I'll be going so I guess my preceptor was accurate re: those polar bears! Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest climberchick Posted October 13, 2005 Report Share Posted October 13, 2005 St. Anthony isn't that cold in march.... it get's colder in Toronto in the winter... but they do get a lot of snow... so bring your boots and snowpants and perhaps one of the kind folks up there will take you out on snowmobile or ice-fishing. It's a great place to visit... alot of culture and truely hospitable people. Grenfell hospital used to be a major hospital... people would go there from places like NewYork to have certain surgeries... and although downsizing is happening... alot of the people remember the good ol'days and are very proud of their hospital... and the doctors that work there. YOu should have a great time... And it's not as rural as you may think... they even have a stop light! and a great museum dedicated to Grenfell himself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ronin Posted October 13, 2005 Report Share Posted October 13, 2005 Colder in Toronto in March? Admittedly, I've only lived here (Toronto) for a bit over a year, but the winter wasn't that bad. I've definitely seen colder in NF. www.nfcap.nf.ca/west/StAn...limate.htm Then again, I'm not from St. Anthony (from central NF), so I can only go by my limited experience. Kirsteen - You should read up on Sir Wilfred Grenfell, he's a pretty famous historical figure in Newfoundland, and was a pretty interesting kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 Hi there, Thanks again for the tips. I'll definitely keep them all in mind. As for Sir Grenfell, I did do a bit of reading up on him a wee while back when I was first considering the elective. Also, with respect to the reputation of the hospital, I'm not surprised that it is/was good. The doctor with whom I'll be working (and who I met last year in TO) is one of my mentor's mentors and has the reputation as being one of the best in his field in Canada. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clinicalchief Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 Hey Kirsteen, its great to see some fellow med students coming to the rock! You will have an amazing rotation in St. Anthony skills/exposure-wise. I know many folks who have had clerkship rotations in rural NL and learned/practiced more skills than they did on rotations during residency. This is what MUN is known for. We first-years have a rural clinical skills visit in March as well and placements in St. Anthony are well sought after - who knows, we might even cross paths! Are you coming into St. John's/MUN at all during your stay? Good Luck! cc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 Hi there, Thanks for those promising tidbits re: the clinical skills. Although I haven't booked my flights yet, I suspect that I shall be coming through St. John's en route to and from St. Anthony. I've been to St. John's once before and it was a fabulous place. Looking forward to it. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Douje Dog Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 Kirsteen, I did my two week "Rural Visit" that we do in first year in Roddickton, about an hour south east of St. Anthony, last March. I had a great time there, and I'm sure you will as well. As long as you're prepared for the weather, and a bit of isolation, I'm sure you'll love it. Are you by any chance working with Dr. Fitzgerald? He's definitely a legend up that way, and is pretty much a celebrity on the Northern Peninsula. I've heard he's a great teacher from several people who worked with him; quite a unique man apparently. Either way, I won't go on - but if you have any specific questions, feel free to email me, or ask on this. I'll do what I can to answer your questions. Cheers, Doug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted October 17, 2005 Report Share Posted October 17, 2005 Hi there Doug, Thanks for your note. Yes, I'll be working with Dr. Fitzgerald. I met him last year at a surgical conference and we got along like a wee house on fire. Also, he's the mentor of one of my mentors, so he came highly recommended. I'm looking forward to it and think it'll be a great experience. In terms of other things, you mention that St. Anthony is a bit isolated, but with respect to resources, can you give me an idea of what is up there? I'm assuming, no Starbucks! In any case, not much is noted on their web page and it would be nice to know a little more. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Douje Dog Posted October 18, 2005 Report Share Posted October 18, 2005 Kirsteen, Nope, sorry, no Starbucks. They only recently opened a Tim Horton's up there. When I was there last March, it had only been open one week, and people were going pretty crazy about it! The population is about 3,000, but the hospital itself serves about 25,000 people. This time last year, there were some pretty serious health care issues going on. The government had just removed all specialist services from St. Anthony (except for 1 Obs/Gyn and 2 General Surgeons), and the people on the Northern Peninsula were pretty upset about it; understandably. After that announcement was made, a large number of family physicians left St. Anthony almost immediately. That was the situation when I left - I don't know where it stands now. That gives you at least a bit of background - I'm sure you'll hear some talk about it while you're there. The government announcement was named the "Hay Report," just so you know. As for what else is in St. Anthony, there's really not a whole lot. They have a two or three bars that a couple of us went to, a lot of skidoos (snowmobiles), a Pizza Delight, a hospital, and some nice scenary. Either way, your experience with Dr. Fitz will be awesome I'm sure. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.