Re-specializing after MOTP/MMTP

[Guest walton1]

OK,

 

Hypothetical scenario:

 

Suppose you have ...

- Completed med school under MOTP

- Finished your 2-year GP residency

- Completed your 4 or 5 years of obligatory service

 

... and now you wish to specialize.

 

There are two possible paths:

 

1. Stay in service and apply to the military to enter a speciality that is on its list.

 

2. Leave the military and apply to the 2nd round of the CARMS match.

 

Can anyone on this forum please share any experiences they may have had or heard about with respect to respecializing after MOTP. Judging from the stats at www.carms.ca/stats/stats_index.htm , this is a difficult thing to do.

 

Anywhere from 15 to 65 % of 2nd round applicants (who are grads of Canadian med schools) are matched each year; most are matched to family medicine or psychiatry. The stats are difficult to interpret because there are so few 2nd round applicants who are graduates of Canadian schools, and no stats on their reasons for re-specializing.

 

I think I would be happy as a GP, but perhaps my first choice of specialty will change as I proceed through medical school, residency, and so forth. (As long as I am admitted in the first place!) I suppose the same is true for most aspiring docs. How open are my options down the line?

 

 

thanks

 

wally

[Guest mtws]

A Medical Officer I spoke to recently mentioned that, relative to her peers, it was easier for her to get the second residency program she was after due to the fact that the military was funding her position. Granted, you're limited to those specialties the military requires but, you're very likely to get a spot in one of those if you want them.

 

Of course then you're obliged to serve another term as well, so... the beat goes on da dup da da dada...

 

Cheers.

Matt

 

P.S. On the plus side you can access the pension plan after 20 years!?!! :b