On the program, resident input and special interests…

I have always felt at home with the supportive staff, dedicated preceptors, and wonderful residents. The education team goes above and beyond to ensure learners get the most out of their residency.  Our feedback as residents is valued, and there is an ability to make a real impact on our academic curriculum. As one of the chiefs, it’s also been a great experience working with the resident education committee and program director to enhance the resident academic experience at our site.

On teachers and mentors…

I feel grateful to have had many wonderful teachers and mentors throughout my years at McMaster. I’m thankful for their dedication to my learning and support of my career aspirations. At the Kitchener-Waterloo site, our faculty and staff provide exemplary mentorship – both formal and informal.  Learners feel welcome and included, as if you’re a part of a supportive family.

On co-learner’s dedication…

My co-residents’ dedication to their patients, learning, and teaching are second to none. The enthusiasm the group has for teaching activities involving medical students, clerks, or fellow residents is incredible to see. This supportive and inclusive learning environment allows everyone to feel comfortable about asking questions and it creates better clinicians.

On the Kitchener-Waterloo experience…

At the Kitchener-Waterloo site, specifically, I enjoy being able to integrate and participate in events with the Waterloo Regional Campus medical students.  The faculty and staff allow us to work together cohesively.

On the program and mentorship…

What excites me about the program is the hands-on experience. Each resident is on a team of two cardiac surgeons, and develops a mentor-mentee relationship with them. Right from junior years, you are encouraged to spend as much time in the OR as possible, without competition for space or time from colleagues.

On collaboration and research…

I think our collaborative approach towards research is quite unique to the program. The program allows for close networking with physicians, residents, and graduate students from other fields to really explore a variety of research projects. The McMaster cardiac surgery program has a research group called the MiNION-CIA, and all the residents work within this group on impactful, and high-quality research. The group even includes students from kinesiology and commerce to really expand the boundaries of how we analyse and think about research.

On mentors’ influence…

Before starting at McMaster, I had limited exposure to the world of academia and research; I had zero publications. The idea of embarking on an academic-surgical training was daunting. However, thanks to the mentorship of dedicated faculty, in the last few years I have been incredibly productive.  I’ve presented my research at conferences in Canada and abroad. I’ve won awards, published multiple primary papers in high-impact journals, received a spot in the Clinical Investigator Program, won a peer-reviewed grant for $48000 for my thesis project, and mentored medical/undergraduate students. More recently, thanks again to the mentorship of my faculty, my clinical and research work was recognized and I’ve been asked to speak at the Annual Principles and Practices of Clinical Research by the Canadian Medical Education

On living in Hamilton…

I am new to Hamilton; I moved here at the start of residency a few years back. I was a little hesitant, having never been here. But, in the last few years, I have come to absolutely love this city.  From all the hiking trails to the sheer number of cafes and restaurants, Hamilton is full of new things to explore and enjoy.  I’m a motorcyclist and there is a great group that fosters an incredible motorcycle culture; something I’ve never found, or heard of, in any other city or town. It is close enough to Toronto that I can drive over for the “big events”, and then drive back to my quieter, smaller city.

On unique opportunities in medical education…

As  a senior resident, I have been able to enroll in the Clinician Educator Program, a RCPSC Area of Focused Competency Diploma program offered at McMaster. The program’s flexibility has allowed me to work towards this certificate without taking any time away from residency. I have been able to meet and work with leaders in medical education to help develop my own educational philosophy. I have also taken a number of faculty development courses to improve my clinical teaching skills, and have gotten involved with education at the undergraduate level.

On colleagues and their support and mentorship…

I have been fortunate to work with senior residents who have become fellows and now staff, within our department and across the national radiation oncology community. The nature of the program at McMaster has meant that I have relationships with many of those past residents and that they continue to be a source of support and mentorship for me. I also feel I’ve had the chance to meet many residents from other programs at McMaster and I have developed relationships that I can call upon both professionally and personally.

On living in Hamilton…

Growing up in the GTA, I had a certain idea of what living in Hamilton would be like. My partner and I moved to the Locke street area and have enjoyed the ability to walk to restaurants, cafes and bars, while always feeling safe and developing our own sense of community. In fact, I often see my staff out walking in the Kirkendall area or grabbing gelato or pizza nearby. I like that I’m close enough to Toronto to go in after work for Raptors games, but can also be at a golf course or a beautiful hike within a ten minute drive.

On the opportunity to teach and be a mentor…

The ample formal and informal opportunities to teach and provide mentorship really attracted me to the program. As a McMaster resident, there is opportunity to teach clinical skills to first year medical students. As an anesthesia resident, medical students can shadow an anesthesia resident for a call shift, where the resident can provide mentorship and teaching. Anesthesia residents are also taught to run simulation sessions as part of the medical student anesthesia curriculum. The more senior anesthesia residents will also participate in anesthesia academic day teaching along with staff.

On faculty mentorship…

The anesthesia program has a formal mentorship program that connected me with an academic mentor, a professional/career mentor, and a senior resident mentor. They have all been great at keeping me on track, and providing any support and guidance when I needed it. My professional mentor and I went for coffee the other day. We talked about life as a resident and he gave me great advice that will help me achieve my goals and stay well. Both my academic mentor and the anesthesia CBD lead have been extremely helpful at keeping me on track with fulfilling my EPAs and helping me to achieve my learning goals.

On the collegiality of the environment…

My favorite aspect of the McMaster residency experience has been the collegiality and friendly learning environment. My co-residents and I have gotten along very well, both within our year, as well as the above years. Our regular half days and close proximity to one another has made us tight-knit from the start, and will serve us well in the future when we start studying together to prepare for our exams. We have three anesthesia retreats throughout the year encompassing all the residency years which really helps build that camaraderie. That collegiality extends further up into the program administration and program director as well. We have the friendliest program administrators that go above and beyond for our learning needs, and our program director has an open door policy and has been receptive to feedback about how to improve our program.

On living in Hamilton…

What I love about Hamilton is the nature, the affordability, and the size. Hamilton has many waterfalls, hiking and biking trails, and parks all within the city or a very short drive away.  This is ideal for those who want to stay active or who want to appreciate nature on their off days. Further, the rent and housing prices in Hamilton are very reasonable, whether someone is in the position to rent or buy. Finally, Hamilton is small enough that people tend to live in relatively close proximity and it is easy to get together for dinner or games at a moment’s notice. The hospitals are not too far from each other and are either walking distance or a short drive away from the downtown. Hamilton is also big enough that there is a great restaurant and music scene, frequent festivals, and a sense of community.

On support and research..

From the time I did my elective at McMaster as a medical student I quickly found staff that were willing to see me reach my full potential. My mentors constantly encourage me, challenge my knowledge and collaborate with me in research. With the mentorship I have received in just one year of residency, I have been able to publish research and present my research on the national stage at the annual Canadian Association of Pathologists. Seeing the successful careers that so many previous residents have achieved, I am very excited to see which way my career will take me, and I know the staff and resident support in the McMaster Pathology Department will help me achieve my aspirations.

On co-learners…

Given that Pathology is such a vast amount of knowledge to retain, my co-residents are always there to support me. One of our staff encouraged us to use on another as study aids, as the more you see in Pathology the more you learn. Since learning that advice, we work through study topics every week to ensure we can be exposed to as much as possible. My senior residents are very encouraging and are always there to provide advice every step of the way. Whether it is leaving an interesting case on my microscope or showing me how to dissect specimens, my senior residents are always willing to share their knowledge. I hope to implement the same excellent teaching skills to junior residents and medical students.

On the program…

McMaster Pathology has the unique advantage of being an urban environment with many community case referrals. Given the large diverse population that the McMaster Laboratory Department provides for, there is never a shortage of unique cases coming across our desks. The faculty at each site all take resident teaching seriously and make it a priority in their daily work.

On unique opportunities…

As a former resident in the Psychiatry Program of the Waterloo Regional Campus, I had tremendous opportunities to gain exposure to community medicine. This was an important experience for me, given my future career path in general community psychiatry. I appreciated being connected to a prestigious academic centre in Hamilton, and having other opportunities for clinical rotations in Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge.

On mentorship…

When I transitioned to practice, my faculty mentors were vital is helping me to feel supported, from finding a job, to practicing interviewing skills, and they are still available to me to ask questions in independent practice. I continually felt supported, from my early stages as a PGY-1 resident to my practice after residency.

On co-learners…

When I was choosing my residency program, I paid a lot of attention to who my future residency colleagues would be. As a medical student interviewee, I was struck by the enthusiasm, dedication and genuineness of the residents in the program. Ultimately they proved to be exceptional colleagues, and were a continual source of professional support throughout my residency training experience.

On the program and learning environment…

I was drawn to the McMaster Pediatrics program as a medical student for many reasons, however, the reason that had the biggest influence on my decision to choose McMaster paediatrics was the ideal size of the program. I find our program is big enough that we have all the subspecialties under one roof at McMaster Children’s Hospital. Yet, the program has a very small feel to it, in that all of the paediatricians, both subspecialty and generalists, know me by name. We also have a fantastic group of residents who really care about each other and who support each other fully, which makes the “highs” of being a resident that much more meaningful and the “lows” of being a resident that much more tolerable.

On the faculty’s dedication to patients and learners…

The overwhelming majority of the staff physicians who I have worked with throughout my pediatric residency have been absolutely wonderful. Pediatricians at McMaster truly care about their patients and truly care about their learners. The Department of Pediatrics at McMaster is known for its clinical excellence and I believe it stems from the dedication of the paediatricians that work at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

Starting in first year, we rotate through almost all of the pediatric subspecialties and very quickly we get to know the subspecialists who we end up calling on call for consults and working with throughout our time in the program. They take the time to get to know us, teach us and guide us along the path to becoming excellent paediatricians. The general paediatricians that we work with are also truly amazing. I am inspired to become an excellent paediatrician by working with the general paediatricians and subspecialty paediatricians at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

On co-learners and their mentorship…

We are lucky in our program to get to know our resident colleagues very well. One of the ways in which we are mentored by our senior colleagues is through our Night Float call model. The way our general paediatrics call is designed, we are assigned to an on call team, which consists of a junior pediatric resident, a senior pediatric resident and an off service resident. We then work together, in this team, every second night for two weeks straight. The seniors on this team quickly become our greatest allies as we work together to manage the pediatric patients overnight. Their expertise and knowledge is passed down to the junior trainees, however it’s also a great opportunity for junior and senior learners to learn together.

Through our resident teaching block, senior residents are given the opportunity to run teaching sessions for a full month, dedicated to bringing their expertise and knowledge to junior residents and medical students. Most of our CTU curriculum is delivered by senior residents, who take pride in delivering this material and contributing to the ongoing advancement of their colleagues.

On living in Hamilton…

I am new to Hamilton and have been pleasantly surprised with what it has to offer. There are waterfront trails, cross country trails and waterfalls to explore and discover. There are many of fantastic restaurants with new ones opening regularly. There is a growing art scene. There are outdoor concerts throughout the summer months. I have really enjoyed relocating to Hamilton and participating in all it has to offer.

On unique opportunities in the program…

Early exposure to acute medicine. PGY-1’s do two mandatory blocks of ICU, which are instrumental in preparing for the SMR year, where you could be running codes or pre-codes at short notice

On faculty mentorship and research…

McMaster has world-renowned faculty and researchers  One mentors  support has helped me secure a competitive grant for work that has been presented at international conferences. There is no shortage of seasoned researchers to mentor you at McMaster and I encourage those with an interest in research to bring forward their interest early on.

On teaching opportunities for learners…

There are a lot of teaching opportunities for residents at McMaster, both informal and formal, through the expanded TREaT (Teaching Residents to Evaluate and Teach) curriculum. Our Point-of-Care ultrasound curriculum and many other sessions are co-taught by senior residents that are always very well-received.

On the program director…

I would like to highlight the dedication of our program director whose focus is on maintaining the high educational standard that McMaster is known for. Changes are resident-centered, with resident input. The program is one big family and it’s great to be a part of it.

On life in Hamilton…

I am new to Hamilton. It is a beautiful city with many things to do outdoors and on weekends. My favorite time of the year is spring – the city sure does have a great horticultural society!

On why McMaster PGME was the right fit…

As a graduate of McMaster’s medical school, I knew that McMaster’s Family Medicine Residency was the right match for my interests and goals. During medical school, I had done a rural family medicine elective in Simcoe, Ontario and it was this experience that had shown me that rural training through McMaster’s program would give me the breadth of experience, diversity of teaching environments and level of independence I was seeking in a residency program. It was the diversity of exposure to family clinic, hospitalist rounds, long-term care, and emergency room shifts that enticed me to a rural training environment at McMaster.

On mentorship…

Being both a research-based university and having numerous ties to surrounding community clinics and hospitals, McMaster has a wealth of mentors for post-graduate trainees in almost any field of interest. For myself, having a family medicine preceptor who had the diverse skillset of a generalist, including acute care and hospital-based care, was essential as I sought the best generalist training I could find. My preceptor and mentor, a GP Anesthesiologist who provides long-term care and hospitalist care in addition to his regular family clinic, was chosen based on my interests. Furthermore, as a resident interested in global health initiatives, I became involved with the Department of Family Medicine’s Global Health Committee, where I have been mentored in global health research focusing on emergency disaster preparedness. Even as a resident at a rural site, my training has benefited from McMaster’s excellent teaching and research faculty!

On the benefit of multiple site learning…

As a rural family medicine resident based in Simcoe, Ontario, who is also the Co-Chief resident of the Grand Erie Six Nations training site in Brantford, I have benefited from the dedicated teaching faculty at both of these community sites. At Brantford General Hospital, the emergency physicians organize monthly simulation and resuscitation sessions for the residents that allow us to develop our critical care and leadership skills, through simulating high-stakes clinical scenarios. Similarly, the Rural residents benefit from regular retreats in Collingwood, where we have hands-on training such as casting sessions, and enjoy socializing with our fellow rural residents at beautiful Blue Mountain

On financial support and research…

Our program provides excellent financial support for those who want to pursue research, either in the form of awards, scholarships, grants or funding to present at conferences.

On the learning environment and mentorship…

I think the great thing about the McMaster program is that everyone is so approachable, you end up having many informal mentors. People are willing to listen and provide genuine advice. There are also formal mentorship relationships that are created so that you feel comfortable talking about issues outside of work as well if needed. These meetings have all directly contributed to my decisions about the type of career and lifestyle I’d like to pursue.

On the program director’s commitment to learners…

My program director has an open-door policy at all times and is easily reachable by email and phone. She listens to concerns and feedback carefully and actually acts on these to implement changes for the better. She goes out of her way to teach despite having an extraordinary amount of administrative duties, especially with the upcoming implementation of competency-based education.

On living in Hamilton…

To be honest, my previous image of Hamilton was like many: steel plants and smoke stacks. But having lived here for several years now, I have truly fallen in love with the place. There is a burgeoning food scene now with many excellent restaurants popping up. It already has a very established art scene with festivals and art crawls. You get all this while maintaining a small city feel, surrounded by nature rather than a concrete jungle, with very little traffic to deal with. You are also very close to both the GTA and Niagara for any weekend escapes. The housing is also still quite affordable.

On inspirational faculty…

I have found the faculty mentorship at McMaster to be outstanding. Staff embolden residents to be passionate about their work; to identify what motivates them and to act as instruments of change. Whether it be through research, curriculum development or extra-curricular programs residents are encouraged to pursue their interests and contribute to the larger community of health care in Hamilton. The opportunity to work with faculty who are experts in their fields, and have written the guidelines that guide our medical practice, is invaluable.

On clinical excellence and support…

During residency I have experienced only clinical excellence from the McMaster institution and have been constantly impressed by the expertise and dedication its residents and staff bring to their work. Most importantly, the support I have received and relationships I have been able to develop with faculty has been the highlight of my residency experience at McMaster.

On the educational environment…

What I have most appreciated about my residency experience at McMaster has been the opportunities for academic and clinical growth. Patient volumes and complexity make for an enriching educational environment where you are encouraged to take on a high degree of responsibility in your clinical work.  Faculty are exceedingly knowledgeable and promote an environment where residents feel they are valued and supported. There is also a uniquely strong emphasis on social awareness and provision of multi-disciplinary compassionate care. Combined, these attributes make for physicians who feel competent, confident and fulfilled early in their training and are able to bring these skills to their independent practice.

On living in Hamilton…

I lived in Hamilton while completing my undergraduate degree and returned for residency after completing medical school elsewhere. I am amazed at the growth of Hamilton over the years. It seems there is always a new restaurant opening or new street festival happening. Even with this, there is also a clear preservation of Hamilton’s natural resources from the water front to parks to our famous waterfalls. I have found it to be a balanced, accessible city that I think will just continue to elevate as a place to live and work.

On the Surgeon Scientist Program…

The McMaster Department of Surgery supports the Surgeon Scientist Program (SSP) and actively cultivates an environment where minds of young surgical trainees are encouraged to not only strive to become technically exceptional but are also trained to ask important questions about the treatment options for the patients we care for.  The opportunity provided to me through the support of the Department of Surgery and the Division of Neurosurgery has opened doors to job prospects that I previously did not know existed. I always wanted to contribute significantly to the management paradigm to better the lives of pediatric oncological patients.  I feel this training opportunity has provided me with the essential tools to build the foundation to this career aspiration.

On living in Hamilton…

Settling into Hamilton and discovering all the hidden gems has been the single most unexpected surprise for both myself and my husband. The beautiful conservation areas at our footstep have been the oasis needed to recuperate from the demands of a busy neurosurgical service.