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- Page navigation anchor for Red flag: CaRMS applicants with broad experience?Red flag: CaRMS applicants with broad experience?
It is counter-intuitive that we have 170 unmatched CaRMS applicants,[1] but at the same time 138 unfilled positions.[2] Can’t these 170 applicants have a second choice when they are unmatched to their desired specialty? One possible explanation is applicants are somewhat pressured to focus on one specialty only. For instance, when applying to a competitive specialty, ones probably need to have all their elective clerkships tailored towards that specialty, so interviewers believe those applicants are very determined in their career plans.
Although program descriptions on the CaRMS website tend to state they welcome applicants with broad experience[3][4], that was not the experience of Robert Chu, a Canadian medical graduate who was unmatched in CaRMS in consecutive years. According to reports, he was told his electives were too broad when applying to radiology initially; when applying to psychiatry the following year, he was criticized for lack of commitment in psychiatry because of his previous journal publications related to radiology.[5] Consulting services for CaRMS applicants advise that you must justify how your electives are relevant to your specialty of choice; they recommend against using electives to explore interest.[6]
Having been in medical school and postgraduate training in the UK, I find this Canadian way of thinking a cultural shock. In the UK, we are all encouraged to have broad experience in various areas before going into a specialty. Havin...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: I have been paid for working as a resident physician, but not for writing this letter. The views expressed are my own, and no organization has control over the content of my letter.