Day 1 Residency #3: What Does Being a Good Doctor Mean?

Can you navigate the CaRMS Match as a couple without increasing your risk of going unmatched? How does the couples match actually work, and what conversations should partners be having long before rank lists are due? In this episode of Specialty Café, Sharmin Zahin is joined by Alessia Di Carlo, MD and Alessandro Ricci, MD - PGY5s in General Surgery at Queen's University who successfully navigated the CaRMS couples match together. Drawing from their own experience matching to residency as a couple and now pursuing fellowship training in different cities, they offer practical advice, reflections, and reassurance for med students who might be in the same situation: being a couple prepping their CaRMS applications. The conversation breaks down the logistics of couples matching, common misconceptions about match risk, strategies for building a rank list, and the importance of aligning personal and professional priorities. Dr. Di Carlo and Dr. Ricci share how couples can approach difficult decisions, communicate openly about career goals, and remain flexible throughout medical training. Whether you're in a relationship, considering the couples match, or simply curious about how the CaRMS algorithm accommodates applicants with shared goals, this episode offers valuable insights into one of the most nuanced aspects of the residency match process. More questions about CaRMS? Check out the many resources available on the CaRMS website. If you're participating in a Royal College accredited residency, don't forget to join as a Resident Affiliate. It's free and you can start claiming MOC credits right away. More information is available on the Royal College's website.

Demystifying CaRMS 2026: The Residency Match The Royal College extends sincere thanks to the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) for its valuable collaboration on this episode. It's CaRMS season! You've started gathering reference letters, preparing your application documents, reviewing program descriptions, and exploring the CaRMS website. But if you're still trying to understand how the residency match process actually works, you're in the right place. In this episode of Specialty Café, host Sharmin Zahin settles in to chat about all things CaRMS with Geneviève Leroux, Client Services Manager at the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). This discussion demystifies one of the most important milestones in a medical student's journey: the residency match. Drawing on more than a decade of experience supporting residency applicants, Geneviève takes the Specialty Café community behind the scenes of the Canadian residency match process, explaining how applications are reviewed, how the matching algorithm works, and why applicants should always rank programs according to their true preferences. She also addresses common misconceptions about CaRMS, shares practical advice for navigating a competitive application cycle, and so much more! Whether you're preparing your application this year or simply looking ahead to residency, this conversation offers clear, practical insights to help you approach the match process with greater confidence and understanding. More questions about CaRMS? Check out the many resources available on the CaRMS website. If you're participating in a Royal College accredited residency, don't forget to join as a Resident Affiliate. It's free and you can start claiming MOC credits right away. More information is available on the Royal College's website.

Your personal letter matters, and authenticity is key. In this REWIND episode of Specialty Café, host Mark Garabedian, MD (now a PGY1 in Orthopedic Surgery), chats with Justin Rivard, MD, FRCSC, General Surgery Program Director at the University of Manitoba, to discuss what program directors are really looking for during the CaRMS process. Dr. Rivard shares practical and reassuring advice on approaching your personal letter, how your background and experiences can strengthen your application, and why qualities like teamwork, professionalism, and a strong work ethic often matter more than technical expertise at the medical student level. He also explains the important role residents play in evaluating elective students and offers insight into choosing where and why to apply. Although this conversation was originally published in 2025, the guidance remains highly relevant for today's medical students in 2026. Whether you're actively preparing for CaRMS or just starting to explore specialties, you'll find valuable advice on making the most of electives, building meaningful relationships, and presenting your authentic self throughout the residency application process. If you're participating in a Royal College accredited residency, don't forget to join as a Resident Affiliate. It's free and you can start claiming MOC credits right away. Click here to learn more.

General Surgery in the community vs in academic centres: what's the true difference? Is one practice busier than the other? Being a women in General Surgery... are some of the myths true (for example, do you make less money?). Does being a General Surgeon mean you're in the OR five days a week? In this episode of Specialty Café, host Sharmin Zahin speaks with Priya Chopra, MD, FRCSC, about the realities of modern General Surgery. From community and academic practice to workload, compensation, operating room time, and common misconceptions about women in surgery, Dr. Chopra offers an lived-look at what the specialty is really like. Dr. Chopra's opinions are based on her personal experience. And she acknowledges that her lifestyle wouldn't be possible without her husband's support. Whether you're a medical student exploring specialties, a resident planning your future, or a physician interested in career pathways, this episode provides practical insights into one of medicine's most diverse surgical fields. If you're participating in a Royal College accredited residency, don't forget to join as a Resident Affiliate. It's free and you can start claiming MOC credits right away. Click here to learn more.

What would you do if going to work no longer brought you joy? If you felt out of sorts, disconnected from your program, and unsure whether the specialty you had once been so certain about was just not the right fit? How do you know when it's time to consider a different path? In this episode of Specialty Café, host Henry Tran speaks with Dr. Xiya Ma, a Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology resident at the University of Montreal who almost completed a residency in Plastic Surgery. Dr. Ma shares her deeply personal story of realizing that something wasn't clicking, rethinking what she wanted from her career, and discovering a specialty she had never seriously considered was exactly the right fit for her. She reflects on the questions that helped guide her decision, the uncertainty of changing direction, and why it's okay to recognize that the path you once imagined for yourself may not be the one you want to follow. Dr. Ma also opens up about the mentors, program support, and openness that helped make her transition possible. She admits that, in many ways, the stars were aligned: the right people, the right opportunity, and an available spot in pathology. Her experience is a reminder that changing specialties is not necessarily a failure, but it can take courage, self-awareness, and a willingness to explore. Dr. Ma shares what makes pathology such a rewarding fit for her: the intellectual challenge, research opportunities, technical aspects, and the chance to contribute to patient care in a different way. She describes a hugely collaborative and supportive team where teaching is encouraged, discussion is constant, and asking for help is encouraged. Dr. Ma and Henry also explore what students and residents can do when questioning their specialty choice and why sometimes, the specialty you never considered turns out to be the one that feels most like home. If you're participating in a Royal College accredited residency, don't forget to join as a Resident Affiliate. It's free and you can start claiming MOC credits right away. Click here to learn more.