Resident Testimonials

Hometown: Kitchener, Ontario

Medical School: Western University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program:
The program is structured very well to allow residents to tailor their training for the type of practice they would like to eventually have. There is also a strong emphasis on getting the junior residents early operative experience as much as possible. I had the opportunity to perform my first laparoscopic appendectomy in the third week of residency which is a pretty common experience. All of the residents get along very well. The senior residents made our group of incoming residents feel like part of the program before we even started. 

What I like about living in London:
There is lots to do in the city without the busyness of a major city like Toronto. There are a lot of great restaurants. London has a number of really nice parks and trails to explore.

One piece of advice for the interview process:
Try to relax and enjoy the process. It is a really stressful time but all of the programs really just want to get to know you and see if you will be a good fit for their program. Make sure that you are interviewing the programs as well to see if they are right for you!

Hometown: Miskolc, Hungary

Medical School: Western University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program:
High clinical volumes, supportive co-residents and staff.  The ability to tailor residency towards academic or community practice. 

What I like about living in London: Proximity to friends and family.

One piece of advice for the interview process: Be yourself and try to enjoy the process. 

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Medical School: Queen’s University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program:
Easily the big highlight for me is the strong reputation and the independence of the residents. Having a lot of early independence has been a big shift, but the senior residents are great at providing appropriate responsibility with great support. You can definitely see the benefits of this style of training in the level of skill and confidence in the senior residents. Further, the staff at Western really care about the training program and are highly involved and committed to a strong learning experience.

What I like about living in London:
There’s beautiful green spaces and forests and lots of different and interesting neighbourhoods to explore, eat, or grab a drink. And the housing market is much more affordable than many other places, it’s been a lovely perk to upgrade my home!

One piece of advice for the interview process:
Be yourself. Maybe that’s a bit cheesy, but it’s much nicer to try to actually get to know people than to hear rehearsed statements.

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Medical School: Western University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program:
Firstly, getting to spend my days with amazing co-residents who are always there to chat, answer questions, provide support, and order in sushi while on call! Secondly, as juniors, there is a great amount of trust in us to look after patients and take an active role in their care. We get great opportunities to develop our skills both in the OR and on the ward.

What I like about living in London:
Wortley Village! A beautiful neighborhood with heritage homes, tree-lined streets, young families, and great restaurants, right around the corner from Victoria Hospital.

One piece of advice for the interview process:
Take some time to reflect on why you want to pursue General Surgery, and the aspects of the specialty you really connect with. If you know why General Surgery is the right fit for you, interview questions become a lot easier to answer!

Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta

Medical School: University of British Columbia (UBC)

Highlights of the General Surgery Program:
Operative exposure, patient and disease presentation volume, world-renowned staff, Canada’s most collegial residents - confirmed.

What I like about living in London:
People are incredibly nice, good beer, easy access to outdoors – beaches, nature, minimal traffic, free parking.

One piece of advice for the interview process:
Enjoy the process! The staff and residents are all incredibly nice and just want to chat with you and get to know you.

Hometown: Kingsville, Ontario

Medical School: Western University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

I'm new to the program but from my electives and my time in the program thus far, everyone is very welcoming and willing to teach. All of the staff and senior residents are open to questions and willing to help you when you need it. There's a lot of support around you.

What I like about living in London: 

The amount of green space! You'll be surprised at how many parks and paths there are throughout the city.

One piece of advice for the interview process: Tell the interviewers what you think, not what you think they want you to say. 

Hometown: Windsor, Ontario

Medical School: Western University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

The staff that are very dedicated to teaching you and are eager to get you involved in the operating room and in patient care. You get the opportunity to work on your independence early in residency and gain confidence in your abilities to manage pre-operative and post-operative issues, in a really supportive environment.

What I like about living in London: 

It's known as the Forest City, and often called the best London in the world! There's a surprising number of trails to hike and nature to explore. If you like plants, there are some amazing local garden centers as well. Nearly everything is drivable within 15 minutes and there are a lot of unique festivals and events to explore throughout the year.

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Tell stories about the things you are passionate about. People often say, "be yourself" and I think the best way you can show who you are is by talking about the experiences and adventures that lead you to this point.

Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ontario

Medical School: Western University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

A great panel of supportive staff eager to see you succeed. 

What I like about living in London: 

Amenities of a big city, but close enough to rural areas to enjoy the peace and quiet. Big catchment area with large diversity of cases from all over Southwestern Ontario. 

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Be yourself and answer honestly. Whenever you can, illustrate important points using anecdotes from your own life. 

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Medical School: Western University 

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

Medium-sized program that ensures everyone knows your name and is invested in your development and future, which allows for early operative exposure and greater independence. 

What I like about living in London: 

Small town/city with very little traffic, which makes getting to work and home easier and faster, still has restaurants and entertainment. 

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Take advantage of socials as a time to get to know staff and residents, but also other medical students applying to the programs you’re interested in – good way to get a sense of the culture of the program and whether you’d be a good fit.

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Medical School: University of Toronto

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

Extensive exposure to all aspects of General Surgery including trauma and transplant services. Plenty of opportunities to be in the operating room and to be an active member of the surgical team starting from PGY1. Each year of residents works very closely with each other and with only 5 residents per year that means you'll develop tight bonds. The staff are extremely invested in nurturing the growth of residents both as growing surgeons and as individuals.

What I like about living in London: 

Everything is only a 15 min car drive away. Practically no traffic! Beautiful scenery. There's a drive-in movie theatre and a provincial park within a short drive.

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Observe how the residents interact with each other and with staff during the CaRMS process. Wherever you decide to go for residency, you will be joining a team which has it's own flavour so make sure that you are happy with the culture and want to be a part of it!

Hometown: Corner Brook, Newfoundland

Medical School: University of Saskatchewan

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

There are so many things to love about the General Surgery program here at Western. We are offered early independence which facilitates fast paced, yet extensive learning opportunities that allow you to get an excellent foundation of both ward and surgical management of our patients. The staff and senior residents then provide us with ample opportunities to operate early in residency and build a solid foundation prior to entering our senior years. Most importantly, the people involved in the program genuinely care about giving you a world-class education and training the best possible general surgeons. 

What I like about living in London: 

It has all the pleasures of a larger city without the chaos that comes with it. There are countless opportunities to get involved with whatever it is you like to do outside of work and I can’t complain about the warm summers. 

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Prepare your answers ahead of time but be flexible enough to not seem rehearsed. It’s cliché but being yourself really does go a long way. Making your personality shine through a webcam is a difficult task, but once you figure it out, the rest is easy! 

Hometown: Dorchester, Ontario

Medical School: University of Toronto

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

Flexibility to get what you need from your training to be successful in whatever type of career you choose, whether academic or community.

What I like about living in London: 

London is close to home for me, so I’m a little biased. I mostly love the small size of the city and lots of green space. 

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Practice some unique/unexpected interview questions with classmates to overcome that panicked feeling before your interviews! 

Hometown: London, Ontario

Medical School: University of Ottawa

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

Strong, supportive faculty and senior residents who are interested and dedicated to teaching. London has a massive catchment area, so the volume is great. Western emphasizes early operative exposure (I’m 2 blocks in and have already been primary operator on 4 appendectomies, 1 cholecystectomy and several perianal cases). Looking forward to what the next 5 years have to offer!  

What I like about living in London: 

London has a tight-knit community and small town feel. There are awesome bike paths and parks in the city, and you are only 45 minutes away from some of the nicest beaches in the country. Great restaurants and bars as well!  

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Be yourself and be prepared with lots of scenarios and experiences from medical school. Use the interview process to determine which school will be the best fit for you and your training goals. Go to the socials and take notes about your experience to help make your ranking decisions easier.  

Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia

Medical School: Western University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

How committed everyone is to my learning, from seniors to staff alike! Amazing breadth and depth for the field, and the program takes resident feedback seriously. 

What I like about living in London: 

Smaller town feel, people actually say hi to each other in the streets, better traffic than the big cities, kind neighbours, and good train access to the rest of Ontario. 

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

While you are trying to put your best foot forward, don't try to be someone you are not. It should be a mutual fit when it comes to matching instead of trying to fit into an imaginary box. And remember you are also interviewing the programs too, so don't forget to ask questions and take notes for ranking! 

Hometown: Ajax, Ontario

Medical School: Western University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

I chose the Western General Surgery program because it seemed like a good fit for me based on the personalities in the program, the program's strong national reputation for clinical excellence, and my own support networks within the city. 

What I like about living in London: 

My favourite part about living in London is that it is a landlocked city with plenty of day trip destinations in every cardinal and ordinal direction if you like cycling or even just driving.  From the cafes in Port Stanley to beach in Grand Bend to the chocolate shop in Stratford to the autumn leaves in Dorchester, there's plenty to do in and around the city.  The roads are nice and quiet and well suited for bicycles. 

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

It's okay to be nervous for your interviews.  A little bit of nerves can be good.   

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Medical School: Western University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

Early exposure to the operating room and managing patient care, amazing staff who are genuinely interested in teaching and helping you reach your career goals, and an amazing group of supportive and fun co-residents! 

What I like about living in London: 

Beautiful green spaces with lots of walking/running trails and close enough to take day trips to Toronto or one of the nearby lakes.   

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Reflect and make a list of clinical experiences that display important qualities that you can adapt to different questions and be yourself! It sounds generic but they aren't looking for a perfect answer, they just want to get to know who you are.   

Hometown:  St. Albert, Alberta

Medical School:  University of Alberta

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

The faculty and residents are truly passionate about the program and this reflects in their teaching! This mentorship and support is  what drew me to Western! In addition, I loved the rotation schedule and the programs focus on surgery rotations. 

What I like about living in London: 

The river valley is beautiful and has great walking/biking/running paths! I look forward to exploring all the beaches around London!  

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

I know everyone says “be yourself” but it’s true! My best interviews were the ones that I didn’t sound scripted and where I was able to have an organic conversation with residents and staff. When preparing for interviews, prep multiple stories - whether they are clinical or not - that you can draw different themes from. That way no matter what unexpected question you are asked, you will have an example in your back pocket!  

Hometown:  Goderich, Ontario

Medical School:  Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

Great Program Director who is incredibly welcoming and supportive and co-residents who make you feel like part of the family right   away.

What I like about living in London: 

 Lots of green space in the city, good restaurants and easy access to walking trails by the river.

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Be yourself, don't say what you think people want to hear, say what is truly representative of you as a person and as a learner.

Focus on what experiences have made you well suited to a career in General Surgery, whether that is skills you have built through leadership roles, research experience or clinical encounters.

Pay attention to how you feel about your interactions with different programs and trust your gut with where you think will be the best fit for you. 

Hometown: St. Catharines, Ontario

Medical School: University of Toronto

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

1) Small, cohesive group of residents dedicated to supporting each other.

2) Opportunity to get involved with surgical decision making as well as practicing surgical skills early on in the training. This is possible mainly because we work in high volume surgical centres covering a large catchment area.

3) Well designed curriculum to support individualized career ambitions for the residents i.e. community surgery vs. academia.

What I like about living in London: 

Small town feel with a vibrant, growing community - surrounded by outdoors, adventures (beaches, hiking trails, water based activities) as well as large urban centres for the weekends off calls or post-call recharge. 

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Other than being yourself (of course), I would highly recommend spending time and reflecting upon the reasons that make general surgery the right fit for yourself (or any other career ambition). I would go as far as saying that you should try to convince yourself first, and it will be reflected in the interview. 

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Medical School: Western University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

This is a well-integrated program across sites and years of residency.  There is a strong emphasis on teaching that is seen from junior residents to senior staff.

What I like about living in London: 

London offers a great quality of life as a resident.  It is small enough to get to either site quickly, but large enough to have all the amenities.

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Prepare for the common questions and reflect on your own experiences.  What you think will be your best fit.  And what is going to be the best fit for your goals.

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec

Medical School: McGill University

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

Well organized research curriculum.  Very convivial and supportive environment among the staff, administration staff, and fellow co-residents.  Emphasis on developing technically and clinically excellent surgeons through a culture of success that pervades the program.

What I like about living in London: 

Multiple sports base activities available to residents both indoors and outdoors.  Everything is within a 20-minute drive.  Green spaces abound.

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Be genuine, and be honest to yourself and your interviewer about your likes and dislikes and strengths and weaknesses.  This is how I believe trust in a candidate is built.

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Medical School: Calgary Cumming School of Medicine

Highlights of the General Surgery Program: 

Definitely the people.  I truly appreciate the wonderful support from my co-residents, senior residents, staff, and especially our program director.

What I like about living in London: 

The ever-growing number of diverse food options, along with plenty of greenery and bike lanes.

One piece of advice for the interview process: 

Reflect on the experiences that have brought you to this point.  Be yourself, but make sure to present your best self!