Written By: Dan Sequeira, McMaster Medical School c2022 1. Where and how long was your core? I did my 4 weeks of EM in Brantford. 2. How did you get to the core? Did you need a car at this location? Drove by car (about 35 mins from Hamilton), but you could also live in Brantford if preferred. 3. What were your accommodations like? Did you get any funding from the school (MacCare etc?) Got MacCare funding to commute! They fund you $450 if you drive or $900 if you get accomodations. The drive is really only 35 mins so its super manageable. 4. Describe a typical day at your core. Fantastic elective. You start by meeting your preceptor (generally someone different each day) and they ask you what you want to learn that day. Based on your answer, they'll assign you cases in line with your goals. Generally you'll get 2-3 cases per day which is super manageable. You'll generally see the patient to do H&P and then review the case with your supervisor who will help you determine the plan. There's a lot of time for informal teaching throughout the day too. Overall, its very chill, super nice environment to work in. 5. What level of responsibility/exposure did you have as a medical student? This was a really unique elective in that every single staff I worked with showed a really strong interest in my learning. At the beginning of every single shift, they asked what I wanted to learn and put me where I could learn that skill. For example, on a couple shifts I wanted to learn suturing, so they put me in the "see and treat" area. The staff here treat you like a learner - they never have you do unnecessary work that they themselves don't want to do, but rather they seek out the best opportunities for your learning and help you achieve your objectives. Everyone here is incredibly nice, to the point that I felt at home on my first shift. I will never forget Sarah, one of the wonderful custodians at Brantford emerg, who learned my name on my first shift and set the tone of my entire experience there. There is literally nothing to not like about this experience - it's incredible. 6. What is your most memorable experience from this core? There's a ton, but for me it was probably seeing a young boy who nearly drowned in his parents pool and having the opportunity to lend a hand to a very acute case. It was very emotional and really unique to be a part of an experience like that. 7. What was one thing you didn’t like about the core? 35 minutes isn't nothing, but it does become a slight burden with time. Find something fun to do during the drive - I listened to Harry Potter audiobooks :) 8. Has this elective influenced your career decisions? If so, how? Not really, but it was an incredible experience. 9. Do you have any recommendations for things to do/explore/eat in the local area? Unfortunately I didn't stay in Brantford, so nope. 10. What’s future advice you have for students doing an elective here in the future? Rank this site first. That's literally it. Otherwise, they're so welcoming that it doesn't matter what you don't know - they'll help you figure it out. 11. Would you recommend this core to current students? 10000% Image Credit: bchsys.org
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