Specialty Café – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Thanks to you, our Specialty Café community, we're gearing up for the next season. In the meantime - are you interested in winning a $50 gift card? Here's how:

1. Listen to Specialty Café.
2. Rate and review (and enjoy!). 
3. Take a screenshot of your review and email to us at podcasts@royalcollege.ca. Include your name, school, and year. 

Winners will be announced at the Canadian Federation of Medical Students' (CFMS) Annual General Meeting in Moncton, New Brunswick on September 20, 2024.  Specialty Café will be hosting a live podcast with a few Royal College specialists (afternoon Sept 20, details to follow soon). 

Good luck! 

Once you hear today’s guest express her deep and unwavering dedication to Pediatric Emergency Medicine, teaching, and advocacy, you’ll understand why her career is perfectly suited to her passion.

Kirstin Weerdenburg, MD, FRCPC, shares her global journey which led her to practice in Halifax, NS. She expected to focus solely on clinical practice but soon discovered there’s a world of opportunity in addition to being a Peds Emerg specialist (such as medial journalism and caring for newcomers to Canada).

Dr. Weerdenburg holds her patients and their families in the highest regard, always attuned to their concerns and worries. For her, earning their trust and seeing a smile on their faces makes it a truly rewarding day. 

Join host Cameron Wong as he discovers that Dr. Weerdenburg is eager to share her knowledge not just with her patients and families, but also with her colleagues, learners, and the public. She finds great joy in seeing her team thrive and grow.

Check out the Specialty Café primary specialty eps on:

Pediatrics (Oct 7, 2022) https://specialtycafe.libsyn.com/pediatrics 

Emergency Medicine (Dec 3, 2021) https://specialtycafe.libsyn.com/emergency-medicine

This is the last episode of Season 6.  We can't wait to bring you more great eps in the fall. Any questions, suggestions, ideas? Reach out to us podcasts@royalcollege.ca. 

Welcome to Season 6 of Specialty Café, where we continue delving into  Royal College specialties, subspecialties, and more.

This season, we're delivering on your requests for more special episodes, offering unique insights and journeys. In this timely episode, join host Cameron Wong as he engages in a candid and inspiring conversation with Victoria Turnbull, MD, (PGY2, Urology, University of Western Ontario) who shares her experience of going unmatched in 2021.

Dr. Turnbull's journey is a testament to authenticity. Throughout the discussion, she offers frank insights into her challenges, but also highlights the transformative power of staying true to oneself. Her encounter with a staff member who simply said "me too" shifted her perspective, and was quite simply... freeing. This realization sparked a commitment to advocate for openness and community among those who find themselves in similar situations.

This episode is full of valuable takeaways. Dr. Turnbull's story underscores the message that going unmatched does not diminish your worth. Whether you're navigating the CaRMS journey or supporting peers and future colleagues, there's much to take away from this conversation.

The opinions expressed in this episode are not the views of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and belong to the individual guest(s).

This is the last Rewind episode of the season. Thanks for sticking with us while we revisited some of our most popular primary specialties. Look out for Season 6 which drops on March 12, 2024. Spoiler Alert: The first episode shares an honest insight into what it's really like going unmatched during the CaRMS process. 

In the meantime...

Our guests describe Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation as a magical specialty. What could be better than getting up every day with the intention of optimizing the quality of your patients' lives? Join host Haley Eckel as she unpacks the mysteries of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation with two passionate doctors from Alberta: Jaime Yu, MD, FRCPC and Yasmin Chishti, MD. It's no secret that fate has steered our guests toward this fulfilling specialty. A career in medicine can be tough - but Physiatry offers immense joy too. A bonus: it really is possible to have a healthy work/life balance. Who knows - Physiatry just might be your path!

In the meantime, gear up for a trip down memory lane. Join us every Tuesday (only a couple more to go) as we hit rewind and release some of our all-time favourite episodes. Let’s dive back into the primary specialties that sparked your interest.

A huge thanks to our listeners not only in Canada but also around the world! Questions or suggestions for this podcast? Reach out to fellowshipaffairs@royalcollege.ca.

What does a day in the life of a Urologist look like? Who is the patient population? Actually - what is Urology? Join Andrew Pauls as he explores and demystifies this specialty with Emmanuel Abara, MD, FRCSC (Richmond Hill, ON) and Amanda Hakala, MD (PGY-1, Ottawa, ON). It's no secret that our guests are hugely passionate about Urology, surgery, their patients, and .....medicine in general! Dr. Abara imparts word of wisdom on his commitment and experiences as a rural Urologist while Dr. Hakala share tips on what makes a good candidate for a Urology residency. What comes through loud and clear is our guests' dedication to their life in medicine. Who knows- this specialty might just be for you!

We’re prepping fresh content for the next season of Specialty Café. Stay tuned for exciting new episodes heading your way. We’ll continue delving into subspecialties and beyond!

In the meantime, gear up for a trip down memory lane. Join us every Tuesday (only a couple more to go) as we hit rewind and release some of our all-time favourite episodes. Let’s dive back into the primary specialties that sparked your interest.

A huge thanks to our listeners not only in Canada but also around the world! Questions or suggestions for this podcast? Reach out to fellowshipaffairs@royalcollege.ca.

Our guests today are quite simply passionate not only about being physicians, but about making sure patients live their best life. If you’re looking for a specialty that incorporates medical and surgical management of skin diseases and concerns, and has vast career opportunities, well… listen on!

Join host Emily Wu as she dives into the diverse world of Dermatology with Laurie Parsons, MD, FRCPC and Emma Heck, MD. They share insights into their rewarding practice and residency.  

This specialty allows you to practice all age groups and all genders. Dermatologists can have a general practice and really be part of their community, or indeed sub-specialize in many areas.  It’s exciting and satisfying to be practicing Dermatology in an era with new therapies and molecules to treat patients’ diseases! Bonus - you can practice this specialty for many, many years! 

In case you’re wondering – no…Dermatologists are not just pimple poppers (they do in fact dissuade this habit!). Stay tuned as our guests debunk a few more myths about this specialty! 

We’re prepping fresh content for the next season of Specialty Café. Stay tuned for exciting new episodes heading your way. We’ll continue delving into subspecialties and beyond!

In the meantime, gear up for a trip down memory lane. Join us every Tuesday (only a couple more to go) as we hit rewind and release some of our all-time favourite episodes. Let’s dive back into the primary specialties that sparked your interest.

A huge thanks to our listeners not only in Canada but also around the world! Questions or suggestions for this podcast? Reach out to fellowshipaffairs@royalcollege.ca.

Apart from the obvious clinical expertise... an Anesthesiologist needs to be empathetic, calm, a multi-tasker (physically & mentally), and quick on their feet! Join Andrew Pauls, Richard Alexander, MD, FRCPC, and Raphael Rivière, MD (PGY 3) as they dive into the joys and challenges of this rewarding specialty. Do you see yourself working with an incredibly broad population? Do you crave diversity and unpredictability in your day? Does the idea of putting people out of pain appeal to you? Not only do our guests share their professional expertise... they impart some words of wisdom for your healthcare journey. In a nutshell - working in medicine is a privilege. Take the wins and enjoy the journey!

Gear up for a trip down memory lane. Join us every Tuesday as we hit rewind and release some of our all-time favourite episodes. Let’s dive back into the primary specialties that sparked your interest.

We’re prepping fresh content for the next season of Specialty Café. Stay tuned for exciting new episodes heading your way! We’ll continue delving into subspecialties and beyond!

A huge thanks to our listeners not only in Canada but also around the world! Questions or suggestions for this podcast? Reach out to fellowshipaffairs@royalcollege.ca.

Anyone. Anytime. Anything. Anywhere. Can you live up to this motto? If yes - then Emergency Medicine just might be the right fit for you. Join Andrew Pauls as he chats with Dr. Kaif Pardhan, FRCPC and Dr. Andrew Chang, PGY2. Our guests provide first hand advice on what makes a good Emergency Medicine candidate with a few 'insider' tips on what the selection committee looks for! It's a privilege to help patients navigate the emergency room during what might be one of the worse days of their lives. Tune in as this episode offers not only valuable insights into emergency medicine, but shares some important life advice for medical students. (Orignally published Dec 3, 2021).

Gear up for a trip down memory lane. Join us every Tuesday for the next few weeks as we hit rewind and release some of our all-time favourite episodes. Let’s dive back into the primary specialties that sparked your interest.

We’re prepping fresh content for the next season of Specialty Café. Stay tuned for exciting new episodes heading your way! We’ll continue delving into subspecialties and beyond!

A huge thanks to our listeners not only in Canada but also around the world! Questions or suggestions for this podcast? Reach out to fellowshipaffairs@royalcollege.ca.

Gear up for a trip down memory lane. Join us every Tuesday for the next few weeks as we hit rewind and release some of our all-time favourite episodes. Let’s dive back into the primary specialties that sparked your interest.

We’re prepping fresh content for the next season of Specialty Café. Stay tuned for exciting new episodes heading your way! We’ll continue delving into subspecialties and beyond!

A huge thanks to our listeners not only in Canada but also around the world! Questions or suggestions for this podcast? Reach out to fellowshipaffairs@royalcollege.ca.

Gillian MacMullin, MD, FRCSC knew early on that being a community Obstetrics & Gynecology specialist was for her. Join Emily Wu as she picks Dr. MacMullin's brain not only on what an OBGYN does... but about the realities, challenges, and joys of being personnally and professionally known in your community. Spoiler Alert: practising in a community is mostly joyful and truly fulfilling. A day in the life of this specialty is never ever the same. A huge bonus is the ability to tailor so many aspects of this practice to what works for you - and what really interests you. And apparently babies are rarely born during office hours, so be prepared for some overnight shifts! (Originally published Feb 11, 2022).