In short, refer to the highlights above. Additional positive aspects include having the peers, supervisors and resources available to explore any and all of your physiatry aspirations and special interests. Included in this is the ability to join/run various resident-led subcommittees to further contribute to the program in areas of meaning to you (i.e. education, research, wellness, social, community outreach etc.). Another positive aspect is the carefully selected and refined off-service rotations that are intended to best tailor the experience to Physiatry residents (i.e. a Plastic Surgery rotation done specifically with Hand & Peripheral Nerve Transfer surgeons).

There is no question that we have a very close resident group. In fact, my co-residents are some of the friends I see and talk to the most on a regular basis. In a typical year, our group tries to take advantage of any opportunity to get together; organizing numerous social events, playing in a weekly intramural sports league, hanging out after half day together, going to restaurants, sporting events, cottages etc. Even with some of the restrictions that COVID had imposed over the last year, we made it a priority to stay connected, joining each other for virtual workout classes, cooking/bartending lessons, game nights and holiday parties and when able, getting together outdoors in a socially distanced manner. And with the privilege of having such a cohesive group, also comes the privilege of having comfort a group of residents that you can also turn to for advice, discuss career plans or interests, discuss certain rotations or simply having someone to speak about after you have had a long day. I would also extend this strong sense of community to our staff as well, who are always keen to lend a helping hand when asked.

All of our residents lead unique lives outside of Medicine. Some residents are raising their own future physiatrists, while others may train for marathons. I feel very privileged to have the life I live outside of medicine. In non-COVID times, I am someone who is very social, often getting together with friends to enjoy all the great things Toronto has to offer (i.e. amazing restaurants and rooftop patios, terrific breweries and vibrant night life, attending the biggest sporting events, seeing the best shows, going to nearby cottages or camping, spending time at the beach, hiking or going to the dog park (apparently one of the most dog friendly cities in the world by the way!)). I also enjoy being as active as I can, playing both pick-up and organized sports with my co-residents and friends, and hopefully hitting the slopes in the winter.

Promotion of resident wellness is a very important initiative in our program. Some of the ways we maintain this include: Development of a resident-led wellness subcommittee that organizes various events and resources pertaining to resident wellness during resident. This is in addition to multiple wellness education sessions organized through the University of Toronto. We also run multiple social events each year. Included in this is an annual dedicated Wellness retreat where all residents start the year off with a day together at a beautiful cottage just north of the city. There is an open-door policy to reach out to any member of the chief team, our program director or the PM&R staff wellness-lead for any issues pertaining to Wellness.

I imagine the same as everyone… hopefully, getting back to some form of normalcy as the World starts to open back up. I had the privilege of enjoying Toronto as a medical student, and so I look forward to being able to reconnect with friends and family to take advantage of all the city has to offer; delicious food, sporting events, concerts, outdoor recreational activities, intramurals etc.