Call starts 6 months into R1. You do home call for 1 week at a time (evenings and weekends) and the frequency of getting called is very manageable. The staff are also very helpful and available.

In R3 and R4, the program is very open to electives at other sites.

There are 4-5 dedicated research blocks with the expectation to present at least once at the Resident Research Day.

There are reasonable renting options in Vancouver that are affordable on a resident salary. Public transit is very accessible, which can help reduce gas and parking costs as well.

There are likely good job prospects in BC due to potential retirements.

The PGME has an accessible Resident Wellness Office with free access to counselling. Resident Doctors of BC offers financial support to resident socials.

At main sites residents usually start the morning with review of peripheral blood films and body fluid slides that have been collected overnight, then reviewing these cases with the staff pathologist. After blood films and fluids have been signed out, residents usually review bone marrow cases currently pending sign-out (including blood films / bone marrow aspirates / core biopsies / immunohistochemistry / flow cytometry and any other ancillary studies), then review cases with staff pathologists, and prepare reports. At some sites residents will go to the ward with the technologist to collect bone marrow biopsy specimens. Residents generally also address issues with transfusion medicine, coagulation studies, flow cytometry cases, and hemoglobinopathy investigations as these arise (depending on the site). Within your day there is generally time to get a coffee, eat lunch and do some reading around your cases.

Other rotations (e.g. cytogenetics, molecular pathology, lymph node pathology) include scheduled teaching, observation of technical aspects of practice, and review of cases as they arrive before discussing these with staff.