Carmscast Episode 04: Reflections

In CarmsCast, Podcast by Kara TastadLeave a Comment

Welcome to Carmscast, the podcast that aims to answer all the questions medical students have when creating a competitive CARMS application. In today’s episode, our co-hosts, Kara and Dakoda, mix up the podcast format and reflect on their CaRMS experience over the last year.

Dr. Kara Tastad is now a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine. She will soon be starting her first year of emergency medicine residency at the University of Toronto. Dr. Dakoda Herman just graduated from the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He will be trading places with Kara as he begins residency in Family Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

Click Here For Show Notes

Questions: 

  1. Where did we match? And discussions on the bittersweet nature of the match. (1:54)
  2. What was our elective experience like? Is there anything that went better or worse than expected? (7:50)
  3. Did the eight-week elective cap impact our elective choices? Did we feel that we had to do eight weeks to be competitive? (13:30)
  4. How did asking for reference letters go? (20:10)
  5. Was the application process difficult? (25:15)
  6. Do we have any advice for coping with anxiety while waiting for interviews? (29:05)
  7. How did we feel interviews went? (38:12)
  8. What was our experience with submitting rank order lists? (48:53)
  9. What were our plans for match day? How did we celebrate? (51:13)
  10. How do you feel about the stress of moving, writing the MCCQE1, and preparing for residency post-match? (1:02:50)
  11. If you could speak to your former self, what advice would you give about the CaRMS process? (1:05:25)

Don’t Forget to Follow Us on Twitter!

Did you enjoy the episode? Make sure to follow us on Twitter @CarmsCast so you don’t miss the next episode! If you have any questions, or ideas on how we can improve, feel free to reach out to us by email ([email protected]) or leave a comment below. We look forward to hearing from you!

copyedited and uploaded by Kara Tastad; Produced by Kevin Junghwan Dong

Kara Tastad

Kara Tastad an Emergency Medicine Resident at the University of Toronto. She is a Graphic Design Lead for CanadiEM. Outside of medicine, you are likely to find her traveling, swimming, painting, or baking.
Dakoda Herman

Dakoda Herman

Dakoda is a final-year medical student at the University of Toronto. He was born and raised in Alberta, before drifting out east for medical school. His interests include FOAMed, emergency medicine, and resource stewardship. Outside of medicine, he is an avid sports fan and an aspiring playwright.