I don't know about the other schools but at UCC the 1st and second years run from late-September until mid-June (if you stick around for orals, and if thy are doing orals that year - dont' get me started on the constanting evolving exam schedule and the last minute changes!), and then from 3rd year on you are expected to be here for the last week of August and orals run until early to mid-June. In 4th year you have to do an elective in the summer. My 1st summer I went back to my old job walking tortoises and running a butterfly house and identifying bones and dead birds at the Museum of Natural History in Halifax (and answering stupid tourist questions, and cooking bugs, and teaching children how to feed a snake), second and 3rd summers I loafed and took care of my parents geriatric cat while they went travelling (she was 20 when she finally died), and this summer I am doing an elective in July in Family Medicine, relaxing in June and studying my ass off in August for the MCCEE in the fall. Really, after second year there is so little of the summer you should just enjoy it, and if you can get an elective or an observership somewhere, and want to spend your summer that way more power to you. Some people find research jobs, some travel. Cheers,
M
