Congrats to those who matched.
Re the UofT matches in Ob/Gyn and Peds Neuro, are these residency positions actually located in Toronto teaching hospitals (I know Sick Kids is downtown Toronto)...or will the residency positions be in Sudbury, Thunderbay, etc? Also, I take it both are subject to a 5 year rural return of service commitment? Last time I checked, the Ontario underserviced specialty list only had Ob/Gyn posts in Sudbury, Thunderbay, Sault Ste Marie, etc (I can't remember where exactly, but no regions anywhere close to Toronto).
I did a three week Obs/Gyn rotation in Toronto in Febuary (I'm not that interested in Ob/Gyn...just wanted to spend some time with my family in Toronto). It was very good. The Toronto hospitals are so small (but well equipped and nice and the teaching was good/well organised). The UofT med students were fine (no better than the GKT students though...just older). The consultant (UCL grad) urged me to apply for an Ob/Gyn residency due to the dire shortage of Ob/Gyns in Ontario...I don't think he had any idea about the obtacles facing Canadian IMGs returning to Ontario...maybe he was just being nice.
I'm arranging two summer electives - a month in Cards or Rads in Toronto and month EM in Banff Springs and looking forward to them.
Luckily, I'm not subject to visa restriction in the UK and will have my British citizenship prior to graduation (and well in advance of F1 and F2), so at least I have the option of remaining in the UK and competing for a place in the specialty of my choice following F1 and F2. I'm not saying training in the UK is a bed of roses (Canadian residency would be better organised and condensed), but it least it is possible....hopefully MMC will be sorted out by the time I apply.
Ontario only seems desirable if residency positions are opened up in Toronto and the rural return of service commitment is removed. I understand that it is possible to buy out of the contract for $100,000+ (I think?)....I'm not knocking rural Canada, it's just impossible for my partner to work outside of an international financial centre without a career change.
I feel sorry for the Canadian students in the UK who will still be subject to visa restriction following F1/F2, as they won't be able to get specialty training in the UK and will likely have a hard time returning to Canada. If there are any of you out there reading this, look into your immigration options as soon as possible....even if you don't like the UK, you might want to keep your options open!
Any more info re the UofT residency positions would be appreciated.
Cheers, Jane