Thank you to Riley for sharing his thoughts about life at IMP!
- What do you like best about your site? The medical student community here on the island has always encouraged me to maintain a balance of work with self-care. This balance will be tremendously important during our careers, and something that I feel is necessary to establish. I have felt very supported by the faculty, fellow students, and the natural and peaceful environment conducive to learning, here in Victoria. On top of that, a smaller class size is more conducive for my learning style, and it really proves valuable during small group clinical skills sessions with tutors. Finally, you will find that the medical community is well-established here. Physicians are very willing to connect with students and offer mentorship, which has been fantastic for my professional and personal development.
- What makes your site unique or special? The Island Program is uniquely able to offer a small-group style of learning, with a tight-knit, friendly community, while still providing sufficient opportunities in many areas of medicine. I have not felt restricted in regards to participation in extracurricular activities and clubs, shadowing opportunities, and exposure to specialties in which I am interested. When deciding on a site, one should really take a trip out to Victoria – the surrounding nature, beaches, and mountains speak for themselves!
- What are some challenges associated with life at your site? It’s hard to me to think of any at this point, near the end of my second year – I hope that is saying something! The transit system in Victoria can often be unpredictable and infrequent. However, most students live within a 15-minute drive to the school, and a large proportion of the students bike to class or sessions at the school or the hospitals. The transit system may be something to consider during clerkship, or family practice shadowing sessions in areas further outside of Victoria.
- What kind of person would really like living and studying at your site? A person who can thrive in a smaller learning group setting (often 2-4 students per preceptor) should consider the distributed sites. Some may find that the smaller group size can be intimidating in some sessions, but has forced me to demonstrate my knowledge more often and develop my learning. The majority of students in this site frequently enjoy an active lifestyle. Lunchtime runs to Mt. Tolmie and Cadboro Bay (in between lectures), weekend camping and hiking trips, yoga sessions, multiple intramurals, and many more activities have been pastimes of students in the Island Medical Program. Some students have even gone surfing in Jordan River during the week!
- Is there anything else you would like to add? We are excited to welcome future students to the Island! You won’t regret it!