NEUROLOGY

                                    Alyssa Fiddler
                                   Neurology Resident





 

1.       Please introduce yourself (name, age, Canadian undergrad/masters, medical school, graduate year, residency program and year, AOA or ACGME, and state)

Alyssa Fiddler, Age 32

Undergrad, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, BSc

Medical School, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine 2009

Neurology Residency, University at Buffalo, 2013 (ACGME), NY

2.   Why Neurology?

 I was introduced to neurology at McMaster with courses such as neuroanatomy, neurosciences and loved it!

3.  What is a typical day like as a Neuro resident, fellow, and now in practice?

 Every day was different! Depending on the module you may be seeing inpatient consults, outpatients in clinic

4. Is it encouraged for Neurology residents to pursue a fellowship? Why did you choose this fellowship?Is Research encouraged for Neurology?

Yes I would say the trend (especially in the US is for neurologists to pursue fellowships. I chose neurophysiology because I wanted to gain EMG/EEG experience before coming back to Canada

5.  How was the return to Canada? Did you encounter any difficulties because you were a DO?

I think it is somewhat challenging for any physician returning to Canada. In Ontario any physician returning from outside the country is granted a probationary license for a year which is the process I am currently going through.

6. Any advice you can provide students who are interested in returning to Canada after completing specialty training?

Talk to as many people as you can about the process. It's still somewhat unchartered territory.

7. The limit of the number of Statement of Needs (SoN), Canada discourages students from applying to specialty fields that they want to be in and forces them in primary care fields.  Any advice you would like to provide students who want to specialize?

I am not able to speak to this as I had an H1B visa when I was in the US which did not require the statement of need.

8. Have you experienced any bias or negativity throughout your medical career because you were DO? Any advice you can provide Canadian premeds who have concerns about entering or even applying to an Osteopathic medical program? (this might be first time they have ever heard of the DO degree as there are very few DOs in Canada- if any)

My experience has been that faculty may have preconceived notions about DOs before working with them, but if students work hard to impress, opinions change (for the better!). 

9. Canadian DOs had an incredibly successful match this year. Any advice you can provide OMS4 students that will make them a Rock Star as a PGY1 resident?

Work hard!

10.   Last question (and most important), will the Toronto Maple Leafs finally get their first round pick in the 2016 draft?

Haha.  Don't know