I live in a house with my husband in Quispamsis.

Realtor/friends

This site has everything I was looking for in a residency program. What I love most is how family and emergency medicine are integrated right from the start. It’s not siloed—you’re learning both all the way through, which makes the connections between them so much clearer. Between time at the tertiary centre and the rural sites, you get such a wide range of experiences. Plus, the extras—POCUS, sim, skills sessions, research—are built in, so you’re constantly adding to your toolkit. Teaching med students and clerks has also been a highlight; it’s both fun and a great way to realize how much you’ve grown. And honestly, living in Saint John and Sussex is a huge perk -- lots of water and oceanfront, hiking, golf, a welcoming community, and a craft beer scene that holds its own. I’ll admit I’m a little biased since I’m from the area, but it really is a fantastic place to live and train. Add in the chance to learn from one of the top emergency departments in the country while keeping family medicine at the core, and it feels like the best of both worlds.

Very hard to choose - the support from preceptors and leadership is certainly key. Geographically, it is a really great place to live. Also, the integrated nature of our program really is second-to-none.

I am from the Saint John area, so the geographical fit was always there. In regard to the program itself, the support we receive as residents solidifies the fit for me. The support of leadership, preceptors, support staff, and co-residents is top notch.

As mentioned, the support here is incredible—leadership, preceptors, staff, co-residents—everyone genuinely wants you to succeed, and it makes residency feel a lot less overwhelming. There is ample support in terms of practical support as well as emotional support. Our leadership are keen to hear our feedback and have made positive changes as a result.

Yes! I have had the opportunity to have active roles in patient care on all blocks, but in particular, through seeing patients in follow up during family medicine blocks and half days back on family medicine while on off service rotations.

This varies widely depending on what block you are on. In Saint John/Sussex, we are a block based program. First year is largely off-service blocks, with more time spent on family and emergency medicine. Years two and three become much more specific in regard to family and emergency medicine.

Again, this largely depends on what service block you are on, but in general, it is good. Residency is a challenging time no matter where you train, but personally, I am able to arrange my schedule to not miss out on too many important social events. As a program, we often have social events - whether arranged by residents or by the family/emergency departments. We are generally a tight-knit group!

Wellness is extremely important to me and I believe we are well supported here. Our leadership and resident affairs provide formal and informal support and are very largely available - and the support they provide is invaluable. In addition to this, I have had great experiences with my core and community family preceptors in regard to supporting my wellness.

I find working in both Saint John and Sussex, I am exposed to a very wide range of patient backgrounds, in regard to complexity, socioeconomic, cultural, and otherwise. Despite being a small Maritime province, I do not feel as though I have lacked in regard to diversity of patient presentations and backgrounds.

Sussex is considered rural and is largely a farming town - this brings with it different challenges and patient backgrounds that rounds out learning very well. We also have an inner-city hospital, as well as clinics, in the downtown area of Saint John that brings with it different patient complexities. There are also other opportunities to spend time in more rural or underserved area on electives or otherwise.

Think about how you want your life to look inside and outside of the hospital! Recharging and staying well are exceedingly important throughout residency - just as important as the program and training you choose.