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Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2014: A Look Back

2014 a look back
It's my first New Year's Eve with this blog, so let's emulate the rest of the blogosphere and take a look back at the year 2014!

In January 2014 I was midway through my fourth year of medical school, about to embark on a trip across Canada for my CaRMS interviews. Somewhere between Halifax and Vancouver, I went from the most anxious I'd been in my life to having the most enjoyable time in my four years of medical school. I got to explore great places like Halifax, Montreal, and Ottawa; meet and travel with a wonderful group of fellow applicants; and experience my first real Canadian winter. In March I found out where I'd be spending the next five years -- I was so happy to have been accepted into residency at the University of Alberta.
pier 21 halifax winter
Pier 21, Halifax
parliament centre block ottawa
Parliament, Ottawa
In May I wrote my LMCC MCCQE Part 1 and graduated from medical school.
toblerone studying
Toblerone to celebrate my last day of studying for the MCCQE Part 1
imp 2014
Island Medical Program Class of 2014
I worked for a couple of weeks before departing for southeast Asia in June. From the spicy cuisine of Penang, Malaysia, to the skyscrapers of Hong Kong, to the colourful lanterns lighting the streets of old town Hoi An, Vietnam, my three weeks were filled with unforgettable experiences.
penang fruit
durians, mangosteens, and bananas from the orchard we visited in Penang, Malaysia
victoria peak night
Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
hoi an lanterns
Hoi An ancient town, Vietnam
In the last week of June I returned to BC and had less than 24 hours to get organized for my move to Alberta. I packed more stuff than I had thought possible into my little car and headed off to the ferry terminal. I arrived in Edmonton on the evening of June 26 and the next morning was off to residency orientation.
banff highway
approaching the Rockies
On July 1 I watched the Canada Day fireworks and the next morning started my first residency rotation, CCU. I spent my spare time setting up my apartment and assembling my Ikea furniture, and two weeks in was overjoyed when the delivery of my new bed saw an end to my camping out on the floor.
edmonton north saskatchewan river
downtown Edmonton and the North Saskatchewan River
The months between July and December passed quickly, with a new clinical rotation starting every four weeks. I made new friends, explored the city, and became less reliant on my GPS. In September I started taking Saturday morning Mandarin classes at the University. Also in September came Edmonton's first snowfall -- fortunately just an anomaly, not (as I'd feared) the start of winter. In November the snow returned, this time to stay, and somewhere along the line I adopted the mindset that anything warmer than -10°C is brisk, but not parka-worthy cold.
st albert grainery park
grain elevators in St. Albert, Alberta
winter in Edmonton
I managed to get twelve (!) days off for winter vacation and headed back to Victoria to visit my family. It's been a sunny, relaxing break, with lots of good food and a fun day of skiing.
mt washington moguls
Mt. Washington, Vancouver Island
Overall, it's been a wonderful and exciting year, with lots of change, both geographically and in my medical education (honestly, it gets better at every stage!). I'm sure in what feels like no time I'll be writing a summary of 2015!

What was significant to you in the year 2014?

2 comments:

  1. I hope 2015 is just as great for you as it sounds like 2014 was! I don't think I could deal with the cold weather where you are. If it drops below 40 or so degrees F, I'd rather hibernate :)

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    1. Thank you! Yes, there are definitely days when hibernating sounds like a good idea :) It looks like you've had a great year and Christmas as well. I'm looking forward to more of your great baking creations in the year to come!

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