The Results Are In!

For those of you still following my ongoing quest to decide what to do with my life, the final results are in…

Medical Schools:

• University of Toronto: Accepted, Deferral Refused
• MacMaster Universiety: Refused

International Development Programs:

• University of Sussex: Accepted and Deferred
• University of Cambridge: Refused

With all of the applications to different programs and scholarships before my arrival, I had already spent months trying to figure out what would be the best path for my life. When I first arrived in Cambodia, I had a lot of time to sit and think, something I could do at home only rarely. Weeks passed and I was still uncertain.

There were ample good reasons to follow any given path and I could not choose between them. As so often happens in cases like this, especially when one is far away from home, I met some people who helped me reach a decision. The first was a wandering motorcyclist from Quebec. He had sold all of his possessions, to embark on a three year journey across Canada, Asia, and Oceania. His name was Jean-Marc. Speaking with him helped me immensely in trying to figure out what I wanted from my own life. He was followed by two medical residents working at the University of Toronto's health outreach program in Kep. I discovered them and the centre at which they were worked on a weekend in May. They joined me the next day on an excursion into Bokor National Park.

I spent much of that day in the back of a pickup truck, speaking with one of the residents, a man named Shaun who had lived and worked at various times in Africa, South America, and Asia. He was pursuing pediatrics in the hopes of making his career in impoverished areas. We talked about the joys and difficulties of development and the rewards and pitfalls of medicine. We were joined by a British traveller named Paul who, after a year of working in India, also had a fair bit of insight to share.

After a day spent speaking with Paul, Shaun, and Savita, the other University of Toronto resident, I came to realise that what they were describing sounded like exactly the kind of work I wanted to pursue. I wasn't ready to pursue it just yet though.

When news of MacMaster’s refusal reached me, I was scared and depressed. When the acceptance from the University of Toronto arrived, I was relieved and elated. I was also determined to continue my work here for as long as possible. My existing projects were well underway and a new project in sanitation was just beginning. The more I have learned about Cambodia, the more I have wanted to learn. There are massive problems here but also massive potential. Given the country's history, its people's hope, friendliness, and resilience, never ceases to amaze me.

I requested a deferral from the University of Toronto. They declined, citing a policy of which I had never previously heard: only those wanting to complete ongoing academic programmes were allowed to defer. I wrote an appeal by e-mail, essentially begging them to reconsider. EWB offered to make a phone call on my behalf. We must have given them pause for thought. It took them nearly a week to respond. When their response came, though it was kindly worded and the request had obviously been considered, it was again a refusal.

That news arrived two days ago. Though I still feel immensely disappointed to be leaving Cambodia so soon, I am also very excited to begin a whole new phase in my life. As many people have been telling me recently, they really need good doctors here. One with an engineering background, an understanding of some of the potential pitfalls of development work, and a grounding in the local language and environment could be very useful. I may be back one day. I hope I will.

On a practical note, if anyone knows of affordable (but not too ramshackle) housing opportunities near the UofT campus or a nearby subway stop this fall, please let me know.