Specialty Café

About Specialty Café

Are you a medical student or resident choosing your path in healthcare? Grab a coffee and settle in… this café is for you! Our hosts (med students & residents) chat with Royal College specialists and residents about their day to day lives, the reasons behind their specialty choices, the joys, the challenges, and more! Although conversations are full of specialty insights, you'll gain invaluable life advice about being a fulfilled and excellent clinician (and human being). Feedspot has voted Specialty Café as one of the 10 Best Canadian Medical Podcasts! https://blog.feedspot.com/canadian_medical_podcasts/ Transcripts are available on request.

Publisher

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Category

education · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Mar 2021

Latest episode

3 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

125 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Nov 2026

   Orthopedic Surgery: CaRMS, Residency, and Realities!

   "Your patients will remember you." For Patricia Farrugia, MD, FRCSC, that simple message has shaped her approach to medicine, teaching, and leadership. Whether caring for patients, training residents, or mentoring the next generation of physicians, she believes that every interaction matters and that we each have a responsibility to help others succeed. In this episode of Specialty Café, host Sharmin Zahin speaks with Dr. Farrugia, orthopedic surgeon, Associate Dean, Indigenous Health at McMaster University's Faculty of Health Sciences, and Chair of Indigenous Health at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. Dr. Farrugia reflects on her path to orthopedic surgery, shares advice for students navigating specialty choice and the CaRMS process, and discusses the realities of residency training. She speaks candidly about the importance of resilience, surrounding yourself with good support (her husband, mother, and mother-in-law!), and understanding that medicine can be demanding, but that no one succeeds alone. The conversation also explores her leadership in Indigenous health, the importance of representation and mentorship in medicine, and why creating opportunities for future generations remains one of her greatest responsibilities. Whether you're considering orthopedic surgery, preparing for CaRMS, or looking for guidance on building a meaningful career in medicine, this episode offers thoughtful advice, encouragement, and perspective from a leader who is passionate about helping others thrive. More questions about CaRMS? Check out the many resources available on the CaRMS website (https://www.carms.ca/). If you're participating in a Royal College accredited residency, don't forget to join as a Resident Affiliate. It's free and you can start claiming MOC credits right away.  More information is available on the Royal College's website.

2. 

   27 Oct 2026

   CaRMS: Insider Advice from an Emergency Medicine Program Director | REWIND

   The CaRMS deadline is just around the corner, and we're bringing back one of our most valuable CaRMS conversations. Originally published last year, this REWIND episode remains as relevant as ever. In this episode of Specialty Café, Kaif Pardhan, MD, FRCPC, Program Director for Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto, joins host Mark Garabedian (now an MD - PGY1 in Orthopedic Surgery) to share insider advice straight from the selection side of the residency application process. Whether you're putting the finishing touches on your CaRMS application or planning ahead for a future match cycle, the guidance in this episode still holds true. Dr. Pardhan offers practical insight into what programs look for in a strong personal letter, how to approach staff for reference letters, what your CV really communicates, and how to highlight what makes you unique as a candidate. He also shares strategies for ranking programs and preparing for interviews, which arrive sooner than many applicants expect. Key takeaway: Every applicant's story is unique. Diverse experiences and perspectives help residency programs thrive. More questions about CaRMS? Check out the many resources available on the CaRMS website (https://www.carms.ca/). If you're participating in a Royal College accredited residency, don't forget to join as a Resident Affiliate. It's free and you can start claiming MOC credits right away.  More information is available on the Royal College's website. Specialty Café REWIND episodes revisit some of our most popular and enduring conversations. While this episode was originally released last year, the advice and perspectives shared remain highly applicable for today's CaRMS applicants.

3. 

   20 Oct 2026

   CaRMS Couples Match: Strategies, Trade-Offs, and Lived Experience!

   Can you navigate the CaRMS Match as a couple without increasing your risk of going unmatched? How does the couples match actually work, and what conversations should partners be having long before rank lists are due? In this episode of Specialty Café, Sharmin Zahin is joined by Alessia Di Carlo, MD and Alessandro Ricci, MD - PGY5s in General Surgery at Queen's University who successfully navigated the CaRMS couples match together. Drawing from their own experience matching to residency as a couple and now pursuing fellowship training in different cities, they offer practical advice, reflections, and reassurance for med students who might be in the same situation: being a couple prepping their CaRMS applications. The conversation breaks down the logistics of couples matching, common misconceptions about match risk, strategies for building a rank list, and the importance of aligning personal and professional priorities. Dr. Di Carlo and Dr. Ricci share how couples can approach difficult decisions, communicate openly about career goals, and remain flexible throughout medical training. Whether you're in a relationship, considering the couples match, or simply curious about how the CaRMS algorithm accommodates applicants with shared goals, this episode offers valuable insights into one of the most nuanced aspects of the residency match process. More questions about CaRMS? Check out the many resources available on the CaRMS website (https://www.carms.ca/). If you're participating in a Royal College accredited residency, don't forget to join as a Resident Affiliate. It's free and you can start claiming MOC credits right away.  More information is available on the Royal College's website.

Who has been a guest on Specialty Café

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Janet Rodriguez
• Suzanne Robertson
• Taylor Farrance
• Clement Chan
• Patricia Celan MD

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

4.6 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

80

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

75

Contact Specialty Café

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Specialty Café