Flashback: The First Fork in the Road

It was late 1992 and Canada was still in the midst of an economic recession. I was in Grade 12 and, having fast-tracked to a 4 year high school diploma, it was time for me to decide my future. Like many academic overachievers I did not have any problem in finding things that I liked but rather in choosing one specific field. I remember submitting a number of those career questionnaires where a computer spits out what it thinks is best for you. I also remember being just as clueless after reading the results.

So, with the OUAC (Ontario Universities Application Center) form in front me and no master plan I tried to figure out what I wanted to do. I had completed 8 OACs (Ontario Academic Credit - Gr. 13 courses): 3 maths, 3 sciences, English, and French. "The Chinese 6-pack" was the somewhat derisive high school moniker for taking all the maths and sciences but I think few people realize how many doors are open for you in university. With the exception of the arts or creativity based programs where a portfolio was required (e.g. architecture) I had a hard time finding anything I wasn't able to apply for.

But my aptitude clearly lay towards the maths and sciences although English was my favourite course. Science and Engineering were the obvious choices and I had my eye on something computer related in particular. I also wasn't interested in going out-of-province or very far from Toronto for that matter. So, I applied for a mix of engineering programs at U of T, McMaster, and Queen's.

My Dad came into my room at this point and asked what I was doing. I told him I was deciding on which universities to apply to and that I was applying for Engineering. He thought for a moment and then said "I know somebody in Engineering, he couldn't find a job so he's fixing elevators for a living. I don't want you to be an Engineer. I want you to be a doctor".

And so with that, I tore up the OUAC application, grabbed a fresh one, and tried to figure out what I had to do to get into medicine.

Next: Etiologies and the Second Fork in the Road