Andrew, in response to your question regarding malpractice insurance, yes the system of malpractice insurance is quite different here in Canada then it is in the US. One of my tutors told us all about how it works in Ontario (I think the other provinces are similar, but maybe a little different on the specifics). Essentially, all doctors working in Canada pay money into a fund that gets redistributed in the event of malpractice. The amount you put into the fund is variable, depending on the risks associated with your particular specialty. However, once are a paying member of this fund, the fund agrees to cover you for all malpracitce fees, no limitations to awards, penalties, etc (I believe that if you foul up badly a few times, then your status will be reviewed and possibly withdrawn, but it is not nearly as stringent as US). The fund itself is actually run by the doctors who put the money in which might explain why it is much more forgiving. All in all, it is a very good system. The doctor who was talking to me about it is in Ob/Gyn, where the risks for malpractice are very high. He's been offered many jobs in the US, but they all put a cap on how much his malpractice insurance will pay him, somewhere in the 3, 4 milion dollar range I believe. Here in Canada, while he has to pay substantial dues, he is nonetheless far better off.