Main Residency Match (R-1)

Eligibility - Basic Criteria

Updated June 22, 2011

The CaRMS Match is run in two iterations. To be eligible for participation in the first iteration, you must be either a medical student, or a graduate having obtained or in the process of obtaining a medical degree by July 1 of the match year from:

• A Liaison Committee on Medical Education / Committee on Accreditation on Canadian Medical Schools (LCME/CACMS) accredited school
• A school of osteopathic medicine
• An international medical school listed with the International Medical Education Directory (IMED), published by the Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER)

To see if your school is on the FAIMER list, click the following link: http://imed.ecfmg.org/

Only applicants without previous postgraduate training are eligible to attain a position through CaRMS in the first iteration. Applicants with any prior postgraduate training in Canada or United States are eligible to apply in certain provinces in the second iteration only. For more information, click the following link: http://www.carms.ca/eng/r1_eligibility_prov_e.shtml

Applicants who are attending or have graduated from a school of osteopathic medicine, or who are attending or have graduated from a school listed with the International Medical Education Directory (IMED), published by the Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), must also have:

1. Written and passed the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE); OR
2. Be scheduled to write the September OR November, 2011 MCCEE*

* Important Notes for the 2012 Match:

1. Applicants who write the November MCCEE will not have their exam score available as part of the CaRMS application until AFTER first iteration file review opens, as the results will not be available until late December. For more information, click here.
2. In order to qualify for the first iteration of the 2012 match, applicants will need to have written the MCCEE in 2011 or before. Applicants scheduled for the January 2012 MCCEE are NOT eligible for the first iteration, but will be able to register for the second iteration of the match.

DISCLAIMER : the above-mentioned criteria are the basic requirements to allow you to participate in the CaRMS match, and are not necessarily the only criteria to apply for positions within the different provinces.

Note that all jurisdictions, with the exception of Quebec schools and Memorial University visa applicants, require that applicants applying to provincial Ministries of Health-funded positions be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Ensure you have read the information provided under Provincial Criteria to meet all necessary requirements when applying for the programs of your choice.