Medicine Subspecialty Match (MSM)

Schedule of Dates
Applicant Timetable - First Iteration

Updated May 5, 2011

Timetable for the first iteration of the 2012 Medicine Subspecialty Match

NOTE: Milestones are CaRMS-recommended dates. CaRMS advises that applicants try to follow these milestones to ensure they are allotting enough time to complete the next phase thoroughly. Milestones are not deadlines; they are merely guidelines that help keep applicants on track throughout the match cycle. The four milestones in this timetable are: Document Arrival Milestone (August 19); Letter of Reference Milestone (August 19); Program Selection Milestone (August 22); and Document Assignment Milestone (August 23).

July 12, 2011 (12:00 ET)
On-line request for registration opens

On-line request for registration opens for any eligible applicants who are in their PGY-3 year in Internal Medicine at a Canadian University, or who are eligible to apply to positions based on the eligibility criteria established by each university/province. Additionally, this service is available for all potential applicants to Critical Care Medicine who are not in an Internal Medicine program. CaRMS encourages reading the basic criteria, provincial criteria and program descriptions sections before registering.

July 14, 2011
Tokens distributed

All verified applicants are e-mailed their tokens during this period.

Applicants use their token to complete the registration process and log into the Applicant Webstation (AWS), which opens July 14, 2011.

July 14, 2011
Program descriptions updates complete

Program descriptions become current for the 2012 match.

NOTE: Program descriptions may be altered occasionally and should be referred to regularly. The program description must be approved by the postgraduate dean's office before any updates can be considered official.

NOTE: the program description's status is indicated at the top of each page and the time of the last update is at the bottom.

July 14, 2011 (12:00 ET)
The Applicant Webstation (AWS) opens

The Applicant Webstation (AWS) opens on this date.

Applicants are encouraged to use their token and begin the preliminary steps of filling out their CaRMS application. CaRMS recommends that applicants familiarize themselves with the AWS platform and printing the AWS help manual for reference.

August 4, 2011
Program selection opens

Applicants are able to begin selecting programs where they wish to apply.

CaRMS recommends applicants thoroughly read the program descriptions to ensure they have all of the required documents.

August 10, 2011
MCC Examination Milestone

All MCC examination information must be entered into the examinations section of AWS by this date, to ensure examination scores arrive direct from the MCC in time for the opening of file review. Please note, it is the applicant's responsibility to provide their examination results letter(s) if they wish to include this document as part of their MCC examination results.

CaRMS will continue to process examination information entered after this date, but cannot guarantee scores will be available from the MCC before file review, due to the time required for data processing.

August 19, 2011
Document arrival milestone

All documents, including letters of reference, should have arrived at the CaRMS office by this date to guarantee they will be processed in time for the opening of file review on August 24.

CaRMS will continue to process documents that arrive after this date, but cannot guarantee they will be scanned before file reviewbegins due to the volume of documents CaRMS receives.

August 19, 2011
Letter of reference milestone

All letters of reference should have arrived at the CaRMS office by this date to guarantee they will be processed in time for the opening of file review on August 24.

Referees are encouraged to submit letters of reference using the CaRMS online reference portal, found here: www.carms.ca/referee

CaRMS will continue to process letters that arrive after this date, but cannot guarantee they will be scanned before file review due to the volume of documents CaRMS receives.

August 22, 2011
Program selection milestone

Applicants should select and submit all programs they are interested in by this date to allow adequate time to assign all the necessary documents to each program.

Please note, you cannot submit your application to a program until you have completed and submitted all parts of the My Application section of AWS.

You will still be able to select and submit to programs throughout the match cycle, but you must leave a sufficient amount of time to properly assign all required documents before file review begins on August 24.

August 23, 2011
Document assignment milestone

Document assignments should be finalized by this date to ensure your applications are as complete as possible for the opening of file review on August 24.

CaRMS recommends that applicants review the program descriptions before this date to ensure they are assigning all the required documents. Some documents, including rotation and electives evaluations, may arrive after this date. CaRMS will continue to scan documents after the opening of file review and will actively notify programs when new documents are scanned into an applicant's file.

August 24, 2011 (12:00 ET)
File review begins

Programs begin reviewing applications.

August 31 - October 21, 2011
Interview period

Programs are able to schedule interviews with applicants anytime during this period.

October 13, 2011 (12:00 ET)
Rank order list period begins

The rank order list (ROL) system opens to applicants and programs for online ranking.

CaRMS recommends you do not wait until the last minute to enter or finalize your rank order list.

October 27, 2011 (14:00 ET)
Program ROL deadline

Applicants should ensure all applications are submitted before this date as programs no longer have access to their rank order lists after this date.

November 3, 2011 (15:00 ET)
Applicant ROL deadline

This is the only deadline in the CaRMS match year - not having your rank order list properly submitted results in automatic withdrawal from the first iteration.

CaRMS recommends submitting your rank order list well before the deadline and printing your e-mail confirmation. If you did not receive an e-mail confirmation (check your junk mail if one doesn't arrive in your inbox), you may not have properly submitted your ROL. If you make any changes to a submitted ROL, you must submit the list again.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 (12:00 ET)

MATCH DAY