Policies

CaRMS Privacy Statement

The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) provides services related to the residency training application and match process. In order to provide these services, CaRMS collects, uses and discloses personal information from and about applicants who participate in the Match. Individuals who use our services have the right to know why this information is collected, how it is used, who it is shared with and how it is kept safe and private from unauthorized use.

CaRMS places the highest value in protecting the information applicants share as part of this process. Details related to how CaRMS honours this commitment is available in the Privacy Policy.

CaRMS is committed to ensuring its privacy practices are in keeping with industry best practices. Although the work undertaken by CaRMS is not considered commercial activity, this privacy policy is generally consistent with PIPEDA and its guiding fair information principles to the Federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), which incorporates the 10 Privacy Principles of the Canadian Standards Association’s Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information (CAN/CSA-Q830-96 (R2002)). CaRMS also complies with the requirements of Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CALes SL), the Federal law dealing with commercial electronic messages, including spam, phishing, and other electronic threats.

What is personal information?

Personal information refers to any information or a combination of information, regardless of how it is collected and stored, that can identify an individual, such as name, address, email address, school transcripts, etc. This does not include business contact information (e.g., name, title, business address) or any information that cannot be linked back to an individual, such as an account number with no other information associated with it. CaRMS retains the right to use business contact information or aggregate data in any ethical way deemed appropriate.

What is a commercial electronic message?

A commercial electronic message, as defined under CASL, is a message, such as email or text, that offers to purchase, sell, barter or lease a productor service; provide a business opportunity; or advertise/promote any of these items.

Why does CaRMS collect personal information?

Information is collected from applicants directly, faculties at the applicant’s request and/or other parties in order to:

1. Carry out the Application and Matching Program;
2. Determine an applicant’s eligibility for these programs;
3. Communicate pertinent information in relation to these programs;
4. Complete statistical and research analyses related to the services provided by CaRMS;
5. Manage applicant and partner relationships;
6. Meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
7. Other purposes consistent with these programs.

How does CaRMS collect, use and disclose personal information?

Collection:

CaRMS collects personal information from the applicant directly or through faculties or other organizations associated with the application process with the applicant’s consent and at their request. Only information identified in Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) program descriptions set by the Provincial Ministries of Health, Regulatory Colleges and PGME Faculties will be collected as part of the application process, and/or any additional information the applicant adds to their CaRMS profile. Information is routinely collected through:

• CaRMS’ online services;
• Data and documents submitted for application purposes; and
• Interactions via telephone, email, and chat. 

Use:

CaRMS uses the information collected from the applicants, faculties and our partner agencies for the purposes described in CaRMS’ Privacy Policy. CaRMS will not otherwise make the information held about applicants available to anyone who is not directly involved with CaRMS or the Residency Matching process.

Periodically, CaRMS will work with other organizations or agencies as part of the medical training application and matching process.  When applicant information is shared with third parties, CaRMS enters into a data sharing agreement (DSA) to:

1. Require that the use and disclosure of the data is solely for the specified permitted purposes;
2. Require that confidentiality of the data is upheld;
3. Require appropriate safeguards;
4. Require restricted access to the data, limited to those with a need to know/access;
5. Require consent or a new agreement should the receiving organization wish to use the data for other purposes than outlined in the DSA;
6. Require notification to CaRMS of any breaches to its obligations listed in the DSA.

In some cases, the individuals or organizations that perform services on CaRMS’ behalf may use or store information outside of Canada. Personal information stored outside Canada may be subject to different laws than those in Canada and may be accessible to law enforcement agencies outside of Canada where permitted by law. CaRMS is committed to the protection of privacy and will evaluate the privacy implications associated with disclosing personal information to a third-party service provider in a given jurisdiction before establishing a relationship in which personal information will be shared.

Disclosure:

Personal information held by CaRMS will only be disclosed with the applicant’s expressed consent

1. For purposes unrelated to the Postgraduate Medical Education Match, at the applicant’s request.
2. When required by law.

There may be circumstances where CaRMS is permitted or obligated to disclose information without consent. Such circumstances may include:

1. Where required or permitted by law or by order or requirement of a court, administrative agency or governmental tribunal;
2. Where CaRMS believes, upon reasonable grounds, that it is necessary to protect the rights, privacy, safety or property of an identifiable person or group;
3. Where it is necessary to establish or collect monies owing;
4. Where it is necessary to pursue available remedies or limit any damages that may be sustained; or
5. Where the information is public.

Where obliged or permitted to disclose information without consent, CaRMS will not disclose more information than is required.

Consent

Unless permitted by law, CaRMS will not collect, use, or disclose personal information without first obtaining  expressed consent.

To the extent that any message from CaRMS qualifies as a commercial electronic message (CEM), such messages will only be sent if appropriate consent has been obtained in accordance with the requirements of CASL and CaRMS’ Privacy Policy.

If CaRMS wishes to use personal information for purposes not previously identified, or for purposes not identified in CaRMS’ Privacy Policy, expressed  consent will be obtained prior to use and disclose of this information.

Applicants are free to refuse and/or revoke consent at any time with reasonable and advance notice and are free at any time to unsubscribe from receiving any future CEMs that may be sent. If consent has been refused or revoked CaRMS may be unable to offer services.  Revoking of consent to share personal information can only be applied for future activity and cannot be applied retroactively, in other words, information that was used and disclosed when a valid expressed consent had been provided cannot be retrieved.

Accuracy

Applicants are responsible for and have the ability to ensure their personal information is accurate, current and complete through the applicant portal in CaRMS Online. CaRMS will endeavour to advise faculties and/or partners if inaccurate information was shared to allow these organizations to correct their records.

Retention

CaRMS will retain personal information only for as long as it is required for the reasons identified in this policy and in accordance with CaRMS’ Retention Policy. Although this period may extend beyond the closing of the match cycle, it will be only for so long as it is necessary to have sufficient information to provide services, respond to any issues that may arise at a later date, or as otherwise permitted and required by law.

CaRMS will retain deidentified information to facilitate aggregate statistical analyses and research related to CaRMS services. When personal information is no longer required it will be destroyed, deleted or converted into an anonymous form in accordance with CaRMS’ Privacy Policy and industry best practice.

Protection of personal information

CaRMS maintains the appropriate physical, procedural and technical security measures to prevent the loss, misuse, unauthorized access or disclosure of personal information. Employee access to personal information is restricted on a need to know basis, in order to provide applicants with assistance when requesting CaRMS’ services.

Access to personal information

CaRMS respects an applicant’s  reasonable right to access and correct their personal information and will endeavor to respond to any request within a reasonable timeframe, usually within 30 calendar days. To guard against fraudulent requests for access, CaRMS will ensure that the individual making the request is authorized to do so, either through confirmation of identity or by requiring an expressed written consent from the applicant.

CaRMS will make every effort to work with applicants to ensure that the personal information is accurate and correct.  Although, some information maintained about an applicant cannot be changed, every effort will be made to append any alternative text  believed to be appropriate and reasonable.

CaRMS reserves the right to decline to provide access to personal information, in certain circumstances where permitted by law, and where the information:

1. Would disclose (i) personal information, including opinions, about another individual or about a deceased individual; or (ii) trade secrets or other confidential business information that may harm CaRMS or the competitive position of a third-party or interfere with contractual or other negotiations of CaRMS or a third-party;
2. Is subject to solicitor-client or litigation privilege;
3. Is not readily retrievable and the burden or cost of providing it would be disproportionate to the nature or value of the information;
4. Has been destroyed in compliance with CaRMS Retention Policy, and thereby no longer exists, or cannot be found by CaRMS;
5. Could reasonably result in serious harm to the individual concerned or another individual;
6. May harm or interfere with law enforcement activities and other investigative or regulatory functions of a body authorized by law to perform such functions; or
7. Any other grounds under applicable legislation.

If CaRMS is unable to disclose the information, the applicant or the individual authorized to act on the applicant’s behalf will be provided with the reasons for non-disclosure.

CaRMS will not respond to repetitious or vexatious requests for access and in making such a determination, consideration will be given to such factors as the frequency with which information is updated, the purpose for which the information is used and the nature of the information.

CaRMS will not charge an applicant for verifying or correcting their personal information; however, to the extent permitted by applicable law, there may be a minimal charge imposed when copies of records are requested.

CaRMS’ website

For information relating to the collection, use and disclosure of information from visitors to our website and online services please refer to our Online Services – User Agreement.

Resolving privacy concerns

CaRMS will investigate all complaints and if a complaint is justified, will take all reasonable steps to resolve the issue.

Please contact CaRMS Privacy Officer at compliance@carms.ca with any concerns or questions about:

• This Statement
• Access to personal information
• The collection, use, management, or disclosure of personal information

While CaRMS may not be subject to PIPEDA, if an applicant’s concerns are not resolved to their satisfaction, they may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Online Services — User Agreement

We collect information from users of CaRMS’ website and online services (carms.ca, CaRMS Online) through the use of digital markers, including cookies. “Cookies” are files or pieces of information that may be stored in your computer’s hard drive when you visit a website. Cookies are also used to remember that you may have already provided personal information to us and as a result, they help speed up your future activities when accessing our website and online services.

“Session” cookies are temporary bits of information that are erased once you exit your web browser window or turn your computer off. Session cookies are used to improve navigation on websites and to collect aggregate statistical information. Our website and online services use session cookies.

“Persistent” cookies are more permanent bits of information that are placed on the hard drive of your computer and stay there unless you delete the cookie. Persistent cookies store information on your computer for a number of purposes, such as retrieving certain information you have previously provided (e.g., passwords), helping to determine what areas of a website visitors find most valuable and customizing a website based on your preferences. Our website and online services use persistent cookies.

Most Internet browsers are initially set to accept cookies. If you do not wish to accept cookies, you can set yours to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent.

We have no control over the content of third party websites that individuals may access through hyperlinks at our website. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.

Web analytics

We also use web analytics service providers (i.e., Google Analytics and Hotjar) to collect data regarding use of our website and online services and analyze it for the purpose improving and streamlining use. Information collected and used for web analytics includes your IP address, the date and time of the request, the browser used, the page visited and the referral website.

While an IP address does not identify an individual on its own, it could be connected with other information to identify an individual, such as with the assistance of your Internet Service Provider.

You may opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics by disabling or refusing the cookies or by using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout). Individuals that do not wish to be tracked by Hotjar can Opt-out at the following link: https://www.hotjar.com/opt-out.

Data collected for Web analytics purposes may be stored and processed outside of Canada. Personal information stored outside Canada may be subject to different laws than those in Canada and may be accessible to law enforcement agencies outside of Canada where permitted by law.

For further information about Google Analytics and Hotjar, please refer to the Google Analytics Terms of Service (https://www.google.ca/analytics/terms/us.html) and Hotjar Privacy Policy (https://www.hotjar.com/privacy).

Completion of forms

Your name and email address or other contact information is not specifically collected by our website. We only obtain this type of information if you supply it by email, or otherwise voluntarily complete an online form or submit an inquiry or feedback. Any collection, use or disclosure of this personal information through the CaRMS website or online services is undertaken in accordance with CaRMS’ Privacy Policy.

Match Violations Policy

May 2020

I. Purpose

All Match Participants are required to behave in a professional, ethical and responsible manner. The match violations policy is intended to uphold and respect the principles of fairness, equity, and professionalism in the medical residency training application, selection, and matching processes in Canada.

This policy intends to ensure that the rights and obligations of Match Participants are respected through the accurate, timely, and legitimate sharing of information, while mitigating risk and maintaining confidentiality in accordance with applicable human rights and privacy legislation.

II. Principles

1. Ensure all Applicants who meet the basic eligibility have equal access to the available positions;
2. Promote fairness and equity in sanctions applied to Match Participants;
3. Ensure that conflicts of interest are not incurred in the sanctions process;
4. Ensure sanctions are proportionate to the gravity/impact of the violation, and accompanied by quality assurance action plans and education recommendations where appropriate; and
5. Undertake appropriate national and international violation notifications based on the severity of the violation and all other relevant circumstances, including applicable law.

III. Scope

This policy applies to all CaRMS Match Participants.

The scope is limited to the CaRMS Application and Matching Program, offered to Applicants and Faculties, and as outlined in the Applicant contract, the CaRMS-AFMC contract, the interview guidelines, and the CaRMS Online Terms of Use. Processes not carried out by CaRMS or referenced in the applicable contracts and guidelines are not subject to this Policy.

Violations must be reported within one year of the end of the applicable Match Period. Violations reported outside of this timeframe will not be subject to this Policy, absent exceptional circumstances.

IV. Definitions

1. Applicants: Canadian, US and international medical school graduates or students who participate in the Application and Matching Program by accepting the CaRMS Applicant contract.
2. Application and Matching Program: A centralized residency application and matching process provided by CaRMS for both Applicants and Faculties.
3. Faculties: The Canadian Faculties of Medicine offering positions in their residency programs to eligible Applicants through the Application and Matching Program.
4. Match Participants: Any individual who is involved in any aspect of the Application and Matching Program.
5. Match Period: The ten (10) month period commencing on July 1 of each year.
6. Residency Programs: Postgraduate medical residency programs operated by a Canadian Faculty of Medicine that participates in a CaRMS match by offering residency positions to Applicants through the Application and Matching Program.

V. Roles and responsibilities

1. Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC)
   The AFMC is the academic partnership of Canada’s Faculties of Medicine. The AFMC acts as the agent for the Faculties and will represent them for all purposes related to the services provided in the CaRMS-AFMC contract.The AFMC is responsible for ensuring faculty Match Participants are informed of their match obligations.

2. Canadian Resident Matching Service
   (CaRMS) CaRMS is an independent, arms-length provider of a client-centred, fair, transparent, and equitable application and matching service for the review and confidential ranking of Applicants to one or more residency programs operated by the Canadian Faculties of Medicine. CaRMS shall maintain and make the Match Violations Policy (MVP) available to all Match Participants.

3. CaRMS Board of Directors
   CaRMS is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The CaRMS Board is responsible for the ongoing management of the Violations Review Committee (VRC). It is also responsible for nominating the Joint Committee’s independent Chair and receiving reports from the Committee Chair as required.

4. Joint CaRMS Match Violations Policy Review Committee (Joint Committee)
   The Joint Committee is responsible for developing the CaRMS Match Violations Policy (MVP). Members of the Joint Committee include representatives from learner organizations (i.e., the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS), Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec (FMEQ), Resident Doctors of Canada (RDoC), and Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec (FMRQ)), AFMC, and CaRMS. The Joint Committee will provide input and direction to the VRC through their oversight of the MVP used by the VRC in their governance over violations reported to CaRMS.

5. Violations Review Committee (VRC)
   CaRMS’ VRC, comprised of the CaRMS Board’s Executive Committee, will investigate and adjudicate reported violations alleged to be contrary to the fair and proper operation of the Application and Matching Program in accordance with the MVP developed by the Joint Committee.

VI. Policy

General:

Participation in the Application and Matching Program requires the acceptance of a CaRMS contract and CaRMS Online Terms of Use and compliance with interview guidelines. CaRMS will investigate and take steps to resolve all alleged violations of such contracts/Terms of Use/interview guidelines, whether committed by Applicants, postgraduate Faculties or residency programs, or other Match Participants.

Violations and Sanctions:

VII. Procedures

Reporting Procedures

Any person, including but not limited to: Applicants, program directors, postgraduate and undergraduate deans of medicine, and institutional officials may report suspected violations to CaRMS.

To report a suspected violation, contact CaRMS at:

CaRMS Violations Review Committee
171 Nepean Street, Suite 300
Ottawa, ON K2P 0B4
compliance@carms.ca

No investigation will be initiated until CaRMS has received written notification of the suspected violation.

Notifications must include:

(a) Your name and contact information
(b) The named match participant
(c) Your affiliation to the named match participant
(d) Details outlining the suspected violation

A request for anonymity will generally not be granted, except in the most exceptional circumstances.

CaRMS will acknowledge receipt of notifications within seven business days. CaRMS will make an effort to investigate the allegation(s) in a timely manner while ensuring accuracy and completeness of the process.

CaRMS is authorized to contact other individuals/institutions/organizations in the course of acquiring information about the suspected violation.

Review process

The CaRMS violations review process operates as follows:

1. Step one: A suspected violation is reported to the VRC.
2. Step two: An acknowledgement of receipt is sent to the complainant within seven business days.
3. Step three: Notification letters are prepared, and all parties identified as relevant to the suspected violation are requested to provide the VRC with their version of the incident in writing, and if necessary, their response to the allegations. Relevant supporting information, documentation and facts, are to be provided within 14 business days from the date of the request. Should responses not be received within 14 business days, the process may continue without the requested representations.
4. Step four: A preliminary report is prepared as soon as practicable, documenting the nature of the allegation and the results of the investigation for use during deliberation by the VRC. Copies of the preliminary report may be distributed to relevant parties, upon request, and at the approval of the VRC.Should the results of the investigation indicate that a violation has not occurred, the matter will be closed at this stage, with notification to relevant parties, as appropriate.The VRC maintains the discretion to remove an alleged violator from the match before issuance of the final report where the VRC believes it has credible evidence that a violation of the applicable CaRMS contract has occurred.
5. Step five: The VRC will review the preliminary report and any additional submissions. The VRC will then issue a final report outlining their decision and, if applicable, the sanction.

Timeframe: The VRC strives to complete the review process in a timely manner. As each case is unique a specific timeframe cannot be guaranteed, but to act as a general guideline:

1. Parties involved will be notified once the investigation is completed, with notice of the VRC review meeting date,
2. Parties involved can expect the VRC’s final report within 45 business days of the completed investigation notification.

VIII. Appeals

Appeals of VRC final reports can be made only on the basis of:

(a) Discovery of new evidence deemed to be critical to the VRC’s understanding of the case in question;

and/or

(b) Alleged serious misunderstandings by the VRC of evidence already reviewed leading to the final report.

The VRC final report appeal process is as follows:

1. The appellant(s) (the participant(s) named as complainant(s) or violator(s) in the VRC final report in question) complete(s) and submit(s) an “Appeal of a VRC Final Report” form to the CaRMS Board of Directors (“the Board”) c/o compliance@carms.ca within 30 business days following the date of issue of the VRC final report.
2. The Board sends acknowledgment of receipt of an appeal within seven business days.
3. The Board will strive to review the appeal and communicate their decision to the relevant parties within 30 business days following the date of issue of the appeal receipt acknowledgment.
4. All decisions of the Board concerning appeals will be final.

Accessible Customer Service Policy

This Accessibility Standards for Customer Service policy governs CaRMS’ provision of goods and services to members of the public or other third parties in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, which aims to establish accessibility standards for people with disabilities. This policy details CaRMS’ commitment to ensuring that we provide accessible customer service to people with various kinds of disabilities and respects the core principles of independence, dignity, integration and equal opportunity.

Policy

1.0 Core principles

CaRMS will strive to ensure that the provision of goods and services are consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity by:

a. Dignity – Providing goods and services in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities;

b. Independence – Accommodating a person’s disability by respecting their right to do for themselves and to choose the way they wish to receive goods and services.

c. Integration – Providing goods and services so that persons with disabilities are able to fully benefit from the same services, in the same location, and in the same or similar way as persons without disabilities, unless an alternative measure is necessary or requested; and

d. Equal opportunity – Giving people with disabilities the same opportunity equal to that of persons without disabilities to obtain, use or benefit from CaRMS’ goods and services.

2.0 Use of assistive devices

Personal assistive devices are permitted and unrestricted on CaRMS premises, except if they are a hazard to the health and safety of the person with the disability and/or others. CaRMS will train, on an ongoing basis, current and future employees in the use of various assistive devices and related policies. The provision, use and safety of personal assistive devices are the responsibility of the person with the disability.

3.0 Communication

When communicating with a person with a disability, CaRMS will do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability. CaRMS will accommodate communication requests for accommodations, such as real time interpreters, website text readers, etc.

4.0 Use of service animals and support persons

4.1 Service animals

Persons with disabilities who are accompanied by guide dogs or other service animals will be permitted to enter CaRMS’ premises that are open to the public with the animal and will be allowed to keep the animal with them, unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law. If a service animal is excluded by law, CaRMS will ensure that other means are available within reasonable time and location to provide persons with a disability access to CaRMS services.

If it is not readily apparent that the animal is a service animal, CaRMS may ask the person with a disability for verification confirming the animal’s duty.

It is the responsibility of the person with the disability to ensure the safety of the service animal and that the service animal is kept in control at all times.

4.2 Support persons

CaRMS welcomes support persons who are accompanying persons with disabilities, the support person should be hired or chosen by the person with the disability to accompany them in order to assist in accessing goods or services and/or for the purposes of providing support with mobility, personal assistance, and/or communication.

CaRMS may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person while on the CaRMS’ premises in situations where it is deemed necessary to support the health and safety of the person with the disability and/or others.

When support persons are required for CaRMS sponsored meetings and/or events, the person with a disability will be required to provide his or her own support person. If there are fees associated with the meeting and/or event, the support person will not be charged the regular fee. Advance notice of said fees will be provided if such circumstances exist.

5.0 Notice of temporary disruptions

CaRMS will make reasonable efforts to provide notice to persons with disabilities in the event of a planned or unexpected disruption of the facilities or services usually provided to people with disabilities. If the disruption is anticipated, CaRMS will provide a reasonable amount of advance notice of the disruption. If the disruption is unexpected, notice will be provided as soon as possible.

The notice will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration, and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available.

The notice will be posted on CaRMS website, or another method that is reasonable given the circumstances.

6.0 Training

CaRMS will provide training to all employees, contractors and third parties who deal with the public on behalf of CaRMS, and all those who are involved in the development of CaRMS’ policies, practices and procedures concerning the provision of goods and services to the public or other third parties.

Training will include the following:

a. A review of purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard;

b. Instructions on how to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities;

c. Instructions on how to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person;

d. Information about the equipment or devices available on CaRMS’ premises that may help with the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities;

e. What to do if a person with a disability is having problems accessing CaRMS’ goods and services; and

f. A review of CaRMS’ policies, practices and procedures relating to the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities.

Current employees will be trained before January 1, 2012 and new employees or those who commence new duties, will be trained as soon as possible. Additionally, applicable employees will receive training when there are changes to policies, practices or procedures that relate to the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities.

The human resources department will keep records of training; outlining who has been trained, what type of training has been provided and the date the training took place.

7.0 Feedback process

CaRMS is committed to providing high quality goods and services to all members of the public that we serve, including customers with disabilities. Comments on how well CaRMS achieves this goal are welcomed and appreciated, as feedback may identify areas that require change and will assist in continuous service improvement.

Feedback can be made by telephone, in person, in writing, or via email. CaRMS will make best efforts to provide a response in the same format in which the feedback was received.

Please direct feedback to the Human Resources Manager, at:

Mail:
Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS)
171 Nepean Street, Suite 300
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 0B4

Phone: 1.877.227.6742

Email: hr@carms.ca

Please note that an appointment is required for in-person service.

Privacy will be respected, in accordance with CaRMS’ privacy policy and all feedback will be reviewed. A response to feedback will be provided within 30 business days. Feedback and/or responses will be delivered in a format that is accessible to the complainant.

8.0 Notice of availability of documents

All documents required by the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, including CaRMS’ policies, practices and procedures governing accessible customer service; documents on the use of service animals and support persons; notices of temporary disruptions; and documents regarding CaRMS’ feedback process, are available upon request. CaRMS’ Accessible Customer Service Policy governing the provision of goods and services for people with disabilities will be posted on CaRMS’ website.

9.0 Format of documents

If CaRMS is required to provide a copy of any document available under the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service to a person with a disability, CaRMS will provide the document, or the information contained within the document, in a format that takes into account the person’s disability. Alternatively, CaRMS and the person with the disability may agree on an alternate format for the document or information.

If an alternate format is required, please contact the Human Resources Manager.

Definitions

Accessible: Means obtainable, usable, readable, audible, visible, understandable, clear, able to be entered and exited, flexible, etc. To be accessible to all people, a variety of accessibility plans are necessary. Ensuring inclusive practices will ensure that all goods and services can be accessed by a larger audience.

Alternative formats: Refers to alternate ways to provide goods and services. This may be through forms of communication such as speech or writing, or methods such as in person or over the phone. Other examples are large print, electronic text, Braille, sign language, communication devices, media caption, etc.

Assistive device: Any piece of equipment a person with a disability uses to help him or her with daily living. Personal assistive devices include, but are not limited to: walkers, wheelchairs, hearing aids, canes or speech amplification devices.

Disability: (a) Any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation, or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness; (b) a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability; (c) a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language; (d) a mental disorder; or (e) an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

Guide dog: A dog trained as a guide for a blind person and having the qualifications prescribed by the regulations under the Blind Persons’ Rights Act.

Service animal: Any animal used by a person with a disability where it is readily apparent that the animal is used by the person for reasons relating to his or her disability; or where the person provides a letter from a physician confirming that the person requires the animal for reasons relating to his or her disability.

Support person: A person who accompanies a person with a disability in order to help him or her with daily tasks, such as communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs or with access to goods and services. The support person may be a paid support worker, a volunteer, a friend or family member; the support person does not need to have special training or qualifications.

This policy may be made available in alternative formats upon request.

Social Media Policy

By posting on any Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) social media pages, you agree to these terms.

Visitors to CaRMS social media pages are permitted to share, reply, comment on, and like content posted on these pages in accordance with these terms and conditions, CaRMS’ terms of use, and the applicable third-party platform (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn) terms and conditions.

Your comments and replies should be relevant to CaRMS’ services and/or to other content posted on the CaRMS social media page visited. You are encouraged to stay on topic in a given thread and respect others who interact with CaRMS’ social media pages.

CaRMS encourages you to share your questions, comments, and concerns via CaRMS’ social media pages; however, CaRMS’ social media pages are considered moderated sites and not public forums.

Once posted, CaRMS reserves the right to delete and/or report comments and replies that contain:

(i) vulgar language;

(ii) personal/corporate attacks of any kind;

(iii) offensive comments that target or disparage.

Further, CaRMS also reserves the right to delete and/or report comments and replies that:

(i) are spam or include links to other sites;

(ii) are clearly off topic;

(iii) advocate illegal activity;

(iv) promote services, products or political organizations;

(v) infringe on copyrights or trademarks;

(vi) include personally identifiable information.

We reserve the right to monitor, block, delete or discontinue your access to any of the CaRMS social media pages, at any time, without notice and for any reason and in our sole discretion.

By posting any content and/or tagging any of the CaRMS social media pages, you grant to us the irrevocable right to reproduce, distribute, publish and display such content and the right to create derivative works from your content, edit or modify such content and use such content for any CaRMS purpose.

To remain in compliance, we suggest that you review this policy, as well as the other website policies, at regular intervals. By continuing to use after such new terms are posted, you accept and agree to any and all such modifications to this policy.

Please note that the comments expressed on CaRMS social media pages do not reflect CaRMS. If you have any questions concerning the operation of CaRMS social media pages, please contact letusknow@carms.ca.

Browser Support

CaRMS supports the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers for use with CaRMS Online.  Updating to the latest version of these browsers is important for both performance and security.

FAQs

What do we mean by “supported browsers”?

If a browser is “supported” it means we test all system functionality with the latest version of that browser and fix any issues we find. We will not block users from using unsupported browsers, but we may not be able to fix problems users encounter when accessing CaRMS Online on an unsupported browser or a previous version of the browser.

What does this mean for CaRMS Online users?

CaRMS Online users should upgrade to the latest version of one of the supported browsers (Chrome, Firefox , or Safari) to ensure full functionality. We recommend Chrome for the best user experience. If you work in an institutional environment, we encourage you to share this information with your IT team.

Users will still be able to access CaRMS Online on unsupported browsers, but we may be unable to resolve any issues found to occur exclusively in unsupported browsers.

Can I use CaRMS Online on a tablet or mobile phone?

While many features of CaRMS Online may work on a tablet or mobile phone, it is primarily designed for use on a laptop or desktop computer.

Have a concern?

Contact us at help@carms.ca so we can work with you to make sure you can continue to access CaRMS Online in a way that works for you.

Applicant Release Policy

As per the terms and conditions of the CaRMS Applicant Contract and AFMC service contracts, all matches are legally binding.

This binding commitment requires the applicant to accept an appointment to a Residency Program if a match results.  The Residency Program must correspondingly offer an appointment if a match results and the applicant meets the licensing requirements of the applicable provincial/territorial medical regulatory authority. To be eligible to participate again in the first iteration of the R-1 Main Residency Match, specific conditions must be met.

However, Residency Programs may release an applicant from their binding commitment should they meet both conditions listed below:

1. An exceptional applicant circumstance, such as:

• Demonstrated^[1] unanticipated extreme applicant hardship, identified after the Rank Order (ROL) deadline, preventing the applicant from modifying the ROL to accommodate the hardship.
• Failure to complete the pre-assessment period prior to the residency training start date (IMGs only)
• Unable to obtain an educational license/certificate/permit/registration from the applicable provincial MRA by the residency training start date.
• Unable to obtain an MD by the residency training start date.

2. The applicant has completed 45 residency training days^[2] or less, in all provinces, except the Province of Quebec.In Quebec^[3], only previous year graduates who have never undertaken postgraduate training in Canada or the United States can be considered via CaRMS. If an applicant has previously matched and has postgraduate training experience, even 1 day, they are not eligible to participate in first or second iteration of the R-1 Main Residency Match.

• • An applicant cannot be released (and considered eligible for the current or future first iterations of the R-1 Main Residency Match) if they have more than 45 residency training days. For example, if CaRMS receives a release letter 90 calendar days after an applicant’s residency training start date, but the applicant only completed 45 residency training days or less in that period (due to leaves or any interruption to their training), they will still meet the requirement as the time elapsed does not count.
  • After 45 residency training days, a release form will not be accepted by CaRMS.
  • If an applicant nevertheless withdraws from a Residency Program after 45 residency training days, the applicant will be considered to have postgraduate training and will not be permitted to participate in any current or future first iterations of the R-1 Main Residency Match.
  • Applicants with more than 45 residency training days may be eligible to participate in the second iteration of the R-1 Main Residency Match.

A release form is completed solely at the discretion of the PGME office/Residency Program and CaRMS will not intervene regarding the request or completion of the form.

Release forms must be submitted to operations@carms.ca using the Applicant Release Form.

Please note:

• Matched applicants who do not meet the conditions outlined above and who have not met their match obligation should be reported to violations@carms.ca. For further match violation and procedural information please see the Match Violations Policy section on carms.ca.
• Until such a time as the applicant has received confirmation that they have been released from their contractual obligation with their Matched program, they are not permitted to apply for, discuss, interview for, or accept a position in another program. Failure to abide by these conditions will result in a Match Violation, and the applicant may face sanctions up to and including withdrawal from current match and exclusion from participation in the match for 2 years.
• Programs are prohibited from discussing. Interviewing or offering a position to a matched applicant until the applicant has received confirmation of a release.  Failure to abide by these conditions will result in a Match Violation, and the program may face sanctions up to and including termination or suspension of access to CaRMS Online.
• The responsibility rests with the applicant to demonstrate to their matched PGME office/Residency Program the extent of their unanticipated extreme hardship.
• If a release form is submitted to and confirmed by CaRMS, an applicant may participate in the current or future first iteration of the R-1 Main Residency Match, should they meet all other eligibility criteria.
• CaRMS is permitted to inform PGME offices/Residency Programs of applicant releases, should a question arise as to why an applicant with postgraduate training is participating in the first iteration of the R-1 match.

^[1] The applicant must show that they are unable to continue in post graduate training because of physical, mental, emotional, financial or personal incapacity which would impair their ability to perform the duties required of the training.

^[2] The actual number of days the applicant is training within the clinical setting, NOT calendar days.

^[3] In accordance with the Postdoctoral Terms and Conditions adopted by the Government of Quebec, Bureau de coopération interuniversitaire (BCI) and post graduate programs.

Policy

The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) is committed to providing the highest standard of service to all clients, and at the same time upholding the highest standards of safety and well-being for its employees. Hostile, threatening, intimidating and/or abusive behaviour towards CaRMS employees will not be tolerated.  If such behaviour occurs, CaRMS reserves the right to impose restrictions on a client’s access to employee-facilitated guidance on process or product usage.

Purpose

CaRMS recognizes that the Match can be a very stressful and high stakes process for applicants.  CaRMS employees are committed to performing their duties with the highest level of integrity, transparency, and compliance and make every effort to assist clients in responding to any inquiries involving the application and Match process to the best of their ability.  There may, however, be times when we are unable to respond to questions or concerns to the client’s satisfaction.  In those situations, every attempt will be made to provide alternative solutions within our control. Under no circumstance will staff be expected to endure any form of abusive behaviour, and they reserve the right to refuse to assist clients.

If we believe the client has violated the Code of Conduct with unwelcome words or actions, CaRMS will always carefully consider the client’s response before making any decisions about future service from CaRMS.

The decision to impose sanctions is not taken lightly; however, the health, safety and security of its employees is of paramount importance to CaRMS. If a CaRMS employee is being subjected to abusive language, they will be permitted to terminate any interaction with the client. This decision may be made by any CaRMS employee that is engaged with the client or by their supervisor. Upon further investigation, clients may be subjected to additional restrictions, including but not limited to restricting access to guidance from CaRMS employees on the application and match process or product usage. This will in no way restrict the client’s ability to apply to programs or participate in the match.

Scope

This policy applies to all client interactions with CaRMS employees.

Definitions

Abusive behaviour includes:

1. Threatening, malicious or abusive language that demeans or belittles the individual.
2. Threats of violence towards CaRMS employees or property.
3. Harassment based on prohibited grounds set out in the Canadian Human Rights Act including but not limited to:
   • Race
   • National or ethnic origin
   • Colour
   • Religion
   • Age
   • Sex
   • Sexual orientation
   • Gender identity or expression
   • Marital status
   • Family status
   • Disability
   • Genetic characteristics
4. Use of sexually explicit language including but not limited to:
   • Inappropriate or unwelcome comments, sexual or otherwise
   • Displaying obscene, nude or pornographic pictures
5. Hostile remarks or highly offensive behaviour that is unwelcome or ought to be reasonably known to be unwelcome, which would humiliate, intimidate or have a harmful lasting effect.