Updated June 17, 2025

University of British Columbia

2026 Cycle Information

Criteria applicable for all medical graduates; for specific information, please see tabs.

Please note that the criteria on this page is from the 2025 match. Updated 2026 provincial criteria will be posted on this page in the upcoming months, once it has been reviewed by the province.

CRITERIA APPLICABLE TO ALL MEDICAL GRADUATES

GENERAL INFORMATION The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine and the BC Ministry of Health have agreed to the following policies for the R-1 Match. It is important to note that individual programs may have specific criteria that are used to review applications. Applicants are responsible for reviewing program-specific criteria, as well as the provincial criteria listed below, to ensure they meet all required eligibility criteria.

All matched applicants must meet the criteria for registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (the College) for postgraduate medical education (https://cpsbc.ca/). Any delays in providing all required documentation to the College may result in a delay in the issuance of a certificate of registration and a delay in the start of post-graduate training beyond July 1, 2026.

U.S. Allopathic Medical Graduates (USMG)

Medical students or graduates who have obtained or are in the process of obtaining a medical degree from an allopathic medical school in the U.S can either be considered Canadian Medical Graduates (CMG’s) or International Medical Graduates (IMG’s) within the residency application process, depending on their graduation date. This differentiation is due to changes made in the joint accreditation process of medical schools in the U.S and Canada.

  • If you graduated from a U.S. allopathic medical school before July 1, 2025, you are considered a Canadian Medical Graduate (CMG). Refer to the CMG tab.
  • If you graduated on or after July 1, 2025, you are considered an International Medical Graduate (IMG). Refer to the IMG tab.
LICENSING BODY College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC)
MATCH STREAMS All positions unfilled after the first iteration will be blended into a single competitive stream and open to all eligible candidates. The second iteration will be open to:

  • CMGs and IMGs who were eligible for the first iteration but did not apply or did not match;
  • CMGs and IMGs who were ineligible for the first iteration due to having previous post-graduate training in Canada or the United States or, Applicants who previously underwent residency training in Canada or the US but were withdrawn, either voluntarily or involuntarily, are required to disclose if the withdrawal was involuntary.
    • Applicants who previously underwent residency training in Canada or the US but were dismissed from their program, are required to disclose this.
    • Applicants who were previously enrolled in residency training but were involuntarily withdrawn or dismissed from their program are not eligible to apply.
  • physicians currently in training/in practice in Canada or the United States.
RESTRICTIONS N/A
CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS See the Summary of citizenship requirements.
PROOF OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY See the Summary of language proficiency requirements.
MEDICAL COUNCIL OF CANADA EXAMS See the Summary of MCC examination requirements.

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR CANADIAN MEDICAL GRADUATES

RETURN OF SERVICE (ROS) REQUIREMENTS All positions unfilled after the first iteration will be blended into a single stream for the second iteration and will be open to all eligible candidates.

Program descriptions will indicate if a position requires a Return of Service commitment.

Return of Service Contract

Accepting a residency position which comes with a Return of Service via CaRMS requires executing the ROS contract. The ROS contract must be signed before the matched applicant can commence their residency. Templates of the ROS contracts are available for review on the program websites:

International Medical Graduate ROS Stream

Competitive ROS Stream

MEDICAL EDUCATION The list of required documents showing proof of Medical Education should be outlined in program descriptions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION N/A

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES

RETURN OF SERVICE (ROS) REQUIREMENTS All positions unfilled after the first iteration will be blended into a single stream for the second iteration and will be open to all eligible candidates.

Second iteration program descriptions will indicate whether a position requires a Return of Service commitment.

Return of Service Contract

Accepting a residency position which comes with a Return of Service via CaRMS requires executing the ROS contract. The ROS contract must be signed before the matched applicant can commence their residency. Templates of the ROS contracts are available for review on the program websites:

International Medical Graduate ROS Stream

Competitive ROS Stream

MEDICAL EDUCATION IMGs must be graduates of an acceptable medical school on the World Directory of Medical Schools which have a Canadian Sponsor note.

The list of required documents showing proof of Medical Education should be outlined in program descriptions.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IMG Applicants: Participation in the UBC Clinical Assessment Program (CAP) is mandatory for all International Medical Graduates (IMGs) applying through CaRMS for first-year residency positions. Please see the IMGBC website for information about the CAP and how to apply.

IMG Orientation

To help ensure a smooth transition to residency, all IMGs who are successful in obtaining a residency position in B.C. will be required to participate in a week-and-a-half-long orientation hosted in Vancouver in June 2026.

Over the course of the mandatory orientation, incoming IMG residents will receive exposure to a number of Canadian medical practices that are fundamental to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care in B.C.

Further details and FAQ’s of the mandatory IMG orientation can be found on the UBC International Medical Graduate office website.

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