Updated September 4, 2019
University of British Columbia
2020 Cycle Information
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 issuance of a certificate of registration and a delay in start of post- graduate training beyond July 1.
A Canadian Medical Graduate or U.S. Medical Graduate (CMG/USMG) is an individual who received their medical degree from a medical school accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) or the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). From here on in this will be referred to as the “CMG stream”.
An International Medical Graduate (IMG) is an individual who received their medical degree from a medical school that is not accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) or the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or a graduate of a School
of Osteopathic Medicine. From here on in this will be referred to as the “IMG stream”.
The National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination is mandatory for all IMGs applying through CaRMS for first-year residency positions in the 2019 match as well as the MCC Qualifying Exam Part 1 (QE1).
Participation in the UBC Clinical Assessment Program (CAP) is mandatory for all IMGs applying through CaRMS for first-year residency positions in the 2020 match. Please see the IMG-BC webpage for information about the program and how to apply: https://imgbc.med.ubc.ca/resource/clinical- assessment/
R-1 First Iteration
The first iteration of the CaRMS match will include two parallel streams; Canadian Medical Graduate (CMG) Stream and International Medical Graduate (IMG) Stream, each having designated positions. There will be no cross-over or transfer between the two streams. Candidates must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada to be eligible for either stream.
Eligibility
You must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident to apply
CMG / USMG / IMG
All CMGs/USMGs/IMGs who have previous post-graduate training in the U.S. or Canada which would be creditable for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the College of Family Physicians of Canada certification are ineligible for the first iteration.
CMG/USMG
The CMG stream is limited to graduates of LCME/CACMS-accredited medical schools in Canada and the United States.
IMG
- IMGs must be graduates of an acceptable medical school on the World Directory of Medical Schools (https://www.wdoms.org/) which have a Canadian Sponsor note.
- The National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination is mandatory for all IMGs applying through CaRMS for first-year residency positions in the 2020 match as well as the MCC Qualifying Exam Part 1 (QE1).
- The UBC Clinical Assessment Program (CAP) is mandatory for all IMGs applying through CaRMS for first-year residency positions in the 2020 match: https://imgbc.med.ubc.ca/resource/clinical- assessment/.
Required documents for ALL applicants
Canadian Citizenship
The province of British Columbia will accept one of the following notarized/certified documents as proof of the citizenship/permanent residency and is required for all types of applicants. Photocopies are accepted but, citizenship documents other than what is listed below are not accepted. Proof of citizenship/permanent residency must be submitted to CaRMS by the File Review deadline. No allowances for late submission.
- Canadian Birth Certificate
- Canadian Passport
- Canadian Citizenship Certificate
- Canadian Citizen Card (both sides)
- Current Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides)
Proof of Medical Diploma (MD)
- A copy of your medical school marks/transcripts.
- A copy of your medical degree/diploma.
- Students applying in the last year of medical school will need to submit their most recent marks/transcripts, and will need to provide proof of their MD to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC prior to the start of residency
NOTE: Documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a notarized translation.
Additional document information for IMGs
All IMGs need to have their documents verified through physiciansapply.ca
This process can take several weeks/months to complete. Individuals are advised to visit physiciansapply.ca at the point of application.
Examinations
- Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam (MCCQE Part 1)
- National Assessment Collaboration Examination(NAC)
- The Medical Council of Canada Evaluation Exam and the National Assessment Collaboration Examinations are administered by the Medical Council of Canada and any clarification or questions should be directed to the Please visit http://mcc.ca/ for more information.
Language requirements
CMG / USMG
If you graduated from an English medical school in Canada (including McGill) or the US, you are exempt from providing proof of language proficiency.
Candidates who attended medical school in Quebec or the University of Ottawa where the language of instruction or the primary language of patient care was not English, must fulfill the English Language Proficiency requirements of the College of Physicians of Surgeons of BC as identified below. This requirement is the same as the IMGs and is required by File Review deadline.
IMG
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC requires applicants to be proficient in the English language.
The Registration Committee may determine that an applicant has demonstrated English language proficiency if the following conditions are met:
- The primary language of medical education was English, and
- The primary language of patient care was
Applications received by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC on or before June 30, 2020, who have not met the above requirements will require an IELTS Academic examination. As such, applicants must submit the proof of English language proficiency to CaRMS by File Review deadline. Photocopies are acceptable.
- IELTS – Minimum score of 7 in each component
- IELTS scores are valid for a period of 2 years from the date taken
Applicants are advised to review the College of Physicians and Surgeons English Language Proficiency Requirements here: https://www.cpsbc.ca/files/pdf/REG-ELP.pdf
Return of service
CMG / USMG
No return of service is required in the first iteration unless otherwise identified as a separate stream.
IMG
A Return-of-Service (RoS) condition is attached to these positions. A draft of the contract can be found on the MOH RoS website here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/MoH-returnofservice
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 2020.
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: https://imgbc.med.ubc.ca/path-to-residency/orientation/
R-1 Second Iteration
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. All IMG stream positions unfilled in the first iteration will be open to all eligible candidates in the second iteration and will have a Return-of-Service contract attached to the positions.
The second iteration will be open to unmatched CMGs, physicians currently in training/in practice, as well as eligible IMGs.
