Updated September 29, 2020

University of British Columbia

2021 Cycle Information

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

Second Iteration
First Iteration

Criteria for all medical graduates

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 issuance of a certificate of registration and a delay in the 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 201921 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 20210 match. Please see the IMG-BC webpage for information about the program and how to apply.
LICENSING BODY College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC)
MATCH STREAMS 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.
RESTRICTIONS 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.
CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS
Accepted Citizenship types
Canadian citizen
Canadian permanent resident
Accepted Citizenship documents
Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth
Passport page showing Canadian Citizenship
Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
Canadian Citizenship Card (both sides of card)
Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)
Deadline for providing Citizenship documents
File review opening

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.

As of the 2021 R-1 match cycle, CaRMS is partnering with third-party organizations to automate the citizenship/legal status verification completed by PGME offices. The above-mentioned criteria is still applicable; however, you may not be required to provide documentation directly to CaRMS. Please see additional information here.

Additional criteria for CMGs

CANADIAN MEDICAL GRADUATE REQUIREMENTS

A Canadian Medical Graduate (CMG) or U.S. Allopathic Medical Graduate (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).
PROOF OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
Language assessment document accepted Acceptable assessment date range Minimum score
IELTS Academic 2 years from the date taken 7.0 in each component

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 the start of the Rank Order List period.

Applicants are advised to review the College of Physicians and Surgeons English Language Proficiency Requirements here.

Note: For the 2021 R-1 Match, the IELTS – Indicator is not accepted.
MEDICAL COUNCIL OF CANADA EXAMS N/A
OTHER ASSESSMENTS N/A
RETURN OF SERVICE (ROS) REQUIREMENTS No return of service is required in the first iteration unless otherwise identified as a separate stream.
MEDICAL EDUCATION Note: All documents mentioned should be reflected in corresponding program descriptions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION N/A

Additional criteria for IMGs

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES

An International Medical Graduate (IMG) is an individual who received their medical degree from a medical school that is listed with the World Directory of Medical Schools (World Directory) published by the Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) and the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME).

A U.S. Osteopathic Medical Graduate (USMG- Osteo) is an individual who received their medical degree from an accredited Osteopathic medical school.
PROOF OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
Language assessment document accepted Acceptable assessment date range Minimum score
IELTS Academic 2 years from the date taken 7.0 in each component

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 English.

Applications received by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC on or before June 30, 2021, 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.

Applicants are advised to review the College of Physicians and Surgeons English Language Proficiency Requirements here.

Note: For the 2021 R-1 Match, the IELTS – Indicator is not accepted.
MEDICAL COUNCIL OF CANADA EXAMS
Examination Date/milestone assessment submission required Requirement
NAC Examination File review opening Mandatory
MCCQE Part I File review opening Mandatory

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.

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 them.

Please visit http://mcc.ca/ for more information.
PROVINCIAL ASSESSMENT
Assessment name Must complete assessment by
UBC Clinical Assessment Program January 16, 2021

The UBC Clinical Assessment Program (CAP) is mandatory for all IMGs applying through CaRMS for first-year residency positions in the 2021 match.
OTHER ASSESSMENTS N/A
RETURN OF SERVICE (ROS) REQUIREMENTS 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.
MEDICAL EDUCATION IMGs must be graduates of an acceptable medical school on the World Directory of Medical Schools which have a Canadian Sponsor note.

Note: All documents mentioned should be reflected in corresponding program descriptions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 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 2021.

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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