Updated June 17, 2025
University of British Columbia
2026 Cycle Information
Criteria applicable for all medical graduates; for specific information, please see tabs.
CRITERIA APPLICABLE TO ALL MEDICAL GRADUATES |
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| 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.
CPSBC Registration All matched applicants must meet the criteria for registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) for postgraduate medical education (https://cpsbc.ca/). Any delays in providing all required documentation to CPSBC may result in a delay in the issuance of a certificate of registration and a delay in the start of post-graduate training. Orientation Attendance Mandatory Orientations (both program-specific and PGME-wide) will take place during the 2nd half of June and into July. Attendance is required and absences may only be permitted in exceptional circumstances. 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.
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| LICENSING BODY | College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) |
| MATCH STREAMS | The first iteration of the CaRMS match will include three parallel streams:
Please see the Ministry of Health website here for more information. Each stream will have designated positions. There will be no cross-over or transfer between the three streams. |
| RESTRICTIONS | All CMGs and IMGs who have previous post-graduate training in Canada or the United States 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 | 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 |
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| RETURN OF SERVICE (ROS) REQUIREMENTS | No return of service is required in the first iteration for those who match to one of the Canadian Medical Graduate (CMG) streams.
Competitive ROS Stream – Return of Service Location A Return of Service (ROS) commitment is attached to the Competitive ROS Stream. To fulfill this commitment, the participant provides government-funded health services for a defined term. The ROS begins following the completion of residency and is a three-year term for Royal College program participants. For further information, please review the program website here or contact the program via email at ReturnofService@gov.bc.ca. For the 2026 R-1 match, Royal College program participants matched to these residency positions will fulfill their ROS in British Columbia as detailed on the program website and ROS contract: The ROS will occur in a location that is identified by the participant and approved by the Ministry of Health. Return of Service Contract Accepting a Competitive ROS Stream residency position 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 website: 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 |
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| RETURN OF SERVICE (ROS) REQUIREMENTS | A Return of Service (ROS) commitment is attached to all positions within UBC’s IMG stream and the Competitive ROS Stream.
To fulfill this commitment, the participant provides government-funded health services in a community of need. The ROS begins following completion of residency and is a two-year term for Family Medicine program participants and a three-year term forRoyal College program participants. The IMG stream ROS requirements differ from the Competitive ROS Stream requirements. The ROS commitment is linked to the stream that the participant matches to via CaRMS. For further information, please review the program websites: Physician Return of Service Programs International Medical Graduates ROS Stream or contact the program via email at ReturnofService@gov.bc.ca. IMG Stream – Return of Service Location For the 2026 R-1 match, each IMG ROS is allocated to a designated regional health authority. The ROS will occur in a community of need and clinic/facility that is identified by the participant’s designated health authority. Family medicine participants fulfil their ROS in the same health authority as their training site. Royal College program participants will fulfil their ROS in a health authority determined by the Ministry of Health and detailed on the program website: www.gov.bc.ca/moh-returnofservice. Competitive ROS Stream – Return of Service Location For the 2026 R-1 match, Royal College program participants matched to these residency positions will fulfil their ROS in British Columbia as detailed on the program website and ROS contract: The ROS will occur in a location that is identified by the participant and approved by the Ministry of Health. Return of Service Contract Accepting an IMG or Competitive ROS Stream position requires executing the ROS contract: See Competitive ROS Stream or International Medical Graduates ROS Stream. 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: |
| 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 | 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. |
