Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island

Updated August 28, 2024

Dalhousie University

2025 Cycle Information

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

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) in the United States is no longer accrediting Canadian medical schools. Read more.

This means:

Canadians graduating from a non CACMS (Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools) accredited medical school on or after July 1, 2025 will be considered international medical graduates (IMGs) in the residency application process in Canada starting in the 2026 match; and
Individuals graduating from a Canadian medical school on or after July 1, 2025, will be considered international medical graduates (IMGs) when applying to residency programs in the United States.

CaRMS is confirming how these changes affect provincial eligibility requirements for the upcoming match cycle. Our website will be updated as information becomes available.

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.

Second Iteration

First Iteration

Criteria for all medical graduates

CRITERIA APPLICABLE TO ALL MEDICAL GRADUATES
GENERAL INFORMATION	Please be aware that as part of Dalhousie’s commitment to providing the right number, mix, and distribution of physicians to meet regional needs, residents matched to Dalhousie programs based primarily in Halifax will be expected to complete approximately 10% of their rotations outside the Central zone.
LICENSING BODY	All applicants must be eligible to register for an educational license with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. College of Physicians and Surgeons Nova Scotia College of Physicians and Surgeons New Brunswick College of Physicians and Surgeons Prince Edward Island
MATCH STREAMS	The first iteration of the CaRMS match will include the following streams: CMG Stream – open to Canadian Medical School graduates without previous post-MD/clinical training. IMG Stream – open to Graduates of Non-LCME or CACMS-Accredited Medical Schools, including graduates of US Schools of Osteopathic Medicine (GNLCAMS) without previous Canadian post-MD/clinical training. Nova Scotian IMG stream – open to Graduates of Non-LCME or CACMS-Accredited Medical Schools, including graduates of US Schools of Osteopathic Medicine (GNLCAMS) without previous Canadian post-MD/clinical training who have a proven connection to Nova Scotia. New Brunswicker IMG stream – open to Graduates of Non-LCME or CACMS-Accredited Medical Schools, including graduates of US Schools of Osteopathic Medicine (GNLCAMS) without previous Canadian post-MD/clinical training who have a proven connection to New Brunswick. Dalhousie residency positions in the IMG stream will require a Return of Service (ROS) commitment. Individuals who match in a ROS stream are required to sign a return of service contract prior to starting their residency with the agency sponsoring the position. Unfilled CMG positions from the first iteration: will be open to all candidates including graduates of Canadian Medical Schools and GNLCAMS who fulfill the eligibility criteria in the second iteration. do not require an ROS in the second iteration. CMGs are not eligible to apply to unfilled IMG positions from the first iteration.
RESTRICTIONS	COVID-19 Immunization COVID-19 vaccination is currently recommended for all healthcare workers in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island by public health order. Candidates who electively choose not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 may not be eligible to work, and therefore, be ineligible for training. Prior Training Any candidate who has undergone any LCME or CACMS accredited postgraduate training in any country is not eligible for the first iteration. Active Practice Applicants who have been away from medical school and whose skill have been inactive for five years or greater, at any point in time after commencing medical school, will not be considered for postgraduate training at Dalhousie University. The only acceptable experiences during this time are postgraduate training, clinical practice, clinical assisting, clinical fellowships, and training/educational experiences completed by individuals under an IMG assessment program. All other experiences will be considered as inactive time.
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 CMGs

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR CANADIAN MEDICAL GRADUATES
RETURN OF SERVICE (ROS) REQUIREMENTS	There is no provincial return of service requirement.
MEDICAL EDUCATION	N/A
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION	N/A

Additional criteria for IMGs

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES
RETURN OF SERVICE (ROS) REQUIREMENTS	Dalhousie residency positions in the IMG stream will require a Return of Service (ROS) commitment. Individuals who match in a ROS stream are required to sign a return of service contract prior to starting their residency with the agency sponsoring the position. Successful entrance into training is dependent upon having a fully executed agreement in place. Sponsors of the positions in the GNLCAMS (IMG) stream, are the Ministry of Health of Nova Scotia, or New Brunswick, or Prince Edward Island. GNLCAMS applying in the first iteration must be eligible to enter into a return of service agreement with the specific sponsoring bodies. Any candidate who has an undischarged Return of Service (ROS) obligation may not be eligible to begin Ministry-funded training positions at Dalhousie. Candidates holding a pre-existing ROS obligation must disclose such obligations and provide a letter from their sponsor stating that they may participate in the match at the time of application. Interested candidates should contact the relevant individual(s) below to discuss terms and conditions of the Return for Service in each of the jurisdictions prior to application: Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness Email: Physician.resources@novascotia.ca New Brunswick Department of Health Michelle Anne Duguay Email: michelleanne.duguay@gnb.ca Prince Edward Island Department of Health Mary Laura Coady Email: mlcoady@ihis.org
MEDICAL EDUCATION	Proof of MD or DO Degree GNLCAMS must be a graduate of an acceptable medical school or Graduates of US schools of Osteopathic Medicine and must meet provincial licensing eligibility in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. A copy of medical school marks/transcripts and medical degree/diploma must be submitted. Documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a notarized translation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION	For Family Medicine positions, only IMG applicants who had applied in the first iteration will be considered by programs in the second iteration. Provincial Licensure Requirements All applicants must be eligible to register for an educational license with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. For more information on licensing eligibility, please visit the relevant provincial college. For those accepted through the match for training who are graduates of non-LCME or CACMS-accredited medical schools, please note that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia requires proof, as part of their completed license application, that verification through the Medical Council of Canada’s Physicians Apply has been initiated. This portal will allow the applicant to share their credentials with the College.