CaRMS has been working with the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) and faculties of medicine to implement measures to mitigate the impact of the Quebec physicians’ strike on medical learners in Quebec.
New translation request deadline for references
A second Translation requests for references deadline has been added to the 2026 R-1 first iteration timeline. Applicants needing extra time to submit references for translation as a result of the strike will now have until November 6 at 17:00 ET to do so.
Additional accommodations for Quebec students
The AFMC has also established additional accommodations for Quebec students in the first iteration of the 2026 R-1 match, which are now reflected in program descriptions:
- Programs will accept reference documents completed by any physician able to support the applicant’s candidacy.
- Programs will not require reference letters from physicians practising in the same discipline as the program.
- Applicants are only required to submit two (2) reference documents, but are permitted to submit up to the maximum of three (3).
- For applicants from Québec faculties of medicine, as well as those from other Canadian faculties who had scheduled visiting electives in Québec during this period, incomplete MSPRs will be accepted for file review and ranking purposes. An incomplete MSPR is one that may be missing final assessments from placements expected to be completed by the date of submission but delayed due to the strike. A complete MSPR will not be required as a criterion for file review or ranking for these applicants.
CaRMS continues to work closely with Quebec faculties and the AFMC to support affected learners in navigating this situation.
