Prospective residents should refer to the Family Medicine Residency Selection website for ongoing updates, deadlines and detailed information.
Program application language: English
Resident selection for the UBC Family Medicine program is a collaborative process between all of our sites. Logistics and administration of resident selection is managed by our central program office in Vancouver, located at the UBC Point Grey Campus.
As the UBC Family Medicine Program is distributed into unique sites and locations, candidates should apply to each site they are interested in. (The applications should be the same for each site).
While applicants apply and rank multiple sites, only one interview is conducted - regardless of the number of sites to which a candidate applies.
A variety of virtual information sessions are held to provide prospective residents with the opportunity to learn more about the programs and discuss the training experience with Faculty and current residents. (see website for details).
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.
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 for IMGs and is required by the start of the Ranking Period.
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:
Applications received by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC on or before June 30, 2022, who have not met the above requirements will require one of: IELTS Academic examination, OET Medicine Examination or CELPIP General Examination for licensing (see criteria below). As such, applicants must submit the proof of English language proficiency to CaRMS by the start of Ranking Period. Photocopies are acceptable.
Please note that results from these three examinations cannot be mixed. Candidates must meet all of the criteria in either the IELTS, OET or CELPIP examination.
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
Three letters of reference are required.
Order from your Registrar
Medical Student Performance RecordOrder from your Dean's office
Personal LetterProvide a biographical letter (max. 750 words) that includes answers to the following questions:
1. Why do you want to choose Family Medicine as a career? What makes you a good fit for this career choice?
2. What life skills or experience do you have that demonstrate your suitability for family medicine residency training?
3. Why UBC? Why British Columbia? Elaborate on any connections you might have with the province of B.C.
Note: The same letter must be submitted with each site application.
Applications submitted after file review has opened on January 31, 2022
Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened on January 31, 2022
Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on January 31, 2022
Dates:
Applicants must submit an application to each site they are interested in and should assign the same set of documents to each site. Selection is based on file review and one set of MMI interviews. Each file is reviewed and given a score. This file review score determines whether a candidate is offered an interview. The file review score is then combined with the interview score to create a total score for each applicant. The file review will contribute to 20% of the overall global score while the interview will contribute 80%. A recommended rank list based on the total score is submitted to each site for consideration. The sites retain discretion to adjust the recommended rank list based on local site selection committee input.
Review team composition : The review team is composed of faculty leadership from across our distributed program, the program director and senior administration.
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 601 +
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 76 - 100 %
File component | Criteria |
---|---|
CV | We do not evaluate this file component |
Electives | We do not evaluate this file component; however references from elective experiences may be helpful |
Examinations | We do not evaluate this file component |
Extra-curricular | We do not evaluate this file component |
Leadership skills | Leadership skills are considered in the context of the personal letters and reference letters |
MSPRs | Taken into consideration only if professionalism issues are identified |
Personal letters | Demonstrated suitability to Family Medicine and training in BC through experience and life skills |
Reference documents | Demonstrated suitability through attributes, abilities and interest in the discipline |
Research/Publications | We do not evaluate this file component |
Transcripts | We do not evaluate this file component |
Other file component(s) | Note: The MSPR and transcripts are required supporting documents by CaRMS but are not scored as part of the UBC Family Practice file review process. |
Interview format :
We do not re-schedule interviews for applicants after we have completed the scheduling process.
Interview components | Criteria |
---|---|
Collaboration skills | Yes: with patients and colleagues |
Collegiality | Yes we evaluate this criteria |
Communication skills | Yes we evaluate this criteria |
Health advocacy | Yes we evaluate this criteria |
Interest in the discipline | Yes we evaluate this criteria |
Interest in the program | Yes: UBC in general, and in specific programs (rural, under-served populations, inner-city context etc.) |
Leadership skills | Yes: assessment of leadership of self and others |
Professionalism | Yes we evaluate this criteria |
Scholarly activities | We do not evaluate this interview component |
Other interview component(s) |
Ability to handle Ambiguity/Uncertainty Advocacy/Compassion Resilience Patient centeredness |
Family Medicine training in BC presents you with many unique opportunities. We are a fully accredited distributed program with 20 training sites. In an effort to meet the evolving needs of our society, each site provides a solid foundation in the knowledge and clinical skills of Family Medicine so that our graduates are prepared to practice in a variety of settings. While our program offers diversity of training, it is based on common goals, learning objectives, and assessment standards.
All residents are required to do a mandatory 2-month rural rotation in Family Medicine in their second year. Residents in the Coastal, or rural programs in the Okanagan or the North complete longer rural placements. Residents can also apply to participate in Enhanced Rural training for a total of 4-6 months in rural communities.
There is extensive academic and administrative support for the entire residency program. Our central program administrative team is based in Vancouver on UBC campus. At the site level, leadership teams are made up of a Site Director, Site Faculty, Chief Residents and administrators. Lead Program Faculty provide provincial education support in the areas of curriculum, assessment, faculty development, scholarship and behavioral medicine.
The Family Practice Postgraduate Education Committee has representation from all sites to ensure a connected, distributed program that fully meets accreditation standards. Residents are represented at all levels of governance.
A wide range of amazing recreational and cultural opportunities are at your doorstep, as well as a collegial community of residents and physicians with whom you can learn, grow, and play. We want your experience to be in BC to be a positive and enjoyable one.
Visit the UBC Family Medicine Postgraduate website for a detailed overview of each of the 20 sites and their surrounding communities. Each site provides opportunities to experience Family Medicine in their unique context, offering special opportunities to gain experience and skills unique to the area where you are training.
The following is a list of our sites and their base community/hospital. Each site serves the surrounding community (see training sites for full details):
Greater Vancouver / Lower Mainland
Interior Region
Vancouver Island
Northern
IMG positions are offered at the following sites:
Resident resilience and wellness is our top priority. Important resources have been developed by our program to support our residents throughout the course of the training.
All UBC programs are allocated a fixed amount of funding per resident for Resident Activities. This funding is used to provide educational support to residents during their 2 years of training. This includes funding for residents to attend program-wide courses and events. Additionally, residents may identify conferences and educational materials that would supplement their training experience. A discretionary, per resident funding will also be allocated to the sites for a similar purpose at the site level.
This residency program is for 2 years.
Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.
Introduction
The Vancouver Fraser Site offers residents the unique combination of high level and specialized experiences available in Greater Vancouver referral hospitals and the first contact, primary care experiences of smaller hospital and community practices within the Lower Mainland. Residents learn in primary care focused environments but have access to tertiary care experience. We provide full service training with a focus on family physician intra-partum Obstetrics if the resident so desires. Being able to tailor your second year to your learning needs is an asset of our site.
PGY-1
Vacation: 4 weeks annually: preferably taken as 2 weeks in each 6 month period. Only one week can be taken in any 4 week rotation and vacation is not allowed during the 2 week core Pediatric rotations. A maximum of one week of vacation may be taken during either the CTU or General Surgery rotation, but not one week in each.
One full day per week on alternate weeks is spent on the core academic program (VFAC).
One full day call-backs (CB) to the Family Practice preceptor’s office to see patients (alternate weeks) are compulsory during all rotations located in Greater Vancouver.
A Continuous Quality Improvement Project with your FP preceptor on a topic of your choice.
Rotation |
Duration |
Location / Notes |
Family Practice |
16 weeks |
In 1st year you will be at the UBC family practice clinic or a Greater Vancovuer community clinic. In 2nd year you may re-match to a new preceptor from a list of community preceptors. |
Pediatrics |
8 weeks |
B.C. Children's Hospital, Royal Columbian Hospital, Kensington Urgent Care Clinic and community pediatricians' offices: 4 weeks ER/urgent Pediatric care; 2 weeks office; 2 weeks Neonatal Nursery(ICN/NICU) |
Emergency |
4 weeks |
2 weeks Royal Columbian Hospital and 2 weeks at Eagle Ridge Hospital or 4 weeks at Burnaby hospital |
Surgery |
4 weeks |
Royal Columbian Hospital or Richmond Hospital |
Obstetrics/Gynecology |
8 weeks |
Royal Columbian Hospital, Peace Arch Hospital or BC Women's Hospital |
Internal Medicine (includes ICU and CCU) |
12 weeks |
4 weeks CTU at Royal Columbian Hospital; 4 weeks preceptor-based IM at Burnaby or Mt. St. Joseph's Hospital; 4 weeks inpatient Family Practice/Hospitalist at the Royal Columbian Hospital or Burnaby General Hospital. |
PGY-2
14 weeks of elective time
One full day per week on alternate weeks is spent on the core academic program (VFAC).
One full day call-backs (CB) to the Family Practice preceptor’s office to see patients (alternate weeks) are compulsory during all rotations located in Greater Vancouver.
Up to 3 half-days of horizontal elective time while on Family Practice rotation
Scholarly project on a topic of your choice is mandatory
Vacation: 4 weeks annually: preferably taken as 2 weeks in each 6 month period.
Elective opportunities allow increased experience in Emergency Medicine, Sports Medicine, Obstetrics and other fields according to the needs of the resident. Each resident plans his or her second year during the latter half of his or her first year. Family Practice block times may include longitudinal electives from an extensive listing of electives.
Rotation |
Duration |
Location / Notes |
Family Practice |
minimum 12 weeks |
A community Family Practice office |
Rural |
8 weeks |
Approved rural sites in B.C. (may request enhanced rural up to an additional 8 weeks) |
Psychiatry |
4 weeks |
Royal Columbian Hospital, Burnaby General Hospital or Peach Arch Hospital |
MSK selective |
4 weeks |
Rotation in Musculoskeletal Medicine at Sports Medicine clinics and the offices of Sports Medicine specialists |
Palliative Care |
4 weeks |
Royal Columbian Hospital, Richmond Hospital, Burnaby Palliative Care Unit, Ridge Meadows Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital and Eagle Ridge Hospital |
Geriatrics |
4 weeks |
STAT Unit - Vancouver General Hospital, Mount St. Joseph’s Hospital |
Addictions |
2 weeks |
Royal Columbian Hospital |
Academic Days and Research
Residents attend mandatory academic activities including academic teaching which is a mix of clinical case discussions and core topics. Residents are also expected to do presentations. Throughout the Program, we stress "Evidence-Based Medicine" in both academic and clinical areas.
In June of each year, residents will come together for a mandatory Site specific Scholarship Day.
In the first year, residents are expected to complete a quality improvement project. Throughout the two years, residents must complete a scholar project and present their work at Scholarship Day.
International Electives
Residents can do one month of interprovincial or international electives during their training.
Further Training
Third year training positions are available in the area of Emergency Medicine, Care of The Elderly, Anesthesia, Palliative Medicine, Sports and Exercise Medicine, Clinician Scholars program and a wide range of other category 2 Enhanced Skills programs.
Royal Columbian Hospital (New Westminster)
Burnaby Hospital (Burnaby)
B.C. Children's Hospital (Vancouver)
Mount St. Joseph's Hospital (Vancouver)
Peace Arch Hospital (White Rock)
Richmond Hospital (Richmond)
St. Paul's Hospital (Vancouver)
Vancouver General Hospital (Vancouver)
B.C. Women's Hospital (Vancouver)
Eagle Ridge Hospital (Port Moody)
Numerous long-term care facilities and community practices throughout Greater Vancouver
Access to Rural Residency Program sites
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