Program Contacts

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Important Information

Prospective residents should refer to the Family Medicine Residency Selection website for ongoing updates, deadlines and detailed information.

FMProC: New for 2024

The University of British Columbia Family Medicine Program is very excited to be part of 15 FM Residency Programs to use the Family Medicine Professional Choices Assessment (FMProC), which is a Family Medicine context-specific Situational Judgement Test. 

Please note that you are required to take FMProC for your application to be considered complete. 

 

FMProC test window for CaRMS First Iteration is from October 31, 2023 (8AM EST) to November 14, 2023 (8AM EST).

Registration opens from September 20 (8AM EST) and closes at November 3 (8AM EST). 

To register and find out more about the test please go to www.fmproc.com. All test related updates will be posted on the website. 

Requests to register or to sit the test outside of the posted deadlines will not be considered. 

 

Upon completion of FMProC, you must upload your FMProC result letter to CaRMS for your application to be considered complete.

 

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General Instructions

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 23 unique sites and locations, candidates should apply to each site they are interested in. 
Applicants must submit same application package to all sites to which they apply.  

Regardless of the number of sites applicants apply to and rank, only one interview will be conducted. 

A variety of virtual information sessions will be held to provide prospective residents with the opportunity to learn more about the programs and discuss the training experience with faculty and current residents. Please visit Program Events for upcoming events. 

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Supporting Documentation / Information

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Review Process

Applications submitted after file review has opened on December 2, 2023

Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened  on  December 2, 2023

Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on December 2, 2023

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Interviews

Dates:

• January 15, 2024
• January 16, 2024
• January 17, 2024
• January 18, 2024
• January 19, 2024
• January 20, 2024
• January 21, 2024
• January 22, 2024
• January 23, 2024
• January 24, 2024
• January 25, 2024
• January 26, 2024
• January 27, 2024

Selection Criteria

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 and FMPROC score to create a total score for each applicant. The file review score will contribute to 20%, interview score will contribute to 75%, and FMProC will contribute to 5% of the overall global score. 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.

Program goals

1. To graduate residents who have developed the competencies needed to begin independent family practice in diverse community settings
2. To deliver an effective academic, clinical and scholarly educational program
3. To graduate residents who are inspired, resilient, and balanced
4. To graduate residents who demonstrate evidence-based and reflective practice
5. To provide working and learning environments that ensure residents, faculty and staff feel respected and supported

Selection process goals

1. Identify individuals with an aptitude for family medicine who are most likely to thrive in our diverse residency sites and in the unique context of British Columbia communities
2. Identify individuals with a demonstrated solid foundation of clinical skills and clinical approach which equips them for Postgraduate Education training.
3. Identify individuals who have consistent professional behavior; who interact appropriately with patients, colleagues and staff.
4. Identify mature, motivated individuals with a broad range of life experience which they can draw upon to adapt to the demands of residency training.

File review process

Evaluation criteria :

Elective criteria

Interview process

Interview evaluation criteria :

Information gathered outside of CaRMS application

We do not consider any information gathered outside of the CaRMS application and local interview processes.

Ranking process

The behavior(s) exhibited below during the interview process may prevent an applicant from being ranked by our program :
Unprofessional or inappropriate behavior   
Did not attend interview   
Interview performance was not competitive   
Other : • File does not support interest in family medicine
• Interview suggests lack of non-cognitive family medicine skills

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Program Highlights

Uniquely B.C:  UBC Family Medicine

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.

Training Sites: Overview

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

• Abbotsford-Mission
• Coastal (North Vancouver, Lion’s Gate Hospital)
• Chilliwack
• Indigenous (Greater Vancouver and rural Indigenous communities)
• Paul's (Downtown Vancouver, Inner City)
• Surrey South Fraser (Surrey Memorial Hospital)
• Vancouver Fraser (New Westminster, Royal Columbian)

 

Interior Region

• Kootenay Boundary (Trail, Nelson, Rossland, Castlegar)
• Kelowna Rural (Kelowna R1 year; rural communities across BC in R2 year)
• Kelowna Regional
• North Okanagan (Vernon)
• Okanagan South (Penticton)
• Kamloops

 

Vancouver Island

• Indigenous (Victoria, Ladysmith and rural Indigenous communities including Pacheedaht, Penelakut, ‘Namgis)
• Cowichan (Duncan)
• Nanaimo 
• Strathcona (Comox, Campbell River and Courtenay)
• Victoria

 

Northern

• Fort St. John (Northeast)
• Northern Rural (Prince George R1 year; rural communities across BC in R2 year)
• Prince George
• Rural Immersion (Smithers, Burns Lake, Vanderhoof, Quesnel, Mackenzie, McBride/Valemount, Tumbler Ridge/Chetwynd)
• Terrace (Rural Northwest)

 

IMG positions are offered at the following sites:

• Abbotsford-Mission
• Chilliwack
• Coastal
• Fort St. John
• Kamloops
• Kootenay Boundary
• Nanaimo
• Okanagan South
• Kelowna Rural
• Kelowna Regional
• Prince George
• Strathcona
• St. Paul’s
• Surrey South Fraser
• Vancouver Fraser
• Victoria

 

Resident Support

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.

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Program Curriculum

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.

Welcome to the Abbotsford-Mission Site! 

Are you looking for a Residency Program that has a 100% pass rate? Or one that prepares you to work in ANY community? Or a Program that gives you a chance to work side by side with preceptors who want you to become their colleague?

Well... You will find that in our program located in the cities of Abbotsford and Mission, BC.  We hope you consider our Site that is known for its great teaching, innovation and supportive community. Our grads have moved on to work in all aspects of family practice serving communities across the country.

The majority of training occurs at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital (ARH) and Cancer Center, a 300-bed facility AND your home Family Practice Community Clinic located in Abbotsford or Mission. 

Family Physicians are the main providers of healthcare in this region. You will be placed in a community clinic which will be your home base for two years. You will also be trained in acute care at Abbotsford Regional Hospital (ARH.) Training at ARH includes a Hospitalist Rotation covering over up to 200 beds (FP Hospitalists), a busy Maternity ward with over 2,500 births per year (FP Obstetrics), a tertiary Palliative Care unit (FP Palliative), and one of the busiest Emergency Departments run by FP-EM colleagues. Residents also receive specialty teaching from preceptors in Cardiology, IM, Peds, Surgery, Ortho and Psych. Community educational opportunities include Youth Clinic, Prison Medicine and Addictions.

Most importantly, we have a group of dedicated family doctors and specialists who are committed to your education. Because we have a small number of learners and do not compete with other resident disciplines, you get one-on-one teaching, lots of opportunities to perform procedures and see a large number of patients. Residents have a lot of responsibility! 

 

Purpose / Objectives

The goal of our program is to make sure we graduate competent, committed, happy and healthy family doctors.  We look forward to seeing you here!  

PGY-1 Overview

We use a ‘partially integrated’ model, which means in the first year, you will rotate through core rotations. However, you will be back in your FP offices for a half day a week throughout the year as well as dedicated blocks of FP. This ensures that you stay well-grounded in Family Practice and develop continuity with your practices. This ability to stay connected with your Family Practice office is one of the strengths of this program.  

Rotation	Duration	Location / Notes
Family Practice Community	16 weeks	Community Family Practice offices in Abbotsford and Mission
Pediatrics	4 weeks	ARHCC and Community
FP Emergency *	4 weeks	ARHCC
Surgery	4 weeks	ARHCC
FP Obstetrics/Gynecology	4 weeks	ARHCC  and Community
Internal Medicine **	4 weeks	ARHCC
Cardiology Consult	4 weeks	ARHCC  and Community
Psychiatry	4 weeks	Community Based
FP Hospitalist	4 weeks	ARHCC
Anaesthesia	2 weeks	ARHCC
Nephrology	2 weeks	ARHCC

*Includes airway management in Anesthesia Department

**Includes Nephrology

Residents have 4 weeks of vacation annually; 2 weeks taken in each 6-month period. Vacation weeks can only be taken in rotations of 4-weeks or more.

Thursday mornings are dedicated to core academic curriculum.

Residents will spend a half day per week in Family Practice offices. 

PGY-2

Rotation	Duration	Location / Notes
Family Practice	16-18 weeks	Community Family Practice offices in Abbotsford and Mission
Rural Family Practice	8 weeks	Approved rural sites in B.C.
Electives	14-16 weeks
FP/ MSK/Orthopedics	4 weeks	Community / ARHCC
FP Palliative	4 weeks	ARHCC
FP Addictions	2 weeks	Surrey
Pediatrics	2 weeks	ARHCC and Community
FP Emergency	2 weeks	ARHCC

Academic Half Day
We pride ourselves in our Academic Half Day program. We take advantage of this time to reinforce, supplement and emphasize topics that are of importance to family practice. There is plenty of interaction and we always have a family doctor facilitate to maintain relevance to Residents. We also use these days for Simulation, Procedure teaching and Wellness sessions. Attendance is mandatory. Resident participation is encouraged and expected through Resident Led Teaching sessions. 

Scholar
In the first year, residents complete a quality improvement project. Throughout the two years, residents complete a scholar project and present their work at a local Scholarship event.

Out of Province and International Electives
Residents can do one month of out of province or international electives during their training subject to the guidelines set by the Program.

Enhanced Skills Opportunities
Third year training positions are available in the area of Emergency Medicine, Anesthesia, Palliative Medicine, Sports and Exercise Medicine, Clinician Scholars program and a wide range of other category 2 Enhanced Skills programs.

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Training Sites

Abbotsford is a city located in British Columbia, adjacent to the Canada–United States border, Greater Vancouver and the Fraser River. With an estimated population of 141,397 people[2] it is the largest municipality in the province outside Metro Vancouver.[4] Abbotsford-Mission has the third highest proportion of visible minorities among census metropolitan areas in Canada, after the Greater Toronto Area and the Greater Vancouver. It is home to the University of the Fraser Valley, and Abbotsford International Airport.​

Abbotsford has direct access to the Trans-Canada Highway, and is minutes from the Sumas US Border crossing.  Known as the "City in the Country", Abbotsford blends urban amenities with rural comforts. City of Abbotsford:  http://www.cityinthecountry.ca/

Mission (population: approx. 38,000) is a short 15-minute drive from Abbotsford across the Fraser River.  District of Mission:  http://www.mission.ca/

 

Resources

Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre is a publicly funded acute care hospital with 300 beds. As a regional hospital, this world-class medical centre provides services to the Eastern Fraser Valley communities including renal, cardiac care unit, larger NICU, nuclear medicine, MRI and a six-bed adolescent mental health treatment centre.

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Additional Information

Check out the Abbotsford-Mission Residency website here:

https://abbotsfordfamilymed.com/