University of Toronto - Family Medicine - Greater Toronto Area
2024 R-1 Main Residency Match - first iteration
CMG Stream for CMG
Dr. Karina Prucnal
500 University Ave., 3rd Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1V7
Post Graduate Medical Education Office U of T
Canadian Portal for Residency Program Promotion (CANPREPP) - Greater Toronto Area Stream
Program Contacts
Important Information
Please be aware that most, if not all, hospitals and Universities in Ontario have mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies in place that require, in the absence of a valid medical or human rights exemption, proof of vaccination. Acceptable vaccination must be in accordance with Health Canada. You will be required to provide documentation of COVID-19 vaccination to the appropriate institution if matched. Failure to comply and provide the appropriate documentation may result in the termination of the contract. These guidelines could change at any time in accordance with future direction from the Ministry of Health or the Universities based on information from Public Health.
The University of Toronto has deferred the use of the CaRMS Self-Identification Questionnaire (CSIQ) responses at this time. PGME is seeking to learn from the experience of other schools in the 2023 & 2024 CaRMS matches.
For the 2024 R-1 Match - If you assign the CSIQ to any University of Toronto program the programs will NOT be able to view the content of your CSIQ response. There are programs which provide applicants other opportunities to self-identify as a member of an equity seeking group. Please see individual program descriptions for details.
FMProC- Requirements for 2024
The University of Toronto Family Medicine Program will be using the Family Medicine Professional Choices (FMProC) as part of our selection process. The FMProC is a Family Medicine context-specific situational judgement tes
All applicants will be required to write FMProC for their application to be deemed complete. More details and information about registration for FMProC can be found here: www.fmproc.com
Please note registration for the first round will open September 20, 2023, and the testing window will be in early November 2023.
These are hard deadlines with no late requests considered.
Return of Service
The Ministry requests all ROS agreements before June 1 of the year they were matched. All agreements should be returned to the Ministry prior to the start of residency training. It is the responsibility of the applicant to confirm eligibility with respect to THE ROS requirements of other provinces.
Information about the Ministry’s ROS programs is available at the Return of Service Program
A letter of release from existing return of service agreements must be submitted as part of the application.
General Instructions
Program application language: English
The University of Toronto's Department of Family & Community Medicine (DFCM) is recognized internationally for its clinical and educational excellence. The goal of the program is to prepare you to practice Family Medicine anywhere in the province (urban or rural) and the country.
- The DFCM program has three Family Medicine residency streams you may apply to separately through CaRMS: 1. Greater Toronto Area (GTA), 2. Barrie or Newmarket and 3. Integrated Communities.
- The same application should be submitted for each stream to which you apply. Only one application will be reviewed.
- Attendance at only one Virtual Interview Session is required if you apply to one or more of the three University of Toronto streams: 1. GTA, 2. Barrie or Newmarket or 3. Integrated Communities.
- The Greater Toronto Area stream has 13 hospital teaching sites located throughout the GTA, offering opportunities to train in hospital teaching sites in Toronto, Scarborough, North York, Mississauga and Markham.
- Your hospital teaching site is determined after the CaRMS match, using a separate internal matching process where you will be asked to rank all 13 hospital teaching sites in order of preference.
See the How to Apply - Admissions Process section of our website for further details.
Please read the following information in detail to ensure your application receives full consideration.
Supporting Documentation / Information
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
• Confirmation of Permanent Residence in Canada
• Passport page showing Canadian Citizenship
• Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)
• Canadian Citizenship Card (both sides of card)
• Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth
Legal Status
Proof of valid current citizenship or permanent resident status must be provided by submitting one of the following verifications to CaRMS by the File Review Opening deadline. Failure to provide valid proof will result in your application being removed. No other forms of verification are acceptable:
- Notarized/certified photocopy of Birth Certificate/Act of Birth issued by an authority in Canada accompanied by photo ID (must be Canadian government-issued photo ID).
- Failure to provide proof of citizenship will result in the removal of your application. No other forms of verification are acceptable.
- Documents must be notarized/certified photocopies. Notarized/certified copies must be dated and not older than two years from the date of application submission deadline; otherwise, a new notarized/certified copy is required.
- Confirmation of permanent residence must be accompanied by a photo ID (must be a Canadian government-issued photo ID).
CaRMS is partnering with third-party organizations to automate the verification of citizenship/legal status required by postgraduate offices for entry into residency. Third-party verification simplifies the process for applicants and programs. All applicants who do not receive third-party citizenship verification will be required to upload and assign an acceptable proof of citizenship document. Please see additional information here.
Your FMProC assessment result is sent directly to CaRMS. The FMProC assessment is only valid for one admissions cycle. If you have taken the assessment in previous years, you are expected to re-take it.
To register for the FMProC assessment visit www.fmproc.com.
A Family Medicine Structured Reference Letter (SRL) is used by all Family Medicine programs across the country that require a reference letter. This tool will allow for more consistency in the selection process for Family Medicine admissions. The SRL was developed by a subgroup of Family Medicine residency programs, which has been vetted by all Family Medicine programs in Canada.
Exactly 3 reference letters using the Family Medicine Structured Reference Letter (SRL) submitted through CaRMS will be the only form of reference letters accepted. Only SRLs from last year’s (2023) CaRMS cycle and newly submitted ones from this cycle will be accepted. If possible, one or more SRLs from a family physician is helpful but not required.
Please do not provide more than three SRLs, only the first three SRLs will be considered. Should your referee submit a traditional reference letter, it will not be reviewed and your application may be deemed incomplete.
*Please note that the Family Medicine SRL is provided to your referee through CaRMS upon submitting a reference request. After submitting the reference request, applicants do not have to send anything else to their referees.
Your medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:
- Obtain your medical transcript from your school and upload it directly to your CaRMS Online account. Follow your school’s policy regarding accessing or requesting your transcript;
- Ask your medical school to upload your medical transcript through their CaRMS Undergraduate Portal account; or
- International (IMGs) and United States (USMGs) medical graduates can transfer their transcript from their physiciansapply.ca account.
If your Medical School Transcript is in a language other than the program language of English or French, you are required to have the document translated.
Medical Student Performance RecordFor current year Canadian medical graduates (CMGs), there is no action required from you. Your medical school will automatically submit your MSPR to CaRMS on your behalf for you to assign.
If your MSPR is in a language other than the program language of English or French, you are required to have the document translated.
Please provide a narrative of 500 words or less describing how your medical training has led your interest and commitment to a career in Family Medicine. Please address how you envision your professional life in the next 5 years and how you think our Family Medicine residency program will help you get there.
Please include a supplementary statement titled “Transcript Addendum” at the beginning of your Personal Letter explaining any poor academic performance or failure, any gaps in medical school training or if you did not graduate with your cohort. The transcript addendum will not count towards your word limit for your Personal Letter. Failing to submit a transcript addendum, if the criteria apply, will result in the application not being considered.
Custom Résumé / CV PhotoReview 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
Interviews
Dates:
- January 15, 2024
- January 17, 2024
- January 22, 2024
- January 23, 2024
Attendance at only one Virtual Interview Session is required if you apply to one or more of the three University of Toronto streams: 1. GTA, 2. Barrie or Newmarket or 3. Integrated Communities.
If successful, interview offers will be sent via e-mail at the end of December to interview at one of our Virtual Interview Session dates. If you have not received an e-mail, it may have been mistakenly flagged as spam and placed in the junk e-mail folder. Please check all your e-mail folders.
One resident and one faculty member will review applications, while a different resident and faculty member who have not seen your written application will conduct interviews virtually.
To learn more about the Virtual Interviews please see our FAQ:Canadian Medical Graduate (CMG) Virtual Interview Session
Selection Criteria
Program goals
The University of Toronto's Department of Family & Community Medicine (DFCM) is recognized internationally for its clinical and educational excellence. The goal of the program is to prepare residents to practice Family Medicine anywhere in the province (urban or rural) and the country.
Our program seeks to train leaders in education and research in Family Medicine who are able to practice and provide high quality comprehensive care to communities both locally and internationally. Accordingly, successful applicants will have a strong academic record that demonstrates proficiency in Family Medicine and related subjects. Applicants providing evidence of strong academic performance and strong interest and commitment to Family Medicine will be prioritized to receive an invitation to interview. Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of Family Medicine and evidence of interest and commitment to a career in Family Medicine at the time of interviews.
Selection process goals
Please include a supplementary statement titled “Transcript Addendum” at the beginning of your Personal Letter explaining any poor academic performance or failure, any gaps in medical school training or if you did not graduate with your cohort. The transcript addendum will not count towards your word limit for your Personal Letter. Failing to submit a transcript addendum, if the criteria apply, will result in the application not being considered.
Applicants who fail to meet criteria for strong academic performance will not be considered further. Interviewed applicants will be ranked based on an aggregate score of their application and interview. The selection committee reserves the right to adjust final rankings by consensus to address issues of program priority and diversity. Scores on the file review and interviews will be used to determine a total score. An applicants total score will determine their position on the rank order list.
File review process
Review team composition : Consists of the Department of Family & Community Medicine Program Directors and leadership team, overseen by the Associate Program Director, Admissions and Recruitment. Residents and faculty members will review applications to determine a list of applicants to interview.
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 | Interest and commitment to Family Medicine. |
| Electives | We recognize that applicant opportunities to arrange and complete electives has been challenging and would like to reassure you that a lack of elective activity this year will not negatively affect your application to our program. Ideally, we are looking for and rewarding applicants who have completed a broad range of electives including our specialty if possible. |
| Examinations | Family Medicine Professional Choices Assessment (FMProC). |
| Extra-curricular | Taken into consideration in global assessment. |
| Leadership skills | Leadership skills in Family Medicine and related subjects. |
| MSPRs | Academic excellence. |
| Personal letters | Please provide a narrative of 500 words or less describing how your medical training has led your interest and commitment to a career in Family Medicine. Please address how you envision your professional life in the next 5 years and how you think our Family Medicine residency program will help you get there. Please include a supplementary statement titled “Transcript Addendum” at the beginning of your Personal Letter explaining any poor academic performance or failure, any gaps in medical school training or if you did not graduate with your cohort. The transcript addendum will not count towards your word limit for your Personal Letter. Failing to submit a transcript addendum, if the criteria apply, will result in the application not being considered. |
| Reference documents | Exactly 3 reference letters using the Family Medicine Structured Reference Letter (SRL) submitted through CaRMS will be the only form of reference letters accepted. Only SRLs from last year’s (2023) CaRMS cycle and newly submitted ones from this cycle will be accepted. If possible, one or more SRLs from a family physician is helpful but not required. |
| Research/Publications | Interest and commitment to Family Medicine. |
| Transcripts | Academic excellence. |
Elective criteria
Interview process
Interview format :
We do not re-schedule interviews for applicants after we have completed the scheduling process.
| Interview components | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Collaboration skills | In accordance with CanMed Roles. |
| Collegiality | Used in global assessment. |
| Communication skills | In accordance with CanMed Roles. |
| Health advocacy | In accordance with CanMed Roles. |
| Interest in the discipline | Understanding of the discipline |
| Interest in the program | Understanding of the Program. |
| Leadership skills | In accordance with CanMed Roles. |
| Professionalism | In accordance with CanMed Roles. |
| Scholarly activities | In accordance with CanMed Roles. |
| Other interview component(s) | There are no other interview components. |
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 :Program Highlights
- Toronto's diversity is fully reflected in Family Medicine settings that serve patients from every cultural, linguistic and socio-economic demographic.
- Hospital teaching sites offer exposure to the full range of Family Medicine practice and specialties, including unique opportunities in areas such as HIV/AIDS, inner city medicine, immigrant health, and addictions medicine.
- DFCM residents are equipped to practice in any type of setting. They have access to a broad scope of patient populations and clinical experiences in an inter-professional team environment.
- DFCM residents experience the best of both worlds: the unique learning opportunities of a large, internationally respected program and the richness of small group learning at their hospital teaching site.
- Residents are active participants in the program and have flexibility to achieve their own specific learning goals.
- The DFCM program is enhanced by a strong academic focus. Weekly academic teaching provides exposure to current issues and topics affecting the practice of Family Medicine.
- The Family Medicine program is accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
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.
There are 13 hospital teaching sites in the Greater Toronto Area stream of the University of Toronto Family Medicine Program. Applicants matched to this stream will further select their hospital teaching site through a post-CaRMS internal match (see the Additional Information section below for more details).
All core rotations are completed at the hospital teaching site, and there are elective opportunities within and outside of the University of Toronto system. Some of our hospital teaching sites provide horizontal curriculum, and some provide the traditional block curriculum. To learn more about our hospital teaching sites please click here.
Competency-Based Curriculum
A strong primary care system requires well-prepared, comprehensive generalists with skills and knowledge relevant to their context. Our program is a recognized leader in competency-based Family Medicine education. This approach ensures learners acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that are necessary to practice Family Medicine. Our competency-based curriculum builds on the internationally recognized CanMEDS-FM (Family Medicine) framework and roles—defining the specific competencies and learning experiences a skilled family physician requires. Our unique staged development model links competencies to the various stages of residency, from competencies required to begin clinical training through to enhanced competencies required by family physicians with special interests in areas such as emergency medicine, low-risk obstetrics, palliative care, care of the elderly, and many more. Please see our website for more details DFCM Competency Based Curriculum.
Self-Evaluation Tools
a) Online Practice Profile
The delivery of our curriculum is paired with innovative tools for monitoring and assessment. An online resident Practice Profile tool allows residents to document and track their clinical experience to ensure it is comprehensive and fulfills the competencies defined in the curriculum.
b) Progress Testing
Twice yearly, the program administers the Family Medicine Medical Expert Assessment of Progress (FM-MAP) for all residents. Residents are tested on knowledge application in the domains that reflect the program’s competency-based curriculum. As they write the test iteratively, residents gain an understanding of their progress in the Family Medicine Expert role and are encouraged to use their results to tailor their future clinical experience, studying, and preparation for certification examinations.
c) Field Notes
Field Notes have been designed to be quick, frequent low-stakes/formative forms of feedback and assessment. After patient encounters or during post-clinic review, preceptors provide oral feedback to trainees. This can then be documented as a Field Note and submitted electronically through a custom-designed web interface.
d) Six Month Progress Review
Six Month Progress Review meetings, one-on-one meetings between a resident and their hospital teaching site director or designate. During this meeting, career goals, case mix, academic achievement, resident academic project and general progress are discussed. Successful completion of progress review meetings for all residents is logged via a centralized web interface.
PGCorEd™ Modules
These web-based e-learning modules provide the foundation for the intrinsic Can MEDS-FM roles. PGCorEd™ is designed to be responsive to the practical realities of residency training by being available when and where the resident needs the information. The content aims to help PGY-1 residents transition from the learner role of medical school to the practitioner role. All University of Toronto residents are required to complete the web based PGCorEd™ core competency modules as part of their residency program certification. Please see the Postgraduate Medical Education Office website for more details PGCorEd™ Modules.
Virtual Care Competency Training Roadmap (ViCCTR) Modules
Web-based interactive e-learning modules designed to support the development of medical expertise and transformation of clinical reasoning for the virtual care environment. The modules were developed in collaboration with medical education experts to ensure our learners develop the necessary skills to incorporate virtual care into their current and future family practices. All Family Medicine residents are required to complete the ViCCTR modules as part of the residency program certification. Please see our website for more details ViCCTR Modules.
San’yas Anti-Racism Indigenous Cultural Safety Online Training Program
San'yas is a nationally recognized training program aimed at improving cultural safety for Indigenous people accessing health services. The curriculum and learning activities have been shown to help residents strengthen their knowledge, awareness, and skills for working with and providing service to Indigenous people and communities; work more safely and effectively with Indigenous people; begin considering their role in correcting, rebuilding and transforming systems to uproot Indigenous-specific racism. All Family Medicine residents are required to complete the San’yas Core Health Course as part of the residency program certification. Please see the San'yas website for more details Core Health Course.
Teaching Practices: Community/Rural Family Medicine Experience
All second-year Family Medicine resident complete two consecutive four-week blocks of community/rural Family Medicine training through the Teaching Practices (TP) program. The TP network includes more than 90 experienced faculty located in approximately 35 community/rural practices from southern Ontario to remote northern Ontario. Residents are required to live in the same community/rural practice for the duration of TP. Financial assistance is provided to offset travel and accommodation expenses. Please see our website for more details Teaching Practices.
Academic Project
All residents are required to complete an academic project by the end of their second year. Although many residents complete a research project, other academic endeavors such as development of educational materials, audits and critical reviews of topics are equally acceptable.
Quality Improvement (QI) Curriculum
Family physicians are increasingly being held accountable for their performance. The DFCM has a QI curriculum for PGY-1 residents, to equip residents with the necessary skills to lead teams while effectively finding new and easier ways of enhancing patient care, increasing both patient and provider satisfaction and ultimately improving patient care. Residents are required to complete a QI practicum in PGY-1.
Academic Half Days
Mandatory academic half days covering core topics in Family Medicine are held weekly at all hospital teaching sites. A number of times over the academic year, the entire residency group attends a combination of practice management and resident-organized central core days. Valuable learning opportunities at hospital teaching sites may include journal clubs, simulation sessions, evidence-based medicine rounds and weekly grand rounds in Family Medicine.
Training Sites
To view an interactive Map of all our hospital teaching sites by stream click here.
To view our Quick Facts: Hospital Teaching Site Comparison Chart by streams click here.
Additional Information
- Permanent Residents: Successful applicants who hold Permanent Resident status in Canada will be required to disclose their Country of Citizenship to the postgraduate medical education office in order to comply with current reporting requirements of the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities
- Matched applicants: CaRMS will provide their electronic data file to the matched university’s postgraduate education office. The postgraduate office will share the information as needed, but not limited to, the Ontario Physician Human Resource Data Centre, Canadian Post-MD Education Registry, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario, teaching hospitals and other training sites, Touchstone Institute and the Ontario Ministry of Health.
- Changes: The Ontario Faculties of Medicine and Ontario Ministry of Health reserve the right to make changes to the information published on the CaRMS website pertaining to Ontario postgraduate training without prior notice.
- Failure to meet or provide proof of any of the stated requirements may result in the applicant file not being reviewed and removed.
Virtual Resident Meet and Greet Sessions: Applicants who receive an interview invitation will receive details about the optional Virtual Resident Meet and Greet Sessions, which will take place before your scheduled interview. The Virtual Resident Meet and Greet Sessions are an opportunity to meet with both faculty and resident leadership, introduce applicants to the interview process, and feature a Q + A component with resident representation from each of our hospital teaching sites and streams.
Virtual Open House Sessions: Applicants matched to the U of T Greater Toronto Area Stream will be invited to meet with the GTA site directors through a Virtual Open House session to be held a week after the release of the CaRMS match results (March 19). Attendance is optional and will not influence hospital teaching site assignments (Post-CaRMS Internal Match). Matched residents may also directly contact the GTA Stream hospital teaching site directors, site administrators and chief residents to obtain information.
Post-CaRMS Internal Match: Newly matched residents will be asked to rank all the hospital teaching sites in order of preference. A mathematical algorithm is used, taking into consideration resident ranking and hospital teaching site capacity to provide the best overall outcome for all new incoming residents. The internal match is not based on the strength of your CaRMS application or position on the CaRMS rank list. The internal matching process does not guarantee that newly matched residents will be matched to their preferred hospital teaching site. However, all those matched to the GTA stream will equally benefit from the strong curriculum and academic program offered as part of the experience in the Family Medicine Residency Program at the University of Toronto. Hospital teaching site assignments will be announced in mid-April.
Please note that you may need to be available for site orientation and information session purposes between June 24 - July 1, 2024.
Adding Additional Streams:
When applying to the U of T residency program, it is recommended that you apply to all streams you may be interested in before the CaRMS online application closes. Adding additional streams after CaRMS online application closes may be considered until the last UofT scheduled interview on Tuesday January 23, 2024. In order to be considered for additional streams, you must email dfcm.admissions@utoronto.ca indicating which stream(s) you would like to add, as well as add the stream to your CaRMS online application.
Car Requirements:
Access to a car with the ability to drive or be driven is required upon admission. This will allow for full participation in the program to travel between hospital teaching sites, elective opportunities and the Teaching Practice (community/rural) Family Medicine Experience.
Additional Learning Initiatives:
1. Enhanced Skills Program (PGY-3)
* Resident can apply to this program in their PGY-2 year
Opportunities exist for further training beyond the two years in areas such as emergency medicine, anesthesia, low-risk obstetrics, women's health, care of the elderly, sports medicine, and academic fellowship programs. Please see our website for more details on the Enhanced Skills Program.
2. Family Medicine and Enhanced Skills (FAM-ES) Integrated 3-Year Program (I3P)
*Residents can apply to this program in their PGY-1 year
The FAM-ES program will integrate PGY-3 content (either Palliative Care or Care of the Elderly) alongside core Family Medicine during the PGY-2 and PGY-3 years of training. Upon completion of FAM-ES, graduates are eligible to apply for the appropriate CCFP PGY-3 designation. Please see our website for more details on FAM-ES.
3. Family Medicine Leadership and Master of Science in System Leadership and Innovation Integrated 3-Year Program (I3P)
*Residents can apply to this program in their PGY-1 year
The Integrated 3-Year Leadership Program; offers leadership skills to selected Family Medicine residents in an innovative longitudinal integration of Family Medicine residency training combined with a Master’s of Science in System Leadership and Innovation (MScSLI). Please see our website for more details on the Integrated 3-year Leadership Program.
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