Prospective residents should refer to the Family Medicine Residency Selection website for ongoing updates, deadlines and detailed information.
FMProC: Important timelines
For the 2025 residency selection cycle ALL FM residency programs in Canada require applicants to sit FMProC for those applying in both rounds of CaRMS.
FMProC test window for CaRMS first Iteration is from October 28 (8AM ET) to November 11, 2024 (10AM ET).
Registration opens from September 11 (12 noon ET) and closes on November 07, 2024 (10AM ET).
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.
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.
Required documents for applicants submitting Citizenship documentation via CaRMS (and not participating in third party verification)
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.
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.
Three letters of reference are required.
Note: Traditional narrative letters will NOT be accepted.
Please note that should your reference submit a traditional letter it will not be reviewed and your application may be deemed incomplete.
Your medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:
For 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.
Provide a biographical letter (max. 750 words) that includes answers to the following questions:
1. What life skills or lived experience do you have that demonstrate your suitability for family medicine residency training?
2. Why would a career in Family Medicine be a good fit for you?
3. Why UBC? Why British Columbia? Please elaborate with specific examples of any connections you might have with the province of B.C., like community connections, education, work experience, etc.
Note: The same letter must be submitted with each site application.
Rural Questionnaire:
Rural Questionnaire:
(Answer the following questions. Please write your responses under each question; 250 words max per question)
Note: You must upload your responses under 'Family Medicine Rural addendum/questionnaire'. Any responses submitted to 'Program questionnaire' or any other sections not relevant to Rural addendum/questionnaire will not be considered.
Applications submitted after file review has opened on November 29, 2024
Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened on November 29, 2024
Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on November 29, 2024
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 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.
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 |
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 23 training sites and multiple training communities. 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, Lead 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 23 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 Kootenay Boundary Program is ideal for a highly motivated and independent resident who is comfortable living and working in rural, isolated sites. It is located 630 km from Vancouver. Travel between several of the training locations and communities is required, and so experience in mountain winter driving conditions and having a 4-wheel/AWD drive vehicle is essential. The area is remote and often difficult to access by air, especially in the winter, so an understanding of the difficulties in traveling to and from the site must be appreciated. The site attracts residents who are motivated to practice in isolated areas, who enjoy what rural life has to offer, and who seek the challenges of experiential, independent, self-directed learning. Our residents thrive on trying new things and being flexible and willing to adapt. While the area excels in offering premier recreational and outdoor activities, as well as artistic and musical events, it may not suit those who are more comfortable with greater cultural opportunities and more diverse social networks.
The first year of the program delivers the majority of the curriculum in the two communities of Trail and Nelson (70 km distance), and so significant driving is involved. This involves having to stay away from a primary residence to participate in on-call responsibilities. The residents are attached to family practice clinics clustered around Nelson and Trail but must travel between the two sites for structured learning opportunities delivered in both Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital and Kootenay Lake Hospital. At the end of the first year, a two-month remote rural rotation is undertaken in the communities of Grand Forks and Nakusp, and residents will need to live in these communities during this time. The second year gives residents the opportunity to customize their learning opportunities to each site, but realistically significant travel will still be involved.
Residents who do well in our program enjoy self-directed learning, meaning they are comfortable working in a hospital where they need to take the initiative to get involved with patient care to meet their personal learning needs. In the R1 year, because we are not a full service-based hospital, the level of responsibility may be less on some rotations compared to other programs, but in the R2 year, responsibility is closer to the level of a practicing rural physician, with the support of preceptors. Residents need to be able to motivate themselves in the R1 year so that they are not overwhelmed in the R2 year.
Residents who struggle in our program tend to be those who have difficulty being away from their partner or family. Travel to and from a larger center is often arduous and complicated by weather conditions, and so weekend trips away are difficult to arrange. Due to the remote locations and travel involved, it is preferable that a resident’s partner or family be mobile and able to move with them.
Our program delivers curriculum in a longitudinal and integrated manner over two years with the first year involving more structured learning in acute presentations and management and the second year allowing more flexibility for electives and focuses on individual learning requirements for competency.
Family physicians primarily deliver the program in their private offices, and in several rural, community and regional hospital settings and a variety of other outpatient community healthcare clinics and facilities, e.g., Primary Maternity Care, Mental Health and Chronic Pain Clinics, and Geriatrics in residential care centers. The specialty core content is delivered by a supportive contingent of specialists who work directly with family physicians.
The resident will be based in a family practice clinic with one or two preceptors for the full two years and will be rotated through more rural family practice clinics during scheduled rural elective blocks to broaden their experience. After an initial two months based in family practice, on a weekly basis, the resident will spend a one day every two weeks in the family practice office and will be encouraged to develop their own “mini-practice.” The remainder of the week is allocated to specialty exposure or tailored learning needs.
Purpose/Objectives
As reflected in the Department's Mission Statement, we welcome applicants who are committed to meeting the rural medical needs of British Columbia and Canada. We train residents to be prepared for full-service family practice including obstetrics and inpatient care. This site specifically trains residents to practice in rural areas, utilizing experienced and community-based faculty as mentors.
Principles
Rural Training Program
A rural training program is ideal for you if you have:
PGY1 and PGY2 Overview
Core Rotations *click on the name of each rotation to go to the handbook |
Resident A |
Resident C |
Home Clinic (8 weeks in Sep/Oct, 2 weeks mid residency, 10 weeks at the end of R2) |
20 weeks |
20 weeks |
2 weeks |
2 weeks |
|
2 weeks |
4 weeks |
|
4 weeks |
2 weeks |
|
2 weeks |
2 weeks |
|
4 weeks |
4 weeks |
|
4 weeks (2 wks focus on inpt IM) |
4 weeks (2 wks focus on inpt IM) |
|
4 weeks |
4 weeks |
|
Surgery (2 wks Ortho, 2 wks Anaesthesia/Mixed Surg, 4 wks Gen Surg) (Trail) |
6 weeks |
6 weeks |
2 weeks |
N/A |
|
4 weeks |
4 weeks |
|
N/A |
2 weeks |
|
2 weeks |
2 weeks |
|
Peds ER (BCCH) |
2 weeks 2 weeks |
2 weeks 2 weeks |
*4 weeks |
*4 weeks |
|
2 weeks |
2 weeks |
|
4 weeks |
4 weeks |
|
FP Oncology (Nelson/Trail) |
2 weeks |
2 weeks |
8 weeks |
8 weeks |
|
1 week, 1 month, or 2 months |
1 week, 1 month, or 2 months |
|
*Procedures Course (yearly for R2s) |
1 week |
1 week |
*Academic Week (2 per year) (KB) |
4 weeks |
4 weeks |
*Exam Prep |
1 week |
1 week |
*Practice Management (KB) |
1 week |
1 week |
Elective (4 wks can be out of province) |
17 weeks |
17 weeks |
Total Weeks |
104 |
104 |
|
|
|
Half day back home clinic (consistent day if possible) |
1 day every 2 weeks |
1 day every 2 weeks |
*Academic Day (Site varies) |
Full day once a month |
Full day once a month |
*Research and Scholarship |
6 Half day sessions in R1 |
6 Half day sessions in R1 |
To round on 2-4 patients once 2-4 weeks. To be part of inpatient rounds. |
To round on 2-4 patients once 2-4 weeks. To be part of inpatient rounds. |
|
On Call (1 in 4 while in KB) |
In hospital 18:00-23:00 |
In hospital 18:00-23:00 |
On Call/ER |
All residents will be doing ER shifts in their home community and hospital call at KBRH (Trail). |
Academic Days and Research
Residents attend mandatory academic activities – usually 1 full day per month. This includes 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 the first year, residents will be 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.
The Kootenay Boundary area has a total population of approximately 80,000 and is located about 650 kms east of Vancouver and 650 Km west of Calgary in the West Kootenay Boundary Region of South Eastern B.C. It is nestled between the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges and is close to numerous rivers and lakes.
The very scenic West Kootenay is renowned for being an outstanding outdoor recreational area and is a destination site for all types of skiing with two well- known Ski Resorts (Red Mountain and Whitewater), extensive cross country ski trails and it is a mountain biking mecca. Road cycling, kayaking, fishing and a water sports are also major recreational sporting activities as is backcountry hiking –e.g. The Seven Summits Hike is listed as one of the top ten things to do in BC. This vacation paradise is appreciated for a multitude of other recreational activities such as paddling, fishing, rafting, hockey, softball, hiking, golfing, or simply relaxing at the lake or soaking in natural hot springs and attending many popular music festivals.
Resources
The Family Practice Residency Program is supported by all the of The Kootenay Boundary, 4 hospitals, one being a regional referral hospital, three community hospitals, and three community health care centers with ED facilities. There are several extended care and long term care facilities.
Primary care is delivered in Family Practice Clinics, Primary OB Clinics and there are Mental Health and Addictions Clinics and a variety of Chronic Disease Management Clinics. The Site and program are supported and endorsed by the local Divisions of Family Practice.
Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH - Greater Trail Area – population 19,000)
Kootenay Lake General Hospital (KLH – Nelson – population 26,000)
Boundary & District Hospital (BDH – Grand Forks – population 8,791)
Arrows Lake Hospital (ALH – Nakusp – population 4,866)
Castlegar Community Health Center (Castlegar – population 13,725)
SUMMARY ID | Section | Summary of changes | Updated on | NOTIFY APPLICANTS | SECTION NAME | Actions |
---|