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: 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.

 

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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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Interviews

Dates:

• January 18, 2025
• January 19, 2025
• January 20, 2025
• January 21, 2025
• January 22, 2025
• January 23, 2025
• January 24, 2025
• January 25, 2025
• January 26, 2025
• January 27, 2025
• January 28, 2025

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

Specifically, we may consider:
Social interaction during program related events
Communication with program administration
Social media
Unsolicited reference letters
Unsolicited email references
Unsolicited verbal information on a candidate's prior performance
Unsolicited feedback from colleagues and co-workers
Other : Indigenous Applicants
The Quw'utsun Family Practice Residency Program acknowledges the deeply important connection that Indigenous Peoples have to their home territories and communities. We recognize and aspire to uphold Indigenous Peoples’ inherent right to live and work on their traditional lands, as supported by section 35 of the Constitution Act, section 25 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and articles 25 and 26 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. As such, our site undergoes a rank adjustment process that prioritizes self-identified Indigenous applicants who come from a Nation within our site’s region. The rank adjustment process is contingent on the submission of an additional letter by the applicant, which is reviewed against the site-specific criteria outlined within the CaRMS description by local Knowledge Keepers and an advisory committee. Applicants who self-identify as Indigenous and have ties to any of the local First Nations community are invited to submit a letter introducing themselves and detailing their connection to the community. The letter can be emailed to the site coordinator Selena Martin selenam@uvic.ca.

Please note, all applicants who do not identify as Indigenous, or who do not submit a letter, will be ranked per the usual UBC ranking protocol.

Below is the scoring system used in the rank adjustment of applicants. The UBC central program sends the site the list of students who selected our site and completed the application process. Applicants on this list who have submitted a letter, and as such have indicated their interest in being rank adjusted per the Indigenous specific criteria below, will have their files reviewed by the selection committee and be ranked with scores ranging from 0-2. The selection committee may elect not to rank candidates if they feel that they are not suited to the site based on red flags (generally related to culturally unsafe language or behaviour).

0 points:
Does not self-identify as an Indigenous person or uses language that is culturally unsafe to describe their lived Indigenous experiences (i.e. perpetuating stereotypes or prejudices)

1 point:
Self-identifies as Indigenous from one or more of the local First Nation communities AND
- Does not demonstrate strong connection to one or more of the local First Nation communities
OR
- Self-identifies as Indigenous (First Nation from any Nation, Métis or Inuit) AND demonstrates a strong connection to one or more of the local First Nation communities

2 points:
Self-identifies as Indigenous from one or more of the local First Nation communities AND demonstrates a strong connection to one or more of the local First Nation communities

*This criteria may not encapsulate everyone’s lived experience and we apologize if you do not see yourself in these descriptions. If you would like to connect with site leadership and/or residents in the program to discuss your unique story/lived experience please reach out.

Please email your letter to site coordinator Selena Martin selenam@uvic.ca

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 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.

Training Sites: Overview

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

• Abbotsford-Mission
• Coastal (North Vancouver, Lion’s Gate Hospital)
• Chilliwack
• Indigenous (Greater Vancouver and rural Indigenous communities)
• St. 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)
• Quw'utsun (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 (Hazelton, Smithers, Vanderhoof, Mackenzie, Valemount/McBride, Chetwynd/Tumbler Ridge)
• Terrace (Rural Northwest)

 

IMG positions are offered at the following sites:

• Abbotsford-Mission
• Chilliwack
• Coastal
• Fort St. John
• Kamloops
• Kootenay Boundary
• Nanaimo
• North Okanagan
• 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.

Located on the traditional unceded territory of Quw’utsun Hwulmuhw (Cowichan Tribes), this new family medicine residency site,  aims to set a new precedent for providing a comprehensive family medicine curriculum rooted in the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion with particular focus on our local Indigenous population. Acknowledging our history of harm, we recognize anti-racism is an active ongoing process to which we remain committed. All preceptors in addition to our residents will be provided with cultural safety training through various resources including our local Indigenous Elders. 

The Cowichan medical community is close-knit and collegial with multiple group family practice clinics. Physicians from all specialties casually catch up during rounds in the hospital where “hallway consults” occur and clinical information is exchanged in a friendly and collaborative manner.  With healthy engagement in the Cowichan Valley Division of Family Practice (CVDFP) and the Cowichan District Medical Society (CDMS) most practitioners are on a first-name basis.

As a long-standing successful location of one the UBC Integrated Community Clerkship programs for 3rd year medical students, and as a UBC Indigenous Residency site, the Cowichan medical community is well poised to take on its own family medicine residency program. 

 

Purpose/Objectives

The vision of the Quw’utsun Family Practice residency site is to provide residents a supportive and expansive learning experience that produces curious, community-engaged, and compassionate family physicians.

The mission of the Quw’utsun Family Practice residency site will be built on the strong tradition of collegiality and cohesiveness for which the Cowichan medical community is well known. The site will offer a learner-focused comprehensive interdisciplinary and collaborative educational experience incorporating multiple medical specialties, allied health professionals, and community members in a supportive and respectful learning environment. This site will partner with local Indigenous communities and Elders to build a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive curriculum that honours the expanded tenants of equity, diversity, and inclusivity. Graduates will be highly skilled, confident, community minded physicians who have a deep sense of compassion for patients and themselves. 

 

PGY1 & PGY2 Overview

A hybrid model which includes longitudinal and block curricula will ensure consistent exposure to the many facets of family medicine. In addition to dedicated weeks, residents will also spend a full day per week at their family practice offices to maintain continuity during most off-service rotations.

Residents will have four weeks of vacation per year. 

 

R1 year

Rotation	Duration	Location/notes
Intro to FM	4 weeks	Settle in at FP preceptor’s office, academic sessions, procedural bootcamp
Family Practice	10 weeks	With FP preceptor, hospitalist, urgent care, maternity clinic
Indigenous	Longitudinal	Dedicated academic and experiential time engaging with local Indigenous communities
IM	4 weeks	At Cowichan District Hospital (CDH) ward consults, cardiology lab, and ICU
Emergency	4 weeks	CDH
Ob	4 weeks	Low-risk deliveries
Peds	4 weeks	2 weeks at Victoria General Hospital (VGH) and 2 weeks in outpatient clinics
Psych	2 weeks	At CDH and outpatient clinic
Gen Surg	2 weeks	CDH
Addictions	2 weeks	1 week at VGH, and 1 week at Duncan OPS
Anesthesia	1 week	CDH
Ortho	2 weeks	CDH
Electives	6 weeks

R2 year

Rotation	Duration	Location/notes
Family Practice	16 weeks	With FP preceptor, hospitalist, palliative, includes transition to independent practice
Rural	8 weeks	As part of rural selective match
Indigenous	Longitudinal	Dedicated academic and experiential time engaging with local Indigenous communities
IM	2 weeks	CDH
Gyne	2 weeks	Outpatient Gyne clinics
Psych	2 weeks	Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) ER Psychiatric Emergency Service
Surg selective	2 weeks	CDH
Addictions	2 weeks	At VGH, and Duncan OPS
Anesthesia	1 week	CDH
Electives	10 weeks

 

Academic Weeks

Academic weeks are an interactive time to strengthen experience and knowledge in components of family medicine. These may include didactic sessions, simulation, procedural skills workshops, and wellness sessions.

 

Scholar

In the first year, residents complete a quality improvement project and academic curriculum in patient safety and evidence-based healthcare. Throughout the two years, residents complete a scholar project and present their work at a local Scholarship event.

 

Electives

With 16 weeks of elective time available, a resident can dedicate more time to various interests according to their educational preferences.

 

International Electives

Residents may take one month of interprovincial or international electives as part of their elective time. This has to meet the standards required by the UBC Faculty of Medicine, Postgraduate Programs.

 

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.

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Training Sites

Duncan/Cowichan Tribes:  Duncan is the heart of the Cowichan Valley, located midway between Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. It has a population of 5,000 and a larger catchment area population of 38,000.  Cowichan Tribes is the largest First Nation in BC. Cowichan Tribes are part of a larger group of First Nations, the Coast Salish people.

Cowichan District Hospital (CDH) is an acute care facility with 148 beds. It serves a population of 84,000 people. In February 2018, there was approval for a new hospital which began construction in 2023 and is projected to be completed by 2027. The new facility will have 204 beds. For UBC learners, there will be a state-of-the-art simulation centre, innovation lab, learner lounge, private call rooms, study space, meeting rooms, and kitchen.

Cowichan Hospice House is a beautiful facility in Duncan that opened in 2022 equipped with volunteers, palliative care nurses, palliative physicians, and community family physicians who follow their patients through their sacred end of life journey.

Chemainus/Stz'uminus/Snuneymuxw:  Chemainus is located on the east coast of Vancouver Island with a population of ~4000. Stz'uminus First Nation’s traditional territory on east Vancouver Island includes four reserves of more than 1,200 hectares, much of it bordering the Strait of Georgia and Ladysmith Harbour. Stz'uminus First Nation has 1,300 members.

The Snuneymuxw are a vibrant First Nation of the Coast Salish People, residing in the centre of Coast Salish territory on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, with villages on the Fraser River and waterways in the Gulf Islands. Snuneymuxw territory encompasses one of the most productive and resource rich areas at the heart of the Salish Sea.

The Chemainus Health Care Centre is an Urgent Care Unit open 8am-8pm with 5 beds staffed with nurses and one family or ER physician. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the unit has seen patients from the entire Cowichan Valley and even from Nanaimo. The level of acuity and volume of patients has expanded accordingly.

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Additional Information

Number of Residents: 4 CMG

Location: Duncan, Cowichan Valley, Chemainus, Ladysmith, Penelakut Island

Communities: 38,000

Hospitals: Cowichan District Hospital, Chemainus Health Care Centre

Curriculum Type: a hybrid model including longitudinal and block curricula

R1 Elective Time: 6 weeks

R2 Elective Time: 10 Weeks

Contacts: Co-Site Directors, Dr. Tom Rimmer tom.rimmer@ubc.ca &  Dr. Kirsten Yip Kirsten.yip@ubc.ca

Site Coordinator: Selena Martin selenam@uvic.ca

Expansion Manager: Nicole Cullen nicole.cullen@ubc.ca