Prospective residents should refer to the Family Medicine Residency Selection website for ongoing updates, deadlines and detailed information.
In order to apply for a residency position in the CaRMS match, International Medical Graduates (IMG’s) must be selected through the UBC Clinical Assessment Program (CAP). The IMG BC website provides key information regarding this process.
IMG residents matched into a UBC program are required to attend a mandatory multi-day orientation prior to the start of their residency.
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.
The IMG stream is subject to a Return of Service (ROS). Successfully matched applicants are required to sign a contract with the Ministry of Health as a condition of accepting a medical residency position. Templates of the ROS contract and allocation details can be reviewed on the MOH ROS website here: International Medical Graduates - BC
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.
IMG applicants:
IMG applicants need not provide evidence of English language testing if the primary language of medical education or patient care was in English. If the primary language of medical education or patient care was NOT in English then applicants must fulfill the English language proficiency requirements by the start of Ranking Period.
See CPSBC English Language Proficiency Requirements here for more information: https://www.cpsbc.ca/files/pdf/REG-ELP.pdf
MCCQE Part 1 Exam Information: https://mcc.ca/examinations/mccqe-part-i/
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 International (IMGs) and United States (USMGs) medical graduates, you can submit your MSPR through either of the methods below:
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.
4. What clinical experience have you had in Canada?
5. What experience do you have in community-based family medicine?
Note: The same letter must be submitted with each site application.
Custom Résumé / CV IMG-BC Clinical Assessment ProgramThe UBC Clinical Assessment Program (CAP) Letter is provided to CaRMS by UBC IMG Office.
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 50%, interview score will contribute to 45%, and FMProC score will contribute to 5% of the overall global score. This total score informs the creation of a rank list which is submitted to each site for consideration. Some sites will use this as the final rank list while some sites will apply their own adjustments to this 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 : 201 - 400
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 51 - 75 %
File component | Criteria |
---|---|
CV | We do not evaluate this file component |
Electives | Clinical experiences gained through electives are considered |
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) |
1. Graduation Year 2. BC Clinical Assessment Program Quartile Rank 3. MCQQE Part I Note: A CV, 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.
Our Goals
Making meaningful connections
We aim to make our residents feel a sense of connectedness; not just to their patients but also to each other, their preceptors, and to the community. Right from the beginning our residents start with a two-week orientation to build these connections. Any residency program is a new adventure for our learners and you won’t have to do this alone. You will be a valued member of this medical community and your interests, challenges, and learning goals will be well supported. We will also promote resident wellness during this journey to further nurture meaningful connections.
Seeing Family Medicine through Multiple Lenses
We want all of our learners to feel confident and well equipped to work in many areas of family medicine by the end of residency. We will balance that training between health care facilities and in community. Residents will match with more than one primary preceptor with similar interests to mentor and provide patient panels to follow for both years. Our family doctors are keen to teach and each practice is unique, so additional staff are available to augment your learning needs. Residents will work alongside longitudinal family physicians, focused practice family physicians, and locum family physicians to experience a range of career opportunities in family medicine.
Promoting Health Care Equity in our community
Opportunities to learn and practice Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility, Anti-racism, and the principles of equity/diversity/inclusion are a priority at our site. As a newer site, we have decided that these values are paramount and modelled for all of our patients, colleagues, and learners. Our preceptors are trained and dedicated to showing our learners the wonderful meaning and importance of serving our most vulnerable populations.
The Sylix People have invited us to work at the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) Clinic on their Land. The community is rich in Indigenous values, knowledge, and ways of being. Local cultural safety training is provided to raise awareness of the history and traumas that have impacted the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. There will be opportunities to learn from Local Elders and Knowledge Keepers to help you address barriers that continue to result in unsafe health care services and supports.
Our site promotes team-based care to connect our patients with the health care resources they need. Residents will work together with amazing teammates not just at OKIB, but also at Downtown Mental Health, the Urgent Primary Care Clinic, and Options for Sexual Health. We are training team players that foster collaboration and respect, integrating these principles into daily practice so they become trusted advocates for the unique care needs of their patients.
A Dynamic Site
We strive to have a site that continues to grow and evolve. Being a new site means that residents are treated as partners. Our faculty members are open to resident input and your voice matters. By meeting the needs of our learners, we will create strong family doctors of tomorrow.
Education facilities
Our UBC Academic Space is well equipped for your learning needs. There are two lecture rooms equipped with video conferencing, SIM lab, glamorous call rooms, shower, learner lounge, and supportive staff nearby. There is a dedicated dictation room and computers protected for learners. There is also a library on site kept up to date with all the learning materials you need. You will have experience with teaching both fellow residents as well as medical students on site.
Curriculum Overview
R1 will start out with 2 weeks of Orientation followed by Intro to Family Med to ease into residency and build connections with your preceptors and each other. Residents will then move on to 1–2-week rotations throughout the year, with opportunities for additional learning via flexible call shifts. There will be 4 weeks of local selectives near the end of R1, where you can put in additional time in any of your other rotations or explore new ones in the community.
R2 continues with 1–2-week rotations. You can do 8-16 weeks of Rural training, depending on your preference. There will be 12 weeks of electives as well. Near the end of the year, you will be transitioned to more independent practice and prepared for life after residency.
There will be numerous longitudinal experiences through both years. Residents will spend at least one-half day every week with one of their primary preceptors. There will also be family medicine weeks both in R1 and R2. Each resident will be assigned to a "Family Practice Pod" consisting of multiple teachers for experience in different practices. There will also be attached patient panels for LTC, obstetrics, and palliative care to promote continuity of care. In addition, both R1’s and R2’s will do longitudinal “Primary Care Call”, consisting of experiences in Hospitalist, ER, Obstetrics, GenSurg, and UPCC/OPT.
Residents will spend one academic half day per week together, learning the CCFP Key Priority Topics through case-based teaching, SIM sessions, procedural skill stations, and facilitated group discussions. Regular exam preparation will be prioritized.
All residents will participate in the required Scholarship Curriculum with protected time for their projects.
R1 Overview |
Duration |
Notes |
Orientation |
2 weeks |
|
Intro to Family Med |
3 weeks |
|
ER |
4 weeks |
|
Children & Adolescents |
4 weeks |
|
Maternity & Newborns |
4 weeks |
|
Surgical & Procedural Skills |
6 weeks |
Gensurg, Ortho, Anesth, Gyne |
Family Med |
19 weeks |
Option to do 2 weeks in Salmon Arm in June |
Mental Health |
3 weeks |
|
Hospitalist |
4 weeks |
|
Internal Medicine |
4 weeks |
|
Physiatry |
2 weeks |
Focus on MSK |
Selectives |
4 weeks |
Local electives |
R2 Overview |
Duration |
Notes |
Addictions |
2 weeks |
|
Health Equity Care |
6 weeks |
OKIB, UPCC, OPT clinics |
Oncology |
2 weeks |
|
Family Med |
11 weeks |
|
Rural |
8 weeks |
Option to extend to 16 weeks |
Electives |
12 weeks |
|
Transitions to Practice |
4 weeks |
|
Site Highlights
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.
The North Okanagan Site is nestled in the grassland hills and surrounded by three lakes (Okanagan, Kalamalka, & Swan Lakes), making it a popular place for summer recreation. There is also more than one option for nearby skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. Vernon provides an exceptional quality of life that will also be prioritized for residents. By being a midsize site, residents can tap into urban amenities and see world class resorts, while also having a wealth of outdoor activities and strong sense of community and amazing recreational opportunities all situated in a natural setting. It is only a 30 min drive to the Kelowna International Airport for quick getaways.
Residents will have the majority of the clinical work in the local communities and living in the area would be both beneficial and expected. Newly constructed and subsidized resident housing is available. Driving is essential to commute between communities.
Number of Residents: 3 CMG, 1 IMG
Location: Vernon, Armstrong, Lumby, Enderby, Salmon Arm
Communities: Vernon (40,000)
Hospitals: Vernon Jubilee Hospital
Curriculum Type: Integrated longitudinal/block
Elective Time: 4 wks Selectives R1, 12 Weeks Electives R2
Contacts:
Site Director: Dr. Travis Allen travisallen28@hotmail.com
Site Coordinator: Alison Beaumont alison.beaumont@interiorhealth.ca
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