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.

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.

 

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Return of Service

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

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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 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

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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 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.

 

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 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.

The Coastal Family Practice Residency site evolved in a unique manner, with high aspirations.  A group of physicians from the North Shore, Pemberton, Whistler, Squamish, Sunshine Coast, Powell River, and 'the Bella’s' planned this FP Residency, to develop exceptional clinical skills for rural, remote and urban environments, across a full spectrum of clinical care settings.

Purpose/Objectives

The Coastal site has been developed for Residents who are excited about becoming leaders in Family Practice.  The site focuses on strong clinical skills and exposure to all aspects of Family Practice.  This is a “rurally strong” program with excellent urban exposure, so our Residents work across the full range of Family Practice settings. They also gain awareness of 'social determinants of health' in different communities.

The first year, spent entirely on the North Shore, starts with a common time together (2 weeks of Orientation at the start of residency), to learn fundamentals and create a support network.  Second year includes a 4-month rotation in a rural Coastal community, plus 10 weeks of Electives, which can be tailored to suit individual interests. We create a strong academic learning environment, enabling Residents to gain skills and knowledge for success in all aspects of Family Practice. Our residents also develop strong collaborative relationships, supporting one another as learners, friends, and colleagues over the two years and beyond.

 

PGY 1 Overview

First year, on the North Shore, encompasses a wide range of urban Family Practice settings, along with acute care experience at Lions Gate Hospital (LGH). The new HOpe Center, situated beside LGH, provides teaching rooms, a simulation centre, library, call rooms, and a great deal more, to support resident learning needs.

 

PGY 2 Overview

In second year, Residents spend part of the year on the North Shore, 10 weeks in electives, and four months in a rural community, making our program “rurally strong”, and creating an excellent opportunity to work, learn and live in a rural environment. Each community offers a broad range of clinical experience with committed practitioners.

Rotation	Duration	Location / Notes
Family Practice	40 weeks	Including 16 weeks of Rural Including 2 weeks at Health Connection Clinic – a clinic with a complex population to better address social determinants.
Emergency	8 weeks
Obstetrics/Gynecology	6 weeks
Pediatrics	6 weeks	2 weeks Pediatrics at LGH in R1 4 weeks Pediatrics Outpatient in R2
Internal Medicine + Hospitalist	10 weeks	6 weeks of Internal Medicine 4 weeks of Hospitalist
Surgery	6 weeks	2 weeks of General Surgery at LGH 4 weeks of Surgery Selective (2 choices for 2 weeks each: Orthopedics, ENT, Plastics, Radiology, Urology)
Mental Health/Psychiatry	4 weeks
Palliative Care	4 weeks
Electives	12 weeks	Includes 2 weeks of Medicine Selective (choice of ID, Cardiology, GI & Geri)

 

Academic Days and Research

Residents attend mandatory academic activities – usually a half day per week on Thursday mornings. 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.

Once a year, in June, residents from St Paul’s and Coastal get together for a Scholarship Day.

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.

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Training Sites

North Shore: The North Shore, where the main training hospital is located, is 20 minutes from Vancouver. It boasts three local ski mountains, internationally acclaimed mountain biking trails, hiking, sailing, many local beaches and a vibrant urban core. Lions Gate Hospital has 238 acute care beds, serves the North Shore, and provides specialty services for all of Coastal (North Shore, Sea to Sky corridor, Sunshine Coast, Powell River, and the Central Coast).  A recognized trauma centre, one of 5 BC Neuro surgery centres, it has a large orthopedic trauma service. LGH provides full maternity, pediatric, medicine, critical care, surgical and emergency services.  It has one of the most advanced MRI’s in Canada, and is the 4th busiest hospital in the Lower Mainland. Family Practitioners are a strong presence, as Attending Physicians, and also as Hospitalists. In the community, there are many group and individual Family Practice offices providing both full-service care, and focused practices.

 

Pemberton: Pemberton is a strong and vibrant community, located 30 minutes North of Whistler, and 2.5 hours from Vancouver. There are many outdoor recreational opportunities, including mountain biking, hiking, river rafting, etc, plus many Provincial Parks, and hot springs to visit. The Pemberton Health Care Centre services a large geographic area at the north end of the Sea to Sky corridor, including Pemberton, Mount Currie, D’Arcy and the In-SHUCK-ch communities down the Lillooet Lake Road. The Centre provides 24/7 emergency care, palliative care, diagnostic imaging and laboratory services.  A group (shared) Family Practice is co-located on site. All care is provided by a small group of physicians and a team of very skilled nurses. The ER sees all types of injuries and illnesses, maternity care, critical care, etc.  Approximately 45% of the patients are First Nations. One GP visits remote First Nations communities weekly by helicopter.  There are initiatives providing telehealth support to these communities.

 

Squamish: Celebrated as "The Outdoor Recreational Capital of Canada", Squamish has an active population with an average age of 36, and a large proportion under age 10.  Squamish is situated half way between Whistler and Vancouver, an enjoyable 45 minute drive either way.  Squamish General Hospital is a 22 bed acute care facility with a 9 stretcher Emergency Room. Hospital services include general medicine, surgery, obstetrics, psychiatry, palliative care, physiotherapy, pharmacy, diagnostic imaging, laboratory, ambulatory care, chemotherapy and dialysis.  Family Practitioners provide a variety of services including GP anesthesia, inpatient care, and maternity care, with support from a general surgeon and visiting specialists. Squamish General Hospital is the community hospital for the Sea to Sky corridor including Mount Currie and the First Nations communities along Lillooet Lake.  

 

Gibsons/Sechelt:  The Sunshine Coast runs approximately 180 kilometres from Langdale to Lund, with many beautiful small communities along the way, including Gibsons and Sechelt. The Sunshine Coast, a short 40 minute ferry ride from West Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay, is home to the highest per capita population of artists, artisans and crafters in Canada. It boasts spectacular hiking, kayaking, diving, beach combing, and a myriad of other outdoor pursuits.  St. Mary’s Hospital, a 42 bed acute care facility serving over 100 km of the Sunshine Coast, is located in Sechelt, and serves a number of communities along the coast. This facility was recently renovated and expanded with new acute care patient rooms, ER department, diagnostic imaging and a new special care unit for high acuity patients. There is a newly renovated ambulatory care area. Family Practitioners are an integral part of St. Mary’s, providing ER and inpatient care. While there are several consulting specialties available, including General Medicine, General Surgery, Psychiatry and Obstetrics, the Family Physician is always the primary physician.

 

Powell River: Powell River is located on the Northern Sunshine Coast at the gateway to Desolation Sound, has outstanding mountain biking, kayaking and hiking and is a destination for tourists from around the world because of its natural beauty, music and facilities. Powell River General Hospital is a modern self-sufficient 33 bed facility supporting many services including oncology, dialysis, cast clinic, endoscopy full time GP anesthesia, medicine, surgery, and OB Gyn coverage. Family physicians practice full service medicine, and are the primary physicians for medical and obstetrical patients. Residents provide in-patient care, palliative care, extended care and nursing homes, and gain experience in sports medicine, geriatrics, and chronic disease management. The ER is moderately busy and a great venue to become increasingly comfortable with emergency care. There is excellent GP, specialist and anesthesia back up. Residents will be exposed to truly 'full service' family medicine in a friendly community where accommodation is readily available. 

 

Bella Bella and Bella Coola: These small remote central coast communities are largely Indigenous (90-95%) and offer exceptional primary care learning.

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Additional Information

There are many opportunities for clinical skill development. Some examples:

• Regular Simulation sessions at Lions Gate Hospital’s Simulation Centre
• Comprehensive U/S training
• Extensive rural practice experience
• Varied Family Practice office setting exposure, from private office to group settings
• Obstetrics experience - full spectrum from prenatal visits, labour, delivery (including c-sections) and post partum care
• Health Connection - a 'high needs' clinic providing team-based primary care to people with complex clinical and social needs
• Surgical rotations, with surgeons and specialists keen to support the development of core skills in Family Practice Residents, including anaesthesia and airway management
• Mental health and addictions experience.
• Internal Medicine, Hospitalist and Critical care
• Exposure and training in First Nations/Aboriginal Health
• A strong commitment to academic development, with academic and clinical leaders providing content delivery and interactive sessions