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University of British Columbia - Family Medicine - Rural Immersion - Valemount & McBride

2025 R-1 Main Residency Match - first iteration
CMG Stream for CMG

Last approved on November 08, 2024

Summary of changes

Approximate Quota:

 1 

Accreditation status : Accredited

Provincial Criteria


Dr. Joshua Greggain
Faculty of Medicine – Department of Family Practice 
300-5950 University Boulevard 
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3
UBC CaRMS Website

Program Contacts

Jana Ogdenova
Program Co-manager
residency@familymed.ubc.ca

Kelly Jacobs
Program Co-manager
residency@familymed.ubc.ca

Cindy Choi
Education Coordinator
residency@familymed.ubc.ca

Roghieh Soufinia
Site Coordinator
Roghieh.soufinia@unbc.ca

Dr. James Card
Co-Site Director
james.card@unbc.ca

Dr. Bron Finkelstein
Co-Site Director
bron.finkelstein@ubc.ca


Important Information

Prospective residents should refer to the Family Medicine Residency Selection website for ongoing updates, deadlines and detailed information.

IMPORTANT: **In order to be considered for any sites in the Rural Immersion program you need to directly contact the co-site director, Dr. James Card, to express your interest at james.card@unbc.ca**

 

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.

 

 

 


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. 


Supporting Documentation / Information

Canadian citizenship
CaRMS partners with third-party organizations to verify your citizenship or permanent resident status. If your status is verified by one of these organizations, you will not need to provide citizenship documents in your application. If your citizenship status is not verified, you must provide one of the documents listed below.
Document must be notarized/certified
Required
Submit one of the following documents to verify your Canadian citizenship:
• Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
• Passport page showing Canadian Citizenship
• Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)

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.

  • Canadian Birth Certificate
  • Canadian Passport
  • Canadian Citizenship Certificate
  • Canadian Citizen Card (both sides)
  • Current Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides)
Language proficiency
Conditionally required
Submit one of the following documents to verify your language proficiency:
• IELTS
• Occupational English Test (OET) - Medicine
• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) - General

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.

 

Examinations
Required
FMProC
  • Score
  • 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.

     

    Reference documents
    Required
    Number requested: 3

    Three letters of reference are required.

    • Regardless of reference source, reference letters should speak to an interest in Family Medicine and aptitude for the discipline.
    • Using anecdotal narrative if possible, letters should provide evidence of attributes and abilities well suited for a career in Family Medicine.
    • These attributes and abilities are also evaluated in our interview process (see interview criteria and components).

    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.

    Additional documents
    Required
    Medical School Transcript 

    Your medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:

    1. 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;
    2. Ask your medical school to upload your medical transcript through their CaRMS Undergraduate Portal account; or
    3. International (IMGs) and United States (USMGs) medical graduates can transfer their transcript from their physiciansapply.ca account.

    Medical Student Performance Record 

    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.

    Personal Letter 
    Word count
    Minimum : None
    Maximum : 750

    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.

    Optional - will be reviewed
    Family Medicine rural addendum/questionnaire 

    Rural Questionnaire:

    • Candidates are strongly encouraged to include this supporting document when they apply to a rural site.
    • Completion of the rural questionnaire will identify the applicant as someone with a special interest in rural training and practice.
    • If you apply to both urban and rural sites, completion of the rural questionnaire will not prevent applicants from being considered for an urban placement.
    • A score attributed to the questionnaire will be provided to Site directors at rural sites for consideration after the interview period. This will be a stand-alone metric and does not contribute to the total file review score.
    • The following sites are considered rural and will use the rural questionnaire score when generating their site rank list:
      • Kelowna Rural
      • Kootenay Boundary
      • Northern Rural
      • Northwest - Terrace
      • Northeast - Fort St. John
      • Okanagan South
      • Prince George
      • Strathcona
      • Rural Immersion
      • Quw'utsun
    • Note: Training at the Indigenous sites include about 50% rural training, but will not use the rural questionnaire in their ranking

     

    Rural Questionnaire:

    (Answer the following questions. Please write your responses under each question; 250 words max per question)

    1. Describe your personal rural background and/or rural involvement and experience, both prior to and during medical school.
    2. What has led you to apply for a residency in rural Family Medicine and why would you value a rural residency position?
    3. Describe the type of future rural practice that would fit you best.

     

    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. 

     


    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
    2025 R-1 match interviews will continue to be in a virtual format. 

    The national interview period is January 18- February 09, 2025.
    UBC interviews will take place between the dates of January 18-28, 2025. 

    Please note that candidates will be interviewed once, regardless of number of training sites you apply to. 

    Program will notify all applicants through CaRMS Online and will send email invitations directly to applicants selected for an interview.
    All interviews will be conducted in a live, synchronous MMI format. The UBC Family Medicine (FM) program will contact the selected applicants by email to provide program-specific interview details and interview links.

    If you wish to add a new program/site to your rank list after your interview, you must update your CaRMS application by our Program deadline, January 29, 2025. This date will be posted here as soon as it is determined.

    Any additional sites added to your application after this date will not be considered for ranking.


    Important: you must also link your documents to any newly ranked site.

    Regardless of the number of sites to which you apply, one final score will be generated after the interview.
    If you are matched, the program will be unable to facilitate transfer from one site to another.


    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

    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 %

    Evaluation criteria :
    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.

    Elective criteria

    We do not evaluate this component

    Interview process

    Interview format :



    We do not re-schedule interviews for applicants after we have completed the scheduling process.

    Interview evaluation criteria :
    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

    Information gathered outside of CaRMS application

    Specifically, we may consider:







    Ranking process

    The behavior(s) exhibited below during the interview process may prevent an applicant from being ranked by our program :
       
       
       


    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.


    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.

    **In order to be considered for any sites in the Rural Immersion program you need to directly contact the co-site director to express interest, james.card@unbc.ca**

     

    Introduction

    Hi, welcome to the Valemount/McBride Rural Immersion site.
    The Rural Immersion program will be entering its second year and is unlike any other family practice residency site out there! If you see yourself practicing in a small rural community following graduation, or if you are looking to better hone the skills necessary to become a total clinician, please read on!

     

    Why choose this site?
    - more resident autonomy with a focus on flexibility
    - more responsibility and hands-on training from the beginning and throughout the two-year residency, compared to other rotational schedules
    - education that is tailored to smaller communities requiring a larger skillset, optimizing preparation for practice in those environments
    -experience longitudinal medicine, where better understanding of care is developed and follow up with patients is ensured
    - build strong relationships with your preceptors, patients, and local healthcare team in a smaller, close knit setting - you will be a member of the team, and a member of the community
    - the opportunity to live in an amazing small rural community!

     

    Description:

    As a resident at this site you will be based in Valemount/McBride for the duration of your residency. There will be opportunity for any needed experience in larger centers throughout the two years depending on exposure gaps identified. The learning is independent and autonomous, where schedules are developed alongside the family practitioners within the community.

    Your residency experience is very much a unique individual training experience. Unlike other rotational components, the curriculum will be managed through a checklist approach, with overall objectives aligning with the other UBC sites. There are no specific or planned rotations. The curriculum will be achieved through an integrated longitudinal approach where residents work in numerous rural family practice roles (rural FPs do it all!)

    It is anticipated that the vast majority of curriculum objectives will be achieved in Valemount/McBride with rural family physicians training future rural family physicians!

    The site would primarily be supported by the administration team based in Prince George [Prince George and Northern Rural]. There would be local administrative contacts as well. Academic time would be shared with the Prince George programs, with in-person attendance for hands-on sessions, and virtual attendance otherwise. Resident events such as the CARE course, scholar day, and resident retreats would be shared with the other two Prince George programs. As travel is more frequent in this stream, there is a more flexible approach to travel reimbursement. Valemount and McBride are also involved in training medical students as hybrid ICC sites, offering ample teaching opportunities for the resident. There is currently no other Rural Immersion resident at this site.

     

    Thanks for reading this through!
    Please reach out with any questions. This is a great opportunity for applicants that are looking for a career in rural practice and want to be actively involved in helping to shape their own education by tailoring the residency experience towards their own learning goals.
    Email me with any questions, james.card@unbc.ca

     

    James 

    I am James Card, the co-site director for the Prince George, Northern Rural, and Rural Immersion Family Practice Programs. I am a Northern Medical Program graduate and a graduate of the Prince George Family Practice Residency Program. I am currently a rural physician with my clinical practice in the small community of Valemount. I am passionate about full-service family practice and Rural and Remote medicine and I love the North! It is my goal to create a program that excels in transitioning residents into competent and confident physicians for Northern and Rural British Columbia.

     

    Academic Days and Research

    Residents attend mandatory academic activities – usually a half day per week. This includes academic teaching which is a mix of clinical case discussions and core topics. Residents are also expected to do presentations. SIM sessions are frequently part of the weekly academic time.

    In June of each year, residents will come together for a mandatory Site Specific Scholarship Day in Prince George.

    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 our local [Prince George] 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.


    Training Sites

    I am more than happy to provide information about any of the individual Rural Immersion communities. I'm also happy to connect you with one of the 6  residents who are currently in the program across our multiple sites.

    Please feel free to reach out to me by email:
    james.card@unbc.ca


    Summary of changes

    SUMMARY ID Section Summary of changes Updated on NOTIFY APPLICANTS SECTION NAME Actions