Program Contacts

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Important Information

Prospective residents should refer to the UBC Family Practice Postgraduate Program website for ongoing updates, deadlines and detailed information.

For the 2026 residency selection cycle, all family practice residency programs in Canada require applicants to sit the FMProC for both rounds of CaRMS. FMProC assessments are valid only one admission cycle. For those who have previously taken the FMProC, they need to retake it if they are applying to family practice residency this cycle.

 

For all applicants, registration for this cycle’s FMProC opens September 10, 2025 (12 noon ET) and closes October 30, 2025 (12 noon ET).  Test window is from October 23 (12 noon ET) to November 06, 2025 (12 noon 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. 

 

 

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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 Practice Postgraduate Program is a collaborative process between all 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 Practice Postgraduate Program is distributed into 23 unique sites and locations, candidates should apply to each site they are interested in. 
Applicants must submit the 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 27, 2025

Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened  on  November 27, 2025

Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on November 27, 2025

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Interviews

Dates:

• January 17, 2026
• January 19, 2026
• January 20, 2026
• January 21, 2026
• January 22, 2026
• January 23, 2026
• January 24, 2026
• January 26, 2026
• January 27, 2026

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 a comprehensive and structured review process that includes the following components (and weights):

• file review (50%),
• standardized MMI interview (45%)
• FMProC score (5%).

 

The ranking process follows this general flow:

• The file review determines whether an interview is offered.
• Scores from the file review, MMI, and FMProC are used to calculate each applicant’s overall global score.
• A global rank order list is created from the overall global scores.
• The global rank order list is given to each site.
• Some sites will use this as their own final rank order list, while some sites may make their own adjustments to this list based on local site selection committee deliberation. Please also see the “Information gathered outside of CaRMS application” section below.

 

Our teams of file reviewers and interviewers consist of the following representatives from our program’s many diverse sites:

• clinical faculty
• faculty leadership (including the Program Director)
• senior administration
• senior residents from our program’s many diverse sites.

 

All assessors are required to

• complete Implicit Bias and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) training within the last two years
• declare any Conflicts of Interest
• sign Confidentiality Agreements per applicable UBC policies.

 

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 : All of the above as well as decisions around entry into the Kelowna Rural site rely primarily on information gathered in the CaRMS and UBC interview processes. Additional information sources supporting a candidate’s intention to practice in the Rural BC setting upon graduation may also be considered.

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 Practice Postgraduate Program 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, Quesnel)
• Terrace (Rural Northwest)
• Indigenous

 

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.

Introduction

The Kelowna Rural program is best suited to those who would like to work in a rural or small city setting, are comfortable with frequent travel, and enjoy adventure. The benefits include a wide exposure to acute and chronic medicine and plenty of hands-on experiences.

The first year is designed to prepare Kelowna Rural residents for the more remote second-year experience. During R1, residents rotate through a variety of foundational specialties in both community- and hospital-based environments. All rotations incorporate the resident as a physician and work as part of a team. Residents experience longitudinal family practice care with weekly half-days spent in community-based FP clinics in addition to an 8-week core family practice block. Additional longitudinal experiences may be sought out depending on a resident’s interests.

The R2 year is spent primarily in rural communities throughout British Columbia and NWT. Residents complete 16-week blocks in two different rural communities. Four weeks of R2 electives are spent completing a mandatory trauma or an emergency rotation. Residents are allotted an additional 12 weeks in which they are encouraged to pursue elective experiences in areas of focused interest or meeting self-identified learning goals. The R2 year finishes back in Kelowna with a 4-week ‘Transition to Practice’ block typically with their R1 family practice preceptor.

During the second year, residents travel to Vancouver for a one-week Essential Rural Surgical Skills course, and Kelowna for one week of academic time, typically the first week of Block 9.

Residents need to feel comfortable working in a hospital where they take the initiative to schedule many of their own rotational experiences and be involved with patient care to meet their personal learning needs. In the R2 year, responsibility is close to the level of a practicing rural physician.

 

Purpose / Objectives 

As reflected in the Department's Mission Statement, the site welcomes applicants who are committed to meeting the needs of rural and semi-rural communities throughout British Columbia and Canada. We train residents to be prepared for full-service Family Practice including Obstetrics. This site specifically trains residents to practice in rural and semi-rural areas, utilizing experienced and community-based faculty as mentors.

Guiding Principles:

• provide community-based training
• encourage experiential learning in an academically monitored environment
• foster self-confidence and skills necessary to allow graduates to function effectively in a family practice setting
• encourage residents to learn how to balance their personal needs with the demands of family practice
• commitment to ongoing evaluation of the outcome and effectiveness of our Training Program

 

The Kelowna Rural Training Program is ideal for those who have:

• Motivation to practice in rural, remote, and/or international locations.
• Commitment to meet medical needs of rural communities.
• Understanding of and an interest in full-service family medicine.
• Interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to be self-directed
• Reference letters which attest to abilities and interest in family medicine, as well as specific interest in rural medicine
• A willingness to travel to rural sites for training
• The ability to adapt to learning in a non-traditional, non-academic centre in the R2 year
• The ability to function psychologically and socially in remote settings in the R2 year
• The ability to take rational risks while maintaining professionalism
• A strong sense of social justice and accountability
• A keen interest in planetary health and climate change, and an ability to embrace a site that is very environmentally conscious.

 

PGY1 Overview

PGY1 Overview                                            Rural

Rotation	Duration	Location / Notes
Family Practice	8 weeks	Okanagan Valley Community Clinics
Obstetrics/Gynecology	6 weeks	Kelowna General Hospital
Pediatrics	8 weeks	Kelowna General Hospital
Psych	4 weeks	Kelowna General Hospital
Orthopedics/Sport Medicine	3 weeks	Kelowna General Hospital
Emergency	4 weeks	Kelowna General Hospital
General Surgery	3 weeks	Kelowna General Hospital
Anesthesia	1 week	Kelowna General Hospital
General Internal Medicine/CTU	4 weeks	Kelowna General Hospital
General Internal Medicine/Hospitalist	4 weeks	Kelowna General Hospital
Addictions/Inpatient	2 weeks	Kelowna General Hospital
Addictions/Outpatient	1 week	Kelowna General Hospital
ICU	4 weeks	Kelowna General Hospital
Total	52 weeks

 

PGY2 Overview

Rotation	Duration	Location / Notes
Community Family Practice	32 weeks	Two rural communities in BC
Electives	12 weeks	Location of resident’s choosing. Limit of 1 month out-of-province.
Mandatory Trauma Unit or Emergency Selective	4 weeks (During Electives Block)	Location of resident’s choosing. Limit of 1 month out-of-province.
Transition to Practice	4 weeks	Central Okanagan family practice clinics

 

Academic Days and Research

Residents attend mandatory academic activities – usually a half day per week. This includes academic teaching that is a mix of clinical case discussions, core topics, behavioral medicine and hands-on practical sessions (SIM, suturing, POCUS). Residents are also expected to teach their peers during this time. Academic time is dedicated to resident-led wellness initiatives. Second-year residents receive academic teaching available at their sites through video-conference sessions from Kelowna and an ‘R2 Academic Week’ to help prepare them for licensing exams.

Throughout the program, we stress "Evidence-Based Medicine" in both academic and clinical areas.

Residents complete a quality improvement project (QIP) in the first year and, over the course of two years, a resident scholar project that is presented at a regional Scholar Day held in the final month of residency.

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Training Sites

PGY1:

• Kelowna General Hospital
• Okanagan Valley Family Practice Community Clinics

 PGY2:

• Rural communities chosen from a list that may vary from year-to-year

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Additional Information

• As some of the practices are in semi-isolated areas, residents should be in good health and socially self-reliant.
• All applicants must agree to go to any of the currently active training sites; no conditional applications will be accepted.
• The Kelowna Rural site is not based in a classical teaching hospital setting. Applicants must be able to self-direct their learning.
• Residents should be prepared to travel more than in some residency programs. First-year residents travel for mandatory events/meetings/retreats; second-year residents travel between rural community rotations, mandatory academic events and for elective experiences.