Prospective residents should refer to the UBC Family Practice Postgraduate Program website for ongoing updates, deadlines and detailed information.
FMProC: Important timelines
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.
Program application language: English
Resident selection for the UBC Family Practice Postgraduate 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 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.
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 documents listed above which must be notarized/certified as proof of the citizenship/permanent residency, and this is a requirement for all applicants. Photocopies are accepted, however documentation other than what is listed above will not be accepted. Proof of citizenship/permanent residency must be submitted to CaRMS by the File Review deadline. No allowances for late submission. Please see the R1 match CaRMS resource here for more information.
CMG applicants
Applicants who graduated from an English-speaking medical school in Canada (including McGill), are exempt from providing proof of language proficiency.
Candidates who attended medical school in Quebec or the University of Ottawa (Francophone stream) where the language of instruction 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 CaRMS Ranking Period.
Applications received by the CPSBC who do not meet the above requirements will require one of the following examinations:
Applicants must submit the proof of English language proficiency to CaRMS by the start of Ranking Period. Photocopies are acceptable.
Please note that results from these three examinations cannot be mixed. Candidates must meet all of the criteria in either the IELTS, OET or CELPIP examination.
Applicants are advised to review the CPSBC English Language Proficiency Requirements here: https://www.cpsbc.ca/files/pdf/REG-ELP.pdf
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 if your reference submits a traditional letter, it will not be reviewed and your application may be deemed incomplete.
Consistent with the AFMC measures established in response to the Québec physicians’ strike, we will implement the following accommodations for applicants from Québec faculties of medicine and for applicants from other Canadian faculties who had planned visiting electives in Québec during this time.
Your medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:
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.
For applicants from Québec faculties of medicine, as well as those from other Canadian faculties who had scheduled visiting electives in Québec during this period, we will accept incomplete MSPRs for file review and ranking purposes.
An incomplete MSPR is one that may be missing final assessments from placements expected to be completed by the date of submission but delayed due to the strike. A complete MSPR will not be required as a criterion for file review or ranking for these applicants.
Personal LetterFor this component, please reflect on your training and life experiences to help our program better understand your journey and insight, and how these have specifically prepared and affirmed your commitment to have a career in Family Medicine.
Provide a biographical letter (max. 750 words) that includes answers to the following questions:
1. What 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 personal letter is expected to be your own original work – an honest sample of your own writing skills and an authentic account of your own journey. The same letter must be submitted with each site application.
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 a comprehensive and structured review process that includes the following components (and weights):
The ranking process follows this general flow:
Our teams of file reviewers and interviewers consist of the following representatives from our program’s many diverse sites:
All assessors are required to
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 %
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | Not scored* |
| Electives | Not scored* |
| Examinations | Not scored* |
| Extra-curricular | Not scored* |
| Leadership skills | Not scored* |
| MSPRs | Not scored* |
| Personal letters | We score this file component. |
| Reference documents | We score this file component. |
| Research/Publications | Not scored* |
| Transcripts | Not scored* |
| Other file component(s) | * All file components are used when needed to assist in clarifying any professionalism and performance issues, and in corroborating content in the personal letter and references. |
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 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
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.
Introduction
This site provides opportunities to develop special expertise in providing safe and appropriate care with and for Indigenous peoples for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous allied physicians. Please note that this site is administered centrally as part of the Indigenous Family Medicine program together with Indigenous – Lower Mainland and Indigenous – Rural Vancouver Island. Information regarding these other specific sites can be found under a separate CaRMS description.
Our program is relationship-based and engaged with Indigenous communities. We work in collaboration with a number of Indigenous communities and their health care teams to provide educational experiences whereby residents are connected within an Indigenous community for the duration of their training. The residents are welcomed and encouraged to participate in community activities and gatherings in order to help them develop trust with the community they are serving. Our program focuses on supporting residents to engage with communities in a respectful way in order to learn about health and healing with and from Indigenous peoples.
At the Indigenous – Victoria site, our residents have their home clinics based at a combination of the Camas LeLum Clinic, Victoria Native Friendship Center clinic, Cool-Aid, and Westshore. There is also a possibility of some clinic outreach to Pacheedaht/ Beecher Bay/ Tsartlip.
PGY1 Overview
|
R1 |
Duration |
Location/notes |
|
Family Medicine Orientation |
1 block |
Initial block at start of R1 to include orientation sessions, academic curriculum, and introduction to home clinics |
|
Family Practice |
4.5 blocks |
Longitudinal or split blocks at your primary family practice clinic, at a mix of Westshore, Camas LeLum/Victoria Native Friendship Centre, and/or Cool-Aid depending on preceptor availability, plus occasional community outreach with preceptors. This block also includes overnight call shifts at the hospital in lieu of an R1 hospitalist rotation, plus some LDR call experiences. |
|
Addictions |
0.5 blocks |
Inner city addictions block in Victoria. |
|
Rural Indigenous FP Rotations |
1 block |
Residents will spend 4 weeks in Alert Bay working with the ‘Namgis First Nations, Hazelton, Carrier Sekani, Bella Bella or Nisga’a depending on interest and availability |
|
Pediatrics |
1 block |
Royal Jubilee Hospital OR selective that is self-scheduled by resident (inpatient or outpatient) |
|
OB-LDR |
1 block |
Royal Jubilee Hospital, or other high volume LDR experience if available |
|
ER |
1 block |
Royal Jubilee Hospital, or other high volume ER if available and requested by resident |
|
IM |
1 block |
Royal Jubilee Hospital CTU, or other general Internal Medicine rotation if available and self-scheduled by the resident |
|
Electives |
1 block |
Self scheduled by resident |
|
VACATION |
4 weeks |
To be taken in two 2 week periods during each half of the academic year |
PGY2 Overview
|
R2 |
Duration |
Location/notes |
|
Family Practice Horizontal |
3 blocks |
Primarily FM at home clinic with option to self-schedule longitudinal experiences in chosen areas (care of elderly, gyne, etc) |
|
Rural Family Practice |
2 blocks |
Various communities around BC, option to extend rural experience to 4 blocks |
|
Palliative |
1 block |
Royal Jubilee Hospital, Hospice, or other available palliative care site in Victoria (or selective if available and self-scheduled) |
|
General Surgery/ Orthopedics/Procedural Skills Selective |
0.5 blocks |
Selective, self-scheduled by resident |
|
Ward/Hospitalist
Psychiatry |
0.5 blocks
0.5 blocks |
Hospitalist selective
Psychiatry selective |
|
Electives block |
3.5 blocks |
Resident driven and self scheduled |
|
Family Medicine Transition to Practice |
1 block |
Last block of residency, transition to practice with reduced supervision and increased independence, transition to practice curricular time |
|
VACATION |
4 weeks |
Self scheduled by residents |
Indigenous Community Visits, Academic Curriculum, and Research
Our curriculum is structured into academic weeks, and clinically focused sessions will include lectures, case-based learning, SIM sessions, hands-on clinical/procedural skills workshops, and exam prep. A highlight of our site is our focus on relationship to each other and the Indigenous communities we serve, and a focus of our academic gatherings is on incorporating Indigenous ceremony and knowledge, community visits and activities, and meetings with Elders and knowledge keepers. We will also have a focus on resident wellness built into our curriculum.
We will have 3 in-person academic weeks scheduled throughout the year as week as bi-weekly virtual Academic Days on during blocks that do not contain Academic weeks. Some weeks will be in-person and some will be virtual. Please note that since we are a distributed program, attendance will require travel which will be reimbursed. Expect to travel a minimum of three times per year for academic/scholarship related travel.
Research requirements are consistent with other sites at UBC. In R1 a small research or quality improvement project is to be completed, either individually or with another resident. In R2, a larger scholar project must be completed, and will be presented at our Indigenous Scholarship presentation at the end of residency.
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.
Victoria / Pacheedaht/ Beecher Bay/ Tsartlip – Victoria site, traditional Lekwungen and WASANEC territory, is the largest city on Vancouver Island and the capital of BC. The site utilizes full-service community family practices, inner city clinics and the 950 acute care beds of the Island Health Authority at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospitals. There 3,000+ deliveries, over 100,000 emergency room visits, and 36,000 surgical procedures carried out each year. Residents based in Victoria collaborate with the Victoria Family Practice site for academic days and in-hospital rotations so will have a large cohort of peers (44 residents). Our FP preceptors are based with:
Royal Jubilee Hospital – a tertiary referral hospital
We strongly recommend writing a personal letter to the site outlining your reasons for selecting our site. This will be reviewed by our selection committee.
Please see our site-specific selection criteria:
Criteria for scoring Personal Letter for Indigenous site suitability
0 point:
1 point:
2 points:
Criteria for determining Lived Indigenous Experience
0 point:
1 point:
2 points:
*These 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 do not hesitate to reach out.
Criteria to determine sincere interest to train at Indigenous site
0 point:
1 point:
2 points:
Criteria to Determine Relationships with Indigenous Peoples and/or Communities
0 point:
1-2 points:
3-4 points:
*Due to colonialism there are many ways our connection to community and kinship ties have been disrupted. We also recognize that there are different ways we form community because of this. If this is your experience, we encourage you to outline this in our site-specific personal letter or reach out by email/phone (if this is something you’re comfortable doing). Our intention is not to further isolate and segregate our community.
| SUMMARY ID | Section | Summary of changes | Updated on | NOTIFY APPLICANTS | SECTION NAME | Actions |
|---|