University of Alberta - Family Medicine - Edmonton
2026 R-1 Main Residency Match - second iteration
CMG Stream including MOTP/MMTP for CMG
Last approved on March 04, 2026
Summary of changesApproximate Quota:
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Accreditation status : Accredited
Provincial Criteria
5-16 University Terrace
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2T4
Dept of Family Medicine - Prospective Residents
CanPrepp
Department of Family Medicine Facebook
Program Contacts
Important Information
The most up-to-date information about our programs can be found on our centralized website at: https://www.ualberta.ca/family-medicine/postgraduate/prospective-residents/index.html
Multiple opportunities to meet with our programs residents, faculty and administrators will be available throughout the CaRMS season. Please see CANPREPP for dates and registration.
Indigenous Health Initiatives
The Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta strongly supports the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. In 2024, our department conducted a comprehensive review of our residency program's response to the Truth and Reconciliation's Calls to action.
To further our program's work, the designation of dedicated leadership in Indigenous Health is paramount. To that end, we are proud to announce the creation of the department's Indigenous Lead, held by Dr. Cayla Gilbert, and supported by the Indigenous Program Administrator, Heather Makinaw.
To complete an application to the University of Alberta's Program stream:
1) You will need 3 referees to submit the Family Medicine Structured Reference Form.
2) You must complete the Personal Letter as detailed in the “Additional Documents” section. Please note that the guidelines for the letter differ slightly between our urban and rural streams.
3) You have the option of completing the CaRMS Self-Identification Questionnaire (CSIQ). The CSIQ is not currently being used as part of the application or selection process. More information can be found in the “Additional Information” section.
4) You must complete the FMProC (Family Medicine Professional Choices) test as noted in the “Examination” section; all Family Medicine Residency Programs across Canada use the FMProC in their selection process, which is a Family Medicine context-specific Situational Judgment Test. Applicants should register and take the test early.
FMProC
All Family Medicine Residency Programs across Canada use the FMProC (Family Medicine Professional Choices) in their selection process, which is a Family Medicine-context specific Situational Judgment Test.
All applicants to the University of Alberta Family Medicine Residency Program will be required to write the FMProC for their application to be deemed complete. More details and information about registration for FMProC can be found here: https://fmproc.com/.
Applicants should register early and take the test early during the testing periods posted.
CaRMS Round 2:
Registration opens: February 23rd, 2026 at 12 noon ET.
Registration closes: March 9th, 2026 at 12 noon ET.
Test window opens: February 25th, at 12 noon ET.
Test window closes March 11th at 12 noon ET.
Return of Service
There are no return of service requirements at the University of Alberta.
General Instructions
Program application language: English
Candidates who match to our program are required to submit proof of Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification prior to their start date. Without ACLS certification, candidates who match to our program will not be able to begin training on July 1.
Supporting Documentation / Information
• Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
• Passport page showing Canadian Citizenship
• Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)
• IELTS
• Occupational English Test (OET) - Medicine
• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) - General
Proof of language proficiency must be submitted at the time of application and exams must have been completed within 24 months of the expected residency start date.
Please refer to the Summary of Language Proficiency Requirements for Alberta. For more information on the CPSA English language requirements, please visit the CPSA website.
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.
Please note that traditional narrative reference letters will NOT be accepted. Please ask referees to submit a Family Medicine Structured Reference Letter, available on the CaRMS website.
Forms completed by physicians with whom the candidate has worked in a CLINICAL setting are preferred.
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.
- We will accept reference documents completed by any physician able to support the applicant’s candidacy.
- We will not require reference letters from physicians practising in the same discipline as the program.
- Applicants are required to submit two (2) reference documents but are permitted to submit up to the maximum of three (3).
Your medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:
- 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;
- Ask your medical school to upload your medical transcript through their CaRMS Undergraduate Portal account; or
- United States (USMGs) medical graduates can transfer their transcript from their physiciansapply.ca account.
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.
Custom Résumé / CV Personal LetterInstead of a traditional personal letter, please answer the following two questions as your personal letter. When completing your personal letter in the CaRMS.ca "Personal Letter" section, please copy and paste the question stems above your answer.
1) Please highlight three things about yourself that you would like to ensure we do not miss in our review. Items may include special skills or accomplishments, or anything else you feel will strengthen your application to UofA Family Medicine. Maximum 75 words per item (Max 225 words total). Please do not exceed the maximum word count.
2) Please tell us about a passion or hobby that you enjoy outside of medicine. (Max 100 words).
Sometimes applicants are worried about certain items or aspects of their application. Using the Program Questionnaire Template, you may optionally upload this “Program Questionnaire” document to explain any concerns you may have, for example, academic performance, professionalism concerns, leaves or gaps in training, Family Medicine experience, or other. If you have no concerns, please do not upload this document.
Self-identification questionnaireOur program recognizes the importance of EDIDI and anti-racism in residency selection. We invite applicants to optionally complete and include the CSIQ to assist our understanding of the diversity of applicant pools, but the CSIQ is not currently utilized as part of our application or selection process. We are using other methods to ensure mitigation of bias and equitable opportunities for all applicants.
PhotoReview Process
Applications submitted after file review has opened on March 17, 2026
Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened on March 17, 2026
Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on March 17, 2026
For details of our file review process, see "selection criteria".
Interviews
Dates:
- March 25, 2026
Selection Criteria
#1 - CaRMS Files
Factors that will be taken into consideration from the application file in establishing the candidate's suitability in family medicine residency include:
- Academic performance
- Clinical performance
- Family Medicine experience (family medicine electives will be considered but are not required)
- References
- Professionalism
#2 - Interviews
- Communication skills
- People skills
- Desire to become a family physician
- Maturity
- Team player
- Work ethic
- Self-directed learning
Program goals
Our GOAL is to produce competent, caring, full service family physicians with a passion for serving their community.
The University of Alberta Family Medicine Program believes that the best learning comes from exposure to as many clinical experiences as possible including diverse settings and challenging levels of responsibility. We encourage all medical students interested in family medicine to apply to our program as we believe training with us will prepare you for practice anywhere in the country.
Selection process goals
The University of Alberta ideal candidate:
1. Demonstrates a genuine passion for family medicine.
2. Demonstrates a solid knowledge base and excellent critical thinking skills.
3. Demonstrates superior communication skills.
4. Demonstrates a deep sense of responsibility to the community, including diverse populations and multiple settings.
5. Demonstrates adherence to the highest professional standards.
6. Takes responsibility for their own well-being in order to ensure they are able to fulfill their responsibilities given the physical and emotional demands of a rigorous residency training program.
File review process
Review team composition : Each file is reviewed independently by two file reviewers using a computer-based, evidence-informed scoring rubric. Discrepancies or concerns are reviewed by a third party and taken to the selection committee as appropriate.
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 0 - 50
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 26 - 50 %
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | Content evaluated as a supplement to the application |
| Electives | Our program does not favour residents who do electives at our site or numerous electives in our specialty. We consider and value applicants with broad clinical experiences. |
| Examinations | FMProC: professional integrity, adaptability, team-working skills, empathy/compassion |
| Extra-curricular | Work and volunteer experience; special skills and interests; community engagement |
| Leadership skills | Community service and engagement; family medicine-oriented organizations and associations |
| MSPRs | Academic proficiency, professionalism, leadership |
| Personal letters | Applicant's responses to question(s) clearly demonstrate(s) thoughtful understanding of the question(s). |
| Reference documents | Medical expert, professionalism, communication, suitability for family medicine |
| Research/Publications | Although not required, any items submitted will be reviewed to determine interest in primary care |
| Transcripts | Academic proficiency |
Elective criteria
Our program does not favour residents who do electives at our site or numerous electives in our specialty. We consider and value applicants with broad clinical experiences.
Interview process
Interview format :
We may accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants due to weather, technology failure, or unforeseen circumstances.
| Interview components | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Collaboration skills | Not specifically evaluated at interview |
| Collegiality | Behaviour, attitude and ability to interact well with others |
| Communication skills | Strong verbal and non-verbal skills |
| Health advocacy | Not specifically evaluated in interview |
| Interest in the discipline | Understanding of family medicine |
| Interest in the program | Connection to and/or interest in our community |
| Leadership skills | Involvement in teaching, mentoring, organizations etc. |
| Professionalism | Interactions with faculty, staff and residents |
| Scholarly activities | Not specifically evaluated in interview |
| Other interview component(s) | Clinical reasoning skills |
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
| We are Caring, Dedicated, and Responsive The main strength of our program is in its personnel. Our program leadership, administrators, preceptors, residents, and in some instances our patients, exhibit a true desire to provide excellent clinical care and prioritize our resident’s training. Our program is exceptionally receptive to feedback and responsive. Annually we hold a “resident feedback” session during an Academic Day, to field organized feedback regarding areas of strength and improvement from the entire resident cohort. Examples of changes made to prioritize resident learning and wellbeing include:
Residents are a Priority Residents are treated with the utmost respect as junior colleagues in our program. We respect your status as adult, self-driven learners by providing flexibility through electives, horizontal programming, and options for integration. We recognize that the breadth of Family Medicine’s scope can be intimidating. To that end, our curriculum allows ample opportunities for exposure to diverse clinical settings, including acute care. Maintaining a balance between acute and outpatient care, resident wellness, and the clinical confidence of our graduates is one of our highest priorities. We respect that residency training can be demanding. To provide dedicated, individualized support, we have a designated Assistant Program Director, Resident Support whose main focus is to support residents in need, and to provide guidance for navigating residency. Flex days, float days, educational days, and a recent increase in vacation flexibility are additional ways we support resident wellness. Post-call taxi rides (both to and from the hospital) are reimbursed to ensure resident safety. Our Graduates Are Prepared Our curriculum is deliberate in its design to ensure residents leave our program prepared to practice in any setting. Exposure to a solid foundation of family medicine, bolstered by experiences in rural, acute, and specialty care help to equip our graduates with the competencies they need to confidently provide care to their patients and communities. Family physicians learn throughout their career, and our curriculum helps our residents build skills to continually adapt to a dynamic medical landscape. Our Residents have Fun Our program leans heavily on a sense of community. We have an active Family Medicine Residents Association (FMRA) with regular social activities, a welcome BBQ each summer, and a graduation celebration at the end of training. Come join our family - we would love to have you! Clinical Highlights:
Yukon-Edmonton Pilot: There may exist an exciting opportunity for a maximum of 2 residents matched to our Urban (Edmonton) program to participate in the “Yukon-Edmonton Pilot” (YEP). In partnership with the Yukon Government and Yukon Medical association, a significant portion of these residents’ training may be completed in the Yukon. Applicants interested in this possibility must understand that the YEP may not proceed and residents would then be based in Edmonton. Should there exist more than 2 interested residents, an internal selection process will occur favouring connection to and existing supports in the Yukon and Whitehorse area. |
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.
| First-Year Curriculum | |||
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| Second-Year Curriculum | |||
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| Academic Curriculum | |||
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Foundations Block "Transition to Residency" The first block in R1 is dedicated to transitioning to residency. This will prioritize familiarization with your home clinic and faculty advisor, organized completion of mandatory requirements such as simulations, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), EBM workshop and others. This block also allows residents to connect with each other and build community and support. Academic Days (AD) The Academic curriculum consists of 24 rotating monthly topics on a two-year schedule. Monthly academic days include small group case-based learning, journal review, ethics cases, practice exam (SAMP) questions, literature updates, and didactic lectures by family doctors and other specialists and professionals. We use online tools, including recorded video lectures to enhance learning. Acute Care Simulation Sessions Exam Preparation - Simulated Office Orals (SOO) practice exam workshops for R2’s Monthly practice SAMP questions for both years. Evidence-Based Medicine Workshop (EBM) (2 days) Procedural Skills workshops - Including (but not limited to) IUDs, Endometrial biopsies, obstetric perineal repairs, central lines, lumbar punctures, joint injections, skin biopsies and excisions, and more. Behavioural Medicine Workshop - training in communication skills, ethics, and physician wellness Resident As Teacher (RAT) - Residents will have sessions and education on how to be an effective teacher, and teach small group sessions to Y1 to Y4 medical students. Practice Management - Workshop for R2’s as they transition to independent practice CASTED Course - Enhanced Orthopedics Training Point of Care Ultrasound Intro Course - Introduction to the use of Ultrasound in Primary Care Planetary Health- new initiatives being developed in collaboration with our Yellowknife stream. Life Support Courses Residents must be ACLS-certified before starting the residency program. The following courses are all provided (or reimbursed) to the resident, when successfully completed during residency:
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| Research Opportunities | |||
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All residents are required to complete Practice Quality Improvement projects to develop skills required to implement the process of quality assessment and improvement in the practice setting. Residents interested in developing research skills have the additional optional opportunity to do a research project. The research project is supervised by a faculty member. Residents have the opportunity to do a research elective in either the first or second year of the residency program. During year 1, the research elective is offered as a 2-week horizontal elective, while in year 2 it can be 2-6 weeks. The research elective can be adapted to the needs of the resident. The Family Medicine Research Day occurs each year in June. Faculty members and residents have the opportunity to present their scholarly work (oral presentation and posters). The Research Committee of the Department is comprised of faculty and resident representation (one first year and one second year resident representative). The committee meets monthly during September to June and acts as a resource to family medicine residents on matters related to research and scholarly activity. |
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| Special Events and Conferences | |||
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In September, residents can participate in the Wilderness Retreat, which has been very popular every year and focuses on wilderness or remote medicine managing with limited resources in austere environments. In addition, residents are allotted some money each year for conference registration fees. In June, we celebrate the completion of residency with a Graduation dinner. |
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Training Sites
- Grey Nuns Family Medicine Centre
- MacEwan University Health Centre
- Misericordia Family Medicine Centre
- Northeast Family Medicine Centre
- Family Medicine Clinic - Kaye Edmonton Clinic
- Westview* Physician Collaborative Community Teaching Sites in Spruce Grove
- Community teaching sites (including those in St. Albert*, Leduc*, south and west Edmonton areas) affiliate with core sites for administration and academic activities
*Westview, Leduc and St. Albert sites are considered suburban or rural-like in their settings, utilize their local community hospitals, and each is located within a 15 minute commute from the city boundaries.
Inner City Stream: Based at Radius Community Health Centre
Women's Health Stream: Based at St. Albert Medical
All residents enter an internal match after CaRMS for their choice of site. Requests are considered based on interest and plans for future practice and accommodated as much as possible.
Other resources:
Outpatient departments, family physicians' offices in Edmonton and rural locations, specialists' offices, and other community hospitals outside major metropolitan areas.
Yukon-Edmonton Pilot:
There may exist an exciting opportunity for a maximum of 2 residents matched to our Urban (Edmonton) program to participate in the “Yukon-Edmonton Pilot” (YEP). In partnership with the Yukon Government and Yukon Medical association, a significant portion of these residents’ training may be completed in the Yukon. Applicants interested in this possibility must understand that the YEP may not proceed and residents would then be based in Edmonton. Should there exist more than 2 interested residents, an internal selection process will occur favouring connection to and existing supports in the Yukon and Whitehorse area.
Additional Information
Driver's License: A current driver's license and access to a vehicle are mandatory due to the distance between teaching sites.
CaRMS Self-Identification Questionnaire (CSIQ)
The University of Alberta recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, inclusivity, decolonization, and indigenization (EDIDI) and is committed to the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry’s policy on anti-racism.
Further, the University is committed to implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action that are relevant to education and medicine.The pursuit of diversity and equitable opportunities is a core value that guides our selection practices.
The University encourages applications from underrepresented groups, including Indigenous persons, persons with a disability, racialized persons, women, persons of a minority gender identity or sexual orientation, and individuals who would contribute to the diversity of the medical community. The CaRMS Self-Identification Questionnaire (CSIQ) is an optional form that candidates can fill out.
Our program recognizes the importance of EDIDI and anti-racism in residency selection. We invite applicants to optionally complete and include the CSIQ to assist our understanding of the diversity of applicant pools, but the CSIQ is not currently utilized as part of our application or selection process. We are using other methods to ensure mitigation of bias and equitable opportunities for all applicants.
Summary of changes
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