University of British Columbia - Medical Microbiology - Vancouver
2026 R-1 Main Residency Match - second iteration
Competitive Stream for CMG
Last approved on March 03, 2026
Approximate Quota:
click here
Accreditation status : Accredited
Provincial Criteria
Dr. Michael Payne
10125-2775 Laurel Street
Gordon & Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1M9
Program Contacts
General Instructions
Program application language: English
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Supporting Documentation / Information
• Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
• Confirmation of Permanent Residence in Canada
• Passport page showing Canadian Citizenship
• Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)
• Certificate of Indian Status / Aboriginal Status or Makivik Society Card
• Canadian Citizenship 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 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.
• IELTS
• Occupational English Test (OET) - Medicine
• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) - General
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:
- IELTS Academic - Minimum score of 7 in each component. IELTS scores are valid for a period of 2 years from the date taken.
- OET Medicine Examination - Minimum grade of B in each component. OET results are valid for a period of 2 years from the date taken.
- CELPIP General Examination - Minimum score of 9 in each component. CELPIP results are valid for a period of 2 years from the date taken.
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
Three letters of reference are required and should be written by faculty members or consultants, preferably at least one from a specialist in Medical Microbiology or related area. A reference from a senior resident will not be accepted.
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
- International (IMGs) and 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.
Personal LetterA personal letter indicating why the candidate is interested in Medical Microbiology is required.
Review 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
Selection Criteria
- Academic achievement
- A proven interest and motivation in our specialty, demonstrated by electives or research in Medical Microbiology or Infectious Disease, is preferable.
- Candidates should have acceptable letters of recommendation from faculty members or consultants who know the candidate well. It would be preferred to have one letter from a specialist in Medical Microbiology.
- Candidates must have good skills in communication and be able to work with a wide variety of people and team settings.
Program goals
At UBC, we are committed to training physicians who will ultimately be serving our population.
Residents in our program are expected to demonstrate clinical and academic excellence, exceptional interpersonal and teamwork skills, research experience, and a sense of responsibility and dedication to the profession. Residents are expected to be active community members and demonstrate balance as evidenced by engagement in volunteer, extracurricular or other types of activities.
The UBC Medical Microbiology Residency Program is a 5 year program which confirms to the Objectives of Training and Specialty Training Requirements in Medical Microbiology as outlined by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Selection process goals
Identify applicants committed to a career in Medical Microbiology, and those who will develop into exceptional consultant laboratory physicians.
Identify applicants who have demonstrated ability to interact positively with patients, colleagues, laboratory technologists, and other healthcare team members.
Identify applicants who have demonstrated aptitude for leadership, scholarship, knowledge translation, research, and continuous improvement.
Identify applicants who have demonstrated ability and enthusiasm to learn and are able to adapt to the various demands of residency training.
File review process
Review team composition : Panel consists of:
Program Director
Associate Program Director
3 Site Directors
2 Staff
1 Lead Resident
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 0 - 50
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 76 - 100 %
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | Education, Electives, Research, Publications |
| Electives | Electives in our specialty, Evaluations |
| Examinations | We do not evaluate this file component |
| Extra-curricular | Volunteering (medical and non-medical), mentoring, other |
| Leadership skills | Holding office in a student government, club or organization |
| MSPRs | Demonstrated Interpersonal Skills |
| Personal letters | Interest in discipline, program location |
| Reference documents | Positive interaction with colleagues, other medical team members, and support staff |
| Research/Publications | Interest in participating in future research projects |
| Transcripts | Academic Performance |
Elective criteria
Interview process
Interview format :
We routinely accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants.
| Interview components | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Collaboration skills | Working in a team environment |
| Collegiality | Behavior, attitude, ability to work well with others |
| Communication skills | Ability to speak and write clearly in English |
| Health advocacy | We do not evaluate this interview component |
| Interest in the discipline | Demonstrated interest and ability in the specialty |
| Interest in the program | Demonstrated interest in the program |
| Leadership skills | Ability to initiate programs, lead organizations or groups, and make an impact |
| Professionalism | Correspondence with staff and lead residents; behavior and attitude during interview |
| Scholarly activities | An interest in research |
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 Curriculum
This residency program is for 5 years.
Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.
CBD Track
PGY1 residents commencing Medical Microbiology training in July 2024 will be trained in a Competence by Design (CBD) curriculum format. This is a Competency Based Medical Education system instituted by the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada. As with all other residency training programs, this consists for four stages: (i) transition to discipline, (ii) foundational training, (iii) core training, and (iv) transition to practice.
Introduction
The UBC Medical Microbiology Residency Program is designed to help residents acquire expertise and broad-based experience to achieve all CanMEDS competencies.
The 5-year training program begins with a transition to discipline, which includes initial rotations in Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine. As residents progress to the foundational training, additional clinical training may include but not be limited to Internal Medicine, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine and Surgery. In addition, residents will gain experience in the foundational components of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, with blocks of 4-12 week rotations at adult and pediatric acute care hospitals, community setting, and the Provincial Reference Laboratory. The residents rotate through both laboratory and clinical blocks, typically 8-12 weeks of laboratory-based Medical Microbiology rotations followed by 4 weeks of clinical Infectious Diseases, or ID-related and relevant disciplines (e.g. STI clinics, TB ward, etc.)
During the core training, trainees will focus on training in diagnostic microbiology laboratories (including specific rotations mycobacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology) with 2 blocks in each of Infection Prevention and Control, Antimicrobial Stewardship, senior consultant rotation, and senior Laboratory Management. There will also be an emphasis on Infectious Diseases, with potential rotations at academic, community and regional hospitals around BC.
Elective time will be spent according to the resident’s interest, and may include additional rotations in the laboratory, infection prevention and control, infectious diseases, relevant clinical medicine, public health, epidemiology, or research.
In foundational training, residents participate in a 12 week long course covering the foundations of Medical Microbiology, and in core training, they play an instrumental leading role in preparing the course curriculum for their junior colleagues.
Foundational Training, Core Training, Transition to Practice – Medical Microbiology
The foundational training, core training and transition to practice years consist of rotations through various sites including the adult and pediatric acute care hospitals, the community setting and the Provincial Reference Laboratory. These years will generally be distributed as follows:
- 2 years of Medical Microbiology, including Infection Prevention and Control, Antimicrobial Stewardship, and Laboratory Management
- 1 year of Infectious Diseases (including at least 7 blocks of inpatient Infectious Diseases training)
- 1 year of elective and research time according to the resident’s interests. This can be done in laboratory medicine, infectious diseases, public health, epidemiology, tropical medicine or research. There are potential opportunities to explore electives to meet the resident's interests, such as a course in Tropical Medicine (e.g. at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine or the Gorgas course in Peru; this is not financed by the Department).
There is quite a bit of flexibility to structure the residency to meet the resident’s needs and interest, and the program will work with the trainee to ensure that the training requirements for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada are met.
For more information please see:
Training Sites
Resources
The training program involves rotations through all of the teaching hospitals in Vancouver and participating community hospitals. A one-month rotation in a community hospital is required.
Electronic medical resources: for residents doing rotations in UBC teaching hospitals, there are computers with access to the internet, laboratory information systems, digital imaging, presentation software and related educational and research resources.
Teaching Hospitals
- The Vancouver General Hospital is a 900-bed comprehensive teaching hospital. It is a level 1 trauma centre and the major referral centre for the province, with large ICU, BMT, SOT, Burn Unit and other specialty programs.
- BC Children's and Women's Hospital (CW) is a comprehensive pediatric teaching hospital and the pediatric referral centre for the entire province of B.C.
- St. Paul's Hospital is a tertiary care downtown hospital serving an inner city population, with specialty programs such as the Urban Health Infections Unit, adult cystic fibrosis and SOT.
- BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) is British Columbia's Centre of Excellence for the prevention, detection and control of communicable diseases. BCCDC includes the following units: STI Control, TB Control, Epidemiology and the Public Health Laboratory.
- Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH) is a large regional community hospital located in Fraser Health in Surrey, BC. The Medical Microbiology laboratory at SMH serves 12 acute care hospitals, two regional cancer care centres, and associated outpatient clinics and collection sites. SMH is a regional referral site for medical and surgical specialties in Fraser Health and a provincial referral site for viral hemorrhagic fever if the need arises.
- Royal Jubilee Hospital (Victoria, BC) and Kelowna General Hospital (Kelowna, BC) are tertiary care centers for Vancouver Island and Interior Health, respectively. They offer unique opportunities to observe the challenges and the benefits of a multi-service hospital in a smaller community.
Additional Information
Quick Facts
- The Laboratory Medicine stream of entry branches into four separate Royal College residencies: Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology, Medical Microbiology, Hematopathology, and Neuropathology.
-Almost unlimited possibilities for electives are available within the overall structure of each of the laboratory medicine training programs, so long as the requirements of the Royal College are satisfied.
- A conservative estimate of the ratio of residents to faculty is 1:10, depending on the exact specialty of laboratory medicine.
- All laboratory medicine ratios are designed to optimize the service-to-education ratio for residents.
-Electronic medical resources include: access to the Internet, laboratory information systems, digital imaging, presentation software and related educational and research resources.
FAQ
What is Laboratory Medicine?
The laboratory medicine stream of entry branches into four separate Royal College residencies: Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology, Medical Microbiology, Hematopathology, and Neuropathology.
What is Medical Microbiology?
Medical Microbiology is a combination Specialty of both laboratory and clinical medicine. It is concerned with the diagnosis, management and prevention of infectious diseases on the patient, institution and population level.
The Medical Microbiologist in an expert in laboratory microbiology, infectious diseases, infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, epidemiology and laboratory management.
What electives are available in your program?
Almost unlimited possibilities for electives are available within the overall structure of each of the laboratory medicine training programs, so long as the Royal College requirements are satisfied.
What is the resident to staff ratio?
A conservative estimate is 1:10-depending on the exact specialty of laboratory medicine. There are approximately 30 Medical Microbiologists in the province of British Columbia, and there are always ample learning and research opportunities. All laboratory medicine ratios are designed to optimize the service to education levels.
What resources are available to residents?
Electronic medical resources include: access to internet, laboratory information systems, digital imaging, presentation software, and related educational and research resources. The program is very flexible to resident requests with respect to learning resources and conference funding.
Please refer to our program website (within the Program Contact section top of page). Also please consider contacting our Program Director Dr. Michael Payne, Associate Program Director Dr. Christopher Lowe.