Western University - Urology - London
2026 R-1 Main Residency Match - second iteration
Competitive Stream for CMG
Last approved on March 16, 2026
Summary of changesApproximate Quota:
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Accreditation status : Accredited
Provincial Criteria
St. Joseph's Hospital
268 Grosvenor Street, Room B4-654
London, ON, Ontario, N6A 4V2
Program Contacts
Important Information
Western Urology is pleased to offer a virtual Open House for prospective applicants interested in learning more about our program. The open house will take place on Monday, March 23rd, 2026 7:00-8:00pm EST via zoom. Please e-mail Shelley.Paolini@sjhc.london.on.ca to RSVP.
All residency programs at Western University commence on July 1, 2026, in London, Ontario
Orientation & Early Training
We provide a structured and supportive orientation for all incoming residents, which includes:
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One-Day Residency Orientation (date to be confirmed)
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Introductory Academic Half-Day Session in the first month to meet with Program Directors, the Program Administrator, and Chief Residents. This session covers key information to help you transition into your new role.
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Urology Bootcamp (in collaboration with McMaster and University of Toronto)
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Department of Surgery PGY1 Bootcamp – a two-week, Monday–Friday intensive skills course
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PGME Transition to Residency Program – weekly half-day sessions for 8 weeks
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Protected Time – First-year urology residents are not assigned call duties during the first month of training
Social Events
Western Urology values team building and collegiality. Incoming residents will be welcomed with events in the first two months, including the Welcome BBQ and the fun-filled Urology Olympics—great opportunities to meet fellow residents, fellows, faculty, and their families.
Residency Expectations
Urology residency is a demanding but rewarding five-year journey that will challenge residents physically, intellectually, and emotionally. Our program prepares residents to become competent, compassionate urologists who provide high-quality patient care.
Residents are expected to meet the demands of training, including adherence to PARO duty hour guidelines, which include:
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Call up to 1 in 3 overnight from home
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In-hospital call shifts of up to 24 hours
Details can be found at: PARO Contract Overview
Accommodations are available per PARO policy; however, the Residency Program Committee and Competence Committee will assess the impact of any accommodations on the quality of training. Significant accommodations may necessitate an extension of training and do not guarantee successful completion of required EPAs, post-graduate training in urology, or progression to the Royal College examination.
Use of Generative AI
Applicants must disclose the use of generative AI in the preparation of their CaRMS application.
General Instructions
Program application language: English
Western Urology is pleased that you have taken interest in our program - thank you!
We would be delighted to have you join us at our virtual open house on Monday, March 23rd at 7:00pm EST. Please email our Program Administrator, Shelley Paolini, at shelley.paolini@sjhc.london.on.ca if you are interested in attending.
Please read the instructions and important information carefully and contact the Program Administrator if you have any questions.
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)
• Proof of Protected Person / Convention Refugee Status
• Certificate of Indian Status / Aboriginal Status or Makivik Society Card
• Canadian Citizenship Card (both sides of card)
Must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident at the time of application. Proof of valid current citizenship or permanent resident status must be provided by File Review Opening deadline. Failure to provide valid proof will result in your application being removed. No other forms of verification are acceptable.
- Notarized/certified photocopy of Birth Certificate issued by an authority in Canada accompanied by photo ID (must be a Canadian government issued photo ID), or
- Notarized/certified photocopy of Canadian Passport, or
- Notarized/certified photocopy of confirmation of permanent residence accompanied by a photo ID (must be a Canadian government issued photo ID), or
- Notarized/certified photocopy of Permanent Resident Card/Canadian Citizen Card – copies of both sides of card must be provided and legible, or
- Notarized/certified photocopy of Proof of Protected Person/Convention Refugee Status, or
- Notarized/certified photocopy of Certificate of Indian Status/Aboriginal Status or Makivvik Society Card
For more information on citizenship requirements, please visit https://www.carms.ca/match/r-1-main-residency-match/eligibility-criteria/r-1-summary-of-citizenship-requirements/
Reference letters do not need to be from any specific institution or speciality. The strength of the reference letter lies in the duration of interactions applications have had with the faculty writing the letter and their impression.
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).
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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.
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
Applicants are advised to only provide the documents requested by the program. No other documents submitted will be reviewed.
File Review will be performed by the CaRMs Selection Committee and 2 faculty members.
Weightage of file review:
Curriculum Vitae = 30
Letters of Reference = 20
Personal Letter/Statement = 10
Total Weightage of file review = 60
Based on the file review, a rank list of 25 candidates is created and approximately 20 candidates are interviewed.
Standardized questions and scenarios, conducted by the CaRMs Committee virtually
Weightage of interview = 40
Total scores assimilated (/100) and rank list created.
Selection Criteria
Candidates should have an interest in and an aptitude for urology. Reference letters in related specialties will aid in the selection process.
Interview selection is based on evaluation of curriculum vitae and other CaRMS application documents.
The current CaRMS Selection Committee for the Division of Urology consists of the program director, two urology faculty members and two urology residents.
Program goals
Urology Residency Program Goals
Empowering Future Leaders in Urology:
Our Urology Residency Program is dedicated to training outstanding surgeons who are committed to providing exceptional patient-centered care across Canada. We offer comprehensive experience designed to ensure your success, whether you aim for an academic career or community practice.
Comprehensive Training Experience:
Our program provides broad exposure to all urology subspecialties within an academic setting, complemented by regular rotations through community practices (Locations available include Windsor, Sarnia, and Stratford within Western’s Distributed Education Network. Housing is typically arranged and financed by the university.). This dual approach ensures a well-rounded clinical learning experience, preparing you for diverse career opportunities.
Excellence in Education:
Our curriculum is guided by the educational standards of both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Urology. Our faculty includes nationally and internationally recognized leaders, alongside dedicated community adjunct faculty, all committed to your education and professional growth.
Lifelong Passion for Scholarship:
We strive to instill a lifelong passion for scholarship by inspiring and supporting your academic pursuits, whether in clinical, basic science, or educational research. Our robust mentorship program ensures that you receive personalized guidance, making the daunting task of career planning manageable and effective. Our program has a formal mentorship model in which residents are matched with a consultant based on career goals, clinical and academic interests. Regular engagement between the mentors and mentees is encouraged within the division.
Work-Life Balance and Resident Well-being:
We prioritize a balance between educational needs, work-life balance, and resident safety. Our program is designed to maintain your enthusiasm and joy for learning, ensuring a fulfilling and sustainable residency experience. This includes supporting a resident wellness lead with an independent budget and year-round social events to promote a sense of community such as our Resident Olympics and resident ran wellness retreat.
Junior residents are supported by the new week-based night float on call system – junior residents are always backed up by a senior resident who is available to discuss cases, and ensures junior residents have the daytime off to rest in between call shifts.
Resident wellness days are built into the academic curriculum (time off of academic obligations dedicated to personal wellness to fit learning and personal needs.
Continuous Improvement and Responsiveness:
We believe in the importance of resident feedback and are committed to evolving our program based on your input. This responsiveness ensures that our training environment continuously improves, enhancing the experience and success of our trainees.
Join us in our mission to train the next generation of urology leaders. Embrace the opportunity to grow, learn, and excel in a program that values your success, well-being, and voice.
Selection process goals
Selection process goals are as follows:
1. Select candidates with an interest in urology as a lifetime career
2. Select candidates with an aptitude for urology
3. Select candidates who are professional and are team players
4. Select candidates who are compassionate and strive for exemplary patient care
5. Select candidates who have exemplary work ethics and a sense of responsibility
6. Select candidates who are committed to lifelong learning
7. Selection of candidates will be objective, unbiased and adhere to the principles of inclusion, equity and diversity
File review process
Review team composition : Resident selection is a vital component of a residency training committee. The CaRMS Selection Committee is subcommittee of the Residency Program Committee and is tasked with determining the selection criteria and developing and refining the selection process to ensure it is fair and unbiased, following the principles of Equity, Diversion and Inclusion (EDI).
The review team is chaired by the Program Director, a minimum of 2 divisional faculty and 2 resident representatives (resident representatives include a junior and a senior resident). A minimum of two additional volunteers also serve as file reviewers.
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 0 - 50
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 51 - 75 %
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | Evidence of work experience, volunteer experience and work-life balance |
| Electives | Must demonstrate a strong academic performance to be considered for an interview |
| Examinations | We do not evaluate this file component, unless there is a red flag |
| Extra-curricular | Evidence of coping mechanisms and work-life balance |
| Leadership skills | Evidence of leadership roles, duration and accomplishments |
| MSPRs | Evidence of rotational performance and evaluation rotational failures |
| Personal letters | Evidence of personal and academic achievement, life learning experiences, goals: we want to know who you are as a person |
| Reference documents | All documents/files submitted will be reviewed by the committee |
| Research/Publications | Evidence of pulications and/or involvement in scholarly work |
| Transcripts | Assess courses taken and evaluation failures |
Elective criteria
Interview process
Interview format :
We do not re-schedule interviews for applicants after we have completed the scheduling process.
| Interview components | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Collaboration skills | This will be evaluated directly or indirectly using standardized case-based scenario |
| Collegiality | This will be evaluated directly or indirectly using standarized case-based scenario |
| Communication skills | Evaluated throughout interview by observing the candidate answering questions (verbal & nonverbal) |
| Health advocacy | This will be evaluated directly or indirectly using standardized case-based scenario |
| Interest in the discipline | This will be evaluated by asking the rationale for their choice of urology as a lifetime career, as well as review of curriculum vitae and choices of electives |
| Interest in the program | This will be evaluated by asking the rationale for choosing our program for residency, together with performance during elective (if applicable) |
| Leadership skills | This will be evaluated directly or indirectly using standardized case-based scenario |
| Professionalism | This will be evaluated directly or indirectly using standardized case-based scenario |
| Scholarly activities | This will be evaluated directly or Indirectly by questions surrounding research/scholarly experiences from CV |
| Other interview component(s) |
We have 5 scenario based questions which assess the criteria we want in our residents. The questions are developed and revised every year but the themes are similar. Each panelist will ask a question and we all mark individually. The Western Urology interview experience will be fun, collegial and fair. |
Information gathered outside of CaRMS application
We do not consider any information gathered outside of the CaRMS application and local interview processes.Ranking process
The behavior(s) exhibited below during the interview process may prevent an applicant from being ranked by our program :Program Highlights
The Western Urology program ensures:
1. Balanced training for academic and community practice
2. Effective mentoring to achieve career goals
3. Supportive and safe learning environment
4. Responsive program that listens to the residents
SUBSPECIALITIES OFFERED:
Andrology
EndoUrology
Incontinence and Reconstruction
Pediatric Urology
Transplantation
Uro-Oncology
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE UROLOGY PROGRAM, WESTERN UNIVERSITY:
1. Masters of Surgery: In conjunction with the Department of Surgery, the Division of Urology offers a Master of Science in Surgery (in the PGY1 or PGY2 years). This MSc is tailored to the unique needs of surgical trainees; providing an intensive research experience and a solid foundation for success as an academic surgeon. The MSc in Surgery is intended to fully prepare individuals specifically seeking future positions in Academic Health Science Centres for the demands of a research career in relation to the CanMeds roles of Medical Expert and Scholar.
2. Simulation opportunities and labs:
- Live pig/simulation training session (pig lab every second year, alternating with simulation training session every second year)
- Regular cadaveric anatomy lab sessions (integrated into curriculum)
- Access to percutaneous nephrolithotomy simulator and endoscopic uromentor
- Access to CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics)
- Access DaVinci robotic simulator
- Annual robotic training lab at CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics)
3. Grant and conference support:
- Every resident has a $1,500-$2,000 travel grant/year (PGY4s have $2,000 per year)
- Residents who have a paper/abstract at a meeting can apply for 2-3 additional grants of up to $2, 000
- There is a Dr Brock travel fellowship for meetings/courses for up to $5,000 per year
- Grant opportunities: Department of Surgery and Schulich School of Medicine grants for residents up to $5,000 project
- Lavergne Resident and Fellow Research Grants
4. Robotic training and curriculum:
- All 3 hospital sites have a robot
- Only pediatric centre performing robotic surgery in Canada
- Developing/in the process of implementing a robotic curriculum for Urology residents
5. Exam preparation:
- Bi-Annual Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE)
- Participation in the AUA In-service Exam annually
6. Funding:
- Allocated budget for Campbell's of Urology textbooks and loupes for each resident
- Resident Wellness budget run by the resident representative
7. Social events:
- Annual Urology Olympics
- Annual Holiday Party
- Bi-annual Resident Dinners
- Annual team building/wellness event
8. Mentorship:
- Mentorship Program (one on one resident-faculty mentors, senior resident mentors)
9. Wellness initiatives:
- Elected resident and faculty wellness representatives
- Defined Wellness budget ($2,500) run by the Resident rep
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.
Western University's Urology Residency Program is fully accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is fully integrated within the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) model. The program offers a comprehensive and well-rounded training experience in both general and community urology, as well as all major subspecialties, including Uro-Oncology, Pediatric Urology, Andrology, Reconstructive Urology, Endourology, and Renal Transplantation.
Residents rotate through three major academic hospital sites in London: St. Joseph’s Hospital, University Hospital, and Victoria Hospital. In addition to these core sites, residents gain valuable exposure to community-based practice through distributed electives in Windsor, Sarnia, Woodstock, and Stratford. Further elective time is provided to support additional clinical experiences across Canada or internationally, enhancing the breadth of training and professional growth. Residents are provided with four weeks of paid vacation time per year.
The curriculum is structured around a subspecialty rotation model, enabling residents to receive focused, in-depth training in each clinical area. This structure promotes continuity in learning and facilitates progressive development of both clinical knowledge and technical expertise. Junior residents benefit from early exposure to the operating room, with direct, hands-on teaching from faculty members who are internationally renowned experts in their fields.
Western’s Urology Residency Program fosters a supportive, high-quality learning environment that prepares residents to become skilled, confident, and compassionate urologists ready to excel in academic or community practice. Full details of the curriculum can be found on our website at:
https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/urology/education/postgraduate/index.html
Training Sites
Resources
The teaching hospitals which participate in the urology program are the London Health Sciences Centre (University Hospital and Victoria Hospital) and St. Joseph's Health Care London. The program serves as the secondary referral area of Southwestern Ontario and a tertiary referral extending to Northern/Northwestern Ontario, as well as the rest of the province for specialized services such as extra corporeal shock wave lithotripsy.
All three hospital training training sites have access to robotic surgery.
There are 14 teaching faculty (transplantation = 2, endourology = 3, uro-oncology = 4, pediatrics = 2, andrology = 1, reconstruction = 1, pediatrics = 2) in the division currently and 12 adjunct professors in community urology (Sarnia, Windsor, Woodstock, and Stratford).
In addition , we have defined community sites which include Faculty defined as adjunct Faculty of our Program. These include:
Sarnia (Dr Paul Martin)
Windsor (Dr Ryan McLarty)
Chatham-Kent (Dr Christopher Langley)
Additional Information
*Western University has three (1) PGY-1 positions available for the 2026 second iteration match.
All information contained is subject to change until such time as the rank order lists are filed. Please ensure you review information on a regular basis.
FAQ
Western Urology is pleased to offer a virtual Open House for prospective applicants interested in learning more about our program. The open house will take place on Monday, March 23rd 7:00-8:00pm EST via zoom. This will provide an opportunity to meet some of the faculty and residents of the program and have any questions answered. Please e-mail Shelley.Paolini@sjhc.london.on.ca to RSVP.
Alternatively, please reach out to the program director or administrator with any questions regarding the program or application process.
Summary of changes
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