The Faculty of Medicine is prepared to assist and advise students in applying for postgraduate medical education positions. The Office of the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Education, should be consulted early in the final year for information on the application process.
Placement or assignment of postgraduate positions is not a function of the Faculty of Medicine. The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) performs this service for all applicants to PGY-1 positions across Canada.
Canadian Resident Matching Service
All accredited postgraduate medical training in Canada is university integrated. Students do not apply to hospital programs but rather to university programs. UBC is the only accredited postgraduate medical training program in the British Columbia and offers distributed training throughout the province.
The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) is a non-profit corporation that works in close cooperation with the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges. Since its establishment in 1970 it has matched every graduating class. CaRMS uses a computer program that quickly computes the traditional selection process for postgraduate training by matching students and programs with their highest possible choices. It guarantees the process to be fair and unbiased.
Visit CaRMS for information regarding participation in the matching program.
Resident Education
UBC Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) offers two Family Medicine programs, together with 73 specialty and sub-specialty training programs. All training programs are recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the College of Family Physicians of Canada. All residents are employees of the Health Authorities of British Columbia and. All residents are required to register as postgraduate residents of the University in order to receive accreditation for their training. Postgraduate training is offered by individual departments or divisions of the Faculty of Medicine in 75 medical, surgical, and laboratory specialties. This training meets the specialty training requirements of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Applications for resident staff appointments should be made to the Program Director of the appropriate division or department of the University. Further information can be found at Postgraduate Programs.
Division of Continuing Professional Development
A Division of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) has been established within the UBC Faculty of Medicine. Its purpose is to research, develop, implement, and evaluate continuing professional development (CPD) initiatives for physicians and other health professionals to optimize clinical practice and the delivery of patient care in order to improve health outcomes. As an academic unit, UBC CPD follows and contributes to best practices in CPD, including quality and practice improvement in BC and at national and international levels. UBC CPD is fully accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Education (CACME) to accredit programs and provide credits to physicians.
Postgraduate (Residency) Training Programs
Postgraduate training is offered by individual departments or divisions of the Faculty of Medicine. Graduates of International Medical Schools must be a Canadian Citizen or Landed Immigrant to apply for residency training in the province of British Columbia. This training satisfies the specialty training requirements of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada and is approved as a prerequisite for the examinations in each specialty. All residents must register as postgraduate residents of the University.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada requires a minimum of four to six years of specialty training dependent on the individual specialty. A broad-based clinical PGY1 year is a mandatory component of many specialty programs but is not a requirement for entrance into such programs as pediatrics, internal medicine and the primary surgical specialties. UBC is committed to community-based, integrated, Family Medicine and Royal College specialist training. Candidates must expect to perform a significant amount of their training in a rural setting. A number of local, regional, and more remote smaller community hospitals have been successfully integrated into such programs as family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, and general surgery. Ongoing assessments are made through each of the training years and, on satisfactory completion of the program, candidates may apply to sit the certification examination of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Candidates are eligible to sit the certification examinations of the College of Family Physicians of Canada upon completion of the two-year Family Practice program.
Supervision of each training program is the responsibility of the University department or division concerned. Selection of candidates for each program is at the discretion of the resident training program of each department to whom application should be made.
The training programs run throughout the calendar year, commencing July 1. A variety of service rounds, conferences and seminars, small group tutorials, and divisional sessions having a bearing on patient care, but within which a teaching component is clearly defined, are offered.
For application information and pre-requisites, please visit CaRMS.