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Postgraduate Medical Education


Canadian Medical Graduates

All graduates of Canadian and US accredited medical schools who have not had any previous postgraduate medical education should apply for first year (PGY1) positions through the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS). For detailed information on the application process, please access the CaRMS website at www.carms.ca.

The majority of our postgraduate year one positions are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health.  A few positions may be available for physicians funded by the Department of National Defence.  Position quotas and distribution must be determined by mid-February each year (prior to the Match).

Medical students in their final year apply directly to either family medicine or a Royal College specialty program at Universities across Canada.  This application process is facilitated by the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CARMS).  

Trainee Appointments – Routes of Entry 
 

Main Residency Match (R-1)

The match for entry level (R-1) postgraduate positions in all 17 Canadian medical schools is offered in two iterations. The first iteration includes all graduating students and prior-year graduates from Canada and the US who meet the basic eligibility criteria of CaRMS.

The First Iteration of the Match will also be open for International Medical Graduates who meet the above-mentioned basic eligibility criteria. If you satisfy these criteria, the application & selection process is organized at a provincial level. To be eligible in the first iteration of the CaRMS Match, you must have no prior postgraduate training in Canada or the United States.

The second iteration is offered for positions and applicants that were not matched in the first and also includes applicants who have had previous North American postgraduate training who wish to apply for an R-1 position in Canada.

All applicants who plan on participating in this or future Matches should read the AFMC motion as well as provincial criteria and specific program descriptions when applying since eligibility for a postgraduate training program is ultimately determined by each Canadian medical school.

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FM/Emergency Medicine Match (R3)

The basic criteria to be allowed to participate in the R-3 Emergency/Family Medicine Match is to be either a R-2 resident in Family Medicine OR hold the CCFP designation. Registration for the R-3 match starts in August.

The whole application and matching process is similar to the main R-1 Match and relies on a timetable with firm dates around ranking time. Refer to the CaRMS website for accurate milestones and deadlines indicated on the timetable.

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Medicine Subspecialty Match (R4)

CaRMS operates the R-4 Medicine Subspecialty Match.  The whole application and matching process is similar to the CaRMS R-1 Match, and relies on a timetable with firm dates around ranking time. Please refer to the milestones and deadlines indicated in the timetable on the CaRMS website for up-to-date information.

Canadian R-3 Medicine residents from all Canadian universities are automatically registered by their postgraduate offices. All other applicants, including applicants from other disciplines applying for positions in Critical Care Medicine, must complete a Request for Registration.

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Pediatric Subspecialty Match (R4)

A Pediatric Subspecialty Match through CaRMs was approved and began in 2010. This match process is slightly different than the CaRMS R-1 match. The process does not have milestones for application, document and program submission. The only CaRMS deadline is for the Rank Order List submission. Applicants will be responsible for checking program descriptions on the CaRMS website to ensure they meet deadlines set out by the programs.

Please see the CaRMS website for specific details of eligibility for each Canadian university.

Interested applicant must register online at CaRMS after verifying eligibility through the Applicant Webstation (AWS). Only applicants registered in a CaRMS Match have access to the Applicant Webstation. 

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Re-entry Program for Canadian Doctors  

Through the Re-Entry Program, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) offers funding each year for physicians currently practicing in Canada to re-enter postgraduate medical training. The purpose of the program is to increase flexibility in the medical training system and provide opportunities for physicians to pursue areas of interest after a period of practice, while at the same time addressing the need of a variety of physician services in Ontario. 

All Re-Entry positions have a two-year return of service requirement anywhere in Ontario. Each year, the ministry has funding for numerous Re-Entry training positions. These are often in Family Medicine, Specialty Training, Community Medicine and Public Health. Please refer to the MOHLTC website for detailed information about positions offered in a given year http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/providers/ministry/recruit/reentry_training.html.

 Program Funding Eligibility Requirements

  • To be eligible for Re-Entry funding, you must meet all the following criteria at the time of application.

  • Be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent resident of Canada.

  • Hold a current certificate of registration for independent practice from your provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons. (Note: if you are holding a restricted certificate of registration, you are not eligible to apply).

  • Have been in active, full-time practice in Canada for a minimum of 12 consecutive months at the time of application.

  • For physicians who are practicing in another province, you must be eligible for an independent certificate of registration from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Please check their website www.cpso.on.ca for requirements.

Individuals with undischarged return of service agreements outside of Ontario may not be eligible to begin ministry-funded training positions and should contact the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for further information. Telephone number: 416-327-8339 or send an email to: PPUProgramOfficer@Ontario.ca

Application Process

Applicants who are interested to apply for funding in the Re-Entry Program to pursue retraining have to submit an application to the ministry before the deadline. To see the list of required documents, please see “Documents Required for Application”.

The applicant can apply to a maximum of three specialties in each application cycle. After the deadline, the ministry will forward applicant’s re-entry application package to the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) Office at the university which applicant has identified in the “Specialty of Interest and Location of Training” form. Applicants are required to write a personal letter for each specialty of interest to explain why they are interested and their career goals. Through the PGME office, applicant’s application package will be forwarded to the program directors at their universities.

Timelines

It is important that you contact the program directors in about 2-3 weeks after the deadline to follow up on their selection timelines. Program directors may require re-entry applicants to provide more documentation; and in some cases, interviews may be required. The ministry is not responsible to set up interviews or to discuss selection criteria used by program directors for applicants.

Decision

The timeline to get decisions from program directors for re-entry candidates may vary from program to program. If you are selected by a program director, the ministry will inform you in writing about the decision. The program may also inform you of the decision directly. But in any event, you will receive the Re-Entry Return of Service package from the ministry. You are required to submit the Letter of Appointment to the ministry showing your training start date and level of training. You will be required to sign the Return of Service agreement before the start of residency.

If you are not selected by the program director, the ministry will inform you in writing. The program directors’ decision is final. If you wish, you may reapply to the program next year.

Residency Start Date

Candidates can start residency training within 18 months from the July 1 start date of the academic year.

Submission by mail - Please submit all the required documentation in one envelope and mail it to the address below before the deadline.

Ms. Teresa Cheung
Program Officer
Physician Planning Unit
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
56 Wellesley St. West, 12th Floor
Toronto ON M5S 2S3

Submission by e-mail - If you wish to submit your application electronically, please attach all the required documents (preferably in PDF format) in one e-mail and send to: PPUprogramofficer@Ontario.ca before the deadline.

Note: The “Certificate of Professional Conduct” from your provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons may come separately either by mail or email (same address as above).

Return of Service Agreement

  • Once the ministry receives confirmation that you have a confirmed training appointment with a university, we will send you a return of service (ROS) package that includes the ROS agreement, the ROS addendum and the Re-Entry ROS Fact Sheet.
  • The ROS agreement states the terms and conditions of your ROS requirement.
  • Please sign and submit the original ROS agreement to the ministry before the start your residency.

Return of Service Addendum

  • The ROS addendum specifies the practice location of your ROS in Ontario. This addendum has to be signed by you, the community/hospital and ministry staff.
  • The ROS addendum is due to the ministry on or before the last day of your training.

A copy of the ROS agreement and addendum is available upon request. Please contact the Program Officer by e-mail at PPUprogramofficer@Ontario.ca or by phone at (416) 327-8339.

Length and Location of ROS

  • The length of ROS for the Re-Entry candidates will be two years anywhere in Ontario.
  • Re-Entry candidates choose the location for their ROS.

Return of Service Locations - Masters of Public Health / Community Medicine positions

The ROS locations for candidates who completed the Masters of Public Health or the Community Medicine training must be made to a local Public Health Unit. Eligible Public Health Units will be determined in consultation with the ministry’s Public Health Practice Branch.

Return of Service Locations - Radiation Oncology positions

Eligible ROS locations for Radiation Oncology specialists will be determined in consultation with Cancer Care Ontario.

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Repatriation

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) funds additional postgraduate medical training positions in Ontario to recruit physicians who have completed or partially completed postgraduate residency training outside Canada and require up to two years of training to meet the national certification requirements of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).   In exchange for this funding, candidates are required to fulfill return of service (ROS) obligations in an eligible community.

General Eligibility:

  1. Canadian Citizen or permanent resident
  2. Degree from accredited medical school listed under the World Health Organization (WHO) medical school directory list
  3. Offer of postgraduate training appointment from faculty of medicine in Ontario
  4. Letter of Assessment from Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (“Royal College”) specifying the length of training required for the applicant to be eligible to write the certification examinations.

This program is open to graduates of Canadian, U.S. or international medical schools.

Applicants meeting these criteria may apply to one of the following streams, based on the level of postgraduate training completed prior to the proposed residency start date.

Stream 1

For applicants who have FULLY completed postgraduate training in a program outside Canada that has been assessed and recognized by the Royal College.

Application for a residency position in the same specialty (For Example: completion of a core internal medicine program and applying for additional core internal medicine training)

  • Require a Royal College assessment letter of candidate’s postgraduate medical training outside Canada and is required up to a maximum of two years of residency training.
  • ROS=  year for year in an eligible community

Application for a residency position in a subspecialty (For Example: completion of a core internal medicine program and applying for an internal medicine subspecialty training).

  • Require a Royal College assessment letter of candidate’s postgraduate medical training outside Canada
  • ROS= 5 years in an eligible community 

** Physicians applying to Medicine or Pediatrics programs through this Steam will only be considered after the 2nd iteration of the R4 medicine/R4 Pediatrics Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) match date.

Stream 2

For applicants who have partially completed postgraduate training in a program outside Canada and their training has been assessed and recognized by the Royal College.

  • Applications through Stream 2 have to be in their original specialty/subspecialty.
  • Require a Royal College assessment letter of candidate’s postgraduate medical training outside Canada
  • ROS=  5 years in an eligible community.

** Physicians applying through this Stream will only be considered after the first and second iterations of the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS).

 

Funding through the Repatriation Program

Eligible candidates must receive a postgraduate training appointment from an Ontario medical school to be considered for funding through the Repatriation Program. Candidates should contact the postgraduate medical education office (PGME) at one or more of the six Ontario medical schools to apply for a postgraduate residency position.

Return of Service Requirements

Successful applicants will be required to sign a ROS agreement with the ministry committing to practice in an eligible community. Please refer to the streams for length of ROS. Candidates cannot begin residency training unless they have signed and returned the ROS agreement.

For more information concerning the residency training and return of service for this program, please send an email to : PPUProgramOfficer@Ontario.ca

Application Procedures

There is NO application form for this program. If you meet all the program eligibility requirements, please follow these steps :

  1. Contact a postgraduate medical education office (PGME) at one or more of the six Ontario medical schools that offer postgraduate specialty training at the beginning of your final year of postgraduate medical training. You will be directed to the appropriate program director who will assist you in applying for a postgraduate training appointment.
  2. The program director will request specific documents from you in order to evaluate your candidacy such as curriculum vitae, transcripts, previous evaluations, and letters of reference. Required documents vary from program to program. However, submission of the letter from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada confirming your required length and type of training (training evaluation letter) is mandatory.
  3. Once you have received an offer for a postgraduate training position from a university, the PGME will forward your package to the ministry. Please note that it is acceptable for the program director to make an offer to you that is conditional upon funding through the ministry’s Repatriation Program.

For more information please contact the Physicians Planning Unit:

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Physicians Planning Unit
Health Human Resources Policy Branch
56 Wellesley St. West,
12 Floor Toronto ON M5S 2S3
Tel : 416-327-8339
Fax : 416-327-0169
E-mail : PPUProgramOfficer@ontario.ca        

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