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Applying to Canadian Residency from US medical school

By Mohamed Panju CMS grad 2007, match to Internal Medicine at McMaster University

Official Information

I applied to residency positions in Ontario and I do not know the regulations for other provinces.

The Canadian matching service is CARMS (Canadian Residency Matching Service).  The website is www.carms.ca.  This website contains the information on the residency match and has information regarding all the Canadian programs.  The site also has statistics on all past matches.

Registration

Read the CARMS webpage to confirm when to register for the match.  The initial registration for US med school grads in the summer (July or August).  In mid September the tokens for the application web station are given.  The application is filled out online in the application web station.  The timeline is given in the CARMS website.

Eligibility

For the 2007 CARMS match Canadian citizens or landed immigrants graduating from LCME accredited US medical schools were on equal par as Canadian medical school graduates and were part to the same stream in the first iteration.

Letters of Reference

Letters of reference can be sent by the reference directly to CARMS with the cover letter created in the application web station.  If the letter is created before the online application process is set up the letters can be sent to the CMS office of student affairs.  At the appropriate time CARMS will accept the letters sent by the office of student affairs with the appropriate cover letter.  It is acceptable to ask referees to send a copy of the letter to the office of student affairs and to CARMS.

Selection criteria

The selection criteria for the different programs is stated in the CARMS website.

Canadian Board Exam

The Canadian board exam MCCQE step one is written in April/May after matching.  Registration is in Nov/Dec.  Registration is through the Medical council of Canada.  The website is www.mcc.ca

Interviews

All Canadian residency interviews occur during a three-week block.  This is during the end of Jan beginning of Feb.  Do not plan a sub-I during this time. 

Unofficial information based on my experience

1. Keep in contact with CARMS.  They are very helpful.  If you have questions about the process or want to confirm that you are doing things correctly call them or email them.  It doesn’t hurt to be on the side of caution.
2. Don’t listen to rumors.  Get concrete facts.  This includes eligibility, board exams, selection criteria, salaries etc.
3. Keep in contact with the MCC regarding MCCQE step 1 exam.  Get your documents in early.  I had to resend my documents because one of my forms was signed by a registrar, instead of a notary.  They are very picky about documentation.
4. Be on time with your deadlines.  Deadlines are very strict.

Unofficial
Rumors/Advice

1. I applied for internal medicine.  The selection criteria for most programs included deans letter, letters of reference, personal statement and the online resume.  The dean’s letter is very important to Canadian programs.  Work hard in ALL clerkships.  The subjective comments are very important to Canadian programs.  Canadian programs really emphasize collegiality and teamwork.  The resume section of the application asks about awards, leadership positions, research etc.  All these help in making a competitive applicant.
2. It is a very good idea to do electives at the places you want to do residency.  A the least it is important to do an elective in Canada >Even if you decide to pursue residency in the US the Canadian experience is very educational.  Canadian training environments are very empowering and outwardly utilize evidence-based research.  It is also a good idea to get a letter of ref from a Canadian faculty member.
3. The rumor is that University of Toronto Medicine program ranks you before the interview.  The interview is just a formality to make ensure they don’t rank someone who clearly shouldn’t be in the program.
4. Internal Medicine in Canada is different in Canada than the US.  In Canada, Internal medicine is a consult service (secondary care, not primary care).  There are much few Internists and Internal Medicine residency is competitive. 
5. In Ontario about 70% of ER doctors are Family Doctors who did the one-year fellowship in ER.  If you are interested in ER research the pros and cons of the ER residency (5 yrs) vs. the Family med plus ER fellowship (2 +1).
6. Coming from a US school it is very important to understand the differences between the Canadian and US systems.  Have a general understanding of Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and the difference between private hospitals, county hospitals, and the VA system.  I might not be a good idea o be judgmental, but it is a good idea to be knowledgeable of the systems. 
7. Get the Toronto Notes.  IT will help will all clerkships.  An excellent/outstanding book.  Get it ordered form the U of T book store.
8. Consider Family medicine as a backup program.  There are many opportunities in Family practice in Canada.  It is worth researching this.
9. Paying off school loans is a reality.  Research what the Salaries are in Canada.  Do not rely on rumors.