How to Apply

What is CaRMS?

The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) was created in 1969 to provide a centralized application process for medical residency training in Canada. It is a national, not-for-profit, fee-for-service organization built to ensure a fair and transparent application and matching process. Visit the CaRMS website. 

Am I eligible to apply to the Family Medicine Residency Program at the University of Toronto?

We have many different applicants to our program. All applicants for the R-1 Main Residency Match must meet the listed eligibility criteria Additionally, applicants to the Family Medicine Residency Program at the University of Toronto must meet the Ontario provincial eligibilitycriteria for the R-1 Main Residency Match.

What are the important dates and deadlines for my application?

CaRMS provides a Match Timeline which are dates to help applicants stay on track with their application process. The only firm deadline for applicants is the Applicant Rank Order List deadline - February 20, 2025 at 15:00 ET

2025 CMG Virtual Interview Dates:

Virtual Resident Meet & Greet Sessions
All Streams

The Virtual Resident Meet and Greet Sessions are an opportunity to meet with both faculty and resident leadership, and will serve as an introduction to your interview. The sessions feature a Q+A with a resident panel from each of our sites and streams.

**Please note: Registration details for the Virtual Meet and Greet Sessions will ONLY be sent to applicants who are invited to an interview. 

• Session #1 - Tuesday, January 7, 2025 from 7:00pm-9:00pm ET
• Session # 2 - Wednesday, January 8, 2025 from 7:00pm-9:00pm ET
• Session #3 - Thursday, January 9, 2025 from 7:00pm-9:00pm ET

Click here for the Family Medicine Program and Interview Overview presented at the 2023 Virtual Resident Meet and Greet for GTA and Barrie or Newmarket streams. 

Click here for the 2022 Integrated Communities Stream Information Night Presentation.

Treading Waters as you apply to Family Medicine Panel

• Wednesday November 13, 2024 from 6:00pm-8:00pm ET

**Please note: this event is internal to U of T medical students. Click herefor the 2023 recording.

Where can I learn more about applying to the Family Medicine Residency Program at the University of Toronto?

• CaRMS Program Descriptions
• The Family Medicine Residency Program at the University of Toronto
• Frequently Asked Questions (Virtual Interview Session)

Questions?

Feel free to contact us:

Dr. Karina Prucnal, Associate Program Director Admissions, Awards and Recruitment

Dr. Stu Murdoch, Director, Postgraduate Education

Ms. Holly Downey, Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator

Graduate of an international medical school holding Canadian citizenship or Canadian permanent residency status.

IMG Admissions and Program Overview Video

Admissions Requirements

The seven Ontario Family Medicine Residency programs jointly run the IMG admissions process via the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS). Please review the CaRMS Program Description for details on admissions requirements.

Admissions Process

CaRMS Match Timelines: Please review the CaRMS Match Timelines.

Teaching Hospital Site Assignment: Once matched to the Family Medicine Program at the University of Toronto, graduates of International Medical Schools will enter an internal matching system. There are a limited number of spots available for IMGs at each hospital teaching site. Teaching Hospital Site allocation will be based on site capacity and availability.

There are 13 teaching hospital sites in the Greater Toronto Area Stream, two teaching hospital sites in the Barrie or Newmarket Stream, two in Midland or Orillia, three mid-Ontario community sites in Integrated Communities Stream, and a hybrid between two hospital teaching sites in the Integrated Communities Stream - Uxbridge Markham as detailed below.

GTA Stream

• Humber River Health
• North York General Hospital
• Oak Valley Health—Markham Stouffville Hospital
• Scarborough Health Network
• Sinai Health—Mount Sinai Hospital
• Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
• Toronto East Health Network—Michael Garron Hospital
• Trillium Health Partners—Credit Valley Hospital
• Trillium Health Partners—Mississauga Hospital
• UHN—Toronto Western Hospital
• Unity Health Toronto—St. Michael's Hospital
• Unity Health Toronto—St. Joseph's Health Centre
• Women's College Hospital

Barrie or Newmarket Stream

• Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre 
• Southlake Regional Health Centre 

Midland or Orillia Stream

• Georgian Bay General Hospital 
• Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital 

Integrated Communities Stream

• PGY1 Year: 
  • Toronto East Health Network - Michael Garron Hospital
  • North York General Hospital
• PGY2 Year:
  • Stevenson Memorial Hospital
  • Headwaters Health Care Centre
  • Lakeridge Health: Port Perry Hospital 

Integrated Communities - Uxbridge Markham Stream

• Oak Valley Health: Markham Stouffville Hospital 
• Oak Valley Health: Uxbridge Hospital 

Requirements: Access to a car and ability to drive may be required upon admission.

For more details on each teaching hospital site, click here.

Preparation for Residency

Please note: All IMGs entering Family Medicine Programs in Ontario are required to complete a mandatory pre-residency training program as a transition to Family Medicine in a Canadian context. This pre-residency program begins prior to the residency start date (i.e., prior to July 1; see below) and you are expected to be available to attend during this time.

Pre-Residency Program: The mandatory Pre-Residency Program aims to prepare International Medical Graduates for a successful evaluation in the mandatory Assessment Verification Period (AVP), a probationary period of 12 weeks required by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario prior to obtaining a postgraduate license to practice medicine in Canada. Residents must attend all in-person sessions. The Pre-Residency Program is divided into two phases:

• Pre-Residency Program Phase 1 (PRP1) is organized centrally by Touchstone Institute for all International Medical Graduates commencing Family Medicine Residency Programs in Ontario. Please see the Touchstone Institute website here for current projected dates. If you match to the U of T Family Medicine program you will be assigned to the Spring course dates, beginning as early as March. 
• Pre-Residency Program Phase 2 (PRP2) is organized locally by individual hospital teaching sites for IMGs commencing Family Medicine at the University of Toronto, with the goal of addressing historically identified needs of IMGs prior to residency. During this period, participants attend the Academic Half Day at their hospital teaching site and a two-day central workshop at the Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Level of Responsibility: Participants in PRP are considered to be at the level of a fourth-year medical student until the completion of this period, and should thus have expectations and responsibilities offered appropriate to this level.

Assessment Verification Period

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) requires all International Medical Students to successfully complete the 12-week Assessment Verification Process (AVP) in order to receive a postgraduate educational license to commence residency training.

Curriculum

Visit Residency in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto for further details.

Questions?

IMG Program related questions: Please contact Ms. Holly Downey.

IMG Admissions related questions: info@ontariofmp.ca, someone on behalf of the seven Ontario universities will respond

Sponsored Visa Trainees are graduates of an international medical school, who are visa holders sponsored by their home countries for postgraduate residency training in Canada. They are expected to return to their country of origin after completion of their training to share their experience and education with their communities.

Admissions Requirements

Applications from internationally sponsored physicians must be sent directly to the Postgraduate Medical Education Office (PGME) from the sponsoring agency. Complete applications are submitted through the Sponsored Trainee Application Registry (STAR). Please click here for details from the PGME office.

The application package must include the following items:

1. A letter from the sponsoring agency (confirming full financial support for the duration of the residency program)
2. Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCQE1) *we will not accept pending examination/results
3. An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) which includes the applicant’s date of birth, citizenship and e-mail address
4. A copy of the medical degree (in addition to an English translation, if applicable)
5. A copy of the medical school transcript (in addition to an English translation, if applicable)
6. Three letters of reference on letterhead, signed and dated within two years of the date of application
7. A brief personal statement (word limit of 500) from the applicant which explains their interest in the University of Toronto Family Medicine residency program.

Additional Family Medicine Program Requirements

The following items are not considered mandatory for admission but are highly recommended to supplement your application.

Language Proficiency

Acceptable English Language Proficiency Tests: If your primary language is not English and you graduated from a University outside Canada, then you must demonstrate your proficiency in English using one of the following methods. If this requirement is not met at the time you submit your application, it will be required if you receive a conditional admissions offer.

The tests accepted by the Department for Sponsored Visa Trainees are:

1. International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
1 Hills Road
Cambridge, U.K.
CB12EU
Web: ielts.org (applicants may also contact their nearest British Council Office)
Minimum required score: 6.0 (Academic test format) with at least 5.5 in each module

The IELTS test is available in two test formats: Academic or General Training. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking modules. It is the Reading and Writing components that differ. The Academic version of IELTS measures English language proficiency needed for an academic, higher learning environment.

2. Academic Preparation Course

International ESL Program
School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto
252 Bloor Street, Suite 4-106
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1V5
Web: learn.utoronto.ca/esl
Minimum required score: a final grade of B in Level 60

The English Language Program at the School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto, offers a 12-week intensive Academic English Course (Code 0510)for individuals preparing for degree studies at the graduate level.

The Academic English Course is a certified, full-time intensive program focusing on the development of strategies for academic writing, reading, speaking and listening. Learning involves strategies for writing accurate, organized and well-developed reports, responses and essays. Students’ reading comprehension, oral communication skills, listening facility and note-taking skills are developed to be commensurate with the academic standards for which the University of Toronto is known.

3. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Educational Testing Service
P. O. Box 6151
Princeton, New Jersey
U.S.A., 08541-6151
Web: toefl.org
Minimum required score: IBT format minimum overall score 87 and Writing/Speaking 20

4. Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)

English Language Institute (ELI)
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
U.S.A., 48109-1057
Web: cambridgemichigan.org/melab
Required score: 85

5. The Certificate of Proficiency in English (COPE)

COPE Testing Limited
7B Pleasant Boulevard
P.O. Box 1164
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 1K2
Web: copetest.com
Required score: 76 (with at least 22 in each component and 32 in the writing component)

6. FAIMER Language Option

If the instruction and the language of patient care at the undergraduate medical school was conducted completely in English, then a candidate can submit to the program a copy or printout of the FAIMER website listing the medical school which clearly states that the language of instruction is English

Examinations

National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) OSCE results are preferred for an interview but are not currently required. Score of >75.

A passing score on the MCCQE1 is required upon application submission.

Admissions Timeline*

• Application Deadline: August 12, 2024
• Interview invitations: End of August - Early September 2024
• Virtual Interviews: End of September – Early October 2024
• Offers: October 15, 2024
• Applicant Acceptance/Decline Offer Deadline: October 18, 2024
• Pre-Residency Program Phase One: Touchstone Institute: Spring 2025 (exact dates TBD)
• Pre-Entry Assessment Period (8-12 weeks): Spring 2025 (exact date TBD)
• PGY-1 start date: July 1, 2025

*Subject to change

Program Details

Accepted Sponsored Visa Trainees will be assigned to one of the 13 hospital teaching units in Mississauga, Toronto, North York, Scarborough and Markham as part of the GTA Stream of the Residency Program. Since available hospital teaching sites are subject to program capacity, preferences cannot be guaranteed, it is recommended that residential accommodations are not secured until after receiving hospital teaching site assignments. Access to a car and/or ability to drive or be driven are thus required on admission:

• Humber River Health
• North York General Hospital
• Oak Valley Health—Markham Stouffville Hospital
• Scarborough Health Network
• Sinai Health—Mount Sinai Hospital
• Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
• Toronto East Health Network—Michael Garron Hospital
• Trillium Health Partners—Credit Valley Hospital
• Trillium Health Partners—Mississauga Hospital
• UHN—Toronto Western Hospital
• Unity Health Toronto—St. Michael's Hospital
• Unity Health Toronto—St. Joseph's Health Centre
• Women's College Hospital

For more details on each teaching hospital site, click here.

Transition to Residency Requirements

Sponsored Visa Trainees are required to participate in the following pre-residency training which have been developed to address their academic and clinical needs during their transition to residency in a Canadian context:

• Pre-Residency Program Phase One (PRP1): Approximately 2-week curriculum offered through Touchstone Institute (which includes: the Foundations and Advanced Modules) for all graduates of International Medical Schools prior to residency training in Canada.
• Pre-Entry Assessment Period (PEAP; 4-12 weeks): mandatory evaluation period designated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) conducted at assigned hospital teaching sites. 
• Pre-Residency Program Phase Two (PRP2) Workshops: Centrally located interactive workshops on topics relevant to graduates of International Medical Schools, attended during PEAP along with other International Medical Graduates during their PRP2
• Sponsored Trainee Enrichment Program (STEP): Transition to Residency in Canada/Enrichment Training for Sponsored Visa Trainees. 5-centrally or site-specific workshops tailored to Sponsored Visa Trainees during PEAP, developed to ensure successful evaluation.

Pre-Entry Assessment Period (PEAP)

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (CPSO) has mandated that all Sponsored Visa Trainees must successfully complete the Pre-Entry Assessment Program (PEAP) in advance of commencing residency in Ontario. The PEAP is a four- to 12-week assessment period that involves a practical assessment of skills and level of function in a clinical setting. At U of T, we have recommended a minimum five- to 10-week PEAP with the possibility of extending the period if required, i.e., a trainee in difficulty.

In order to proceed to residency training, by the end of the PEAP, sponsored visa trainees must successfully meet the expectations of a resident beginning their postgraduate residency training. The CPSO will issue an educational license to the Sponsored Visa Trainee upon successful completion of PEAP, and training will begin at the Postgraduate Year 1 level (PGY-1) for three years in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto.

**Please note: Sponsored Visa Trainees who fail the PEAP, cannot proceed to residency in this discipline in any Ontario residency program.

Sponsored Visa Trainee Curriculum Overview    

• 36-month comprehensive competency-based curriculum based on the CanMeds-FM framework and roles
  • Initial two years are similar to the current Family Medicine Program individualized to each teaching hospital site
  • The first year is primarily spent on orientation to the Canadian Health Care System and the discipline of Family Medicine
  • The third year of training will be individualized based on the needs of the sponsoring country, the specific resident, and in consultation with the Site and Postgraduate Program Directors
  • There is no specialty training i.e. Enhanced Skills as part of the third year residency program. Learners can pursue electives/selectives in areas of interest
• A minimum of four months of Family Medicine training in each year of training including two months of community experience through Teaching Practices (rural FM experience) in year three
• Protected Academic Half Days delivered at each site with quarterly central Core Days
• Practice Management Curriculum
• Quality Improvement Curriculum and project development
• Research/Academic Project Required in the third year
• Leadership Program in PGY-3 year
• Highly rated optional and additional courses: Teaching Residents to Teach, Procedural Skills (delivered locally at sites)

Visit Residency in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto for more details.

Internal Transfer Process & Timeline:
within U of T

Residents seeking transfer into Family Medicine from another residency program at the University of Toronto must register with the University of Toronto Postgraduate Medicine Education Office (PGME). For details on the internal transfer requirements, visit the University of Toronto PGME website and review the UofT Guidelines

The timeline for the internal transfer process is determined by the University of Toronto Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) office at the University of Toronto. Typically, the transfer request process begins in January.

External Transfer Process & Timeline:
outside U of T

Residents seeking transfer into Family Medicine from outside the University of Toronto must register with the University of Toronto Postgraduate Medicine Education Office (PGME). For details on the external transfer requirements, please visit the AFMC Guidelines

The timeline for the external transfer process is determined by The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC). Typically, the external transfer process will be considered post-second iteration of CaRMS and after each school has completed its internal transfer process.

Documentation Required:

1. A letter of intent (maximum 500 words)
2. An up-to-date CV
3. A copy of your medical degree
4. All current in-training residency evaluations
5. Medical school transcript
6. Two letters of reference

Teaching Hospital Site Assignments:

Accepted transfer residents will be assigned to one of the 13 teaching sites in Mississauga, Toronto, North York, Scarborough and Markham in the GTA Stream of the Residency Program. Site assignments depend on capacity at each site and availability at the time of the application. Please see a list of hospital teaching sites below, or visit Program Streams and Teaching Sites for specific details.

• Humber River Health
• North York General Hospital
• Oak Valley Health—Markham Stouffville Hospital
• Scarborough Health Network
• Sinai Health—Mount Sinai Hospital
• Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
• Toronto East Health Network—Michael Garron Hospital
• Trillium Health Partners—Credit Valley Hospital
• Trillium Health Partners—Mississauga Hospital
• UHN—Toronto Western Hospital
• Unity Health Toronto—St. Michael's Hospital
• Unity Health Toronto—St. Joseph's Health Centre
• Women's College Hospital

Access to a car and the ability to drive may be required for admissions.    

Transfer Credits: Transfer residents may be eligible to apply for credit for previous training experiences through the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC). Transfer residents can apply for up to six blocks (one block = four weeks) of credit at the discretion of their site director and the postgraduate program director. Click here to see more details on the credits process through the CFPC.

Before residents can apply for CFPC transfer credits, they will have to complete four blocks of the program to allow for a fair evaluation by the site director. Once a decision has been made by the teaching hospital site director and postgraduate program director, application to the CFPC for transfer credits will begin which normally takes place in October.

Curriculum

Please click here to learn more about residency in Family Medicine at the University of Toronto.

Questions?

Please contact pgme.transfers@utoronto.ca for further questions and/or details regarding internal and external transfer requests.