Residency Training

Residency training is training which leads to specialty (or subspecialty) certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) or to certification as a family physician by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).

The RCPSC is the national organization which oversees the medical education of specialists in Canada. RCPSC certification in a specialty or subspecialty will be granted upon the satisfactory completion of all credentials, training, and examination requirements. RCPSC certification confirms that specialist physicians and surgeons have met RCPSC standards and training requirements.

The CFPC is the professional organization responsible for establishing standards for the training, certification and lifelong education of family physicians and for advocating on behalf of the specialty of family medicine, family physicians and their patients. The CFPC accredits postgraduate family medicine training in Canada’s medical schools.

The citizenship status of applicants determines their application pathway for admission to residency training. Canadian applicants are doctors who are Canadian citizens or who have permanent resident status in Canada. International applicants are doctors who are not Canadian citizens or who do not have permanent resident status in Canada.

Canadian Residency Applicants

Note to Applicants:

If you have also applied to the U.S match through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), please be advised that the University of Toronto is a participating institution and adheres to the match policy. The policy states that “Applicants who have matched to a program or have accepted a position during the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), shall not apply for, discuss, interview for, or accept a concurrent year position in another program prior to the NRMP granting the requested waiver.” More information is accessible in the Specialty Matching Services Match Participation Agreement.

The citizenship of applicants for residency training determines the application pathway. If the applicant is a Canadian citizen or a Canadian permanent resident, then the appropriate route to residency training would be through the annual national residency matching process that the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) administers for medical graduates.

In order to be considered for residency training, all applicants must be eligible for a certificate authorizing postgraduate education (an educational-type medical license) from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), the body which regulates the practice of medicine in the province of Ontario.

International Residency Applicants

Note to Applicants:

If you have also applied to the U.S match through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), please be advised that the University of Toronto is a participating institution and adheres to the match policy. The policy states that “Applicants who have matched to a program or have accepted a position during the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), shall not apply for, discuss, interview for, or accept a concurrent year position in another program prior to the NRMP granting the requested waiver.” More information is accessible in the Specialty Matching Services Match Participation Agreement.

Applicants for residency training who are not Canadian citizens (or who do not have Canadian permanent resident status) must have appropriate sponsorship support; the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) Office can process applications for residency training from international applicants only when they are submitted by a sponsoring agency that has entered into a postgraduate training agreement with the University of Toronto through the PGME Office. Foreign governments and foreign government funded agencies, for example, are considered acceptable sources of funding for non-Canadian residency trainees. Charitable foundations, private corporations or self-funding are not considered acceptable sources of funding.

Postgraduate training agreements are currently in place between the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine and sponsoring agencies from the following countries:

Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar,
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates

Prospective sponsoring agencies should contact Shannon Spencer, via email or by phone (416 978-4719).

Applications for residency training from international applicants must reach the PGME Office directly from the sponsoring agency after the signing of a postgraduate training agreement. The PGME Office forwards the residency application to the appropriate University of Toronto Program Director with verification of sponsorship authority.

The application package sent by the sponsoring agency to the PGME Office must include all of the following items:

A letter from the sponsoring agency (confirming full financial support for the duration of the residency program)
Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE1) results
An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) which includes the applicant’s date of birth, citizenship and e-mail address
A copy of the medical degree (in addition to an English translation, if applicable)
A copy of the medical school transcript (in addition to an English translation, if applicable)
Three letters of reference on letterhead, signed and dated within two years of the date of application
A brief personal statement from the applicant which explains their interest in the University of Toronto residency program of choice

The PGME Office will provide successful applicants with documentation to enable them to apply for the appropriate work permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

For a list of Residency Programs available for application, please contact pgme.international@utoronto.ca

Other Residency Application Streams

Re-Entry Training Positions for Canadian Physicians

Through the Re-Entry Program, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) offers funding each year for physicians currently practicing in Canada to re-enter postgraduate medical training in another discipline or enter advanced skills training in Family Medicine.

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 for a variety of physician services in Ontario. Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status in Canada. All Re-Entry positions carry a return of service (ROS) requirement in Ontario following the training period. Please visit the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care website for more information on the Re-Entry Program.

Repatriation Program

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).

Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status in Canada. Candidates must fulfill a return of service (ROS) obligation in an eligible community in Ontario following program completion. Please visit the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care website for more information on the Repatriation Program.

Subspecialty Training Matches (Medicine & Paediatrics)

Note to Applicants:

If you have also applied to the U.S match through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), please be advised that the University of Toronto is a participating institution and adheres to the match policy. The policy states that “Applicants who have matched to a program or have accepted a position during the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), shall not apply for, discuss, interview for, or accept a concurrent year position in another program prior to the NRMP granting the requested waiver.” More information is accessible in the Specialty Matching Services Match Participation Agreement.

If you are looking to apply for a CaRMS subspecialty match, please choose an appropriate selection from the following list for information on eligibility requirements and timelines: