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University of Toronto, PGME Transfer of Residency Programs Guideline

Date of original approval: November 2008
Date of last revision and approval: October 2024
Date for next review: 2029

The University of Toronto (UofT), Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) aims to provide opportunities for residents to transfer programs. In December each year, PGME sends an email to all registered residents informing them of the principles and procedures to request a transfer internally (i.e., to another program at UofT) and externally (i.e., to another Canadian school and/or program). Our transfer principles and processes are aligned with the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) Postgraduate National Transfer Guidelines.

A. PRINCIPLES:

  1. Transfers should not subvert the CaRMS match and/or provincial physician workforce priorities.
  2. Residents must have at least 6 months of active residency training in the home discipline from which they request a transfer.
  3. All transfers are dependent on program capacity and availability of funding determined by PGME.
  4. Residents must meet their requested program’s usual admission & selection criteria and process.
  5. Transfer discussions will remain confidential until the resident consents to the disclosure of their intent to transfer.
  6. Final approval of any Internal Transfer lies with the Postgraduate Associate Dean.
  7. For External Transfers, the Postgraduate Deans at the respective schools will have the final approval regarding any transfers to their schools, which includes a determination of funding availability and capacity.
  8. Residents are encouraged to have exposure to the receiving discipline to which they are requesting transfer based on their previous training and experience.
  9. Internal and External Transfer requests from Family Medicine residents will only be considered at the PGY1 level, except for those considering entry to Public Health and Preventive Medicine.
  10. For other residency programs, priority will be given to first-time transfer requests and to residents requesting a transfer prior to the final year of training in their home program. Once a transfer has occurred, residents do not have the option to return to their original program. This would be a new request in the next transfer period.
  11. Capacity, funding and other constraints may limit the availability of program transfers; it is therefore not possible to accommodate all transfer requests.
  12. Each transfer is unique and will be considered on its merit.

B. PROCESS:

  1. Residents wishing to transfer programs within UofT (Internal Transfer) must complete the transfer request survey and submit all required documentation by the deadline. The survey is distributed in December with a deadline of January each year. Residents wishing to transfer to another school (External Transfer) must complete the transfer request survey by the end of March (or specified deadline). Incomplete submissions will not be forwarded to programs and/or schools for consideration.
  2. Sponsored Residents (from the following countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates) requesting a transfer must apply for the transfer through the UofT PGME STAR application portal. The sponsoring agency must upload a sponsorship letter on STAR supporting the transfer request. Sponsored Residents may be considered for a transfer outside of the normal timeline of the national transfer process.
  3. Internal Transfer requests will be compiled and reviewed by PGME to confirm completeness and eligibility. Once eligibility is confirmed, requests will be forwarded to programs for consideration.
  4. For Internal Transfers, PGME will send program transfer requests to the receiving Program Director with the resident’s name, contact information, and all survey information (this typically includes CV and letter of intent). All requests are sent at the same time to the receiving Program Directors.
  5. Receiving Program Directors must ensure that candidates meet the admissions and selection requirements of their programs.
  6. For Internal Transfers, receiving Program Directors/Program Administrators will contact residents individually to request any additional documentation that they require for review and a possible interview (e.g., reference letters, ITARs). The receiving program will prepare a rank list of its acceptable applicants and submit to PGME, with the understanding that no commitments are to be made to candidates as all transfer requests must be approved by PGME. PGME will review the rank lists for all programs interested in accepting a transfer, along with PGME funding and capacity. Transfer requests are confidential, and the receiving Program Director may not contact the applicant’s home Program Director without the applicant’s authorization.
  7. PGME will provide a formal letter of offer to residents whose transfers are successful. The resident will have the option of accepting or declining the offer by the specified deadline. Residents who accept the offer to transfer will be issued a new Letter of Appointment (LOA). Residents whose transfers are unsuccessful will be informed by PGME.
  8. PGME will treat transfer requests as confidential and will not advise home Program Directors of the acceptance of residents to other programs -- this is the responsibility of the resident. Transfers normally have a start date of July 1 in the new program. An applicant accepted as a transfer resident MUST inform their home Program Director within one week of acceptance to the new program to request a release from the program as of July 1, or a date that is mutually acceptable to both home and receiving Program Directors. Due to rotation and call scheduling requirements, both Program Directors must agree on the start/release date if other than July 1.
  9. Residents must be released by their home program. PGME will issue a revised LOA to successfully transferred residents after receipt of authorization letters from the home and receiving Program Directors.
  10. External Transfers will take place after the R1 CaRMS Second Iteration has been completed (this process is inclusive of learners who would like to request a transfer to Specialty and Subspecialty Programs). PGME will submit the requests to transfer externally to the receiving school/program. In accordance with the AFMC Postgraduate Medical Education National Transfer Guidelines, PGME will confirm standing and provide ITARs for candidates (this is in addition to CV and personal statement). If a school is interested in pursuing candidacy, they will contact the resident directly to facilitate an interview, and may request additional documentation (e.g., reference letters).
  11. If a resident is successful in obtaining an external transfer, they will need to request a letter of release from their home program. Once PGME at UofT receives a copy of this letter, PGME at UofT will then provide an institutional letter of release from the Associate Dean to the receiving school’s PGME and a revised LOA will be issued.