International Medical Graduates are a diverse group from medical schools around the world. Every person’s unique story reflects a broad range of experience, from years of practice to no patient experience at all.
The UBC Faculty of Medicine offers services and evaluations to allow medical doctors who have trained in medical schools outside Canada and the United States to compete for, and obtain, medical residency positions in British Columbia that will lead to licensure for practice. These resources and positions are generously funded by the Government of the Province of British Columbia. International Medical Graduate (IMG) positions are offered to British Columbians who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Over the last ten years, the UBC Faculty of Medicine has expanded, more than doubling medical school enrolment and significantly increasing the number of postgraduate trainees. Within this expansion, the Province of B.C. has worked to reduce barriers to practice for International Medical Graduates, and has more than tripled entry-level IMG residency training positions to 58.
As medical education varies widely among IMGs, prior to gaining access to residency in Canada, all IMGs must complete a series of standardized assessments to ensure they meet the minimum Canadian medical education standards and have the required skills to start residency training. IMGs seeking to be matched to a residency position in British Columbia are required to participate in UBC’s Clinical Assessment Program (CAP).
The CAP provides a transparent and equitable process designed to support UBC residency programs assessment of candidates’ past clinical experience as both a learner and a practitioner, and to evaluate their potential for success in residency training and suitability for working in communities across B.C.