FAQ

Prospective Applicants

To practice in Canada with a degree from a university outside Canada, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and you will need to gain a Canadian Medical License. To get a sense of what you'll need to get your license, and for links to the different requirements in various provinces, visit the Medical Council of Canada.

International medical graduates may apply to residency programs in Canada, but there are additional steps they must take and examinations they must pass to demonstrate their medical knowledge and expertise. For more information explore the AFMC’s Future MD Canada web tool.

If you decide to study abroad, your medical residency might take a different path than if you study in Canada. Follow the path to residency of someone who studies abroad and returns to Canada for their medical residency to find out more.

Yes, if you are a graduate of an osteopathic school of medicine in the U.S., you are considered an IMG. Visit the CaRMS website for more information.

No. You do not need to be a resident of B.C. to apply to post-graduate medical residency programs through CaRMS. Visit the CaRMS website for more information.

We don’t arrange for direct clinical experience with doctors and hospitals, but as a medical student at an approved international medical school, you can apply to take a clinical elective.

Eligibility

CAP positions are open to final-year international medical students and international medical graduates who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

No. You do not need to be a BC resident to apply for the Clinical Assessment Program. If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident you may apply to the CAP.

You are considered a B.C. resident if you hold current BC medical coverage (MSP), or hold equivalent coverage from the Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut. You’ll be asked to submit your Personal Health Number found on your BC Services or BC Care Card. The coverage must be valid through the entire application cycle and will be checked. The IMG Office may ask for additional documentation if required to clarify residency status.

Note that you do not need to be a resident of B.C. to apply to UBC’s CAP. You may apply to the program if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Visit the Application page for more information on application details.

No. Final-year international medical students are also eligible to apply to the Clinical Assessment Program. Please note: You must have graduated or be enrolled in a medical school listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools.

In order to apply to the Clinical Assessment Program, you will need to demonstrate the following: you are a final-year medical student or graduate from a medical school listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools, you are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, and you have passed your Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part 1 and NAC Examination. Please note that your identification, medical degree, and MCC exam results must be source verified by PhysiciansApply.ca.

You are not required to fulfill ELP requirements when applying to the Clinical Assessment Program.

You can take the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part 1 up to 15 months before your graduation date. Eligibility for the MCCQE Part 1 and the exam dates are published on the MCC website.

Please refer to the Timeline page for the last MCCQE Part 1 session eligible for the CAP cycle.

No. The NAC Examination can be written at any of the designated exam centres across Canada.

Eligibility for the National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination and the exam dates are published on the MCC website.

Did you know? You can only take the NAC Examination once each year, three times in total. Keep this in mind when you schedule your session.

The MCCQE Part 1 and the NAC Examination are requirements of CAP. CAP applications can be submitted if the applicant is scheduled to take the MCCQE Part 1 and/or NAC Examination or awaiting exam results. Please note that shortlisted applications will be declined if an applicant fails to obtain a passing MCCQE Part 1 score and passing NAC Examination score.


Please refer to the Timeline page for important dates and deadlines.

Clinical Assessment Program

The Clinical Assessment Program (CAP) is comprised of three main components: a file review for all applicants; a multiple mini interview of 300 successful applicants; and an orientation for IMG residents matched to UBC.

IMGs 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. 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 UBC CAP provides a transparent and equitable process designed to support UBC residency programs assess your past experience, and evaluate your potential for success in residency training and suitability for working in communities across B.C.

Yes. If you are seeking to be matched to a residency position in B.C., you will need to participate in the one-day CAP, which will offer you an opportunity to improve your previous assessment score and enhance your application for residency.

A combination of Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part 1, NAC Examination and a file review will be used to select candidates for a CAP position. Over the course of the one-day assessment (Multiple Mini Interview), we will be exploring candidate’s clinical skills, communication skills and clinical reasoning through a series of case-based oral stations. Having strong communication skills and clinical experience will position you to perform well in this exam. We wish to identify candidates who demonstrate good potential for success in residency training and suitability for working in communities across B.C.

The Government of BC is launching a new medical residency stream in 2024 which will offer up to 20 expanded residency opportunities to Canadian Medical Graduates and International Medical Graduates in the following specialties: Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Psychiatry, Urology, and Radiology (Diagnostic). To accommodate this new stream, the CAP positions in 2023 will be increased from 300 to 360.

The CAP was streamlined from four weeks to a one-day, mandatory evaluation in 2017. The one-day assessment (Multiple Mini Interview) includes a series of structured oral interviews and examinations, during which your skills and past experiences are assessed. At the end of the assessment, a written evaluation is submitted on your behalf to CaRMS.

The CAP will be offered in the fall of each year. Visit the Timeline page for important upcoming dates and deadlines.

CAP Position offers are sent out approximately 2 weeks prior to the assessment date. Applicants must respond within 48 hours of offer and failure to do so will result in forfeiture of your spot. Please refer to the Application Process page for details.

CAP scores obtained in 2017 and 2018 were valid for 5 years.
CAP scores obtained in 2019 and after are valid for 3 years.

The table below can help you verify if your CAP score is still valid for the current CaRMS cycle:

Please note that if you participated in the previous four-week CAP, you will need to take part in the one-day assessment in order to apply to a UBC residency position.

Successfully shortlisted IMGs may participate in IMG CAP Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) up to three times. The most recent CAP score will be used in the CaRMS application. Previous assessment formats of CAP will not count towards maximum attempts.

The CAP is not an education program and is unable to assist candidates with MMI preparation.

Marks are distributed to all candidates once scores are provided to CaRMS. Typically, this would be approximately one week after the CaRMS submission deadline.

No, you are eligible to apply to CaRMS if you hold a valid CAP Score, provided that you have satisfied the other requirements outlined by CaRMS.

At the end of the year/beginning of the next match year, CaRMS will verify eligibility. If you are still eligible, CaRMS will not remove your CAP letter from your profile. CaRMS will remove the CAP letter that no longer meets the validity/eligibility criteria. Please note that you must take the CAP again if your score has expired prior to your application to CaRMS, provided you have not exceeded the maximum number of attempts for the CAP.

If you are successful in obtaining a residency position in B.C., you will be required to take part in an orientation, where you will gain a deeper understanding of the Canadian medical system and be exposed to a number of tools and resources to help you succeed over the course of your time as a resident.