CaRMS Residency Application Timelines – Updated for 2019

The CaRMS residency programs match timeline provides a schedule of important dates (called milestones) to help you complete each phase of the application process in a timely fashion. Please note that these milestones are just recommendations, not deadlines.

The only real deadline in the Canadian Residency Application Matching Service schedule is the rank order list deadline – the date by which applicants must submit their ranked list of programs and programs must submit their ranked list of applicants. If you miss this deadline, you will be automatically withdrawn from the match. At MedApplications, we work with you throughout the CaRMS residency programs matching process so you can successfully complete your medical residency in Canada.

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2018 R-1 Main Residency Match (R-1 match)

First Iteration

You will notice that there are milestones and deadlines listed in this timetable. Milestones are simply recommended dates designed to help you keep your application on track during each phase of the Canadian Residency Matching Service application process. These milestones are not deadlines.

September 6, 2017 at 12:00 (noon) ET

  • CaRMS Online opens
  • All registered applicants, as well as final year Canadian medical graduates (CMGs), are sent an email with information on how to log into CaRMS Online and start their application for medical residency in Canada.
  • Applicants who participated in the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 or 2017 matches can log into their CaRMS Online account using their existing username and password to participate in the match. If you have forgotten your username or password, click on the Forgot your username or password option on the CaRMS Online login page.
  • CaRMS residency program descriptions are published on CaRMS.ca
  • Program descriptions for all programs that are participating in the R-1 Main Residency Match are now available on CaRMS.ca for applicants to review.

October 12, 2017 at 12:00 (noon) ET

  • Program selection opens
  • Applicants may start selecting the programs to which they wish to apply on CaRMS Online and assign requested documents.

November 1, 2017

  • Milestone: transcripts and MSPRs sent by your faculty (CMG applicants only)
  • If your university is sending a hardcopy of your Medical School Performance Record (MSPR) and transcript to the CaRMS Document Centre, they should arrive by today to guarantee they will be processed into your account before November 21 when programs start reviewing applications.
  • It is your responsibility to follow university procedures to ensure your medical school transcript and MSPR are sent directly to CaRMS. You can verify whether documents have been received through your Document Tracking section in CaRMS Online.

November 3, 2017 at 17:00 ET

  • Deadline: translation requests
  • If you would like for your transcript, MSPR or any letters of reference to be translated using our translation service, you must make the request through CaRMS Online by today to allow sufficient time for translation before file review begins on November 21. Documents must be available in your CaRMS Online application in order for us to be able to process the translation.

November 9, 2017

  • Milestone: physiciansapply.ca examination and document transfers (IMG applicants only)
  • All your MCC examinations and documents should be shared in the physiciansapply.ca transfers section of your application on CaRMS Online by today to ensure your examination scores and documents are retrieved from the MCC before file review begins November 21.

November 17, 2017

  • Milestone: letters of reference sent by mail
  • If your referees are sending hardcopy reference letters by mail, you should ensure they arrive at CaRMS by today to guarantee they will be processed into your CaRMS Online application before letters of reference are available for programs to review on November 28.

November 21, 2017 at 15:00 ET *DEADLINE EXTENSION*

  • Deadline: application and document assignments
  • Your application and all required document assignments to programs (excluding letters of reference) must be completed by the opening of file review to be considered on time.
  • All applications and document assignments completed after today will be time-stamped as late (excluding letters of reference).

November 21, 2017 at 15:30 ET

  • File review of your Canadian Residency Matching Service application begins
  • Programs now have access to all submitted applications and documents (excluding letters of reference). They will review applications and communicate with applicants to schedule interviews for medical residency in Canada.

November 28, 2017 at 12:00 (noon) ET

  • Deadline: letters of reference
  • Letters of reference must be assigned to programs by today for them to be considered on time.
  • Letters of reference are now available for programs to review.
  • Programs do not have access to any letters of reference before today. Any letters of reference assigned after today will be time-stamped as late.

January 13 – February 4, 2018

  • National interview period
  • Interviews for current-year Canadian medical school graduates from out-of-town universities are conducted during this three-week period.
  • Interviews for international medical graduates and applicants interviewing at their own schools are coordinated separately with no specific national time period.

January 25, 2018 at 12:00 (noon) ET

  • Ranking period begins
  • Applicants and programs may begin creating their rank order lists.

February 15, 2018 at 15:00 ET

  • Deadline: rank order lists
  • Applicants must have their rank order list submitted through the Canadian Residency Matching Service Online by 15:00 ET. This deadline is firm – no rank order lists can be submitted after this time.
  • Note: you may modify your submitted list, but you must re-submit the list before the deadline.

March 1, 2018 at 12:00 (noon) ET

  • MATCH DAY
  • Match results for the first iteration of the 2018 R-1 Main Residency Match are available through CaRMS Online.

May 8, 2018 at 15:00 ET

  • CaRMS Online access closes
  • This is the last day to access information in your CaRMS Online account for the 2018 R-1 Main Residency Match. You will no longer have access to the information in your application after this date.

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