Ultimate CaRMS Guide: Ace Your Residency Application and Get Matched

What is the CaRMS Application? 

The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) is a centralized system that facilitates the matching process between medical graduates and residency programs across Canada. Any medical graduate, whether they are based in Canada or abroad, must apply through CaRMS if they wish to pursue residency training in any specialty of medicine in Canada. 

The CaRMS online system saves significant time and effort by making it fast and easy to apply to as many residency programs as you want. 

CaRMS Timeline

The CaRMS timeline outlines important dates for the residency application process. Applicants must adhere to the timeline to ensure timely submissions and improve their chances of securing their preferred residency positions. 

For the R-1 Main Residency Match – first iteration, here's a summary of the timeline and important milestones to help students keep their application process on track: 



CaRMS Online Portal

Students start the application process by accessing the CaRMS online portal. If you're a current-year graduate of a Canadian medical school, no registration is needed; CaRMS will email you login details once the match opens. If you've participated in a previous match, use your existing CaRMS Online account credentials. Otherwise, if you're not a current-year graduate and don't have an account, you'll need to register for the match.  

Your CaRMS application consists of two main parts: 

1. CaRMS Online profile: This part covers your education and work history. 
2. Supporting documents: Residency applications need various documents like transcripts, exam results, references, and program specific materials. Not every program needs all of them, so always check specific program requirements. Documents sent from third parties, like referees and medical schools, are uploaded by the sender.  

CaRMS Application Costs

How to Complete the CaRMS Application  

Admissions consultant, Dr. Neel Mistry, knows how hard this process is and says that preparing in advance is one of the best things applicants can do to make it through residency applications and get matched.  

“Residency applications can be difficult, especially since you have a lot of clinical commitments during your senior years of medical school. This, combined with the stress of matching and residency applications, can be overwhelming. This is why it is even more important to start early and pace yourself. By starting a few months in advance and dedicating a few hours each day to your residency application, you can ensure timely completion and high-quality work while avoiding last-minute hiccups.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD 

One of the best and often overlooked ways to ace your CaRMS application is to understand what is required and follow the provided instructions for each program you are applying to. Next, we'll walk you through each part of the CaRMS application:

1. Medical School Transcripts 

Canadian school graduates can upload their transcripts or request their school to do so. International school graduates have three options: transferring from Physicians Apply, self-uploading, or school upload. Previous R-1 match participants' documents will be in their profile. 

2. Exam and Assessment Results  

CaRMS directly receives certain exam results and documentation from their sources, ensuring validity and simplifying the process. Common exams include the MCCQE Part 1, the NAC OSCE, the USMLE Step 1, UBC's CAP, and CASPer. Results must be sent directly by the organization or uploaded by the applicant to CaRMS Online. 

3. Medical School Performance Record 

The Medical School Performance Record (MSPR), or dean's letter, reports on your medical school activities, clinical rotation performance, and time spent in specialties or departments.  

Canadian graduates' MSPRs are typically sent directly to CaRMS, but students are responsible for following their university’s processes and checking the document tracking section of CaRMS Online to ensure the documents have been received. Prior-year graduates need to request transfer via their school's portal. International graduates can upload their own MSPRs or use the Undergraduate Portal. 

4. References for Medical Residency Application  

References for your medical residency application are provided by physicians, professors, or non-clinical individuals and are requested through CaRMS Online.  

There are three main types of CaRMS reference letters:  

1. Letter of Reference: A comprehensive letter detailing the referee's experiences with you and endorsing you for further medical training. 
2. Applicant Support Form: This reference document is unique to some programs. Applicants must request it directly from the program requiring it and provide it to their referees. CaRMS does not supply this document. 
3. Structured Reference Letters: These are requested by programs for certain disciplines, like Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, for example. Reference providers complete them directly within CaRMS Online. You must select this option from the drop-down menu in your CaRMS Online account when requesting a reference for these specific disciplines. 

According to CaRMS, residency programs want to see specific details like the date the letter was written, how long the applicant has known the referee, and an assessment of:  

• Cognitive skills and knowledge 
• Problem-solving and patient management skills 
• Behavior and attitude 
• Communication skills and relationships 
• Motivation and punctuality 
• Sense of responsibility 
• Procedural skills relevant to the discipline 
• Special qualities and unique contributions 

This is an important part of your application and you should choose referees wisely. If possible, include references from professionals in the specialties you are applying to.  

To make it easy for your referees, put together an information package to help them write an impressive reference letter. This package should include information about your achievements, goals, and the mission and values of the specific programs you're applying to so they can tailor their letters accordingly. Be sure to ask well in advance of the deadline so your referee has time to draft a thoughtful letter and make changes if needed.  

Dr. Neel Mistry has a few recommendations to help you decide who to ask.  

“You should find someone that knows you well (not just clinically, but as a person, even outside of work), someone that has known you for a long period of time, and someone who can comment on why you will be a great resident in your specialty of choice. This can be through your clinical rotations, research, electives, etc.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD  

If you want to get a jump on the application process, you can request references even when the CaRMS Online portal is closed. Here is how you do it:  

5. CaRMS Personal Letters  

Personal letters are your opportunity to introduce yourself and express your interest in a specific specialty. 

This letter is similar to a residency personal statement; your CaRMS personal letter should explain why you have chosen a particular residency program. Each program has different requirements for word length and what your letter should include, so be sure to check individual program descriptions for more details. 

Personal letters must be entered into CaRMS Online. You can write them directly in the online system or paste your text into CaRMS Online once it's complete. 

Here are some guidelines that will help you write a compelling personal letter:  

• ALWAYS start by following the requirements listed by each program you are applying to, like the word count and writing prompts.  
• Provide insights into what attracted you to the program and how it aligns with your professional goals.  
• Incorporate objective examples of the skills required to be a successful doctor, like communication, empathy, critical thinking, and adherence to ethics.  
• Include experiences that demonstrate commitment and progression.  
• Ensure the letter has a strong hook at the beginning and a conclusion that inspires the reader to invite you for an interview so they can get to know you better.  
• Consider working with a CaRMS prep service to make the process less stressful and more impactful. 

“I am happy to say that with the help of BeMo, I have a finished [residency] personal statement. Apart from checking for grammatical errors and punctuations, my admission expert suggested ways to ensure that the sentence structure and overall flow reflects my suitability for the residency program. Your attention to detail and professionalism is exceptional and I recommend BeMo to any IMG planning to apply through CaRMS or ERAS.” – Former BeMo Student  

Dr. Mistry encourages students to take their time when writing the personal letter and pay attention to a few key areas to increase their chances of matching:  

“Demonstrating preparedness for your specialty is key to convincing the application committee and ultimately securing your top residency program. To do so, you want to highlight specific personal experiences where you have demonstrated key skills required for your specialty. For instance, collaboration, communication, and independent problem solving are essential to the job of a radiologist. I made sure to give specific examples to demonstrate how I have developed each of these skills throughout medical school. This helps the selection committee to know that you are aware of what you are getting yourself into.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD 

6. Extra Documents  

CaRMS permits students to include extra documents that will enhance their application, and some programs require additional documents. This can include things like a comprehensive residency CV, rotation evaluations, and anything else that further demonstrates your fitness for the program you are applying to.  

7. Photos 

Programs that require you to submit a photo will specify this in their program description. The photo is used to help programs identify applicants during the ranking process and is not visible until the interview period begins. 

You should use a professional headshot whenever possible. Upload your photo directly to your online account in JPG format and ensure it is less than 2 MB in size. 

CaRMS Residency Interviews 

CaRMS interviews are your chance to get in front of the people who hold your future in their hands, and thorough prep can help you ace the interview and match with your dream residency. Here are some tips to help you shine while you’re in the hot seat:  

• Check the description and website for each program you applied to for information about their interview format (traditional panel, video, or MMI). 
• Prepare and practice answers for sample questions listed on each program’s website.  
• Prepare and practice answers for common CaRMS interview questions.  
• Record yourself practicing to identify areas of improvement like saying “um”, fidgeting, posture, and body language.  
• Make sure your answers are on topic and relate back to objective examples of your skills and how they are a good match to the program’s goals, mission, and values.  
• Plan your interview outfits and wear those clothes when you do mock interviews. 
• Consider working with a CaRMS interview prep service to take your interview skills from good to unforgettable! 

A former BeMo student used our services to prepare for residency interviews and successfully matched to the Oncology program at Queen’s University!  

“My experience with BeMo was nothing short of remarkable. I subscribed to their platinum program to help me prepare for residency interviews in CaRMS. Although expensive, the platinum program was extremely helpful because I was able to practice as much as needed for my interviews. The consultants were excellent and knew exactly how to help you prepare for the interviews. I used their feedback religiously and my interview performance improved in a very short time. It was all worth it because I matched to Oncology in Queen's! I would strongly recommend that if you need help with interview preparation, look into BeMo!” – Former BeMo Student 

One thing that will really make you stand out during your interviews is to familiarize yourself with CanMEDS roles and use that when answering questions. That’s what Dr. Mistry did during his residency interviews to secure a match.  

“To prepare for my residency interviews, I did lots of practice for a few hours every day and built a strategy to approach different types of questions. It is good practice to prepare by going over general interview questions, coming up with a personal example for each of the CanMEDS roles (i.e., physician competencies).” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD 

Creating Your Residency Rank Order List

After your interviews are done, it’s time to create your residency rank order list. This list ranks your preferences for residency programs from most to least preferred, and must be submitted via CaRMS by the rank order list deadline. Programs also create a rank order list of students they would like to accept. An algorithm uses these lists to match applicants and programs.  

CaRMS recommends the following to help you optimize your chances of matching: 

• Rank programs you want to attend in order of your true preference. 
• Only rank programs you are willing to attend.  
• Only rank programs you are qualified for. 
• Apply to multiple sites within a single program.  
• Rank a minimum of six residency programs. 

Here is how admissions expert Dr. Mistry created his rank order list:  

“My strategy was simple–I ranked all programs based on proximity to home (location) first and foremost. The next was quality of resident training (i.e., weekly rounds, resident teaching, exposure to a breadth of cases, fellowship potential) and wellness culture (time off for residents, planned activities, measures to prevent burnout, etc.). In the event of a tie, I ranked the programs based on location. In the case where both programs were equally far, factors such as quality of education and social culture (including resident wellness), as described above, were driving factors.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD 

CaRMS Residency Matching Rates  

The CaRMS data on residency matching rates confirmed that 97.7% of available match positions were filled during the most recent match cycle, which was the highest ever number of filled positions!

CaRMS Residency Match Rates by School  

• Dalhousie University - 96.58% 
• McGill University - 90.61% 
• McMaster University - 95.07% 
• Memorial University of Newfoundland - 94.81% 
• NOSM University - 95.45% 
• Queen’s University - 96.30% 
• Université de Montréal - 89.84% 
• Université de Sherbrooke - 91.58% 
• Université Laval - 91.37% 
• University of Alberta - 95.71% 
• University of British Columbia - 94.41% 
• University of Calgary - 92.57% 
• University of Manitoba - 96.33% 
• University of Ottawa - 94.71% 
• University of Saskatchewan - 93.33% 
• University of Toronto - 93.04% 
• Western University - 94.48% 

Top 10 CaRMS Specialties and Match Rates for CMGs 

• Family Medicine - 1095 CMGs matched
• Internal Medicine - 459 CMGs matched
• Psychiatry - 161 CMGs matched
• Pediatrics - 140 CMGs matched
• Anesthesiology - 138 CMGs matched
• Obstetrics and Gynecology - 94 CMGs matched
• General Surgery - 84 CMGs matched
• Diagnostic Radiology - 79 CMGs matched
• Emergency Medicine - 77 CMGs matched
• Orthopedic Surgery - 48 CMGs matched

Top 5 CaRMS Specialties and Match Rates for IMGs 

• Family Medicine - 258 IMGs matched
• Internal Medicine - 58 IMGs matched
• Psychiatry - 18 IMGs matched
• Pediatrics - 20 IMGs matched
• Anatomical Pathology - 9 IMGs matched

What To Do if You Don’t Match in CaRMS  

If you didn’t get a residency match in CaRMS, you can join the second iteration after 12:00 PM ET on the first iteration Match Day. Review the list of unfilled positions and check the second iteration timeline for details. 

Check out our blog post with proven tips to help you improve your residency application if you go unmatched.  

If you don't match in the second iteration, you can participate in the Post-Match Process (PMP). This process allows unmatched applicants to apply to programs that are still accepting applications. Available positions will be listed in the PMP program descriptions and may change at any time. Participation in the PMP is free since no ranking or matching services are provided. 

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BeMo Academic Consulting