OMSA, CFMS, FMEQ & AFMC Joint Message on R1 Residency Cuts

Dear Students,

As the 2016 CaRMS cycle will soon begin, we, the OMSA, CFMS, FMEQ and AFMC Student Affairs, recognize that this is both an exciting and anxious time, for you. Given the recent reductions in R1 positions in Ontario, we are hearing increasing Match concerns. Many of you will have a fairly clear goal of your career direction at this point, and related electives are already planned. However, no matter how certain you feel about your choice, we want to reiterate the importance of a broad application approach, both geographically, and in discipline, as much as possible, in order to maximize your match possibilities. This doesn’t mean that you will rank all of them and you certainly should not rank a program that you can’t see yourself doing, however, the more applications you submit, the more potential rankings you will have.

There is also a new resource on the e-tools of the AFMC website, addressing some of the common myths about the residency matching process that you may find helpful. The link is: https://www.afmc.ca/etools/demystifying-residency-matching-process

And finally, we encourage each of you to connect with the career counsellors/advisors at your Faculty (or the most appropriate person at your campus), early in the process, in order to optimize and individualize your match application strategy. These career counsellors have a lot of experience and can be an invaluable resource to you, if you engage with them early. Your Student Affairs offices are here to support you through the process.

We wish you a smooth and successful 2016 Match,

All best,

Ali Damji
Chair, Ontario Medical Students Association

Anthea Lafreniere
President-Elect and Vice-President Communications
Canadian Federation of Medical Students

Ariane Veilleux Carpentier
Presidente, Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec

Leslie Nickell, MD, CCFP
Chair, AFMC Committee on Student Affairs