Fourth-year medical student Katherine Lam celebrates after learning that she will be headed to Victoria this summer to join UBC’s Family Medicine residency program.
Among a room full of fourth-year UBC medical students, Katherine Lam smiles as she pulls a white T-shirt from the pile and reaches for a marker on the table.
In block letters, she writes “FAM,” and underneath “Victoria.”
“I matched to UBC’s Family Medicine program in Victoria,” she says. “I’m really excited because it’s a fantastic program with a lot of residents and I am looking forward to being a part of the community, as well as making a positive and direct impact on peoples’ lives.”
On March 1, Lam joined hundreds of other UBC medical students to celebrate the results of the first round of the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), which matches MD students with postgraduate training programs across the country.
This year, nearly half (47 per cent) of UBC MD students will be joining Family Medicine residency programs here in B.C. and across Canada. Overall, a large number (95 per cent) of students matched to postgraduate training programs in the first round.
Roger Wong, Executive Associate Dean, Education, says this year’s results are a reflection of all the hard work by students, faculty and staff.
UBC medical students celebrate the results of CaRMS 2017 at the Medical Student Alumni Centre in Vancouver.
“I am very encouraged by today’s results — they are a strong demonstration of just how hard our students have worked over the course of medical school, as well as the deep commitment amongst our faculty and staff who have helped to prepare our learners for the next stage of their journey as residents,” says Dr. Wong.
This year, UBC’s postgraduate medical education programs accepted a record number of entry-level residents, with 98 per cent of the 346 positions filled in the first round — a testament to the strength of residency training at UBC.
Family Medicine accounted for the largest number (nearly half) of entry-level residency positions, with all 170 positions fully matched in the first round.
Over the past decade, the growth of UBC’s Family Medicine Residency Program — which is now the largest in Canada — has greatly increased the number of training opportunities across B.C., including in rural and remote communities. Last summer, a new Family Medicine residency site launched in the South Okanagan, becoming the 19th Family Medicine training site in B.C.
“I’m looking forward to welcoming all the doctors who have matched to UBC’s residency training programs, which are centered in communities based across the province and offer an opportunity for residents to build strong ties and connections on their path to independent practice,” says Dr. Ravi Sidhu, Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education.
The next chapter
Here, a selection of fourth-year UBC medical students share more on what attracted them to medicine, their CaRMS match result and what they look forward to most in the next chapter of their professional journey.
Meet Ellie Parton
Program: Family Medicine
“What attracted me to medicine was the opportunity to help care for people. I also love the health sciences and the humanities and it’s a great mix of the two. I know Abbotsford has a great residency program because I did the Chilliwack integrated-clerkship during medical school and I know the trainers and residents will be very helpful in training me to become a family physician.”
Meet Jennifer Clune
Program: Psychiatry
“I really wanted to be in a helping profession and was lucky enough to get accepted to UBC’s medical school. Today is the first day in a whole new adventure and I am really excited to be able to spend the next five years focusing on gaining skills in mental health.”
Meet Charles Yu
Program: Anesthesiology
“What attracted me most to medicine was that it’s flexible and it’s the one profession where you are able to stick to your gut and morals when making decisions. I’m really interested in anesthesia and know that it’s a really strong program. I’m also looking forward to meeting all of the residents.”
Meet Clara Tsui
Program: Internal Medicine
“Being a part of UBC is already amazing and getting to stay here is even better because Vancouver is my home, and so is UBC. I’m really looking forward to my residency in internal medicine because it’s a varied discipline where you can focus on anything from cardiology to respirology.”
A second round of the CaRMS match for the remaining unfilled residency positions will be held in April.
The Faculty of Medicine’s Office of Student Affairs offers a number of resources and services for students entering the second match, including one-on-one meetings, as well as mentorship opportunities with residents and connections to counselling support services.