- © 2007 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
Family medicine residencies remained the toughest fill during the 2007 residency match, as some 108 of 987 available slots were left vacant at the conclusion of both iterations of the process.
By contrast, only 36 medical specialty slots remained vacant at the conclusion of the annual match run by the Canadian Resident Match Service (CaRMS).
Only 29% of medical graduates chose family medicine as their preferred option, compared with 32% in 2006 and 28% in 2005.
But CaRMS Executive-Director Sandra Banner says the decline isn't necessarily an indicator of the lack of appeal of family practice, so much as a function of the larger number of available family medicine residencies in this year's match. “The vacancies have everything to do with the funding that was in place and there was a lot of extra positions this year because of the expansion in BC and the expansion in Ontario. And the positions exceeded the number of grads and for the most part, international medical graduate positions were in addition to that and specially identified.”
For the first time since 1992, the annual match allowed Canadian medical school graduates (CMGs) and international medical school graduates (IMGs) to participate in both iterations of the process. Under reforms approved last year (CMAJ 2006;175:236), IMGs were eligible to participate in the first iteration but in a separate competition from CMGs, except in Manitoba and Quebec, where all are put into the same competition hopper.
Essentially, the revisions created a CaRMS-run match for IMGs, although not all provinces participated and several set their own eligibility criteria.
Still, the revisions attracted a record number of IMG applicants. Some 1486 competed in the first iteration, and an additional 160 applied for the second. There were 2000 CMGs in the match.
After both iterations, 298 IMGs were matched through the CaRMS process, while 59 others were matched through various provincial processes, for a total of 357, compared with 111 in 2006.
Some 1976 CMGs found residencies through the CaRMS match, with 85% of those finding a spot at 1 of the top 3 programs of their choice in terms of location, and 90% finding a top 3 preferred discipline. Specifics regarding the 36 unmatched specialty residencies were unavailable as of CMAJ's press deadline (Apr. 27). Some 33 CMGs were matched in the United States this year, compared with 34 last year.
The 24 unmatched CMGs and 1289 unmatched IMGs are eligible to be chosen for the 144 remaining vacancies before the July 1 starting date for residencies.
Banner expects most of the 2 dozen CMGs will find spots. “But they're not all in jurisdictions that they will be available to fill. But there will be some tidying up and there will be a few people who find themselves in positions on July 1st.”
Post-match vacancies are usually, but not always filled, Banner added. “It depends on the province. Some will be scrambles. Some won't be filled.”
Overall, the CaRMS match and other matching processes in other provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Quebec) will result in a record 2337 graduates commencing residencies on July 1, Banner said. “That bodes well for the continuing growth of the medical community in our country.”