Hamilton - Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology
McMaster UniversityHamilton, Ontario
At a glance
- Approx. quota
- 12
- Length
- 5
- Applications per year
- 51–200
- Offered interviews
- 76–100%0–25%
CMG stream · open to Canadian medical graduates
IMG stream · open to international medical graduates
Interviews
2 dates, 25–26 Jan 2027
Hamilton, 4 teaching sites
What stands out about this program
Training is coordinated through a regionalized laboratory program, one of the first in Canada.
From “Training sites” on the CaRMS page
Residents have full access to a Regional Molecular Anatomical Pathology Lab for cancer genetics training.
From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page
- McMaster's Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology residency is a five-year program.
- Residents rotate through four Hamilton teaching hospitals within the Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program, with surgical pathology community rotations in PGY4 and PGY5.
- The first year includes oncology and internal medicine blocks, and research is mandatory.
What training looks like
- Setting
- Academic / tertiary hospital
- Rural exposure
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- Research
- Required · research project
By year
Not stated on CaRMS page
Other rotations
- Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology (Transition to Discipline · two blocks)
- Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology (Foundation · 8 blocks)
- Autopsy for junior leaners (Foundation · 1 block)
- Internal medicine/CTU (Foundation · 1 block)
- Surgical oncology (Foundation · 1 block)
- Medical oncology (Foundation · 1 block)
- Radiation oncology (Foundation · 1 block)
- surgical pathology community rotations (PGY4 and PGY5 · several accredited community hospitals)
Not stated on CaRMS page
Other rotations
- Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology (Transition to Discipline · two blocks)
- Anatomical pathology (Foundation · 8 blocks)
- Autopsy for junior learners (Foundation · 1 block)
- Internal medicine/CTU (Foundation · 1 block)
- Surgical oncology (Foundation · 1 block)
- Radiation oncology (Foundation · 1 block)
- Medical Oncology (Foundation · 1 block)
- surgical pathology community rotations (PGY4 and PGY5 · accredited community hospitals)
Where you train
Hamilton, Ontario: 4 teaching sites.
- McMaster University Medical Centre and Children’s Hospital
- Hamilton General Hospital
- Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre
- St. Joseph's Hospital
Record systems at the listed sites: Epic at 3 of 4, Oracle Health (Cerner) at 1.
Hospital facts
What official sources say for hospitals named above, each with its source and the date we read it. They describe the hospital, not the program. We match names to the sources by name, so check each source before you rely on it.
- Clinical record
- Epic, fully electronic record since Jun 2022
St. Joseph's Hospital
- Clinical record
- Cerner (OneChart), system named (how far it goes is not stated)
Hospital size and activity: Ontario doesn't publish this as open data.
About Hamilton
People
569,353residents, 2021 Census
Housing
3.5%rental vacancy rate
Winter and summer
−3.1 °CJanuary mean21.9 °CJuly mean
Job outlook
Goodfor the specialty here, 2025–2027
How they choose
- Application file components
- CV
- Electives
- Examinations
- Extra-curricular
- Leadership skills
- MSPRs
- Personal letters
- Reference documents
- Research/Publications
- Transcripts
- Return of service, CMG stream
- Not stated on CaRMS page. Check the provincial return-of-service rules.
- Return of service, IMG stream
- Required
- IMG requirements, IMG stream
- Not stated on CaRMS page
Interviews and info sessions
- Interview dates (2027 match)
- 25 and 26 Jan 2027
- Format
- Virtual
- Panel
Info sessions
None listed on the program’s CaRMS page (opens in a new tab) (read 20 Oct 2026) or on CANPREPP’s events calendar (read 24 Oct 2026). Programs add sessions through the fall.
3 Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology info sessions at other programsAll info sessions
Pay and call
| Level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| PGY-1 | $73,367 / year |
| PGY-2 | $79,670 / year |
| PGY-3 | $85,564 / year |
| PGY-4 | $92,701 / year |
| PGY-5 | $98,567 / year |
Call
- Call (provincial max)
- 7 nights in 28 in-house
- Post-call rule (provincial)
- No new patient responsibilities after 24 hours in-hospital, except what clinical handover needs
- Max continuous duty (provincial)
- 24 hours in-hospital, then relieved after handover (up to 2 hours)
Past matches
Open after round 1 in 5 of 8 years (2019–2026); still open after round 2 in 1 of 9 years.
Show the table, with round 2Hide the table
| Year | Open after round 1 | Open after round 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | not available | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 positions open after round 1 in 2019, CaRMS list (opens in a new tab) | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 positions open after round 1 in 2020, CaRMS list (opens in a new tab) | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 positions open after round 1 in 2022, CaRMS list (opens in a new tab) | 2 positions open after round 2 in 2022, CaRMS list (opens in a new tab) |
| 2023 | 2 positions open after round 1 in 2023, CaRMS list (opens in a new tab) | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 position open after round 1 in 2025, CaRMS list (opens in a new tab) | 0 |
| 2026 | 0 | 0 |
What this means
- A position can go unfilled because of where the site is, because it is open to IMGs only or to another restricted stream, or because the quota changed late.
- It says nothing about the quality of the training or how heavy the workload is.
- A site’s numbers are shown when it had positions open after round 1 in at least 2 of 8 years or at least 3 in one year.
Year by year
2027 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 1 | 5 years | 2 dates, 25–26 Jan 2027 | Nothing noted |
| IMG stream | 2 | 5 years | 2 dates, 25–26 Jan 2027 | Nothing noted |
2026 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 1 | 5 years | 2 dates, 3–4 Feb 2026 |
| IMG stream | 2 | 5 years | 2 dates, 3–4 Feb 2026 |
The 2026 page of the CMG stream: our summary of its CaRMS description
- McMaster University offers a comprehensive 5-year Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology residency program designed to prepare residents for academic and clinical practice.
- The program emphasizes an integrated approach, tailoring training to individual needs while fulfilling Royal College specialty requirements and focusing on excellence in patient care and management.
- Research
- Research is mandatory, with strong support including travel funds, research grants, and dedicated research coordinator.
- Training setting
- Integrated regional laboratory medicine program across four teaching hospitals in Hamilton, Ontario, providing diverse clinical experiences and high patient volume.
- Teaching approach
- Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) with progressive independence, focusing on achieving Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) across different training stages.
- Enhanced skills
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- What the program looked at
- CV and academic achievements
- Research/publications
- Leadership skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Medical Student Performance Record
- Personal letter
- Reference documents
Contacts and links
- Program director
Dr. Snezana Popovic
CaRMS lists no email for the director.
- Program office
Communications Coordinator & Program Associate
Per CaRMS. Staff change during the cycle, so check the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab) before emailing.
Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology elsewhere
Nearest to Hamilton
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