Hamilton - Neurosurgery
McMaster UniversityHamilton, OntarioCMG stream
At a glance
- Approx. quota
- 2
- Length
- 6
- Applications per year
- 0–50
- Offered interviews
- 76–100%
CMG stream · open to Canadian medical graduates
Sun 17 Jan 2027,time not stated
Interviews
1 date, 18 Jan 2027
Hamilton, 5 teaching sites
What stands out about this program
Dedicated interventional neuroradiology rotation for advanced INR exposure.
From “Program highlights” on the CaRMS page
Hands-on cadaveric anatomy and surgical approach sessions built into the academic half day.
From “Program highlights” on the CaRMS page
- McMaster's neurosurgery residency is a 6-year program based at Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.
- PGY1-2 are core surgery training through Surgical Foundations, and PGY3 includes three months of pediatric neurosurgery.
- PGY4 can be used for research, a Master's degree or the Clinician Investigator Program, and a functional neurosurgery rotation is supported through Western University.
What training looks like
- Setting
- Academic / tertiary hospital
- Rural exposure
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- Research
- Offered · research project · protected time
By year
- PGY-3
- pediatric neurosurgerythree-month period
- PGY-5
- pediatric neurosurgerythree blocks
Other rotations
- General Surgery (PGY 1 & 2)
- ICU (PGY 1 & 2)
- Interventional Neuroradiology (INR) Rotations
- functional neurosurgery rotation (Western University in London, Ontario)
Where you train
Hamilton, Ontario: 5 teaching sites.
- Hamilton General Hospital
- McMaster Children's Hospital
- Juravinski Hospital
- St. Joseph’s Hospital
- Western University (London)
Record systems at the listed sites: Epic at 3 of 5, Oracle Health (Cerner) at 1; no published record for 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
- Other file component(s)
- Return of service
- Not stated on CaRMS page. Check the provincial return-of-service rules.
Interviews and info sessions
- Interview dates (2027 match)
- 18 Jan 2027
- Format
- Virtual
- Traditional (one on one/two on one)
- MMI or rotating station
Info sessions
Sun 17 Jan 2027
time not stated
Social · Virtual · Listed under interviews on CaRMS
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 |
| PGY-6 | $104,167 / 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
No repeated vacancies in CaRMS’s lists of open positions, 2019–2026.
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 | 2 | 6 years | 1 date, 18 Jan 2027 | Nothing noted |
2026 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 2 | 6 years | 2 dates, 1–2 Feb 2026 |
The 2026 page of the CMG stream: our summary of its CaRMS description
- The McMaster University Neurosurgery Residency Program offers a comprehensive 6-year training experience designed to produce highly skilled, competent neurosurgeons.
- The program emphasizes world-class education, progressive clinical exposure, and a flexible curriculum that allows for individual resident interests and academic development.
- Research
- Residents are encouraged to engage in research, with support for completing research projects, presenting at conferences, and potentially pursuing advanced degrees through the Clinician Investigator Program.
- Training setting
- Training occurs across two primary teaching institutions in Hamilton, Ontario: Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, providing diverse clinical experiences in adult and pediatric neurosurgery.
- Teaching approach
- The program follows a Competence by Design (CBD) framework, focusing on progressive skill development through four training stages with targeted learning outcomes and frequent formative assessments.
- Enhanced skills
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- What the program looked at
- CV review
- Elective experiences
- Extra-curricular achievements
- Leadership skills
- Medical Student Performance Record
- Personal letter
- Reference documents
- Research/Publications
- Academic transcripts
Contacts and links
- Program director
Dr. Blake Yarascavitch
- Program office
Program Coordinator
Per CaRMS. Staff change during the cycle, so check the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab) before emailing.
Videos and podcasts
From the program
Public podcast episodes and videos where the program presents itself. The short descriptions are ours; each link goes to the original.
Neurosurgery elsewhere
Nearest to Hamilton
Did this page answer your question?