Hamilton - Ophthalmology
McMaster UniversityHamilton, OntarioCMG stream
At a glance
- Approx. quota
- 2
- Length
- 5
- Applications per year
- 51–200
- Offered interviews
- 26–50%
CMG stream · open to Canadian medical graduates
Info session
all 3 info sessions of this programTue 3 Nov 2026,6:30 pm EST
Interviews
1 date, 2 Feb 2027
Hamilton, 8 teaching sites
What stands out about this program
International ophthalmology experience is part of the curriculum, through McMaster Ophthalmology International partnerships.
From “Program highlights” on the CaRMS page
Dedicated research time is built into each rotation.
From “FAQ” on the CaRMS page
- McMaster's ophthalmology residency is a 5-year program based mainly at the Hamilton Regional Eye Institute and McMaster University Medical Center in Hamilton.
- Additional training takes place at hospitals in Oakville and Brampton, and the curriculum includes community and international experiences.
- Residents must complete at least one prospective research project and have dedicated research time in each rotation.
What training looks like
- Setting
- Academic / tertiary hospital
- Urban community
- Rural exposure
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- Research
- Required · research project · protected time
By year
Not stated on CaRMS page
Other rotations
- ophthalmology blocks (Transition to Discipline · 2 ophthalmology blocks)
- off-service blocks (Foundations of Discipline · 7 off-service blocks)
- Emergency Eye Clinic (Foundations of Discipline)
- Toronto Ophthalmology Residents' Introductory Course (Foundations of Discipline · 6 week)
- Emergency Eye Clinic (Core of Discipline)
- Subspecialty ophthalmology (Core of Discipline)
- Surgical blocks (Core of Discipline)
- elective blocks (Core of Discipline · 3 elective blocks)
- community ophthalmology (Core of Discipline)
- Emergency Eye Clinic (Transition to Practice)
- Subspecialty ophthalmology (Transition to Practice)
- Surgical blocks (Transition to Practice)
- elective blocks (Transition to Practice · 2 elective blocks)
- community ophthalmology (Transition to Practice)
Where you train
Hamilton, Ontario: 8 teaching sites.
- Hamilton Regional Eye Institute
- St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
- Centre for Ambulatory Health Services
- McMaster University Medical Center
- Hamilton Health Sciences
- McMaster Children’s Hospital
- Trillium Partners (Oakville)
- William Osler Hospitals (Brampton)
Record systems at the listed sites: Epic at 6 of 8; no published record for 2.
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 Healthcare Hamilton
- Clinical record
- Epic (Dovetale), fully electronic record since Dec 2017
Trillium Partners
- Clinical record
- Epic, system named (how far it goes is not stated)
William Osler Hospitals
- Clinical record
- Epic, fully electronic record since Oct 2026
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
- Not stated on CaRMS page. Check the provincial return-of-service rules.
Interviews and info sessions
- Interview dates (2027 match)
- 2 Feb 2027
- Format
- Virtual
- Traditional (one on one/two on one)
- Panel
- MMI or rotating station
Info sessions
Tue 3 Nov 2026
6:30 pm EST
Info session · Virtual
Tue 10 Nov 2026
6:30–7:30 pm EST
Town hall · VirtualCANPREPP source (opens in a new tab)
Tue 8 Dec 2026
6:30 pm EST
Info session · Virtual · For all applicantsCANPREPP source (opens in a new tab)
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
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 | 5 years | 1 date, 2 Feb 2027 | Nothing noted |
2026 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 2 | 5 years | 1 date, 28 Jan 2026 |
The 2026 page of the CMG stream: our summary of its CaRMS description
- McMaster Ophthalmology offers a comprehensive 5-year residency program focused on excellence, innovation, and collaboration.
- The program provides high-quality clinical and surgical ophthalmology training, with opportunities for research, global health experiences, and professional development in a supportive, collegial environment.
- Research
- Residents are expected to complete at least one prospective research project, with support for presenting at conferences and publishing in journals.
- Training setting
- Training primarily occurs at Hamilton Regional Eye Institute at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University Medical Center, with additional training at Trillium Partners and William Osler Hospitals in Oakville and Brampton.
- Teaching approach
- Structured academic curriculum with progressive learning, emphasizing competency-based medical education, early subspecialty exposure, and holistic professional development across CanMEDS roles.
- Enhanced skills
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- What the program looked at
- Academic performance
- MSPR
- Reference letters
- Personal letter
- CV/Research
- Elective experiences
- Interview performance
Contacts and links
- Program director
Dr. Mark Fava
- Program office
Program Administrator
Per CaRMS. Staff change during the cycle, so check the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab) before emailing.
Videos and podcasts
From residents
Public podcast episodes and videos where residents describe this program. The short descriptions are ours; each link goes to the original.
Ophthalmology elsewhere
Nearest to Hamilton
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