Northern Rural - Family Medicine

University of British ColumbiaNorthern Rural, British ColumbiaCMG stream

Program websiteWebsite

Open on carms.ca

CaRMS program description, 2026 match, last approved 11 Sep 2025

From the 2026 match (R-1 2026). See the 2027 version

Positions (approx. quota): 5 positions
Length: 2 years
Stream: CMG
Discipline: Family Medicine
Applications per year: 601+
Applicants offered interviews: 76–100%
Accreditation: Accredited
CaRMS program ID: 29239

Bands are 5-year averages the program reports to CaRMS. They describe past cycles, not your odds.

Summary

The UBC Northern Rural Family Medicine program offers a unique two-year training experience focused on rural generalist medicine. Located in Prince George and rural BC communities, the program prepares residents for full-service family medicine with an emphasis on rural practice, providing comprehensive training across diverse clinical settings.

Training

Research

Residents complete a scholar project and present at local Scholarship Day, with opportunities for quality improvement research.

Training setting

Training occurs in Prince George (first year) and two different rural communities (second year), providing diverse clinical experiences across Northern British Columbia in both regional and community hospital settings.

Teaching approach

Competency-based medical education emphasizing progressive independence, work-life balance, and preparing residents for diverse rural practice environments through immersive, hands-on training.

Setting types

Tertiary care center
Regional referral hospital
Community hospitals
Rural clinics

Focus areas

Rural Family Medicine
Full-service Family Practice
Rural Generalism
Community-based Medicine

Patient populations

Northern BC rural populations
Urban and rural community patients
Diverse demographic groups
High-risk obstetric patients
Emergency and trauma patients

Highlights

Mandatory 2-month rural rotation in second year
Extended rural block placements
International elective opportunities
Quality improvement project requirement
Scholarship project presentation
Competency-based palliative care rotation

Strengths

Comprehensive rural medical training
Extensive academic and administrative support
Diverse training sites across BC
Strong focus on rural generalist skills
Supportive learning environment

Enhanced skills

Emergency Medicine
Care of the Elderly
Anesthesia
Palliative Medicine
Sports and Exercise Medicine
Clinician Scholars program

By year

PGY-1

Medicine8 weeks CTU8 weeks
Ob/Gyn6 weeks Obs, 2 weeks Gynecology. Obstetrics available in Dawson Creek, Williams Lake8 weeks
Family PracticeFP building or community practice6 weeks
Pediatrics3 weeks CTU, 3 weeks ambulatory care Ambulatory care portion also available in Williams Lake6 weeks
General SurgeryAlso available in Williams Lake or Quesnel4 weeks
Orthopedics4 weeks
ICUIn R1 for Northern Rural program only (R2 for PG program)4 weeks
PsychiatryMix of inpatients and outpatients4 weeks
EmergencyAlso available in Williams Lake or Quesnel4 weeks
Native Health Centre/Street Medicine2 weeks
Addictions2 weeks

PGY-2

Palliative CareCompetency based horizontal rotationOver 2 years
Rural Community Family PracticeIncluding horizontal electives in regional hospitals, 2 four-month blocks in 2 communities, decided by rural match*32 weeks
ElectivesIncluding international opportunities12 weeks
Trauma Unit elective or ER electiveVancouver General Hospital or a regional hospital4 weeks
Family PracticePrince George (final block of R2)4 Weeks
Surgical SkillsVancouver1 week

From the program's rotation list.

Selection

What the program looks at

File review (20%)
MMI interview (75%)
FMProC score (5%)

Applications per year

601+

Applicants offered interviews

76–100%

Interviews

Dates (2026 match): 17, 17–27, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27 and 28 Jan 2026; 8 Feb 2026

Programs can change interview dates. Confirm on carms.ca.

Pay

Provincial scale, last updated 2 Sep 2026 · check the current agreement(opens in a new tab)

Salaries from April 2027.

Annual salary by PGY level, British Columbia
Level	Annual salary
PGY-1	$71,390 / year
PGY-2	$79,571 / year

One provincial scale for British Columbia, set by the resident agreement, so every program there pays the same. Showing the 2 levels this program covers.

Benefits

Benefits as listed by CaRMS in 2022–2024; check the current agreement(opens in a new tab)

Annual vacation: 4 weeks
CMPA dues paid: Yes. Mandatory
Dental plan: 100% Premiums Paid
Educational leave: Yes
Extended health insurance: 100% Premiums Paid
Frequency of calls: 1 in 4 onsite/1 in 3 offsite
Life insurance: 100% Premium Paid
Long-term disability insurance: Yes 100% Premiums Paid
Maternity leave: 17 weeks, plus up to 78 weeks Parental Leave
Meal allowance: No
Provincial dues (% of salary): 1.5%
Provincial health insurance: 100% Premiums Paid
Sick leave: Yes
Statutory holidays: 2 x pay plus extra day with pay

Call

Call (provincial max): 1 in 4 in-house

The union agreement’s cap for all residents in the province; your program’s actual call schedule may be lighter. Check with the program.

RDBC agreement, 1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2029.

Teaching sites

University Hospital of Northern BC
Prince George Regional Hospital

Hospital facts

Public figures for hospitals named above, each with its source and reference period. They describe the hospital, not the program, and are not a ranking. We match names to the province’s lists by name, so check each source before you rely on it.

University Hospital of Northern BC

Matched to University Hospital of Northern British Columbia (Prince George) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26: 4,520 All procedure groups, for the fiscal year (1 April to 31 March). Scheduled surgery only: emergency surgery is not in the file.
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1: 1,127 One quarter (April to June), interim figures, all procedure groups. Scheduled surgery only.

Sources and licences

Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – British Columbia.

Contacts

Contacts weren't collected for the 2026 match.

The current program director and contacts are on the 2027 version of this program and on the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab).

Location

Northern Rural, British Columbia

Independent. Not affiliated with CaRMS or the program. Programs edit their descriptions during the match; confirm on carms.ca (opens in a new tab) before you apply. Data last updated on CdnMD 5 Oct 2026.