Vancouver - Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology
University of British ColumbiaVancouver, British Columbia
At a glance
- Approx. quota
- 31
- Length
- 5
- Applications per year
- 0–50
- Offered interviews
- 76–100%
CMG stream · open to Canadian medical graduates
Competitive RoS stream · open to Canadian and international medical graduates
Wed 18 Nov 2026,2:00 pm PSTvia CANPREPP source (opens in a new tab)
Interviews
2 dates, 1–2 Feb 2027
Vancouver, 9 teaching sites
What stands out about this program
PGY5 'Area of Special Interest' mini-fellowship, with the designation noted on the UBC PGME graduation certificate.
From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page
Residents take part as survey members in lab accreditation through the CPSBC Diagnostic Accreditation Program.
From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page
Residents get access to the ASCP Lab Management University program starting in third year.
From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page
- UBC's Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology program in Vancouver is a 5-year residency.
- PGY1 begins with 4 clinical blocks at St. Paul's and Royal Columbian hospitals, followed by pathology rotations starting at Vancouver General Hospital.
- Residents complete two forensic pathology blocks and a required community hospital rotation, and must submit an abstract to a conference.
- PGY5 offers a 4-block Area of Special Interest mini-fellowship after the Royal College oral exam.
What training looks like
- Setting
- Academic / tertiary hospital
- Urban community
- Regional community
- Rural exposure
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- Research
- Required · research project
By year
- PGY-1
- Basic Clinical Year (BCY)4 clinical rotation blocks
- orientation block
- general surgical pathology signout
Other rotations
- forensic pathology (two blocks · Burnaby General Hospital/Surrey Memorial Hospital and at Abbotsford Regional Hospital)
Where you train
Vancouver, British Columbia: 9 teaching sites.
- Vancouver General Hospital (VGH)
- BC Cancer Agency
- BC Children's Hospital (BCCH)
- St. Paul's Hospital
- BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
- Royal Columbian Hospital (New Westminster)
- Burnaby General Hospital (Burnaby)
- Surrey Memorial Hospital (Surrey)
- Abbotsford Regional Hospital (Abbotsford)
Record systems at the listed sites, all streams: MEDITECH at 1 of 12, Oracle Health (Cerner) at 5; no published record for 6.
Hospital facts
Public figures for hospitals named above, each with its source and reference period. They describe the hospital, not the program. We match names to the sources by name, so check each source before you rely on it.
Vancouver General Hospital (VGH)
- Clinical record
- CST Cerner, fully electronic record since Nov 2022
- Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
- 13,790
- Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
- 3,855
BC Children's Hospital (BCCH)
- Clinical record
- CST Cerner, fully electronic record since Feb 2022
- Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
- 7,396
- Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
- 1,910
St. Paul's Hospital
- Clinical record
- CST Cerner, fully electronic record since Nov 2019
- Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
- 8,691
- Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
- 2,240
Show facts for 4 more sitesShow fewer
Royal Columbian Hospital
- Clinical record
- MEDITECH: Fraser Health electronic health record (Advance), fully electronic record since Sep 2024
- Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
- 4,798
- Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
- 1,447
Burnaby General Hospital
- Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
- 8,388
- Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
- 2,058
Surrey Memorial Hospital
- Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
- 11,911
- Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
- 2,849
Abbotsford Regional Hospital
- Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
- 6,232
- Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
- 1,667
Fraser Health's new electronic health record is live at 4 sites (Royal Columbian Hospital, Eagle Ridge Hospital, Fraser Canyon Hospital, Mission Memorial Hospital). Its other sites are still on its current clinical information system.
About Vancouver
People
662,248residents, 2021 Census
Housing
3.7%rental vacancy rate
Winter and summer
5.3 °CJanuary mean19.0 °CJuly mean
Job outlook
Moderatefor 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, Competitive RoS stream
- Required
- IMG requirements, Competitive RoS stream
- Assessment by a provincial clinical assessment program
Interviews and info sessions
- Interview dates (2027 match)
- 1 and 2 Feb 2027
- Format
- Panel
- MMI or rotating station
Info sessions
Wed 18 Nov 2026
2:00 pm PST
Q&A · VirtualCANPREPP source (opens in a new tab)
Thu 19 Nov 2026
2:00 pm PST
Info session · VirtualCANPREPP source (opens in a new tab)
Pay and call
| Level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| PGY-1 | $71,390 / year |
| PGY-2 | $79,571 / year |
| PGY-3 | $86,655 / year |
| PGY-4 | $93,230 / year |
| PGY-5 | $100,215 / year |
Call
- Call (provincial max)
- 1 in 4 in-house
- Post-call rule (provincial)
- Relieved within 2 hours of the call ending, or by 10:00 if earlier, when a resident on a 24-hour or longer shift could not get 6 uninterrupted hours of rest
Benefits
- Annual vacation
- 4 weeks
- CMPA dues paid
- Yes. Mandatory
- Dental plan
- 100% Premiums Paid
- Educational leave
- Yes
- Extended health insurance
- 100% Premiums Paid
- 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
Past matches
Open after round 1 in 2 of 8 years (2019–2026); still open after round 2 in 0 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 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 position open after round 1 in 2024, CaRMS list (opens in a new tab) | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 positions 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 | 3 | 5 years | 2 dates, 1–2 Feb 2027 | Nothing noted |
| Competitive RoS stream | 1 | 5 years | 2 dates, 1–2 Feb 2027 | Nothing noted |
2026 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 3 | 5 years | 2 dates, 2–3 Feb 2026 |
| Competitive RoS stream | 1 | 5 years | 2 dates, 2–3 Feb 2026 |
The 2026 page of the CMG stream: our summary of its CaRMS description
- The UBC Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology (DMP) residency is a comprehensive 5-year training program preparing residents to practice pathology in community, tertiary care, or academic settings.
- The program provides extensive training in all areas of diagnostic pathology, emphasizing the latest diagnostic tools and technologies including genomics and proteomics.
- Research
- Residents are encouraged to initiate and participate in research, with internal funding available and expectations to present at UBC Pathology Day and national/international conferences.
- Training setting
- Training occurs across multiple urban teaching hospitals in Vancouver, including comprehensive academic medical centers and specialized hospitals serving diverse patient populations.
- Teaching approach
- Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) with progressive independence, emphasizing one-on-one teaching, regular rounds, and hands-on experience across multiple subspecialties.
- Enhanced skills
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- What the program looked at
- CV
- Electives
- Research/Publications
- Extra-curricular activities
- Leadership skills
- Medical Student Performance Record
- Personal letter
- Reference documents
Contacts and links
- Program director
Dr. David Farnell
Faculty profile of Dr. David Farnell(opens in a new tab)
Areas of expertise are Endometrial Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Subcutaneous Emphysema, and Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD).
CaRMS lists no email for the director.
- Program office
Program Manager
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.
Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology elsewhere
Nearest to Vancouver
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