Indigenous - Rural Vancouver Island - Family Medicine
University of British ColumbiaIndigenous, British ColumbiaCMG stream
At a glance
- Approx. quota
- 2
- Length
- 2
- Applications per year
- 601+
- Offered interviews
- 76–100%
CMG stream · open to Canadian medical graduates
Wed 25 Nov 2026,5:30–6:30 pm PSTvia CANPREPP source (opens in a new tab)
Interviews
8 dates, 16–26 Jan 2027
Indigenous, 7 teaching sites · based in a rural community
What stands out about this program
Residents are connected with an Indigenous community for the entire duration of training.
From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page
Academic weeks incorporate Indigenous ceremony, community visits, and meetings with Elders and knowledge keepers.
From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page
Site-specific 0–10 suitability scoring re-ranks all applicants based on Indigenous health interest and relationships.
From “Additional information” on the CaRMS page
- This is a 2-year UBC family medicine site focused on care with and for Indigenous peoples, administered centrally within the Indigenous Family Medicine program.
- Residents' home clinics are in Stz'uminus/Snuneymuxw/Ladysmith and Penelakut, with emergency training at Nanaimo General Hospital.
- PGY1 includes a 4-week rural Indigenous rotation in communities such as Alert Bay or Bella Bella, and PGY2 includes 2 blocks of rural family practice.
- Residents complete an R1 research or QI project and an R2 scholar project.
Based on what the program says about itself.
- You’re open to training at sites across a region, not at one hospital.
Show the quote
What training looks like
- Setting
- Rural / remote
- Regional community
- Rural exposure
- Based in a rural community
- Focus areas
- Indigenous health
- Rural / remote
- Research
- Required · research or quality-improvement project
- Enhanced skills
- Emergency Medicine
- Care of the Elderly
- Anesthesia
- Palliative Care
- Sport and Exercise Medicine
- Clinician Scholar / Research
- Other
- Getting around
- Travel is reimbursed
By year
- PGY-1
- Family Practice with integrated urgent care3.5 blocks
- Electives1.5 block
- Family Medicine Orientation1 block
- Rural Indigenous FP Rotations1 block
- Pediatrics1 block
- OB-LDR1 block
- ER1 block
- IM1 block
- Hospitalist0.5 blocks
- Addictions0.5 blocks
- PGY-2
- Electives block3.5 blocks
- Family Practice Horizontal3 blocks
- Rural Family Practice2 blocks
- Palliative1 blocks
- Family Medicine Transition to Practice1 block
- General Surgery/MSK/Procedural Skills Selective0.5 blocks
- Ward/Hospitalist0.5 blocks
- Psychiatry0.5 blocks
Where you train
Indigenous, British Columbia: 7 teaching sites; based in a rural community.
- Stz'uminus/Snuneymuxw/Ladysmith (Ladysmith)
- Penelakut
- Nanaimo General Hospital (Nanaimo)
- Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (Nanaimo)
- Alert Bay (Alert Bay · rural or distributed site)
- Hazelton (Hazelton · rural or distributed site)
- Bella Bella (Bella Bella · rural or distributed site)
Distributed across a region
Record systems at the listed sites: Oracle Health (Cerner) at 2 of 7; no published record for 5.
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.
- Clinical record
- IHealth (Cerner electronic health record), fully electronic record since 2016
Nanaimo General Hospital
- Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
- 9,004
- Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
- 2,040
Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
- Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
- 9,004
- Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
- 2,040
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)
- 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25 and 26 Jan 2027
- Format
- Virtual
- MMI or rotating station
Info sessions
Wed 25 Nov 2026
5:30–6:30 pm PST
Q&A · VirtualCANPREPP source (opens in a new tab)
Pay and call
| Level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| PGY-1 | $71,390 / year |
| PGY-2 | $79,571 / year |
Call
- Call (as the program states it)
- In-house 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
After residency
Family doctors in British Columbia can bill fee-for-service or join a model that pays for hours worked, visits and enrolled patients: the Longitudinal Family Physician (LFP) Payment Model. The New-to-Practice (NTP) contract is primarily focused on new graduates, for up to two years; the LFP Payment Model is also available to new physicians building a panel. To join: at least 250 empanelled patients within four months of enrolling. Compare provinces
Year by year
2027 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 2 | 2 years | 8 dates, 16–26 Jan 2027 | Nothing noted |
2026 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 2 | 2 years | 17 Jan – 8 Feb 2026, listed as a range |
The 2026 page of the CMG stream: our summary of its CaRMS description
- The UBC Family Medicine Indigenous - Rural Vancouver Island site offers a unique two-year residency program focused on providing culturally safe and relationship-based medical training.
- Residents develop expertise in Indigenous health while serving communities on Vancouver Island, with a strong emphasis on community engagement, cultural understanding, and comprehensive family medicine training.
- Research
- Residents complete a small research or quality improvement project in R1 and a larger scholar project in R2, which is presented at the Indigenous Scholarship presentation.
- Training setting
- Training occurs in Ladysmith, Stz'uminus, Snuneymuxw, and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, serving a population of 90,000 with a referral population of 160,000. The program provides training in both urban and rural Indigenous community contexts.
- Teaching approach
- Competency-based medical education with a focus on relationship-building, cultural safety, and progressive independence. Emphasizes learning with and from Indigenous communities through hands-on experiences and community engagement.
- Enhanced skills
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- What the program looked at
- File review (20%)
- MMI interview (75%)
- FMProC score (5%)
Contacts and links
- Program directors
Dr. Sarah McCorquodale
Dr. Flora Wong
CaRMS lists no email for the directors.
- Program office
Program and Learning Development Coordinator, Education Coordinator
Per CaRMS. Staff change during the cycle, so check the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab) before emailing. Site staff and other contacts are listed there too.
Family Medicine elsewhere
Nearest to Indigenous - Rural Vancouver Island
- Regional
- Regional
- City
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