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Vancouver - Orthopedic Surgery

University of British ColumbiaVancouver, British ColumbiaCMG stream

At a glance

Approx. quota
5 positions
Length
5 years
Applications per year
51–200
Offered interviews
51–75%

CMG stream · open to Canadian medical graduates

Interviews

Not stated on CaRMS page

Vancouver, 10 teaching sites

Program website(opens in a new tab)Instagram(opens in a new tab)Instagram(opens in a new tab)X(opens in a new tab)CANPREPP profile(opens in a new tab)CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab)

What stands out about this program

  • Full tuition support for mandatory external AO Basic and Advanced Fracture Fixation courses and the COA Basic Science Course.

    From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page

  • Brett Kilb Memorial Fund offers one year of funding ($20,000) for residents pursuing an advanced degree.

    From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page

  • UBC's five-year orthopaedic surgery residency trains residents across 9 university-affiliated hospitals, and most clinical rotations take place at Vancouver General Hospital.
  • PGY4 includes a 2-block community orthopaedics rotation in Prince George, and PGME helps with accommodation and reimburses travel for it.
  • Residents must present research at the annual Research Day in at least three of their five years.

The summary is written by CdnMD from the program’s CaRMS description.

What training looks like

Setting
  • Academic / tertiary hospital
  • Urban community
  • Regional community
Rural exposure
Not stated on CaRMS page
Research
Required · research project · protected time
Getting around
  • Housing away from the home site is provided or paid for
  • Travel is reimbursed

By year

PGY-1
  • orthopaedic trauma surgeryVGH4 blocks
  • plastic surgerySPH2 blocks
  • general surgery trauma serviceVGH1 block
  • vascular surgeryVGH1 block
  • perioperative medicine on the VGH hip fracture serviceVGH1 block
  • Surgical Foundations "CRASH" course1 block
  • Orthopaedic Surgery "Bootcamp" course1 block
  • "junior" foot and ankle surgerySPH1 block
  • "junior" upper extremity surgerySPH1 block
PGY-2
  • paediatric orthopaedic surgeryBCCH3 blocks
  • orthopaedic trauma surgeryVGH and RCH2 blocks
  • spine surgeryVGH2 blocks
  • arthroscopic surgery and orthopaedics sports medicineUBCH, Burnaby General, Richmond General, Eagle Ridge Hospital, Lions Gate Hospital2 blocks
  • hip and knee arthroplastyVGH2 blocks
  • ICUVGH1 block
  • subspecialty electivewithin greater Vancouver region1 block
PGY-3
  • hip and knee arthroplastyVGH3 blocks
  • arthroscopic surgery and orthopaedics sports medicineUBCH, Burnaby General, Richmond General, Eagle Ridge Hospital, Lions Gate Hospital3 blocks
  • foot and ankle surgerySPH3 blocks
  • spine surgeryVGH2 blocks
  • hand surgeryEagle Ridge and Royal Columbian Hospital1 blocks
  • community electivechoice of any site in British Columbia outside the City of Vancouver1 block
PGY-4
  • paediatric orthopaedic surgeryBCCH3 blocks
  • adult MSK oncologyVGH2 blocks
  • orthopaedic traumaRCH2 blocks
  • general and community orthopaedic surgeryUHNBC2 blocks
  • hand and upper extremity surgerySPH2 blocks
  • elective2 blocks
PGY-5
  • orthopaedic traumaVGH3 blocks
  • three-block electives3 three-block electives
  • knowledge consolidation and review, and completion of the RCPS OSCE examination for orthopaedic surgery1 block

✓ = the CaRMS page states it; – = not stated. From the program description and its rotation list.

Where you train

Vancouver, British Columbia: 10 teaching sites.

  • Vancouver General Hospital
  • UBC Hospital
  • BC Children's Hospital
  • St Paul's Hospital
  • Royal Columbian Hospital (New Westminster)
  • Eagle Ridge Hospital
  • University Hospital of Northern BC (Prince George · rural or distributed site)
  • Richmond General (Richmond)
  • Burnaby General (Burnaby)
  • Lions Gate Hospital

Record systems at the listed sites: MEDITECH at 2 of 10, Oracle Health (Cerner) at 6; no published record for 2.

Hospital facts

10 sites · public figures and clinical record systems where they are published

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
CST Cerner, fully electronic record since Nov 2022 As of 31 Oct 2026. At Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital.
Clinical record
MEDITECH: Fraser Health electronic health record (Advance), fully electronic record since Sep 2024 As of 31 Oct 2026. At Royal Columbian Hospital, Eagle Ridge Hospital.

How to read the figures

  • Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26. 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. One quarter (April to June), interim figures, all procedure groups. Scheduled surgery only.

Vancouver General Hospital

Matched to Vancouver General Hospital in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
13,790
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
3,855

UBC Hospital

Matched to UBC Health Sciences Centre Hospital in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
7,983
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
2,043

BC Children's Hospital

Clinical record
CST Cerner, fully electronic record since Feb 2022 As of 31 Oct 2026

Matched to BC Children's Hospital (Vancouver) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
7,396
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
1,910
Show facts for 7 more sites

St Paul's Hospital

Clinical record
CST Cerner, fully electronic record since Nov 2019 As of 31 Oct 2026

Matched to St. Paul's Hospital (Vancouver) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
8,691
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
2,240

Royal Columbian Hospital

Matched to Royal Columbian Hospital (New Westminster) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
4,798
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
1,447

Eagle Ridge Hospital

Matched to Eagle Ridge Hospital (Port Moody) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
6,014
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
1,496

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
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
1,127

Richmond General

Clinical record
CST Cerner, fully electronic record since Jun 2024 As of 31 Oct 2026

Matched to Richmond Hospital (Richmond) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
6,446
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
1,680

Burnaby General

Matched to Burnaby Hospital (Burnaby) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
8,388
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
2,058

Lions Gate Hospital

Clinical record
CST Cerner, fully electronic record since Apr 2018 As of 31 Oct 2026

Matched to Lions Gate Hospital (North Vancouver) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26
10,660
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1
2,762

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. As of 31 Oct 2026

Verify with the official source: each source button opens the publisher’s own page.

Sources and licences

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

About Vancouver

  • People

    662,248residents, 2021 Census

    Municipality of Vancouver

  • Housing

    3.7%rental vacancy rate

    October 2025 survey, Vancouver, British Columbia (census metropolitan area)

  • Winter and summer

    5.3 °CJanuary mean19.0 °CJuly mean

    1991–2020 normals, Vancouver (Harbour), 5.7 km away

  • Job outlook

    Goodfor the specialty here, 2025–2027

More about Vancouver (its page: housing, getting around, weather, things to do, and every program that names it)

Sites as the program’s CaRMS page lists them. City figures are public statistics for the place named by the location; they describe the place, not the program.

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.

Application file components as the program describes them.

Interviews and info sessions

Interview dates (2027 match)
Not stated on CaRMS page
Format
Virtual
  • Traditional (one on one/two on one)
  • Panel
  • MMI or rotating station

Info sessions

None listed on the program’s CaRMS page (opens in a new tab) (read 20 Oct 2026) or on CANPREPP’s events calendar (read 24 Oct 2026). Programs add sessions through the fall.

5 Orthopedic Surgery info sessions at other programsAll info sessions

Pay and call

Provincial scale, last updated 2 Sep 2026 · check the current agreement(opens in a new tab). Salaries from April 2027. One provincial scale for British Columbia, set by the resident agreement, so every program there pays the same. Showing the 5 levels this program covers.

Annual salary by PGY level, British Columbia
LevelAnnual 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

How provincial pay and rent compare

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

The union agreement’s limits and rules for all residents in the province; your program’s actual call schedule may be lighter. RDBC agreement, 1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2029. Read as of 1 Oct 2026.

Benefits

13 lines as listed by CaRMS in 2022–2024: Annual vacation, CMPA dues paid, Dental plan, and more
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

No repeated vacancies in CaRMS’s lists of open positions, 2019–2026.

Positions at this site, all streams.

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.

Source: CaRMS’s lists of positions open after round 1 and after round 2, as read in October 2026 (latest: 2026 round 1 (CaRMS PDF, opens in a new tab), 2026 round 2 (CaRMS PDF, opens in a new tab)).

Year by year

2027 match

The 2027 match, one row per stream (scrolls sideways on narrow screens)
StreamPositionsLengthInterviewsWhat changed
CMG stream55 yearsVirtualNothing noted

2026 match

The 2026 match, one row per stream (scrolls sideways on narrow screens)
StreamPositionsLengthInterviews
CMG stream55 years1 date, 26 Jan 2026
The 2026 page of the CMG stream: our summary of its CaRMS description
  • The UBC Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program is a comprehensive 5-year training program fully accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
  • The program offers a diverse and rigorous curriculum across multiple hospital sites, focusing on developing exceptional orthopedic surgeons with strong clinical, academic, and interpersonal skills.
Research
Residents are supported in research through a dedicated research director, research coordinators, and opportunities to dedicate research time during clinical rotations.
Training setting
Training occurs across 9 university-affiliated hospitals in the Vancouver area and Prince George, providing diverse clinical experiences in urban and community settings.
Teaching approach
Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) with progressive responsibility, focusing on achieving Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) and developing well-rounded physicians across all CanMEDS roles.
Enhanced skills
Not stated on CaRMS page
What the program looked at
  • Academic background
  • CanMEDS roles assessment
  • Reference letters
  • Interview performance
  • Research involvement
  • Leadership skills
  • Interpersonal skills

Positions, length and interviews as each match’s CaRMS pages stated them; what changed from our comparison of the two matches and our readings of the 2027 pages.

Contacts and links

Program director
Program office

Residency Program Coordinator

Write to the officeorthopaedics.residency@ubc.ca

“Please use email for all inquiries” · the program’s note on CaRMS

Per CaRMS. Staff change during the cycle, so check the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab) before emailing.

Program websiteWebsiteInstagramInstagramXCANPREPPCANPREPPdescribes academic half-dayFrom the programThis program on CaRMS(opens in a new tab)

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.

These are public recordings, reviewed by hand and linked here, not endorsed. They may be out of date. Confirm with the program.

All videos, podcasts and discussions →

Orthopedic Surgery elsewhere

Nearest to Vancouver

  • Calgary - Orthopedic SurgeryUniversity of Calgary

    Calgary, AB · 673 km

    5 positions · CMG

  • Edmonton - Orthopedic SurgeryUniversity of Alberta

    Edmonton, AB · 818 km

    5 positions · CMG, IMG

  • Saskatoon - Orthopedic SurgeryUniversity of Saskatchewan

    Saskatoon, SK · 1,198 km

    2 positions · CMG

In these collections:

Source

The program’s CaRMS page (opens in a new tab) · 2027 match · last approved 28 Aug 2026 · not final until file review opens 26 November; as of 19 Oct 2026, re-checked every two weeks.

Accredited · CaRMS program ID 35272 · How these pages are made › · See the 2026 match under Year by year

The Applications per year and Offered interviews figures are 5-year averages the program reports to CaRMS: past cycles, not your odds.

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 24 Oct 2026.

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