Vancouver Island - Psychiatry

University of British ColumbiaVancouver Island, British ColumbiaCMG stream

Program websiteWebsite CANPREPPCANPREPPContacts

CaRMS program description, 2027 match, last approved 27 Aug 2026 · See the 2026 version

2027 match programs, from CaRMS as of 5 Oct 2026. Programs can still change until file review opens 26 November; we re-check every two weeks. Always confirm on CaRMS (opens in a new tab).

Positions (approx. quota): 2 positions
Length: 5 years
Stream: CMG
Discipline: Psychiatry
Applications per year: 51–200
Applicants offered interviews: 51–75%
Accreditation: Accredited
CaRMS program ID: 35610

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

Summary

This five-year UBC psychiatry residency track is based primarily at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, with three residents per year.
Residents join Lower Mainland academic days mostly by videoconference, travelling to Vancouver monthly to attend in person.
Residents are required to take part in scholarly activity from the start of training.

Training

Setting

Regional community

Sites

7 teaching sites

Royal Jubilee Hospital
Victoria Mental Health Centre
Victoria General Hospital

Show all 7

Queen Alexandra Hospital
Urgent Short Term Assessment Clinic
Saanich Peninsula Hospital
Homewood Ravensview

Rural exposure

Optional rural rotation

Focus areas

Small program

Research

Required · research or quality-improvement project · protected time

Highlights

Monthly in-person academic days in Vancouver, often reached by float plane or Helijet.
Core and elective rotation options at distributed Vancouver Island sites including Duncan, Nanaimo and Comox.

By year

PGY-1

Psychiatry2 additional blocks
Internal Medicineone block
Selectivestwo blocks
Family Medicine
Pediatrics
Neurology
Emergency Medicine
Addictions
Emergency Psychiatry
Elective

PGY-2

Adult InpatientRoyal Jubilee Hospital6 months
Adult OutpatientVictoria Mental Health Centre and/or the Urgent Short Term Assessment and Treatment Clinic6 months

PGY-3

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry6 months
Geriatric Psychiatry6 months

PGY-4

Consultation-Liaison3 months
Chronic Care6 months, minimum 2 days per week
Addiction Psychiatry6 weeks, sometimes longitudinally
Emergency Psychiatry6 weeks

PGY-5

Selectives6 months, no less than 3 months per rotation
Electives6 months, no less than 2 months per rotation

From the program's rotation list.

Other rotations

Listed by the program without a single PGY year.

Transition to Discipline (Transition to Discipline · First month of PGY1)
General Medical and required Psychiatry Rotations (Foundations · remainder of PGY1)

Selection

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.

Applications per year

51–200

Applicants offered interviews

51–75%

Interviews

Dates (2027 match)

19, 26 and 27 Jan 2027

Mode

Virtual

Format

Traditional (one on one/two on one)
Panel
MMI or rotating station

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
PGY-3	$86,655 / year
PGY-4	$93,230 / year
PGY-5	$100,215 / year

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.

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

Royal Jubilee Hospital (Victoria)
Victoria Mental Health Centre (Victoria)
Victoria General Hospital (Victoria)
Queen Alexandra Hospital (Victoria)
Urgent Short Term Assessment Clinic (Victoria)
Saanich Peninsula Hospital
Homewood Ravensview

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.

Royal Jubilee Hospital

Matched to Royal Jubilee Hospital (Victoria) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26: 14,532 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: 3,973 One quarter (April to June), interim figures, all procedure groups. Scheduled surgery only.

Victoria General Hospital

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

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26: 8,131 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: 2,108 One quarter (April to June), interim figures, all procedure groups. Scheduled surgery only.

Saanich Peninsula Hospital

Matched to Saanich Peninsula Hospital (Saanichton) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26: 4,128 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: 1,104 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

Grouped by the titles CaRMS lists. The program office (administrators and coordinators) usually answers questions about the program and applying; the director leads the training.

Program officeadministrators and coordinators

PGE Psychiatry

psychadmin@uvic.ca

Olivia Michaels · Vancouver Island Senior Program Assistant

PGE Psychiatry

Ahsan Sahibzada
Manager, PGME Programs
ahsan.sahibzada@ubc.ca

Program director

Dr. Kenneth Heng

CaRMS lists no email for the director.

Site staffdirectors and coordinators at the teaching sites

PGE Psychiatry

Dr. Alison Gregson
Vancouver Island Track Associate Program Director
alison.gregson@islandhealth.ca

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

Location

Vancouver Island, 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 residency.fyi 6 Oct 2026.