Training programs

Before you enter a Shared Health facility, make sure you:

• Are licensed with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM).
• Are registered with the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA).
• Complete Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) training.
• Fill out the Immunization and Communicable Disease Record.

If you’re an international trainee, you’ll also need to apply for the right visitor visa or study permit.

With recent updates to public health orders, a new exception to the requirement to self-isolate when entering Manitoba from another area within Canada has been established for fully vaccinated individuals.

This exception requires the following criteria to be met:

• Fully vaccinated individuals are those who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and at least 14 days have passed since the second dose.
• Fully vaccinated individuals must access and retain proof of their vaccination status. Manitobans can find and print their vaccine records through the Shared Health Online Results Portal. An immunization card is available through the Province of Manitoba.
• This exception only applies to individuals entering Manitoba from other parts of Canada. Individuals entering from outside Canada must follow all quarantine and self-isolation requirements.

Max Rady College of Medicine and Shared Health have resumed electives within Canada for all postgraduate medical education (PGME) trainees, effective July 1, 2021, as long as the following conditions are met:

• PGME trainees should not travel for electives in Canada until at least 14 days have passed after receiving the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
• PGME trainees should access and retain proof of full vaccination prior to travel.
• Upon return to Manitoba, fully vaccinated PGME trainees must continue to self-screen using existing screening tools.
• Fully vaccinated PGME trainees who have travelled within Canada and are eligible for this exemption must pass self-screening for symptoms and exposures. If they meet all criteria, they are not required to contact the Provincial COVID-19 Screening Line before returning to work.
• PGME trainees who have travelled within Canada, are eligible for this exemption, but do not pass self-screening must contact the Provincial COVID-19 Screening Line and be cleared by Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health (OESH) before returning to work.

Provincial COVID-19 Screening Line:
1-888-203-4066 or (204) 926-1042

If you're considering transferring between residency programs, here's how you can navigate the different types of transfers and who to contact for each:

Internal transfers

If you want to transfer between two different residency programs within the University of Manitoba, you'll need to start by contacting the chair of the Alternate Resident Entry and Transfer Subcommittee (ARET). You can find their contact information in the contact tab below.

Interprovincial or national transfers

For transferring into a University of Manitoba (UM) residency program from a program in a different province or country, reach out to the associate dean, PGME, at your current institution. They will guide you through the process of transferring into our program.

External transfers

If you're looking to transfer out of a UM residency program to a program in a different province or country, contact the associate dean, PGME, at the Max Rady College of Medicine. 

If you’re considering transferring between residency programs, please review the following eligibility criteria:

• Timing for Transfers: You can apply for a transfer only after six months from the start of your residency program. This typically means you can start considering transfers in January, following the beginning of the academic year.
• Transfers in the Final Months: Transfers are usually not accepted during the last six months of your residency program. Exceptions may be made if the residency programs have significant overlap (for example, between Family Medicine and Public Health and Preventive Medicine).
• CaRMS Match Residents: If you were matched through the second iteration of the CaRMS Match, you are not eligible to transfer during your PGY 1 year.

Make sure to review these criteria carefully to determine your eligibility for transferring between residency programs. If you have any questions, contact the relevant office or committee listed in the contact information.

If you are a fully licensed physician who has practiced in Manitoba for at least 12 consecutive months, you may be eligible to re-enter a residency program. This option allows you to switch your practice due to various reasons, such as changing professional interests, evolving personal circumstances, or reduced employment prospects.

To discuss the possibility of re-entering a residency program, please contact the chair of the Alternate Resident Entry and Transfer Subcommittee (ARET). You can find the contact information in the contact tab below.

National transfers

• Kurt Skakum
  Associate Dean (PGME), Max Rady College of Medicine
  Please email donna.coulis@umanitoba.ca to schedule an appointment.

International transfers

• Michael Polan
  Chair, ARET Committee
  Email michaelfrancis.polan@umanitoba.ca

For further assistance, you can also contact the ARET Committee administrator.

To apply, you must coordinate with your sponsoring agency. Your agency will forward your application to the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) office. Applications should be emailed directly to sponsoredpgme@umanitoba.ca.

For more details, view the PGME Alternate Routes of Entry to Residency Policy.

Language of instruction English is the language of instruction at the Max Rady College of Medicine. All applicants whose first language is not English must prove their English language proficiency when applying.

For Canadian Medical Graduates (CMG) and U.S. Medical Graduates (USMG):

• Exempt: If you graduated from a medical school in Canada or the U.S. where English was the language of instruction and patient care, you do not need to provide additional proof of English proficiency.
• Not Exempt: If the primary language of instruction or patient care was not English, you must meet the English Language Proficiency requirements.

For International Medical Graduates (IMG):

• Exempt from Testing: If:
  1. Your entire undergraduate medical education was conducted in English, and you provide a letter from the dean of your medical school confirming this.
  2. You completed your education in English in a country where English is a native language (see list below), and can provide evidence of:
     • Majority of Education: More than 50% of your education was in English.
     • Majority of Patient Care: More than 50% of your patient care was in English.
• Required Testing for Others:
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic: Minimum score of 7 in each component and an overall band score of at least 7. Valid for 2 years.
  • Occupational English Test – Medicine (OET-Medicine): Minimum grade of B in each of the four subsets.
  • Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program – General (CELPIP-General): Minimum score of 9 in each of the four skills.

Additional notes:

• Photocopies of documents are acceptable.
• Language Proficiency Attestations must come directly from the sponsoring institution, not from the candidate or a third party.
• Language proficiency results cannot be sent by fax or email.

If you’re an international medical graduate, you need to have written and passed the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part 1 (MCCQE1).

If you're a successful sponsored applicant, you must attend a mandatory two-week IMG orientation program in June, as well as the mandatory PGME Orientation.

Find out more about orientation day

We are here to support you however we can. The following resources can be accessed on Entrada:

• Introductory resources
• Resources for competence committee members
• Resources for faculty
• Resources for program administrators
• Resources for program directors
• Resources for residents

Access Entrada

• The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• The College of Family Physicians of Canada
• CanMEDS Interactive
• Resident Doctors of Canada
• uOttawa CBME
• Queen's University CBME
• University of Toronto CBME

Competency-Based Education Subcommittee
Co-Chair: Kurt Skakum
Co-Chair: Joanne Hamilton

PGME - Assessment and Entrada Committee
Chair: Robert Brown

CBE - Research and Evaluation Working Group
Chair: Christen Rachul

CBE - WRHA/MB Health Working Group
Chair: Sean Brygidyr

Committee Terms of Reference (TOR) can be accessed on Entrada.

Access Entrada

Joanne Hamilton
Faculty lead, competency-based medical education (CBME) 
204-977-5614
joanne.hamilton@umanitoba.ca