Transfer Information
PRINCIPLES FOR TRANSFERS IN ONTARIO RESIDENCY PROGRAMS
POSTGRADUATE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: COUNCIL OF ONTARIO FACULTIES OF MEDICINE
Revised September, 2010
The Ontario medical schools and MOHLTC support a system of improved flexibility in postgraduate medical education. As of July 1, 2010, all transfer requests are handled in accordance with the principles outlined in this document, and under local transfer policies in force at each Ontario medical school.
General Principles
The following general principles apply to all resident transfer requests:
- Wherever possible, transfers should not subvert the CaRMS Match.
- Discussions regarding transfer will remain confidential until such time as the resident consents to disclosure.
- PGM:COFM will determine on an annual basis whether there is a need to identify specific specialties that will be deemed in short supply and therefore will be preferentially accommodated during the transfer process.
- Overall, transfers should not significantly alter the distribution of residency position allocation across schools and within disciplines.
- Residents must be acceptable to the program to which they are seeking transfer.
- The second iteration of CaRMS is a route to change programs that residents may use outside of the regular transfer process.
- Capacity, funding, and other constraints may limit the availability of program transfers; it is therefore not possible to accommodate all requests.
Specific Principles
In addition to fulfilling the requirements of the general principles, the following specific principles apply:
- Each transfer request is unique and will be considered on its own merit; however priority will be given to transfers based on evidence of wrong career choice or demonstrated need, e.g. disability, health issues that prevent residents from completing their initial program, etc.
- Internal transfers transfer requests will be considered by each school after January 1st of each year.
- Prior to accepting a transfer position, the Resident must request a release from his/her current program. Program Directors will then determine whether the resident may be released by their home program.
- Residents requesting a transfer to another Ontario school must initially approach the Postgraduate Medical Education Office at the resident’s home school for management of the transfer request.
- In most cases, intra-provincial transfers will be considered after the school’s internal transfer process is complete. Intra-provincial PGY1 transfer requests can be made to the PGME Office of the resident’s home school after January 1st each year, but will not be approved until after the second iteration of the CaRMS Match. PGY2 or higher transfer requests can be made at any time.o Direct and equal funding year transfers are sought during the intra-provincial transfer process.
- Final approval of any transfer lies with the Postgraduate Dean.
PGY1 Transfers (PGY1 covers the entire first 12 months of training)
- Residents must have at least 6 months of active training within the residency with ideally one block in the discipline from which they request transfer;
- Residents should have sufficient exposure to the discipline to which they are requesting transfer either in the last year of medical school or during their residency;
- Residents must be of similar aptitude to successful candidates through the CaRMS match by the receiving program, utilizing similar selection methods and rating systems where they are used; and,
- If the resident applied through CaRMS to the program that they wish to transfer into, that program should ordinarily have ranked them favourably.
PGY2 or Higher Transfers
- Transfers within the last six months of a program will not normally be accepted, except in cases in which the programs significantly overlap i.e. Family Medicine to Community Medicine.
The transferring resident is responsible for contacting the RCPSC or CFPC to have their prior postgraduate training assessed for credit towards the new program. Until notification has been received from the appropriate College, the resident will be registered at the lowest applicable PGY level to ensure adequate funds are available for a complete training path. The resident will be advanced, as appropriate, once the assessment notices have been received, accepted by the program and approved by the Postgraduate Dean.
Inter-provincial and U.S. Transfer Requests
Ontario Ministry of Health funded residents are free to seek transfer of residency programs outside Ontario schools, but funding is not transferrable/portable outside the province. Any resident in an Ontario school accepted for transfer must be officially released by his/her Program Director and a letter approving the release will be sent to the Postgraduate Dean at the receiving school.
Residents from other Canadian or U.S. medical schools are free to contact PGME Program Directors at Ontario medical schools directly regarding program capacity and transfer possibilities. Program Directors may review such transfer requests according to the “General Principles” outlined above, and may contact the Postgraduate Dean’s office regarding funding. Such requests will be considered after the internal, intra-provincial transfer request processes, and the 2nd iteration of CARMS are complete.
Special Case
A transfer request that does not meet the principles outlined in this document may be brought forward to PGM:COFM as a special case at the discretion of the Postgraduate Deans.
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