New Trainees with an acceptance: Canadian Citizens / Permanent Residents | School of Medicine

We are pleased to welcome you to your new residency or fellowship program! The following steps must be completed before you can begin training.

1. Activate Queen’s Network Identify (NetID) and password - Complete Now

Review the email sent by PGME (will be sent when it is time to start the registration process)

Trainees matched through CaRMS - this email will be sent to you via the email address you provided to CaRMS.

Trainees not matched through CaRMS – this email will be sent to you via the email address provided on your CV.

Please monitor your junk mail for this email message.
Follow the instructions on activating your NetID
Once your NetID is activated, it will generate an @queensu.ca email address.
It is important to regularly monitor this account throughout the registration period and during your training. All correspondence from Queen’s University and the PGME Office will be sent to your @queensu.ca email address only
To access your email account, go to MyQueen’sU– filter by role, select “Student” scroll to “Productivity Applications” select “Office 365 Email"

2. Register with the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) - Complete Now

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) regulates the practice of medicine in Ontario, and it is your responsibility to ensure that you apply for a CPSO Certificate (medical license) in order to begin your residency or fellowship program. You cannot practice medicine without a CPSO Certificate.

For subspecialty residents and clinical fellows, you can action the process any time.

If you matched as a PGY1 resident through CaRMS, the CPSO will contact you directly as soon as they have received the match results. An automated message outlining their application instructions will be sent to the email address you provided to CaRMS.

Action:

Create a New Portal account and register with CPSO.
Submit your application ASAP, to allow the CPSO sufficient time to process (CPSO processing time can take up to 4+ months)

Practice Address and Phone Number

The CPSO will ask applicants for a practice address and phone number. Do not use the PGME Office's address. The practice address and phone number should be your program/site specific information. This is because pharmacies and other regulated health professionals will use this to contact you. Please contact your program administrator if you do not know your practice address.

Note:

Once you have accepted your e-LOA the PGME automatically forwards your acceptance directly to CPSO.
Regularly check your application status in your CPSO Member's Portal.
If your CPSO license will not be issued by 1-week before your start date, please contact the PGME Office.

3. Log into the PGME Registration & Information Management System (PRIMS) - Complete Now

Please use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox for optimal performance when accessing PRIMS. Mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) are not supported by PRIMS.

Log into PRIMS
Enter your NetID as the Username
Enter the password created to activate NetID

4. Accept your E-Letter of Appointment (e-LOA) – in PRIMS - Complete Now

Before accepting your e-LOA you must have an AP#. This number is issued by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) - see step #2 above.

Enter your CPSO applicant number (AP#).

IMPORTANT: please do not enter a made-up number. You must have the official AP# from the CPSO. If you enter an invalid number this will delay the processing of your e-LOA.

Verify all details provided in the personalized letter of appointment and complete your acceptance.
You must first complete the “My Personal Profile” requirement before you are able to view your e-LOA.

An e-LOA only reflects training in the upcoming academic year (July 1- June 30). If your training continues past June 30, you will receive a new e-LOA next Spring.

If there is an error with the information in your e-LOA, do not accept the e-LOA and contact the Postgraduate Medical Education Office at pgme@queensu.ca.

The Postgraduate Medical Education Office will automatically receive a copy of your e-LOA from PRIMS once it is accepted. The PGME Office will inform the CPSO of your accepted e-LOA. Do not submit the e-LOA directly to the CPSO as they will only accept confirmation from the PGME Office as a part of your CPSO license application.

5. Submit a Level 3 Vulnerable Sector Screen (VSS) Police Record Check - Order VSS Immediately!

Please note different police stations or regions may use different terms, below are a few you may encounter.

Police Record Check (PRC) or Criminal Record Check (CRC)
Vulnerable Sector Screen (VSS) or Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC)*

Submit a Level 3 Police Record Check with a Vulnerable Sector Screen (VSS) report prior to the start of training. This is a mandatory requirement coordinated by the PGME Office on behalf of KHSC and Queen’s University.
Upload your VSS report once received into PRIMS
*PGME will only accept a Level 3 VSS as it is a mandatory registration requirement.

Important Notes:

It may take 4+ months to receive a VSS report from some police stations – PLEASE ORDER IMMEDIATELY!

The VSS report must be requested from the Canadian police station that serves the area where you currently reside in Canada.
A VSS report cannot be older than six-months from your start date (e.g., February 1 or after is only acceptable if starting on July 1^st)
For trainees from the Toronto area, please email pgme@queensu.ca to request the agency code and link to apply through the Toronto Police Service (TPS)
Background checks issued solely by third-party commercial vendors, including online vendors, are not acceptable.

Are you Canadian living abroad? We recognize some trainees are in the process of securing housing, once you have confirmed housing and have a Canadian address, please initiate Level 3 VSS process at your local Canadian police station. If you have any concerns or further questions, please e-mail us at pgme@queensu.ca.

What if my VSS report comes back “Not Clear” or I am unable to attest? The majority of VSS reports are “clear” indicating no police record was found. If your VSS report is “not clear” or you are unable to attest, please contact PGME IMMEDIATELY at pgme@queensu.ca as further review will be required. As per the Faculty of Health Sciences, Police Records Check Policy.

6. Submit Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Certification - Complete Now

Incoming PGY1 residents, except Pediatrics trainees, are required to have a current Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Certification prior to beginning their residency. The course must have an in-person component. The Heart and Stroke Foundation ACLS Course is strongly preferred.

Incoming PGY1 Pediatric residents are exempt from the ACLS course. Your program will organize a Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) course early in your residency training. You are responsible for ensuring you have the prerequisites for the PALS course. Please contact Liz King, Pediatrics Program Assistant if you have any questions

Incoming senior residents are not necessarily required to have current ACLS or equivalent courses. Please confirm with your program director. If there is a program requirement, the PGME Office will provide reimbursement for the course (see notes below).

Already Certified:

Submit an electronic copy of the ACLS certificate into PRIMS

Require Certification:

Find a course that is convenient for you and register. You are strongly encouraged to complete this course prior to beginning your residency.

The PGME Office will cover the cost of the course, excluding the manual and any pre-requisite courses (e.g., BLS). The maximum amount eligible for reimbursement for ACLS is $450. If you are required to take a different course, your program should consult with the PGME Office regarding the maximum reimbursement.

You are eligible for a lieu day for each day of the course (maximum of two days) once you begin your training provided that:

The course was taken between April and June 2025 on the trainees’ own time.
The course was not part of scheduled activities with the Medical Degree Program Curriculum.
Proof of course length must be provided to your program.

If you are unable to complete the course prior to beginning your residency, you must have the permission of your program director to defer the course. The course must be completed by the end of September of the year you start training.

Click to view information on courses that may be offered through Queen’s Health Sciences Clinical Simulation Centre and Lakeridge Health Education and Research Network (LHEARN) Centre

Once ACLS certificate is obtained, please submit an electronic copy into PRIMS.

Reimbursement Process

The PGME Office requires the submission of claims be processed through the Expense Reimbursement System (ERS), per university policy. Access to this system will be granted once the Registrar’s Office completes the enrollment process. All trainees must submit their own claims.

Before submitting an ERS request, please review the following:

ACLS reimbursement requests can be submitted for processing anytime between July 1-October 31, 2025. Please note reimbursement cannot be processed before your start date.
A copy of your ACLS certificate and receipt showing full payment is required for reimbursement. Receipts showing only partial payments or lacking proper identification cannot be processed, (e.g., E-transfer and deposit receipts are not acceptable).
Before payment can be issued, trainees are required to submit banking information through SOLUS.
You must enter PGME specific chartfields (noted below) in ERS, not chartfields from your program.

To submit a claim:

To log in to the ERS, go to MyQueen’sU, and log in using your net id and password. Under “Applications”, select "Expense Reimbursement (ERS)”, then “Proceed to App”.
Select “Expense” under the “Home” drop-down (top left of page), then “Create New Report”, and proceed with entering the requested information.
Please add Christine McCallum as the approver to review your claim to ensure eligibility and to process for final submission.

Chartfields for ACLS Reimbursement:

Expense Type: Enter “Student/Participant Activities”

Fund: 10000
Department ID: 13702
Program: 90018
Class: 1130

NOTE: These chartfields cannot be used for any other personal or program claims.

Need assistance? Kindly reach out to Christine McCallum at christine.mccallum@queensu.ca for further assistance.

7. Register with the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) - Complete Two Months before Start Date

CMPA medical liability protection is mandatory for all Queen’s University trainees (Residents and Clinical Fellows). You cannot begin your training without CMPA medical liability protection.

Create an account on the CMPA website for malpractice protection. Please see contact details for CMPA.

*For trainees sponsored by the Canadian Forces, your medical liability protection is provided by the Forces, exempting you from CMPA. However, if you have elected to get CMPA, please advise pgme@queensu.ca of this decision.

Already have CMPA coverage, but you're new to Queen’s? If you previously attended another school in Canada for your PGME training, please ensure you contact CMPA and update your record from your old school to Queen’s University so your CMPA data will be included in our daily data import.

8. Kingston Health Science Centre (KHSC) Requirements - Complete Now

1. Submit Immunization Records (Complete Now)

Download Communicable Disease Health form through the KHSC onboarding site (link provided within PRIMS)
Complete form and return it to khscoccupationalhealthsafety@kingstonhsc.ca when sending this email please make sure to add your full name and program name in the subject line.

Respirator Fit Testing (Mask-Fit): Respirator (N95) fit testing is required for all trainees. If you require a mask-fit test, a QR code is provided within the KHSC onboarding site for to self-schedule an appointment at a convenient time for you. There will be appointments available prior to your start date as well as the first week of your training.

2. Complete Hospital Health & Safety Policy Modules (Complete 2+ Months before Start Date)

All trainees, even if not paid by KHSC, must complete documentation and mandatory training modules.
An email from KnowledgeNow@kingstonhsc.ca will direct you on how to complete the required mandatory training modules
Download check list of training modules within the KHSC onboarding site

3. Setup your Payroll (Residents Only) (Complete Now)

Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) is the employer for all Ontario Ministry of Health funded (MOH) residents. You must complete the following:

A list of required completion of payroll forms can be found within the KHSC onboarding site (link can be found within PRIMS)

Once completed, please return all payroll forms to residents@kingstonhsc.ca when sending this email please make sure to add your Full name in the subject line.
Questions regarding any of the payroll forms should be directed to residents@kingstonhsc.ca

If you are not sure if you are funded by MOH, please email us at pgme@queensu.ca

4. Complete KHSC Application to House Staff (complete 2 months before Start Date)

All trainees, even if not paid by KHSC, must complete the application to house staff found within PRIMS
Complete electronic form
Once completed hit the submit button

This form will be automatically sent to the KHSC Medical Affairs Office for credential purposes

9. Log into SOLUS Student Centre to submit a photo - Complete Now

An email from the Office of the University Registrar will be sent to your Queen’s email address (@queensu.ca) with instructions on how to submit a photo.
Queen’s graduates must provide a new photo.
If you have not received an email you may log into your SOLUS account and look under the “To Do” list where there should be instructions on how to submit a photo.
If you have any questions, please email student.card@queensu.ca. Please provide your student number within the subject line of your email.
Follow the Registrars’ directions on photo specifications closely.
the photo submitted will be used to create both a Queen’s Student Card and a KHSC hospital ID badge (if starting on July 1^st).

10. Pay Registration Fee - To be completed Only after CPSO and CMPA have been verified by the PGME Office

A provincial postgraduate registration fee of $980 is required. This is the final step in the online PGME Registration process. You cannot complete this step until the PGME Office has confirmed that you have been issued a Certificate of Registration from the CPSO, and you have CMPA (or equivalent) coverage.

Do not pay the $980 Registration Fee through the Queen’s SOLUS system. You must submit payment by Visa or Mastercard through PRIMS via Chase.

You should print a copy of Chase payment receipt as the Postgraduate Medical Education Office is not able to issue receipts. This may be important for you during tax season

An email confirming the successful completion of your registration will be sent to you and the PGME Office once payment is approved.

Personal Information is collected in accordance with Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and other applicable legislation, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is used for the purpose of University activities. If you have question about the information collected or how it will be used, please contact Queen's PGME. More information on our privacy policy, including tracking of web interactions, can be viewed here https://www.queensu.ca/accessandprivacy/privacy

All transactions involving credit cards are secured using industry standard TLS encryption as specified by PCI-DSS. More information regarding how those transactions are processed can be found here https://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/policies/finance/payment-card-acceptance-policy

Change to Mailing Address and/or Name Changes - Complete Anytime

If your address changes after you have registered on-line, you will need to update your personal information in three places as follows:

Log into the PRIMS system, and change your address
Email KHSC People Services at residents@kingstonhsc.ca
Log into your SOLUS Student Centre and follow the appropriate instructions

If your name changes during registration or after you have registered in PRIMS, you will need to complete the following steps:

Inform the CPSO
Inform the CMPA
Email the following form, along with the appropriate documents as defined under #3, “Name Changes (In-course Students), to the Queen’s Registrars’ Office and the PGME Office.

Once confirmed that your name has been changed with the above (1-3) organizations, the PGME Office will inform KHSC People Services of the name change so they can communicate this change with several departments at KHSC, i.e., payroll, security office and ITs.