The Office of Medical Learner Affairs is here to help you match and to support you if your match plans get derailed. Over the last few years, the number of residency positions in Canada has been slowly on the rise, which is excellent news for undergraduate medical students. However, the number of residency spots in many sought-after medical specialties is limited in Quebec and across Canada. As a result, some students will go unmatched in the first iteration of the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) process. We know that going unmatched can be shocking and extremely disappointing. However, it is essential to remember that by the 2nd iteration, most UGME students will match to a residency position. As well, many students who remain unmatched after second iteration communicate that the year can be filled with growth and reflection.
Early Opt-In to Send Unmatched Result to the Office of Medical Learner Affairs
- As in previous years, CaRMS offers students the ability to opt-in to send the Office of Medical Learner Affairs notification of your match result if you are unmatched, which must be done by Rank Order List deadline (February 20, 2025 at 15:00 ET) via your CaRMS account.
- If you choose to opt-in, The Office of Medical Learner Affairs will receive a list of students who are unmatched on March 3, 2025 and the Career Advisor will contact those students at their McGill email address later that day. Students will be released from clinical duties at 5 pm and the Office of Medical Learner Affairs will communicate with unmatched students one hour after the release time, to ensure your privacy and comfort. As well, students will have the day off on Match Day, March 4, 2025.
- Note: Students who opted-in AND who are unmatched will receive an email from the Office of Medical Learner Affairs about their match status on March 3, 2025 at 18h. Students who did not opt-in and are unmatched will receive the news through CaRMS Online at noon on March 4, 2025.
The Office of Medical Learner Affairs is Here to Support You
Following the CaRMS residency match, the team at the Office of Medical Learner Affairs will be on standby to provide unmatched students with advice and support. We strongly encourage all unmatched students to take advantage of our services.
One-on-One Appointments
Both Career Advisors and the UGME Wellness Consultant have blocked time during the week of Match Day, specifically for unmatched students. We ask that all students who have matched understand that unmatched students are our priority for this week.
- The Career Advising team can help students develop a strategy to maximize their chances of matching to a residency spot in the second iteration or to help students prepare an alternate plan for the year ahead. Please contact them by email or book with them online. They will be available to meet and assist unmatched students throughout 2nd iteration (strategizing, document review, interview prep) and is also available to students who choose not to participate in 2nd iteration. If an unmatched student requires time off to attend 2nd iteration interviews, the Office of Medical Learner Affairs will support the request.
- The UGME Wellness Consultant can help unmatched students cope with their emotions (disappointment, anger, anxiety, fear) around their match result. Please contact them by email or book with them online.
Students who Remain Unmatched
Any student of a graduating class (matched or unmatched) has access to the Office of Medical Learner Affairs services until the end of the academic year. Students will be updated on the of the exact date of the end of services in the Info-MDCM every year.
Please see Access to Services to see the access for all UGME students to the Office of Medical Learner Affairs services, including unmatched students.
Bilingual Support Groups
- CaRMS Interview Disappointment Support Group: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 from 12pm to 1pm
- One Week to Go: CaRMS Anxiety Support Group: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 from 12 pm to 1 pm
A confidential support group with a Career Advisor and a Wellness Consultant to talk with peers about whatever you are experiencing related to the wait before Match. - Unmatched Day Support Group: Monday, March 3, 2025 from 7 pm to 8:30 pm
This support group will be co-facilitated by the Career Advisor and Wellness Consultant. Students are welcome to come with someone from their support network if they wish. While we may not have information on unfilled postgraduate positions on March 4, we hope this session will help you manage your emotions and expectations over the next few weeks. - Post-Match Day Support Group for Unmatched Students: Thursday, March 6, 2025 from 7:30 pm to 9 pm
Recent MDCM graduates, who themselves went unmatched in the first iteration, will co-host with the Wellness Consultant and Career Advisor at the Office of Medical Learner Affairs. Last year, students appreciated this session, which provided a safe and supportive space to discuss concerns about the future and to receive peer support. Stay tuned for more information about this support group in an upcoming edition of Info-MDCM. - Unhappily Matched Support Group: Monday, March 24, 2025 from 4 pm to 5 pm
This group is for the students who matched during the first iteration, but are unhappy with their residency position. This support group will be co-facilitated by the Career Advisor and Wellness Consultant. We kindly ask that students who are matched wait until after March 25th to request a meeting with the Office of Medical Learner Affairs. As you know, second iteration planning is very time-sensitive, and we need to prioritize unmatched students. We thank you for your understanding.
Career Sessions
The following career sessions are offered to medical students throughout the year. Additional details will be posted to Info-MDCM as sessions become available.
- CV, Personal Letter, and Interview Workshops with Career Advisor: Fall of Med 4
These workshops aim to prepare medical students for the various stages of the CaRMS process. - Individual CV and Personal Letter Review with Career Advisor: CaRMS Application Season
In this session, an Office of Medical Learner Affairs Career Advisor provides students with tips and recommendations to strengthen their CVs and enhance their personal letters for their CaRMS application. - Individual Mock Interviews with Career Advisor: Fall and Winter
To better prepare students for their CaRMS interview, a Career Advisor offers individual mock interviews that will allow them to put their skills into practice and obtain constructive feedback. - Rank Order List Information Session and Q&A: Exact date TBC
This information session explains the ranking strategy that will optimize students’ match results and address questions and concerns. - Alternatives to the Match: A Meeting with Experimental Medicine: (date and time TBC, likely early April)
This information session, which features a representative from the Division of Experimental Medicine, outlines some of the further degree options for students choosing not to participate in the match this year, or who may find themselves unmatched. A Career Advisor will also be present to discuss other alternatives.
Impromptu Support Groups / Career Sessions
As difficult situations may arise during the CaRMS process, the Office of Medical Learner Affairs team is available to hold additional support groups and career sessions as needed. Please contact the Wellness Consultant or Career Advisor directly.
We wish everyone the best on Match Day!
-The UGME Office of Medical Learner AffairsTeam