Applicants from both Canadian Medical Schools AND International Medical Schools can apply to the competitive stream. The competitive EM positions in BC are in Fraser, Kelowna, Victoria and Prince George. The Vancouver program does not have a competitive position. 

There is no difference in the training for competitive and CMG applicants. 

The competitive positions are separately funded positions by the BC Ministry of Health and they come with a return of service requirement. Upon graduating from residency, competitive position residents are required to work in a BC emergency department outside of certain sites in Coastal Health. You can work at any ED in Fraser Health, Northern Health, Island Health or Interior Health….And don’t worry, there is lots of work out there.

Yes—the Northern/Prince George site is new. But that doesn’t mean you’re signing up to be a guinea pig. 🐹

The site is new, but it is part of the established UBC Emergency Medicine Residency Program and draws on the experience, curriculum, faculty expertise and educational infrastructure of the broader UBC program.

Prince George itself is also not new to medical education. UHNBC is an established teaching hospital, the hub for medical education in Northern BC, and already supports undergraduate learners and residents from UBC programs. The emergency department is a busy regional referral centre serving communities across Northern BC.

So think of it like: “An established program expanding into an exciting new training site.”

Being part of a new site means you have the opportunity to help shape its culture. You won’t just be joining the Northern site. You’ll be helping build it.

The first residents will have a unique opportunity to:

• build traditions
• influence the resident experience
• provide meaningful feedback as the site evolves
• help shape the culture of the program
• develop close relationships with faculty and leadership
• be part of something from the beginning

Of course, new also means there may be some things that evolve along the way. Programs grow, systems get refined, and not every process will be perfect on Day 1.

But if you’re someone who finds the idea of being part of a new, growing and evolving program exciting rather than terrifying… You may be exactly the kind of person we’re looking for. 🚀

You might be a very good Northern fit if you:

☑️ Like early hands-on clinical learning
☑️ Want meaningful responsibility with appropriate support
☑️ Want strong mentorship
☑️ Enjoy outdoor activities
☑️ Want access to rural/remote medicine
☑️ Like the idea of a smaller city
☑️ Want your housing dollar to go further
☑️ Want to build community

Yes. And probably a LOT of it.

UHNBC is the major tertiary referral and teaching hospital for Northern BC, so you aren’t just seeing bread-and-butter community medicine.

Prince George is the referral hub for a huge geographic region. You’ll encounter complex patients, high-acuity presentations, transfers from smaller and remote communities, and pathology that you might not see as frequently in a larger urban centre. Northern BC means you see a broad mix of urban, rural, remote and Indigenous health-care needs.

You can expect meaningful hands-on clinical experiences and opportunities to develop independence while still having access to experienced physicians when you need them.