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Victoria has a population of around 380,000 and is the main medical centre for all of Vancouver Island. This offers residents the full range of training options with the benefit of a smaller, more personalized program. Residents can be assured of the time and attention they require to maximize their learning.
The residency program is based primarily at the Royal Jubilee Hospital where the Psychiatric Emergency Service (Archie Courtnall Centre), Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, Victoria Mental Health Centre, and all of the adult and geriatric psychiatry inpatient units are located. Residents gain exposure to Victoria General Hospital during their PGY1 Basic Clinical Year, in the PGY3 rotations in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry and in the senior years with a rotation in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Additionally, residents have the opportunity to work in a number of community-based sites, at Queen Alexandra Hospital and Homewood Ravensview.
Our program still maintains close linkages with the other UBC Psychiatry Residents in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver, Richmond, and Fraser Valley) through the Thursday Academic Days for PGY2-5. These sessions are by videoconference, but once a month, the Victoria residents travel to Vancouver to join the seminars in person – often by float plane or helijet. Victoria based residents also have frequent opportunities to travel to Vancouver for other special academic and social events enjoyed by the entire UBC program.
Victoria offers an exceptional lifestyle with easy access to many recreational and cultural activities. Residents have access to facilities and events at the University of Victoria, which is only a few minutes away from the Royal Jubilee Hospital. Outdoor activities include world class cycling, hiking, and kayaking. People come from around the world to hike the West Coast Trail, or explore the world heritage site at Cape Scott. Vancouver Island also offers excellent opportunities to enhance cultural awareness of Indigenous peoples.
For additional information and inquiries, please contact Dr. Alison Gregson at Alison.Gregson@islandhealth.ca.
Living in the Greater Victoria area means that you’ll never be stuck in 2 hour commutes from home to work. Some of our residents live so close by, that they walk home from the hospital for lunch! Short commutes mean more accessibility, more transportation options, and more time doing what’s really important to you.
Up to 8.5 million colourful blossoms have been counted in the annual flower count that Victoria holds each spring. The world-famous Butchart Gardens, along with the Butterfly Gardens, Glendale Gardens, Government House, Finnerty Gardens, Hatley Castle, Abkhazi Garden, Beacon Hill Park and Playfair Park all provide a charming escape from the bustle of city life.
From serene beaches to temperate rainforests, Victoria has it all for the outdoor enthusiast. Kayak between the Gulf Islands or ski Mount Washington; surf in Tofino or swim next to a waterfall, the opportunities are endless! Even Mount Douglas and Mount Tolmie are just a few minutes away from the main hospital site.
Victoria’s sub-Mediterranean climate means an average of approximately 2,000 hours of sunshine, and only 4 months of frost yearly. The offshore breezes prevent the summer from becoming too hot, and the winters are mild, rarely including snow. Who could say no to the mildest climate in Canada? 50% less precipitation than Vancouver.
Victoria is surrounded by ecological reserves that provide a safe haven for all sorts of wildlife. There are whale watching tours out of the Inner Harbour, and Marine Naturalists can provide guided tours of Victoria’s protected waters. Deer roam freely in Victoria, hardly a day will go by without seeing at least one!
Because Victoria’s climate is so mild, the opportunities for outdoor activities and exercise are endless. Most Victoria dwellers participate in a variety of activities, from running, to swimming, to yoga. The city is bike-friendly and many choose to commute by bike. There are also plenty of community sports leagues and group activities for everyone to participate in.
With carefully preserved reminders of its colonial past, Victoria is home to several castles, cathedrals, hotels and a wide variety of 19th and early 20th century historical buildings. Our Provincial Legislature is steeped in tradition and sets the atmosphere of downtown Victoria, lighting up the night with over 3,000 lights commemorating the birthday of Queen Victoria.
Between Canada’s oldest Chinatown and rich First Nations heritage, Victoria is a welcoming and inclusive city that showcases diversity through its community. BC is the most ethnically diverse province in Canada, with many organizations and community groups promoting the integration of traditions into the social fabric of our province.
You’ll never have to fear food-boredom in Victoria! The Irish Times, and The Bard & Banker are landmarks that feature décor reminiscent of Victorian & Edwardian era opulence. Shine Café, The Blue Fox, and Floyd’s Diner are all popular brunch locations. And these are just a few of the over 500 different food joints in Victoria alone.
Being the province’s capital has its perks! Victoria is host to a variety of music festivals, the Symphony Splash, and a variety of holiday celebrations. The Legislature lawns and the Inner Harbour are used for free shows and events for young and old alike, providing a community atmosphere unique to the city.
Yes, if you are planning to apply to multiple tracks, please submit an application for each track.
Applicants are encouraged to write a different targeted personal letter for each track they want to apply to, especially for the applicants who want to apply to the Vancouver Island and Prince George tracks. This will help the Program understand the reasons for applying to specific tracks.
CVs or resumes are optional as the CaRMS application forms include all necessary fields that would be present on a CV (e.g. work experience, research experience, interest, etc.).
Our Selections Committee will only review the first three reference letters that you submit due to time constraints.
Yes, please upload a copy your Masters transcript to your CaRMS application. Our reviewers will take this into account when reviewing your file.
We do not give preference to students who are graduates of UBC when creating our rank lists. Every applicant will be scored in a standardized fashion.
Candidates who are shortlisted for the Vancouver, Fraser, and/or Vancouver Island tracks will have one set of standard interviews (Program Director Interview, Mini Interview, and Panel Interview). When interviewing and ranking the candidates, our Selections Committee will keep in mind the tracks to which they have applied.
Candidates who are shortlisted for the Research and/or Prince George tracks, will have an additional interview for each track.
Yes, candidates are able to apply for additional tracks (except for Prince George and Research tracks) after your interview date, and up to at least 1 to 1.5 weeks before the ranking list submission deadline.
All shortlisted candidates who applied multiple streams/tracks will compete all their interviews on the same day.
For the 2024 CaRMS match, the British Columbia Ministry of Health are funding new residency positions in what they have termed, the “Competitive Stream”. Application to these positions are open to both Canadian Medical Graduates (CMG’s) and International Medical Graduates (IMG’s) and this stream will be a separate track which would be ranked just like the other tracks in our program. The positions in this stream will require a 3 year Return of Service (ROS), but this ROS can be anywhere in the province, either urban or rural including in greater Vancouver, and can be in any sort of clinical practice of interest to the resident.
At UBC, there are 5 Competitive Stream positions which are distributed amoungst the tracks as follows:
Vancouver Track – 1 position
Fraser Track – 2 positions
Vancouver Island Track – 1 position
Interior Track – 1 position
