International Medical Graduate - BC
Last updated on September 18, 2026BC Supreme Court Judgment on International Medical Graduates' Return of Service Obligations
-
The Province is reviewing the Court’s decision and taking steps to ensure there is no disruption to physician training, recruitment or care in rural and underserved communities.
- All existing ROS agreements remain in effect, and medical residents and physician participants should continue to fulfill their current commitments while legal and policy options are considered.
- There are no immediate changes to residency training pathways, physician recruitment programs, or existing ROS contractual obligations. Prospective applicants can continue to apply through normal processes.
- The Province, together with Doctors of BC, remain committed to ensuring access to rural health care for patients and will work to ensure that is protected.
On this page:
- Program overview
- Residency positions
- Return of service documents
- Return of service location
- Additional training
Program overview
This program provides international medical graduates (IMGs) the opportunity to complete residency and practice as a physician in B.C. In exchange, participants complete a return of service (ROS) after completing their residency. The ROS takes place in a community identified by the health authority and supports patient access to physician services in B.C.
Residency positions
All applications are made through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). Detailed information on the application and matching process is available on the CaRMS website and the University of BC Faculty of Medicine IMG Office website. Information from Simon Fraser University Stephens Family School of Medicine will be available soon.
The IMG-BC specialties at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University (SFU) for the 2027 CaRMS match are:
- Specialty positions with a three-year ROS in Northern Health Authority:
- Psychiatry
- Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Family medicine positions with a two-year ROS.
Return of service documents
Physicians who successfully match through CaRMS to an IMG-BC residency position must sign the applicable IMG-BC ROS contract.
Return of service commitment
Each physician ROS program may have unique requirements, and the requirements may differ from previous years. The ROS contract is a legal commitment that warrants independent legal advice. Candidates should consider the contractual requirements before applying. Not fulfilling the ROS contract carries significant financial consequences. For more information on the ROS commitment, see the documents on this page.
CaRMS 2027 Return of Service Contract Templates:
- Family Medicine – UBC (PDF, 221KB)
- Family Medicine – SFU (PDF, 221KB)
- Internal Medicine – ROS in Northern Health Authority (PDF, 224KB)
- Psychiatry – ROS in Northern Health Authority (PDF, 227KB)
- Pediatrics – ROS in Northern Health Authority (PDF, 224KB)
Return of Service Policy:
Return of service location
UBC and SFU Family Medicine participants for the 2027 CaRMS match will complete their ROS in the same regional health authority as their training site as detailed below in a community and clinic/facility identified by the health authority, unless designated otherwise by the Ministry of Health. Most participants complete their ROS outside the city in which they were trained.
UBC Family Medicine Training Site and ROS Locations
Unless designated otherwise by the Ministry of Health
- ROS in Vancouver Coastal Health Authority for those matched to Vancouver - St. Paul’s Hospital or Coastal training sites
- ROS in Interior Health Authority for those matched to Kamloops, Kelowna Regional, Kelowna Rural, Kootenay Boundary, North Okanagan, or Okanagan South residency training sites
- ROS in Fraser Health Authority for those matched to Abbotsford-Mission, Chilliwack, Surrey-South Fraser, or Vancouver Fraser training sites
- ROS in Vancouver Island Health Authority for those matched to Nanaimo, Vancouver Island-Strathcona, or Victoria training sites
- ROS in Northern Health Authority for those matched to Prince George or Rural Fort St. John training sites
SFU Family Medicine Training Site and ROS Locations
Unless designated otherwise by the Ministry of Health
- ROS in Fraser Health Authority for those matched to all SFU training sites
Specialty medicine participants for the 2027 CaRMS match will complete their ROS in Northern Health. The ROS will be completed in a community and clinic/facility identified by the health authority.
For more information on ROS location and the placement process, see the ROS contract and policy documents on this page.
Hosting a ROS
Locations and facilities who wish to host an ROS placement should contact their health authority’s physician recruitment team.
Additional Training
Participants interested in Enhanced Skills or subspecialization and fellowship training require approval from the Ministry and Health Authority. Please see Chapter Three of the Policy document for details.