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Policies - Contracts - Applicant Contract
Updated July 14, 2011
A. Background
The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) is a matching program (matching program) that provides a system for the confidential ranking of applicants for one or more postgraduate medical residency programs operated by a Canadian medical school (residency programs).
Residency positions may be offered to graduating students and physician graduates (applicants) who are registered with CaRMS and meet the eligibility requirements established by provincial medical regulatory authorities.
CaRMS provides a service that transmits residency applications and supporting documentation to residency programs using the Internet, for the purposes of the matching program.
This document describes the respective rights and obligations of the applicants and CaRMS with respect to the matching program.
In consideration of the undertaking and conditions contained in this agreement, the applicant and CaRMS agree as follows:
B. Rights and Obligations of Applicants
1. Applicant Eligibility
An applicant is eligible to participate in the matching program if (s)he is a Canadian Citizen or permanent resident of Canada, and:
a. Is in a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) or an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited Internal Medicine program; OR
b. Has successfully completed the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE), if the applicant received his or her undergraduate medical training at an international medical school and has RCPSC/ACGME accredited training; OR
c. Is in an acceptable training program in an RCPSC or an ACGME accredited program other than Internal Medicine, and is applying to Critical Care Medicine only.
Fulfilling the applicant eligibility requirements allows for participation in the match, but does not guarantee eligibility to all residency training positions participating in the match.
All applicants must register with CaRMS in the current match year.
2. Registration of Couples
Two applicants may wish to identify each other as partners and submit a couple's rank order list. For more details concerning the registration of couples please see http://carms.ca/eng/r4_ranking_couples_e.shtml.
3. Fees
Applicants to the Medicine Subspecialty Match (MSM) shall pay a registration fee of $161.75 plus applicable taxes.
Applicants shall pay a fee of $26.00 plus applicable taxes for each residency program selected.
Fees shall be paid in accordance with applicant registration procedures established by CaRMS.
Payment of fees is by credit card through the CaRMS online payment server. If any fees remain, match results will be withheld until fees are remitted.
All fees paid to CaRMS are NON-REFUNDABLE.
4. Application
An applicant shall inform CaRMS in writing if (s)he applies to any other matching program outside of the CaRMS matching program in the same year.
Once an application is submitted it cannot be unsubmitted unless approved by CaRMS. A fee is charged to an applicant for unsubmitting an application. Once file review begins, no applications can be unsubmitted for changes.
Use of the CaRMS Applicant Webstation (AWS) (match site) and rank order list site, must be done in accordance with CaRMS' Terms of Use and requires Internet access using common browser programs, as described in the AWS Help Manual.
5. Schedules and Deadlines
An applicant shall submit all required information to CaRMS in accordance with the MSM Schedule of Dates established by CaRMS.
An applicant is responsible to ensure the timely receipt by CaRMS of all documents to be included in the electronic file.
6. Completeness and Accuracy of Information
An applicant is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the information provided to CaRMS and residency programs. All information about previous medical education, postgraduate medical training or practice must be declared to allow a residency program full assessment of their application. CaRMS shall not be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of information exchanged between applicants and residency programs.
7. Consent
An applicant consents to the collection, use and disclosure of his or her personal information by CaRMS for the purpose of operating the matching program, including verification of credentials, in accordance with CaRMS' Privacy Policy. An applicant also consents that his or her personal information may be disclosed to the residency programs to which the applicant has applied and the postgraduate office of the residency program to which the applicant is matched.
An applicant further agrees that CaRMS may obtain reference letters from individuals designated by the applicant and that any personal information about the applicant within these letters may be disclosed to the assigned residency programs the applicant has applied to and used as determined by these residency programs. However, letters provided by the referee(s) are considered confidential and the contents cannot be disclosed to the applicant.
An applicant who (1) has matched to a residency program in Quebec, or (2) is in the process of completing a residency program at a Quebec faculty of medicine consents to the disclosure of his or her personal information by CARMS to the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities/La Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec ("CREPUQ") to permit CREPUQ to manage residency admissions in the Province of Quebec.
8. Withdrawal Deadlines
An applicant who wishes to withdraw from the matching program must withdraw by the rank order list deadline.
9. Rank Order Lists
To participate in the matching program, an applicant shall (a) register with and (b) submit a rank order list (ROL) electronically through CaRMS' Applicant Webstation (AWS). If there is no submitted ROL by the deadline date provided in the CaRMS MSM Schedule of Dates the applicant is automatically removed from the match and will not receive match results.
ROLs may only be submitted through the match site.
Access to the match site is limited to registered residency programs, applicants and other authorized users. An applicant agrees to follow access procedures established by CaRMS with respect to the match site. For greater certainty, ROLs may be entered in more than one session and may be modified multiple times prior to the ROL submission deadline. An applicant is encouraged to finish this process at least a week before the ROL submission deadline and prior to the peak utilization period when the match site may be less accessible.
CaRMS will not modify a submitted ROL or, if an applicant misses the ROL deadline, CaRMS will not submit a rank order list on the applicant's behalf.
An applicant agrees that their ROL, giving their preferred list of residency programs, is to be the sole determinant of the order of their preference for matching to the residency programs to which they have applied.
10. Qualifications for Licensure
A matched applicant must meet all of the criteria to obtain the appropriate licensure from the medical regulatory authority in the province to which they have been matched by July 1 of the year in which the residency commences. Failure to meet the criteria for appropriate licensure by the commencement of the residency program will result in the automatic release from the residency program and void the match contract.
11. Match Iterations
An applicant registered with the matching program who is unmatched in the first iteration of the matching process shall automatically be registered into the second iteration of the matching process. Additional program fees apply. All information about vacant residency positions following the first iteration of the matching process is strictly confidential and cannot be disclosed to parties who are not participating in the match.
An applicant matched in the first iteration of the matching process is not eligible to register and participate in the second iteration of the matching process. If for any reason an applicant is released from a contract in the first iteration of the matching process, the applicant is not eligible for registration in the second iteration of the matching process.
An applicant agrees that they cannot change or remove Medical Council of Canada examination results.
12. Match Commitment
The listing of a residency program by an applicant on the applicant's submitted rank order list establishes a binding commitment to accept an appointment if a match results. Each such appointment is subject to the official policies of the appointing institution in effect on the date the residency program submits its rank order list and is contingent upon the matching applicant meeting all eligibility requirements imposed by those policies. Failure to honour this commitment by an applicant will be a breach of this agreement and may result in penalties as described in sections 20 and 21.
The participating residency program and institution, in their discretion, may release an applicant from their binding commitment if they deem it would cause an applicant serious hardship. If applicable, CaRMS must receive a letter of support from the applicant's current program director, acknowledging and outlining the hardship.
A matched applicant shall be available to begin training in the residency program to which they are matched by July 1 of the year in which the residency commences, unless:
The applicant has clearly stated on their application the earliest start date they are available to begin training in the residency program and it will be up to the program and/or postgraduate office of the respective school to determine the applicant's eligibility.
13. Restriction on Persuasion
An applicant and a residency program may express a high degree of interest in each other but may not make statements implying a commitment.
The following activities shall be considered as breaches of this agreement and subject to the penalties as described in Sections 20 and 21:
a. An applicant making any verbal or written contract for appointment to a residency position prior to completion of the matching program; and
b. An applicant requesting the ranking preference of a residency program.
C. Rights and Obligations of CaRMS
14. Verification of Credentials
CaRMS reserves the right to verify the credentials of all applicants. It is acknowledged and agreed by applicants that CaRMS is authorized to communicate with medical schools and other medical institutions and facilities relevant to the verification process.
All verification processes are to be completed prior to the rank order list deadline; otherwise the applicant will not be permitted to proceed with the match.
CaRMS shall notify all applicants whose credentials cannot be verified or where there are reasonable and probable grounds to believe that the credentials submitted by the applicant are not authentic or have been falsified. The applicant will be given the opportunity to substantiate their credentials. The applicant shall be immediately removed from the matching program, subject to the completion of the investigation procedures and the ultimate resolution/decision of the Violations Review Committee regarding verification of the credentials.
Applicants will not be permitted to proceed with the match or enter future matches where their credentials could not be verified. The Violations Review Committee, as appointed by the CaRMS Board of Directors shall proceed in the same manner as set out in the False Document Policy and shall report to the CaRMS board. Applicants may appeal the ultimate resolution/decision of the Violations Review Committee to the CaRMS Board of Directors. The decision of the CaRMS board shall be final.
15. Rank Order Lists
CaRMS will treat the ROLs as confidential information. CaRMS will not release or disclose such information in any manner that permits individual identification of either residency program or applicant.
16. Schedule of Dates
An annual MSM Schedule of Dates is published by CaRMS and is incorporated in this agreement by reference.
17. Availability of Match Site
CaRMS DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE AVAILABILITY OF THE MATCH SITE AT ALL TIMES. CaRMS MAY NOT IN ANY WAY MODIFY THE ELECTRONIC APPLICATION OR SUBMITTED RANK ORDER LISTS OR DOCUMENT ASSIGNMENTS FOR APPLICANTS WHO HAVE MISSED THE DEADLINE DUE TO LACK OF ACCESS TO THE SITE.
18. Application Documentation
CaRMS can accept applicant documents via mail or attached electronically as per the instructions in AWS (e.g. applicant photos and electronic reference letters). Documents must be accompanied by a cover sheet, including the proper document identification number. CaRMS reserves the right to return any document that is not compliant with CaRMS' standards to the applicant via courier or express post. A charge will be applied to the applicant's account to recover administrative and shipping costs. Furthermore, CaRMS will not be held liable for milestones missed due to returned documents. Notification of additional documents received and scanned after the date of the opening of CaRMS' program webstation (PWS) will be sent to the administrator of the residency programs to which the applicant has applied. CaRMS makes no assurance that residency programs will consider documents or additional information that is added to the electronic application after the opening of PWS.
All reference letters that are received by CaRMS for inclusion in the applicant's electronic file are confidential documents and, without exception, shall not be released to the applicant. CaRMS reserves the right to allow referees to refuse to supply on-line reference letters and therefore shall not be held responsible for milestones missed.
Medical School Performance Records (MSPRs) must be supplied by an applicant's undergraduate office, or submitted as a notarized copy.
CaRMS will only send the applicant's electronic file and personal information to those residency programs designated by the applicant.
19. Match Results
CaRMS shall make available applicant match results and contact information, on the match site, at the time specified by CaRMS in the MSM Schedule of Dates.
Individual applicant match results shall be sent to:
a. The residency program to which an applicant has been matched; and
b. The postgraduate office of the residency program to which an applicant has been matched; and
c. The applicant's current postgraduate office, if the applicant is currently in training at a Canadian University; and
d. To other parties, where an applicant has given explicit permission.
20. Removal from Matching Program
CaRMS may remove from the matching program any applicant who falls into one or more of the following categories:
a. An applicant whose credentials or other supporting documents cannot be verified by CaRMS or where there are reasonable and probable grounds to believe that such credentials or supporting documents are not authentic or that the candidate has submitted falsified documents; or
b. An applicant who is registered in another match and fails to notify CaRMS by the ROL deadline and/or is matched to any residency position prior to the CaRMS rank order list deadline; or
c. An applicant with unpaid fees to CaRMS; or
d. An applicant for whom CaRMS has reasonable grounds to believe that he or she has breached the terms of this agreement.
21. Breaches of the Match Contract
CaRMS maintains the highest professional standards in the conduct of the matching program and in its interactions with all participants: applicants, program directors, institutional officials, and deans. CaRMS expects all participants in the matching program to conduct their affairs in an ethical and professionally responsible manner and to respect the right of applicants to freely investigate program options prior to submission of a final rank order list.
CaRMS shall maintain and make available to applicants and residency programs, the Policies and Procedures for Reporting and Investigating Breaches of CaRMS Agreements (Match Breaches Policy and False Document Policy), incorporated by reference in this agreement.
The Match Breaches Policy shall govern CaRMS' handling of match breaches and are incorporated by reference in and are an integral part of this agreement.
In the instance CaRMS has reasonable grounds to believe that an applicant or residency program has breached the terms of this agreement, CaRMS is authorized to take appropriate action, including, but not limited to, withdrawal of the applicant or residency program from the matching program and reporting the breach by the applicant or residency program as per the procedures outlined in the Match Breaches Policy and False Document Policy.
CaRMS shall investigate alleged breaches of this agreement, including, but not limited to:
a. Discrepancies in credentials or other supporting documents;
b. Attempts to subvert the matching process itself;
c. Failures to offer or accept an appointment as required by the results of a match, and;
d. Any other irregular behaviour or activities that occur in connection with registration, the submission or modification of a rank order list, and/or the residency program or applicant's commitment to honour the match outcome.
D. General
22. Governing Law
This agreement will be interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.
23. Entire Agreement
This agreement, together with the other documents to be delivered pursuant to this agreement, constitute the entire agreement, pertaining to the applicant and the matching program, between CaRMS and the applicants.
24. Severability
If any provisions of this agreement are found to be void, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such a provision shall be deemed to be severed and the other provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
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