Increase spots for med school-Increased spots for Residency?

[Guest driedcaribou]

Since there are more seats opening up for students in Medical School (i.e. UBC) does this mean that there will be more spots for Residency down the road? Or does this mean competition will just get fiercer?

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Good Question. We don't exactly have an answer at the moment.

 

It's made especially tricky by the fact CaRMS is a Federal level organization, but funding comes from the provinces (or so I believe.) And yet it was the provinces who increased enrollment.

 

Once again - good question. I wish I knew the answer. I doubt there won't be enough spots, but I wouldn't be surprised if any expansion was in areas of (greater) perceived need.

[Guest driedcaribou]

Heh.. seeing how that there were only 28 positions unfilled after the 2003 match really makes me wonder what they're going to do in 4 years time.

[Guest aneliz]

Bottom line is they are going to HAVE TO increase the number of residency spots. Ontario increased the number of med school seats over three years starting in fall 2000. As an example, UWO's class size went from 96 to 103 to 118 to 133. And this happened at all five Ontario schools. Now that UBC is greatly increasing seats too, the problem is only going to get worse.

 

The problem comes down to this:

 

1. Any increase in seats is mandated by the provincial governments.

 

2. The number and funding of residency spots is determined by the provincial governments.

 

3. CaRMS is a national matching organisation....so what happens to med school seats in one province increases competition for residency spots nationally...

 

So, they are going to have to increase seats, but where they put them and in what specialty is going to be an entirely different matter.

 

The Ontario Liberals (who won a majority government yesterday) say that they will put new residency spots in FAMILY MEDICINE in Ontario to increase the supply of family docs....but if the 'increased' Ontario class size students don't want family med, this is going to increase competition for other specialties in every province as they try and match into their discipline of choice...despite the fact that the total number of residency spots may be increased so that there is a 1:1 ratio of spots to graduates in Ontario.... If the residency spots are not where people want to be or in what they want to do, competition in the 'desirable' spots is only going to increase. And this is going to impact on ALL med students, regardless of what decisions YOUR provincial government has made with regards to residency spots in your province.

[Guest strider2004]

I asked out dean today and he said that they are in fact increasing the number of spots this year in a 60:40 ratio (more specialty spots). He didn't remember how many though.

[Guest aneliz]

Thanks for the update!

[Guest cracked30]

Anyone heard any new news?

 

The CFMS website says there will be a 1:1 med school to residency spot ratio for a forseeable amount of time.

 

Program directors are being asked to increase residency spots but they say they can't, the education has already been too diluted, they have no rotations to put anyone into.