Career Planning Advice
Residency programs can set specific language proficiency requirements as they deem appropriate, in order to provide the best care possible for the patient populations they serve. You’ll often see this in programs in Quebec, with its majority Francophone population, but you may find that other programs in Canada have specific language requirements as well.
Because these requirements may vary between provinces, and indeed between individual programs within the same province, it’s important that you carefully review the documents you may be required to submit in order to prove your language proficiency for your target programs. The lists of these documents and/or language tests can be found on the individual CaRMS Program Descriptions for each of your target programs. There is no shortcut here: you must read each one carefully to understand what you are required to provide, depending on your background, education, etc.
These language requirements have been subject to change several times over the past few years, and it’s well beyond the scope of this website to provide a comprehensive list or to discuss the nuances of each specific case, as many of you have varied educational backgrounds and levels of French and English proficiency. Again, it’s your responsibility to check with your target program.
Where there is any ambiguity about the requirements and what may apply to your specific situation, please contact your target programs directly to ask for clarifications.
Additionally, language exams may expire after a certain period of time. It’s beyond the scope of this website to capture all this information as it varies from test to test. You are responsible for verifying the expiration dates directly with the source and ensuring your results are currently valid.