Abstracts
Abstract
Background: Residency programs across Canada evaluate applicants based on written applications, reference letters, and interviews. One key factor many institutions consider is “scholarly activity.” To improve transparency, the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) recently revised its program description pages, adding a dedicated section outlining expectations for research and academic work. This study examines whether these changes have made program criteria clearer for applicants.
Methods: For all 17 Canadian faculties of medicine, 2023 R1 entry, —internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, psychiatry and anesthesiology—program descriptions were reviewed on the CaRMS website, looking for keywords related to scholarly activity.
Results: Although most residency programs now include scholarly activity in their CaRMS descriptions, several programs provide vague descriptions of this requirement. In 2023, nearly all family medicine (94%), internal medicine (100%), and pediatrics (100%) program descriptions referenced requiring or considering scholarly work as part of their selection process—up from 41%, 65%, and 71% in 2019. Programs commonly mentioned scholarly activity in two or three sections of their selection criteria, with key themes including active scholarly work, scholarly deliverables, and future scholarly potential.
Conclusion: Canadian medical schools should set clearer expectations for scholarly activity in residency applications to ensure transparency and equal opportunities for all applicants. Programs could also explain why research matters—whether as a core component of training or to develop critical thinking and initiative. Greater clarity would help applicants see research as more than just a “check-the-box” requirement, fostering genuine engagement in scholarly work.
Résumé
Contexte : Les programmes de résidence à travers le Canada évaluent les candidats en fonction de leur dossier écrit, des lettres de recommandation et des entrevues.. L’un des facteurs clés pris en compte par de nombreux établissements est l’« activité savante ». Afin d’améliorer la transparence, le Service canadien de jumelage des résidents (CaRMS) a récemment révisé les pages décrivant ses programmes, en ajoutant une section dédiée présentant les attentes en matière de recherche et de travail universitaire. Cette étude examine si ces changements ont permis de clarifier les critères des programmes pour les candidats.
Méthodes : Pour les 17 facultés de médecine canadiennes, les descriptions des programmes d’entrée en R1 en 2023 (médecine interne, médecine familiale, pédiatrie, chirurgie générale, psychiatrie et anesthésiologie) ont été examinées sur le site web du CaRMS, à la recherche de mots-clés liés à l’activité savante.
Résultats : Bien que la plupart des programmes de résidence incluent désormais l’activité savante dans leurs descriptions CaRMS, plusieurs programmes fournissent des descriptions vagues de cette exigence. En 2023, presque toutes les descriptions des programmes de médecine familiale (94 %), de médecine interne (100 %) et de pédiatrie (100 %) mentionnaient l’exigence ou la prise en compte d’activités savantes dans le cadre de leur processus de sélection, contre 41 %, 65 % et 71 % en 2019. Les programmes mentionnaient généralement l’activité universitaire dans deux ou trois sections de leurs critères de sélection, les thèmes clés étant notamment le travail universitaire actif, les résultats universitaires et le potentiel universitaire futur.
Conclusion : Les facultés de médecine canadiennes devraient définir des attentes plus claires en matière d’activité savantes dans les demandes de résidence afin de garantir la transparence et l’égalité des chances pour tous les candidats. Les programmes pourraient également expliquer pourquoi la recherche est importante, que ce soit en tant qu’élément central de la formation ou pour développer l’esprit critique et l’initiative. Une plus grande clarté aiderait les candidats à considérer la recherche comme plus qu’une simple exigence à cocher, ce qui favoriserait un engagement sincère dans l’activité savante.
Appendices
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