November 14, 2025

In today’s evolving postgraduate medical education landscape, flexibility and transparency are essential to supporting residents as they navigate their training journeys. Recognizing this, the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) Offices across the country have reaffirmed their commitment to facilitating transfers between institutions through the release of the updated National Transfer Guidelines. 

These guidelines provide a clear and consistent framework for residents seeking to transfer outside of the second iteration of the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). They are designed to ensure fairness, confidentiality, and alignment with both national standards and local policies. 

Before initiating any transfer discussions, residents are expected to review the national guidelines alongside their home institution’s transfer policy. Key principles outlined in the document include: 

• Respecting the integrity of the CaRMS match 

• Ensuring confidentiality of transfer discussions 

• Recognizing funding and capacity limitations 

• Meeting program-specific selection criteria 

• Considering exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis 

The guidelines apply to residents currently enrolled in Canadian postgraduate training programs and are intended to support informed decision-making and collaboration between institutions. 

AFMC encourages residents and PGME offices to review and share the updated guidelines.