A recent change to Ontario’s medical residency application process is drawing sharp criticism from the Section of General and Family Practice (SGFP), which warns the new eligibility rule for international medical graduates (IMGs) could lead to hundreds of family medicine residency spots going unfilled. The SGFP believes this rule change risks deepening the existing shortage […]
A recent change to Ontario’s medical residency application process is drawing sharp criticism from the Section of General and Family Practice (SGFP), which warns the new eligibility rule for international medical graduates (IMGs) could lead to hundreds of family medicine residency spots going unfilled. The SGFP believes this rule change risks deepening the existing shortage of family doctors across the province.
The government's new requirement dictates that international medical graduates must have completed at least two years of high school in Ontario to be eligible for the crucial first round of residency placements.
Family medicine residency programs in Ontario are highly reliant on internationally trained doctors; in 2025, approximately 60% of all family medicine residency positions in the province were filled by IMGs. The SGFP estimates that under the new high school eligibility rule, the number of eligible applicants in the first round is projected to plummet from over 1,200 to only 170.
Dr. David Barber, Chair of the SGFP, expressed surprise and concern over the policy. “Why are we talking about where they went to high school?” he asked. “We are in desperate need for more family doctors in Ontario. If a new doctor has completed medical school I cannot imagine why we would prevent them from starting residency based on where they went to high school. I thought I had read this wrong at first.”
Dr. Barber emphasized the severity of the shortage, noting that more than two million people in Ontario currently lack a family doctor. "We should be opening doors, not closing them," he stated, adding, "At a time when more than two million people in Ontario don’t have a family doctor, we can’t afford to turn away qualified physicians.”
The SGFP estimates that under these new rules, at least 40% of family medicine residency positions will remain vacant after the first matching round. The organization warns that many top candidates will likely choose to apply to programs in other provinces or the United States rather than wait for Ontario’s second matching round, which has a much shorter timeline and fewer available spots. With the province lacking a third round or “scramble” process, many positions could ultimately remain empty.
“It risks discouraging future applicants, delaying family medicine program expansion plans, and weakening the pipeline of new family doctors, just when we need them most,” said Dr. Barber.
The SGFP is urgently calling on the Ontario government to pause this policy immediately and collaborate with medical educators, residency programs, and physician leaders. They seek to find a more effective solution that prioritizes fairness, transparency, and timely access to care for all Ontarians.
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