Halifax-South Shore - Family Medicine

Dalhousie UniversityHalifax-South Shore, Nova ScotiaIMG stream

Program websiteWebsite5 more links

Open on carms.ca

CaRMS program description, 2026 match, last approved 17 Nov 2025

From the 2026 match (R-1 2026). See the 2027 version

Positions (approx. quota): 1 position
Length: 2 years
Stream: IMG
Discipline: Family Medicine
Applications per year: 601+
Applicants offered interviews: 0–25%
Accreditation: Accredited
CaRMS program ID: 30137

Bands are 5-year averages the program reports to CaRMS. They describe past cycles, not your odds.

Summary

The Dalhousie Family Medicine Halifax-South Shore program offers comprehensive training for family physicians in a diverse Maritime setting. Residents will experience both urban and rural medical environments, developing skills across multiple clinical settings with a strong emphasis on community-based care and comprehensive patient management.

Training

Research

Residents are required to complete a scholarly project with protected time for research activities, focusing on evidence-based medicine and critical review of primary care literature.

Training setting

A mix of urban Halifax and rural South Shore communities in Nova Scotia, offering diverse clinical experiences across academic medical centers, community clinics, and rural healthcare settings.

Teaching approach

Competency-based medical education with a focus on progressive independence, self-directed learning, and comprehensive patient-centered care across various clinical environments.

Setting types

Academic medical center
Community hospital
Rural clinic
Urban medical center

Focus areas

Primary Care
Family Medicine
Rural Medicine
Community Health
Comprehensive Patient Care

Patient populations

Primary care patients
Long-term care patients
Emergency medicine patients
Obstetric patients
Pediatric patients
Hospitalized patients

Highlights

Multi-disciplinary team approach
Longitudinal patient panel development
Integrated Emergency Medicine experiences
Obstetrical simulation sessions
Procedural training
Long-term care experience
Academic half-day throughout the year
Mandatory Family Medicine Resident Education Symposium (FMRES)

Strengths

Strong primary health care research division
Dedicated family medicine faculty
Comprehensive training across multiple clinical settings
Emphasis on rural and community medicine
Supportive learning environment

Enhanced skills

Emergency Medicine
Palliative Care
Care of the Elderly

By year

PGY-1

Core Family Medicine with integratedEmergency Medicine BlockSouth Shore area16 weeks
General MedicineQueen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre(Halifax Infirmary or Datmouth General Hospital)8 weeks
PediatricsIWK Health Centre (Halifax, NS)8 weeks
Obstetrics and GynecologyIWK Health Centre (Halifax, NS)South Shore Regional Hospital (Bridgewater, NS)8 weeks
Foundations in Family MedicineHalifax Sites' academic centre and teaching clinics4 weeks
General SurgeryDartmouth General Hospital (Dartmouth, NS)4 weeks
SelectivesHalifax and South Shore area(Liverpool, Bridgewater, Lunenburg)4 weeks
VacationResidents request and seek approval as per departmental procedure policy4 weeks
Clinical Half Days in Family MedicineHalifax and South Shore areavariable

PGY-2

Core Family Medicine BlockSouth Shore area18 weeks
Community Family MedicineCompleted anywhere in Nova Scotia, or can choose to do on the South Shore12 weeks
ElectivesResidents’ choice to be approved by Site Director.10 weeks
Critical CareQueen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre - Halifax InfirmaryDartmouth General Hospital4 weeks
Geriatric MedicineSouth Shore area or Halifax4 weeks
Palliative Care MedicineSouth Shore area or Halifax4 weeks
PsychiatrySouth Shore area or Halifax2-4 weeks
VacationResidents request and seek approval as per departmental procedure policy4 weeks

From the program's rotation list.

Selection

What the program looks at

CV content
Electives
Examinations
Extra-curricular activities
Leadership skills
Medical Student Performance Record (MSPR)
Personal letter
Reference letters
Research involvement
Academic performance

Applications per year

601+

Applicants offered interviews

0–25%

Interviews

Dates (2026 match): 13 and 24 Nov 2025; 10 and 23 Jan 2026; 6 Feb 2026

Programs can change interview dates. Confirm on carms.ca.

Pay

Provincial scale, last updated 24 Jul 2026 · check the current agreement(opens in a new tab)

Annual salary by PGY level, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
Level	Annual salary
PGY-1	$78,578 / year
PGY-2	$83,904 / year

One provincial scale for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, set by the resident agreement, so every program there pays the same. Showing the 2 levels this program covers.

Benefits

Benefits as listed by CaRMS in 2022–2024; check the current agreement(opens in a new tab)

Annual vacation: 4 weeks
Call stipend: Yes
CMPA dues paid: Yes
Dental coverage: Yes
Educational leave: Yes
Extended health insurance: Yes
Frequency of call: l in 4 in-hospital and for homecall
Life insurance: $100,000 of insurance
Long-term disabilityinsurance: 66.7% of salary
Maternity leave top up after one year’s service: eligible for up to a maximum of 17 weeks top-up allowance for maternity/pregnancy leave
Provincial dues (% of salary): 1.30%
Provincial health insurance: Yes
Sick leave: Yes
Statutory and floating holidays: paid

Call

Call (provincial max): 1 night in 4 in-house

The union agreement’s cap for all residents in the province; your program’s actual call schedule may be lighter. Check with the program.

MarDocs agreement, 1 Jul 2024 to 30 Jun 2027.

Teaching sites

Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre
IWK Health Centre
Dartmouth General Hospital
South Shore Regional Hospital
Fishermen's Memorial Hospital

Hospital facts

Public figures for hospitals named above, each with its source and reference period. They describe the hospital, not the program, and are not a ranking. We match names to the province’s lists by name, so check each source before you rely on it.

Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre

This name covers 2 hospitals in the province’s lists. Each is shown on its own, A to Z, and the numbers are never added together.

QEII - Halifax Infirmary Site (Halifax)

Hospital type: Tertiary As the province lists it. The list has no volumes or beds.

QEII - Victoria General (VG) Site (Halifax)

Hospital type: Tertiary As the province lists it. The list has no volumes or beds.

IWK Health Centre

Matched to IWK Health Centre (Halifax) in the province’s hospital list.

Hospital type: Tertiary As the province lists it. The list has no volumes or beds.

Dartmouth General Hospital

Matched to Dartmouth General Hospital (Dartmouth) in the province’s hospital list.

Hospital type: Regional As the province lists it. The list has no volumes or beds.

Show facts for 2 more sites

South Shore Regional Hospital

Matched to South Shore Regional Hospital (Bridgewater) in the province’s hospital list.

Hospital type: Regional As the province lists it. The list has no volumes or beds.

Fishermen's Memorial Hospital

Matched to Fishermen's Memorial Hospital (Lunenburg) in the province’s hospital list.

Hospital type: Community As the province lists it. The list has no volumes or beds.

Sources and licences

Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Nova Scotia.

Contacts

Contacts weren't collected for the 2026 match.

The current program director and contacts are on the 2027 version of this program and on the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab).

Location

Halifax-South Shore, Nova Scotia

Independent. Not affiliated with CaRMS or the program. Programs edit their descriptions during the match; confirm on carms.ca (opens in a new tab) before you apply. Data last updated on CdnMD 5 Oct 2026.