Vancouver Island - Psychiatry

University of British ColumbiaVancouver Island, British ColumbiaCompetitive RoS stream

Program websiteWebsite CANPREPPCANPREPP

Open on carms.ca

CaRMS program description, 2026 match, last approved 25 Aug 2025

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

Positions (approx. quota): 1 position
Length: 5 years
Stream: Competitive RoS
Discipline: Psychiatry
Applications per year: 51–200
Applicants offered interviews: 51–75%
Accreditation: Accredited
CaRMS program ID: 30231

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

Summary

The UBC Psychiatry Residency Program offers a distributed training model across British Columbia, with the Vancouver Island Track providing a unique, personalized learning experience. Located in Victoria, this track offers residents a full range of training options in a smaller, more intimate program setting with three residents per year.

Training

Research

Residents are required to engage in scholarly activities, with two dedicated Research Track positions offering protected research time. Annual Research Day allows residents to present their work.

Training setting

Training primarily occurs at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, with additional sites including Victoria General Hospital, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Saanich Peninsula Hospital, and Homewood Ravensview. The program offers a mix of urban and community-based psychiatric training.

Teaching approach

The program follows a Competency By Design approach, focusing on developing residents' skills across the CanMEDS roles and Entrustable Professional Activities through progressive, staged training from Transition to Discipline through Transition to Practice.

Setting types

Academic medical center
Community hospital
Specialized psychiatric facilities

Focus areas

Adult Psychiatry
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Geriatric Psychiatry
Emergency Psychiatry
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
Addiction Psychiatry
Psychotherapy

Patient populations

Adult psychiatric patients
Child and adolescent patients
Geriatric patients
Patients with addiction disorders
Emergency psychiatric patients
First Nations patients
Patients with complex mental health needs

Highlights

Competency By Design curriculum
Distributed training model
Protected research time
Annual Research Day
Virtual psychiatric care opportunities
Interprovincial/international elective options

Strengths

Integrated distributed training model
Comprehensive psychotherapy curriculum
Strong research opportunities
Diverse clinical exposure
Personalized learning environment

Enhanced skills

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship
Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship
Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship
Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship

By year

PGY-1

Psychiatry2 blocks
Transition to DisciplinePsychiatry setting1 month
Internal Medicine1 block
Family Medicine1 block
Pediatrics1 block
Neurology1 block
Emergency Medicine1 block

PGY-2

Adult Inpatient PsychiatryRoyal Jubilee Hospital6 months
Adult Outpatient PsychiatryRoyal Jubilee Hospital6 months

PGY-3

Child & Adolescent PsychiatryQueen Alexandra Hospital6 months
Geriatric PsychiatrySaanich Peninsula Hospital6 months

PGY-4

Chronic Care Psychiatry6 months
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry3 months
Addiction Psychiatry6 weeks
Emergency Psychiatry6 weeks

PGY-5

Selectives6 months
Electives6 months

From the program's rotation list.

Selection

What the program looks at

Medical Student Performance Record
Personal letter
Reference letters
Interview performance
Demonstrated interest in psychiatry
Academic performance
Interpersonal skills

Applications per year

51–200

Applicants offered interviews

51–75%

Interviews

Dates (2026 match): 20, 27 and 28 Jan 2026

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

Pay

Provincial scale, last updated 2 Sep 2026 · check the current agreement(opens in a new tab)

Salaries from April 2027.

Annual salary by PGY level, British Columbia
Level	Annual salary
PGY-1	$71,390 / year
PGY-2	$79,571 / year
PGY-3	$86,655 / year
PGY-4	$93,230 / year
PGY-5	$100,215 / year

One provincial scale for British Columbia, set by the resident agreement, so every program there pays the same. Showing the 5 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
CMPA dues paid: Yes. Mandatory
Dental plan: 100% Premiums Paid
Educational leave: Yes
Extended health insurance: 100% Premiums Paid
Frequency of calls: 1 in 4 onsite/1 in 3 offsite
Life insurance: 100% Premium Paid
Long-term disability insurance: Yes 100% Premiums Paid
Maternity leave: 17 weeks, plus up to 78 weeks Parental Leave
Meal allowance: No
Provincial dues (% of salary): 1.5%
Provincial health insurance: 100% Premiums Paid
Sick leave: Yes
Statutory holidays: 2 x pay plus extra day with pay

Call

Call (provincial max): 1 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.

RDBC agreement, 1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2029.

Teaching sites

Royal Jubilee Hospital
Victoria General Hospital
Queen Alexandra Hospital
Saanich Peninsula Hospital
Homewood Ravensview

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.

Royal Jubilee Hospital

Matched to Royal Jubilee Hospital (Victoria) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26: 14,532 All procedure groups, for the fiscal year (1 April to 31 March). Scheduled surgery only: emergency surgery is not in the file.
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1: 3,973 One quarter (April to June), interim figures, all procedure groups. Scheduled surgery only.

Victoria General Hospital

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

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26: 8,131 All procedure groups, for the fiscal year (1 April to 31 March). Scheduled surgery only: emergency surgery is not in the file.
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1: 2,108 One quarter (April to June), interim figures, all procedure groups. Scheduled surgery only.

Saanich Peninsula Hospital

Matched to Saanich Peninsula Hospital (Saanichton) in the province’s hospital list.

Elective surgeries completed, 2025/26: 4,128 All procedure groups, for the fiscal year (1 April to 31 March). Scheduled surgery only: emergency surgery is not in the file.
Elective surgeries completed, 2026/27 Q1: 1,104 One quarter (April to June), interim figures, all procedure groups. Scheduled surgery only.

Sources and licences

Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – British Columbia.

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

Vancouver Island, British Columbia

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.