The unmatched spots are out after the first CaRMs round: Bet you can guess which specialty makes up most of them

After the results of the first round of the R-1 Match—announced March 19, 2024—came out, the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) posted the positions that are as yet unfilled. Counting all streams, 252 family medicine spots went unfilled during the first round—making up the bulk of the 362 spots for all specialities that went unfilled across Canada. Two particular locations made up almost 50 of those family med spots with Queen’s University at Kingston Thousand-Island failing to fill 23 spots for its Competitive including MOTP/MMTP stream; and 21 spots going unfilled for Western University's London location for its Competitive stream. Of the unfilled family med spots, the bulk were found in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.Psychiatry and internal medicine tied for a distant second, each with 15 unfilled spots. General surgery and neurology both have 10 spots unfilled. And those still hoping to match most other specialties are going to need some serious luck, with just six obstetrics and gynecology spots left, three for emergency medicine and a mere two in pediatrics. Take a look at the full list here.Looking to Ontario specifically, the province has 116 unclaimed family med positionss, up from 103 in 2023.“It’s disappointing, frustrating and alarming to see this year’s CaRMS matching numbers,” said Dr. David Barber, chair of the Section on General and Family Practice of the Ontario Medical Association, in a press release. “During their rotations, medical students are seeing how demanding the family doctor environment has become. Unattached patients show up to clinics with a laundry list of issues that have been left untreated because they are not connected with a family doctor. Students don’t want that type of practice when they graduate.”Meanwhile for Alberta, these numbers are sign of improvement. Dr. Paul Parks, president of the Alberta Medical Association noted, "Alberta has fewer unmatched family medicine residency positions this year than last year. This is good news. I was pleased to see that across the country, the numbers are looking more positive," in a message to members. As for Quebec, both the Canadian Medical Association and the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec voiced concern over the 91 family med spots left vacant in that province. "The starting point for increased access to care is a strong frontline, which requires the healthcare system to do a better job at attracting learners and retaining family physicians," read a statement from the CMA. "The CMA is concerned about certain provisions in the Act to increase the supply of primary care services and to improve the management of that supply, which focus on limiting the patients that physicians can add to their caseload and monitoring the hours that family physicians work. These measures could drive physicians from the public system into private practice."

The unmatched spots are out after the first CaRMs round: Bet you can guess which specialty makes up most of them

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