Rules of Participation

Open Rules of Participation configuration options 

All participating programs and applicants must abide by the PRAMS schedule of dates. The schedule can be found on the CSHP & CPRB websites. Participating programs must offer all residency positions through the matching service except for exemptions (i.e., programs in Québec and Advanced Year 2 programs). 

Programs may not make any commitments or offers to, or require any commitments from, any applicant prior to the release of the match results. Programs may rank on their rank order lists only those applicants registered in the matching service. Programs may not disclose ranking information to applicants prior to the matching process. 

Similarly, applicants may not make any commitments to, or require any commitments from, any participating program prior to the release of the match results. Applicants may rank on their rank order lists only those programs participating in the matching service. The identity of all programs to which a given candidate has applied will be disclosed to those programs. Only programs to which a given candidate has applied will have access to that information and the candidate’s application. 

Programs may not require that any applicant state how any program will be ranked on the applicant's rank order list. Similarly, applicants may not demand information on how any participating program intends to rank any applicant. The rank order lists submitted by each program and applicant are the sole determinants of their respective order of preferences for the match. 

The match results constitute a binding commitment from which neither the applicant nor the program can withdraw without mutual written agreement. A program must offer an appointment to each applicant with whom it is matched, and the applicant must accept the offer from the program, unless both parties agree to release each other from the match result. A program may not offer a position to any applicant who was matched elsewhere and subsequently not released from the match. 

Violations of the policies of the residency matching service will be reported to the CPRB. The CPRB may decide to impose a penalty on those who violate the policies, up to and including loss of program accreditation.