Updated
CaRMS Application 2027: Documents, Personal Letters, References
A CaRMS application has two parts: the profile you fill in once in CaRMS Online, which goes to every program, and the documents you assign to each program, such as personal letters, references and your MSPR. For the 2027 R-1 match, everything must be submitted and assigned by 12:00 noon Eastern on Thursday, November 26, 2026, per CaRMS's timeline.
As of November 3, 2026, that is 23 days away. Below: every date, every document and who sends it, how to write personal letters, what referees should cover, the 2027 fees and a final checklist. All facts are from carms.ca.
What is in a CaRMS application?
Per CaRMS, the application is the information you enter directly into CaRMS Online, which is similar to a CV and goes to all programs you apply to, plus supporting documents you assign to specific programs. Not every program wants every document. The program descriptions and each province's criteria list what is required, so build your document list program by program.
Current-year Canadian graduates do not register: their school gives CaRMS their names, and they get an email when the match opens. Everyone else registers. All R-1 applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents when they apply. The US twin of this process is ERAS, covered in our ERAS guide.
CaRMS application dates for 2027
- September 9, 2026, noon ET: CaRMS Online opens and program descriptions are posted.
- October 15, 2026, noon ET: program selection opens. You choose programs and assign documents.
- November 5, 2026, 5 p.m. ET: last day to request CaRMS translation of references (bilingual applications only).
- November 13, 2026: transcripts and MSPRs from faculties should have arrived. Check Document Tracking.
- November 25, 2026, 9 p.m. ET: referees submit references.
- November 26, 2026, noon ET: applications and all documents submitted and assigned. File review starts at 12:05.
The national interview period, for current-year Canadian graduates interviewing at other schools, is January 16 to February 7, 2027. Interviews at your own school and for international graduates are scheduled separately. For the rest of the cycle see our CaRMS page and Match Day guide.
Every CaRMS document, and who sends it
| Document | Who sends it | The rule to know |
|---|---|---|
| CaRMS Online profile | Who sends it: You | The rule to know: CV-style entries that go to every program. Fill it in even if your CV repeats it |
| Personal letters | Who sends it: You | The rule to know: Typed or pasted into CaRMS Online, one per program or discipline as programs ask. Never uploaded as an extra document |
| References | Who sends it: Your referees | The rule to know: Requested in CaRMS Online and submitted by referees. Letter, applicant support form or structured reference letter |
| MSPR (dean's letter) | Who sends it: Your medical school | The rule to know: Canadian schools transfer it. Current Canadian graduates cannot upload it themselves |
| Medical school transcript | Who sends it: You or your school | The rule to know: Upload it yourself or have your school send it through its CaRMS portal |
| Exam and assessment results | Who sends it: The exam body | The rule to know: MCC exams come only from physiciansapply.ca. Casper scores arrive about five business days before the deadline |
| Proof of citizenship | Who sends it: You | The rule to know: Share your MCC IVP, or upload a certified document. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents |
| Photo | Who sends it: You | The rule to know: Only if a program asks. JPG under 2 MB, hidden from programs until the interview period |
| Extra documents | Who sends it: You | The rule to know: For example a custom CV. Only if no other category fits, and only where programs want them |
File formats and uploads
Uploads are PDFs up to 5 MB, and photos are JPEGs up to 2 MB. CaRMS does not accept paper or mailed documents. Once a document is in your account you can assign it to as many programs as you like. Graduates of US MD schools from July 1, 2025, on count as international graduates in CaRMS. See document submission.
If you apply to both English and French programs, your MSPR and references need translating, but your transcript does not. CaRMS offers a paid translation service with set deadlines, or you can use your own translator and upload by the application deadline.
How to write a CaRMS personal letter
CaRMS calls personal letters how you introduce yourself to programs and express interest in a program or discipline. A letter should give the reasons you chose that program, and Each program has preferences regarding what the personal letter should contain
, so the program description sets the length and the questions. You type or paste each letter into the personal letter section of CaRMS Online. Never upload one as an extra document.
Our approach, for each discipline you apply to:
- Answer the program's questions first. Copy each question from the program description into your draft and answer it directly, in the order asked, within the stated limit.
- Open with one patient or moment from a rotation that shows why this discipline, in two or three sentences.
- Show two or three CanMEDS roles in action, for example collaborator and health advocate, with what you did. Programs read files against CanMEDS.
- Say why this program, with something specific: a site, a stream, a population or a curriculum feature. Write a separate version per program when the program asks why it.
- Close with where you want to be, such as rural practice or a clinician scholar path, and what you would bring.
An example opening we wrote (the applicant is invented): On my third night of my family medicine rotation in Fort Frances, I drove with my preceptor to see a patient who could not get to clinic. That visit is why I am applying to family medicine, and why I am applying to programs with rural sites.
Expect interviewers to ask about anything in your letter, so write only what you can talk about for two minutes.
CaRMS references: types and what referees should cover
You request each reference in CaRMS Online, say whether it is generic, discipline-specific or program-specific, and your referee uploads it directly. CaRMS has three types:
- Letter of reference: a detailed letter about working with you.
- Applicant support form: a program's own form. You give your referee the form, which is linked in the program description.
- Structured reference letter: an online form for family medicine, emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry and pediatrics. Anesthesiology and dermatology forms are in an introductory period and count as applicant support forms.
Applying in the US too? ERAS letters work differently, as our residency letters of recommendation guide explains.
What CaRMS recommends a reference letter include
The date it was written and how long and when the referee worked with you, then an assessment of your cognitive skills and knowledge, problem solving and patient management, behavior and attitudes, communication and working relationships, motivation and punctuality, sense of responsibility, procedural skills in the discipline, and special qualities. Send your referee this list with your CV and a draft of your letter. If you ask before CaRMS Online opens, use the early reference form. In the first iteration, programs cannot see references until one week after file review opens. See document types.
How much does a CaRMS application cost?
For the 2027 R-1 match, the participation fee is $301.60 and includes 4 programs. Each extra program is $66.26, charged once per discipline at a university even if you apply to several of its sites. By our math, applying to 15 programs costs $1030.46 before tax. Graduates of non-Canadian schools also pay a one-time $136.62 verification fee. Fees are in Canadian dollars, taxes apply, and nothing is refunded if you withdraw or go unmatched (CaRMS fees). There is no minimum or maximum number of programs. If you go unmatched, the second iteration costs no new participation fee, though program fees may apply.
Final checklist before November 26
- My Information complete, even where your CV repeats it.
- Citizenship proven: IVP shared or a certified document uploaded and assigned.
- MSPR and transcript showing as received in Document Tracking.
- Every reference requested with the right type, and referees reminded of November 25 at 9 p.m.
- A personal letter assigned to every program, answering that program's questions.
- Photo and extra documents added only where a program asks for them.
- Every program submitted, with documents assigned, before noon Eastern. Late items are stamped late, and some programs will not read them.
Practice talking about your letter
Interviews start soon after file review. Practice turning your personal letter into a spoken answer, then work through our CaRMS interview questions.
“Tell us why you chose our program, using something from your personal letter.”
Interviewers may ask about anything in your letter. They want the reasons you wrote, said in your own voice, with one concrete example. Aim for about ninety seconds.
Example answer written by Confetto (the applicant is invented)
In my letter I wrote that I want to train where I can see a whole community's care, and that came from my rural family medicine elective in your northern site.
One week I saw a woman with heart failure in clinic on Monday, admitted her to the community hospital on Wednesday and visited her at home with the nurse practitioner after discharge. Same patient, three settings, one team. That is what I want my training to look like.
Your program puts residents at that site for blocks in both years, and your residents told me the preceptors know them by name. I would bring the procedural confidence I built in emergency medicine and a real wish to practice in a smaller town afterward.
Sources: CaRMS's application process, document types, document submission, 2027 first iteration timeline, 2027 fees, file review, registration, the reference guidelines and the overview for Canadian graduates. Checked November 3, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When is the CaRMS application deadline for 2027?
Applications and all required documents must be submitted and assigned to programs by 12:00 noon Eastern on Thursday, November 26, 2026. File review starts at 12:05. References are due from referees the night before, November 25 at 9 p.m. Eastern. There are no extensions. See the 2027 R-1 first iteration timeline.
What documents do I need for CaRMS?
It depends on each program. Most ask for references, your MSPR, your medical school transcript, personal letters and proof of citizenship, and some want a photo, exam results, Casper or extra documents. Check every program description and the provincial criteria. See CaRMS's document types.
How long should a CaRMS personal letter be?
CaRMS sets no single length. Each program states what it wants in its program description, often a word or page limit and specific questions. Write to that limit and answer every question the program asks, in the CaRMS Online personal letter section. See CaRMS's personal letter rules.
How many references do I need for CaRMS?
Programs set the number and type in their program descriptions. A reference can be a letter, an applicant support form or a structured reference letter. Family medicine, emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, PM&R, psychiatry and pediatrics can ask for structured letters. See CaRMS's reference types.
How much does a CaRMS application cost?
For the 2027 R-1 match the participation fee is $301.60 and includes four programs. Each extra program is $66.26, charged once per discipline at a university even if it has several sites. Graduates of non-Canadian schools also pay a one-time $136.62 verification fee. Fees are before tax and not refundable. See CaRMS's 2027 R-1 match fees.
Can I change my CaRMS application after the deadline?
You can still assign documents after November 26, but they are time-stamped late and some programs will not review late applications or documents. Submit early, since CaRMS gives no extensions. See CaRMS's file review page.