Updated
CaRMS Match Day 2027: Date, What Happens, If You Don't Match
CaRMS Match Day 2027 is Tuesday, March 2, 2027, at 12:00 noon Eastern, when first iteration results of the R-1 Main Residency Match open in CaRMS Online. Second iteration Match Day is Tuesday, April 20, 2027, at noon Eastern. Both dates are on CaRMS's match results page, and the results are legally binding.
Below: every date around Match Day, what you see that morning, what the contract commits you to, and exactly what to do if you go unmatched. All facts are from carms.ca, checked November 3, 2026.
When is CaRMS Match Day 2027?
The R-1 match covers entry-level residency positions at Canadian medical schools and, per CaRMS, more than 4,800 applicants every year. CaRMS runs it in two phases, called iterations, and each has its own Match Day. The first iteration results come out on March 2, 2027, twelve days after the rank order list deadline of February 18 at 3 p.m. Eastern. The second iteration results come out on April 20, 2027. For the full cycle from application opening to interviews, see our CaRMS page.
Every date around Match Day
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| February 18, 2027, 3 p.m. ET | What happens: First iteration rank order list deadline (firm) |
| March 1, 2027, noon ET | What happens: Pre-match day: schools get summary reports and lists of unmatched students who consented |
| March 2, 2027, noon ET | What happens: First iteration Match Day. Unmatched applicants can enter the second iteration the same day |
| March 4, 2027, noon ET | What happens: Second iteration program selection opens |
| March 16, 2027, noon ET | What happens: Second iteration applications and documents due |
| April 8, 2027, 3 p.m. ET | What happens: Second iteration rank order list deadline |
| April 20, 2027, noon ET | What happens: Second iteration Match Day |
| April 21, 2027, noon ET | What happens: Post-match process opens (free, no matching) |
| May 12, 2027, 3 p.m. ET | What happens: Post-match process and CaRMS Online access close |
CaRMS says the dates are subject to change, so check the first iteration timeline again in February.
What happens on CaRMS Match Day?
At noon Eastern, log into CaRMS Online and choose MY RESULTS, then Match Results, from the drop-down menu.
Your school knows a day earlier. On pre-match day, March 1, postgraduate offices get summary reports, and Canadian undergraduate offices get their faculty's reports plus a list of their unmatched students who agreed to share that information.
How the match decides your result
CaRMS says the rank order lists are the only true determinants of a match outcome
. You rank programs, programs rank applicants, and the algorithm does the rest. Rank in your true order of preference, not by guessing how programs rank you. Programs may not ask about your rank intentions, and anything said about mutual interest is not binding. Our rank order list guide covers how to build the list. See CaRMS's ranking page.
Are CaRMS match results binding?
Yes. Per CaRMS, all match results are legally binding under the applicant contract you accept to take part. You must accept the program you match to, which is why CaRMS tells you not to rank any program where you are not willing to train. After a match, your program will contact you within 30 days, and training starts on July 1 of your match year unless you agree on something else with the program (after the match).
What if you don't match in CaRMS?
You can enter the second iteration from noon Eastern on Match Day, and taking part costs no new participation fee, though program application fees may apply (contract section 3.5). All positions not filled in the first iteration move to the second iteration. The steps, in order:
- March 2: log into CaRMS Online and open the list of unfilled positions linked from your Match Results page. Talk to your school's undergraduate office the same day.
- March 4 at noon: program descriptions for unfilled programs are posted and program selection opens. Programs you applied to in the first iteration are not carried forward, so you must apply again.
- March 16 at noon: applications and documents are due. File review starts five minutes later.
- March 23 to April 8: ranking. There is no national interview period in the second iteration, so interviews can happen any time between file review and the April 8 rank deadline (3 p.m. Eastern).
- April 20 at noon: second iteration Match Day.
One big change: in some provinces, second iteration positions become competitive, meaning Canadian and international graduates compete for the same positions. In the first iteration those streams are separate. Our second iteration guide goes step by step.
If you still don't match: the post-match process
After the second iteration, CaRMS runs a post-match process from April 21, 2027, at noon Eastern to May 12 at 3 p.m. Eastern. It is free because there is no ranking or matching: you apply in CaRMS Online to programs still taking applications, and each program arranges interviews and offers with you directly. Programs do not have to take part, positions can be added or removed at any time, and it can close early. May 12 is also the last day you can see your CaRMS Online account for this match. The US equivalent is SOAP, covered in our SOAP guide.
What if you also applied to the NRMP?
Tell CaRMS. Section 5.2 of the contract requires you to report an NRMP application in CaRMS Online by the CaRMS rank order list deadline, or you risk losing your place in the CaRMS match. Section 3.3 sets the order: a CaRMS match withdraws you from the NRMP automatically and without notification, and an NRMP match withdraws you from CaRMS.
In 2027 CaRMS comes first. Its Match Day is March 2, before the US Match ends, so a first iteration CaRMS match ends your US Match before you could match there. Check the US dates on NRMP's Main Residency Match page.
How many applicants match on CaRMS Match Day?
Most Canadian graduates match in the first iteration. In CaRMS's 2026 R-1 data snapshot, 2,780 current-year Canadian medical graduates matched in the first iteration (92.8%) and 215 did not. In the second iteration, another 82 current-year Canadian graduates matched. CaRMS's full data, by discipline, is on its data and reports pages.
Practice the question second iteration programs ask
If you go unmatched, programs in the second iteration will want to know why, and why them. Practice answering it out loud before you need it. Our CaRMS interview questions cover the rest.
“You did not match in the first iteration. What happened, and why are you applying to our program now?”
Second iteration programs often ask this, in an interview or a short call. They want honesty without blame, what you changed, and a real reason for this program, in about two minutes.
Example answer written by Confetto (the applicant is invented)
I applied only to dermatology in the first iteration and ranked six programs. Looking back, my list was narrow for how competitive the field is, and that was my decision, not bad luck.
In the two weeks since Match Day I have talked with my career advisor and with two internists I worked with on my medicine rotation. What I enjoyed most in clerkship was the follow-up: seeing a patient with a new diagnosis again a month later and adjusting the plan with them. That is internal medicine much more than it is dermatology.
Your program stood out because your residents run their own continuity clinic from the first year and you have a strong community site. I would bring the skin exam and procedure skills I built on electives, and I would commit fully to training here.
Sources: CaRMS's match results, first iteration, second iteration and post-match timelines, after the match, information for unmatched IMGs, match overview, ranking, the applicant contract and the 2026 R-1 data snapshot. Checked November 3, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When is CaRMS Match Day 2027?
The first iteration of the 2027 R-1 Main Residency Match releases results on Tuesday, March 2, 2027, at 12:00 noon Eastern. Second iteration results come on Tuesday, April 20, 2027, also at noon Eastern. See CaRMS's match results page.
How do I see my CaRMS match result?
Log into your CaRMS Online account at noon Eastern and choose MY RESULTS, then Match Results, from the drop-down menu. Your medical school's postgraduate and undergraduate offices get their reports a day earlier, on pre-match day. See CaRMS's match results page.
Can I turn down my CaRMS match?
No. CaRMS says all match results are legally binding under the applicant contract you accepted. Rank only programs where you are willing to train. Release from a match commitment is possible only under CaRMS's policies. Read the CaRMS applicant contract (PDF).
What happens if I don't match in CaRMS?
You can join the second iteration from noon Eastern on Match Day. All unfilled first iteration positions move there, program selection opens March 4, 2027, applications are due March 16 and second iteration Match Day is April 20. If you still don't match, the free post-match process runs April 21 to May 12, 2027. Read our CaRMS second iteration guide.
When does residency start after the CaRMS match?
Your matched program will contact you within 30 days, and training begins on July 1 of your match year unless you arrange otherwise with the program. See CaRMS's after the match page.
What if I applied to both CaRMS and the NRMP?
You must tell CaRMS in CaRMS Online by the rank order list deadline. In 2027 CaRMS goes first: if you match in the first iteration on March 2, you are withdrawn from the NRMP automatically and without notice. Check the NRMP's own dates on its Main Residency Match page. Read sections 3.3 and 5.2 of the CaRMS contract (PDF).