CaRMS Interview Guidelines

General principles
Institutions and candidates are bound by their contracts with CaRMS which also refers to the Match Violations Policy. It is a general principle that Participating Residency Programs through Program Directors or agents of the program (other faculty; interviewing teams including Residents) will not exert undue or unwarranted pressure on the selection decisions of Applicants. Both Applicants and Participating Residency Programs may express a high degree of interest in each other but may not make statements implying a commitment. Programs cannot ask applicants how they intend to rank programs or request any information on other programs the applicant may have applied to. All information in a letter of reference is considered confidential (unless stated otherwise) and may not be shared with a candidate without explicit permission from the referee.

Guidelines for Conducting Interviews

Interviews should be free of intimidation. Interviews cannot include personal questions about family, religion, age or finances. Interviews cannot include questions, illusions, remarks or coercion about other applications, interviews or ranking. Ask questions that relate directly to the position and avoid questions relating to protected human rights grounds, such as sex, ancestry, disability, or sexual orientation. Ensure that questions assess criteria that can be evaluated objectively. Be aware that HRDC allows selection committees to consider "fit" when evaluating applicants. "Fit" refers to a candidate's ability to make a positive contribution to the departmental environment. Committees must ensure that "fit" is not used inappropriately to indulge personal biases or to discriminate against candidates from groups protected by human rights legislation. Remember that candidates are also making decisions about your university. Be prepared to arrange meetings between candidates and residents. Ensure conversations and written communications with applicants do not depart from universitys policies and collective agreements. Human rights legislation prohibits both intentional and unintentional discrimination. Keep in mind that the legality of the selection process does not rest upon your intentions, but rather upon the consistency with which you treat the candidates and the types of questions you ask them.

The Medical School and Program has the right to:

Define specific eligibility criteria for their residency program that meet future employment needs Require position-related qualifications and experience Recruit the most suitable persons based on their criteria Establish measurable standards of performance Set employment terms and conditions Require Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status

Appropriate Questions
Tell me about yourself. Why did you choose this specialty? Why did you apply to our program? What are you looking for in terms of learning opportunities? How do you deal with problems when they arise? What have you found to be your strengths and weaknesses? What has your experience been in working with people in authority? Do you have any ideas about how you learn best?

Inappropriate Questions:

Personal Data Where were you born? How old are you? What is your ethnic background? applicants can be asked whether they are legally entitled to work in Canada Are you married/planning marriage? Do you have children? What is your sexual orientation? What is your religion? To ask for photo to be attached to applications or sent to interviewer before interview; CaRMS will unmask the photograph in the electronic applicant file after the interviews begin.

Inappropriate CaRMS Ranking Questions What other programs did you apply to? Do you plan to rank our program? Where on your list will you rank our program?