By Dr. Bilal Akil, MD — Emergency Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University · founder of mccQbank
Short answer: For the 2027 CaRMS R-1 match, programs must finish their initial interview offer status updates in CaRMS Online by 12 January 2027, and the national interview period runs from 16 January to 7 February 2027 (CaRMS 2027 first-iteration timeline). That period is for current-year Canadian graduates interviewing at out-of-town universities. For international medical graduates, CaRMS says interviews “can take place anytime between the opening of file review and the rank order list deadline” (CaRMS: Interviews), so from 26 November 2026 to 18 February 2027. The AFMC decided in August 2024 that R-1 interviews stay virtual going forward.
How CaRMS interview offers work
Each program, through its faculty of medicine, decides whom to interview. CaRMS does not hand out interviews; it runs the system around them. According to the CaRMS interviews page:
- Your invitation comes directly from the program, “most likely by email”.
- Programs also mark whether you were selected on the Interview Offer Status page in your CaRMS Online account, so you know whether to expect an email.
- CaRMS collects the dates programs will interview and posts them in an interview schedule inside CaRMS Online, to help prevent conflicts between faculties for a single discipline (family medicine excluded).
- If two of your interviews clash, you contact the programs directly to arrange an alternative.
The 2027 timeline adds that official invitations must go out within five days of the program’s status update in CaRMS Online. CaRMS’s interview guidelines for programs (updated July 2023) also recommend telling selected applicants “no less than three weeks before the interview date”. That is a recommendation to programs, not a guarantee to you.
The 2027 interview dates in one table
All dates are from the CaRMS 2027 R-1 first-iteration applicant timeline (updated 13 May 2026, checked 11 November 2026). CaRMS says dates are subject to change.
| Date | What happens | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| 26 November 2026, 12:00 noon ET | Application deadline; file review opens at 12:05 and programs may start updating interview offer status | Everyone |
| 26 November 2026 to 18 February 2027 | Window in which IMG interviews can be held | International medical graduates |
| 12 January 2027, end of day | Deadline for programs’ initial interview offer status updates | Everyone |
| 16 January to 7 February 2027 | National interview period | Current-year Canadian graduates from out-of-town universities |
| 21 January 2027, 12:00 noon ET | Ranking period begins | Everyone |
| 18 February 2027, 15:00 ET | Rank order list deadline (CaRMS calls it firm) | Everyone |
| 2 March 2027, 12:00 noon ET | Match Day | Everyone |
In the second iteration there is no set interview period; interviews can again happen any time between the opening of file review and the rank order list deadline. Our CaRMS 2027 timeline for IMGs has every other R-1 date.
How many IMGs get at least one interview?
CaRMS publishes interview offer data for the first iteration. The latest year in its dashboard when we checked on 11 November 2026 was the 2025 match. CaRMS notes the figures count offers made, not whether the interviews took place.
| 2025 R-1, first iteration | Offered at least one interview | Applicants | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMG, current-year graduate | 2,978 | 2,990 | 99.60% |
| IMG, current-year graduate | 175 | 183 | 95.63% |
| IMG, previous-years graduate | 1,114 | 1,548 | 71.96% |
By application rather than by person, in the same 2025 first iteration, 44.17% of IMG applications (29,877 of 67,644) received an interview offer, against 81.25% of CMG applications (54,120 of 66,607). One applicant can send many applications, so the two views answer different questions.
The number we would act on is the last row: 434 IMGs who had graduated in earlier years received no interview offer in the 2025 first iteration. If you are in that group, a narrow program list is the bigger risk, so read each program description closely before you assign documents.
What the interview itself looks like
Virtual. On 26 August 2024 the AFMC Board confirmed that “going forward, interviews for the R1 Match shall continue in the virtual format”.
Length and format vary by program. CaRMS leaves interview length to each program and suggests “a minimum of 30 minutes per interview or 30 minutes total for multiple short interviews”. It also tells programs that reliable decisions come from “multiple interviews, multiple interviewers, or both”, so many programs may use a panel or several short interviews rather than one conversation. Check the program description and your invitation for the specific format.
Identity checks. Programs may verify your identity by the start of the interview, in virtual and in-person settings, and should tell you beforehand which ID they accept.
Questions to expect, and questions programs should not ask
CaRMS’s guidelines, which say questions must respect applicants’ rights, give programs sample questions, including:
- “How do you deal with problems when they arise?”
- “What have you found to be your strengths and weaknesses?”
- “What past experiences have you had that would suit you to undertake this residency program?”
The same page lists inappropriate questions, among them where you were born, your first language, whether you have children, what other programs you applied to, whether you have other interviews, and where you will rank the program. It says the interview “should never include” talk of other programs, other interviews, or how either side intends to rank.
If you are asked one of those questions, you can answer briefly and steer back to the role. On its applicant interviews page, CaRMS lists among its own duties providing “amelioration in the case of concerns about an interview”, so you can raise a concern with CaRMS afterwards.
A four-week preparation plan
This is our suggested plan, not a CaRMS requirement. Start the first week before invitations arrive: CaRMS recommends that programs give about three weeks’ notice, so you may not have more.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 4 weeks before | Re-read your own application and each program description. Note what each program says it values and how it describes the interview. |
| 3 weeks before | Write one short example for each CaRMS sample question above. Practise them aloud against a timer. |
| 2 weeks before | Do one mock interview by video, ideally with a physician who trained in Canada. Test your camera, sound and connection in the room you will use. |
| Last week | Prepare two questions for each program. Lay out the ID the program asked for. Have a phone number ready in case the video drops. |
For IMGs, two extra points. Be ready to explain your clinical experience in plain terms: the setting, your role and what you were responsible for. And be ready to say where you stand with the exams; our CaRMS planner for IMGs lists the MCC sessions whose results are due before your deadline. If you trained abroad as a Canadian, our guide to returning to Canada after medical school abroad covers the route home.
Frequently asked questions
When are CaRMS interviews in 2027?
The national interview period is 16 January to 7 February 2027, for current-year Canadian graduates interviewing out of town. IMG interviews can take place any time from the opening of file review on 26 November 2026 until the rank order list deadline of 18 February 2027.
Are CaRMS interviews virtual?
Yes, under the AFMC Board’s August 2024 decision that R-1 interviews continue in the virtual format going forward. Your invitation will confirm the format.
How do I know if I got a CaRMS interview?
Check the Interview Offer Status page in CaRMS Online. Programs complete their initial updates by 12 January 2027 and must send the official invitation, usually by email, within five days of updating your status.
Is there an official CaRMS interview tracker?
CaRMS’s own tools are the Interview Offer Status page and the interview schedule of program dates, both inside CaRMS Online.
What questions are asked in CaRMS interviews?
Programs choose their own questions. CaRMS’s sample appropriate questions cover problem-solving, strengths and weaknesses, learning style, working with people in authority and past experience that suits the program.
If the NAC or the MCCQE still stands between you and a complete application, you can try 30 free questions in English or French.
