If you requested a Family Medicine reference in CaRMS Online for the 2027 R-1 match before CaRMS updated the form, that request no longer counts. You need to create a new one, and your referee needs to complete it, before the reference deadline on November 25.
What CaRMS says
“The Family Medicine Structured Reference Letter has been updated for the 2027 R-1 match. As a result, all previous versions are invalid and have been removed from applicant accounts. Applicants wishing to apply to Family Medicine programs are required to complete a new reference request in CaRMS Online.”
CaRMS help centre, Will my previous references be accepted by programs in the 2027 R-1 match?, last updated September 27, 2026
CaRMS lists the Family Medicine Structured Reference Letter as a requirement of all family medicine programs in the R-1 match (reference document types for the R-1 match). So this matters to every applicant to family medicine, whether you trained in Canada or abroad.
Who needs to act
- You are applying to family medicine programs in the 2027 R-1 match, and
- you created a Family Medicine Structured Reference Letter request before the update, including one a referee has already completed.
If you have not requested your family medicine references yet, nothing is lost. Make the request now, on the current form.
Pediatrics changed too
The same CaRMS article says the Pediatrics Structured Reference Letter is now an inline form in CaRMS Online, and that all previous versions are invalid and have been removed from applicant accounts. If you are applying to pediatrics as well, the same steps apply.
What carries over, and what does not
| Reference | Status for the 2027 R-1 match, per CaRMS |
|---|---|
| Family Medicine Structured Reference Letter | Updated. Previous versions invalid and removed. New request required. |
| Pediatrics Structured Reference Letter | Now an inline form. Previous versions invalid and removed. New request required. |
| Anesthesiology and Dermatology Structured Reference Letters | New from the 2027 R-1 match. Programs no longer accept narrative letters. |
| Emergency Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Psychiatry | Previous structured letters accepted. |
| Letters of reference and applicant support forms, all other disciplines | Previous ones generally accepted. Check each program description. |
What to do now
- Log into CaRMS Online and open My Documents, then Reference requests.
- Click the + icon. Under Requirement Type, choose Specific discipline. Under Discipline, choose Family Medicine.
- Fill in your referee's details, then Save, Send, and Submit. A reference request cannot be edited once it has been submitted, so check the referee's email address first.
- Write to your referee before the new request lands. Tell them the form they completed earlier was removed by CaRMS, and that a new request is on its way. A referee who already wrote for you may otherwise assume the email is a duplicate.
- Re-read the Reference section of every program description you are applying to. CaRMS says it is the applicant's responsibility to confirm each program's current reference requirements.
The steps above follow CaRMS's own instructions, How do I request a Structured Reference Letter?
The dates
- November 5, 2026, 17:00 ET: last day to request translation of reference documents.
- November 25, 2026, 21:00 ET: referees must submit references.
- November 26, 2026, 12:00 noon ET: applications and documents close.
Dates from the CaRMS R-1 match timeline. Structured reference letters, Family Medicine included, can only be completed while the match is open; CaRMS does not take early letters for these disciplines (CaRMS help centre). The 2027 R-1 match opened to applicants on September 9, so you can make the new request today.
The wider lesson
Requirements can change. Clause 5.17 of the CaRMS applicant agreement says reference requirements may change between match cycles, and program descriptions carry a summary of changes because they can be updated after they are published. Check the summary of changes on each program description you are applying to, and check it again before you submit.
ITPC flagged this change on LinkedIn, and I am grateful they did.
Sources
- CaRMS help centre, Will my previous references be accepted by programs in the 2027 R-1 match? (last updated September 27, 2026)
- CaRMS help centre, How do I request a Structured Reference Letter?
- CaRMS help centre, What types of reference documents currently exist for the R-1 match?
- CaRMS help centre, Can my referee send a reference letter before a match opens?
- CaRMS, R-1 match timeline, and program descriptions
Every date for the 2027 match is also on the Deadline Radar. If you are writing your CV and personal letter now, the CaRMS CV and personal letter course covers what the 2027 program descriptions ask for.
This is my reading of CaRMS's published guidance, written to help you act on it. It is not official advice from CaRMS, and CaRMS is the final authority on your application. See the disclaimer.