The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic will have long-lasting effects on health care, ranging from clinical practice to medical education. Since March 2020, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada and medical schools across the country have been responding to the outbreak by taking numerous precautionary measures. These measures have resulted in a compressed and delayed timeline for all medical trainees, especially the class of 2021. Canadian program directors and residency selection committees are facing unprecedented challenges for the recruitment and assessment of applicants in the upcoming cycle, in particular with the cancellation of visiting electives.
