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Access pathway
Our commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization
This support continues after admission through the Learner Experience Office, which provides tailored resources, mentoring and referrals to help every student thrive.
Who should apply
Applicants who have faced financial, medical or socio-cultural challenges are encouraged to apply. Applications are reviewed holistically by a trained diversity and equity panel.
Eligible applicants may include:
- Individuals who self-identify with a population under-represented in medicine (e.g., Latin American or Filipino*).
- Individuals with a disability or life-threatening illness.
- Individuals who faced a significant socio-economic challenge.
- Individuals who experienced a major familial or socio-cultural barrier (e.g., loss of both parents, time in foster care, living in a homeless shelter).
MCAT flexibility
MCAT minimums are reset each year based on the competitiveness of the applicant pool. Applying through this pathway does not guarantee the granting of MCAT flexibility nor an offer of admission. There are no fixed seats or quotas for the Access pathway.
Applicants through the Access Pathway may be considered for MCAT flexibility if they:
- attain a minimum score of 125 in each section of the MCAT that we consider, and
- meet the same GPA, course load, course level and non-academic admission requirements as applicants through the general stream.
Personal statement
When applying through the Access pathway, applicants must provide a brief personal statement describing all of the following:
- How they have adapted to and/or overcome their challenge.
- Current and past experiences/involvement in their community and the impact of these experiences/involvement.
- Goals for future involvement in their community.
- How their lived experiences will inform their work as a health care provider.
How to apply
Applicants who wish to be considered through the Access pathway must demonstrate having had a financial challenge, medical challenge, or socio-cultural lived experience. Supporting documentation must be submitted through OMSAS by the application deadline.
A financial challenge is defined as circumstances that required the applicant to work part-time during their undergraduate university education. To be considered:
- Applicants must have worked at least 20 hours/week during the undergraduate academic year (September to April) for at least 2 academic years.
- During one of these two years, applicants must also have been engaged in undergraduate studies with the appropriate course loads and course levels as outlined in our GPA requirements.
Supporting documents
- Personal statement, as outlined above.
- Within the personal statement, also indicate which 2 academic years are to be considered: E.g. I worked 20 hr/wk during each of the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic years.
- Official letter(s) from employer(s) clearly outlining the dates employed and hours worked, as they relate to the above definition of
financial barrier. - Government aid or bursary letters that support your circumstances (if applicable).
A medical challenge is defined as a major illness affecting the applicant during their undergraduate university education.
Supporting documents
- Personal statement, as outlined above.
- Official documentation on whether accommodations were provided for writing the MCAT, and the nature of these accommodations. If no accommodations were provided for writing the MCAT, this must be stated.
- Official documentation on whether accommodations were provided for university learning, and the nature of these accommodations. If no accommodations were provided for university learning, this must be stated.
- Official documentation by a licensed professional on how the illness impacted/impacts the applicant's learning and/or the learning of others. Disclosing the name of a diagnosis is not required, however the committee will require sufficient information about the impact of the illness on the applicant's educational experience.
A socio-cultural lived experience relates to societal, cultural, familial or environmental lived experiences that may potentially have had an adverse impact on an applicant’s abilities to adequately prepare for medical school.
Given the activities and achievements that are considered acceptable in the application to Schulich Medicine (i.e. the Western ABS), the impact of the challenge must be beyond stating a lack of appropriate role models to guide an individual.
Supporting documents
- Personal statement, as outlined above.
- Within the personal statement, self-identification as Filipino or Latin American (if applicable):
- A diversity and equity panel enriched with individuals who self-identify as Filipino or Latin American will take part in the assessment documents supporting a socio-cultural lived experience.
- Objective documentation that best supports the applicant's personal statement:
- Documentation by family members, relatives, friends or peers is not acceptable.
- Since socio-cultural challenges can be very personal and quite diverse in circumstances, we cannot recommend specific or prescribed sets of acceptable documentation.
Supporting your journey
Admissions
Questions about admission requirements or consideration through the Access pathway? Contact Admissions.
Community of Support
Free advising, mentoring and application help if you’re Black, Indigenous, Filipino, low-income, or identify as having a disability. Visit Community of Support.
Accessibility
Western Accessible Education helps students with disabilities engage in academic activities and meet program requirements. Email aew@uwo.ca.
It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure all documentation is submitted through OMSAS by the application deadline.
Schulich Medicine reserves the right to verify application documentation.
Falsification or misrepresentation of information from any portion of the application will result in removal of the application from consideration, and may be considered in any future application to the University.