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Access pathway

campus pathway

Our commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization

We understand that every applicant’s journey is shaped by unique challenges. Guided by our equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization (EDID) mandate, we work to remove structural barriers, recruit learners that reflect Canada’s diversity, and have applications reviewed by trained, representative evaluators. This support continues after admission through the Learner Experience Office, which provides tailored resources, mentoring and referrals to help every student thrive.

Applicants who have faced a financial, medical or socio-cultural challenge are invited to apply through this pathway. 

Applicants eligible for consideration 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 challenge (e.g., loss of both parents, time in foster care, living in a homeless shelter).

Applicants must use their own judgement in deciding whether their situation meets the criteria for this pathway.

*Since 2018-19, our voluntary applicant diversity survey shows Latin American and Filipino applicants are under-represented at Schulich Medicine. We strive to create a welcoming environment for all under-represented groups.

To ensure a holistic assessment, applications through this pathway are reviewed by a diversity and equity panel enriched with physicians, community members, and/or medical students trained in implicit bias and EDID practices.

Applicants through this 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.

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 this pathway.

Admission interviews are structured, standardized and conducted virtually by 3-person panels that may include physicians, community members, and medical students. 

How to apply

Applicants who wish to be considered through this pathway must complete the OMSAS application, including a personal statement and supporting documents, and submit through OMSAS by the application deadline.

Compose a personal statement explaining why you are applying through this pathway, and how your lived experiences have shaped your interest in medical education and prepared you to succeed in medicine.

  • Describe the personal, social, economic, educational, or systemic challenges you have experienced, and how you have adapted to and/or navigated these circumstances.
  • Explain how your lived experiences have influenced your decision to pursue medical education.
  • Reflect on how your experiences have prepared you for the academic, professional, and personal demands of medical school.

Submit supporting documents that contextualize the experiences described in your personal statement. Supporting documents:

  • must be relevant, specific, and directly connected to the circumstances outlined in the personal statement.
  • should provide objective context (e.g., verification of circumstance or involvement) rather than introduce new information not discussed in the personal statement.

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to assess the relevance and sufficiency of submitted documents in relation to the Access Pathway criteria.

A financial challenge is defined as circumstances that required you to work part-time during your undergraduate university education.

To be eligible for consideration:

  • You 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, you must also have been engaged in undergraduate studies with the appropriate course loads and course levels as outlined in our GPA requirements.

Personal statement and 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 a financial challenge.
  • Government aid or bursary letters that support your circumstances
(if applicable).
If you do not meet the requirement for minimum hours worked during 2 undergraduate academic years but believe that you faced a socio-economic challenge in your journey to medical school, you may consider submitting documents in support of having faced a 'socio-cultural lived experience'.

A medical challenge is defined as a major illness affecting you during your undergraduate university education.

Personal statement and supporting documents

  • Personal statement, as outlined above.
  • Official documents indicating whether accommodations were provided to you for writing the MCAT, and the nature of these accommodations. If no accommodations were provided for writing the MCAT, this must be stated.
  • Official documents indicating whether accommodations were provided to you for university learning, and the nature of these accommodations. If no accommodations were provided for university learning, this must be stated.
  • Official documents by a licensed professional on how the illness impacted/impacts your 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  your 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 your abilities to adequately prepare for medical school.

Given the breadth of activities and achievements that are considered acceptable in the application to Schulich Medicine (i.e. the Western ABS), the impact of the lived-experience must be beyond stating a lack of appropriate role models to provide guidance.

Personal statement and supporting documents

  • Personal statement, as outlined above. Within the personal statement, also indicate if you self-identify as Filipino or Latin American* (if applicable). 
  • Objective documents that best support your personal statement. Since socio-cultural challenges can be very personal and quite diverse in circumstances, we cannot recommend specific or prescribed sets of acceptable documents. 
  • Not acceptable: statements or endorsements by family members, relatives, friends or peers.
*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.

Contact us

If you have faced a challenge on your journey to applying to medical school, we encourage you to reach out:

uc tower

Schulich Admissions Office
Email: admissions.medicine@schulich.uwo.ca

Community of Support
Free advising, mentoring and application help for applicants who identify as Black, Indigenous, Filipino, low-income, or having a disability.
Visit: https://temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/community-support 

Western Accessible Education
Support for students with disablities to engage in academic activities and meet program requirements.
Visit: https://academicsupport.uwo.ca/accessible_education/index.html 
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.