Admission Requirements

For admission to the Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program, applicants must meet all of the following Academic and Non-Academic admission requirements:

The Western ABS for the 2024/2025 application cycle will be sent to application by email on October 18th, 2024. Applicants will be given 2 weeks to complete, and it will be due by November 1st, 2024 at 4:30PM ET. For any questions, please review the FAQ Document

Falsification or misrepresentation of information from any portion of the application process, including interviews, will result in removal of the application from consideration, and may be considered in any future applications to the University.

Admission policies are reviewed annually and admission requirements from previous years may not apply. We encourage applicants to visit our website regularly, as the University reserves the right to review and change admissions policies and requirements at any time, without notice.

ACADEMIC ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Undergraduate Degree

Applicants must have completed, or be in their third year of a program leading to a 4-year undergraduate degree at a recognized university.

Schulich Medicine encourages diversity within its admitted students. Therefore, there are no prerequisite courses or preferred degree programs. Applicants are advised to engage in a broad background of education in the arts, humanities, and sciences, in keeping with their own interests and that of the art and science of medicine. In past, students who have studied psychology, philosophy, economics, engineering, nursing, music, physiotherapy, etc. have entered the program.

Degree Considerations

Part-time Undergraduate Degree

It is acceptable to attend university on a part-time basis and still be considered for admission to the MD Program. However, given the rigorous nature of medical education, we require that two years be spent in full-time study in which each September to April academic year contains the minimum of five full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours), with at least three full course equivalents (18 credit hours) whose published academic level is at or above the year of study:

  • Year 1: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 1st-year level
  • Year 2: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 2nd-year level
  • Year 3, 4 and additional undergraduate years: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 3rd-year level.
Online Undergraduate Degree

Applicants who have completed, or are in their third year of an undergraduate degree online may apply, if the degree is equivalent to a 4-year undergraduate degree from an accredited university.

If any of the courses are completed at an accredited university other than the degree granting institution, those courses will only be eligible for consideration if they appear on the transcript of the degree granting institution, and if they count toward the undergraduate degree.

We require that 2 years be spent in full-time study in which each September to April academic year contains a minimum of 5 full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours), with at least 3 full or equivalent courses (18 credit hours) whose published academic level is at or above the year of study:

  • Year 1: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 1st-year level
  • Year 2: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 2nd-year level
  • Year 3, 4 and additional undergraduate years: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 3rd-year level.
If it is not clear from the official transcript, an applicant may need to provide additional documentation confirming that all courses were completed during the September to April academic year.
Co-Op Degree

For applicants enrolled in a co-op program, we can use both terms of the same academic program 'year', for example, Terms 3A and 3B, even if there is a work-term between the 2 academic terms, and even if one of those academic terms falls in the summer.

A co-op year will only be considered if it contains 5 full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours), with at least 3 full course equivalents (18 credit hours) whose published academic level is at or above the year of study:

  • Year 1: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 1st-year level
  • Year 2: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 2nd-year level
  • Year 3, 4 and additional undergraduate years: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 3rd-year level.
Additional Undergraduate Year, before graduating

If an applicant takes more than 4 years to complete a 4-year undergraduate degree, any additional year may be eligible for GPA consideration if the year meets all of the following conditions:

  • The additional year must contain 5 full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours) completed during the September to April academic year, with at least 3 full or equivalent courses (18 credit hours) whose published academic level is at or above the 3rd-year.
  • During the additional year, only 1 full or equivalent pass/fail course (6 credit hours) will be permitted:
    • The course must be passed in order to count toward the course load.
    • Discovery Credits (Western students) will be considered within, not in addition to, the 6 credit hour pass/fail allowance.
Special Year, after graduating

After graduating with a 4-year undergraduate degree, an applicant may elect to take an additional year of full-time undergraduate studies - a so-called Special Year. To be considered for calculation of the GPA, all of the following conditions must be met:

  • Prior to the Special Year, an applicant must already have 1 undergraduate academic year (September to April) that meets our minimum GPA, course load and course level requirements in their most recent 4-year undergraduate degree.
  • Only the 1st Special Year will be considered for GPA.
  • The Special Year may be completed during the year of application.
  • The Special Year must contain 5 full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours) completed during the  September to April academic year.
  • First-year courses, repeat/antirequisite courses, pass/fail courses, and second-year courses that do not require a first-year prerequisite, are not acceptable in the Special Year.
Second Undergraduate Degree

Applicants who have completed or are enrolled in the second year of a second, or most recent, undergraduate degree program are eligible to apply. To be considered for calculation of the GPA, all of the following conditions must be met:

  • The second, or most recent, undergraduate degree must be equivalent to a 4-year degree, even though it may not take 4 years to complete.
  • GPA consideration will be based on the 2 best years of the second or most recent degree, as long as it is equivalent to a 4-year undergraduate degree.
  • Course load and course level requirements for a second or most recent undergraduate degree are analogous to the requirements of the first undergraduate degree. For example, if the second degree is completed in 2 years, then both of those years would be used for GPA calculation and considered as Years 3 and 4.

Academic transcripts must clearly show that applicants have met both the course load and course level requirements.

Professional Degree

Applicants who are enrolled in a professional program that is equivalent to a 4-year undergraduate degree, may be eligible to apply:

  • if they have a conferred 4-year undergraduate degree and have completed or are in their second year of study for the professional program, or
  • if they have completed or are enrolled in their third year of the professional degree but do not currently have a conferred 4-year undergraduate degree.

Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. However, Schulich Medicine will not consider applications from individuals who are enrolled in a Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program or equivalent elsewhere, at the time of application.

Graduate Degree

Schulich Medicine considers only undergraduate coursework for calculation of GPA for admission purposes. We do not consider the GPA from graduate degrees.

Applicants enrolled in a graduate degree program at the time of application should note the following:

  • Applicants must be in the final year of the graduate program to be eligible to apply.
  • Deferrals and deadline extensions are NOT granted for completion of a graduate program.
  • Withdrawal from a graduate program during the application year in order to enroll in Schulich Medicine will NOT be acceptable.
  • Applicants who are given a conditional offer must complete all program requirements for the graduate degree as per the following deadlines:

Thesis-based Graduate Degree
Applicants enrolled in a thesis-based graduate degree program at the time of application must complete all program requirements, including successful defense and final assessment of the thesis, by June 30. OMSAS must receive a final transcript indicating that all requirements for the graduate degree were completed, or a Letter of Confirmation attesting to the same, by June 30.

Course-based Graduate Degree
Applicants enrolled in a course-based graduate degree program at the time of application must complete all program requirements by August 15. A Letter of Confirmation indicating there are no concerns with meeting all requirements of the course-based graduate degree must be received by OMSAS no later than June 30.

International Undergraduate Degree

Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada who completed their undergraduate university degree outside of Canada or the United States may apply to the Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program.

Academic transcripts from universities outside of Canada or the United States must be submitted to World Education Services (WES) to be assessed on a course-by-course basis.

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Grade Point Average (GPA)

Minimum GPA of 3.70, as established by the Medicine Admissions Committee, must be met in each of the 2 best undergraduate years. GPA is calculated using the OMSAS Conversion Scale.

We require that 2 years be spent in full-time study in which each September to April academic year contains a minimum of 5 full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours), with at least 3 full or equivalent courses (18 credit hours) whose published academic level is at or above the year of study:

  • Year 1: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 1st-year level
  • Year 2: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 2nd-year level
  • Year 3, 4 and additional undergraduate years: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 3rd-year level.

Schulich Medicine will consider the GPA of an academic year taken during the year of application.

Part-time years cannot be considered for GPA, regardless of the requirements of degree programs.

Applicants who complete a degree with a year amounting to less than 30 credit hours cannot have that year considered for GPA.


Consideration of the 2 Best Years for GPA
  • At least 5 full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours) completed during the September to April academic year. Summer courses are not eligible for GPA consideration.
  • At least 3 full or equivalent courses (18 credit hours) whose published academic level is at or above the year of study:
    • Year 1: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 1st-year level
    • Year 2: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 2nd-year level
    • Year 3, 4 and additional undergraduate years: 3 of 5 full course equivalents (18 of 30 credit hours) at or above the 3rd-year level
  • A maximum of 1 full or equivalent pass/fail course (6 credit hours) per year.
    • The course must be passed in order to count toward the course load.
    • Discovery Credits (Western students) will be considered within, not in addition to, the 6 credit hour pass/fail allowance.
Consideration of the 2019-2020 Academic Year Affected by COVID-19

If you are presenting the 2019-2020 academic year for GPA consideration, all of the following must be met:

  • You must have completed 5 full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours) during the September to April academic year, of which 3 full or equivalent courses (18 credit hours) must have a published academic level at, or above, the year of study.
  • GPA will be calculated on alpha numeric grades from the Fall 2019 term only*.
  • Only 1.0 pass/fail course (6 credit hours) will be permissible in the Fall 2019 term (September to December).
    • The pass/fail course must be passed.
    • Discovery Credits (Western students) will be considered within, not in addition to, the 1.0 pass/fail course allowance.
* The GPA calculated from grades reported for the Fall 2019 term (September to December) will represent the GPA for the entire 2019-2020 academic year.

Course Considerations

Online Courses

Online courses which are taken as part of an undergraduate degree may be considered as part of a full course load used for the GPA, course load and course level requirements, as long as they:

  • are completed during the September to April academic year. If it is not clear from the official transcript, an applicant may need to provide additional documentation confirming that online courses were completed during the September to April academic year, and
  • are indicated on the transcript of the university granting the undergraduate degree as being part of the undergraduate degree.
Repeat Courses

Repeat courses are not factored into GPA calculation. An academic year comprised of 5 full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours) completed during the September to April academic year, in which 1 is a repeat course, will be assessed as having less than a full course load and will not be eligible for GPA consideration.

Pass/Fail Courses
Only 1 full or equivalent pass/fail course (6 credit hours) will be permissible in each of the two undergraduate years considered for GPA.
  • A course must be passed in order to count toward the course load.
  • Discovery Credits (Western students) will be considered within, not in addition to, the 6 credit hour pass/fail allowance.
Spring/Summer Courses

Courses taken during Spring/Summer sessions will not be counted as part of the full course load. Courses taken outside of the September to April academic year are not included in the GPA calculation.

Overload Courses

If more than 30 credit hours is completed during the September to April academic year, the best 5 full or equivalent courses will be used, provided the remaining courses satisfy course level requirements.

Exchange Courses

For applicants who have attended other universities on an exchange, GPA calculation may be based on the marks achieved at the exchange institution. Official transcripts from the exchange institution must be provided to OMSAS at the time of application. If the exchange is taken outside of Canada or the United States, a course-by-course WES evaluation is required for the exchange period.

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Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is developed and administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) which offers multiple sittings per year at hundreds of test sites throughout Canada and the United States.

The MCAT Essentials PDF describes the test in detail and can be downloaded from the AAMC website. Test sites and dates are also listed on the AAMC website.

For information on MCAT registration, please contact the AAMC directly:
               e: mcat@aamc.org
               t: 202.828.0690

Eligible MCAT Scores
MCAT results will be accepted provided the test was written no more than five years prior to the current OMSAS application deadline. Please also note:
  • Schulich Medicine requires the MCAT be written prior to the application deadline.
  • All sections of the MCAT are considered.
  • If written more than once, scores from the most recent writing of the MCAT are used.

Canadian Student Fee Assistance
The AAMC is committed to providing support to Canadian students who would be unable to take the MCAT without financial assistance. To do this, the AAMC and the AFMC have a fee assistance program for Canadian examinees. Canadian applicants who qualify for fee assistance will receive reduced scheduling, rescheduling, and cancellation rates. For details, visit the AFMC website.

MCAT Exam Preparation Materials
Free sample content from all sections of the MCAT has been created by the Khan Academy with support and funding by the AAMC and Robert Wood Johnson FoundationThe Khan Academy MCAT Collection includes over 1,000 videos and 3,000 review questions. For details, visit the Khan Academy website.

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NON-ACADEMIC ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Western Autobiographical Sketch (ABS) 

Schulich Medicine takes a holistic approach to applications to our MD Program, with emphasis not only on academics but also on non-academic traits and life experiences, ensuring our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to enrolling self-directed, motivated, resilient students who reflect the diversity of the patients they serve, and who demonstrate compassion and advocacy for others.

The Western ABS invites applicants to tell their story and share what makes them unique by linking activities/experiences from their OMSAS Autobiographical Sketch. Schulich Medicine is interested in how their activities/experiences connect with the following topics:

  • Teamwork and Leadership
  • Respect for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • Social Accountability and Social Responsibility
  • Self-directed Learning, Problem-solving and Critical Inquiry

Completing the Western ABS
The Western ABS will be collected once the OMSAS application closes. Applicants will receive a message with the information on how to complete the ABS. 

Schulich Medicine understands and recognizes that not all individuals have had equal opportunities for volunteering, research or extracurricular activities due to life circumstances. Applicants who have had unusual life circumstances will have the opportunity to explain those circumstances so that we better understand who they are.

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References and Referees

In order to obtain the uniform and specific information that admissions committees are looking for from the reference process, referees are required to complete an online confidential assessment form.

Referees must be objective and should be individuals who know you well but are not family members, friends, neighbours or peers:
  • 1 referee should be academic or employment related
  • 1 referee should be non-academic or personal
  • 1 referee can be of your choosing

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Interview

Select applicants will be invited for an interview. Interviews are structured and standardized, 45-minutes duration, with a 3-person panel consisting of a physician, a community member, and a current medical student.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities through the interview process.

Invitation for Interview

In order to have a fair selection process balancing both academic and non-academic attributes, applicants are evaluated based on a composite of information including achievement of GPA and MCAT minimum thresholds and a description of unique life experiences that demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the values of diversity, teamwork/leadership, social accountability/responsibility, and self-directed learning/critical inquiry.

To be eligible for an interview, applicants are evaluated according to the following criteria:

Academic Assessment

GPA and MCAT minimums are based on the competitiveness of the applicant pool and, in an effort to maintain equity of evaluation, vary from year to year.

For the 2023/2024 admission cycle, the GPA and MCAT minimums are as follows:

Pathway Admission Applicants
Applicants accepted through the Southwestern Ontario, BlackAccess or Military Medical Training Program (MMTP) Pathway must meet the following academic requirements:
GPA     minimum 3.70 in each of the two best undergraduate years;
MCAT   minimum score in each of the following sections:
BBFLS 125
CPBS   125
CARS   125
PSBB   125
 
General Admission Applicants
Applicants not meeting criteria as Pathway Admission Applicants, as above, will be considered as General Admission Applicants and must meet the following academic requirements:
GPA     minimum 3.70 in each of the two best undergraduate years;            
MCAT   minimum score in each of the following sections:
BBFLS 127
CPBS   127
CARS   127
PSBB   126

Non-Academic Assessment

Only academically competitive applications proceed to non-academic assessment, consisting of review of the Western ABS and references.  

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OTHER ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Citizenship

Applicants must be Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada at the time of application. Permanent Residents of Canada must submit a copy of the front and back of their current Permanent Residency card to OMSAS by the application deadline.

English Proficiency

Schulich Medicine reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant whose facility in written and/or spoken English is judged to be inadequate. 

Essential Skills and Abilities

All medical students must have the required skills and abilities described in the following Section on Technical Standards. These are standards that are necessary for success in the MD program, and to be sufficiently competent to participate in supervised residency training. More information can be found here

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POST ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants who receive and accept an offer of admission from Schulich Medicine must meet the School's Post Admission Requirements by the stated deadlines. Failure to complete/comply with post-admission requirements and/or deadlines may result in an offer of admission being withdrawn.

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