Medicine In Canada

When it comes to studying medicine in Canada, most students begin their studies after completing a bachelor’s degree in another field, often one of the biological sciences. Most degrees are four years, but a couple of accelerated options are available for those who want to start working sooner.

Academic Requirements

In order to study medicine at the University of Toronto, and in Canada generally, you must have some previous university experience and cannot enter a program directly from high school. The earliest you can apply is the beginning of your third year of undergraduate studies. There are different academic requirements depending on your educational background:

• undergraduate applicants
• graduate applicants
• internationally educated applicants

In addition, you must also satisfy the non-academic requirements.

Completion of at least three years of undergraduate study (15 full course equivalents) towards a Canadian university bachelor’s degree.

Completion of Master’s or PhD

Completion of a non-medical bachelor’s degree equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degree in Canada with WES transcript assessment

See undergraduate or graduate requirements

Minimum Undergraduate OMSAS GPA Requirement

See undergraduate or graduate requirements

Threshold score of 125 in each section, with an allowance of 124 in one section.

Threshold score of 125 in each section, with an allowance of 124 in one section.

See undergraduate or graduate requirements

Academic Explanations Essay

See undergraduate or graduate requirements

Undergraduate Applicants

For students studying an undergraduate program at a Canadian university, the academic requirements are:

Bachelor’s degree

You must have completed at least three years of study (15 full course equivalents) towards a Canadian university bachelor’s degree in any discipline by the end of April in the year you plan to start the MD Program.

• If you are applying in the final year of a three year or four-year degree program, you must complete the degree requirements and provide proof of completion prior to the date of enrolment in the MD Program.
• If you are applying in the third year of a four-year degree program, you must provide proof that you have completed the requirements of that year of your degree prior to the date of enrolment in the MD Program.

You are expected to have taken courses at a level corresponding with the year of your program.

• If you are applying for admission while registered in the third year of undergraduate studies, you should have at least three third-year or higher courses in your program. If you are in the fourth year of your program, you should be enrolled in a majority of courses at the third- and fourth-year levels. Please note that this is an expectation rather than a requirement.
• It is recognized that at times, students take courses in lower years for various reasons, such as a change in program or to complete subjects of interest or prerequisites that did not fit the academic schedule previously. If you have information about your academics that you feel is important for the Admissions Committee to know, please use the Academic Explanations Essay within the OMSAS application.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

You must obtain a minimum GPA of 3.6 / 4.0 on the Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS) scale. The possession of the minimum GPA requirement does not guarantee acceptance. Based on statistics from recent admissions cycles, a minimum GPA of 3.8 is considered competitive.

The calculated GPA used to fulfill the academic requirement will not include your current year of study, as this information is not available to us during the application period.

For more information, visit the calculation of GPA page.

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

You must write the MCAT before the application deadline and achieve the minimum MCAT score in each section of the test to be considered. Your MCAT score is not assessed competitively. Only MCAT scores obtained within five years of the application deadline will be considered. Only the most recent MCAT score will be considered.

Applicants must meet a threshold score of 125 in each section, with an allowance of 124 in one section. Students must meet this threshold to continue in the admissions process. Your MCAT score is not used competitively.

MCAT Fee Assistance Program for Canadians

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) are piloting a new fee assistance program for Canadian examinees in financial need who register for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). For more on this program and to apply, visit the AAMC website.

Prerequisite courses

You must complete:

• two full-course equivalents (FCEs) in any life science
• one FCE in any of social sciences, humanities, or a language

For more information, visit the prerequisite courses page.

Academic explanations essay

If your transcript has gaps, course withdrawals, or if you carried less than a full course load, please state the reason in the academic explanations essay section of your application. You should also use this section to document your participation in an educational exchange program, a professional experience year, or co-op program, and the time frame of this activity. Do not assume that we will be able to find this information within your file materials. If there is any reason why you believe your transcript does not reflect your true ability, please briefly outline the circumstances in the academic explanations essay.

Graduate Applicants

Graduate students may apply if you have completed or are currently enrolled in the final year of your graduate program. If you will not be completing your graduate degree requirements by June 30 in the proposed year of entry, you will not be considered; this policy is strictly enforced. If you re-classify from one graduate degree to another during the application cycle, you will not be considered for admission.

Our MD Program values a diverse applicant pool with students from all academic backgrounds. To acknowledge the academic challenge of undertaking graduate work, applicants pursuing graduate degrees will receive credit for their accomplishments during the file review process. Graduate applicants will receive credit for their graduate work based on the following categories:

• Doctoral degree conferred
• Doctoral degree in progress
• Research-based Master’s conferred
• Research-based Master’s in progress
• Course-based Master’s conferred

Please note that you are not able to update your application after the October 3rd deadline.

Graduate degree

You must have completed all program requirements, including the successful defense of your thesis (if applicable) by June 30 in the proposed year of entry (this deadline will be strictly enforced). If you have not yet received your graduate degree and are offered a position in the MD Program, you will be required to submit proof of successful completion of all requirements of your graduate program (including successful defense of a thesis, if applicable) prior to June 30 in the proposed year of entry. If you are offered a position on the expectation that your degree will be completed, and you are not able to meet this deadline, you will not be granted an admission deferral and will lose your seat in our program. We require a final transcript from you, as proof of conferral of your graduate degree.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

You must obtain a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.3 / 4.0 on the OMSAS scale. Although graduate applicants may apply with the minimum required GPA of 3.3, the possession of the minimum GPA requirement does not guarantee acceptance. Based on statistics from recent admissions cycles, a minimum GPA of 3.7 is considered competitive for graduate applicants.

For more information visit the GPA page.

Academic explanations essay

Graduate applicants who have experienced extenuating circumstances during their undergraduate studies and as a result have (a) a period in their studies that does not reflect their true academic abilities and (b) meet our new minimum GPA requirement may write an academic explanations essay to request for special consideration. Please note however meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee your outcome in the cycle.

Internationally educated applicants

A limited number of supernumerary spaces are allocated to specific international training programs that have contractual arrangements with the MD Program.

If you are currently studying, or have completed your education, outside of Canada, you must have the following in order to be considered for admission:

• a completed non-medical bachelor’s degree that is considered equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degree in Canada

Transcripts from studies undertaken at universities outside of Canada must be submitted to World Education Services (WES) for assessment. For admission consideration we require a course-by-course evaluation that includes an overall GPA calculation.

If you are applying in the final year of your degree program, you must complete the degree requirements and provide proof of completion prior to the date of enrolment in the medical program. You must also fulfill all other academic requirements as listed here:

• undergraduate applicants
• graduate applicants

• If you are already an international medical student and are hoping to take an elective, we have a visiting electives program at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
• If you are an international medical graduate hoping to undertake further training or an observership via the University of Toronto, you should contact Postgraduate Medical Education.
• If you are an internationally trained physician who is looking to practice medicine in Canada, please see the information for International Medical Graduates.

Enrolment Services – Undergraduate Medical Education
1 King’s College Circle, Medical Sciences Building, Room 2124
Toronto, ON. M5S 1A8

Best universities for medicine degrees in Canada 2023

Find the best universities for medical degrees in Canada with Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2023 data

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Top 6 universities for medicine in Canada 2023

Scroll down for the full list of best universities for medicine in the Canada

Canada medicine rank 2023	WUR medicine rank 2023	University	City
1	7	University of Toronto	Toronto
2	25	McMaster University	Hamilton
3	=32	McGill University	Montreal
4	37	University of British Columbia	Vancouver
5	=75	University of Alberta	Edmonton
6	=94	University of Ottawa	Ottawa

When it comes to studying medicine in Canada, most students begin their studies after completing a bachelor’s degree in another field, often one of the biological sciences. Most degrees are four years, but a couple of accelerated options are available for those who want to start working sooner.

Step into your future: attend our events

The master in medicine (MD), which is offered at most Canadian universities, combines classroom teaching with clinical placements.

Some medical courses are taught in both English and French and many require an English language test as part of their application process.

Here are the best universities for medicine in Canada, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023.

5. University of Alberta

Established in 1913, the faculty of medicine and dentistry at the University of Alberta it is one of the oldest medical schools in Western Canada.

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It has 20 departments, two faculty divisions, eight research groups and 15 centres and institutes.

There are a range of accredited medical programmes on offer at the faculty, including undergraduate degrees in medicine, radiology and dentistry, and graduate courses with potential research topics spanning the biomedical field, including biomedical engineering, medical microbiology, oncology, psychiatry, medical genetics and many more.

Notable alumni include Patrick Doyle, who performed the first cochlear implant surgery in Canada in 1982 and Julia Sawatzky, who was recently admitted to the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for her contributions to the development of the Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker.

4. University of British Columbia

The seven-year MD/PhD programme at the University of British Columbia covers research areas including public health, biochemistry, medical genetics and oncology.

Students are expected to have obtained a BSc and have taken the Medical College Admission Test before applying.

They also need an English-language certification if they completed their degree at a university where English is not the primary language.

The programme, which is not open to international students, focuses on innovation, technology, research and patient-centred care, which allows students to pursue a career as a research scientist or a clinician.

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School leavers have the option of the four-year MD undergraduate programme, which integrates experiential learning programmes such as the Summer Student Research Programme, the Integrated Community Clerkship and the Healthcare Travelling Roadshow.

3. McGill University

One of the core faculties at McGill University, the faculty of medicine and health sciences was established in 1829 and was the first medical faculty to be established in Canada.

McGill’s faculty of medicine has produced three Nobel Prize laureates: Andrew Schally, David H. Hubel and Jack W. Szostak.

Today, the foundational undergraduate medical programme is the four-year MD, which requires applicants to have a bachelor’s degree. The programme follows a similar structure to other medical programmes in that the first two years focus on clinical skills, then the third and fourth years focus on clinical placements across areas including surgery, psychiatry, paediatrics and emergency medicine.

The faculty awarded the university’s first degree, and the country’s first medical degree, to William Leslie Logie in 1833. Students can find his dissertation, “Medical inaugural dissertation on Cynanche trachealis”, in the McGill Library institutional repository.

2. McMaster University

The school of medicine at McMaster University was established in 1966 and today offers a variety of programmes in medical education.

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The undergraduate medical programme for the MD degree remains competitive and admits just 203 students every year.

The programme is shorter than many other medical degrees at just three years. Students study for 11 months each year, compressing more learning into the timeframe. It’s just one of two medical programmes in Canada – the other is at the University of Calgary – that operate an accelerated programme.

The idea behind the innovative approach is that medical students should learn medicine the way that physicians practice medicine.

The university also doesn’t have any course admissions prerequisites, meaning students from all manner of academic and personal backgrounds study the course. It focuses on small-group learning, and core knowledge is gained via patient presentations rather than lectures about diseases. Throughout their studies, students are encouraged to work with patients, to ensure they graduate with a strong sense of patient orientation.

1. University of Toronto

One of Canada’s oldest schools of medical studies, the University of Toronto’s faculty of medicine, was founded in 1843.

It’s best known for the unearthing of insulin and stem cells, and it was also the site of the world’s first successful lung transplant.

The four-year MD (doctor of medicine) is one of the largest undergraduate medical education programmes in Canada. The first two years develop the student’s knowledge in a diverse range of environments, from classrooms and labs to clinical placements. Clinical skills are refined in the last two years of the programme, which are known as a clerkship.

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The university has an alumni network of more than 61,000 healthcare leaders. Its MD programme is partnered with over 30 affiliated clinical teaching sites, which encompasses nine fully affiliated hospitals.

Together with the faculty of medicine, these hospitals and research institutes make up the Toronto Academic Health Science Network, one of the biggest biomedical research, education and clinical care networks in North America.

Top universities in Canada for medical degrees 2023

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2023 results.

Canada medicine rank 2023	WUR medicine rank 2023	University	City
1	7	University of Toronto	Toronto
2	25	McMaster University	Hamilton
3	=32	McGill University	Montreal
4	37	University of British Columbia	Vancouver
5	=75	University of Alberta	Edmonton
6	=94	University of Ottawa	Ottawa
7	101–125	University of Montreal	Montreal
=8	126–150	University of Calgary	Calgary
=8	126–150	Queen’s University	Kingston
10	151–175	Western University	London
=11	201–250	Université Laval	Quebec City
=11	201–250	University of Manitoba	Winnipeg
=13	251–300	Dalhousie University	Halifax
=13	251–300	University of Waterloo	Waterloo
15	301–400	York University	Toronto
16	401–500	University of Regina	Regina
=17	501–600	University of Saskatchewan	Saskatoon
=17	501–600	University of Victoria	Victoria
=19	601–800	Memorial University of Newfoundland	Newfoundland and Labrador
=19	601–800	Université du Québec	Quebec City
=19	601–800	Toronto Metropolitan University	Toronto
=22	801+	Lakehead University	Ontario
=22	801+	University of Lethbridge	Lethbridge
=22	801+	University of New Brunswick UNB	Fredericton
=22	801+	Ontario Tech University	Ontario