Academic Requirements (2024)

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 Form 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.

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 Form

We understand that life is not always smooth. The optional Academic Explanation Form is for you, the applicant, to explain any circ*mstances that affected your academic performance and/or progress and to request special consideration.

Completing the Academic Explanation Form

You may list up to 3 circ*mstances on the Academic Explanation Form.
Circ*mstance(s) may include, but not limited to, the following: academic enrichment, including participation in co-op, professional experience year, and/or exchange programs, second or professional undergraduate degrees, academic difficulty, personal, medical and/or other experiences.
For each circ*mstance, provide the relevant timeframe, type of circ*mstance, impact(s) on academic performance or progress, and your special consideration request.

Consideration of the Academic Explanation Form

Your response will provide the Temerty Medicine Admissions Committee a snapshot of how you have been impacted by and managed these circ*mstance(s). Each request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and we will make best efforts to provide reasonable consideration.

OMSAS Disability-based Accommodation Requests

If you have an unaccommodated disability, you may request consideration in the undergraduate MD program admission process if you:

were not aware that you had a disability or
were not appropriately accommodated for a documented disability during your undergraduate and/or graduate studies.

This request appliesonlyto the initial assessment of your OMSAS application.

For more information, visit OMSAS.