Queen’s Medical School Requirements and Acceptance Rate

The Queen’s University School of Medicine is one of 17 medical schools in Canada. It also has one of the smallest class sizes of any medical school in Canada, making it one of the hardest medical schools to get into.

In 2021, the Queen’s medical school acceptance rate was only 1.89%. Of the 5,781 undergraduate students that applied, only 109 were admitted into the program.

The University of Queen’s medical school undergraduate requirements, including admission statistics, are categorized below in the priority of what an applicant must submit to be considered:

Academic

1. Pre-requisite courses
2. Minimum number of years of undergraduate study required
3. GPA

Non-Academic 

1. Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
2. CASPer Test
3. Autobiographical Sketch
4. Letters of Reference
5. Interview

Queen’s Medical School Requirements: Prerequisite Courses

Unlike many medical schools requirements in Canada, Queen’s University does not require any prerequisite courses.  Those applying to Queen’s university must have completed at least 3 years of full-time undergraduate study leading to a bachelor’s degree by the proposed year of entry. Applicants are encouraged to consider all of the undergraduate programs available to them and to embark on the course of study in which they have the greatest interest and that would prepare them for an alternate career should they not gain a place in medicine.

Queen’s Med Requirements: GPA Calculation and Requirements

When calculating your GPA a weighted GPA and cumulative GPA will be automatically calculated by the admissions team. The GPA with the higher average will be used when being considered for admission:

1. Cumulative-GPA: Includes any and all undergraduate courses taken. This means any courses taken online, in-person, part-time, full-time, or during the summer.
2. Weighted-GPA: (Note: The weighted GPA is no longer in use as of the 2022 application cycle) Your top two best full-years of study are taken for this average. Only includes courses taken between the traditional school year from September to April, online or in-person, will be considered in this weighting formula.

Courses that have a “Pass” or “Credit” will not affect the GPA calculation. You may take as many of these courses as needed to complete credit requirements for application.

Queen’s Medical School Requirements: MCAT and CASPer 

MCAT and CASPer Overview:

MCAT Admission Score Statistics:

CASPer Test: The Canadian Professional Health Sciences test must be taken by November of the year of application submission. Only the 90-minute situational judgement test is required. The CASPer snapshot will not be taken into consideration by the admissions committee.

Medical College Admission Test: The MCAT must be taken and released to Queen’s by the OMSAS November 6th deadline. Any test that is written within 5 years of the application deadline is valid for the application cycle. When making an admission decision your best MCAT score is reviewed. For those looking for MCAT prep courses, we recommend those offered by the Princeton Review. They are a reputable long standing company that offers a variety of different course options to meet individual needs.

Autobiographical Sketch and Personal Statements:

Although this has not been confirmed by the University many applicants believe that Queen’s Medical School acceptances are highly weighted towards extracurriculars. This means the autobiographical sketch is one of the most important parts of your Queen’s medical school application.

Queen’s will take into account an applicant’s OMSAS autobiographical sketches (ABS). The purpose of the ABS is to get a brief understanding of who the applicant is as a person and what they have learned from their experiences that would make them a better physician. Queen’s will look at all 32 activities submitted to the ABS, completed since the age of 16, in the following categories:

• Employment
• Volunteering
• Extracuricular Activites
• Awards/Accomplishments
• Research
• Other

Quality is more important than quantity in this section of your application.

You will be required to provide verifiers for all activities. They may be contacted to elaborate on or confirm that certain events you described took place.

Queen’s Medical School Reference Letters:

Three letters of recommendation are required by applicants. Applicants are not allowed to use family members, friends/colleagues of family members, neighbours, or someone who may be perceived as your peer as a referee. Additionally, the references must meet the following criteria:

• One academic/employment related reference
• One non-academic reference
• One reference of your choosing

Your references will be asked the following questions:

1. Would this applicant make a good physician?
2. Rate the applicant on their communication skills
3. Rate the applicant on their problem-solving skills
4. Rate the applicant on their professionalism (e.g., commitment to ethical practice, standards of behaviour and accountability to others)
5. Rate the applicant on their empathy (e.g., demonstrating consideration of others’ perspectives)
6. Identify and comment on 1 area of improvement for the applicant
7. Share any other information you feel may be relevant to a medical school’s admissions committee.

Queen’s Medical School Interview:

Shortlisted candidates will be required to partake in an interview, held during February/March, with the Queen’s admissions team. The interview is compromised of two parts that occur on separate days.

1. Multiple Mini-Interview: During the MMI, applicants will move between interview “stations” in a circuit. This interview assess non-cognitive qualities of an applicant, which could include empathy, critical thinking, ethical decision making and communication skills.
2. Panel Interview: Successful MMI applicants will be invited to a panel interview.

If you are looking for interview practice check out our posts on both MMI Practice Questions and Standard Interview Practice Questions.

Queen’s Med Offers of Admission Decision:

Queen’s Medical School’s offers for admission will be based upon a mix of academic achievement, supplemental application, and results of the interview process. The University of Queen’s does not disclose any information about how each of the admission requirements is combined in the decision-making process. However, it is believed that your extracurricular activities are more heavily weighted than GPA and MCAT scores in the decision-making process.

Requirements for other Medical Schools in Canada:

If you would like an in-depth analysis of the medical school requirements for other universities in Canada click here. Or if you want information on a specific university click on any of the following links:

• University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine
• University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine
• University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
• University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine
• University of Manitoba Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
• Northern Ontario School of Medicine
• Western University Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
• McMaster University Michael G.DeGroote School of Medicine
• University of Toronto School of Medicine
• Queen’s University School of Medicine
• University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine
• Mcgill University Faculty of Medicine
• Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine
• Université de Sherbrooke Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Université Laval Faculté de Médicine
• Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine
• Memorial University Faculty of Medicine