Requirements for Medical Schools in Canada

This is the most comprehensive and accurate information that can be found on the internet regarding the admission requirements for each of the 17 medical schools in Canada. Every year over 20% of applications to medical schools are rejected because not all the requirements are met.

The admission requirements are similar between the different medical schools and are categorized here in the priority of what an applicant must submit to be considered:

Academic

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

Non-Academic 

1. Medical College Admission Test
2. CASPer Test
3. Personal Statement/ Essays
4. Supplementary Application Questions
5. Letter of References
6. Interview

Each medical school in Canada has different requirements within each of the above categories.

This blog post compares and contrasts the medical school admission requirements for all medical schools in Canada in one place to help you determine which school is the best fit for you. It will also help guide your undergraduate studies by helping you to figure out which courses you should be taking. The full list of medical schools in Canada, taken from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, as well as their detailed individual requirements, can be found below:

• 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

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Requirements for Medical Schools in Canada: Prerequisite Courses

Many medical schools in Canada do not require any prerequisite courses for admission. This means that applicants are free to pursue any courses in their undergraduate career without needing to take a specific course. The universities with no undergraduate prerequisite requirements include the University of Calgary, University of Alberta, McMaster University, Queen’s University, Western University, Memorial University, Dalhousie University, University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Manitoba.

The following table includes a list of all prerequisites for those that require them. The numbers listed in the table indicate the number of units required in each subject. (6 units = 1 full-course equivalent )

Prerequisite Course	UBC	UofT*	McGill	UofO	NOSM**
Biology		12	6	6	12
General Chemistry			6	3
Physics			6
Organic Chemistry			3	3
Biochemistry		12		3
Statistics				3
Mathematics
Social Science		6		6	12
English	6

Each medical school may have slightly different definitions for what counts as life sciences, biology, or social science courses.

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Undergraduate and GPA Requirements

The following information is for applicants who are applying from Ontario or reside outside of the province where the medical school is located. Medical schools outside of Ontario give preference to applicants within their own province and will have lower admissions criteria for in-province applicants. All GPAs have been converted to a 4.0 scale if required.

	Minimum Years of Undergrad Study	Minimum GPA to apply	Average GPA of accepted students
UBC	3	3.9	3.90
UofC	3	3.8	3.87
UofA	4	3.5	3.85
UofS	4	3.9	3.90
UofM	4	3.3	3.96
NOSM	4	3.0	3.82
UWO	4	3.7	3.87
Mac	3	3.0	3.88
UofT	3	3.6	3.96
Queens	3	NR	3.81
UofO	3	3.85	NR
McGill	4	3.5	3.90
UdeM	4	NR	NR
UdeS	3	NR	NR
UdeL	3	NR	NR
Dal	3	3.7	3.80
Mun	4	NR	3.90

Each medical school may have slightly different ways of calculating your GPA. Some Universities use a cGPA, an average of all courses taken, while others may use a wGPA, dropping certain courses or years of study. Please check the individual university requirements for this information.

If you’re looking for tricks to improve your undergraduate grades check out our post on the top study habits to get maximum grades in minimum time!

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MCAT and CASPER Requirements

The information for out-of-province applicants who are applying from Ontario or reside outside of the province where the medical school is located was used if provided. Medical schools outside of Ontario give preference to applicants within their own province and will have lower admissions criteria for in-province applicants.

	CASPer Required	MCAT Required	Minimum MCAT Score (C/P, CARS, B/B, P/S)	Average MCAT Score of Accepted Students (C/P, CARS, B/B, P/S)
UBC		✓	124/124/124/124	129/127/129/129
UofC		✓	NA/128/NA/NA	128/128/128/128
UofA	✓	✓	124/128/124/124	128/128/128/128
UofS	✓	✓	127/127/127/127	129/129/129/129
UofM	✓	✓	NR/NR/NR/NR	130/130/130/130
NOSM
UWO		✓	NR/NR/NR/NR	128/127/126/NA
Mac	✓	✓	NR/123/NR/NR	NA/129/NA/NA
UofT		✓	125/125/125/124*	*
Queens	✓	✓	NR/NR/NR/NR	NR/NR/NR/NR
UofO	✓
McGill	✓
UdeM	✓		NR/NR/NR/NR	NR/NR/NR/NR
UdeS	✓		NR/NR/NR/NR	NR/NR/NR/NR
UdeL	✓		NR/NR/NR/NR	NR/NR/NR/NR
Dal	✓	✓	123/123/123/123	127/127/127/127
Mun	✓	✓	NR/NR/NR/NR	128/128/128/128

Medical College Admission Test:

• Some medical schools in Canada take into consideration only specific sections
• If an applicant has taken the MCAT multiple times, some Universities will take the highest score and some will use the most recent scores
• 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.

CASPer Test:

• The Canadian Professional Health Sciences test (CSP10201) is the required CASPer test for medical schools requiring the CASPer 

Each university has different deadlines for CASPer and MCAT submission dates. All this information can be found above in any of the links listed below for the university you are interested in.

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Requirements for Medical Schools in Canada: Letters of Reference

Most medical schools in Canada will require letters of reference from their applicants. In general, three letters of recommendation are required by applicants. Although the exact nature of each reference varies from university it should be noted that it usually cannot be from family members, friends/colleagues of family members, neighbours, or someone who may be perceived as your peer as a referee. You can see the reference letter requirements for each university by clicking our individual links.

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Requirements for Medical Schools in Canada: Interview and Autobiographical Sketch

	Autobiographical Sketch Required	Supplementary Application Required	Interview
UBC		✓	✓
UofC		✓	✓
UofA		✓	✓
UofS			✓
UofM			✓
NOSM	✓	✓	✓
UWO	✓	✓	✓
Mac			✓
UofT	✓	✓	✓
Queens	✓		✓
UofO	✓		✓
McGill		✓	✓
UdeM			✓
UdeS			✓
UdeL			✓
Dal		✓	✓
Mun			✓

All medical schools in Canada require an interview in their admission process, which is granted to the most qualified applicants. There are two main types of interviews, multi-mini interviews and traditional interviews.  If you are looking for interview practice check out our posts on both MMI Practice Questions and Standard Interview Practice Questions.

Some universities require specific autobiographical sketches and supplementary applications, with their own unique questions, to be completed by applicants. 

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Requirements for Medical Schools in Canada: Final Admission Decisions

Every medical school weighs each section of your application differently when making the final admission decisions. This will play a large role in your application process and should be taken into consideration. All this information can be found above in any of the links listed below for the university you are interested in.

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In-Depth Look at the Requirements for Each Medical School in Canada:

If you would like an in-depth view of the medical school requirements for a specific dental school in Canada, including average admitted GPA and MCAT scores as well as detailed information about the interview, autobiographical sketch, and admissions weighting statistics, click any of the links below.

• 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

For those interested in applying for Canadian dental schools check out our page on the requirements for dental schools in Canada.

FAQ:

How long is medical school in Canada?

Most medical schools in Canada are 4-years in length. This is the case for 15 of the 17 universities in Canada. Two universities in Canada, McMaster University and the University of Calgary, are 3-years in length and continue throughout the summer. Another exception to this rule is students who study for 5-years if they apply to McGill and UdeM through the CEGEP program.

What GPA do you need for admission to medical schools in Canada?

The lowest GPA admitted to a medical school in Canada ranges 3.3-3.7 depending on which school. To get in with a low GPA the other aspects of the application must be exceptional. A competitive GPA for admission, which is the average GPA of admitted students, is between 3.8-4.0 depending on the school and whether you are an in-province or out-of-province applicant.

What are the entry requirements for medicine in Canada?

The admission requirements are similar between the different medical schools: prerequisite courses, GPA requirements, MCAT and CASPer testing, as well as interviews and personal statements.

Is dental or medical school harder?

Both medical and dental schools are very competitive to get into. From the perspective of admission rates, medical school is harder to be admitted to than dental school. There are more medical schools than there are dental schools, but there are far more applicants to medical schools than there are to dental schools.

Is it hard to get into medical school in Canada?

Medical schools in Canada are extremely competitive. Successful applicants must meet a significant number of requirements before even being considered including prerequisite courses, GPA requirements, MCAT and CASPer testing, as well as interviews and personal statements.

What is the minimum GPA for medical school in Canada?

The lowest admitted GPA of any medical school candidate in Canada is around 3.7. However, competitive applicants regularly received a GPA between 3.8-4.0. 

Which medical schools in Canada require no MCAT?

Six medical schools in Canada do not require the MCAT for admission. The two Ontario medical schools, uOttawa and NOSM, and all four Quebec medical schools, McGill, UdeM, UdeS, and Laval.