UBC Medical School Requirements and Acceptance Rate (2027 Entry)

UBC’s Faculty of Medicine is the only medical school in British Columbia and one of the biggest in Canada, with 328 first-year seats spread over four campuses^[2]. About 9 in 10 seats go to B.C. residents, and B.C. applicants are more than twice as likely to get an offer as applicants from other provinces (18.4% vs 7.6% in 2024)^[2]. Applications for 2027 entry closed on September 15, 2026, so this guide is also your plan for the 2028 cycle.

UBC medical school requirements at a glance

How UBC calculates your GPA

UBC works out two averages from every university-transferable course you have taken, including failed and repeated courses, and uses whichever is higher^[5]:

• Overall academic average (OGPA): all graded university-level credits.
• Adjusted academic average (AGPA): if you have more than 90 graded credits, UBC drops up to 30 credits from your lowest-scoring academic year, as long as 90 graded credits remain. So with 105 credits it can drop up to 15; with 120 or more it can drop a whole weak year.

Pass/fail courses count toward your credits but not your average, and AP, IB and A-Level credits are left out. Courses you take in the summer you apply are treated as in progress and do not count toward the average^[5].

The minimums only decide whether your file is reviewed: B.C. applicants under 75% and out-of-province applicants under 85% do not get a full review^[4]. The people who actually get in are far above that. The 2024 entering class averaged 89.65%^[1], and the applicants UBC invited to interview for 2026 averaged 89.10% (B.C.) and 92.93% (out of province)^[1].

MCAT and Casper

C/P = Chemical and Physical Foundations, CARS = Critical Analysis and Reasoning, B/B = Biological and Biochemical Foundations, P/S = Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations. Each section is scored 118–132.

The MCAT is required^[2]. The 2024 entering class averaged 513.2, a little lower than the 514–515 range of the four years before it, while applicants who were not admitted averaged about 511.5^[1]. Check UBC’s admission requirements page for the latest test-date window and how repeat scores are handled^[4].

UBC does not use Casper or any other situational judgement test^[2]. That makes your activity descriptions and interview more important than at schools that screen with Casper.

Preparing for the MCAT? The Princeton Review is one long-standing prep option, and our guide to MCAT sections explains what each score means.

As long as you meet the minimum score and date rules, the MCAT is not used to decide who gets an interview. UBC looks at it after the interview, and does not publish how^[6]. Scores must be released to UBC every cycle^[6].

Degree and prerequisite courses

You need at least 90 university-transferable credits with grades (three full-time years) by April 30 of the year you would start, and you do not need to finish a degree^[4]. Part-time years are allowed, though the application asks you to explain them.

English is the only prerequisite, and it is changing. UBC is moving from 6 credits of English to 3 credits of English plus 3 credits of Indigenous Studies^[4]. For the 2026–27 and 2027–28 cycles you can present either two English courses (two literature, or one literature and one composition) or one English course and one Indigenous Studies course. They must be graded and finished by April 30 of your entry year.

Activities, references and the non-academic review

Before interviews, UBC scores every eligible file twice: an academic review (your OGPA/AGPA) and a non-academic review of your activities, employment, awards, research and publications. The two are weighted equally and standardized against that year’s applicant pool to produce a pre-interview result^[1].

That means a strong activity record can make up for a GPA that is good but not exceptional. Describe what you did, your role, and the impact, and give numbers where you can. UBC looks for the same qualities found in the CanMEDS roles: leadership, service, working with others and professionalism.

The non-academic application and references

Your activities are scored as your non-academic qualities (NAQ) in five categories^[5]:

• Leadership
• Service ethic
• Capacity to work with others
• Diversity of experience
• High performance in an area of human endeavour

Experiences do not have to be medical. UBC contacts verifiers at random, and differences between your application and what a verifier says can affect your file^[6]. Scores are standardized against the year’s pool, and a strong NAQ cannot make up for a GPA under 75% (B.C.) or 85% (out of province)^[7].

References are only requested once you are invited to interview, and UBC does not accept unsolicited letters. Each referee fills in an online form. In recent cycles UBC asked for one academic reference and one service or professional reference, but this can change every year^[6].

The UBC interview

Interviews combine a multiple mini interview (MMI) with a panel interview^[2]. For 2026 entry, UBC invited 882 applicants: 777 B.C. residents and 105 from out of province^[1]. Practise MMI-style ethics and teamwork scenarios, and be ready to walk a panel through your own experiences in detail. Our sample MMI questions are a good place to start.

The MMI connects you with about ten different interviewers, each with a pre-selected scenario^[5]. Applicants for the Northern Medical Program and rural seats also get a Rural and Remote Suitability Score, based on their rural, remote, northern or Indigenous experience and community ties^[6].

How UBC picks who gets in

Two things drive the decision: your pre-interview result (academic and non-academic file review, weighted equally) and your interview^[1]. Where you live matters a lot. B.C. residents (including residents of Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut) compete for most of the 328 seats, while out-of-province applicants are capped at 33^[2].

Weights shown are for the pre-interview stage only. UBC does not publish how the interview is combined with the file for final offers.

UBC also runs dedicated pathways: a goal of 16 seats for Indigenous applicants, 62 through the Northern and Rural pathway, up to 8 for the MD/PhD program, and a Black Student pathway^[2].

After the interview: offers

Offers are decided by consensus of the Admissions Selection Committee, and you give your site preferences at the interview^[8]. UBC can withdraw an offer if your final grades drop your GPA by 5% or more from the average it calculated in the fall^[6].

Key dates for 2027 entry (and what to expect for 2028)

1. Mid-June 2026Application opens^[2]
2. September 15, 2026Application deadline^[2]
3. October 15, 2026Deadline for international (non-North American) transcripts^[4]
4. Winter 2027MMI and panel interviews
5. April 30, 2027All prerequisite and 90-credit requirements must be finished^[4]
6. May 2027Offers sent by email; $1,000 deposit^[2]

Applying for 2028 entry? Expect the same pattern: the application should open in June 2027 and close in mid-September 2027. UBC posts exact dates on its timelines page each spring.

Tuition and fees

First-year tuition is $24,838 for Canadian residents, plus about $4,035 in compulsory and recommended fees (2026–27 rates; 2027–28 fees are not posted yet)^[2]. Applying costs $141.75 for B.C. residents or $210.50 for out-of-province applicants^[2]. See our guide to medical school costs in Canada to compare.

UBC admission statistics and trends

Applications to UBC jumped by almost 23% in one year, from 3,111 for 2025 entry to 3,815 for 2026 entry, while interview spots grew more slowly (801 to 882)^[1]. The class itself grew from 288 in 2022 to 328 in 2024^[1].

The success rate (the share of applicants who received at least one offer) has stayed between 11% and 13% overall, but the gap between B.C. and out-of-province applicants is large and steady^[2].

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. UBC MD Admissions: admission statistics
2. AFMC: Admission Requirements of Canadian Faculties of Medicine (PDF)
3. AFMC: Canadian Medical Education Statistics
4. UBC MD Admissions: admission requirements
5. UBC MD Admissions: evaluation criteria (OGPA and AGPA)
6. UBC MD Admissions: frequently asked questions
7. UBC MD Admissions: pre-interview evaluation information and FAQs
8. UBC MD Admissions: selection

Figures were checked against these sources on November 4, 2026. Schools change their rules every cycle, so confirm on the official site before you apply.