UOttawa Medical School Requirements and Acceptance Rate

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa is one of 17 medical schools in Canada. It is also one of Canada’s bilingual medical schools.

In 2021, the UOttawa medical school acceptance rate was 3.44%. Of the 4,802 undergraduate students that applied, only 165 were admitted into the program.

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

Academic

Pre-requisite courses
Minimum number of years of undergraduate study required
GPA

Non-Academic

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
CASPer Test
Autobiographical Sketch
Letters of Reference
Interview

UOttawa Medical School Requirements: Prerequisite Courses

All students applying to the University of Ottawa Medical School must have completed at least 3 years of full-time undergraduate study leading to a bachelor’s degree by the proposed year of entry. This means that students must have 3 years of study in which at least 4 courses were taken each semester. In addition to this your undergraduate studies must include the following courses:

Prerequisite Course	Credits Required
Humanities / Social Sciences	6 units
Biology	6 units
Organic Chemistry	3 units
General Chemistry	3 units
Biochemistry	3 units
Statistics	3 units

UOttawa Med Requirements: GPA Calculation and Requirements

Minimum GPA to Apply	Average GPA of accepted applicants	Lowest GPA Admitted
3.85	3.96*	Not Released

*This figure is estimated from past applicant pools. UOttawa does not release this information publically

When calculating your GPA a simple average of the most recent courses taken during 3 years of full-time undergraduate study will be used. This includes all summer courses taken during that time period.

One course per semester that has a “Pass” or “Credit” grade may be completed. This course will not affect the GPA calculation. If more than one “Pass” or “Credit” course is taken in a semester that semester will be ineligible for grade calculations.

UOttawa Medical School Requirements: MCAT and CASPer

MCAT and CASPer Overview:

CASPer Required	MCAT Required	MCAT Scores Considered
✓	X	NA

MCAT Admission Score Statistics:

	C/P Score	CARS Score	B/B Score	P/S Score
Minimum Score Admitted	NA	NA	NA	NA
Average Score Accepted	NA	NA	NA	NA

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. This test must be taken in the language you intend to study during your studies. The CASPer snapshot will not be taken into consideration by the admissions committee.

Medical College Admission Test: The MCAT is not required by this University and will not be used by the admissions committee when deciding offers of admission.

Autobiographical Sketch and Personal Statements:

UOttawa Medical School 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. UOttawa will look at what applicants consider the top 3 activities, completed since the age of 16, in the following categories:

Employment
Volunteering
Extracuricular Activites
Awards/Accomplishments
Research

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.

UOttawa 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:

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

Ottawa Medical School Interview:

Mandatory	By Invitation	Number of Applicants Invited	Entering Class Size
✓	✓	600	165

Shortlisted candidates will be required to partake in an interview, held during February/March, with the UOttawa admissions team.

The University of Ottawa medical school conducts traditional panel-style interviews, offered in both French and English. The panel is composed of a 4th-year medical student, a faculty member, and a community member (usually a practicing MD).

During the interview, applicants will be asked questions relating to their motivation to study medicine, their personal attributes, and their ability to think critically and resolve conflicts in ethical scenarios. The admissions team will also have your ABS statement on hand and may ask questions about any of the activities you’ve listed. Because of this, it is highly recommended that applicants anticipate some of the questions they might be asked and prepare to answer them beforehand. In your responses remember to portray your passion and introspection when discussing these experiences. Additionally, applicants should be able to know why they wish to pursue medicine, read and reflect on ethical scenarios, and be up-to-date on current events and health topics.

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

UOttawa Med Offers of Admission Decision:

UOttawa 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 Ottawa does not disclose any information about how each of the admission requirements is combined 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: