OMSAS – University of Ottawa

Last updated: September 2, 2022

University program information changes regularly. Refer to the application and the university’s website for the most up-to-date details.

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Note: The University of Ottawa reviews the information in this document annually and reserves the right to change these requirements, without notice, when circumstances dictate.

For updated information, consult the Faculty of Medicine website.

Program Overview

In this section:

Mission Statement

Our Mission is to select a culturally and socioeconomically diverse group of medical students who are ready to pursue academic and personal excellence and who possess multifaceted interests and personal qualities.

These students will be able to, in an ethical and professional manner, contribute and be responsive to the changing needs of society by:

  • providing exemplary and compassionate patient care,
  • advancing the public’s health,
  • conducting ethical medical research and
  • maintaining their personal wellness.

Mandate of the Admissions Committee

The Admissions Committee of the Faculty of Medicine has the following responsibilities:

  • Examination and evaluation of the applications.
  • Selection, on a competitive basis, of the eligible candidates who are best suited for training in medicine in accordance with the criteria approved by Faculty Council. It is highly desirable that candidates who have had a broad exposure to the biological and physical sciences also have a broad exposure to the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Our Program

The University of Ottawa is the first medical school in North America that offers the MD Program in both official languages: English and French.

Students select their language of study during the application process.

On average, 168 students are enrolled each new academic year, composed of roughly 120 in the Anglophone stream and 48 in the Francophone stream.

The application and admission processes are the same for all applicant categories.

In view of the increasing use of information technology in our instructional program, you are expected to be computer literate and are required to use a laptop in class from day 1. You must purchase your own laptop and ensure that it meets the requirements mandated by our medical eCurriculum.

We will provide further information in the offer of admission package.

Language of Instruction

We offer the medical program in both official languages in the Faculty of Medicine, where both the francophone and anglophone teaching activities correlate. These teaching activities enhance the development of linguistic skills in both French and English.

Choice of Language of Instruction

To apply for admission to the MD Program, you may submit your application to the English or French stream regardless of your mother tongue or first language learned. You must indicate your choice of language stream in the application.

We conduct interviews in the language of instruction you chose in your application. We will scrutinize the proficiency skills in your chosen language of instruction at the time of your interview, as the spirit of this policy is to allow you to complete your medical studies in the language of your choice.

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to assess your written language proficiency skills, if required.

Important: Once you submit your application and/or are admitted, you are not allowed to switch from one language of instruction to the other.
French stream applicants: Refer to the language requirements in the French version of the Application Guide.

Bilingualism

A bilingual applicant is one who speaks both of Canada’s official languages: English and French.

Note: If you claim bilingual status, we will assess your ability to have a functional conversation in both languages at the time of the interview.

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Admission Pathways

In this section:

Note: These pathways are in addition to our regular English and French streams.

Black Student Application Program (BSAP)

The BSAP is an optional application pathway for Black applicants who self-identify as:

  • Black African,
  • Black Caribbean or
  • Black North American, and
  • multi-racial students who have and identify with their Black ancestry.

This application program aims to increase and support Black medical student representation at the University of Ottawa. Members of the Black community, including faculty, physicians, community members and medical students, take part in admission file review and interview processes.

This program reflects the Faculty of Medicine’s strong commitment to diversity.

To apply to this program, you must meet the same minimum academic and non-academic requirements as all other applicants.

The BSAP does not have a designated quota for admission. You must submit admission materials as per the core MD admission process and the following additional materials by the October 3, 2022, application deadline:

  1. Self-identification via the OMSAS application: Black African, Black Caribbean, Black North American or multi-racial students who have and identify with their Black ancestry.
  2. The BSAP Letter of Intent highlighting why you have chosen to apply through this application stream. This letter must be 250-500 words and must be submitted via the OMSAS application.

Read more about BSAP requirements.

Canadian Armed Forces Candidates

If you are a currently serving Canadian Armed Forces Regular Force member and interested in the Military Medical Training Program (MMTP), you can obtain more information by consulting the Officer Specialist Training page on the Director Military Careers Policy and Grievances’ intranet website.

If you apply through the MMTP, you should meet all application eligibility criteria, including the completion of the necessary prerequisite courses. The Admissions Committee may grant flexibility for prerequisites when a combination of training and occupational experience warrants it.

You must complete the OMSAS application and follow the same application procedures as all other applicants. The application fees and institutional levy will apply, and you must follow the same method of payment as all other applicants.

For additional information regarding the MMTP application process, contact your local Personnel Selection Office.

For additional information regarding Medical Officer recruitment, roles, responsibilities and prospective military service in Health Services, we strongly encourage you to send an email to:
CFHSAttractionCell-CelluledattractionSSFC@forces.gc.ca.

Combined Program for Degrees in Medicine and Philosophy (MD/PhD)

If you apply for consideration to the MD/PhD Program, you must submit the following supplemental documents:

  • Letter of interest that focuses on the reasons for pursuing the combined MD/PhD Program and that states the research area of interest.
  • 2 letters of reference that attest to graduate research potential (additional to the 3 Confidential Assessment Forms [CAFs] requested by the MD Program).
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV).

You must use 1 of the following 2 options to submit your additional documents:

  1. Upload them using Secure Application Messaging (SAM) in your OMSAS application.
  2. Send them by email to the Admissions Office.

Note: Your letter of interest and CV can be sent using 1 of these 2 options; however, the 2 letters of reference can only be sent by the referee via email to the Admissions Office.

Students admitted to the combined MD/PhD Program must complete their PhD in one of the following graduate programs:

  • Biochemistry
  • Biology
  • Cellular and Molecular Medicine
  • Human and Molecular Genetics
  • Microbiology and Immunology
  • Neuroscience

Read more about the University of Ottawa’s MD/PhD Program.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis Candidates

We have established a dedicated selection process for candidates of Indigenous ancestry as part of our mission to improve access to better health care for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and to better serve society’s needs.

First Nations, Inuit or Métis candidates who meet the stipulated admission eligibility criteria will compete for a designated number of admission positions. Currently, we reserve up to 7 seats through this admission process and students will compete for a position within this cohort only.

Admission bursaries and other financial assistance may be available for successful applicants, depending on the availability of funding. We invite you to self‑identify on your admission application if you are First Nations, Inuit or Métis.

If you self-identify as First Nation, Inuit or Métis on your application, you must provide:

  • Proof of Indigenous ancestry, as per the University of Ottawa’s policy on Eligibility for Focused Admissions, Scholarships and Bursaries for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people [PDF].
    • Note: Some applications for proof of Indigenous ancestry may take 6 to 12 months or more to process.
  • A letter that declares Indigenous ancestry and provides specific information about First Nation, Treaty, community or organizational affiliation. In your letter, you should request consideration under the alternative process and expand on your academic and personal background, and reasons and motivation for wishing to become a physician.
  • A letter of recommendation from the First Nation, Band Council, Tribal Council, Treaty, community or organizational affiliation.

To learn more about our additional supports for Indigenous applicants, email the Indigenous Program Coordinator.

Francophone Candidates From Provinces Other Than Ontario and Quebec – The Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS)

Note: This pathway is offered only in French.

Through the mandate of the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS), francophone minority students in Canada who originate from provinces other than Ontario and Quebec have access to postsecondary studies leading to practice in the health care field. We admit these students over and above the quota set by the Government of Ontario for our Faculty.

Admission to the medical program of studies is possible if you meet all the eligibility criteria.

If you apply through the CNFS program, you will be subject to the same application process, application and institutional fees, methods of payment and selection procedures as other applicants.

Apply through OMSAS.

Note: You must send an introduction letter directly to the Faculty of Medicine to indicate that you applied for admission with the CNFS through OMSAS. You must email your letter to the Admissions Office.

Government of Nunavut Admissions Stream

The Government of Nunavut Admissions Stream was created to respond specifically to the underrepresentation of Inuit and Nunavummiut physicians in the Nunavut health care workforce. As part of this stream, the Government of Nunavut will fully fund a minimum of 1 position for a Nunavummiut student. This stream does not have a designated quota for admission.

Application Process

If interested, you may apply for admission to the Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) program through OMSAS.

If applying to this stream, you must do the following by October 3, 2022:

All eligible applicants to this stream are entitled to apply for support from the Government of Nunavut to assist with travel and application costs. Email Dr. Francois de Wet for more information.

Government of Nunavut Admissions Stream Pathways

The Government of Nunavut Admissions Stream has 2 pathways for admission:

  1. Nunavut Inuit Applicants
  2. Nunavummiut (Non-Inuit) Applicants
Nunavut Inuit Applicants

You must submit the following additional documents with your OMSAS application:

  • A letter of intent (250 words or less) highlighting why you have chosen to apply through this stream. Specifically, this letter should include:
    • a request for consideration under the alternative admission process,
    • a description of your connection to the community,
    • details on your academic and personal background and
    • an explanation of your reasons and motivation for wishing to become a physician.
  • A letter of recommendation from a community organization, educational institution, Inuit organization or hamlet that affirms your connection to the community.
  • Proof of enrollment as an Inuk under the Nunavut Agreement, as per the University of Ottawa’s policy on Eligibility for Focused Admissions, Scholarships and Bursaries for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people [PDF].

Nunavut Inuit applicants are eligible for enhanced application support and, if admitted, for additional ongoing educational support through Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and Makigiaqta Inuit Training Corporation. Email the Makigiaqta Inuit Training Corporation for more information.

Nunavummiut (Non-Inuit) Applicants

You must submit the following additional documents with your OMSAS application:

  • A letter of intent (250 words or less) highlighting why you have chosen to apply through this stream. Specifically, this letter should include:
    • a request for consideration under the alternative admission process,
    • a description of your connection to the Nunavut community, as well as your status as a resident of the Territory,
    • details on your academic and personal background and
    • an explanation of your reasons and motivation for wishing to become a physician, including how you intend to give back to the Nunavut community.

Successful Nunavummiut students may be eligible for financial support for educational needs through the Government of Nunavut.

Social Accountability Initiative

In the spirit of social accountability and responsibility, and to devise appropriate strategic objectives and commit the necessary resources to address the current socioeconomic disparity in medical school admission, we have created 2 low socioeconomic status (LSES) reserved seats.

This initiative is a first step in an attempt to decrease barriers, offer fairness and provide all candidates with equal access opportunity.

If you wish to be considered for the reserved LSES seats, you must submit additional documents, including the Social Accountability Initiative Form [PDF].

Read more about LSES reserved seats.

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Eligibility Criteria

In this section:

Citizenship

We will not accept applications from applicants who are not Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents (landed immigrants), except for eligible children of University of Ottawa alumni who have completed studies at the Faculty of Medicine.

You must forward proof of permanent resident (landed immigrant) status to OMSAS at the time you submit your application.

Academic Requirements

Full-time Requirement

We accept applications from students in good standing who will have successfully completed at least 3 years of full-time studies (5 courses per semester each year) in any undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree, at a recognized university.

Any academic year comprised of 4 courses per semester will be recognized as full-time and counted in the cumulative grade point average (cGPA) calculation provided that the missing courses (credits) to fulfill the full-time (5 courses per semester) requirement is completed within another academic year or as summer course(s).

Note: An academic year consists of 2 regular terms – fall and winter (September to April).

Individual courses taken during a summer session are accepted and the marks obtained are counted in the calculation of the cGPA, if completed during the last 3 years of full-time undergraduate studies leading to a bachelor’s degree.

Any year with less than 4 courses per semester will not count as a full-time year of study.

A full-time summer semester does not replace a semester of studies within an academic year (except for co-op programs).

Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and transfer units are not recognized as fulfillment of full-time studies requirement.

We will not recognize full-time studies completed by distance education, since the spirit of the full-time studies requirement is to be able to assess and compare how candidates succeed in a full-time course load and to predict their performance and ability to cope with the rigorous demands of the medical program.

Furthermore, the Admissions Committee reserves the right to assess, in your program:

  • the level of difficulty of the courses,
  • the pertinence of the courses for future medical studies at the University of Ottawa and
  • the performance you achieve in these courses.

We generally consider professional degrees earned at Canadian institutions as undergraduate degrees.

We will assess applications individually during the evaluation process once you submit your application to OMSAS.

Applying as a Third-year Student

You can apply as a third-year student if you were full-time during your first 2 years of undergraduate studies and you are currently registered in your third year of full-time undergraduate bachelor’s degree studies.

You must complete all admission requirements including the prerequisite courses by the beginning of June preceding admission into the MD Program.

Applying With More Than 3 Years of Undergraduate Studies or Having Completed More Than 1 Undergraduate Degree

If you are applying with more than 3 years of undergraduate studies or have completed more than 1 undergraduate degree at the time of application, you are eligible to apply if you have at least 3 years of full-time studies leading to the obtention of a university bachelor’s degree.

The 3 years of full-time studies do not necessarily need to be consecutive nor be in the same bachelor’s degree program.

For example, if at the time of application, you have completed an undergraduate degree plus 2 years toward a second undergraduate bachelor’s degree, you are eligible to apply provided that:

  • At least 3 of your undergraduate years of study were completed as full-time.
  • You have completed all admission requirements, including prerequisite courses, by the beginning of June preceding admission into the MD Program.
Undergraduate Degree or Certificate of 1-year Duration

Since we require at least 3 years of undergraduate full-time studies in any program leading to a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university within our eligibility criteria, we will convert only the most recent 3 years of studies pertinent to your bachelor program of studies and not convert any undergraduate degree and/or certificate of 1-year duration.

We also do not convert studies leading to a diploma or certificate, or to MD degrees.

Co-op Students

If you are registered in a co-operative education program (co-op), you are eligible to apply if you meet the prerequisites.

To satisfy the 3 years of full-time studies requirement, you are also required to complete 2 academic terms within each trimester year (fall, winter and summer).

Any academic year where you completed 2 work terms will not count as part of the 3 prerequisite years of full-time studies and, therefore, the grades obtained for the 1 semester of academic work completed within this year will not be used in the cGPA calculation.

Read more about our co-operative education programs.

Students From a Quebec CEGEP or a Community College

We do not accept applications directly from CEGEP or community college.

If you have obtained the diplôme d’études collégiales from Quebec (CEGEP), you must have also completed 2 years of full-time studies (minimum of 5 courses per semester each year) in an undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree at a recognized university, including the necessary prerequisite courses, completed with a minimum grade of 3.00/4.00 on the OMSAS scale.

The same policy applies if you completed studies at a community college. We will recognize college (or CEGEP) studies as equivalent to 1 year of postsecondary university studies, provided that you obtained your diploma.

For more information, refer to College Studies – Community College/CEGEP.

Credentialing of Foreign Grades – World Education Service (WES)

You must have your foreign transcript assessed by World Education Services (WES) if:

  • you have a permanent residence in Canada and
  • you do not meet our eligibility requirements relative to completing Canadian or US studies.

The WES evaluation greatly facilitates the consideration of your application; however, the Admissions Committee reserves the right to apply its own conversion.

The evaluation must include a program equivalency conversion, an overall grade point average (GPA) conversion and a course-by-course conversion. We will consider your application only if the WES evaluation is provided.

Graduate Applicants (Master and PhD)

If you are a graduate candidate who is registered in (or has recently completed) a master’s or doctoral degree, you are allowed to apply to the MD Program, provided you meet the eligibility criteria, including the necessary prerequisites (sciences/humanities), completed with a minimum grade of 3.00/4.00 on the OMSAS scale.

We will assess these applications like all other applications, based on:

  • cGPA,
  • Casper,
  • CAFs,
  • Autobiographical Sketch (ABS) and
  • interview performance.

Although the cGPA is calculated based on the last 3 years of full-time undergraduate studies, ongoing studies (in a professional or graduate program) will be considered as part of the final comprehensive file review to ensure academic excellence is maintained.

As a graduate applicant, you must have completed all your course work by the end of June prior to entering the MD Program, as students are not allowed to be registered into 2 programs at the same time.

Prerequisite Courses

Specific prerequisite courses must be completed with a minimum grade of 3.00/4.00 on the OMSAS scale.

You may complete missing prerequisite courses during the academic year preceding admission to the medical program. However, you must complete all courses by the end of the winter term (January-April) before entering medical school.

Course Requirements
  • 6 units in Humanities/Social Sciences
    • You may fulfill the Humanities/Social Sciences requirements with any courses that are not science based. These include, but are not limited to: Sociology, Psychology, Math, Religion, Administration, English Literature, English Writing, etc.
    • We will not accept any second language courses toward the Humanities/Social Sciences requirements.
  • 6 units in Biology (We also accept Anatomy and Physiology courses.)
  • 3 units in Organic Chemistry
  • 3 units in Chemistry
  • 3 units in Biochemistry
  • 3 units in Statistics (We do not accept calculus courses for the Statistics requirement.)

Notes:

  • Units are equivalent to credits.
  • 3 units (credits) are equivalent to a 1-semester course, and 6 units (credits) are equivalent to either 1 full-year course or 2 semester-long courses.
  • We will accept courses where the course code or title includes the name of the category required. For example, we will accept any CHM/CHEM/Introduction to Chemistry or General Chemistry for the 3 units (credits) of Chemistry.
  • Having more courses in 1 category does not compensate for missing courses in other categories. For example: Having 6 units (credits) of Biochemistry does not compensate for the missing units (credits) in Biology or vice versa.
  • Obtain a list of prerequisite courses equivalencies from college studies or CEGEP.
Laboratory Requirement

You must demonstrate an exposure to laboratory work. You must have a laboratory component in 2 of the science courses from the categories listed or have completed an exclusive lab course that is the equivalent of 6 units (credits).

Note: The 3 years of full-time undergraduate study and the prerequisite courses must be completed prior to the beginning of June preceding admission into the MD Program.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (cGPA)

Each year, a minimum cGPA is set for the current application pool. The required minimum cGPA is 3.50/4.00 and upwards and may vary depending on the stream in which candidates apply to. It may also be influenced by the quality and quantity of applicants for that current year.

Based on recent admission statistics and the high volume of applications in the English stream, a cGPA of 3.85 or higher is considered competitive for admission.

Admission to the MD program is competitive; possessing the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance.

When calculating the school GPA to assess excellence in marks for admission to the MD Program, we will use the cGPA based on the applicant’s most recent 3 years of full-time (5 courses per semester per year) undergraduate studies completed toward a bachelor’s degree in any recognized university. The cGPA will include all full-time courses taken during the regular academic year (fall and winter semesters) and individual courses taken during the summer semester during that period.

Marks obtained in an academic year where a candidate has completed a semester (or full year) abroad as part of an exchange program will not be included in the cGPA calculation.

Any additional university courses or studies outside that period will be considered during the final comprehensive file review, despite not being included in the cGPA calculation, to ensure academic excellence is maintained.

For the academic year to count toward the cGPA calculation, a maximum of 1 pass/fail graded course per semester may have been completed in accordance with the full-time requirement. Therefore, an academic year in which more than 1 pass/fail graded course was taken in 1 semester is not considered in the cGPA calculation.

Prerequisite courses with the minimum grade of 3.00/4.00 on the OMSAS scale completed outside of the most recent 3 years will count toward fulfilling the prerequisite credits; however, the grades will not count toward the cGPA.

Non-academic Requirements

Confidential Assessment Forms (CAFs)

Your referees now complete references online using CAFs.

In order for referees to provide uniform information that admissions committees are specifically looking for from the reference process, each of your referees will be asked to fill out a CAF. It is your responsibility to inform your referees that they must fill out the CAF, and that additional letters of reference are not accepted.

Selecting Your Referees

You are required to ask 3 people to provide a reference on your behalf:

  • 1 academic- or employment-related referee,
  • 1 non-academic referee and
  • 1 referee of your choosing.

Select referees who have extensive personal knowledge of you and, as a result, are in a position to answer the CAF questions.

Note: We will not accept CAFs from family members.

CAF Questions

On the CAF, your references will be asked to respond to the following:

  1. Would this applicant make a good physician?
  2. Rate the applicant on each of the following attributes:
    • Communication skills
    • Problem-solving skills
    • Professionalism (e.g., commitment to ethical practice, standards of behaviour and accountability to others)
    • Empathy (e.g., demonstrating consideration of others’ perspectives)
  3. Identify and comment on 1 area of improvement for the applicant.
  4. Share any other information you feel may be relevant to a medical school’s admissions committee.
CAFs Deadline

References are due on October 3, along with the remainder of your application. However, when referees are unable to meet the deadline, we will accept late references up to December 1, without penalty to the applicant.

Requests for references should be sent to your referees by September 15 to allow enough time for them to complete their online reference by the deadline.

Read more about OMSAS referee requirements.

Casper

You are required to complete an online assessment (Casper) to assist with our selection process. You must successfully complete Casper to maintain admission eligibility.

Casper assesses the non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. It also complements our other applicant screening tools. By implementing Casper, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.

To take Casper, you must have access to a computer with audio capabilities, equipped with a webcam and a reliable internet connection on your selected test date. Casper can be taken anywhere that you can satisfy these requirements. We will not make exceptions if you are unable to take Casper online. If you require any accommodation to complete the Casper, refer to the Altus Assessments FAQs or contact them directly for more information.

You do not need to study for Casper, although you may want to familiarize yourself with the Casper test structure and ensure you have a quiet environment to take the test in.

Notes:

  • You must complete Casper in the language of instruction you selected when submitting your application to the University of Ottawa.
  • You will be required to take Casper in the fall of the application year.
  • If you have written Casper in the summer (August or September) for other schools, you are not required to rewrite the test, unless you are applying for a different language stream. Once you submit your application and have received your OMSAS ID, you simply need to log into your Altus account and request that your results be shared with the University of Ottawa.
  • If you fail to complete Casper in the language you chose to apply in, your application will be disqualified.

Schedule and take Casper.

Detailed Autobiographical Sketch (ABS)

Within the application, you must complete the detailed ABS, which provides information that allows an assessor to judge the scope of your activities.

It is in your interest to be complete, yet brief and to the point, and be specific in the time of completion (academic or non-academic) and number of hours. Answers in point form are easier to peruse. You are not writing a personal letter. We want to know what you have done in your life so far, why you did it and what you have gained from it as a person and as a future physician.

You will be prompted to identify the top 3 activities in each category (maximum of 18 in total) that you feel have best prepared you to apply to medicine.

You must provide a verifier for each activity listed on your detailed ABS. The verifier cannot be a friend or family member.

You must comply with the instructions provided or your application will be disqualified.

Note: We randomly contact verifiers. We may, at our discretion, refuse to invite you for an interview if you submit a false, misleading or fraudulent ABS. This standard also applies to the names of the verifiers.

Read more about the categories in the detailed ABS.

Non-eligible Candidates

You will not be eligible if you previously registered in, and withdrew or were excluded from, a medical program leading to an MD degree.

We may consider exceptions for exceptional or medical circumstances.

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Admission Policies

In this section:

Policy on Student Transfers

Transfers Within Faculty of Medicine Programs: MD Program, MD/PhD Program

Once you accept an offer of admission to either of these programs, a transfer to the other program will not be permitted.

Read more about the policy on student transfers.

Incomplete Applications

The OMSAS Application Guide refers to the importance of OMSAS receiving the application materials and required documentation by the published deadlines.

You must ensure that OMSAS receives your transcripts by the stated deadline so that the file can be reviewed in sufficient time to allow any errors or omissions to be addressed.

If your transcript issues are not resolved before our selection process begins, it will not be possible to insert the file into our process and we may disqualify your application.

Admission Irregularities

We may, at our discretion, refuse to accept future applications to the MD Program from a candidate who has submitted a false, misleading or fraudulent application in the past to any medical school.

MCAT

The MCAT is not an admission requirement for the medical program of the University of Ottawa.

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Selection Criteria

In this section:

Overview

The selection criteria are based on:

  • Eligibility criteria (Citizenship, full-time study and prerequisite courses)
  • Academic parameters (cGPA)
  • Non-academic parameters (CAFs, Casper, ABS and interview)

These criteria are further defined in the Eligibility Criteria.

As long as the criteria for eligibility are met, we do not give preference to the discipline of the academic program taken at a recognized university.

Age, gender, race, religion and socio-economic status play no part in the selection process, unless it is specified in the criteria for designated seats.

Applicants who submit fraudulent applications will be disqualified and may be subject to prosecution.

Other factors being equal, we will give preference to candidates who have an active knowledge of both official languages of the University of Ottawa (English and French).

Interview

You will not be admitted without an interview. We usually hold interviews from February to March. We base invitations for interviews on the file assessment process of academic and non-academic criteria.

Candidates who require accommodations for their interview must email the Admissions Office at least 2 weeks prior to interview day.

Unsuccessful Applications

Because of the important weight attached to the interview performance within our selection process, we will not consider further applications to the MD Program from candidates in previous years who have had 3 interviews.

This policy applies to all applications regardless of the category applied for.

Offer of Admission

Following the interview, we prepare preliminary rank order lists based on the academic and non-academic assessment (a poor interview may not be ranked). In the event of ties in the final scores, we will give priority to the candidates with the highest cGPA.

The Admissions Committee may take other factors into consideration when ranking each candidate on the excellence list for the offers.

All offers of admission are conditional and are subject to the following conditions:

  • You must provide an official final transcript from the registrar of your university by the end of June 2023.
  • You must successfully complete your current academic year.
    • This applies to all levels of study and undergraduate, graduate or professional degrees, whether they are full-time or part-time.
    • The cGPA will be recalculated for candidates who were completing undergraduate studies during the application year to ensure their cGPA does not fall below the minimum cut-off established.
    • Although the cGPA only includes marks from the undergraduate level of study, upper-level marks will be considered to ensure academic excellence is maintained.
  • You must provide the completed immunization form, the Police Record Check form and the Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Provider certification proof by August 2, 2023.
  • You must complete all admission requirements by June 2023 (this includes all course work at the graduate or doctoral level of study).
  • You must provide proof of citizenship (copy only).
  • You must demonstrate the ability to meet the standards for entry into the medical degree program, as stated in the Essential Skills and Abilities Required for Entry to a Medical Degree Program.
Important: The University may revoke the offer of admission if you fail to meet any admission requirements or any one of the conditions mentioned.

Institutional Fees

The institutional fee for the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine is $125 and is deductible from tuition fees when you are admitted.

Deposit

A deposit fee of $1,000 must accompany an offer of admission acceptance. The deposit is deducted from your tuition fees when you are admitted.

Deferred Registration

Once admitted in the first year, you may submit a request for deferred registration. We may grant this deferral under limited and special circumstances. The Admissions Office, in consultation with the Vice-Dean, may grant or refuse the request for deferral.

If you wish to submit a request for deferral, you must send us a detailed letter no later than June 30, 2023.

If another medical school admits you and allows you to defer your registration, you will not be considered for admission to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ottawa, as long as you maintain your deferred registration.

Clinical Placement Requirements

Read more about clinical placement requirements (BLS Certification, Immunization Record and Police Record Check).

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Contact Information

Admissions
Faculty of Medicine
University of Ottawa
451 Smyth Road, Room 2044
Ottawa ON K1H 8M5
Canada

Email: admissmd@uottawa.ca

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