collageThe University of Alberta Medical School GPA calculation is a bit different than other post-secondary schools. The GPA that you’ll receive at the end of your time at the University of Alberta will be based on all your grades, not just the ones that come from one particular subject or program. Read about the university of alberta medical school admission statistics and university of alberta medical school international students below.
If you’re applying to medical school, this article will help you understand how your grades will be calculated and what you need to do to get the best possible score.
How Is GPA Calculated?
GPA (Grade Point Average) is used to determine academic performance by comparing the number of points earned with the total number of possible points. For example, if a student earns an A+ in a class worth 7 points and an F in another class worth 2 points then their GPA would be calculated as follows:
(7*4)+2 = 22 + 2 = 24
In this case, 21 points were earned and there were 24 possible points so this student’s GPA is 4%.
University Of Alberta Medical School Gpa Calculation
To calculate cGPA, we include all transferable post-secondary coursework to which a grade was assigned while the student was enrolled full-time (by University of Alberta definition) during the academic year (September through April) or full-time during the Spring and Summer terms (May through August).
For undergraduate students, to be considered full-time you must complete 18 transferable units of course weight (ucw) during the academic year (September through April) or 12 ucw during the Spring and Summer terms (May through August).
All coursework completed as part of a course-based graduate program will be evaluated based on the above guidelines.
All coursework completed as part of a thesis-based graduate program to which a grade and course weighting was assigned will be included in the calculation of cGPA.
For information regarding how Winter 2020 coursework and grades are factored into cGPA calculation, please see the Use of Winter 2020 in cGPA Calculation notice.
For applicants presenting 4 or more full-time academic years (September through April) of transferable post-secondary coursework, we may exclude the lowest academic year from calculation, provided that it is not the most recent full-time academic year, nor the only year in which the student earned 30 ucw.
Meeting the minimum cGPA for application does not guarantee admission to the Doctor of Medicine Program. We encourage our applicants to have an alternate career path in mind as the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of positions we have available in our program.
AlbertansThe minimum cumulative GPA (cGPA) required to be eligible to apply for Albertan applicants is 3.30 on the UofA 4.0 grading scale.
Non-Albertans
The minimum cGPA required to be eligible to apply for Non-Albertan applicants is 3.50 on the UofA 4.0 grading scale.
Education
All applicants to the Doctor of Medicine Program must be registered in a baccalaureate degree from a program recognized by the University of Alberta and obtain their degree the year admission is sought or already have completed their degree program. We have no preference for which institution you attend nor which degree program you complete, provided that the institution and program you choose is recognized by the University of Alberta; you should be pursuing your own interests while fulfilling the requirements of your degree program. Applicants must have a minimum of 60 transferable units of course weight (ucw). We require that our applicants complete one academic year (September 1 through April 30) with a full course load prior to being admitted; the definition of full course load as ascertained by your accredited home institution must also be recognized by the University of Alberta. For example, the University of Alberta recognizes a full course load as 30 transferable ucw, equivalent to 10 half-year courses. The purpose behind this requirement is to assess whether students will be able to handle the course load in the Doctor of Medicine Program.
Courses from external institutions are converted to University of Alberta ucw. Labs that are co-requisites for lectures and are reported as separate courses on external transcripts will not be included in the total ucw; at the University of Alberta a course with a lab component is reported singularly as 3 or 6 ucw.
IB/AP credits received towards your baccalaureate degree are not considered part of post-secondary coursework and will not be used towards your application.
University Of Alberta Medical School Ranking
We are the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta, one of the world’s elite academic health sciences centres, where top students are taught by award-winning educators and mentored by renowned scientists in a dynamic learning environment.
We conduct our teaching, research and patient care in accordance with the highest international standards. We work with our partners in education, research and health care for the greater good of the local, regional and global community.
At a Glance
Medical school founded in 1913
Dental school founded in 1917
- 20 departments
- 2 stand-alone divisions
- 8 research groups
- 15 centres and institutes
- 6 undergraduate degree programs
- 3 Diploma/certificate programs
- 52 medical residency programs
- 17 PhD programs
- 13 master’s programs
Faculty Highlights
Our medical students consistently score near or at the top on national medical licensing exams. As a group, they scored highest overall on the Medical Council of Canada Evaluation Examination Part 1 in 2011 and 2012.
The John W. Scott Health Sciences Library houses and provides access to a comprehensive collection of materials to support the teaching and research activities of the faculties of medicine and dentistry, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, nursing and rehabilitation medicine.
With more than $1 billion in construction and upgrading projects, the faculty is spread across 28 buildings on or near the University of Alberta North Campus, plus clinical teaching/learning sites throughout metro Edmonton and parts of northern Alberta.
Climbing the ranks
The University of Alberta is ranked fourth in Canada and 90th in world, according to the 2018 QS World University Rankings. With approximately 26,000 universities globally, this places the U of A as one of the top one per cent of universities in the world.
The U of A’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is ranked among the top 100 medical schools in the world and top six in Canada (World University Rankings, The Times Education Rankings, QS World University Rankings).
The U of A rated sixth in the world in transplantation according to a new subjects ranking by the Center for World University Rankings.
The U of A is ranked as the 31st most international university in the world for 2017, according to the World University Rankings published by Times Higher Education, ahead of the University of Toronto (32), Harvard (33), Stanford (36) and Princeton (37). The rankings are based on data about international staff, students and publication co-authors, as well as the school’s international reputation.
university of alberta medical school admission statistics
Accreditation
The University of Alberta medical school is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
The University of Alberta dental school is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC).
Funding
Total value of research funding to the faculty in 2017: $197.6 million
Philanthropy
Total gifts and pledges raised in 2017 fiscal year:
$86,909,078.00
Programs of Note
The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta has more than 50 medical residency approved by Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Some of programs of note include the:
- Rural Medicine Program
- Indigenous Health Initiatives Program
- Gilbert Scholars Program
- Arts & Humanities in Health & Medicine Program
Centres of Excellence
The Alberta Diabetes Institute, home of the landmark treatment for Type 1 diabetes, the Edmonton Protocol.
The Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, headed by Michael Houghton, co-discoverer of the Hepatitis C virus and Canada Excellence Research Chair recipient.
university of alberta medical school international students
The University of Alberta Medical School is a highly competitive program, and to be accepted into the program, you need to have a high GPA.
The GPA calculation for the U of A Medical Program is based on a weighted average of your grades in all the required courses. The value of each course is determined by how many credits you receive for taking it, as well as whether or not it’s an elective or a compulsory course.
For example: if you have an A+ in Anatomy 1, which is worth 4 credits (1 credit/lecture) and an A+ in Biology 1A, which is worth 3 credits (1 credit/lecture), your GPA would be calculated as follows:
GPA = [(4 × 4 + 3 × 3)/(20 + 18)] * 100 = [16 + 15] * 100 = 31 * 100 = 31%
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