university of toronto medical undergraduate programs

Undergraduate Programs

Under the guidance of leading educators, our students learn in dynamic settings that present real-world situations. Students gain a deep understanding of science, but also of their social and ethical responsibilities. Offering a wide variety of areas of study, U of T Medicine will support your preparation so that you can answer your calling.

Academic Requirements

In order to study medicine at the University of Toronto, and in Canada generally, you must have some previous university experience and cannot enter a program directly from high school. The earliest you can apply is the beginning of your third year of undergraduate studies. There are different academic requirements depending on your educational background:

• undergraduate applicants
• graduate applicants
• internationally educated applicants

In addition, you must also satisfy the non-academic requirements.

Applicant Type	Undergraduate	Graduate	International
Degree	Completion of at least three years of undergraduate study (equivalent of 15 credits) towards a Canadian university bachelor’s degree.	Completion of Master’s or PhD	Completion of a non-medical bachelor’s degree equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degree in Canada with WES transcript assessment
Prerequisite Courses	Two full-course equivalents (FCEs) in life sciences and one FCE in a social science, humanities or language	Two FCEs in life sciences and one in social science, humanities or language	See undergraduate or graduate requirements
Minimum Undergraduate OMSAS GPA Requirement	3.6	3.3	See undergraduate or graduate requirements
MCAT Score	Threshold score of 125 in each section, with an allowance of 124 in one section.	Threshold score of 125 in each section, with an allowance of 124 in one section.	See undergraduate or graduate requirements
Academic Explanations Essay	Optional	Optional	See undergraduate or graduate requirements

Undergraduate Applicants

For students studying an undergraduate program at a Canadian university, the academic requirements are:

Bachelor’s degree

You must have completed at least three years of study (equivalent of 15 credits) towards a Canadian university bachelor’s degree in any discipline by the end of April in the year you plan to start the MD Program.

• If you are applying in the final year of a three year or four year degree program, you must complete the degree requirements and provide proof of completion prior to the date of enrolment in the MD Program.
• If you are applying in the third year of a four-year degree program, you must provide proof that you have completed the requirements of that year of your degree prior to the date of enrolment in the MD Program.

You are expected to have taken courses at a level corresponding with the year of your program.

• If you are applying for admission while registered in the third year of undergraduate studies, you should have at least three third-year or higher courses in your program. If you are in the fourth year of your program, you should be enrolled in a majority of courses at the third- and fourth-year levels. Please note that this is an expectation rather than a requirement.
• It is recognized that at times, students take courses in lower years for various reasons, such as a change in program or to complete subjects of interest or prerequisites that did not fit the academic schedule previously. If you have information about your academics that you feel is important for the Admissions Committee to know, please use the Academic Explanations Essay within the OMSAS application.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

You must obtain a minimum GPA of 3.6 / 4.0 on the Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS) scale. The possession of the minimum GPA requirement does not guarantee acceptance. Based on statistics from recent admissions cycles, a minimum GPA of 3.8 is considered competitive.

The calculated GPA used to fulfill the academic requirement will not include your current year of study, as this information is not available to us during the application period.

For more information, visit the calculation of GPA and GPA weighting formula page.

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

You must write the MCAT before the application deadline and achieve the minimum MCAT score in each section of the test to be considered. Your MCAT score is not assessed competitively. Only MCAT scores obtained within five years of the application deadline will be considered. Only the most recent MCAT score will be considered.

Applicants must meet a threshold score of 125 in each section, with an allowance of 124 in one section.  Students must meet this threshold to continue in the admissions process. Your MCAT score is not used competitively.

MCAT Fee Assistance Program for Canadians

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) are piloting a new fee assistance program for Canadian examinees in financial need who register for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). For more on this program and to apply, visit the AAMC website.

Prerequisite courses

You must complete:

• two full-course equivalents (FCEs) in any life science
• one FCE in any of social sciences, humanities, or a language

For more information, visit the prerequisite courses page.

Academic explanations essay

If your transcript has gaps, course withdrawals, or if you carried less than a full course load, please state the reason in the academic explanations essay section of your application. You should also use this section to document your participation in an educational exchange program, a professional experience year, or co-op program, and the time frame of this activity. Do not assume that we will be able to find this information within your file materials. If there is any reason why you believe your transcript does not reflect your true ability, please briefly outline the circumstances in the academic explanations essay.