Admissions

Just as we do not require prerequisite subjects for the program, we do not favour or discount various academic programs. Many of the successful applicants do come from science backgrounds but this may be, in part, due to the fact that they apply to more than one medical school and must do the prerequisites for the others. It is in your best interest, regardless of academic program, to as least gain some exposure to the basic sciences as well as the social sciences and humanities. The aim is to develop a well-rounded education and also to prepare yourself for alternatives to medicine.

Yes. People with a previous medical degree undertaken outside of Canada or USA are eligible for the program as long as their overall GPA, including their marks in medical school, are equivalent to at least an overall 3.00 on the OMSAS 4.00 scale.

No. To be eligible, you must have done at least three years of university, degree level work by May of the year of possible admission. However, you must submit a transcript from all post-secondary programs attended, including the above. It does not count for academic eligibility but we want to know about your educational activities. 

Law degrees (LLB and JD) in Canadian law schools are undergraduate degrees. This includes Osgood Hall law school. The grades from your Canadian Law degree will be included in the GPA calculation and the courses will be included towards the minimum number of courses required.

Any applicant who has an undergraduate university degree is eligible to apply, even if that degree was obtained in less than three years. Those who have done a two year “degree completion” program must have the degree conferred by the October application deadline. Advanced degrees granted in the absence of an undergraduate degree will not be accepted.

No. You must have at least three years of undergraduate university work or an undergraduate degree (even if obtained in less than three years). Graduate degrees that were obtained under special circumstances (where the applicant was enrolled without an undergrad degree) are not acceptable.

If you cannot obtain a transcript from your home country, you must attend university for at least two years in Canada before being eligible to apply to the Medical Program. In the absence of verifiable documents (transcripts received directly from your university) McMaster is unable to assess your credentials.

Please note that you must use the services of World Education Services to have your foreign transcript evaluated.

Yes.  Applicants to Medicine wishing to apply through McMaster’s Facilitated Indigenous Admissions Program (FIAP) need to complete the supplementary self-identification application in addition to McMaster University and program specific application processes listed below.  The FIAP self-identification application is submitted to McMaster’s Indigenous Health Task Force (IHTF) through the Indigenous Students Health Sciences Office.

Indigenous applicants are required to complete the OMSAS application and must meet the same minimum academic criteria for admissions as set out for the general pool of candidates (three or more years of undergraduate degree-level courses by May of the year of entry with an overall GPA of at least 3.00 as calculated on the OMSAS 4.00 scale and a minimum score of 6 on the Verbal Reasoning component of the MCAT or 123 on the Critical Analysis and Reasoning section of the MCAT 2015, and CASPer).

No, advanced standing/transfer is not offered. All applicants must complete the full admissions process and all successful applicants begin the program in Medical Foundation 1. 

Yes. McMaster University is committed to excellence in teaching and learning.  The University strives to ensure every student is afforded an academic environment that is dedicated to the advancement of learning and is based on the principles of equitable access and individual dignity.  At McMaster, we nurture and support a culture of acceptance, inclusion and the celebration of diversity.  Creating a learning environment that is accessible to all students is a value embedded within the University’s fabric as well as our policies, services and practices (please see: McMaster’s Policy on Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities). 

To fulfill the requirement of the MD Program and to avoid serious risk to the health and safety of patients, you are required to acquire competency in a wide range of knowledge, skills and abilities.  Individuals with special needs are advised to contact ​UGME Admissions, McMaster University, and to carefully review the COFM Essential Skills and Abilities Required for Entry to Medicine.

No. For the purposes of assessing eligibility and selection for interview we do not attempt to adjust the GPA for degree of difficulty of the program. We use the marking scheme published in the OMSAS instructions.

Canadian professional degrees are generally undergraduate degrees. These include law, engineering, the DVM, and teacher's college degrees.

No. The GPA must be 3.00 or higher. Nothing below that is acceptable.

The GPA is calculated on all undergraduate university course work you have ever done. No allowances are made for how many years ago the work was done or circumstances that may have caused you to have lower marks. If you feel that a mark on your transcript is low because of circumstances beyond your control, you must address this with the Registrar of the university you attended. If the mark is removed from your transcript, we will not use it. Our academic assessment is based upon the information on your transcript.

A Premedical Advisory Report will be accepted but does not replace the use of the three ​reference letters.

If you are a Canadian citizen, your geographic status is determined from the age of 14 to date of possible admission. Any combination of periods which adds up to three years will determine the status.

Example:

You have lived up to the age of 18 in Manitoba. You come to McMaster (or other university in Ontario) and are applying to enter the program at the end of your third year. Because you will have been in Ontario for three years by the time you register, you will receive Province of Ontario as your geographic status.

If you are a Landed Immigrant, you must have obtained landed status by the application deadline, not the date of registration in the program. If you landed some years ago, you are treated as a Canadian citizen.

Example:

You became a landed immigrant 5 years ago and have been living in Hamilton all that time. Your geographic status is Province of Ontario.

Example:

You have applied for landed status but will not have received it by the application deadline. Your geographic status will be Outside Ontario.

Applicants who are not Canadian citizens or landed immigrants may still apply. Their geographical status will be considered Outside Ontario.

What if I have already written the MCAT?

McMaster will continue to accept the MCAT Verbal Reasoning (VR) score for five years (for example, a Verbal Reasoning score from any test taken in 2014 would be valid up to the application deadline of October 1, 2019). For those who attempt the MCAT more than once, the newest score will be used in all cases (for example, if you have a VR score from 2014 or earlier, but in 2015 you take the new MCAT, we will use the Critical Analysis and Reasoning score for the more recent test).

Is there an MCAT Score below which I would be ineligible to apply?

The cutoff point for the Verbal Reasoning is six (6) and for the Critical Analysis and Reasoning the cutoff point is 123. This choice of cutoff points based upon the markedly higher rate of profound difficulties experienced in undergraduate medical schools by those students with MCAT scores below these minimums.

Are MCAT preparatory courses recommended?

The Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine does not provide guidance to prospective applicants on how to best prepare for the MCAT.

What score will be used if I take the MCAT on multiple occasions?

The only score that will be considered will be the most recent score on the Verbal Reasoning or Critical Analysis and Reasoning section of the MCAT.

How many years will my MCAT score be considered valid?

The most recent score will be considered valid up to five years preceding the application year (any test written in 2014 or later is valid for the application cycle ending October 1, 2019)

How will the MCAT score be weighted in the formulae for interview and offer of admission?

You can view our selection formulae here: The Selection Process

If a course is repeated, McMaster uses both grades, the failed course and its repeat.

If you cannot obtain a transcript from your home country you must attend university for at least two years in Canada before being eligible to apply to the Medical Program. In the absence of verifiable documents (transcripts received directly from your University), McMaster is unable to assess your credentials.

Please note that you MUST use the services of World Education Services to have your foreign transcript evaluated.

Work term reports are not required.