MD/MSc in Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Specialty
The Combined Full-Time MD/MSc in Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Specialty (Coursework-Only Option), offered jointly by the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Dentistry, is designed for a select group of dental graduates seeking advanced training in dentoalveolar and oral surgery. This Combined Degree Program (CDP) is structured to equip graduates with a comprehensive foundation in oral and maxillofacial surgery as a specialized field, while also preparing them for examinations administered by the Royal College of Dentists in Canada.
Trainees will complete both programs in six years – two years less than pursuing them separately.
Applying to the Combined MD/MSc OMFS Program
Applicants must apply to the MD, the MSc in Dentistry specialty in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (MSc OMFS) coursework option, and the CDP by August 1, 2025.
Step 1: Apply to the MSc OMFS Program and CDP
Step 2: Apply to the MD Program
In addition to your applications to the MSc OMFS Program and the CDP, please submit the following MD application materials by 11:59pm (ET) on August 1, 2025:
- Two Brief Personal Essays (BPE)
- Autobiographical Sketch (ABS)
- Three References
The BPE, ABS, and references are used to assess your non-academic qualifications. When reviewing these materials, we evaluate your attributes, activities, and achievements in relation to the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s mission, values, and the MD Program competencies.
Specifically, we evaluate materials according to the following 4 clusters:
- Professional Cluster: Maturity, reliability, perseverance and responsibility.
- Communicator/Collaborator/Leader Cluster: Communication, collaboration, teamwork, time management and leadership.
- Advocate Cluster: Advocacy, community service and social responsibility.
- Scholar Cluster: Academic standing, achievements in leadership, research and social responsibility as demonstrated by (but not limited to) awards, conference presentations, publications and scholarships.
In your BPE and ABS, you may write about activities and achievements undertaken and completed anywhere in the world. The nature and outcome of the activity is more important than where it took place – participation within your local community is as important as international experiences.
Preparing and Submitting Your MD Application Materials
Brief Personal Essays
You are required to submit two original BPEs, with each essay answering a specific question related to the Faculty’s mission and values. The Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s mission statement embodies social responsibility, and the Faculty’s values are reflective of this responsibility. Each BPE must be 250 words or less.
BPE Questions for the 2025 Admissions Cycle:
- Describe a time when you received feedback that stands out in your memory. Why did it stand out from other feedback experiences? What did you do with the feedback and how did it influence your use of feedback, if at all?
- Describe a meaningful learning experience that occurred outside of a formal educational context (e.g., community service, employment, or extracurricular setting). What concepts or skills did you find particularly challenging to learn? What resources did you use to assist this learning? How did this experience impact your approach to learning, if at all?
Submitting Your BPE
Use this application form to submit your ABS and BPE responses.
Plagiarism Screening Notice
We will perform random checks of your brief personal essays through a plagiarism detection tool. You will not be informed that your essay has been submitted for comparison. Essays submitted will be included as source documents in the reference database, where they will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. If you do not consent to your essays being submitted through a plagiarism detection tool, you must email md.applicants@utoronto.ca by the application deadline. We will honour this request.
Autobiographical Sketch
You are required to submit an ABS of 500 words or less. Select an impactful experience from your CV or résumé that reflects your personal growth, character, and values. Describe how this experience has prepared you for the challenges of medical school.
Submitting Your ABS
Use this application form to submit your ABS and BPE responses.
References
You are required to arrange for three (3) MD references as part of your application.
Selecting Your Referees
- One of three references must be provided by a dental faculty member.
- You must not use family members, family friends, colleagues of family members, neighbours or someone who may be perceived as your peer as a referee, as we do not consider them to be objective.
- References from spiritual advisors are acceptable, provided they are not also family members or close friends.
Submitting Your References
- Provide the professional email addresses of your three referees directly to the MD Admissions Office at md.admissionsoffice@utoronto.ca (e.g., use institutional addresses like @sickkids.ca rather than personal ones).
- Once received, the MD Admissions Office will send each referee a reference form to complete.
- Notify your referees in advance that they will receive an email from the MD Admissions Office with instructions.
- All reference forms must be submitted by the stated application deadline.