Indigenous Student Application Program
Recognizing the commitment to social responsibility in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s mission, the MD Program implemented ISAP to strengthen Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) representation in medicine at the University of Toronto.
Members of the Indigenous community, including faculty, physicians, residents, medical students and members of the public, take part in admission file review and interview processes.
To apply to this program, you must meet the same minimum requirements for MCAT, GPA and course prerequisites as all other applicants. The program does not have a designated quota for admission. In addition to the requirements for all MD applicants, applicants to ISAP must complete the following ISAP-specific requirements by the stated deadlines:
Indigenous Substantiation and ISAP Review Process
Applicants seeking consideration through the Indigenous Student Application Program (ISAP) must first identify by contacting the Office of Indigenous Health (OIH) at Indigenoushealth.Support@utoronto.ca before October 1, 2026.
Once an applicant has identified, their contact information will be shared with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII), which is responsible for administering the Indigenous Substantiation process. OII will contact the applicant directly to initiate and guide them through the substantiation process.
Applicants will be considered for review through ISAP only after OII has confirmed that the applicant has successfully met the Indigenous Substantiation criteria (Membership, Citizenship, or Enrolment [M/C/E]). Confirmation of substantiation will be provided to the MD Admissions Office without the disclosure of personal or confidential substantiation materials.
For questions regarding the Indigenous Substantiation process or the Indigenous Student Application Program (ISAP), please contact the Office of Indigenous Health, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, at Indigenoushealth.Support@utoronto.ca.
The ISAP Personal Statement
- The ISAP Personal Statement is an opportunity for you to introduce yourself and share more about your decision to apply through the ISAP. Consistent with the practices of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC)’s Indigenous Identity Verification for IPAC Board Members (effective July 12, 2024), you are expected to “speak clearly and confidently to [your] identity” as an Indigenous person. We recommend that your statement be no more than 500 words in length.
- In reviewing your statement, the ISAP Advisory Circle will consider:
- your rationale for applying through ISAP and
- how you situate yourself as an Indigenous person (e.g., your experiences, relationships and current community connections).
Program Information
- Applicants must meet the same academic requirements for Medical College Application Test (MCAT) results, grade point average (GPA) and course prerequisites as all other applicants.
- The ISAP program does not have a designated quota for admission.
- Members of the Indigenous community, faculty, students, and public members will take part in admissions file review and admission interviews.
- Documentation submitted after the OMSAS deadline will not be considered. No updates will be accepted.
- Indigenous peoples of North America are invited to apply through this application stream.
Related Links
Prospective applicants are invited to join the Community of Support (COS). COS is a collaborative initiative to increase the number of medical students who are Black, Indigenous, racialized or economically disadvantaged at the University of Toronto. Interested students can sign up to join via the COS Form.
- Office of Indigenous Health
- Resources & opportunities for Indigenous Medical Students at the U of T
- Scholarship for Indigenous medical students
This program reflects the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s strong commitment to diversity as demonstrated in its diversity statement [PDF].