MD Admissions: Graduate Applicants
Every admission cycle, our MD program receives a considerable number of applications from graduate applicants. With an increasing number of submissions and following our recent changes to the application process, we would like to take the moment to share some helpful information to future applicants who fall in this category.
Who’s considered a graduate applicant?
A graduate applicant is defined as a candidate who is in pursuit or has completed their Master’s or PhD degree(s). Graduate diplomas, certificates and post-baccalaureate (post-bac) programs are not considered in determining your graduate applicant status. We are often asked how professional programs are assessed – programs such as PharmD, JD and DDS are typically undergraduate programs. Applicants are advised to confirm and verify their degree type (including the type of Master’s program) with their respective department should they have any questions.
Great! I am a graduate applicant, how am I assessed?
Although applicants would be applying through the graduate stream, they are still competing for the same number of seats along with our undergraduate applicants - there are no specific seats reserved nor preference for graduate applicants. However, graduate applicants will undergo an additional assessment that will provide them with credit on their application. For graduate applicants, the minimum admissions GPA requirement is 3.3/4.0 on the OMSAS scale, however, statistics from recent admissions cycles suggest a GPA near 3.7 to be competitive. See here for how graduate applicants are assessed. An important note to remember: graduate courses do not count towards an applicant’s GPA in their MD application. The GPA is solely calculated from their undergraduate courses at the university level. Since the CV is no longer required, applicants may include their research experience as part of their Autobiographical Sketch (ABS), brief personal essays and interview responses as long as they feel are relevant to their personal narratives.
Referees, verifiers, are they the same?
A graduate applicant must provide a verifier for their graduate degree (even if it’s already completed). This is simply a contact who is able to confirm and verify the applicant's graduate degree – they do not need to send in an additional confirmation letter. This person will typically be the graduate supervisor or the departmental administrator. The verifier is different from a referee: they are not submitting a Confidential Assessment Form for the applicant. However, it is perfectly acceptable to choose the same person to act as both their verifier and one of the three referees (although it is not a requirement).
Graduate program completion
Applicants must complete all of their graduate program requirements by the June 30th deadline prior to starting our MD program of the same entry year. However, their convocation ceremony may take place in the Fall (after having started medical school) to confer their degree. It is important to note that it is a requirement to complete the designated graduate program as part of our admission requirements. Successful applicants cannot leave or change their graduate program (ie. from a PhD into a Masters) if they are accepted into the MD program. They must complete their graduate program as originally registered and intended.
